Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: The Blessed Madonna, aka US DJ and producer Marea Stamper is back with the release of her debut album proper after an album of remixes with Dua Lipa in previous years. Godspeed is a great embodiment of her sound which covers a wide range of house and disco styles, always served up with big energy and lots of love So far, fans have heard the bonus single 'Happier' featuring Clementine Douglas and it is a bittersweet bubblegum dance track blending melancholy vocals with triumphant production. The rest of the album promises the same infectious energy, with catchy basslines, sharp breakbeat breakdowns and a nostalgic feel. Godspeed captures Stamper's emotional depth and big time grooves in style.

Review: Funkadelic superstar George Clinton knew many a side project as a producer; one was the ingenious, part-cyborg duo, The Brides Of Funkenstein. It was Clinton's idea that two other backing singers, Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva, become the Brides Of Funkenstein, a character he invented for the 1976 Parliament LP, The Clones Of Dr Funkenstein. So popular were the brides that Clinton wasted no time in signing them to Atlantic Records; their debut album here followed the rip-roaring fan feedback that ensued from their debut single 'Disco To Go' / 'When You're Gone' in the US. The decision to break the male-fronted P-funk mould was intentional: simply *that many* Clinton instrumentals could not be credited to the man alone. "He's got thousands of tracks. He's got a whole cupboard full of them. He's got enough tracks to keep him in albums for two years," once chimed Mabry. Enchanting each jam with mecha-augmented femme flair, we're urged to be taken to the limit, across a blistering seven, smackout tracks. Mark 'Warship Touchante', the star tune by far: a wonky hi-NRG nutter, splattered with surreal, performative electronic vocal effects.

Review: Harmonics, the new album from Hot Chip founding member Joe Goddard, is a warm, instinctive, and empathetic journey across 14 tracks of left-of-centre dance music. The album explores UK garage, house, hip-hop, pop, and disco, featuring a diverse array of collaborators. Eno Williams of Ibibio Sound Machine shines on the afro-house groove of 'Progress,' while UK rapper Oranje delivers on the starry-eyed boom-bap track 'When Love's Out of Fashion.' Former Wild Beasts frontman Hayden Thorpe brings his unique vocal to the low-slung house track 'Summon,' and Goddard's Hot Chip bandmates Alexis Taylor and Al Doyle appear on the gleaming half-step ballad 'Heal Your Mind.' Additional guests include Tom McFarland of Jungle, Bronx-raised singer Fiorious on 'New World (Flow),' Guinean vocalist Falle Nioke, and UK jazz musician Alabaster DePlume. Available with a mini gatefold, a 16-page booklet, and a signed Polaroid, 'Harmonics' neatly captures Goddard's inclusive and collaborative spirit.

Review: Disco bossmen HiFi Sean and David McAlmont return with their new album, Daylight, on Plastique Recordings and a fine one it is too to follow up their acclaimed 2023 debut, Happy Ending. Daylight features twelve exhilarating tracks that celebrate the essence of summer and do a good job of capturing its vibrant colours and joyous moods. This is the first of two albums from the duo in 2024, with the nocturnal counterpart, Twilight, set for release on December 1 and therefore likely to be a celebration of the moods of winter. In the meantime, your days will be long and bright and full of dancing with this one.

Review: For their latest deep dive into Italo-disco history, ZYX Records have enlisted the help of Guiseppe "Joey" Mauro - an Italian producer, songwriter and keyboardist whose career stretches right back to 1984. His "Italo-disco legends" selection is heavy on his own work - no bad thing given his credentials - and contains a wealth of material that has never appeared on CD before. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including Mauro and Ventura's sparkling and uplifting 'You & I', Italowarriors' throbbing and colourful crew cut, 'The Warrior (120 Italo Version)', the bubbly cheeriness of 'Crazy (Classic Mix Version)' by Malcolm & The Bad Girls, and the effortless Italo funkiness of Raf Coney's 'Horsepower'.