Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: This limited gatefold edition compilation, curated by Leri Ahel & Zeljko Luketic, brings together 18 rare disco tracks from Yugoslavian artists, pressed on 2 x vinyl. Featuring the likes of KIM Band, Gabi Novak, Arian, Ljupka Dimitrovska, and more, the collection is sourced from original master tapes, ensuring pristine audio quality. Disco, a Trojan horse in Yugoslavia's pop music scene, thrived for an unexpectedly long time. Influenced by American and European disco acts like Boney M and Amanda Lear, Yugoslav producers and record companies like Jugoton and PGP RTB embraced the genre's vibrant energy. The scene fostered a unique blend of genre hybrids, electronic experimentation, and bold themes, with artists creating memorable and innovative disco music. This compilation captures the spirit of that era, shows both chart-toppers like Zdravko Colic and experimental gems. It highlights the creativity and freedom that disco provided, allowing musicians to push boundaries and deliver unforgettable tunes.

Review: Turin DJ/producer Gigi D'Agostino started his career in the mid-80s, spinning Italo-disco, before scoring a host of Eurodance and dancefloor-focused synth-pop hits. Back in 2006, he dropped a vast double-disc compilation entitled Some Experiments, which has now been given the remix treatment. Heavy on his own productions and remixes, much of the material combines sounds familiar from Italo-disco, synth-pop, trance and Eurodance releases with beats that vary in tempo and Italian vocals. There are plenty of genuine 'experiments' though, including his own synthesiser-based (but still classical-sounding) cover of Andrea Bocelli favourite 'Con To Partio', a chunky 21st century Eurodance take on Europe's 'The Final Countdown' by Il Folklorista and the weighty, slow-trance chug of 'Rugiada' by Lento Violento Man.

Review: Sabadell is a town in Spain that is renowned for its distinctive 1980s up-tempo, harmoniously synthesised take on disco. Known as the Sabadell Sound, it evolved from the pioneering and earliest Italo disco scene and featured key artists like David Lyme, Squash Gang, and Jules Tropicana. This two-sided vinyl megamix comes presented in vibrant orange vinyl and showcases the talents of DJ Funny and The Mixing Boys. In the iconic Spanish Max-Mix style, these mixes are true works of art and each side offers over 18 minutes per of hi-nrg and Eurodisco perfection that will bring great colour and charm to any party. his release is a must-have for fans both new and old of the Sabadell Sound.

Review: Flashback 80s is a nostalgic trip to the decade of synth-pop, dance and new wave. The compilation features 12 iconic songs from artists like Imagination, Bronski Beat, Kylie Minogue and Sabrina. Whether you want to groove to 'Just An Illusion', sing along to the classic 'Venus' or relive 'One Night In Bangkok', this album has something for everyone who loves the magical era. Released by Wagram Music, this fabulous collection is part of a series that spans music from the 50s to the 90s. A must-have for retro fans.

Review: ZYX's Italo Disco romance has been on going on for many years and across several key compilations. The biggest of them all was this one from 1989 which comes across four slabs of wax (or four CDs, if you prefer) and with a bumper tracklist featuring all the most vital names. Plenty of the formative years sounds are here to check out - many of which went on to be championed by DJs like Ron Hardy and the Hot Mix 5 in the early days of house. Doctor's Cat 'Feel The Drive' is a perennial favourite as is he pop tinged 'Dolce Vita' from Ryan Paris, and the exotic synth sounds of Lee Marrow's 'Shanghai', while Joe Yellow's electro on 'Lover to Lover' sure is infectious.

Review: Svart Finland takes on the not-so-easy task of representing one of the most influential periods of electronic music in northern Europe here. Their double gatefold collection Black Hole: Finnish Disco & Electronic Music from Private Pressings & Unreleased Tapes 1979-1991 does a fine job with multiple tunes from all the key players including Syntax, Osto, Peak Funktion and Free Feeling Band. These obscure 20 cuts take in rare groove from unknown regional compilation records, private presses and test pressings. Many of them are hard to find and expensive in original format and with their drum machine magic and cosmic synth delights are well worth having.

Review: The seventh and final installment of this vinyl series hones in on tracks that are sure to keep the dancefloor packed. Pressed on striking transparent blue and green vinyl, this 2LP set is a pulsating collection of club classics that defined the era's nightlife, bridging disco, funk, house, electro, pop and hip-hop into an irresistible sonic melting pot. Side-A starts off with winner and Inner City's euphoric house staple 'Good Life', setting the pace for an album steeped in dancefloor euphoria. Kym Mazelle and Robert Howard's soulful 'Wait' and Coldcut's 'People Hold On' with Lisa Stansfield show the decade's seamless blend of house and pop, while 'Pump Up The Volume' by M/A/R/R/S redefined sampling's role in dance music. S'Express's 'Theme from S-Express' and Bomb The Bass's 'Beat Dis' bring explosive energy, while Technotronic and Rob 'n' Raz keep the tempo high with their club anthems. Late-'80s remix culture shines as Chaka Khan's 'I'm Every Woman' get a modernised update while PWL's glossy, synth-driven touch on 'Sandra' shines brightly. 80s dance legends Bananarama and Samantha Fox are also have vital appearances to the collection. LP2 dives into hip-hop-infused dance with Soul II Soul's 'Back To Life', Ten City's deep-house masterpiece 'That's The Way Love Is' and Neneh Cherry's genre-defying 'Buffalo Stance'. The finale is pure club gold: 'The Only Way Is Up' by Yazz, the thunderous 'Blue Monday '88', and 'Fools Gold' by The Stone Roses. Closing with 808 State's 'Pacific State' and The Beloved's 'Sun Rising', Floorfillers is a flawless time capsule of dance music's late-80s evolution. This double pack is steeped in history while being an excellent range of styles that made the 80s so remarkable.

Review: The Four Flies crew has been hard at work assembling this comprehensive collection of soul, AOR and Italo disco from between the very specific years of 1977 and 1986. Across four fantastic sides of wax it shows how Italian artists took those sounds and added their own perspective to them during that era. Accompanying text says "In Italy, a soulful and sophisticated approach to pop music was embraced ... by an entire generation of writers, arrangers and musicians" and that is sure highlighted here in lush grooves, escapist melodies and feel good tunes that are effortless and timeless.