Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: Fimiani's 'Disco Music', a standout track from the Toy Tonics catalogue, receives a series of dancefloor-ready remixes. This infectious tune, already championed by DJs like Palms Trax and Louie Vega, is reimagined by four talented producers, each adding their unique flavour to the mix. Young Pulse, the Parisian house maestro, delivers a vibrant and energetic rework, while Tel Aviv's edit king, Elado, injects a dose of playful energy. Berlin's Delfonic transforms the track into a soulful dancefloor anthem, showcasing his knack for crafting infectious grooves. Paul Older, fresh off his acclaimed debut EP on Toy Tonics, closes out the release with a remix that blends classic house elements with a contemporary edge. With its diverse range of interpretations and undeniable dancefloor appeal, this release is a must-have for any disco enthusiast.

Review: Hands up - this is one of our favourite ever jams and frankly we can't really understand anyone who doesn't rate it pretty highly. It is a classic of the early dance scene that got hammered everywhere from Warehouse to Paradise Garage and remains in a class of one decades on. Next to the brilliant original, which is from a time when proper songwriting and musicianship defined house and disco, you get a Ron Hardy edit that is more uptempo, with hissing hi hats cutting through the funky rhythms and loopy drums. Sublime.

Review: The American female vocal trio First Choice released their rendition of 'Love and Happiness' in 1973. The track is a cover of Al Green's original released just a year earlier in 1972, but First Choice's version was perhaps helped along the way by a peak case of nominative determinism: for us, theirs is the first choice. Featured on their debut album, Armed and Extremely Dangerous, it stood out on the Philly soul girl gang's record as one of the records most propitious to sampling by house and techno musicians, such as Todd Terry and Jungle Brothers. But this time, the legacy of this preceptive soulful-house interplay is honoured by a newly reissued remix by the mysterious but titanic Chicago producer Ron Hardy, whose inclusion on the record is the real star here. Hardy's signature reel-to-reel fuzzes and presence-bled hues effect recollections of a pre-DAW production setup, and the resonances of dub (woodblocks, four-tone hooks, burly basslines) nest the original Al Green vocal nicely.

Review: Z Records returns with a Hustle-tastic 12" to light up both your life and DJ sets. It's the boss himself Dave Lee who kicks off with his extended rework of a bonafide Brit Funk classic in the shape of Hi Tension's 'British Hustle'. Featuring David Josephs's signature vocals over the chugging Caribbean rhythm track, it's a song that's never received an extended club mix from the tapes since its first release in 1978. His second cut is a Re-Wriggle of a Funky Worm volume pumping classic that becomes a fat-bottomed house jam with stomping brass, ear-worm vocal hooks and Latin inspired keys. "On the flip' (as they say) is Foreal People's 'Tango Hustle' - a driving clav heavy, jazz funk workout complete with chanting dance instructions over various solos. Add in an acapella and some 'Hustle Beats' and you have a very muscular package.

Review: Swirl People revisit their roots with a nostalgic four track EP from their early days as Fortune Cookie. This collection - which is their third release on L.I.T.S. - features carefully selected tracks from their original 1996 releases on Marguerite, a small label run by a friend. Nearly three decades later, these still much sought-after tracks are finally being reissued. The EP opens with 'Glitter Girls,' which is characterised by a catchy bassline, followed by the deep groove of 'Um Bongo.' On the B-side, 'Galactic Snackbar' offers a retro-futuristic feel, while 'Frisko Heaven' wraps up the EP with classic disco-filtered house energy. Timeless tackle, for sure.

Review: Funkyjaws is the Belarusian DJ and producer Sergey Abramov, who has been dropping his funky disco heat on the likes of Kolour LTD and Shadeleaf Music before now, as well as his own fledgling self-titled imprint. This one kicks off with 'WME' which has some big horn action and stomping disco drums to liven up any party. 'Snapshot' has a raw vocal and atmospheric energy that is sure to uplift and 'Dancin' then brings some sweet hip-swinging claps. It's a string-laced disco affair to close with the majestic 'You'.

Review: Craft Music welcomes two maestros in Funkyjaws and Los Protos for this new EP. 'Poko Sav' opens up with some big rhythmic flair, steamy vocals and percussive drums and a generally sunny vibe that brings back some summer warmth. 'Vem Meu Amor' pairs twitchy electronics with organic percussion and grooves and 'Can't Touch This' ups the ante with some punchy disco-house sounds and exotic vocals before last of all, ''Beira Mar' slows things down with a late night blend of pulsing synths and analogue drums.

Review: Barcelona-based Italian label Dance Conmigo makes a bold debut with a four-track release that is fully aimed at igniting dance floors. The opener from Lukinsky sets the tone with a dreamy, nostalgic journey you won't want to let go of while Elgo Blanco raises the tempo, perfectly bridging day-to-night vibes. On the B-side, Flavio Folco's signature style shines on a track featuring a dynamic live bassline and energetic arrangement. Last but not least, the EP closes with a collaboration from Daryl System & Mr. Fantasy that delivers a warm 80s-inspired groove and cosmic harmonies that transport you to another dimension.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Back in the heyday of the Scando-Disco scene, Jann Marius Dahle had a flurry of records as Fjordfunk and under his own name. Rightly recognised by the leaders in that scene, he's been quiet for the best part of 20 years, but now he returns with the stunning, fully-rendered wonderment of "Infinite Zest". This is an album bursting with colour and musicality, as gorgeous instrumentation meets with tenderly executed disco with a distinctly Norwegian mood. From the starry-eyed synth interplay of "Alina" to the noodling funk of "Nussing", Marius Dahle's skill as an arranger and producer is a revelation. A well-deserved, long awaited return to the fray from a rightful peer of Prins Thomas, Lindstrom et al..

Review: Following a pair of well-received albums on Juicebox Recordings (not to be confused with A Guy Called Gerald's 1990s label of the same name), self-styled "nu-funk" duo Franc Moody have transferred to Night Time Stories for the release of new album Chewing The Fat. Like its predecessors, it blends a left-of-centre, Hot Chip style sensibility with colourful and nostalgic synth sounds, disco strings, good grooves and nods aplenty to both 21st century electronica and the Halcyon days of synth-funk in the 1980s. The results are frequently superb, with highlights including the throbbing-but-sparse 'Square Pegs In Round Holes', jaunty opener 'Driving On The Wrong Side of the Road' and the blissful, tactile and string-laden nu-disco bounce of 'Bloodlines'.