Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: Having already introduced us to many of their regular 'pals' - re-editors specialising in Balearic and cosmic oddities - Manchester's Drum Chums crew now wants is to meet their 'percussion pals'. They operate within similar sonic territory if this first multi-artist missive is believed, albeit with more of a penchant for dubbed-out drums. There's plenty to set the oulse racing throughout, from the metronomic dub-chug of Spice Route's incredible 'Gruler Dub' - a fine re-edit debut from the long-serving Bristol selector - and the expertly dubbed-out space disco trip that is DJ Pouffsouffle's 'Totally Manic'. Elsewhere, Manc stalwart Neil Diablo delivers the ultra-slow weird-wave pop of 'Starry Night', while Hysteric's 'Pinball' is a blue-eyed soul treat.

Review: As Tangent, one of London's cherished underground institutions, marks a decade of unforgettable nights, it does so with a meticulously curated compilation on Mr Bongo. The new release is more than a celebratory gesture; it's a sonic anthology reflecting the essence of a decade spent at the heart of the city's underground scene. Curated by Tangent's own John Gomez and Nick the Record, the compilation presents a blend of rare and dancefloor-ready tracks that have defined their parties over the years. This isn't merely a collection of past hits; it's a celebration of the edits that transformed these tracks into Tangent anthems. Alongside remastered reissues, the CD edition includes three exceptional edits by Nick, John, and Dan Tyler of the Idjut Boys, each crafted with the kind of attention to detail that only years of club experience can bring. Nick's collaboration with Dan Tyler on Leo Basel's 'Quelle Drole De Vie' breathes new life into a 1987 remix, honing in on the standout elements of the original. The result is a vibrant, French boogie-infused track that promises to elevate any dancefloor. John and Dan's rework of Love Isaacs' 'Surprise Surprise' offers a cosmic twist on 80s electro-funk, extending the grooves and adding a highlife touch that enhances the track's dancefloor potential. The compilation's crowning piece is Nick's edit of Rick Asikpo and Afro Fusion's 'Let's Get High'. This 12-minute reimagining takes the energetic climax of the original and expands it into a frenetic, cosmic journey, showcasing synthesised jazz-funk in its most exhilarating form. This release is not just about revisiting old favourites; it's about acknowledging the transformative power of edits and the unique role Tangent has played in shaping London's underground music scene over the past decade.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Bastedos returns hosting two disco objects lovingly versioned by Nad. One side features the vocal talents of a mystery man with low riding balls imploring those gathered to hear him to 'join his party'...if you look at his backside, so to speak, you will head off down to sunny rainbow filled Castro for a happy sing along and dancing tune versioned from vaults of Moby Dick.

Review: Intime Anthem is a new label that makes a suitable impressive debut here with a various artists offering that explores a leftfield disco sound. Ramozel's 'Nomentum' has deadpan indie vocals and stark mechanical drums with cold wave synths. Parker Bjoske wars monads with twisted synth modulations and slow, purposeful kicks on 'Tempo.' Naimer then switches the mood with a more playful and 80s-inspired sound, bright retro synths and euro-dance grooves on 'Wildejoe.' There is a supple acid-laced majesty to Ivaj Odnode's closer 'Atillol,' which makes this as vital as it as varied.

Review: For the last decade, John Gomez and Nick The Record's freewheeling Tangent parties have proved popular in London, offering dancers the chance to shake their stuff to a wide selection of superb (and normally insanely rare) records over a high quality soundsystem. The pair's first Tangent compilation, which arrives via Mr Bongo, naturally offers a superb reflection of their approach and is packed with must-have cuts. For proof, check the proto-house era dubbed-out boogie of King B's 'Love Is Crazy', the sun-splashed Brazilian gorgeousness of 'Laberinto' by PERIKAS, the spaced-out headiness of Hidrogenese's 'La Carta Era Muy Larga (Dub)', the heavy batacuda business of 'Nira Gongo' by Conjuto Baluartes' and the dub disco-flecked, deep house brilliance of LTA's 'What Comes To Ya'.

Review: Those on London's crate-digging underground should be well aware of Tangent, an eclectic, anything-goes party created by esteemed record collectors John Gomez and Nick The Record. With a little help from Mr Bongo, they've curated this compilation featuring some of their favourite selections from the party - the vast majority of which are either obscure, rare or overlooked. It's a predictably impressive selection all told, with the pair bouncing between digital reggae-infused global grooves (Srirajah Soundsystem), mid-80s French jazz-funk-synth-pop fusion (an exclusive edit of Leo Basel), quirky riffs of the Pointer Sisters (Marc Thornhill's 'Automatic'-inspired 'No Way To Control It'), zouk, proto-house-era Balearic brilliance (Androo), squelchy AOR synth-disco (Hidrogenesse), heavy Latin percussion workouts (Conjuto Balurantes), dub (Lee Jackson Band) and much more besides.

Review: To celebrate ten years of one of London's most loved underground club nights, Tangent, Mr Bongo are thrilled to launch this new compilation series. Crafted by its two residents, John Gomez and Nick the Record, it aims to transmit a taste of Tangent's spirit: a party rooted in inclusivity and open-mindedness, whose name captures the spontaneous switches in musical direction that are a defining element of their nights. For the compilation, the pair have cherry-picked a selection of their prized, rare and dancefloor-ready tracks from around the globe, that have soundtracked the past decade of parties. Spanning live-recorded disco, Brazilian boogie and weighty lovers' rock, this selection of rare sonic meats is a prized procuring, the consistent quality of which you likely won't be able to track down in many other contexts.

Review: On their debut album, 2016's the Tony Allen Experiments, Naples twosome Nu Guinea re-invented tracks by the legendary Afro-beat drummer as synth-heavy chunks of deep jazz-funk and nu-Balearica. For this follow-up - their first full length entirely made up of their own compositions - the duo serves up a set of jazz-funk, disco and boogie cuts rich in both their trademark colourful analogue synthesizer sounds and live instrumentation. It's a formula that guarantees a string of memorable highlights, from the sun-kissed peak-time brilliance of "Disco Sole" and rubbery, funk-fuelled "Je Vulesse" (a killer vocal number), to the wobbly downtempo trip of "A Voce E Napule" and Mizell Brothers fizz of closer "Parev Ajare", the album's most synthesizer-heavy cut.