Back in stock: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: Beatconductor's Dub Spectrum EP takes listeners on a journey through Jamaica with seven tracks of dubbed-out pop covers. The EP features creative mash-ups such as The Wailers providing instrumental backing for Adele, Dua Lipa, Christina Aguilera, and Duran Duran, offering a fresh perspective on familiar tunes. Additionally, Amy Winehouse and The Pretenders unite to form a ska supergroup, showcasing Beatconductor's innovative approach to blending genres. Beatconductor's skillful reinterpretations breathe new life into classic tracks, infusing them with reggae and ska influences while maintaining their original essence.

Review: Archeo Recordings bring us some more Balearic Italian treasure here with some gold initially recorded in Bologna almost two decades ago. It's a collaboration between friends Bottin and Lucio Dalla that has never before been on vinyl. 'Lunedi Cinema' was an ident that played before Monday night movies on of one of the main Italian TV channels for many years. This electronic version includes the Martedi Mix from 2008, a Minibar Bonus Track and also a mix by pioneering Italian dream house dons Leo Mas & Fabrice with a Bottin dub sealing the deal. It's a superb package of real Italo music history.

Review: Leading Italian disco outlet IRMA is back with more irresistible and dazzling goodness, this time courtesy of Funky Destination with some pretty standout remixes. 'Take It Down' opens up as a new version by LTJ Xperience that has percolating funk lines and slow, sensuous grooves. 'Mr Bong' (Louie Beat Re-work) is a more percussive number with brilliant drumming and sunny melodies and 'Take It Down' offers a sensuous soul sound and some psyched-out guitar riffs. Last of all is the most streamy and busy of the lot with unresolved drum loops, disco percussion and rousing pads that will fill the floor.

Review: We always feel that a one-sided 12" is a real sign that an artist are label are hugely happy with what they are seeing up. And Adam Goldstone has every right to feel that way frankly as his 'Edge of the Night' is a classic deep house sermon that will bring plenty of emotions to the fore when it is dropped, either in the dead of night or just as the sun is coming up one morning, much like a tune such as Ron & Chez's 'Morning Factory'. The smoky vocals are well-treated, the smeared pads bring the soul and the drums and cuddly and warm. Perfect.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Italian singer Elena Ferretti also worked under the monikers Sophie and Helen. She was massively popular on the Italo and Eurobeat scene back at the start of the 80s and was produced by Giacomo Maiolini, Sergio Dall'Ora and Giancarlo Pasquini. She has got plenty of cult tunes to her name (or names) and 'I Love You' is one of them to now get reissued by ZYX. It has a classic synth bassline that sprays across the track like the Donna Summer classic 'I Feel Love', with analogue drum sounds below and magnificent melodies up top. Flemming Dalum remixes with big, bright, shimming retro-future synth chords and Victor Ark brings a more cold and stomping feel.

Review: Hey Cabrera! brings the heat with Italo Void, a vibrant fusion of electro disco, Italo, and house that embodies the essence of summer. Clean drum patterns lay the foundation, complemented by captivating melodies that shimmer throughout the track. Lauer's remix adds an analogue touch with piano keys, infusing a sense of late-night romance. On the flip side, 'Forelskelse' transports listeners to Scandinavia, blending disco and house elements to create an uplifting atmosphere filled with emotive energy. David Bay's remix of 'Forelskelse' offers a measured yet addictive rendition, allowing the instruments to shine while retaining the essence of the original. Together, these tracks comprise a mesmerising soundtrack for the approaching summer season, promising nights filled with dancefloor joy and unexplored passions.

Review: Reece Johnson brings the party across this limited new and hand-stamped 12" on the fledgling Disco Disco label. 'San Sal' is a lovely rough and ready party with nice loose, raw drums and freewheeling synth lines full of big energy. 'HTT' follows the same path and keeps the vibes pumping then 'Dance To My Beat' brings in some mad funky slap bass and plenty of tambourines and shakers to make the floor get down in even more unhindered fashion. 'Wanna Be Loved' closes down with a more stripped-back and deep sound for late-night seduction.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


During a record digging trip to South Africa a year or two back, Rush Hour co-founder Antal stumbled on an obscure local cover of Klein & MBO's Ron Hardy and Larry Levan favourite, "The MBO Theme". The Warrior version, which was recorded at some point in the early '80s, is a little slower and breezier than Klein and MBO's original, with even finer fretless bass flavours and the track's famous melodies re-played on some particularly spacey synthesizers. Helpfully, the Klein & MBO version is on the A-side, so you can easily compare the two: Warriors' little known cover is definitely our pick of the pair.

Review: Second time round for Masarima's 'Freak Like U', a sparkling 2020 tribute to post-Italo-disco proto-house, co-produced by Whodamanny and Mystic Jungle. This time round, the track has been reimagined by two stellar talents: West Coast electro stalwart Egyptian Lover and Sheffield-based bleep, hardcore and acid revivalist Luca Lozano. The former handles side A, delivering warming, dreamy, tactile and glassy-eyed electro takes (vocal and instrumental) that reinforce the track's mid 1980s inspiration. Lozano, meanwhile, opts for another kind of nostalgia altogether, first combining house tempo breaks with echo-laden elements of the original (and a couple of hazy new synth stabs) on the 'Breakbeat Guy remix', before layering up the beats on a rather lovely 'Tribal Workout Dub' featuring percussionist Karlos Moran.

Review: You can't beat a good edits label and that's what we seem to have here off the evidence of the first release from NIN Edits out of Italy. Ninja Edits 1 opens with the fused charms of what sounds like sleek, proto-techno synths from Kraftwerk and disco percussion on 'Dance & Music'. 'Get Up & Down' is a deeper cut with some smoky and soulful pads and nice loose percussion that throws it back to the New York disco scene, and the most buttery and seductive of the lot comes last. 'Moon & Night' has a woozy groove and lush strings scoring high next to plenty of rich instrumental funk.

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


Tel Aviv's Elado has put out a fine run of eight releases in just two years on the likes of GAMM, Barefoot Beats and Bonfido Disques, but for his next move, he branches out with his own reissue label. its aim is to "focus on uncovering lost gems" with the original paired with his own remixes. The first one is a 1983 private press from the Canadian pair OUI. 'Circle Of Love' is a big disco banger with flashy synth work and rugged arps, with a pair of Elado's mixes making it even more dancefloor ready. 'You Make Me High' is a more sentimental 80s pop sound.The release has recieved support from a lot of artist, such as Gerd Jansen and Hunee. A fine start to life for this new label.

Review: We've got some of that naughty and irresistible white label madness here from new and mysterious label and production outfit Outtaface. It comes with a label that references the energetic cartoon stylings of the late Keith Haring and a bassline that will melt your face. The 'Vocal' track mixes up disco, skank, rave, The Prodigy references and outer space designs into a truly unusual blend that will bring colour and craziness to the floor. The flip side dub slows it down, fleshes out the low and and allows the cosmic synth work more room to shine. A handy 12" for sure.

Review: Plenty of dark disco's finest practitioners come together on this new 12" on Iptamenos Discos, with Psycho Weazel serving up the original tune. They are two producers from Switzerland who mix up indie-dance, cold wave, breakbeat and EBM. Here they offer 'Mains D'Argile' featuring Curses which has sweeping, widescreen synths bring a retro feel to a stiff, kinetic beat. The wonderful Marvin & Guy offer an extended mix for extra long club fun and then it is Local Suicide who guests on 'Matra Murena' which brings a perfect mix of light and dark to stark grooves, and Rafael Cerato remixes to close out the package.

Review: Gospel, FM funk and house collide on the latest offering by The Whole Truth aka. Tom Giles. Following up last year's 'E Da Boss' on Star Creature, 'Believe' is an impassioned plea to the would-be testifier, enjoining them to give over and into their inherent faith, which, if only it weren't for their psychic occlusion of a certain inner harmony, is bound to be fleshed out soon; aside from this sampled command on the vox, the track is effortlessly glitzy and modally shifts between bass harmonies. The inverse club mix is far sparser and dubbier at first, though slowly reveals its inner truth by way of a more stripped-back, mod-wheeled and trigger-padded experimentation.

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


Pleasure of Love reissue imprint, New Islands, launches with a quiet stormy, soulful Balearic stunner. Kim Yaffa's 'Once Bitten' was recorded in LA and released on a 1989 private press 7", only to be buried in American record bins for decades after. A re-emergence of Yaffa's music on the internet in the last couple years has reached a fever pitch, with collectors thirsting after copies of the record. Now, New Islands has worked directly with the artist to deliver an official reissue, professionally transferred from the mixdown reels, carefully restored, and remastered. The track is an effortless class-act pop tune, with 80s blue eyed soul / Sade inspired sounds, and unknowingly Balearic production that renders it timeless (it's reminiscent of Linda Di Franco, Edie Brickell or 80s Fleetwood Mac). The 12" is rounded out by new mixes from Michael David (Classixx) and Nick the Record & Dan Tyler (Record Mission).