Back in stock: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: 
The vocalist on this one sure does sound like a celebrated British pop vocalist. And the hints in the mystic text accompanying it certainly don't lessen that feeling. Either way, her textured tones on 'The First Narcissus' are weaved into a gritty, low slung groove that has crashing claps and a dirty baseline that wouldn't sound out of place in the Berghain basement. On the flip, 'Jealous Groove' is a punchy but clipped disco beat with a sense of urgency and streetwise swagger that sounds true fresh. West End Records mysterious Bitter End off-shoot strikes again with this one.

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: Despite her 'Working Men's Club" roots, British variety entertainer Marti Caine actually made some surprisingly good records during her lifetime. 1981 album "Point of View" is arguably the best of the lot. Caine's soft-touch (and emotional vocals) take centre stage, though it's the rather left-of-centre musical mixture below - think rock-infused cosmic disco ("Love The Way You Love Me"), trippy dub disco ("Snowbird City"), shirts-off disco ("Can I Speak To The World Please") and a string of cuts that could arguably be described as Balearic - that makes the album an essential listen.

Review: After his hugely well received lovers' rock compilations for this label, Sam Don digs deep into the rich world of UK sweet soul on this - typically - excellent new compilation from the wondrous ashes of the North. He comes up with plenty of mega hard to find and expensive musical treasures that have all been painstakingly researched and tracked down. It was a short lived but fertile scene in the underground back in the 90s and if you didn't; know that already you will after one listen through of this - the sounds are highly danceable with silky, low-lit melodies and steamy and seductive vocals for loved up late night dancing.

Review: Croatian producer Funky Destination is back with an irresistible funk bomb here in the form of this new 45rpm on Sound Exhibitions out of Italy. It comes on limited edition red vinyl and opens up with 'I Wanna Love Ya' which is one of his signature grooves completes with snappy hits and jangling guitar lines. It's a loopy affair that bursts to life with the arrival of some big trumpets and has a throwback turn of the millennium feel. 70s Lonely Hustler' is the flipside jam and is a more organic and loose rhythm peppered with Latin energy, bird calls, tambourines and much more.

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: As usual, there's no confirmation as to who is behind this edition of the Semi-Skimmed Edits series, but as the previous volumes were the work of scalpel fiend James Greenwood, it's likely he's made these reworks, too. There's plenty to admire throughout, from the grandiose horn arrangements, starry instrumentation and club-ready jazz-funk grooves of 'Tea For Two', and the driving, heavily orchestrated disco-funk hedonism of 'Boogie Drunk', to the Chic-style guitar licks and sweaty drums of closing cut 'You Control Me', whose swirling, filtered breakdowns will do a terrific job in spiking energy levels out on the dancefloor.

Review: Italian singer Elena Ferretti was popular on the Italo and Eurobeat scene between the early '80s, produced by the likes of Giacomo Maiolini, Mauro Farina, Sergio Dall'Ora and Giancarlo Pasquini. One of her best known hits is the song "My World" (as Sophie). Here we have a reissue of Feretti's highly valued Italo classic (to those who know) in the form of "Witch" under the Helen alias - with which she used for half a dozen or so tracks in her career. A typically neon-lit Italo disco anthem of the timeless variety, with additional remixes by Centre Neptune chief Flemming Dalum and mad Aussie Hysteric - both of them giving the track a nice reshape for modern dancefloors.

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: Disco mixer Mike Muarro has been delivering tasteful, multi-track remixes of disco and soul classics for the last couple of years, and earlier in 2021 delivered a digital-only set of revisions of classic cuts from the Philadelphia International catalogue. This must-check 12" contains two of the most potent reworks from that set. On the A-side you'll find his epic, beautifully executed revision of MFSB's brilliant 'Love is the Message', which features rearranged elements and Tom Moulton style builds, drop outs and instrument solos. He takes a similar approach on the flip, wringing maximum energy and release from the O'Jays 'Message In Our Music' without adding any unnecessary instrumentation. If you're a fan of the Rephlex and Moplen's multi-track revisions, you'll love both remixes.

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: 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: Ilan Pdahtzur is as obsessive a record digger as any of his more visible peers. His particular niche is early to mid-eighties club music, and now he gets a platform to show off his skills thanks to the Spacetalk label. "Night City Life" is about music to match that exact setting - nocturnal urban metropolises with glowing neon lights shimmering in the darkness. There's a lot to love across four sides of vinyl here, from Italo disco to steamy boogie cuts and iridescent synth jams. It will make you nostalgic for a time and place you've never experienced (at least not as perfectly as this) and no doubt get plenty of dance floors on their feet.

Review: Purple Disco Machine is the alias of Tino Piontek, a German DJ and producer who has become quite the staple of Aussie label Sweat It Out! in recent years. Exotica is his third album to date, and features a bunch of scorching disco numbers all delivered in his renowned style; from the infectious vocoder funk of 'At The Disko' with Lorenz Rhode, the neon-lit Italo euphoria of 'Dopamine' (feat Eyelar) as well as a collaboration with Italian deep house heroine in the form of 'Loneliness' and bonus track 'Twisted Mind' featuring Agnes.

Review: Established by the late DJ Ajax, Australian label Sweat It Out is back with a new release this week by label staple Tino Piontek aka Purple Disco Machine. Originally releasing under the aliases Stereofreak and Stereofunk, Piontek debuted on the Sydney-based label with his acclaimed Soulmatic LP back in 2017. The Dresden-based producer serves up some typically neon-lit night moves on the scorching disco inferno of 'Dopamine' that's sure to set the dancefloor alight on the A side. Over on the flip, Piontek streamlines the groove into a more functional and bass-driven affair for DJ use on the handy club dub.

Review: Samosa Records is back with a summer edition titled Afrikano Vol. 1, featuring four tracks from various artists. On the A-side, Vagabundo Club Social kick things off with the life-affirming boogie vibes of 'Mr. Mista', while by C. Da Afro & De Gama are equally uplifting on 'Sweet Dance' that's all about the beat and horn breakdowns.Over on the flip, Atchoum & Grincheux appear with the spiritual life music of 'Demokousse' remixed by Les Inferno who underpins the track with infectious breakbeats and finally Lego Edit provides goes poolside and sunset on the low slung 'Afromaniaco'.

Review: French label Wagram is a go-to when it comes to quality compilations that take a broad look at certain sounds and scenes, and this one is an on-going series that focuses on house sounds with an Afro undertone. The grooves are lively and often come with plenty of percussion. The drums hit hard but with funk, the vocals are Afro-centric and plenty of irresistible hits come thick and fast from the jazzy tribal swagger of 'Imbalaye' to the big steel drum party sounds of 'Viet Dao' (Klement Bonelli & Yann DL remix). Another great collection of colourful Afro house sounds.