Review: Under the Linkwood alias, Nick Moore has released a wealth of fine material since debuting in the late 2000s - including a string of sublime albums and EPs. Last year he popped his re-edit cherry alongside The Mighty Zaf via a two-tracker paying tribute to the late, great Phil Asher. Here he takes the next step, delivering a first solo scalpel missive via the reliable and long-running Moton imprint. On side A, the Edinburgh producer attempts to 'Make It Better' via a razor-and-tape style edit of a slap-bass-sporting, synth-wielding slice of early 80s disco-boogie perfection. We have no idea of the source material, but the lightly extended track is as infectious as it is intriguing. Over on side B, 'No Easy' is a sweet, string-laden slab of mid-tempo disco-soul sweetness, while 'Brekkers' is a squelchy, up-tempo electrofunk workout tailor-made for break-dancers.
Review: The majestic Monsieur Van Pratt is back with more of his thrilling studio work, and once again he reinvents classic disco tracks with modern flair. The third instalment in this series is characterised by a distinctly underground energy that defines the "Illegal Disco" vibe. The opener 'Volar Como El Viento' is a soaring rework filled with airy synths that evoke freedom and lightness. 'Al Anochecer' re-energises a disco classic with an upbeat twist, while 'Mi Amor' is all about intimacy and passion through sultry, Spanish-inspired tones. Once again colliding nostalgia and innovation as he always does, Monsieur Van Pratt delivers a masterclass in modern disco reinterpretation that will also bring together all sorts of dancers.
2001 Disco Party (Dave Lee Psychedelic Funk mix) (10:15)
Potion Of Love (Dave Lee Synth Vamp) (6:13)
2001 Disco Party (Dave Lee Strut Your Strat dub) (6:58)
Review: Dave Lee continues to be one of Britain's most accomplished disco dons. An established remixing extraordinaire, proven once more here as he tackles some stunning Disco-Funk heaters. First is the Psychedelic Funk mix of '2001 Disco Party' a hypnotic, sweat inducing slab of frenzied funk-action, did we mention this release brings the funk enough? His Synth Vamp mix of 'Potion Of Love' is a must for hi-energy synth solo aficionados, backed up with glorious strings, pulsating guitar and classic disco diva vocals. Last of all his 'Strut Your Strat Dub' of the opener brings irresistible guitar frets to the party, doubling down on the groove factors for some serious heads down, hands up feet stomping.
Review: Talking Drums return with Volume 8, another leftfield disco delight from the Manchester-based crew known for their genre-hopping, floor-filling edits. This latest 12" twists vintage grooves into fresh, club-ready energy, blending Euro-NRG, deep disco cuts and Balearic euphoria with their usual offbeat charm. The A-side, 'Fever Dreams', is a full-throttle, sweat-dripping workoutisequencers throb, horns wail and twin basslines drive the track forward with an unrelenting urgency. A cheeky vocal and a breakdown primed for peak-time chaos make this one irresistible for late-night mischief. On the flip, 'Too Hot' dials down the BPM but keeps the heat on, its laid-back disco strut laced with silky strings, funky breaks, and shimmering Rhodes keys. Then there's 'Maximum Balearic Dancer', a sun-soaked closer that takes a fragment of Swiss fusion and transforms it into a hypnotic, flamenco-tinged groove, complete with breezy synths and a soaring piano solo. With their latest releaseiexpect this one to become a secret weapon for DJs who like their edits playful, punchy and a little bit unpredictable.
Review: Spanish label NeighbourSoul bring a heraldic design sensibility to wildout disco edits on 12", with this latest record taking on a leonine art direction on the inner label and sleeve. A top-up to their enduring vinyl-only series, this one hears a resident editor arride four more most-pleasing disco loops, believably emulating a bygone time in which DJs would sticker and knife their records to create workable tools, in the absence of software.
Black Sun (Joe Claussell Classic instrumental mix) (10:44)
Review: Joe Claussell is a proper legend of the scene and New York powerhouse who has a sound so emotionally intense it brings people to tears. Here, he breathes new life into the Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra with a powerful remix of 'Black Sun' that arrives exclusively for Record Store Day 2025. Since debuting in 2014, the Orchestra, which features Azymuth's Jose Roberto Bertrami and Alex Malheiros, has attracted top remixers like Theo Parrish and DJ Spinna, and Claussell now joins that esteemed list by infusing the original with his signature spiritual energy and rawness. The result is a euphoric journey towards pure ecstasy driven by Heidi Vogel's soaring vocals as classic disco and grooves collide in pure magic.
We Got To Hit It Off (Dimitri From Paris Liberated Woman mix) (6:35)
We Got To Hit It Off (Dimitri From Paris Liberated Woman dub) (6:44)
We Got To Hit It Off (Opolopo mix) (5:45)
We Got To Hit It Off (Opolopo Deeper mix) (7:43)
Review: Millie Jackson emerged from the Deep South before properly coming of age in the grit of Newark, New York, but her voice always sounded like it was made for the spotlight i bold, sharp, and unfiltered. Across the 70s, she carved out a singular space in soul and funk with her fearless delivery and barbed wit, speaking plainly about lust, betrayal and resilience long before it was fashionable to do so. Her run on Spring Records placed her alongside The Fatback Band and Joe Simon, where she balanced tender ballads with club-ready burners, always laced with her signature no-nonsense bite. 'We Got To Hit It Off', first released in 1979, sits squarely in that lineage i a disco-soul gem with just enough snap to make it timeless. Spring Revisited brings Jackson's original into sharp new focus: Dimitri From Paris uses the original session tapes to craft a mix full of glitz and muscle, while Opolopo offers two flips i one smouldering and stripped, the other buoyant and synth-heavy. These versions don't only overwrite the source, but underline its brilliance for new rooms and younger ears.
Review: Evergreen jazzers Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino mark an impressive 30 years performing and recording as Kyoto Jazz Massive with this superb selection of favourite covers the brothers have enjoyed playing across their storied careers. Embellished with the vocal prowess of Vanessa Freeman and Bembe Segue, the immaculately presented collection blends elements of Latin, jazz, disco and funk over a typically fusionist set. Opening with the gentle waves of 'Black Renaissance', the record bursts into life with the samba flex of 'Kowree Sambazzi'. The soul-heavy thrust of 'No Cross No Crown' stirs the senses, before the nocturnal energy of 'Karmapa Chenno' veers ever so slightly off-piste with its jagged rhythms and grooves. Finally, the hands-in-the-air positivity of 'Love Is Everywhere' ends on a joyously uplifting note.
Review: For the latest must-check missive on their self-titled label, London twosome Make-a-Dance have decided to pay tribute to the formative 'garage-house' sounds made for, and played at, New York clubs in the mid 1980s. Rising star Magari steps up first with 'Mars Bar', a Larry Levan-friendly affair where soulful, reggae style vocal samples ride a Boyd Jarvis-esque bassline and warm synths. It's very authentic to the sound being paid tribute to, as is Mark Seven's accompanying (and lightly freestyle influenced) 'Parkway Power' rework. Over on the reverse, Ilija Rudman takes over with 'Danceteria', a proto-garage house affair whose title offers a nod to the infamous NYC venue of the same name. Manuel Durquart remixes, retaining the nostalgic vibe while adding extra trippy layers of sound, a sturdier early NYC house groove and mazy synth solos.
Review: Established in the UK in 2009 as master-builders of disco-house builds in the late naughty noughties, Instruments Of Rapture first cut the red tape with Ilija Rudman's 'Part Four' and lasted for just three years until 2012. And while the early axing was a shame, we think real works of art are those which are short-lived but profuse in quality. Now kicking back into gear after almost 15 years, the label now return to double up as both label and moniker, humorously titled 'You're Cured Mate'. Described as a "soundtrack more hypnotic and deadly than ever", this new one follows 'The Formula' of cut-short, hypno-loop lyrics and carnal felid whispers (especially in '7 Grams Of Funk'), marking an EPs' worth of subtle libertinage in 2025, the year of the snake.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Drop Music marks a marvellous quarter of a century of releases with this new slab of vinyl featuring some gems from disco funksters Crazy P and the house mainstays Inland Knights. Crazy P go first with 'Disc Odyssey' which is perfectly indicative of their much beloved sound with its low slung kicks and funky bassline. Inland Knights then offer a trio of in demand & unreleased tracks. 'Overnight' is a bumming deep house joint, 'Walk On' has an icy late night vibe and balmy pads and 'Do It Again is a more playful closer, with some killer b-line action. All four, needless to say, are timeless gems, and the fact the last two are appearing on vinyl first the first time makes it an even more desirable cop.
Review: New York's incomparable edit king, and a hugely prolific one at that, Danny Krivit aka Mr K returns with some elongated reworks of a couple of Stevie Wonder's most timeless tunes. First up is his version of 'Master Blaster' which was originally the sound of Stevie paying tribute to Bob Marley. In his hands, it has a big intro and drums ready to rock. Flip it over and you will find 'I Was Made To Love Her' which has big r&b overtones and the sort of breakdowns that really build a vibe in the club. Adding in lashings of signature soul and you have two more steamy and effective tributes from the one and only Mr K.
Undercover Of The Night (unreleased instrumental) (4:52)
Miss You (unreleased instrumental) (4:49)
Review: Rolling Recordings from Antigua makes its debut here with a first release under the guise of Rock Star Heroes who offer up a couple of hard-to-find and previously unreleased funky disco influenced club bound instrumentals of out and out rock classics from one of the worlds best known stadium bands. These are perfectly designed for the club and collide rock, funk, disco and more into fresh forms. Opener 'Undercover Of The Night' popular with the likes of DJ Harvey and is a slice of raw, hard-hitting groove magic with organic percussion and live drums laden with funky guitar riffs and lively chord work that brings the whole thing to life. On the flip is an instrumental version of 'Miss You' which still has all the swagger of the iconic original with sultry harmonica luring you to the floor where the masterful drums and guitars will keep you moving.
Review: If we had a pound for every hush-hush Sade remix or re-edit we'd heard over the years, we'd likely have enough to fund a night out - or at least a light lunch at an overpriced London restaurant. This one comes from - surprise, surprise - a mystery artist, on the freshly minted Illegal Paris rework imprint. It sees our shadowy hero give his, her or their take on 1984's 'Hang On To Your Love', re-framing the classic cut as a smooth, subtly nu-disco tinged slab of warming deep house excellence built around a rising and falling bassline, crunchy drums and tech-house tinged electronic flourishes. The superb full vocal A-side version comes accompanied by a dancefloor dub style 'instrumental'. This features occasional vocal snippets and loads more spacey synth sounds.
Review: In this offering, the Italian project led by Stefano Trione, pairs the lush 80s-inspired groove of 'In The Sand' with the unreleased gem 'Tudo Pra Ela,' a sultry disco track that embodies the warmth and richness of Tirone's signature style. 'In The Sand' pays homage to the rare groove classic from iLevel, its tropical rhythm and sunny vibe transported through Julia St. Louis's breezy vocals and Marco Brioschi's trumpet melodies, creating an almost cinematic dancefloor experience. On the flip, 'Tudo Pra Ela' delves into a sophisticated disco sound, where Toco's delicate vocals intertwine with sensual backing from Priscila Ribas and a bassline from Edu Hebling that carries the track effortlessly into the early 80s. The perfect synthesis of Stefano's love for vintage sounds and contemporary finesse.
Dream A Dream (ID edit - Cryptic Retouch By Che & Matica) (7:14)
Review: After five years on ice, Greg Wilson has rebooted his long-running A&R Edits imprint, an outlet the UK electrofunk pioneer founded back in 2013. As usual, the edits come not from the man himself, but rather mates and collaborators. Ian Ossia steps up first with 'Papa Stoned', a deep, driving, dubby and lightly acid-flecked rework of 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' with tightened, beefed-up drums and heaps of peak-time potential. Over on the flip, Che and Matica provide a 'cryptic retouch' of a familiar disco-funk favourite (titled here 'Dream a Dream'), foregrounding heady horn blasts, sprawling and spacey synth solos, and another sweat-soaked disco groove.
Review: The one and only Mr. K presents a two-sided treat here starting with Janice McClain's underrated 1983 disco track and featuring a smooth, laid-back groove that blends steppers vibes with mid-tempo Philly soul. Written by McClain's uncle Milt Tennant and Thom Page, it captures a classic sound that is further enhanced by McClain's heartfelt vocals. This edit trims the rare 12" version for a 7" debut with pristine sound and the B-side flips to a fresh take on 'Brazil', which was a 1975 hit by the Ritchie Family. Mr. K's edit extends the vamp section, offering a full, uninterrupted four minutes of irresistible disco joy.
Review: Sgt Slick kicks off their new own Sgt Slick Recuts label which is presumably going to deal in red hot edits of big house and disco tunes, with a new four 12" that does just that. 'Replay' is feel good house music with funky bass and soulful vocals that will get hands in the air, no doubt. 'Wait' then pairs a well known vocal line with some super smooth and rolling soulful house groves and 'In The Air' is another one with a timeless singalong vocal that is reworked into some percussion laced house beats. Add in the big disco of '45 Theme' and 'Running' and you have a versatile EP.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Perro Bueno Edits is back with more muy bueno refixes of some classic disco sounds. This third such volume features two reimagined Afro-funk tracks by the mysterious label head Perro Bueno. The first track 'BOWO' brings a nice driving groove with open hi-hats add some smoothness and funky guitar riffs and punchy horns adding some extra dancefloor bite without sacrificing the vintage roots. The second track 'MSMO' is a heavier beat with vamping chords and guitar riffs really sending it home with clever sampling and modern enhancements. Both nostalgic yet fresh this is another tasteful disco, Afro and funk fusion for discerning dancers.
Review: A genius firestarter of jazz-funk and disco, Hudson People was a short-lived alias and band/group project of producer Reginald Derrick Hudson. Though Hudson's credits stretch way back to 1979, Backatcha Records recently hosted a brilliant recent record by Johnny Davis, 'Life's A Party/Expand Your Mind', with Hudson on co-prod and rights-holding. Signalling the first stirrings of a potential comeback, The Outer Edge now reissue Hudson People's most galvanic, debut singular moment, 'Trip To Your Mind', in the form of two xtra-special hi-NRG remixes. Though it hardly blew Hudson as an artist, the track has since been recognised as an originator of the Brit-funk genre. But it's the disco edge that really cuts into us here. LTJ Xperience brings Hispano-disco delight to a dubby "freakout", as the lyrics on the original intone, while Delfonic's version is relatively horn-led, boxy, kettle-drumming, terrific.
Review: Former Paper Recordings artist Sophie Lloyd apparently started working on "Calling Out" whilst gripped by the January blues. Her intention was simply to make "happy music". To that end, she turned to her gospel roots. The results, shared here on 7" single for the first time, are little less than spectacular. With collaborator Dames Brown in tow, Lloyd's vocals - accompanied by a gospel choir, of course - simply soar above a jaunty, piano-heavy track rich in live instrumentation. It sits somewhere between traditional gospel, house and disco, with a flipside instrumental brilliantly showcasing the quality of the instrumentation throughout. The piano solos, in particular, are breathlessly good.
Review: Whether or not this label is named in reference to long-life semi-skimmed milk, we do not know, but the tunes on it are certainly fatter than the 2% you get with UHT. 'Set Your House In Order' is the sort of raw, from-the-heart soul sound that will bring any floor to rapture with its gospel influenced lyrics, big horns and neat organ chords. It's a real dancer, while 'Lego Brick Road' is more of a funk-strutter with moody bass and upright kicks embellished with some warped vocals and playful licks. Two gems.
AfroQbano - "El Bucanero" (feat Kevin Ford - Dez Andres remix) (4:40)
Review: Chicago label Future Rootz is a collective of mix media DJs who all play and rework global roots, tropical bass, world electronic and Latin house. Who better to do that than Detroit's Dez Andres, a deep-diving DJ, house head and producer with Cuban roots. He goes first here with 'El Trombone', which has a signature low-end thump with sunny Latin vocals, joyous horns and florid melodies. He then slows things down with one of his trademark remixes of AfroQbano's 'El Bucanero', which has noodling bass and poolside charm.
Review: After their hair-dropping debut LP Latin Freaks, Funkool Orchestra keep the stovetop hot with a high-energy 7" vinyl, bridging the delta between their first and second albums. A Maledetta Discoteca production, 'Tengo Che Ffa' blends Mediterranean funk, disco, and Neapolitan groove into an allusive proto-P-funk prance, especially if, at least, the B-side's title is to be believed. The latter alternately named 'Dance With Pezz', we hear them pick up the pace with a clav-spiced, conga-crammed number. Take it from us: the record is a clavi-net good.
Review: Since his debut with Schema Records in 2001, Gerardo Frisina has poured his soul into modernising styles such as Latin jazz, funk, and soul. In Sight Vol. 1 now introduces a fresh batch of such cosmo-futuristic moodsetters, continuing a trend that was first set in motion with his debut Moving Ahead (2020). Now the new album, preluded by singles 'Mindoro' and 'Desejar', hears seven tracks, including a cinematic bossa supernova 'O SoNho' as well as an exclusive cut from a rare and revered 10" deep cut from 2009. Frisina's attention to detail ensures the standout vibe of each composition, bringing a one-of-a-kind club-orientation to a rich atmospheric mantle.
Move Your Body (A Fire House Chicago Classique) (6:01)
Marisa (GU edit) (5:33)
Tell You (Today) (GU edit) (6:40)
Hurry Up & Wait (GU extended version) (6:34)
Review: GU (which is of course an alias of Chicago favourite Glenn Underground) is back with a 20th volume of his Classiques series. It once again finds him adding his own special studio magic to come stone-cold classics from the funk and disco world. First, he flips Le Cop's 'Move Your Body' into a funky percussive sound with steamy vocals. Then Machine's 'Marisa' becomes a jazzy and expressive sound with busy leads and funky guitars and Loose Joints's 'Tell You Today' is a wild horn-led sound with a busy arrangement and pumping drums. Last of all are the sunny and soulful sounds of The Isley Brothers's 'Hurry Up & Wait' with cool house drums.
Review: Nightlife Unlimited was a Canadian disco project active from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, spearheaded by key members Tony Bentivegna and Johnny D'Orazio; their curious sound blent lo-fi and hi-fi, carefully construed for maximal-minimal dance floor confounding. 'Peaches & Prunes' first surfaced as a B-side on the Uniwave 'Just Be Yourself' release in 1980, and it would seem that licensing loopholes lay behind its continued bootlegging and reissuing over the years, not to mention its auspiciously magic sequencing and sound design - DJs have snaffled it up over the years for its prophesied 4x4 mixability, achieved far before "quantisation" was even thought a thing. Ron Hardy lays down a tribute, evidencing his awareness of the record's lo-fi vocal charm, though boxing and springing out the mix to lend the record a further reaching, lowly textured agape.
Review: Groove Culture enlist Italy's Da Lukas for a stinging string-disco propeller, 'Doin' Me Wrong', backed up on the B by 'Good Man'. Massive pressure-house feels coincide with the trilling afterglow of disco, as rock-bottom breakdowns prefigure high-as-a-kite apexes, word-painting the A track's lyrical focus on manic depressive push-pull relationships ("you tell me don't do this, you tell me don't do that"). The B-side track is weightier by comparison, deploying waterier wahs and an echo of Motown in its otherwise relentless garagey swing.
Hi Tension - "British Hustle" (Dave Lee Brit Funk Revenge mix) (9:14)
Funky Worm - "Hustle To The Music" (Dave Lee Re-Wriggle) (6:59)
Foreal People - "Tango Hustle" (Dave Lee Latican Hustle) (7:09)
Foreal People - "Tango Hustle" (acappella) (1:41)
Hustle Beats (4:31)
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: After a year of energizing live performances, Say She She releases their vibrant cover of the Jackson Sisters' classic 'I Believe In Miracles.' With Sergio Rios of Orgone behind the fresh, funky production, this track is irresistibly danceable. On Side-2, 'C'est Si Bon,' is a French discodelia anthem from their acclaimed sophomore LP Silver. It's a bi-lingual, joy-inducing track that compels listeners to dance. This 45 features two crowd-pleasing tracks that promise to ignite any dancefloor. With its infectious energy and stellar production, this record is bound to become a favorite for vinyl enthusiasts and partygoers.
Review: UV & Nenor link up once more and return to Fossils with three new edits that take the form of spaced-out deep cosmic chuggers. These are all classy tunes with an analogue edge, great deference to the classic synth sounds of days gone by but all with nice modern touches. 'Space Love' is a widescreen odyssey with sultry female vocals and a sweet theremin sound. On the flip, 'Shwag' has hazy pads and slowed down, rugged, sleazy drums and bass and then last of all comes 'GoGo Stomp' with another bubbly bottom end, squelchy bassline and weird but wonderful vocal sounds. A brilliantly high-grade addition to your record back.
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: If It Ain't Jazz, we don't know what it has! Back, after a punctuated pause, the label return to dazzle us with their enduring, distinctive brand of instrumental disco-soul razzmatazz, and here we hear Laroye and Aroop Roy rub two heads' choices up the right way, both into phattened, globular, kick-boosted anthems. First comes 'You're A Star', an electroni-cization of Aquarian Dream's 1978 disco explosion, to which Laroye brings much extra shimmy and sway. Then there's Roy's 'Let The Music Play', sampling an unknown (to us) number that - don't get caught off guard - certainly *isn't* Shannon's freestyle hit from 1983. Whatever it is though, it's a banger too!
Soulsearcher - "Can't Get Enough!" (Dr Packer remix) (6:34)
The Shapeshifters - "Lola's Theme Recut" (Dr Packer remix) (6:35)
Johnny Corporate - "Sunday Shoutin'" (Dr Packer remix) (6:49)
Cleptomaniacs - "All I Do" (feat Bryan Chambers - Dr Packer remix) (6:49)
Review: UK disco sensation Glitterbox light the touch paper on another fizzy summer with four gossamer smooth edits of four seminal house classics. Gliding us through time to soulful house's golden era with a sassy, loose groove shine to each edit; Soulsearcher's 96 anthem "Can't Get Enough!" gets respectfully plumped, Shapeshifter's 2003 sing-along bomb "Lola's Theme" is stripped back to a stark funk groove while Johnny Corporate's 2000 hit "Sunday Shoutin'" gets flipped into slinky bassline wriggler. Finally one of the best covers Stevie Wonder has ever had gets a luxurious rub down as Cleptomaniacs' 2000 swoon-fest enjoys the full Packer treatment. Summer starts here.
Review: Since 2013, Brighton & Barcelona duo Payfone have been crafting atmospheric, mid-tempo grooves on respected labels like Golf Channel, Leng and Defected. Their latest track keeps up their quality levels as a synth-driven, drum-machine-powered journey featuring deep Moog bass and striking vocals. On the flip, San Francisco trio 40 Thieves aka Corey Black, Layne Fox and Jay Williams provide a remix that is patient, slow-burning and underpinned by an undulating acid line. It's a moody, sultry production that continues Payfone's knack for sophistication and late-night allure.
Review: Crossing between V/A comp and split 12", Unusual Systems present the tenth edition in their series celebrating the work of local Italian producers. Glossing xenon flashes of Italo disco and electro-disco-synth, we've here the tasering talents of duo Two Opposites and then solo artist Corp on the A, backed up by Catalan producers Torrent and Adria on the B side. The opening productions are slick, adumbrate bops, outlining the barest, darkest contours of Italo in its most abstract form. Adria's 'Bakaloo' is the highlight of the B, indulging the weirdest of buildups and most party-crashing of progressions.
Review: French producer Antoine Bourachot returns with his third release, delivering a trio of original tracks that blend his sharp ear for melody with a clear affection for groove-driven pop and club sounds. The warm, percussive edge of his productions hint at late-night sets and sunlit afterhours, bringing a jaunty mutant disco. Myd, Diogo Strausz and Art of Tones each offer their own take on the material, turning in remixes that stretch from laid-back funk touches to punchier zoomings into the floor. Bourachot's ability to sit comfortably between radio-friendly hooks and crate-digging sensibility makes this a record with plenty of replay value, balancing polish and playfulness in equal measure.
Review: Big Love's popular compilation-style A Touch Of Love series returns for a sixth instalment, with boss man Seamus Haji once again showcasing a quartet of tried-and-tested treats. Fittingly, he kicks things off with 'Serious', a kind of hbrid heavy garage-house/disco house affair featuring organ solos aplenty and vocals from Chicago legend Mike Dunn, before Moon Boots joins the dots between sweet 80s soul and nu-disco on the synth-powered vocal number 'In My Life'. Heavy, French Touch-inspired disco-house vibes are provided by DJ Fudge ('Escapade'), before Dutch rising star Danou P - with a little help from pal Jamie 3:26 on vocals - delivers the organ rich deep house/garage-house fusion of 'Fly'.
Review: Ripe, dripping and overflowing with spruced up sound comes Melbourne's Sgt. Slick, with a pluming four new tracks on his very own Recuts edits imprint, which bottles only the finest skimming off the top of a presumably unimaginably large carton of edits. On the A-side come edits of late 80s Janet Jackson and contemporary Lipps Inc., the latter of whose 'Funky Town' is especial eureka fodder, obviously ripe for the recutting in hindsight, where seemingly no producer has tended to its beat-tastic bowery before. The B brings chiptune melodies to the Doobie Brothers and a sped-up verve to The Ones' 'Flawless', also an especially brilliant selection for the discoizing.
Review: What would it take to universalise disco so that every brain sandwiched between two ears could hear and take to the sound like glue? Eddie C and Keita Sano continue a protracted research study in the pursuit of an answer, bringing three new dream-heaters to contrast to their original two in the series' debut, 'Disko Universal' and 'Joy Joy Joy'. Here, 'Not This Time' stands out among a trifecta of well-doused house rousers, steeped in the attenuated, bubblier deep end of a soulful disco-garage-house tradition.
Review: Fresh from the release of her collaborative album with UK house and disco legend Dave Lee, one of Motor City vocalist Maurissa Rose's back catalogue classics - an Alton Miller production first released on Theo Parrish's Sound Signature label in 2017 - is given a string of fresh new revisions. Miller handles side A, delivering vocal and instrumental takes that wrap a punchy and perfectly programmed groove in undulating synth bass, colourful chords, twinkling piano motifs and lilting solos. San Fran man CoFlo handles side B, offering up vocal and instrumental takes rooted in the intersection between deep, soulful house and sun-splashed nu-jazz.
Review: No, this is not a long-lost jam from popular British songsmith David Gray, but a sought-after underground Italo-disco anthem from 1987 fronted by an uncredited Italian singer and produced by a duo called Scarface. In typical Thank You/Sound Metaphors style, this fine reissue boasts all three versions from the original 12": the glossy, synth-pop 'extended mix', a vocal-free instrumental, and the 'special mix'/DJ friendly dub mix style 'extended instrumental' - a version that sounds like a tweaked and extended backing track to a Shep Pettibone produced Pet Shop Boys album track from 1986. We also get a fresh, effects-laden 'Bonus Dubeats' take from label affiliate Castro which is arguably the best of a strong bunch.
Review: Tapping vocalist Latrell James on Bostonian vox duties, Live A Little dishes out a deep 12" and promises to deliver it straight to our doors, not unlike pizza delivery. Across a woodfired record, we're assured we've "got it good", with an initial "get it, get it, good" sample rounding out a ferrety lead beat, as "cribs" and "crooks" are further concept-checked by James. Caserta flips the A with a melodious meander on the B-side, lifting the record from its opening certis of loose-slung 4x4s and haggard textures for a reversion that brightens, smoothens and softens everything out, as if to say, "chop-chop!".
Review: Bjorn Wagner's all-star tropical disco band, Magic Source, loves a cover version. The outfit's first EP boasted, as a bonus cut, a superb (and colourful) take on Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love'. On this belated sequel, they've gone one better by re-inventing A Guy Called Gerald's pioneering UK house classic 'Voodoo Ray' as a driving, all-live tropical disco jam. It's cleverly done, with all the key elements being replicated, sometimes in canny ways (the acid lines now become Clavinet lines, the synth-bass is now bass guitar, and so on). It's a fantastic cover all told and one that is far more than a smile-inducing novelty. Also superb is flip-side 'Interplanetary Bounce', a spacey jazz-funk/disco fusion cut rich in fuzzy horns, vintage synth sounds and shuffling drums.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.