Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Conceived for maximum floor-lift, Daje Funk is the namesake of both artist and label; here the elusive but fun-loving moniker brings another four whopper disco edit-remixes to vinyl, further charging the collective body with a haul of kitsch spirituals. Three out of four tracks here are "lovely edited" - intentional or not, we can't resisting stealing such brilliant turns of phrase - by longtime Roman disco purveyor Les Inferno, with the support of a cracking cadre made up of fellow producers and engineers Max Pottini, Emiliano Patrick Legato and Dom Scuteri. Stefano Fusco also handles the B1; and though we don't know the original IDs of any of the tracks here, the vibe is consistently spirited, and the artists only carefully betray their access to the original stems (made eventually obvious by faint vocal delays, extra-thwacking kick EQs, etc.).

Review: Producer, DJ, and revered collector Marc Davis returns to his Chi-Talo series with a much-anticipated second volume. The Chi-Talo series deals in split EPs; each entry draws on an ultra-rare Chicago house gem and an Italian disco record respectively (one for the A and one for the B), re-working both into an enduring dialectal retelling of each city's contemporaneous come-ups in the 1980s and 90s. This time around, we're met with a reconstruction of 'Bass Construction', first heard on the Italo disco album Crazy Colours by New Sound Quartet (1979). Then comes a wonky, handclapping rendition of The Saucer Planes' 'Straight To The Point', the original of which can hardly be found on the net at all, even now. Both are huge but humble versions, marking out the guidelines for yet more editors to come.

Review: As far as the Juno Records review team care, the DC based Peoples Potential Unlimited have been on a run of 100% boogie heaters roughly since their inception in 2008. The latest transmission from Andrew Morgan's label sees a 12" presentation of disco funk holy grails from Milwaukee act Dazzle ahead of a PPU released long player Made In The Shade. Not to be confused with the Patch Adams and Leeroy Burgess fronted group of the same name, Dazzle was the work of Donald D. Smith and this 12" presents three tracks originally recorded in 1981. "Explain" is the outright jam here, heavily stacked with thick analogue leads and brisk funk riffs. All hail PPU!

Review: William Devaughn's most famous song has been covered umpteen times over the years, in all kinds of styles, but sometimes nothing can beat the original. 'Be Thankful For What You Got' is just one of those universal messages, delivered in such smooth, engaging insistency you feel it from the first time you hear it. Now Demon Singles Club are pressing it up as a single backed with the equally excellent but perhaps less well-known 'Blood Is Thicker Than Water'. The 1974 track tracks the same groove as its A-side counterpart and offers up a different lyrical message on top - something you'd normally associate with reggae, but when the backing track is this perfect it translates very nicely over to soul too.

Review: William DeVaughn hears two cuts from his classic D.C. album Be Thankful For What You Got reissued for the first time on 12" since 1974. A rare ode to gratefulness in a world of material gratuitousness, but two lines from the title track of the original eight-track opus resound, and capture the sentiment perfectly: "you may not own a car at all... but remember, brothers and sisters, you can still stand tall!" As sampled by N.W.A, De La Soul, Outkast, Ludacris, Big Tymers, Rihanna, Hip Club Groove and L'Imperatrice, the A-sider is a historical record; its strength lies in its affecting singularity of theme and moral sway, and, on the instrumental side of things, we can say the same of its tight playing and serene sound. Backed by the cream of Philadelphia session groups MFSB (Norman Harris, Vince Montana, John Davis), DeVaughn wax continues to wax poetic over themes of inheritance, love, and compersion; a great foundation laid for the gangster rap that would follow from it.

Review: The emerging Disco label sure does love disco - specifically a sound infused with funk, soul and in the case of the opera, lovestruck vocals that melt thereat. They come with a nice languid bassline and some sophisticated strings while 'Song' has a super cool and breezy groove and vocal that is airy, light, and uplifting in quietly devastating fashion. 'Fear' is more of a party starter with glossy vocals and strident claps and drums then 'Do You' shuts down with more jazzy flute motifs and a lo-fi rhythm with vocals that speak of late night love and lust.

Review: Mysterious edits pushers Discotecas worship a mysterious figure known as 'Gwen', the artist supposedly responsible for making these EPs. Their second instalment here comes in the form of a laid-back, electro-balearic affair replete with several layers of bass guitar, lolling synth and acoustic-mimicking percs. A remix of Sade's 'Paradise' leads the charge, centring her harmonious vocals at the core of the mix, while two further unknown re-edits cement the overall nine minute disco vibe.

Review: After the critically acclaimed Avoude (5 stars & 'Top of the World' on Songlines, Bandcamp top pick, Le Monde, BBC Radio, Pop Matters), Sol Power Sound proudly presents a scorching remix EP from West African psychedelic powerhouse Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band. Rooted in Togo's deep cultural and Vodun traditions, Dogo's sound is reimagined here by a heavyweight lineup of producers. Captain Planet kicks things off with a percussive African house groove, while Sol Power All-Stars ask, What if Prince joined Dogo in 1983? The result? A synth-laced funk HIIT workout. Detroit icons John Beltran and Blair French bring Afro-Brazilian and deep house flavors, before Glenn Echo closes with a mind-bending 12/8 dub trip.

Review: The Demons Singles Club is back with more devilishly good funk here in the form of Doris Duke's version of Marlena Shaw's 'Woman Of The Ghetto.' It first appeared on her 1975 alum Woman and is a searing take with full-bodied vocals full of fire. It's an urgent sound that adds weight to the social commentary of the lyrics and the b-side tune from Rhyze is just as essential. 'Fire' is a massive disco cut with stomping drums, funky bass riffs and plenty of noodling guitar riffs that make it effervesce.

Review: Flour Flies embarks on a new series of releases entitled Italian Library Songbook where contemporary artists put their spin on great soundtracks of theist. First to add their own new reinterpretations are Neapolitan producer pAd and London singer-songwriter Jessica Duncan. They tackle Alessandro Alessandroni's 'Philadelphia' and turn out something brilliantly soulful: 'Do You Wanna Get Close' is a lush and club ready sound that is backed with the glorious original on the flip side. This is a promising start to what is sure to be a much loved series.

Review: Selector Series is back with another gem, bringing us a slice of early 80s Detroit boogie with Gene Dunlap's classic tracks. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Gene Dunlap's musical journey began at the tender age of four, thanks to his father's drumming lessons. His talent flourished at Mumford High School and later with jazz legend Roy Ayers. In 1981, Dunlap released two remarkable solo albums, It's Just The Way I Feel and Party In Me. The title track "Party In Me," backed with "Take My Love," was originally issued as a limited 12" promo, making it a rare treasure among collectors, often fetching over L100 on the second-hand market. Now, for the first time in 43 years, this boogie masterpiece has been remastered from the original tapes and is available for fans to enjoy. This reissue offers an opportunity to experience the vibrant rhythms and impeccable drumming of Gene Dunlap as well as Detroit's boogie scene. Don't miss your chance to own a piece of music history, exquisitely revived and ready to reignite dance floors.

Review: Like a veteran striker in his final season, GAMM has really captured some top form on late and now drops a fire premiere from Chicago's Emmaculate and legendary Basement Boys producer DJ Spen. Opener 'Step Into A Black Whole' is a genre-hopping 11-minute journey that moves from deep house to a hip-hop breakdown featuring KRS-One before morphing into a jazzy Afrobeat stomper. First heard by GAMM contributor Coflo during a wild house set, the track blew the roof off and always will. On the B-side, 'Boogie On Disco Woman' delivers a gritty funk, disco and soul rework with raw drums, clavinets and soulful vocals. Two standouts.