New releases last two weeks: Funky/Club House

Review: Scruniversal's sub label Tunes Delivery invites Moscow scene veteran Leonid Lipelis to don his Beard In Dust moniker for their third instalment, one which dips into various different eras of dance history for inspiration. There's a distinctly late 80s feel to opening tune 'Music of the U', complete with sampled bell stabs and the kind of beats that wouldn't be out of place on an S'Express or early Coldcut house affair. 'The Armenian Break' and 'City of Love' look back even further, back to the female-fronted disco efforts of the 70s, the latter adding a touch of Balearic flourishes. 'Abstractish P' circles around some serene arpeggios, with rave whistles and, as it progresses, twisting guitar notes, lending it an individual air, while closer 'RoRyaRe' nods to ExCel-era 808 State with some nice bleepery before settling into more progressive headnodding territory and some distinctive synth play.

Review: The Two Houses is a musical project memorialising prominent members of New York's House of LaBeija and House of Xtravaganza, many of whom have passed away since their founding in 1977 and 1982 respectively. Initially the song was a personal tribute to Simone LaBeija, who tragically died in 2023 but it subsequently evolved into a broader ballroom memorial project when Grammy nominee Rush Davis from Xtravaganza became involved as vocalist and co-writer.
The track is a roll call, an homage and a dedication to the original founders of New York's ballroom community. Those lesser-known heroes who paved the way for the now fully exploited global phenomena we know today.
As Queer, and more specifically Trans human rights come under increasing attack, The Two Houses remembers, underscores and reveres those pioneering artists responsible for the birth of ballroom culture and more broadly, their place in the history of House Music itself.

Review: A bumper package of six - count 'em - reworkings of disco grooves by Scruscru, offering a myriad of new takes on classic sounds. Beno, Bernardo Campos's 'Space Gruv' opens proceedings with a luxurious, soulful edge, while Tree Threes' 'Sunshine Miss' coasts along gracefully with more of a beefed up jazz house vibe. Manuel Kane's 'Disco Visions' throws more beautifully jazzy chord shapes and adds a devastating diva vocal for a proper peak time feel, Immersif's 'La Tournee Des Phares' employs more of a broken beat shuffle and 'Rebecca's Mystery Mood' by Punky Wash revolves around Latin beats and lilting guitar lines. Finally comes arguably the EP's jazziest moment of all, Justnique's 'Elevator Music', with some mighty impressive tinkling of the ivories. Authentic, gorgeous sounds overlaid on some sturdy 4/4 templates - pure DJ heaven.

Review: Tribute To House Masters launches its homage to talented producers from the foundational days of house and disco with a first volume featuring some real heavyweights. Each of the originals has been remixed by St David who begins with swinging and delightful deep house depths on 'The Underground.' His Gentle Re-Touch of Patrice Rushen leads to some chunky and full flavour disco house fun, the Club Re-Diss of Armando is jacked up and peak time house with a retro flair and lastly Groovylizer Magic dub brings some silky and soulful flourishes to a Salsoul Orchestra classic.

Review: Given that much time has passed since the original nu-rave and, ahem, 'indie sleaze' days of the noughties, it was perhaps inevitable that we'd get a celebratory compilation sooner, rather than later. Two Piers has done a pretty good job of marking those movements - or the 'nu-rave' end of it at least - on Strobes In Space. There are plenty of bona-fide crossover anthems of the period present - Justice v Simian's 'We Are Your Friends', New Yong Pony Club's punk-funk inspired 'Ice Cream', the Jacques Lu Cont revision of The Killers 'Mr Brightside' and LCD Soundsystem's 'Tribulations' included - alongside genuine underground club classics and tracks that undoubtedly deserve another airing (see Simian Mobile Disco's 'Hustler', Tiga's 'You're Gonna Want It', Playgroup's genuinely brilliant 'Make It Happen' and Soulwax's 'NY Excuse').