Groove Culture Italy Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Second time around for Harlem Hustlers' surging disco-house anthem, which first appeared in stores way back in 2005. This time round, the Italian duo have reworked it considerably, placing underground boogie legend Orlando Johnson's lead vocal front and centre while opting for some more organic-sounding instrumentation (the original was more sample-heavy). On their '2023 Rework' they channel the sound of Groove Culture label bosses Mickey More and Andy Tee, wrapping Johnson's vocal, tidy horns, flanged guitars and classic-sounding piano riffs around a warming bass guitar part and crunchy house drums. It's a very classy and far more authentically 'disco'-sounding track than their 2005 original. Their flip-side 'Get On The Floor' mix, meanwhile, has a smoother, more synth-heavy disco-house sound, less vocal and even more of the excellent horn sounds.

Review: Italian soul legends Jestofunk released the classic 'I'm Gonna Love You' back in 1991, it was their first single, in fact. Comprised of northerners Alessandro Staderini, Claudio 'Moz-Art' Rispoli and Farias, they went on to release six albums until disbanding in 2005 after 'Mama Blues'. A zeitgeist of the early '90s acid jazz sound, featuring new jack swing styled beats, a killer sax and soulful vocals, it was the MC Turbo Sax Mix which undoubtedly gained the most popularity, and became an essential track on the playlist of many a hair salon throughout the rest of the decade. Some of you may even know the track from its inclusion on 2011's Knights Of The Playboy Mansion, mixed by French Touch icons Bob Sinclar & Dimitri From Paris. The version featured here is a nice modern reshape by Groove Culture heads Micky More & Andy Tee, taking the track into sensual and emotive territory with their deep house style remix. Proper mood music.

Review: Italian stallions Groove Culture fling two new disco edits our way, conjuring fresh thoughts of 'Downtown LA' and leaving us feeling 'Alright'. Slippery, raw, mix-worthy and packed with punch and laughter, there's good cheer coarsing between every kick, slap and clav on this pair.

Review: Micky More is the alias of Michele Mingo, an Italian DJ and producer who's co-founder of Ancona-based Groove Culture Music with Andy Tee. His latest track is his best yet; 'All About The Culture' features US legend Cevin Fisher and it is real proper deep house with an infectious vocal underpinned by surefire elements, such as a low slung bassline and creamy Rhodes keys - enough said! If that's not enough, over on the flip Mingo taps the one-and-only Roland Clark for his participation on 'The Rhythm', a serving of low-slung, ultra smooth mood music for the late night.

Review: San Francisco meets Italy, as Groove Culture founders - and remix specialists - Micky More and Andy Tee offer-up their takes on Miguel Migs' 'Lose Control', a largely overlooked cut featuring regular vocalist Lisa Shaw that was first featured on the Bay Area stalwart's 2011 album Outside The Skyline. The headline attraction is undoubtedly the A-side 'Vocal Mix', which pairs Shaw's sublime lead vocals and Migs' warming chords with the pair's disco-influenced house drums and jazz-funk style bass guitar. Over on the flip they first deliver a killer Dub - check the bonus piano motifs, bubbly synth sounds and more driving, beefed-up groove - and a dreamy, ambient style 'Rhodesapella'.

Review: Although they've been serving up high-grade blends of disco, funk, soul and house for some time, it's only in recent years that many of Micky More and Andy Tee's most potent productions have made it to wax. The two tracks here, which first appeared digitally in the middle of the last decade, are fine examples. 'I'm Another Man' is heavy, raw and impactful, with the pair adding rolling house beats to a horn-heavy deep funk song complete with gravelly male lead vocals. Over on the flip, 'Night Cruiser' is their (successful) attempt to make (and update) a Vincent Montana style, Salsoul disco instrumental with added house chops. Keep an ear out for the Roy Ayers style vibraphone solo that drops midway through.

Review: Serge Funk, and his contemporaries Micky More & Andy Tee, bring utter floor-shaking heat to Groove Culture with 'Move On Up' and 'Runaway', two four-to-the-floor crowdpleasers working in rapidfire vocal samples and bass licks sifted from the trawled megahertz of funk. Compressed and pumped-out to no end, each track here balances the other out nicely in mutual a barrage of interwoven rhythms and vocal "hups".