Disco Recommendations October 2016

Review: Repress of the sought after Mukatsuku Records 12 containing two remastered tracks of Atlanta musician Ojeda Penn presented here according to Ojeda officially for the very first time.The A side kicks off with the extended holy grail instrumental version of 'Brotherson' taken from the Happiness album. There were two versions of the album Happiness in 1980 on the IFE independent label. They looked almost identical but the first version contained the now rarer elongated 9 & half minute jazz fused instrumental version of 'Brotherson' and then a few months later Penn recut the same album but with a much shorter version of the main track but this time adding strings and vocals assisted by Tommy Stewart from 'Bump N Hustle Music' fame. The former version is now being sold up to 500 dollors so this 180 gram single is a welcome release to the reissue market. Juno copies come in an exclusive branded card sleeve + sticker

Review: Southern soul star Jeff Floyd was just 18 when he provided vocals for this Michael Floyd-produced single in 1978. "Life Is A Miracle" was Jax Transit Authority's only single, and has since gone on to be an in-demand item amongst Northern Soul DJs, in particular. Given that original copies fetch upwards of L5,000, this Athens Of The North reissue is certainly welcome. Brilliantly, this pressing not only features the sought-after original 7" A-side (here tucked away on the flip), but also the previously unreleased full-length version. Predictably, it's a thing of great beauty, with Jeff Floyd's brilliant vocals soaring above a wave of undulating disco-funk bass, spiraling synth solos and clipped guitar riffs.

Review: Fruit's delicious disco flavours keep blossoming. It started with an unearthed and unreleased album that finally saw the light of day after almost 40 years this spring. Now on this 12" we return to their only big single of the time (and most well known) "If You Feel It Say Yeah" but with a previously unreleased 12" that's been extended in all the right places. The evergreen B-side "Say It" plays the perfect foil with its ballroom disco soul dynamic. Apparently there's another unearthed 45 to come too. Tasty.

Review: Since contributing to the CockTail d’Amore 5 years Compilation, Andrew Cole aka Luv*Jam has been invited few times to rock the monthly party with his deeply blissful and futuristic sounds. This is his first 12” for the Berlin imprint.
The title track takes over the A side. Nip To Space is an abstract hypnotic slice of techno. Every frequency of the 4/4 groove is stretched to the max, and it’s built to enhance the dance floor with masterful soundscaping. On the flip Forest of Nip is a raw tune, made by unexpected elements disappearing and re-appearing vibrantly, climaxing in a maze of fluffy acid synths.
With Flip To The Flop the alchemist of sound design explores breakbeat of the finest UK tradition that evolves unexpectedly in a cosmically distorted afterhours delight. LUV*JAM’s psychedelic perspective of sound is at its best in this EP, coupled with his unique mastery of frequency manipulation.

Review: Form the label: This record is pure Italian craftsmanship and brought to you by MUSHROOMS PROJECT & ALMUNIA. Expect dark balearic summer vibes all over this one. Fellow countrymen Daniele Baldelli & Dionigi gave 'Arena Raindrops' a cosmic makeover. Artwork coverage comes from the north of The Netherlands where Klaas Jonkman was inspired by the Rupicola Peruvianus to paint the cover of this record. Enjoy this piece of art.

Review: Lumberjacks Boogie is back! Phil Gerus is a natural musical talent who oozes sound from every pore. Fusing together cassette pop, house, soul, r&b and funk, his sounds are effortless but hugely emotive and have come on labels like Sonar Kolkektiv, ManMakeMusic, Futureboogie, Madtech and Bastard Jazz before now.

Review: The Dansbar series from Olsen gathers further momentum as Todd Terje's label highlight another Scandinavian oddity in Holm CPU. For those unfamiliar, Oslo act Holm CPU were fronted by Frode Holm who is credited with introducing the Norwegian city to "bell-bottoms, two-tone sofas, prog noodle and wigged out jazz-rock before diving headfirst into Silicon Valley's '80s PC boom." Olsen hone in on the typically oddball "Fotspor" from Holm CPU's sole LP, Login, which landed back in 1981 with four different revisions present on this 12". Terje contributes two, a disco mix and accompanying dub, with the latter a particular dancefloor treat, whilst 'lesser-known Oslo scenester' Bobby Spice and Norse disco icon Bjorn Torske feature on the flip. Kudos to the label for the artwork that riffs off Holm CPU's Login LP cover magnificently.

Review: Nothing says 'disco' quite like records that shamelessly celebrate the delights of having a good time. Flipside's 1980 jam, "Havin' A Party", is one of the better examples - and certainly amongst the most obscure. The punchy disco-funk number was initially self-released on the band's own Flipside Records imprint, and has been unknown to all but a handful of hardcore crate diggers ever since. It has certainly aged well, with urgent vocals and clipped guitars riding a seriously heavy disco-funk groove. B-side "Music (Gets Me High)" is almost as good, with superb, hip-hop friendly drum breaks ushering in a hazy, super-sweet song that revels in its' joyous celebration of the merits of feel-good music.

Review: From the Leath-meister: The limited Especial Specials continues with 4 remixes of Jaakko Eino Kalevi's Dreamzone EP. Featuring a heavy weight line up of Tom Noble, Heatsick, Peaking Lights and Vezurro, this is an all-bases-covered masterclass is taking Jaakko's pop leanings and giving them some boogie, dub and Italo sparkle. Hot on the heels of the Steaua de Mare Remixes comes 4 retakes of Jaakko Eino Kalevi's idiosyncratic pop stylings. Licensed from Weird World Records, this sees the multi-instrumentalist's original Dreamzone EP handed over for readjustment. The up, up boogie vibes of Tom Noble's calling card create his best remix to take. No Fun maybe Jaakko's 'ladies' love hymn, but with Tom's distinctive "never ending" bass and hats loops moving hips, a keys solo and vocal interplay ensure sublime perfection. Next Steven Warwick's superb Heatsick project implants his twisted casio-rawness in to Jaakko's world, marrying Memories ghostly vocals into a mix of afro-clipped beats and lo-fi melody that just fits. So happy to finally welcome in friends, family and inspiration, Peaking Lights in to the family. Aaron and Indra's uplifting dub love comes alive in this remix, with live bass grooves, vibing keys and Jaakko's unique vocal riding-a-riddim' all night long. To close up and coming Vezurro return to No Fun, providing an Italo love ode that can only move hearts into a true Rimini '84 summer affair. "Can't you see that I'm dancing?"

Review: We probably say this more than we should, but this time our statement really isn't prone to hyberbole: we love the Cultures Of Soul label, and whatever genre they're reissuing, we can always count on them to deliver the quality like no other imprint. From Evans Pyramid to the recent black gospel compilation they've released, we have nothing but good stuff to say about them, and this is equally true of this new South African disco collection from the years 1980-1984. The title alone should do the trick but trust us, there is nothing but fire in here, and if you're the sort of collector scouting for rare African rhythms then this is the gear for you. The Cannibals start off with some lovely docile disco jams, Harari's "Party" is a sublime lo-fi funk cut, the Don Laka material is pure disco glory, and the remaining tunes by the likes of Neville Nash or Al Etto are able to destroy ANY dance floor from here to Durban. Top marks from us...

Review: Venezuelans-in-London Los Charly's Orchestra update their sensual summer soul session with two on-point refixes. The bandleaders themselves Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel add a bubblesome deep disco sheen with firm focus on the loopy groove and cushiony synths while Balearic gold medalist Pete Herbert takes us down dubbier, west coast paths with a velvet deep house strut-fest laced with the perfect amount of reverb. Sunrise/sunset.

Review: The Chordz EP brings it with 3 hot new modern Boogie tracks.

Label Hero Newman opens the release with the title track 'Chordz' - a synth-fuelled dancefloor banger, reminiscent of Harvey Sutherland's recent work. Flip it over and Ourra (aka Simon Tappenden aka 'Pop Out N Play') brings us a truly Tropical treat reminiscent of Palm Trees, Pina Coladas and 80's Miami sunsets. Last but not least, Keyboardist for Brian Ellis, Adam Chini plays 'Horizons of Funk'... a lush down tempo synth funk number bringing the EP to the perfect close.

Review: Tel Aviv groove ambassador Naduve gets his sweat on as he pegs it to the first hairy palm he can find... And crosses it with pure cosmic silver. "Ready Set Go" is a star-gazing web of twinkles over a slow-and-low drum arrangement while the Saturn Memories remix takes us into much more unforgiving aluminium territories. "10k From Essaouira" adds more fuel to his creative fire with a tech-edged groove lightly sugared with Tuvan throat singing. Finally, the in-demand Israeli gets the shake of his dreams as we strut steadily into a deep filtered loopy experience that sparkles in all the right places. Magic, as with everything else from Disco Halal.

Review: Lincolnshire's Craig Bratley (Tsuba/Nein Records/Instruments Of Rapture) is back on his own Magic Feet imprint with a bit of help from Danielle Moore on vocals for "Play The Game", a slow burning and noirish EBM grinder that will appeal to fans of recent Comeme or Correspondant style retrovert tendencies. There's also some killer remixes on offer: Heretic's slamming remix is reminiscent of early 90s rave aesthetics while the don that is Andrew Weatherall steps up to deliver a woozy lo-slung disco rendition which is absolutely brilliant as always.

Review: Monchan's Dailysessions dispatches don't come regularly. But when they do, you know you need to act fast. Packed with four precision cuts, the label's seventh outing is no less essential; Monchan's "This Sound" is a loose late night groove that softly thumps with an Innervisions-style groove while Bradford's "Deep Dance" is a beautiful dubby house shaker that's rooted in early Yoshitoshi soul. Flip for two supreme disco/funk edits as Monchan plays out our deepest fantasies before taking a trip Planet O'Jay. Finesse.

Review: Coming through utterly correct, as per usual, Francis Inferno Orchestra aka Bjorn This Way spearheads the second release of the Superconscious Records imprint. This is some straight up edit goodness, and the very best of its kind. Think of it in terms of being the Rolls Royce of current nu-disco. But the thing is, this gear goes way beyond disco and lands into some pretty surprising, gloriously obscure territories. "Cave Clan" for instance, is more of an electro-meets-EDM banger than anything disco related, and if we really have to go into specifics on this tight little banger, it reminds us of the Golden Teacher output from the Optimo Camp - a stone-cold killer. The B-side ain't too shabby either, where a looming, heavy bassline catapults us into a dark and mysterious groove with a devilish percussion. An absolute tip - warmly recommended!

Review: Having teased us with a reissued 45 a few months back, Aloha Got Soul now present Aura's full and only album. Hawaiian soul legends who really should have experienced much more spotlight time, their laid back disco soul still punches with raw funk and finesse almost 40 years later. The insane doubled-up bass runs and tight horns of "Magic Lover", the turbo disco struts of "I'll Remember You", the fly-by-night, freeform psychedelia of "No Beginning, No End" and the hazy jazz horn swirls of "Winds Of Love". The whole body of work captures of picture perfect moment in soul that's been criminally overlooked for decades.