Compilation Recommendations May 2015

Review: There have been plenty of tributes to sadly departed house legend Frankie Knuckles, but this is the first true retrospective of his work. It's a fitting tribute, with Defected choosing to focus largely on his classic '80s and '90s work, sneaking in only a few later hits (see the Director's Cut anthem "I'll Take You There" and a storming remix of Hercules & Love Affair's "Blind"). As you'd expect, all the familiar staples are present - "The Whistle Song", "Tears", "Baby Wants To Ride" etc. - alongside lauded remixes (classic reworks of Loose Ends and Chaka Khan, in particular) and a smattering of previously unreleased gems (check the piano-laden revision of Pet Shop Boys' "Left To My Own Devices").

Review: In some ways, New York's Fresh Records was always an odd label. A subsidiary of Arthur Russell's Sleeping Bag Records that was initially set up in 1985 to release hip-hop, A&R man Kurtis Mantronik quickly widened its' remit to include electro, freestyle and, later, house. This expansive three-disc anthology from crate-digger Bill Brewster tells the story of the imprint's eight-year history, beginning with a disc of bona fide dancefloor jams (focusing mostly on freestyle and house gear from Todd Terry and Hanson & Davis cuts). Discs two and three focus on the label's arguably better-known hip-hop history, showcasing the work of Fresh staples EPMD, Just Ice, T La Rock, Stezo and Nice & Smooth.

Review: Back in the early 2000s, Mark E made his name with a series of re-edits on the Jiscomusic label. Those early explorations - long, loopy, glassy-eyed and chugging - effectively defined his distinctive production style. He returned to these roots in spectacular style last year, with a series of similarly minded edits under the E Versions alias. Here he gathers together those cuts on CD for the first time, delivering rubs that variously touch on yearning, deep Balearic house ("I Don't Know What This Is"), heavy loop disco ("Child Star", "The Shoe"), strobe-light, warehouse-friendly tackle ("Mingo") and Madonna ("Magazine", a fantastically chugging, basement-friendly revision of "Vogue").

Review: When Hospital Records launched some 16 years ago, it was primarily to focus on the more soulful side of drum & bass. While London Elektricity's imprint is now about so much more than that, many of its' releases still bristle with an expansive soulfulness. This mixed, mid-price, two-disc affair pays tribute to the label's soulful side, delivering sinewy, string-laden gems, vocal anthems, and liquid D&B classics from the likes of SPY, High Contrast, Nu:Tone, Logistics, Danny Byrd, Phuturistix and, of course, London Elektricity. Who mixed it isn't revealed, but they've done a great job; both discs ripple with melody, emotion and, of course, skittering dancefloor rhythms. This is Fast Soul Music, after all.

Review: Loxy's Cyclon Recordings has an odd history, beginning life at the turn of the millennium as an outlet for blistering, hardcore influenced D&B, before disappearing for years at a time. Here, he gives the label a re-boot in impressive fashion, gathering together two discs worth of previously unheard jams from wide range of scene talents. While there's plenty of robust, hard-wired gear to get stuck into, there's a much more experimental feel than we'd perhaps expect (the presence of DBridge confirming this), with far more dub and dubstep influences. It makes for a cracking set, with highlights including cuts from Pessimist & Understate, The Untouchables, Winnie and Loxy & Resound (the brilliant "Howl").

Review: While Sean Brosnan's Future Disco series may have started out as a timely round up of killer nu-disco jams, he's long since adopted a more wide-ranging approach. Recent instalments have included nods to shimmering powder house, nu-Balearica and tactile deep house, and this eighth volume continues that trend. So, the mix (accompanied by a handy disc of unmixed tracks) begins with the fuzzy, sun-kissed niceness of Andras Fox, shuffles through melodious, starry-eyed deep house from Ron Basejam and HNNY, and doffs a cap to the string-laden genius of Krystal Klear's wondrous "Fumer Tue". By the end of the mix, Brosnan is in full-on anthem mode, mixing up bustling, cheery gems from Few Nolder, Fur and Hot Chip (the latter impressively remixed by James Zabeila).

Review: Last year saw Cultures of Soul, American crate diggers extraordinaire, serve up a fine compilation of Caribbean disco, soul, and boogie in the shape of Tropical Disco Hustle. Clearly they were only getting started as a year later we find a second installment from Cultures of Soul which broadens the remit to take in the flavours of St. Lucia and Guadeloupe too. Trinidad & Tobago calypso act Wild Fire feature prominently, providing three tracks of which the Moog laden "Try Making Love" is a compilation highlight. "Music Makes The World Go Round" by The Hamilton Brothers being another, a delicious horn laden, rasping disco bumper that DJs will find a lot of mileage in. A fine compilation.

Review: Given that the previous instalment in the Rebel Rave series landed two years ago last month, this fourth volume is well overdue. As usual, there's much to admire for those hooked on the fluid, deep, immersive and tech-tinged sound pushed forward by Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels imprint, with two unmixed discs of "rare remixes and special cuts" being joined by a thrill-a-minute DJ mix from Matthew Styles. While that mix is hugely enjoyable, it's the unmixed selections that will entice DJs. Given that these include fine cuts and remixes from Matthew Jonson, Sub-Ann, Jamie Jones, Eats Everything, Cassius, Ali Love, Pezzner and Psychemagik, amongst others, it's an understandable attitude.

Review: After the Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds compilation, Favorite Recordings follows-up with the concept, this time focusing on its homeland language. Digging into the mysterious Charles Maurice's vinyl collection, the label and the DJ extracted 10 amazing hidden dancefloor hits, all produced between 1975 and 1984 within the French music scene.

In the late 70s, like most part of the world, France was deeply touched by the influence of American music. The Disco sound therefore quickly reached the French Pop charts, and as always, a creative and prolific independent scene emerged in the shadow of this trend, with quite unequal results, but also some obscure real classics.

Helped by a close connoisseur friend, DJ and collector Charles Maurice presents a fine selection of what he thinks represent best the amazing energy and quality of this specific movement and period. With 10 rare titles, he draws a perfect picture of the different styles and productions you could find in French record stores at that time;

On one hand, tracks by Overdrive, Marche Noir, Didier Makaga or France-Lise, were mostly composed and produced by underground artists and labels from the French Caribbean and African community, and also filled with the raw spirit and power of this Tropical stamping. On the other hand, tracks by Beckie Bell, Kelly, Le Club, or Bernard Guyvan, were all released by major French labels such as Trema, Carrere, Disques Vogue, or Pathe Marconi, and created by confirmed independent producers, acting not only in France, but also in Canada and the US.

For example, Philippe "Honeyman" Renaux was the founder of Clever label and has credits for Grace Jones, Sheila & B. Devotion, or Gino Soccio to name a few. Canadian composer and producer George Thurston is internationally known as Boule Noire, with his worldwide success "Aimer d'amour". And Pierre "Berjot" Jaubert was part of the famous Lafayette Afro-Rock Band, before becoming a prolific producer who revealed the Disco diva Chantal Curtis among others, collaborated on recordings for Motown or Tom Moulton, and even scooted the lead singer of Vladimir Cosma's most famous hit, "La Boom".

With all this talent and "savoir-faire", each of these 10 forgotten songs had nothing to be ashamed of compared to some majors' Disco hits and productions, but unfortunately didn't get the same fate. Today, Favorite Recordings and Charles Maurice are very proud to shed some light again on these gems, and hopefully offer them a new life on your turntable.

Review: Chris Tietjen has long been a valued member of the Cocoon family, and mixed his first CD for the Frankfurt-based label way back in 2006. Here he celebrates a decade of collaboration with a tenth and apparently final mix for the imprint. Partly designed as a look back over the label's releases over the past 10 years, Zehn comes across like a labour of love. Densely packed with tracks - he impressively squeezes some 36 selections into 70 minutes, showcasing work from a veritable who's who of techno talent - it offers a typically fluid, atmospheric, late night-friendly chug through tech-house, minimal and European after-party hypnotism.

Review: BCee's Spearhead imprint has long been regarded as one of liquid D&B's most forward-thinking imprints, often unearthing talent before they make it big elsewhere. Ten offers a celebration of the label's first decade, with two unmixed discs - the first offering classics from SPY, Netsky, Hybrid Minds, LSB and BCee himself, and the second brand new material from the likes of NYMFO, Technicolour and Battery - being complimented by a thrill-a-minute mixed disc from the label supremo. For those intoxicated by D&B's more musical side, it should be essential listening, not least because it includes a range of previously overlooked gems.

Review: For those keen to keep tabs of developments in the more overtly electronic side of the nu-disco scene, Nang's label compilation series, The Array, has always been required listening. This sixth volume, featuring a mixture of recent and vintage gems, is no different. There's much to admire, from the curious shuffle and endless synthesizer loops of Prins Thomas' remake of Daniele Baldelli and DJ Rocca's "Space Scribble", and the sparse-but-immersive Italo-influenced synth-pop of JMRS and Andy Bell's "Only A Feeling (Epic Journey Remix)", to the swinging, organ-laden disco-funk warmth of Tonbe's "So Fresh".

Review: Luxembourg's foremost exponent of interweaving classical and electronic music, Francesco Tristano, is at the buttons for the 16th edition of Get Physical's long running Body Language mix series. Tristano of course is no stranger to the German label, having graced Get Physical with the Piano, Hats & Stabs EP, some of which appears on this 20 track mix which focusses heavily on his own work and that of his friends. Expect to hear cuts from Danton Eeprom, M.A.N.D.Y, Luciano, and Reboot along the way. It's an exclusive heavy mix too, with Tristano choosing a selecting approach based around key and melody as opposed to long, drawn out beat matches.