DOUG PAYNE Vinyl & CDs

Review: Once again Athens of the North boss Euan Fryer has dug deep for inspiration. Even within disco and boogie collector circles, few know the self-released early '80 singles of sometime Sister Sledge backing bandmember Doug Payne. As Fryer has proved on this compilation style EP, Payne's boogie-era jams were genuinely brilliant. The killer cut is 'She's On The Money', a P-funk style wriggler - think squelchy, undulating synth-bass, soulful vocals, sparkling synth lines and bustling machine drums - that's available in a variety of versions. Our pick of the bunch is the previously unreleased extended mix, which stretches out to almost 15 minutes and includes some superb, DJ-friendly stripped-back sections. Also worth a listen is the slap-bass-propelled boogie-funk of 'Holiday', which was originally Payne's debut solo single way back in 1983.