EMERSON Vinyl & CDs

Review: John Digweed's Bedrock powerhouse returns with one hell of a collaboration, check this one out: the man himself, fellow UK legend Darren Emerson and Nick Muir on the simply explosive "Fanfare" fuelled mainly by Systematic main man Marc Romboy's wicked remix duty. Israeli progressive house hero Guy J is back too, presenting the deeply emotive adrenaline of "2026". On the flip, German duo D-Nox & Beckers (aka Space Safari) take you on a right trip with their euphoric, dark journey track "Mondays" and finallys CJ Jeff throws in a right banger with the rolling, drugged up tech house of "Side Effects" which will appeal to fans of Material Series or Saved. All in all, some surefire DJ artillery for serious DJs to be found on Bedrock 18: Signals.

Review: Given that Emerson's 1988 private press single 'Sending All My Love Out' has long been considered a 'holy grail' amongst electro and boogie collectors, it would be fair to say that this pressing from Kalita Records - which expands on the original 7" - will be hugely popular. And with good reason: Emerson's original, a fine blend of stuttering drums, loved-up chords and melodies and super-soulful vocals, is little less than superb. We also get the demo version - a much more lo-fi but no less endearing affair, and two fresh multi-track remixes. Egyptian Lover delivers a funky, squelchy and punchy electro remix that rightly pushes Emerson's vocals to the fore, while Detroit In Effect opt for a warming boogie-with-808 drums flex. Don't sleep!

Review: Kalita's obligatory Record Store Day offering is something rather special: synth-funk visionary couple Emerson and Leora Sandidge's mythical unreleased album finally sees the light of day, following Emerson's sole private press seven-inch single release way back in 1988. Those two tunes ("Sending All My Love Out" and "Why Are You So Cold?") make the cut on this belated debut set, alongside six other previously unreleased recordings from the same sessions. Their take on electrofunk, boogie and '80s soul is colourful, soulful and synth-heavy, with the included tracks veering from up-tempo club workouts (see "Raw Deal Cocaine Kills") and fizzing dancefloor pop workouts, to sugary ballads and seductive slow jams. In other words, it's a more than tidy selection of rare and unheard gems.