Disco Recommendations March 2012

Review: If you've been following the rise of Cosmic Forest dwellers Psychemagik for more than a minute, you'll be aware of their extremely chunky revision of Wang Chung's 1984 jam "Dancehall Days" which has been teasing new arrivals at their Soundcloud page for more than a year now. It finally gets a vinyl release here, and an official one to boot as Wang Chung vocalist Jack Hues was so impressed with their illicit take he sent them the stems for the official remix you see here. It's very much in line with their original edit but comes replete with that extra beef and on a neat white twelve inch. Another archival killer from the duo in "Beauty And The Bass" lines the flip too.

Review: The Vinyl Factory come through with yet another sumptuous twelve inch release that sees the Norse disco deities Todd Terje and Lindstrom & Prins Thomas remix two classics from the Roxy Music canon. Terje has of course been impressing more with his own productions of late, yet armed with the masters for the seminal "Love Is The Drug" he proves that his golden touch for remixing has not lost one iota of its enduring shine. Wisely choosing not to drastically change what is an almost perfect pop song, Terje elects to add plenty of echo and delay, deftly updating the track for contemporary ears without sacrificing any of Brian & co's sax infused charm. On the flip "Avalon" get's eased back into an expansive and largely horizontal Balearic chug by Linny & Prinny which offers a nicely paced accompaniment to the highly charged brilliance of the A Side.

Review: Forever the horizontally inclined innovators, International Feel introduce a mild curveball in their direction with Flights of Fancy, a new series showcasing what Balearic should sound like - through the custom made Ear Dimension Filters they employ on the coastline of Punta Del Este of course. The identity of those behind Flights of Fancy remains a mystery, as does so much with International Feel, but regardless both tracks present adopt a vintage discofied aesthetic that will find a place in many a heart. "Love's A Dancer" comes across like a forgotten Moroder gem given the Noid recordings treatment, whilst the altogether more widescreen vision of Balearica that is "Tempo Of The Night" positively glides towards the runout groove.

Review: Croatian synth-disco specialist Ilija Rudman has been decidedly quiet in the aftermath of his debut Bear Funk released album The Reveal last spring, and he makes a welcome return to the Electric Minds label for whom he scored a 2010 highlight in Time And Time. Fans of the Croat's music will relish the chance to grapple with what are two classic Rudman productions, with the A Side title track "Cinematic Behaviour" poised perfectly in that fertile ground betwixt contemporary house and disco. All neon synths stabs, far reaching grooves, hand clap embellished rhythms and deeply funked bass lines. Complementing this, Rudman lines the B Side with a nice dose of subaquaboogie in the shape of "Landscape", which has a nice playful vibe to it.

Review: There are two things Permanent Vacation do so very well; uncover and release music from the quirkier end of the electronic spectrum and commission some equally interesting producers to remix their output. This latest EP from the Munich based emporium epitomises those qualities perfectly with material from last year's Pollyester album Earthly Powers remixed by the likes of Baris K, Pional and Prins Thomas. It's the latter who kicks proceedings off with a trademark Diskomiks of "Concierge D'Amour" which presents the track as a taut, snapping disco burner which makes full usage of the excitable vocals of Polina Lapkovskaya. The label bosses also remix this track, wisely veering off into deep house territory on a rearrangement that is structured perfectly for early hours mood setting. Madrid based producer Pional serves further notice of his flourishing potential with a remix of "Voices" that has a touch of vintage Soft Cell to it, whilst Baris K's rendition is built around a throbbing electronic bassline and plenty of Eurasian instrumental flourishes.

Review: Our man from Banff Eddie C makes a welcome return to the Endless Flight imprint that's been the conduit for so much of the Canadian producer's finely judged disco escapades over the years. Commencing with "Tunnel Mountain", Mr Currelly is on epic form, expertly teasing out a simmering and emotion drenched melodic refrain over a woozy mid tempo structure that intermittently jacks with real energy. Alongside it "Banff Butt" sounds like rough Chicago house slowed down to an opiated pace, while flipside opener "Iceline" is a typically sumptuous gallop through thick layers of textured beatdown. Finally "Descent" mainlines intermittent twilight boogie vibes through the stripped back groove.