Juno Recommends Funky House: November 2023

Review: Casual Connection is a master of mash up and is back to stake his claim on that title once more here on the effectively titled Edits label. This red hot double shot kicks off with 'Message Like It's Hot', which as you can probably guess form the title alone mixes up a Snoop Dogg classic with a stoney cold hip-hop classics. It's the bars of the former that are dropped over the shimmering lead synth and 80s analogue beats of the latter to make for something simply irresistible. 'Witness Up' is another big one with two more hip hop cuts smashed together in seamless and effortless fashion. Pure fire.

Review: The superb Cruise crew reassembles here for a ninth volume of Cruise Music Vinyl Jams. This one goes straight for the dancefloor in the form of a massive disco collab 'Dancer' with its sustained string synths, falsetto soul vocal and rousing disco drum work. Lebaron James duo then tap into a similarly silky and lush sounds with pure string lops and soulful house sounds. 'Dance Symbol' keeps the feel-good and singalong party vies alive and Jonk & Spook close out with 'Foo Funkers' which serves up some old school vibes. Once again another hugely handy EP of classy party-starters.

Review: Django Django & Yuuko Sings's 'Don't Touch That Dial' first appeared on the Off Planet Part 2 album back in March. It's one of the standout cuts though so deserves this standalone pressing on white label 12". The Make A Dance remix kicks off with boom-bap drums and lithe electronic synth lines darting about the mix. It's a real body popper to enliven any floor. On the flip is Make A Dance vinyl Only dub which will twist your melon with its fleshy low ends and cavernous bass. Two big cuts for sure.

Review: A warm welcome back to Jimmy Wallace - whose recent outing as Wallace on Rhythm Section International was really rather good - and his quirky Tartan series. The series has long been hard to pigeonhole, with Wallace (we think - there's no credited artist) delivering nostalgic cuts that sit somewhere between unlikely re-edits and sample-heavy re-makes. A-side 'Ayo' begins in sleazy fashion via a throbbing, dark Italo-goes-EBM groove, before Wallace introduces a colossal piano riff, more angular electronic motifs, grandiose Fairlight style stabs and some ear-catching sampled vocal snippets. Over on the flip, 'Shoes Off' could reasonably described as 'Balearic Bhangra': a loved-up and heavily electronic workout the brilliantly blurs the boundaries between late 80s Indian pop music and vintage house.

Review: A music video in which dance pop megastar Calvin Harris and UK pop fav Ellie Goulding once kissed prompted reports of a romance between the two, but the latter has always said they were just friends. Earlier in the year they rekindled whatever relationship it is that they share and head into the studio to craft and unashamedly Euro-centric dance-trance record 'Miracle' that now lands on vinyl via Sony. Goulding's angelic vocal is the centre point with production that harks back to Harris's earliest days - big synths, drums and piano. Upon original release, this one debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Review: On their latest must-check reissue, Groovin' Recordings take us back to 1998 and a killer chunk of what would then have been called 'US garage' produced by Deep Swing duo Eric Wikman and James Donaldson under their alternative Sunkids alias. The fact that it was 'executive produced' by Tony Humphries should tell you what to expect: gospel-influenced soulful full to bursting with bumpin' beats, rubbery bass guitar, righteous beats and powerful, life-affirming lead vocals courtesy of Chance. The flip side 'Reworked' version is a more stomping, high-energy affair informed by the popularity of filter-heavy funky house and disco-house. It's good, but it's the hands-in-the-air A-side that's the real killer.

Review: The Conductor's The Glow Up is a new six track album that bottles up tons of new wave, disco, funk, pop and soul classics and reworks them for the dance floor. There is the pumping funky house and camp vocal cries of 'Don't Go' and the hands in the air soul grooves of 'EWF Vs KC" (EDM mix 1)' before a piano remix of a Eurythmics classic. 'Higher Emotions' kick off the flip side with something a little deeper and more tender and 'Rollin With The Tiger' is a lung bursting diva special from Adele. 'Sin City Music' closes with a sweeping groove to lift you off your feet.

Review: Veneno is the most beloved transgender TV star in Spain and now she arrives on the equally revered Dark Entries label as part of Madrid Pride on June 30th. Cristina Ortiz was a sex worker when she was discovered by the TV program "Este Noche Cruzamos el Mississippi." She became a regular on it with a great sense of wit and a unique way of relaying stories about her work on the streets. Her career in music started in 1996 and has seen her serve up big Eurobeat tunes like 'Veneno Pa Tu Piel' and house cuts such as 'El Rap De La Veneno'. Two mixes of both of those hit tunes are presented here and are enduring gay anthems that will light up any party.

Review: Semi Delicious go full flavour for this new various artists EP to mark their 15th vinyl outing. It's Demi Riquisimo & Michelle Manetti who kick off with the surging house stylings of 'All I Need,' a vocal laced peak time track with rushy feels. Corbi cooks up some rugged broken beats on the sleepy 'Kraken' then Lulah Francs & Nebari tap into he Peech Bosy classic for the vocal top line of their 'Don't Make Me Wait' and pair it with classic analogue drum clatter and gurgling bass brilliance. The flip has three more tunes including the rave of 'Nairless' and blissed out, sun up cut 'Release It' by Last Magpie. Jive Talk's 'Wizards Slippers' is a lovely electro bubbler to round out a diverse EP.

Review: Captain Hollywood Project aka eurodance outfit Tony Dawson-Harrison and Shirin von Gehlen (a.k.a. Shirin Amour) released their debut single back in 1992. The Germans saw it become a top five hit in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland and it has now sold over seven million copies. It is something of an evergreen hit that now gets a welcome reissue in several different forms on lovely red vinyl. There is the fun single version, a more hard hitting extended mix, raw underground version and even a fresh trance mix.

Review: UK house duo Gorgon City already had solid solo careers before they came together, but since then they have gone into the stratosphere. They've played every major club and festival in the world and also signed to major labels, with EMI the place they now find themselves for Salvation, a new album that showcases their catchy house sounds. It's another triumphant work with lead single 'Lost & Found' in particular featuring the mesmerizing vocals of DRAMA amongst a sea of other equally big and heartfelt house tunes with well-written drums, infectious grooves and earworm melodies.

Review: Four tracks from another new school Detroit name who's been around for decades, Tink Thomas, who returned to his first musical love - house - after forging a highly successful name for himself as a hip-hop and r&b producer, not least producing for Madonna's Maverick label. Although they would happily fit in alongside the latest Kyle Hall or Theo Parrish, thanks to some sexily syncopated work in the rhythmic department, there's a markedly different vibe to the likes of overtly disco-slanted rug cutter 'Gonna Make U Dance' and the prominently reggae flavoured overtones of 'Wat A Bam' and 'Mistic Flow', that means it'll stand out while knowing exactly how to keep the faithful on their feet. Irresistible.

Review: Duch label Armada Music takes a pan-global view on this new compilation which focuses on the legacy of house music. Called, smartly, House Legacy, it goes from the deepest of the deep in Joe Smooth's still exquisite house hymn 'Promised Land' to the most catchy vocal sounds in Praise Cat's 'Shined On Me' via the archetypal New York dub house of MK's 'Somebody New.' Alongside other big cuts such as Reese aka Kevin Saunderson's 'Just Want Another Chance' are some lesser-known gems from Olav Basoski, Afro Medusa and Gadjo. A vibrant, melting pot and fine cross-section, then.

Review: Berlin-based house producer Joe Cleen has landed on SlothBoogie's Edit label a few times with his fine revisions of the classics. The last was in 2021 and now he is back with his Chapters EP for more of the same from the worlds of disco and house. There is florid Philly soul joy to stomping opener 'The Juice' that soon sweeps you off your feet. 'I'll Be There' is slightly deeper but heavily percussive disco funk and 'Summer Wind' is a jazzy interlude. The flip side takes off again on a trio of joy-filled, hands-in-the-air instrumental disco bangers.

Review: Kalabrese & KAYYAK go big on this new collaborative EP for Rumpelmusig as they serve up one epic track on each side of the 12". First up is 'Dancing In The Dark' which is a mix of prog house and disco, indie vocals and piano chords full of joy. Over the course of more than 10 minutes it goes from gritty synth drones to blissed-out and dubby drums then back again. The flip side is a more naturalistic and organic outing with whimsical melodies and fluttering chords that bring all the energy of a new summer's day.

Review: Dutch label High Fashion always deals in house music at the more funky and accessible end of the spectrum. It's got a few decent remix EPs dropping right now and this is one of them with the one and only Michael Grey at the buttons. He brings his famously catchy synth loops and warm, irresistible bassline to plenty of well chopped vocals. His first remix of 'Genie' is a real vocal belter with mid tempo drums and 80s synths and the dub strips things back a little to allow the grooves to shine.

Review: B2 Recordings is a label run by Greek talent Bengoa as a platform to offer up his own diverse sounds. Here he serves up a new single featuring Pan that is sublime, seductive and deep. The vocals you will recognise from a classic pop hit but here they get all resung in an even more libidinous fashion. The drums roll, and the percussion is loose, and bright but soft chord stabs heighten the mood. Flip it over for an instrumental version of 'Thelxis' that is all about the late-night grooves. Two stylish sounds for romantic moments.

Review: Groove Armada proven so adept at putting totters intimate late nigh sound tracks that they have made not one, not two, but three different entires into this legendary and long running series. And each one has its own equally special vibe. This one finds the pairing digging into the new York disco of Metro Area, the funk of Roy Ayers, the classic house of Mr Fingers and the gorgeousness of Shuggie Otis. It's as good an after the afterparty mix as you could wish to hear so we're delighted it is being reissue.

Review: Tommy Largo is a big deal in the world of jacking house and here he lands on Greenhouse Recordings with plenty of evidence to support that. His sound comes steeped with Southern influences on opener 'BBQ Ribs' with its noodling jazz chords and spoken word mutterings making for a lively atmosphere over funky beats. The Jam Funk Remix has a Chicago bump to it with the jazzy keys left in place over well-swung drums. 'On No Not Again' hints at new jack swing with its steamy sax lines and effortlessly catchy groove before 'BBQ Ribs' (Oddphonic remix) closes out with the deepest sound of the lot, perfect for when the sun has gone down and the party heads indoors.

Review: Groove Armada might well be best known for their big beats, and fair enough. Their mastery of a smart sample and a compelling groove paired with catchy vocal hooks made that chart topping superstars who went on to tour the world endlessly before then disappearing and remerging on more underground labels like Hypercolour. But you don't get that good at sampling with being deep digging record fiends. And that is exactly what made them such a perfect fit for the Late Night Tales series which is all about offering up alternative sounds to accompany post-club comedowns. These collections were gateways into new musical worlds for many dance fans and they still stand up today so it's great to have them back in print.

Review: The seventh release on M.A.D Records and label bosses Make A Dance are back. The 'El U Vee' EP hears the London duo serve up an eclectic mix of influences from across the board; 'Cool Girls' opens with Italo arps, gated snares and seductive vocal samples, while the titular 'El U Vee' follows, blending house heat with a heady dash of Latin spice. Both are love-sung body groovers; flip 'em over and find the percussive basement jam 'Oh Yeah', before 'No Way Out' rounds off the EP with an acid-tinged, new beat blend of M.A.D.ness.

Review: Ben Liebrand has been around almost as long as house music itself. He's a venerated studio hand who has been turning out his signature mixes for longer than we can reverb and always manages to come through with the goods, as he does again here. He offers three different versions of 'We Just' by Moses. 'We Just' (Rebellion mix) is a scintillating house cut with spiritual synths and stark percussive hits while the Revolution mix is more airy and heady with new age ambience up top. Last but not least, the Evolution mix is a more dark and twisted cut with wiry synths weaving in and out of the drums.

Review: English duo Groove Armada is a towering presence over British and world dance music. They have served up countless global hits as well as more underground sounds, and recently their vast back catalogue is back in the spotlight as Late Night Tales have reissued three of their most superb compilations. Off the back of that, now comes this greatest hits album which is billed as GA25: All The Hits & More to mark their quarter of a century in the game. Some of the tunes on it have had a touch-up edit to bring them bang up to date and many of these are still much loved from party starters like 'Superstylin' to more downtempo delights like 'At The River.'

Review: If there's anything most people deeply desire - whether they admit it or not - it's the desire to be noticed; to be validated; to belong. In 1988, singer Sandra Tola CasaNas aka. Sandee snared that very same ecstatic feeling, not least by a crush, in song form. 'Notice Me' is a real New York freestyle house mover, expertly mixed by a crack team of chartcrafting inner-workers (Carol Cooper, Robert Clivilles, David Cole, Herbie Jr.) to produce an effortless blend of spitty snare, repetitious FM bass and a blissed-out echoic vocal, most noticeable on the infamous 'Notice The House' mix. Something innate to this track has resulted in a continuous clamour to re-press it over the years, perhaps due to its historic use as an instrument for the proliferation of bleep techno and breakbeat - again, refer to the prototypical-of-bleep A-side.

Review: People who know say that Avicii was a real musical prodigy. He was hugely prolific and wrote some of EDM's most successful and formative tunes while still ridiculously young. They helped to turn him into one of the global dance scene's biggest stars but with that came little-known mental health struggles for the Swede born Tim Bergling. Eventually, they grew too much and he tragically took his own life in 2018 aged just 28. Thankfully his musical legacy lives on through his work, now least True, which now gets a special tenth anniversary reissue on UMR. RIP to a rare creative soul who was not designed for the grueling pressures of the music business.

Review: Scottish house music duo Silicone Soul aka Craig Morrison & Graeme Reedie's turn-of-the-millennium deep houser 'Right On!' certainly made a big splash back then, breaching the UK dance singles chart by bringing the genre an oily soulful emulsion. However, not their first release for the esteemed Soma Quality Recordings, 'Right On!' was an expert construction and a favourite for lovers of vocal house at the time. The track is a cover of Curtis Mayfield's 'Right On For The Darkness', a paean for living in the now and grabbing life by the bullhorns).