Review: Hot Piroski Records have been on something of a hiatus for the last year or so but now make a welcome return with a new EP series. This collaborative affair is the result of an epic journey in an old Mercedes from London to Gunjur and finds label head Robin 12Tree working with The Gambia and Bongo Koi as Gambian Disco Express. 'Enlightenment is Now' marks their first release on Hot Piroski Records and it comes with vocals from Gambian mystic Rev. Joseph N'Gole, recorded on the banks of the River Gambia. This one has already been hammered by Psychemagik, Pete Herbert, and Severino from Horse Meat Disco so it comes quality assured.
Review: US house legend and deck technician A Trak is back with a third volume of 10 Seconds on his own Fools Gold label. This latest 10" comes on red wax and features for wonky and characterful tunes. 'Like I Said' is all low slung and funky bass guitar riffs and slick soulful house drums. 'Jyeah' brings a more cut up rhythm with warped sub and bleeping synths. 'Riiide' is another infectious house vibe with busy chords and daubs of synth, loopy vocals and hurried beats that call to mind French filter house classics and it's the same story with the brilliantly immediate thrills of 'JustCantLive'.
Harry Romero - "Revolution" (House Masters edit) (5:13)
Prunk & Rona Ray - "Keep It Simple" (6:41)
Review: The mighty Defeated has got a fun package on its hands here with some fat disco and house anthems primed and ready for big room summer fun. A'Studio's 'SOS' (feat Polina - Skylark remix - Nic Fanciulli edit) is chunky house with a hooky vocal and rolling groove designed to sweep you up and away. Chloe Caillet then remixes Tensnake's classic 'Coma Cat' into a hands-in-the-air house stomper with epic strings. Harry Romero's sweaty 'Revolution' gets its drums buffed up and well swung by a House Master's Edit and Prunk & Rona Ray steal the EP at the last with their lush vocal house cut 'Keep It Simple.'
Review: There's plenty of hype swirling around this short-run debut from Londoners Adelphi Music Factory, with regular radio plays and appearances in a host of top DJs' set lists resulting in insatiable demand. It helps, of course, that "Javelin" is an absolute beast. Packed with energy, the A-side version sees them generate maximum sweatiness by working cut-up gospel vocal samples atop a loopy, full-throttle, techno-tempo disco-house groove. Honestly, it's one seriously heavyweight rub that's guaranteed to get dancefloors eating out of the palm of your hand. The B-side "Dub" is, if anything, even wilder and heavier, with the little-known outfit utilizing stretched-out, delay-laden vocal lifts and restless piano stabs over ten action-packed minutes.
Review: The Alien Edits label and in-house and eponymous production outfit serves up a pair of banging, Summer festival primed house edits. The first is a shuffle, high inapt take on a Wailer's classic with the original vocals left in for maximum bait for dancers. On the flip, it's another stone-cold gem that gets the treatment with 'Abacadabra' reworked into a big, bubbly house sound complete with vocoded Steve Miller vocals coming back from the future to infuse it with irresistibly hooky energy.
Review: Mega-exclusive, exquisite house, funk and disco editry from Almacks, who follow up two just-as-delightful introductions to the series with a welcome third. This furtive operation is almost entirely mediated by retailers like us, and is billed as a purveyor of 'tried and tested sure-shots' in very limited runs, whose coveted lipid discs help bolster "community in secret places". Of course, what would be a sense of community without a sense of exclusivity to match? The crux of the art of the five tracks here, though all largely instrumental, is indeed penetrable; all the numbers here home in on the glisteny downtime moments heard on many a classic disco and funk tune, in which time seems to stop, nerves grow tender, and high strings and ghostly vocals take flight. Keep an eye on this series; it reminds us of a funkier-intoned Ghost Phone; 'Track 4' is the real odd highlight.
Review: Italian disco DJ and producer Corrado Alunni shares his latest nu-disco soul nostrum, 'Make It Feel More', which, owing to the title, is an EP whose aim is to enliven the largely electronic and mechanistic bent of nu-disco with a good bit of live-recorded pizzazz. Such is heard on the title track, which moves naturally through both augmented and diminished electric piano cadences, not to mention slap basses, to be poised against the beats. Then 'Perfect Direction' brings the boughed basses and disco hits to a new layer of chill; with this, and the ensuing 'Keep Moving', it feels as if we've kept finding new rooms, in which new room contains a new type of hors d'oeuvre to try. 'The Beat Goes On' closes on a snappier and vinyl-driven vexation, perfect for the snakier kind of dancer.
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Dimitri From Paris club mix) (6:14)
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Dimitri From Paris dub) (7:16)
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Masters At Work Clap Yo Hands dub) (7:25)
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Moplen remix) (5:03)
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Mousse T Fantastic Shizzle mix) (6:00)
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Blackchild remix) (6:00)
Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Two Soul Fusion remix) (12:05)
Review: Anane's soulful vocal delivery takes centre stage on her reimagining of this evergreen disco cut - originally crafted by Love Symphony Orchestra in 1978 - rebooted here through a series of new mixes from some massive house names. Dimitri From Paris delivers two irresistible cuts, his club mix a vibrant and energetic journey through classic house sounds, while his dub strips things back to a hypnotic groove. Masters At Work's 'Clap Yo Hands Dub' injects a dose of infectious energy, while Moplen's remix takes a more atmospheric approach, its swirling synths and hypnotic rhythms creating a mesmerising soundscape. Mousse T's 'Fantastic Shizzle Mix' adds a touch of soulful bounce, while Blackchild's remix delves into deeper, more tribal-infused territories. Two Soul Fusion's remix closes out the collection with a smooth and uplifting vibe, its soulful melodies and infectious groove leaving a lasting impression. A true classic reimagined through the lens of a host of diverse, talented producers.
Review: Whenever DJ Dez Andres drops new heat, you have to tune in. The man is a beat-making machine, extraordinary DJ and avid record collector who distils all that house and hip-hop knowledge into his always stylish cuts. 'No 1' opens up this latest jam on GT Flips and has a boogie-fried lead synth line, deep drums and chopped vocals that amp up the party but also have plenty of heart to them. 'Doobie' is the flipside offering and it finds Andres sampling another 80s soul classic and reworking it over some of his textbook and textured drums that perfectly straddle the house and hip-hop divide.
Review: GT Flips is proving to be a superb home for the music of Detroit mainstay and former Slum Village man DJ Dez aka Andres. He is turning out plenty of it, all of it quality, and all of it steeped in his signature blend of deep house, hip hop and the Cuban rhythms of his personal family heritage. Opener 'Take Your Time' is blissed out beat perfection with mid-tempo drums and heady pads next to gorgeous vocal hooks. 'Saturday' brings the party with a classic vocal sample made famous after being used in a Levis ad, and 'The Candle' closes with jazzy horns and flutes over more dusty drum breaks.
Review: Motor City legend Andres is back with another superb run of 12"s on the GT Flips label. The latest edition is another smoking hot three-tracker that opens up with 'She Spoke To Me', a laid-back blend of live drums and dusty snares with neat little sax motifs and a soothing vocal coo. 'Head Over Heels' finds Andres looking to a classic 80s sound for the main vocal hook and reworks it over what sounds like live MPC beats. 'Spoof' is the third and final gem here, this time with some erotic vocal pleasures and sensuous pads.
Review: Oooh! Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" definitely belongs in the canon of all time modern soul classics. Taken from her 2001 second album Mahogany Soul, the Swizz Beats produced track made optimum usage of an O' Jays sample and was instrumental in that LP going gold and propelling the former D'Angelo collaborator to stardom. It also inspired countless official and under the counter remixes with Blaze's perhaps the most recognisable. So yes this reissue on 7" from Outta Sight is worthy if you don't have the original in your collection and features a housed up remix from Hex Hector on the flip.
Review: Especial is a label always on a mission to unearth left-of-centre perspectives on club music. This new EP, Be Honest, is just that from long-time friends Lipelis and Arsenii, who are based in Belgrade and New York but seek inspiration in the New York sounds of the 80s and hook up with Gayana for some woozy and lovelorn vocal additions. 'Be Honest' is a dubbed out and swaggering deep disco groove that comes as long, dub and cappella versions on the A-side. The 12" dance mix brings some superb house drums into the picture and the Dubplate VIP is a fresh jungle rhythm. This is an EP with something for all.
Review: This third volume of instrumentals continues the faultless Isle of Jura label's deep dive into dub versions and beyond. Side one takes in references from UK street soul and reggae and features two late-'80s tracks by Howard Hill with machine-led rhythms, rudeboy reggae skank and soulful pads. Protek's 'I Love to Dance With You' is a proto-house gem featured in a Jura Soundsystem mix and here it gets a loving re-edit by The Nightlark. Side B includes an instrumental-driven track with spacey FX from The Cool Notes' and Ilija Rudman's 'Dub 4 Love' which is a knowing nod to acid house's golden era.
Review: Hello to new label I Love Your Edits which is to tap into a rich tradition of tweaking disco gems from days gone by in order to bring them up to date and make them that bit more suited to modern dancefloors. Austin Ato takes care of the first outing and starts with the hard-hitting disco house rawness of 'Bertha' which is a grinding and loopy cut that never quits. 'Been So Good' then brings some funky vocal work and neat guitar riffs and 'Love Explosion' is a classic you will likely already know with its soaring strings. 'Cleo' shuts down with a more funky and jazz-tinged sound.
Review: Ari Bald & CJ Scott are "Stockholm pals and soulmates" who have made waves on the legendary Studio Barnhus before now and here return to another local imprint in Baenger. Across the four tracks they delve into feel-good sounds with a hint of nostalgia that are perfectly in time for summer. The sample-heavy EP opens with 'Cloudy White', a thumping house cut with poppy synth magic and r&b vocals that swell your heart. 'Pan Riche' taps into filter house with sugary leads and 90s house drums that will have you rushing in an instant. The flip side starts with more contemporary disco-house fusion gold and finishes with 'Dime Girl', a funky and low-slung groover.
Review: The ever-impossible to pin down Shall Not Fade label welcomes back Baltra for a first EP since his last full outing in 2019. The NYC artist's Dreaming Of A Disco EP manages to be both fuzzy, lo-fi and nostalgic but also forward looking and fresh. He opens with hazy disco loops and shimmering 80s chords underpinned by a funky bassline that cannot fail to hook you in. There's a more pumping and sweaty house groove on 'Imaginary Laughter', blissed out Balearic vibes on 'Private Paradise' and gorgeously airy and organic jazz-funk stylings layered over a nice raw four-four beat on closer 'Sunset Jam.'
Young Pulse & Fleur De Mur - "Smooth Sweet Talker" (6:53)
Review: Get yourself geared up for festival season with some fierce party starters certified with the Glitterbox stamp. Melvo Baptiste leads the charge with 'Sweat', a sizzling disco house stomper with Dames Brown giving the biggest diva energy on her show-stopping vocal. Lovebirds bring unbridled joy on the Philly string swoon and slinky b-line funk of 'Burn It Down', while Art Of Tones & Inaya Day keep it peak time on the sassy strutter 'Give My Love'. Young Pulse & Fleur De Mur complete the set with 'Smooth Sweet Talker', another bright and bold vocal cut par excellence.
Review: BDK's Tequila EP from Say Namm White delivers four full-powered, disco-tinged house heaters. Side-1 opens with 'Big Disco Banger,' a high-energy, filtered house anthem true to its name, followed by 'I Don't Want It,' which offers a deeper, yet still anthemic, vibe. Side-2 starts with 'Love Coming Over,' leaning into a Euro disco sound with heavy Fire Island influences. The EP closes with 'Please Don't Rush,' the deepest house track of the lot. If you are a disco house enthusiasts then check this record out because its packed with infectious grooves and vibrant energy.
Smells Like EPA Dunk(limited hand-stamped heavyweight coloured vinyl 12" (comes on different coloured vinyl, we cannot guarantee which colour you will recieve))
Review: Swedish talent Beatconductor is back with more of his masterful mash-ups, this time looking to pop icons like Taylor Swift and more commercial house artists like Peggy Gou for inspiration across the four cuts. 'Fallin' is a nice laidback and loved-up summer vibe about the feelings of falling in love, 'Sugar & Spajs' brings old school US soul sounds to another mid-tempo groove embellished with big horns and 'Tell Me U Luv Me' is a nicely heated and cosmic disco stepper with some big vocal stabs. 'Peggy Swift' closes with effortlessly breezy and catchy disco-pop.
Review: Italian disco don and funk flexer Belabouche has landed on the likes of DiscoDat, Spare Change Disco and Gimme! Gimme. His edits and remixes are always in hot demand but here he offers up four original jams that show off his studio skills on the JDP Disco label. Flautist George alla Dispari features on 'Brooklyn', the full flavour funk fuelled opener that bustles with joy and good time vibes. 'I Gonna Miss You' is a more spaced out disco cut from the deep and 'Ikeja' then pumps the floor with squelchy bass and astral chords. 'Country Headquarters' lows to a seductive crawl to close things out.
Review: Much loved Michigan techno and ambient virtuoso John Beltran wraps up the so far so excellent Back to Bahia 7 series with the a final volume that proves to be the most dancefloor focussed offering yet. Leading with 'O Patio,' Beltran shows his class with a blend of jazz-funk and MPB that comes with a rather sunny Ibiza-inspired twist while echoing the vibes of Latin greats like Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. On the flip side, 'Belle Isle' is a perfect party anthem for those outdoor sessions - think beach gatherings or cookouts and you won't go wrong. This has been a brilliant series and while it's a shame it's over, this is a fitting way to end it.
Review: Detroit's John Beltran can do no wrong if you ask us, and what he does do is always famously varied, from sound design for TV to melodic techno excellence via ambient beauty. Here for MotorCity Wine he revisits his Back To Bahia series with a third volume that finds him flexing his Afro-Brazilian deep house chops. The 7" opens up with the jazzy boogie of Lsaura' which is steeped in Minneapolis funk and will get cultured dancefloors in a spin. 'As The Sunsets' that appears on the flip and is a superbly emotive sound with wispy late night melodies and glowing harmonies and shuffling Latin grooves. Essential.
Review: There is a great combination of the classic and the contemporary on this new Disco Disco 12". 'Paradise' is both deep yet moving, a warm tune with cuddly drums but retro chords that bring the energy. 'Latino' has shimmering hand claps and sensuous vocals with hulking great kicks that are full of promise. 'It Was Just A Dream' pairs vocoder vocals with glistening synth details and another enthralling and heavyweight house groove and 'RUFF Menace' then taps into 80s synth sounds with its stomping beats and deadpan vocals brought to life with celebratory synth chords.
Review: Cult Edits are specialists in pushing a certain kind of heater, working in a mode landing something between edit and original. Six producers - Mario Bianco, Tomoo Hata, Roe Deers, Radial Gaze, A-Tweed and Oltrefuturo - lay down a blend of sampledelic, ecstatic, multi-tempo'd tribal moods. Channelling everything from chic Tulum rituals to the brutalism of Eastern-European underground clubs, and rounded off by doses of Italian rasta and Japanese re-imagining of Hungarian folk song, all come to the label's exquisite brand of mandala-esque vinyl.
Review: Richard Barrett is the man behind the Bitter End alias and he returns to it here to deliver some more beautifully soulful, full-bodied house music that follows on from his collaboration with Roisin Murphy. Known for his impeccable production, that shows here as the tracks are rich and lush and perfect for playing nice and loud. The grooves hit all the right spots, blending smooth vibes with infectious rhythms and in the case of 'Adjustment -> Love' delightful vocal hook. 'Maladjustment -> Love' is another sparkly cut with retro-future appeal and 'Something Going Nowhere' has a sleazy swagger to it.
Review: Prolific Italian producer Black Loops continues his explorations of deep, groove-led house with the Experience EP. The release serves as a teaser for his forthcoming debut album, both of which arrive courtesy of the always on-point Freerange, and its label boss Jimpster kicks things off here with a rolling, Italo-tinged dub of Electrical, blending modular synth lines with dubbed-out vocals. Black Loops then flips the same track into a funk-fuelled workout, layering guitar licks and a weighty Moog bassline. On the reverse, Experience channels early 90s house with a sultry, Vogue-era feel, while Black Loops' Dancefloor Dub strips it back to a punchy, minimal groove built for late-night floors. Rounding things out is Inmasoul, a jazzy, deep house gem not found on the album.
Review: Tony Black's latest single, 'Sexy Lady,' released on FullTime Production, is a vibrant blend of disco, funk, and house. The track features standout vocals from Nadyne Rush and Jacob A, adding a soulful touch to its infectious beat. 'Sexy Lady' is instantly memorable, capturing the essence of each genre it fuses. The remix contributions by Italian producer Da Lukas deliver powerful club-ready versions, with the Da Lukas remix and Da Lukas vocalize remix both offering distinctive grooves. Souls Groove's mix brings out the funk and soul elements, showcasing the more musical side. Each version of the track adds its own unique flavour, making 'Sexy Lady' a versatile release.
Review: Body Edits makes its inaugural move with a release shrouded in apparent secrecy and anticipation, responding to rumours that a revered figure in UK house (said to be twice Grammy-nominated) is at the helm. The artist is unnamed, but the production speaks volumes: sleek, functional, and brimming with vintage character and jaunt, 'Shades Of Love' counterposes 'Money' with upticks in tempo and flair, while 'Annihilating Dance' is the surreal A2 vision quest, with dissolved voices and flurried, primeval cries tearing our ears asunder.
Review: Three years after launching as a digital-only imprint, Vinny Villbas's Badabing Diskos label finally makes it to wax. In keeping with the label's desire to promote homegrown talent - an approached pioneered by his old pal Prins Thomas via the long-running Full Pupp imprint - all three showcased cuts come from Oslo-based artists. The legacy of synth-heavy, off-kilter Norwegian 'space disco' can be heard across the EP, but especially on Jarle Brathen's 'No Restaurants', which conjures memories of Lindstrom and Todd Terje's work of the late 2000s and Vilbas's dreamier and more loved-up 'Just In Time'. Bolder, bigger and even more life-affirming thrills come to the fore on the flip, where label regular Sommerfeldt delivers the epic breakdowns, driving bass, restless cowbells, winding acid lines and shimmering synth chords of 'The Everlasting Frog'.
Step By Step (feat Panda Bear - bonus Beat) (4:07)
Review: Alan Braxe is one of the cornerstones of the famous French touch house sound. He's crafted plenty of seminal tunes and now is back once again with Falcon for this new and lush deep house 12" on Smugglers Way. It bears all the hallmarks you would expect of the pair: big loopy loops, filtered chords and house drums that get you grooving. 'Love Me' is the one old heads will appreciate the most thanks to its old school ways, while fresh disco influences colour 'Creative Source.' 'Elevation' is more blissed out and Balearic and 'Step By Step' is downtempo lushness.
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M main mix) (8:06)
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M mix edit) (4:16)
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M Classic club) (7:59)
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M instrumental mix) (7:50)
Review: Inner Life's 'I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)' released in 1979 is a quintessential disco anthem that captures the exuberance and allure of the era. Jocelyn Brown's powerful vocals deliver a story of fleeting romance, seamlessly intertwining with lush orchestrations and a driving rhythm section that still get people up and dancing all these decades on. The track's infectious groove, memorable hooks, and lavish production epitomise the magic of late-70s dancefloors which is it why it is such a staple in both nostalgic disco sets and modern dance compilations. This reissue offers up four different versions by the great remix king John Morales.
I Specialize In Love (Ben Liebrand Classic rework) (6:59)
I Specialize In Love (Ben Liebrand DJ's Delight) (5:37)
Review: Sharon Brown's iconic disco anthem 'I Specialize in Love' has been given a fresh lease on life by legendary remixer Ben Liebrand. The Classic Rework Version is an energetic and groovy reinterpretation that infuses the original with a funky disco flair. On Side 2, Liebrand's DJ Mix takes a more extended approach to the remix. While it retains the original's energy, it adds new elements and transitions to create a cohesive and captivating dancefloor experience. By skillfully blending the old and the new, Liebrand has breathed new life into this timeless classic, ensuring that it continues to resonate with dance music enthusiasts for years to come.
Cerebro Orgasmo Envidia & Sofia (Bosq remix) (4:40)
Review: Martin Buscaglia's riotous, psychedelic Latin funk anthem from his 2006 classic album El evangelio segun mi jardinero finally makes its much-requested debut on a 7". This release features a stunning remix by Bosq. The original track is a wild, high-energy ride through vibrant Latin funk landscapes, bursting with infectious rhythms and lively instrumentation. Bosq's remix adds a touch of his signature magic, infusing the track with a subtle cumbia feel while maintaining its midtempo groove. Resisting the urge to speed it up, Bosq crafts a remix that's perfect for the dance floor, offering a joyful, everyone-smiling experience. The result is a delightful, midtempo dancefloor treat that celebrates the original's wild spirit while adding a fresh, irresistible twist.
Review: Exemplary nu-disco wax from the German Kaskadeur crew, lending a much-coveted plodders' energy to two sonic units by disco's twin queens. The slow churn of 'Kaskadeur 08', the eighth in the eponymous series, is characteristic of much contemporary techno-disco, betraying a capacity to urge foot, leg and hip movements in the listener and yet still without so much as a hint of histrionics: a must if you want to leave so much as a scent of cool in today's scene. The mysteriously named 'AN' and 'NE' play back like electrochromic disco hits of yore, though their source material is various, making this a special case of not just editing, but remixing: the A's 'Hearts Run Free' by Candi Staton and the B's 'No Mountain High Enough' by Diana Ross are make for great uses each.
Review: Carlita comes hot off the heels of a recent remix of Diplo's 'Don't Be Afraid' with a fresh EP for Life And Death. Tinged with inflections from Italo house to ambient techno, 'Bon Trip' and 'Run Run Run' are dreamlike trips through chordy syncopation and whirly vocal. By far the best aspect of this EP is the techno remix by Krystal Klear, which has a sprinkling of autotune that's been amped up to French house levels. A glossy and ear-piquing new EP.
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