New releases last two weeks: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: Cassiano's Cuban Soul - 18 Kilates was first released in 1976 and is a landmark of Brazilian soul for the way it blends the groove of American r&b with native rhythms in a way few artists have matched. Long coveted by collectors, the album has achieved cult status and now returns remastered from the original tapes on 180g vinyl so it is sure to fly off the shelves. Cassiano's velvety vocals glide over lush, cinematic arrangements throughout and in doing so, evoke the grandeur of contemporaries like Tim Maia. From start to finish, this album is packed with depth, warmth and effortless cool, which makes it an essential listen for anyone who likes soul, samba and vintage Brazilian brilliance.

Review: Future Rootz has collaborated with Canal Sounds and EGREM for a gem of a reissue here that goes all the way back to 1977 when producer and bassist Jorge Soler stepped out as Grupo Yoyi for Yoyi, an album that marked his only known solo project. The record now sits up there as one of the rarest and most desirable albums from the Cuban musical canon as it is such a sublime fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz, funk and disco. The musicianship throughout is exceptional with mesmeric synths and evocative horn solos all tethered to the sort of grooves that will either chill you out or heat you up depending on the setting.

Review: Evergreen jazzers Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino mark an impressive 30 years performing and recording as Kyoto Jazz Massive with this superb selection of favourite covers the brothers have enjoyed playing across their storied careers. Embellished with the vocal prowess of Vanessa Freeman and Bembe Segue, the immaculately presented collection blends elements of Latin, jazz, disco and funk over a typically fusionist set. Opening with the gentle waves of 'Black Renaissance', the record bursts into life with the samba flex of 'Kowree Sambazzi'. The soul-heavy thrust of 'No Cross No Crown' stirs the senses, before the nocturnal energy of 'Karmapa Chenno' veers ever so slightly off-piste with its jagged rhythms and grooves. Finally, the hands-in-the-air positivity of 'Love Is Everywhere' ends on a joyously uplifting note.

Review: New Zealand collective Leisure collides many different musical worlds on their genre-blurring sophomore album, genre-blurring. Soul, r&b, rock and pop all get taken in and worked into a lush sound defined by its experimental energy. There are several standout tracks like 'Money' and 'Feeling Free' that showcase their signature sun-soaked vocals and smooth grooves. Elsewhere, Twister brings a bold, modern take on funk, which has won over both fans and critics with 'On My Mind' a prime example of their boundless creativity and knack for warm textures and adventurous spirit. As such, it's a record that cements the group's place as contemporary innovators.

Review: Alex Puddu dropped his last album, Deliria, only back in September, but has been busy in the studio since then cooking up more of his international disco grooves. Professione Reporter is a stylish funk, soul and disco-pop workout all sung in Italian and recorded at Piero Umiliani's legendary Sound Work Shop in Rome. The album follows the cinematic story of a photojournalist who becomes a gigolo entangled in a glamorous underworld of money, romance and danger. Around that vocal narrative, Puddu delivers sleek, seductive grooves and plenty of authentic vintage flair with a sharp ear for melody and melodrama. Professione Reporter feels like a lost soundtrack to an Italian crime film that is moody, playful, sexy and irresistibly cool from start to finish.

Review: After the seismograph shattering success of their last 45, 'Samba De Flora', in the summer of 2024, Argentina's Romero Bros (Xavi and Remi) have since followed an unignorable inspirational impulse, that is and was, to finish a collection of jazz and Latin-infused club tracks, ones that had been in the leftover works for years. The result is a seven-tracker of gracefully cosmic proportions, incorporating drunken piano house and a percussively soft excitability, not to mention a remix each of the very track that sparked the entire duo project, 'Samba De Flora'.