Best Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: Blue Feather were a truly blue-eyed funk outfit from the Netherlands who had a prolific run in the 80s with two albums and a string of club singles to their name. "Let's Funk Tonight" was surely one of their bigger hits, and it sounds resplendent with a fresh master and the full extended version spread out across the A side here. Offering something new for the modern market, Best call upon Faze Action to flesh out this reissue with a killer dub of the track that treads softly but funks deep, just like a good dub should.

Review: Best dig out a bona fide gem from the early days of Italian house music - a one-shot hit from the masterful minds of Alex Neri and Marco Baroni that originally surfaced in 1992 on Adriatic Club. This sunkissed classic has everything a deep house cut should - smooth piano, a splash of diva vocals, and feel-good vibes oozing from every pore. For our money the "Deep Jungle Mix" is the one - a smouldering swinger that will draw you in and keep you warm at night, but whichever twist on the '90s styles you prefer this record has got you covered.

Review: Best Record has secured the rights to this 12" vinyl reissue of Fascination 'Out to Get You', which is dedicated to Giancarlo Meo, the esteemed producer behind Easy Going and other iconic acts. This release, curated by Claudio Casalini, pays homage to Italy's vibrant disco era and blends elements of disco, soul, and funk. The original comes as three different and equally captivating versions, including a re-edit by DJ Massimo Berardi who injects plenty of contemporary flair while preserving the essence of the original tracks. With its fusion of retro charm and modern energy, this reissue offers a nostalgic yet danceable vibe and is primed and ready to for igniting dance floors worldwide once again.

Review: Best Records has got some superb reissues dropping right now, just in time for summer, and Mike Francis's brilliantly Balearic soul cut from 1982 is next up. This effortlessly heartwarming vocal track was produced by Paul and Peter Micioni and emerged from the Italo Disco scene in Italy on the heels of a former big hit with the Metropole group. However, on this project, he worked under a new stage name but didn't lose any of his creative edge. 'Love Has Found You' is impossibly laidback and lovely with its carefree melodies and 'Nighttime Lady' is a mid-tempo slow burner with funky low ends and a nice playful vocal full of love.

Review: Galvanica's 'Nightlights In Japan' dropped in 1987 and was a perfectly dreamy post-rave comedown soundtrack with heavenly pads and angelic whispered vocals. It came with various different remixes that repurposed it for different moments. The remix dance version is more driven by classic and crunchy analogue 80s drums with tumbling melodies and plenty of feelings of subtle euphoria. The single version tweaks that just a touch and the maxi instrumental turns up the drums and strips out the vocals for something more rock and club-ready. Tip!

Review: Italian singer and songwriter Giampiero Scalamonga had a successful run as a disco hitmaker through the 70s, and his crowning glory was surely the Body To Body LP released in 1979. Now Best Records have turned back the clock to disco's golden hour to reissue the Gepy & Gepy classic on pristine wax. While the A-side title track is a timeless gem on its own, it's the impassioned club burner "African Love Song" that will have the diggers rejoicing. From its days as a staple in Studio 54 it's been a sought after gem, and now it's back in circulation for those that know.

Review: Phono's 'Music Is My Sex' is one of those delicious obscurities that seem to have been a feature of the original Italo-disco scene. It was the work of Phono, a one-off project helmed by sadly departed Italian DJ, occasional producer and radio and TV presenter Attilo de Rosa, and originally slipped out back in 1983 via the legendary Mr. Disc Organization label. As this reissue proves, it's a pleasingly eccentric and alluring affair. Available in vocal and instrumental versions, it's a rough-round-the-ages chunk of electrofunk/boogie rich in squelchy synth-bass, Roland JX3P solos, unfussy drum machine beats and clipped guitar licks. The timbales-sporting, dancefloor dub-style instrumental is probably our pick of the pair, though the accentuated English vocals on the A-side mix are undeniably fun.

Review: Sahara Band's 'Habibi' is an Italo-disco classic from 1983. It was reissued digitally once in 2017 but now finally makes a welcome return to wax. An original copy will cost you a fair few quid on the second-hand market so do not sleep on this one as it is incredible Egyptian-influenced Italo with Arabic vocals. It has been remade by other artists over the years but this version remains the best with its cultural sounds and worldly grooves set to bring greatness to any set.

Review: Best claims to be the first Italo-disco label to be based in Rome. It was founded in 1981 by pioneering DJ Claudio Casalini and sure does have plenty of gems in its catalogue. This is one of them from Carol Williams, whose charming and effortlessly cool vocals light up both sides of this mix of boogie, soul, disco and funk. 'What's The Deal' is a mid-tempo seducer with stepping chord sequences and bright synth work then 'Have You For My Love' ups the ante with more squelchy synth funk sounds and pixelated leads. It's the pick of the bunch if you ask us.