Toy Tonics Vinyl & CDs

Review: Atlanta's deep house don Kai Alce can do no wrong if you ask us. His own sets, productions and label are as good as it gets when it comes to this sort of sound. Here he steps away to fellow house hero Toy Tonics with a new 12" featuring his signature smooth grooves. 'Slide It In' will seduce any floor with its erotic sax lines and rolling drums. 'Space Skat N Dat' has lovely jazzy chord work over funkier drum patterns and onto the flip 'New Life Livin' is a subtle rework of a former cut of Alce's, 'Rough Sands' is key-laced basement house deepness and 'Strollin Thru Barcelona' explores broken beats and nu-jazz influences.

Review: Athlete Whippet's first outing on Toy Tonics, 2021's Vesta EP, offered a hugely attractive fusion of Berlin deep house nous and colourful jazz-funk/jazz-fusion instrumentation. This follow-up continues in a similarly vibrant vein, with the duo adding all manner of vocal and instrumental samples and a distinctive '80s boogie influence to their already rainbow-coloured trademark sound. Across the four tracks, the pair confidently skip between rubbery, summery house ('Noguiera'), thrilling P-funk/nu-disco fusion (the throbbing electronic bass, jumpy synth sounds, dreamy chords and tidy machine drums of 'Mesmerise'), cut-up boogie-house squelch ('I Think I See') and shuffling, breakbeat-driven deep house/synth-funk fusion ('Slow Down').

Review: Milan-based artist Barbara Boeing, originally from Curitiba, made waves with her debut Brasiliana last year, showcasing her diverse influences that reflect her vibrant DJ sets. In this new EP, Boeing offers four fresh tracks that blend 80s and 90s sounds with inspirations from her tours in Asia. Collaborations with Stump Valley and Sam Ruffillo infuse the project with richness and energy. Each track pulses with the colourful spirit of her home, ranging from Balearic and Italo house to disco and Zouk. As a sought-after DJ, she's built a reputation for crafting exhilarating sets that merge eclectic genres. Her upcoming performances at festivals like Gop Tun and Lost Village, along with her own party series, Barbara Boeing Convida, promise to extend her musical journey. "I just love to bring my music to people," she shares, encapsulating her infectious passion for connection through sound.

Review: COEO returns to Toy Tonics with a stellar EP that celebrates a decade of collaboration with the label. This marks their tenth release with Toy Tonics, and it's a true testament to their influence on the imprint's sound. The German duo has been pivotal in shaping Toy Tonics' house vibes, and they continue to play a significant role in the label's global events. In this new EP, COEO dives deeper into the realms of Italo and Piano House, delivering a contemporary yet timeless collection of tracks. The lead track, 'Nostalgia,' is a tribute to the countless intimate and euphoric moments shared with music lovers worldwide, characterised by infectious piano chord drops and sing-along horn and synth melodies. 'Breeze' elevates the energy, blending funky bass guitar with progressive house elements, evoking memories of carefree adventures and special moments. On Side-2, 'Meet Me at the Cascades' captivates with its hypnotic Italo house influence, unfolding dreamy synth pads and arpeggios that transport listeners to a safe, serene retreat. The EP also includes a remix of 'Nostalgia' by Stump Valley, adding a unique piano solo that beautifully closes this unforgettable release.

Review: Having graced the likes of Razor N Tape, Classic and Shall Not Fade, in recent years Cody Currie has bedded himself in deep on Toy Tonics - just check the London-based producer's Lucas LP from last year if you need further proof. The label have taken a peep back at that album to serve up this feel-good remix package with some serious talent on re-fix duties. First up Dan Shake serves up a tough-bumpin' version of Cash before Sam Ruffillo and Kapote have fun amping up the funky elements of the track. On the flip, the mighty Kaidi Thatham lays down a typically soul-charged version of 'Money' before Jamie 3:26 takes the track deeper, riding on a sweet Moog bassline that will pull in the stiffest of crowds until everyone's feeling good and loose.

Review: Fimiani's 'Disco Music', a standout track from the Toy Tonics catalogue, receives a series of dancefloor-ready remixes. This infectious tune, already championed by DJs like Palms Trax and Louie Vega, is reimagined by four talented producers, each adding their unique flavour to the mix. Young Pulse, the Parisian house maestro, delivers a vibrant and energetic rework, while Tel Aviv's edit king, Elado, injects a dose of playful energy. Berlin's Delfonic transforms the track into a soulful dancefloor anthem, showcasing his knack for crafting infectious grooves. Paul Older, fresh off his acclaimed debut EP on Toy Tonics, closes out the release with a remix that blends classic house elements with a contemporary edge. With its diverse range of interpretations and undeniable dancefloor appeal, this release is a must-have for any disco enthusiast.

Review: While Toy Tonics' first Italomania compilation, released back in 2010, featured fresh reworks of classic Italian disco tracks, this belated sequel celebrates a new generation if Italian disco and nu-disco artists. This - as they have made clear - is not synth-heavy Italo-disco revivalism, but disco revivalism and disco-house fusion made by Italians. It's a great collection all told, with highlights including the hybrid disco-boogie brilliance of Tommiboy's 'La Sfinge (featuring D Disco Band)', the synth disco-meets-jazz-funk flex of Severino and Giocomo Mora's 'Maledetto', the coloruful nu-disco excellence of Munk & Kapote's 'La Musica (Hot DJ version)', the orchestrated disco cheeriness of 'SessoSpaghetti (extended mix)' by Finniani & Angeleri - an authentically eccentric excursion - and the synth-heavy squelch of 'Tropica' by Giovanni Damico.

Review: Fresh from blurring the boundaries between electronic disco and quirky disco-house via EPs on Nocturne and Public Possession (the latter alongside Wolfram), Josh Ludlow brings his trademark sound to Toy Tonics for the first time. Style wise, both A-side tracks doff a cap to Italo-disco and the hard-to-pigeonhole dancefloor psychedelia of Maurice Fulton's Syclops project, with throbbing opener 'New Transition (extended 12" mix)' being followed by the heady nu-disco squelch of 'Bumper Thumper (12" club dub)'. The latter track is given a makeover by Medlar on the flip, with the Wolf Music regular re-imagining it as a bumping, sweat-soaked house jam topped off with disco guitar licks and ghostly lead lines. Also worth checking is B1 'D.G.A.F', a funky, punky house jam smothered in intergalactic synth sounds.

Review: Who is Magou? That's anyone's guess, however it is said to be a mysterious side project by an otherwise respected Italian producer and DJ. They return to Berlin's Toy Tonics for a full and proper double 12' release, a debut album in-fact, taking in disparate elements. We really enjoyed the low-slung modern disco on offer ('Eco' / 'Borges'), as well the neon-lit Italo numbers ('Pas Jolie' / 'Sample Dream') and were even impressed a by that bit of electro-boogie ('Heather's Body') - all blended in a classy and understated manner throughout.

Review: Since making his name late last decade with a string of re-edit releases, Italian DJ/producer Paul Older (real name Paolo Vecchiato) has been edging towards original production. This EP on the mighty Toy Tonics imprint is his most ambitious and - we think - impressive set of 'originals' to date. For proof, check excitable opener 'Guapita', where relentless synth-horn refrains dance atop a loopy disco-house beat, the horn-heavy, Blaxpolitation funk-sampling sweatiness of 'Keep On', and the house-meets-sleazy disco sensuality of 'I Like It, I Want It (Extended Mix)'. Arguably best of all, though, is the hybrid nu-disco/proto-house/disco-house headiness of closing cut 'Loop Story'.

Review: New York psychedelic soul/stoner disco fusionists Phenomenal Handclap Band have been rather quiet of late, with this surprise single on Toy Tonics marking the New York combo's first outing for 18 months. Curiously, there's no original version of "Judge Not" for us to assess, just three reworks from disco stalwart Ray Mang. They are, though, extremely good. The A-side "Special Remix" is particularly potent, with Mang lacing the band's breezy, gospel-influenced vocals and killer pianos solos over a lolloping West Coast disco groove. Those pianos take pride of place on the dub disco style flipside "Reprise Mix", which may well be our pick of a very strong bunch, and on the sweaty, dancefloor-ready "Instrumental" version.

Review: Gomma played a vital role in the popularisation of the indie-dance explosion that happened some 20 years ago now. Best known for being spearheaded by US indie outfit LDC Sound system, it combined dance, disco, wave, post-punk and more into a party-ready sound that found favour with both ravers and guitar heads. This second collection from the German label highlights the best of music they put out back then with names like In Flagranti, label co-founder Munk, Nancy Whang & Bonar Bradberry and many more all present and correct.