Search dance music

Review: Z Records proudly presents volume 3 in its 90s house and garage compilation series, this time presented by Jeremy Underground, a man who should need no introduction when it comes to all things house and garage. Underground (assuming that is his real surname) shares his third house selector's compilation on this one, digging deep, deep inside his record collection, making a spectacle of his ability to decide, to delimit, to include, to exclude, to tastefully separate sonic wheat from chaff. As has become obviated by this series, some of these knocky 2-steppers - these garagey housers - are to here be released on one flavor filled CD & vinyl compilation. So attune your ears to its private exclusivist 2-step grooves; avariciously launch your energies at the attainment of mid-2020s UK garage DJ royalty, till your forefingers and thumbs bleed from all the spindle pinching.

Review: 25 editions deep now, the Attack The Dancefloor 12" series is where we at ZR do our best to cater to our "Is it coming out on vinyl?" crew. Kicking off proceedings is Dave Lee's mix of Foremost Poets classic 'Beside Myself', a brand new remix where Dave delivers a stonking, cowbell cracking slice of house with the soulful joy Johnny Dangerous brings with his vocals. Backing that up on the A's is the peak time disco house track from our friendly neighbour Doug Willis, on this occasion aided and abetted by someone who's been doing the do just as long, but in Chicago - Mr Mike Dunn. Ich Liebe Es Zu Tanzen!.
On the flip is Output / Input's 'Every Time You Touch Me' which gets Boogiefied by Dave Lee, who adds slick Moog bass, jazz-funk guitars & brassy synths under Antonio McLendon's Luther-esque vocal performance. To close out is one for the Garage heads, an exclusive 'Vocal Dub Pressure' version of Groove Assassin's recent hit remix of Destiny II's 'I'm Here For This' which is currently not available digitally. As Kate Bush once said "Wow"!!!

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records continues to fly the flag for disco-tinged house, or house-tinged disco, from new school artists and old-school mainstays. One thing you can be sure of with music n this label is that it will be big, crowd-pleasing tackle that never forgets its roots. There is real religious rapture in the thrilling Doug Godbizniss mix of 'The Mighty Douglas' which gets the EP underway in fine style. After that is a sumptuous, string-laced house classic from Ron Basejam, a lush mix of the wonderfully ethereal 'American Dram' from lounge-y house don Atjazz and classy, hip-swinging vocal house bomb from Dave Lee himself.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records hits the milestone 20th edition of this Attack The Dance floor series. It has always been a reliable outlet for glossy, disco tinged and floor friendly house tunes from some of the genre's most accomplished names. This time out, Dave Lee appears ac couple of times, firstly with the feel good and soul-licked remix of Mike Lindup's 'Atlantia' and then with a boogie mix of Jungle's 'Keep Moving' which comes with a nice dotted funk bassline and big shiny strings. Lazywax and and Emmaculate Afrodisia remix further boost this useful 12".

Review: Vintage house and disco don Dave Lee knows a thing or two about serving up irresistible and timeless cuts and that's what he does here with the 24th instalment of the long-running Attack The Dancefloor series on his own Z Records. The man himself kicks off with Maurissa Rose on the loosely chugging, deep and soulful 'Open Me Up' (a first taste of the upcoming album together). He then slips into US garage style with his popular remix of The Trammps' 'I've Gotta Stand Up' that harks back to the glory days of 90s Soulful House. Felix Buxton's Celestial Being & Citizens Of The World Choir's 'Raise The Vibration' gets a gloriously sunny and positive Crackazat club mix before Lee closes the release with squelching synth in the form of his Boogified mix of Soul Dhamma's classic 'Flower.'

Review: Z Records' ongoing 'Attack The Dancefloor 'series of compilation style vinyl EPs has long been a reliable source of disco-fired excellence, and this 21st edition is another high-quality affair. We're first treated to a superb Jimpster revision of recent Mistura single 'Want Me Back', where Jemini's spoken word vocal, jazzy keys and spacey synth sounds rise above loose-limbed deep house beats and wiggly TB-303 lines, before Birdee drops a genuinely joyous, organic-sounding disco-house take on 1991 classic 'Do What You Feel' (now credited to Joey Montenegro, rather than his now retired Joey Negro alias). Elsewhere, Lee's own rework of Lakeshore Commission's Bluey collaboration 'In The Light' is a smooth, soulful, string-drenched delight and the veteran producer's 'Destination Boogie' tweak of Destiny II's 'Play To Win' is a revivalist '80s electrofunk delight.

Review: Soul meets speed garage on this new V/A EP from Z Records, blurring the lines between the genres in just the way we like it. The opening track - Grant Nelson's mix of 'Starlight' by Dave & Omar - is a euphoric, piano-laced uplifter which both sonically and lyrically urges us to reach for the sky. That's followed by the DJ Fudge production 'Everything' by Chocolate Fudge Band, featuring lots of live instrumentation and a Curtis Mayfield style vocal, while over on the flip, 'Looking For You' proves to be a deep and bouncy cut filled with soulful Motown vocal chops and an organ workout worthy of any Sunday service, over a beautifully wonky house framework.

Review: Dave Lee aka Joey Negro has pulled together a fine team of remixers here to serve up their own versions of tunes by him, Jakarta, The Sunburst Band and Prospect Park, all for his own Z Records. Freerange boss and deep house Don Jimspter goes first and brings real sunshine to his take on 'He Is.' Detroit badman Andres then does what he does best to 'I Recognise', that is layering in hip hop slanted beats and nice rolling baselines under lush chords. On the flip are two more positive house vibrations to make this a handy EP.

Review: The veteran producer's latest EP, in which a quartet of highly regarded producers tinker with tracks from his vast catalogue, contains some real gems. Top of the pile is Ron Trent's rework of "Distorting Space Time", which is not only typically warm, woozy and percussion rich, but also makes great use of some decidedly trippy, delay style effects. Elsewhere, Crackazat grins his way towards piano house anthem territory via an arms-aloft revision of "Latican Boogie", Lay-Far joins the dots between jazz-funk, boogie and sumptuous deep house on a delightful rework of "In Search of the Dream" and Fouk successfully breaks up the beats on a jazzy and bass-heavy mix of "Distorting Space Time".

Review: Z Records returns with a Hustle-tastic 12" to light up both your life and DJ sets. It's the boss himself Dave Lee who kicks off with his extended rework of a bonafide Brit Funk classic in the shape of Hi Tension's 'British Hustle'. Featuring David Josephs's signature vocals over the chugging Caribbean rhythm track, it's a song that's never received an extended club mix from the tapes since its first release in 1978. His second cut is a Re-Wriggle of a Funky Worm volume pumping classic that becomes a fat-bottomed house jam with stomping brass, ear-worm vocal hooks and Latin inspired keys. "On the flip' (as they say) is Foreal People's 'Tango Hustle' - a driving clav heavy, jazz funk workout complete with chanting dance instructions over various solos. Add in an acapella and some 'Hustle Beats' and you have a very muscular package.

Review: The Jazz Dance Fusion series is a compilation-based series collecting some of the finest songs in the Jazzdance, Latin Jazz and Fusion. Each volume is careful cultivated by the well-known British DJ Colin Curtis. After the first three successful editions, the fourth boasts tracks like 'Mother Of The Future" by Venus Dodson, 'I Face East' by Mary Greer Mudiku and 'Ponteio' by Miho Nobuzane, to name but a few. Volume Four Part 2 is spread across two pieces of vinyl housed in a beautiful gatefold vinyl. If you are a jazz fan looking for a compilation to expand your knowledge and love the style, then look no further than this one here! Thanks ro Colin Curtis for continuing to curate such a great series!

Review: Colin Curtis returns with another finely-curated selection of the best 'Jazz Dance Fusion' records he could find. In Curtis' own words, Volume 4 reflects a combination of new music, unreleased music, and tracks that have never been on vinyl before or have not attained the recognition they deserve. A whopping 26 tracks are racked up on the digital edition, but this special vinyl record yields just thirteen further selections from that initial batch; leading the charge is the Rhodesy, hi-hatty '46 To Somewhere' by the Sultan's Swing, capturing the free-spiritedness of hitching a ride to somewhere untrammeled. Further choice sonic infections, infusing elements of vocal jazz, salsa and Latin spoken word, include Somos Amigos' 'Pa'gozar' and GeeW's 'Kyoto'. Get grooving!

Review: Hit makers Rodgers and Edwards' mammothly influential Chic songs enjoy one of the finest curatorial salutes from UK disco's most discerning torch-bearer/creator Dave Lee. Digging deep into his vaults and unearthing some of the best homages, references and blatant covers, Negro join the dots and delivers some rarities you may have never heard before. Get lost in the music of She's shiny guitar strumming "Easy Money", freak out to Charanga 76's "Good Times" and get lucky with Van Jones's "Not About That"... Everyone knows about the hits and influence, most of us know how important a role Chic played in sample culture but Negro has gone the extra mile to celebrate some of the lesser known references Chic have had over the years. Freaking great.

Review: In its full digital form, Z Records' excellent Life's Better With Disco Comp is an epic 37 tracks deep. Naturally there aren't that many cuts on this sampler 12", but the four on show are undoubtedly amongst the set's many highlights. Boss man Dave Lee kicks things off via a superb classic disco-meets-nu-disco revision of Firefly's 'Love Is Gunna Be On Your Side', before there's a chance to cop an obscure Backroom Productions rework of their early proto-house/garage-house gem (as Ruffneck), 'The Power - The Rhythm'. The mid-'80s fun continues on Larry Levan's vintage remix of Jonny Dynell's 'Rhythm of Love' - a killer fusion of dubbed-out synths and drums and Konk style Latin percussion - while Doug Willis' 'Doug's Disco Theme' is a classic disco-house number from Lee under one of his many alternative aliases.

Review: Funk, soul and house music cognoscente Dave Lee spent the best part of two decades trying to find the ideal vocalist with whom to work on a full-length LP. Only lately did he chance upon the glabrous tones of Maurissa Rose on a Theo Parrish record, 'Free Myself', after which the impulse to work with a plucky yet radical-potential singer across an entire album could no longer be ignored. From 'I've Been Here Before' to 'Look At The Stars' to 'Do You Believe', this international communication in soulful house shimmies through uptempo boogie flavours and lower-slung street soul, and is best described as a career-defining milestone, polarising two talents as reps of two of dance music's most a-musing cities.

Review: During the 35 years of making music, Dave Lee has constantly been searching for new singers and writers to work with. A search that's ended up with many fantastic collaborations and releases with the likes of Thelma Houston, Taka Boom, Diane Charlemagne and Seal. More recently this quest led him to Maurissa Rose and the creation of their album 'London / Detroit'. After hearing Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record Dave reached out to her and after a few long phone conversations and mp3 swaps, they both agreed a visit to London would be much more fun than trying to work together remotely. Maurissa made the journey from her home in Detroit to write and record an album with Dave at his studio in March 2022 - as they both feel that creating music together in the same room is always better. The fruits of their labour yielded 11 brand new songs (and 1 cover) tapping into their collective love of Soul, Disco and R&B, with a sprinkle of Soulful House. This album is a special one for Dave Lee as it's the first time in his career he's recorded an entire album with the same singer on every track.

Review: For our landmark 400th release! Two of the most prolific remixers in the world of Disco, Dave Lee and John Morales have teamed up for one of their biggest projects to date - 'Mixed To The Maxxx' After gaining access from the legendary original artists these two highly esteemed producers take the multi-track tapes of many classic Disco, Funk & Soul tracks and re-work them...to the Maxxx! Here we are treated to a double 12" sampler of what is to come from the Album later this year.
First up, the Bass twanging floor filler version from Dave Lee of 'The Brothers Johnson - The Real Thing', which has already been causing a stir in his DJ sets of late, featuring lots of musical parts not audible in the original. Following up is Dave's Friday Night Fever Mix of Philly legends 'Bell & James - US chart hit "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)' where he beefs up and extends the original to re-step back out on the town, a masterclass in elevating something that is already great to start with.
On the second 12", we have John Morales taking on a biggie! Inner Life's - Aint No Mountain High Enough. Here, John handles the prestigious parts with the respect due, re-shaping key moments in a new light and bringing the sonics up to par for modern dancefloors, an Anthem Mix indeed. To finish proceedings, Morales takes on British Jazz-Funk band 'Light Of The World' with their mum loved classic 'London Town', bumping the tempo a touch and beefing up the funk.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records label has a growing reputation as a purveyor of high quality, crate digger-friendly disco and boogie compilations. This latest, curated by former Nuphonic boss (and Ballistic Brothers member) David Hill, shines a light on the gospel end of black American dance music in the 1970s and early '80s. For those new to gospel's influence on disco and boogie, it's a revelation. Moving from righteous gospel-soul (Tommy T & Company, Truth & Devotion) to spine tingling disco screamers (Bobby Womack and Christina Essence's superb version of Sylvester favourite 'I Need You') and synth-laden boogie jams (Norman Weeks & The Revelations, The Young Delegation's brilliant "He Lives"), it's an unashamedly celebratory trip into dancefloor gospel territory. Recommended.

Review: DJ, curator and producer Dave Lee (fka. Joey Negro) continues to celebrate his 30-odd year long career in music with his second curatorital comp release. The 'Produced With Love' series charts all of Lee's original productions in soulful house and disco, and this second edition includes choices songs by the likes of Destiny II, Leroy Burgess and Andreya Triana. Always collaborative and with effortless attention to funking detail, Lee brings it once again.

Review: DJ, curator and producer Dave Lee (fka. Joey Negro) continues to celebrate his 30-odd year long career in music with his second curatorital comp release. The 'Produced With Love' series charts all of Lee's original productions in soulful house and disco, and this second edition includes choices songs by the likes of Destiny II, Leroy Burgess and Andreya Triana. Always collaborative and with effortless attention to funking detail, Lee brings it once again.

Review: This 2023 RSD release on Z Records is a treat for fans of soulful disco and 2-step garage. The A-side features a special 45 version of 'Secret Life Of Us', a catchy and uplifting anthem from The Sunburst Band's fourth album. The B-side showcases a 2-step soul mix of 'Look At The Stars', a smooth and romantic tune from Dave Lee's Produced With Love II album. Both tracks showcase the vocal talents of Maurissa Rose, who adds warmth and emotion to the songs.

Review: Dave Lee's "AC Soul Symphony" alias has been releasing delectable and sultry disco since 2005 but reached his magnus opus in 2023 with the release of the Metamorphosis LP. Here we find two tracks handpicked from the album and delivered, for the first time, in a 7" format. The single starts much as the album does with the track "Windy City Theme", beautifully scored, recorded, and produced legato strings envelope the track, punctuated with horns and vocals reminiscent of a Love Unlimited Orchestra production. This version of the track has been rearranged, speeding up the pacing of the track and reaching the juicy parts in a really satisfying way. On the flip side we have the title track from the album Metamorphosis, which is the first time the vocal version has been made available on vinyl. A bass laden intro gives ways to glistening pianos and those signature strings (have we mentioned how good the strings are?). A more laid back and seductive track than the A-side, but no less appealing. Again, due to the limitations of the 7" format, 'Metamorphosis' has been expertly rearranged with loving care and attention.

Review: Z Recordings chief Dave Lee has teamed up on this one with Omar, a prolific multi-instrumentalist who was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to music. The result is 'Starlight', a serving of emotive soul funk with a nod to legend Stevie Wonder. Over on the flip, we have the late night boogie-down vibe of Destiny II's 'I'm Here For This' featuring Aria Lyric's powerful vocal delivery, underpinned by an uplifting arrangement that has summertime vibes abound. A new project by Lee, it debuted earlier this year with the excellent 'Play 2 Win'

Review: Woody Bianchi, renowned funk digger and DJ, embarks on yet another archaeological record collection excavation, unearthing yet another volume of badass funk from the adjacent era of disco that emerged in the 70s and 80s. This is an in depth compilation series to say the least: the tracks are all examples of funk greats which reflected certain motifs from the disco explosion that came after it - even "James Brown had to take notice of the Saturday Night Fever". Several hard-to-find gems appear among ubiquitous classics, among extensive liner notes by Woody himself.

Review: The latest in the 'Superfunkanova' series hears Woody Bianchi unearth little-heard-before rarities in the genre, with two rather naive and lo-fi but ultimately delightful songs peeking through the fold. The deep-friend strings of 'Calif Curl Calif Gurl' by the Together Band helms up the A-side, while the inflammable, instrumental soul mass that is 'Firebolts Hustle' by The Firebolts comes hits us like a Flaming Moe on the B.

Review: Under The Influence is Z Records' effort to document and preserve lost, forgotten soul-and-funk-feeding-into-house finds. Rahaan, from Chicago, here gets their attention and praise; a DJ and early progenitor of Chicago house, these tracks (unearthed from the vaults) are expensive and weighty forays through italo, disco and new wave, all carefully chosen by the man himself.

Review: You can always count on Z Records to bring a deep-digging, dedicated approach to anything they put out, and that goes double for their flawless Under The Influence series. The 10th volume in the series sees them inviting the incredible Chicago-born DJ Rahaan to select some seriously headsy cuts from his collection, carefully cleaned up, de-clicked and remastered for the best listening experience. Given the nature of the series, don't expect the usual suspects, and instead savour the discovery of some of Rahaan's most treasured cuts, presented here on a double LP comp brimming with discoid magic.

Review: Given the infamous depth of Nick The Record's vinyl collection, you'd expect this contribution to Z Records' excellent Under The Influence series to be packed to the rafters with unheralded gems. Predictably, it is, delivering 22 cuts that should be thrillingly new to all but the most dusty-fingered collectors. Picking out highlights from such an excellent and in-depth collection is tough, but try the steel drums-laden celebration of Boogsie's "Can't You See Me", the synth-laden jazz-funk badness of "Keep Your Shoes" by MC and His Great Googa-Moogas, and the fizzing, melody-rich 808 electro of Ronnie Jones "Video Games". If that's not enough there's also a swathe of DJ-friendly re-edits from Nick himself.

Review: The second taste of what is to come from the Dave & Maurissa album, 'What About My Love' is a modern slightly boogiefied take on the Johnnie Taylor classic. Here Maurissa shines with a heartfelt soulful vocal performance over Chic styled guitars, hip-cracking bass guitar and squelchy leads. On the flip is Disco Sparks's 'Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow' (feat Christine Wiltshire & The DS Orchestra) which is another life-affirming, lush disco/soul cut with funk drenched basslines, epic brass sections and standout vocal turns. Both specially edited for 7", this is an absolute must-buy for disco lovers.