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Review: Originally released back in 2011 in conjunction with Scion Audio/Visual now repressed by Omar S on his FXHE label "Who's In Key" features Theo Parrish!

Review: Nothing but gorgeousness seems to characterise the work of the Minimal Wave imprint over the recent years. It's a label that is both unpredictable and continuously elegant in its choice of reissues. This time, it's a wonderful unearthing of Soma Holidays cult-hit, Shake Your Molecules. The Franco-American duo was part of Brooklyn's clique of artists throughout the 1980's, and although their sound is firmly representative of that era, the tracks are still ridiculously fresh and seductive both in their melodies and vocals. The title track is a sort of synth-pop tune gone wrong in a good way, where drugged-up lyrics meets morphing synths and metallic drum machines, whereas the Dub cut could easily be played in most techno DJ sets these days. On the B-side, we have the charming, atmospheric glow of "Too Many People" and "Art Dimension", the top pick in our opinion and one which is screaming to be be remixed into a contemporary house tune.

Review: Earlier this year Minimal Wave offshoot provided one of this year's most visceral dancefloor weapons in Kino-I, the debut from Doug Lee's new An-I project. Taking inspiration from techno, jack, industrial and punk, An-I successfully drew a line under some of the Berlin-based artist's previous disco-flavoured endeavours. And then some! If you like the Kino-I 12" you will love the new triplet of An-I productions housed on this appropriately titled Gutz 12". The title track alone should come with a health warning; such is the furious onslaught of machine funk it contains, whilst the unnerving "Rut" is the most schizophrenic production you will hear this year. Best of all id closing track "Save Us" sounds like a cross between in Aeternam Vale and Silent Servant. Pressed on a rather thick and dashing slab of magenta orange vinyl!

Review: There's a delightfully celebratory feel about this debut volume of Cititrax Tracks, a new 12" series from Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. As beautifully presented as we've come to expect, Tracks Volume 1 boasts a quartet of dancefloor-ready smashers from a blend of new faces and label stalwarts. Amato (aka The Hacker) kicks things off with the glistening EBM funk of "Physique" - all restless synth refrains and pounding bottom end - before LIES affiliate Tsuzing go all dark, psychedelic and twisted on the thrillingly intense, acid-flecked "King of System". An-I go all DAF (with a touch of Front 242) on the fuzzy and dystopian stomper "Mutter", before Cititrax regulars Broken English Club delivers a storming chunk of industrial-tinged analogue funk ("Glass"). Bravo!

Review: They hit the limit... The limit hit back! Everything about this EP is awesome: firstly, the partnership of two of drum & bass's most on-point production teams. Secondly, "Mouthbreather" has been on all god-fearing neurofunkologist's wishlist for several years and it doesn't disappoint. Thirdly, "Dead Limit" one of the grizzliest, unruly tunes you'll hear all year. Fourthly, "Inverse" is the ultimate definition of elastic D&B funk. Fifthly, "Omnivore" contains some of the strangest, captivating sound design ever processed for the dance. Sixthly, the artwork is bang on point too. Trust us; this hits hard!

Review: James Clements continues his explorations into the depths of the grey zone as ASC with The Farthest Reaches double pack on Auxiliary. Samurai Music's Presha has excitedly called these four tracks "a definitive musical statement from one of the most important electronic musicians of our era," and who are we to argue with him? Making full usage of the format and available space, this is ASC in exploratory mode across a quartet of deep ten minute plus productions that have it all; sound design, atmosphere, groove, bass weight. To simply call these epic is selling The Farthest Reaches short!

Review: Cititrax's first Tracks 12" sampler did a good job in showcasing material from some of the Brooklyn-based label's favourite contemporary producers. This follow-up, arriving only a few short months after the first, aims to do the same. Returning for his second appearance, Tsuzing kicks things off with the razor-sharp shuffle of "Nonlinear War", whose intoxicating electronics and wild synth lines recall Brown Album-era Orbital, before London-based L/F/D/M takes a trip into bleak techno territory with the acid-laden "Mouth Holes". Flip for Silent Servant's deliciously grandiose, muscular electro-disco workout "The Touch", and the clanking industrial percussion, EBM attitude and humming electro beats of Maelstrom's "Lithium".

Review: Given that Ricardo Villalobos was one of a handful of guest producers who featured on Oren Ambarchi's recent Hubris album - a krautrock-influenced minimalist techno exploration that also boasted contributions from Jim O'Rourke and Mark Fell, amongst others - it seems fitting that he's been roped in to provide two new remixes. The Chilean's contribution to the album was largely rhythm-based, and his two lengthy Variations - each stretched across one side of wax - promote undulating, heads-down dancefloor hypnotism above all else. Naturally, his drum programming and use of subtle stylistic shifts is as on-point as ever, with Ambarchi's original textures being manipulated into mind-altering new shapes.

Review: Once again, Music From Memory has dug deep for inspiration. Very few will have come across the original 1987 pressing of Ich Traume So Leise, a long-forgotten collaborative album that brought together trumpet player Heinz Becker, songwriter Karl-Heinz Stegmann, and poet Isabel Zeumer. Predictably, though, the tracks which the Dutch label has chosen to reissue are exceptionally good. "Mein Tanzlied", for example, features Becker's meandering trumpet lines and Zeumer's eyebrow-raising spoken word vocals seemingly drifting over an intoxicatingly funky, mid-80s dancefloor groove, while "Dir" is a seriously atmospheric chunk of beatless jazz poetry. Flip for the Balearic electro-funk of "Der Schnupfen" and the languid, new age ambience of "Abends".

Review: The DDS label, short for Distort Decay Sustain, has given artists like Demdike Stare a platform on which to express themselves through over the years, but it was really Equiknoxx's LP from 2016, Bird Sound Power, which opened their doors to a whole new category of listener. In fact, it was that LP, with all its stunning, dub-wise experimentation, which has led to Mark Ernestus being called up for a pair of remixes. As you probably know, this is a rare case, so this 12" is sort of a special piece - "Congo Get Slap" is given the pure Ernestus rundown, with a charging, minimalistic percussion being swallowed whole by the raucous dub stabs caving in from all angles; the remix of "Flagged Up" is a much slower, more brooding affair in the same vein as the mythical cuts residing on imprints like Basic Channel and Chain Reaction - nothing but deep, meditative dub flexing for the mind. BIG!

Review: San Francisco psychedelic soul ensemble Monophonics were once described by Stax Records co-owner Al Bell as "one of the best soul bands I have ever seen", which is high praise indeed. Mirrors, which comes pressed onto clear green vinyl, is the combo's fifth full-length and first album for three years. It's a surprisingly breezy and eclectic affair, with the band variously turning their hands to bluesy, Rare Earth style funk-rock ("Lying"), Hammond-heavy peak-time business (a tasty cover of Frankie Valli's "Beggin"), spiraling instrumental wig-outs (fabulous closer "California Dreaming"), heart-aching torch songs ("My Heart Cries") and laidback, acid-fried Balearic soul (opener "Summer Breeze"). In other words, it's a fine album that sparkles from start to finish.

Review: DJ Hunee afro monster gets an official repress for Hot Casa in France. Calling it massive would bit an understatement.

Review: UK soul tour de force Michael Kiwanuka enjoys his first live album. A punchy five track selection with recordings from the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and London Palladium we glide and slide from the tenderness of "One More Night" and the dreamy symphonic blues of "Father's Child" to the all out fusion of "Black Man In A White World". This captures Kiwanuka at his most delicate, honest and powerful.

Review: BOOM! Our favourites, Cititrax, roll the third editions of Tracks out onto our shelves, and the results are unsurprisingly strong on this excellent various artists comp. It's a mixed bag of skills, as per usual, and the sounds are those of a new NYC, fuelled by a new sort of post-industrial sensibility. Amato Y Mariana open with the tight beats and groove of "Queires Bailar", followed closely by the ominous compositions of the EBM-flavoured "Montgat" from The Sixteen Steps. On the flip, His Dirty Secrets bleeps out some morphed acid on "Structures", and "Another Stranger" from Further Reductions churns out a slow, mild-mannered house experiment with its roots clearly planted in the coldest of waves. Sick.

Review: In cahoots with the annual (not to mention excellent) Liverpool Disco Festival, celebrated editor and remixer Rahaan has been let loose on the West End Records catalogue. Happily, his new versions are rightfully respectful to the chosen disco and boogie classics with the Chicagoan simply adding choice effects here and there as well as some cranky old drum machine beats and occasional synthesizer flourishes. This is particularly evident on his raw but deep and slightly dubby take on Brenda Taylor's "You Can Have You Cake It Too", but also comes to the fore on the standout remix of Mahogany's spacey boogie jam "Ride on The Rhythm". String-laden disco bliss is provided via a bass-heavy re-arrangement of the Chuck Davis Orchestra's "Spirit of Sunshine", while Rahaan's Billy Nicholls rub is a high-octane, shirts-off treat.

Review: Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first ever official reissue of the four choice tracks from Randolph Baker's privately pressed sought-after 1982 disco album 'Reaching For The Stars', plus an unreleased instrumental take of 'Party Life' sourced from the original 24-track analogue master tapes.

Originally recorded at Jim Morris and Rick Miller's Tampa-based Morrisound Studios, 'Getting Next To You' features both a mixture of both local Florida talent plus jazz superstar Nat Adderley and bassist John Lamb at their finest. Originally pressed in a limited run of just one-thousand copies, with no distribution and most copies being sold in the local city and on Randolph's own merchandise table at the back of live gigs, original copies have long been sought-after by both collectors and DJs alike, acknowledged as a true grail and masterpiece in the disco scene and deservedly demanding extortionate figures to those lucky enough to find their own.

Here, in collaboration with Randolph, Kalita Records have chosen to re-release the four choice tracks from the album: 'Getting Next To You', 'Jazzman', 'Callin' Me' and 'Party Life'. The former is an in-demand horn and chant-filled disco masterpiece, which, as Randolph explains, concerns unity and "everyone on the same level in other words, everyone just loving life". It is arguably the song that Randolph is most well-known for in the disco and funk scene and perfect for the modern discerning dance floor. 'Jazzman' is an instrumental track with prominent trumpet and saxophone solos working with funky basslines to produce a truly great jazz-funk groove. It was "a tribute to Nat Adderley and Duke Ellington's bass player, John Lamb, for being so generous and saying yes to the project". 'Callin' Me' is a soulful disco number featuring the lead vocals of Laurie Erickson and is "about being on the road and ensuring loved ones that you will always come back home no matter what. It was like a promise to ensure loved ones they didn't have to worry". Lastly, 'Party Life' is a joyous disco track with a strong funk bassline and horns. As Randolph recalls, it "was the joy like after an actor finishes a movie. There was nothing but joy. It's finished; let's celebrate big time. Where everyone in the studio yelled at the top of their lungs - The End!" Here, with access to the 24-track master tapes we have been able to include the original version plus an unreleased instrumental take, allowing us to focus on the infectious bassline and make it even more ready for the modern dance floor.

Accompanied by extensive interview-based liner notes and never-before-seen photos.

Review: Fans of mechanical techno-not-techno sounds will be all over Minimal Wave's latest transmission from 80s French underground heroes In Aeternam Vale. Having reissued several essential lost works from the outfit last year, most notably the proto-Sandwell sound of "Highway Dark Veins", Veronica Vasicka delivers another two tracks from the vault. Stylistically mirroring that previous two track release the title track is an equally brilliant synth-techno beast which could easily pass for a Function track today, while B-side "Calling Somewhere" sounds like a cold wave version of proto-halfstep. Needless to say, the fact that these tracks are 22 years old literally left us speechless.

Review: Razat has made an art form of distortion and saturation. The latter is what lends its name to this new eight-tracker on Saturate. After a fuzzy and textural opener the tumbling and brilliantly fluid rhythms of 'Overdrive' get you to the heart of the dance then 'Clipping' lurches backward and forwards on low-end oscillations and 'Bit Crush' closes the a-side with eye-watering hiss and fizz over crunchy drum slaps. Two further tunes on the flip find Razart manipulating sound and bass in his own unique way with two remixes adding extra bite to an already very useful EP.

Review: Labels Hot Mule and Secousse have teamed up to deliver something special: a killer EP of "lost gems from the golden era of Zouk and Gwo-Ka" in Guadeloupe (that's 1985 to '92, fact fans). The four tracks showcased here were performed and produced by an artist whose fame in Guadeloupe sadly never spread any further, Max Rambhojan. The A-side boasts two versions of the rather brilliant and suitably cheery "Tou't Jou Pa Min'm": the jaunty, sun-kissed, whistle-sporting 1986 original mix, and Rambhojan's heavily electronic, synthesizer-heavy, calypso-tinged 1992 re-make of his biggest local hit. Over on side B you'll find the bubby dub bass, sparse synths and flute solos of the decidedly tropical "Cecilia" and a suitably breezy, sunset-ready gem entitled "On Jou Matin".

Review: During the latter stages of the "Philly Soul" era, New York remixer Tom Moulton delivered a string of inspired, DJ friendly reworks for the Philadelphia International label. For proof, check this fine selection of classic Moulton mixes for the storied imprint. Check first his version of Archie Bell and the Drells' "Where Will You Go When The Party's Over", which he brilliantly teases out and increases in intensity over nine spellbinding minutes. The funkier flex of People's Choice's "Jam, Jam, Jam (All Night Long)" is a sweaty, low-down treat, while the Teddy Pendergrass rework is a soaring disco classic in the Philly Soul style. Best of all, though, is the string-drenched disco celebration that is his mix of Lou Rawls' "See You When I Git There".

Review: In 2016, Family Groove Records released a 12" of previously unheard 1979 demo recordings by Webster Station, a boogie-funk band from Dayton, Ohio whose studio efforts were initially binned by Warner Brothers for not being commercial enough. Demand for Family Groove's limited 12" of their recordings has remained high, so the label has decided to do a reissue. There's much to admire throughout, from the high-octane thrills of opener "Are You For Real" and the spacey warmth of the super-soulful "Can You Feel My Love", to the sugary sweetness of the Latin tinged ballad "Lady" and righteous closer "If You Feel Like Dancing", a killer combination of spacey synths, crunchy drums, urgent vocals and killer Clavinet lines.

Review: Texan psych-funk fun time outfit Golden Dawn Arkestra get some remix treatment via this double pack from Razor-N-Tape, which leads in with Austin Ato's positively dreamy deep house version of "Children Of The Sun". JKriv takes on "Cosmic Dancer" and makes it into a slick disco-fied workout that adheres to the RNT vibe, while Dicky Trisco takes the track and makes it into a suitably interstellar strutter heavy on the synth lines. Then then the second slab of wax offers up a side each to the original versions, from the Afrobeat-indebted "Children Of The Sun" to the sweet and starry-eyed disco of "Cosmic Dancer".

Review: Based in Bristol, UK, experimental musician and vocalist Lucy Gooch is certainly a name to keep an eye on right now. While boasting little by way of discography, this being her debut EP which follows the self released 2018 record, 'Sun', she has all the hallmarks of an established synth-y siren. You heard it here first (possibly). Compris-ing five sumptuous tracks that are pared back but, upon closer inspection, incredibly deep and immersive, elements of Bjork and Imogen Heap are audible in the songs here. Warm notes, sensitive, ethereal vocals and a sense of real passion behind the work itself. The likes of 'Rushing' comes close to a sombre choral mood at times, 'There Is A Space In Between' could stand with the best ambient work, while 'Stalag-mites & Helictites' is a hypnotic journey into the inner mind. Or somewhere near.

Review: For the second release on their new joint venture Mixed Signals, Henry Jones and Seance Centre founder Brandon Hocura have decided to offer-up a selection of tracks from Harold Lucious' overlooked 1990 album "Connected". Lucious' far-sighted blend of soulful house, new jack swing and what us Brits would call street soul comes to the fore on opener "Let The Feelin' - Turn You Out", a stripped-back, synth-heavy chunk of deep house-soul, and on the much more upbeat club cut "What Does It Take". It can also be heard, too, on delicious flipside opener "I Like It", where Lucious' layered vocals ride a tactile, lo-fi deep house groove. Our pick of the bunch though is sumptuously slow closing cut "Try My Love", which is much closer in tone to street soul.

Review: There's been plenty of online chatter about the confrontational title of Omar-S's latest full-length outing, and arguably not enough focus on the music itself (or the fact that the guest list contains Rick Wilhite, Norm Talley and OB Ignitt for that matter). This is unfortunate, because as usual Alex 'Omar' Smith has hit the spot. The six untitled tracks are impressively varied, with Smith effortlessly moving between 21st century P-funk (track one), cowbell-powered deep house funk (track 2), sparse and synth-heavy acid house hypnotism (track three), disco-house jack (track four), sub-heavy Detroit-meets-Sheffield minimalism (track five) and sunrise-ready dancefloor dreaminess (track six).

Review: Earl Sweatshirt's Feet of Clay album from late in 2019 was tantalisingly short in length, but not short in quality. The raw, woozy record found him exploring ambiguous wordplay that will keep you entertained trying to unpack it all for many hours. He himself described the 15 minute work as "a collection of observations and feelings recorded during the death throes of a crumbling empire" and it makes for a physical yet abstract record with emotion to spare. From gloomy and introverted r&b styles to more distorted jazz and loop beats, his silky tones always unify each track with great allure.

Review: The Blessed Madonna has remixed Dua Lipa's 'Levitating' featuring Missy Elliott and Madonna. This is the first track from 'Club Future Nostalgia', an entirely remixed version of Dua Lipa's global #1 album "Future Nostalgia", created in collaboration with The Blessed Madonna.

Review: Harbour City Sorrow is a sub or sister outlet from the Dutch label Frustrated Funk. They are focussed on reissues here as they offer up real techno gems from Detroit visionary Terrence Dixon under his Populatrion One moniker. The beefy double pack mixes up tunes from 2008's 'View From Above' four-tracker and 2012's 'I Program My Computer Right'. The vital results are space travelling minimal techno with plenty of cinematic sound design and cerebral ambiance. This is a template that has been hugely influential over the years, though few ever bettered the original master.

Review: You wait three years for a new Arca album and then two come along at once. The Barcelona-based, Venezuelan artist has already dropped 'Kick I' and 'Kick II' on his standard XL stomping ground this month, and has now decided to remind us why we fell in love in the first place. &&&&&& is the producer's seminal debut album, and it still sounds fresh today.

Occupying a space somewhere between techno, the proto-footwork and juke popularised by the likes of Addison Groove at the turn of the last decade, IDM and ambient, it's a difficult thing to get your head around, from the strange piano discordance of 'Mother' to 'Feminine''s suggestion of intense 140s and the submerged liquid downtempo of 'Anaesthetic'. A seminal moment in recent dance history.

Review: Early new wave icons Duran Duran have been digging in their vaults again and this time out they've found Dreaming Of Your Cars: 1979 Demos Part 2, which features vocalist Andy Wickett, who fronted the band before Simon Le Bon took over. The rare tracks start with 'Dreaming Of Your Cars', post punk groove with a slick rhythm section and tight bassline driving it along and getting you in the groove. 'Love Story' features superbly nimble playing and crashing drums that again straighten your back and get you marching before 'X Disco' and 'To The Shore' close out in upbeat then more mournful fashion.

Review: We're not sure Endless Melancholy is the most appropriate name for Oleksiy Sakevych, an electronic ambient artist based out of the sprawling and musically vibrant Ukrainian capital of Kiev. As this two-tracker goes to show, there's every chance you'll feel elated after pressing play on his studio work.

Following on from releases for labels like Thesis, Sound In Silence, and his own Hidden Vibes, we're given a pair of long form compositions that feel organic in nature, even if the production was synthesised. 'Collapse' seems to switch its mood like a living thing, evolving through crystalline chimes from reflective opening notes, as though starting to realise its own stunning power and majesty. "Expand' is more rooted in drone, albeit a particularly euphoric version - all long refrained bliss, the way things should be.

Review: The most celebrated jazz vibraphonist of them all is Bobby Hutcherson. Oblique was one of many high water marks of the Blue Note man, and it featured Herbie Hancock, Albert Stinson and Joe Chambers on the original session recorded in 1967. The album was only the second time Bobby played as part of a quartet and it received rave reviews at the time for its sophisticated but accessible sound. Laid back, lyrical and subdued in sound, the album touches on funky styles and jazz-rock influences with impeccable production from the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio in New York.

Review: Incy wincy Walid El Barbir dons his DJ Web guise for this stark set of analogue fusions. Blurring the lines between every genre this side of 1990s hardcore, Traditions 16 is a melting pot exploration that brings in elements of new romantic pumps ('Nos Noctium Dominarium'), swampy big beat drama ('Chaosophia777') dense, acidic new beat ('Extinction For The Psychic Sustenance') sleazy rock ('616 The Number Of The Beat') and plenty more in between. A truly unique experience, if you enjoyed Wilid's output as Les Points, you'll be all over this.

Review: This marks a first ever reissue of this cult-status punk-funk, no wave electro post-punk fusion 45 from 1979. It's by post-Wayne County Electric Chairs and has been produced by David Cunningam and now expanded to 12". The first tune 'So Many Ways' has Val Haller on lead vocals and sounded at the time very different from anything else the band had done. A hypnotic, sure charged groove that still sounds years ahead of its time. 'J'attends Les Marines' is a rework of 'Waiting For The Marines' from the Things Your Mother album but with some added dub and experimental flourishes. Two versions of 'So Many Ways' then close out this fine curio.

Review: Everything about Bring Me The Horizon is stadium scale. Heavy metal proudly wearing deathcore and emo patches, from unapologetically direct lyrics through power chords and a vast timbre that makes each track feel ocean deep, fans of the Sheffield outfit will find them on as ferocious form here as at any point in their near-17 year career together.

Firing on all cylinders and then some, from 'Dear Diary' onwards it's a classic case of pissing off the parents and turning things up to 11. Then ravaging the mic in a cannibalistic frenzy. A sign of the times, tracks like 'Itch For The Cure (When Will We Be Free?)' And 'Obey', the latter featuring a guest appearance from YUNGBLUD, reflect increasing use of rave and drum 'n' bass nuances in the metal world right now, while 'One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest...' closes on dark, dramatic opera.

Review: The Shapeshifters are bonafide dance music champions with some rare studio skills. Their golden era sound is as rich as they come and their on going relationship with Glitterbox now results in a new future classic, 'Finally Ready.' It follows on from jams like 'Try My Love' and 'Life Is A Dancefloor' and has a strong message that no matter where you come from, on the dance floor there is always acceptance and hope. Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning singer, director, composer, actor and playwright Billy Porter is the co-writer and with all its big strings, live horns and sense of theatre, it's another winner.

Review: Periplo marks the solo debut of Early Sounds Recordings co-founder Pellegrino S. Snichelotto, following occasional contributions to other material from the label's extended family of artists. Interestingly, the six-track set shares some stylistic similarities with friends' Nu Guinea's Tony Allen Experiments mini-album, chiefly the producer's delay and reverb-laden fusion of live instruments and vintage analogue hardware. Stylistically, most of the tracks sit somewhere between jazz-funk, cosmic funk, and the kind of melodious Afro-Cosmic fare that was once a staple of Northern Italy's eccentric club scene. There's plenty of hazy musical humidity to enoy, too, with the impeccable "Ad Libitum" standing out.

Review: During the 1990s, there were few techno producers in Spain who were quite as prolific - or successful, for that matter - as Alex Martin. This superb double-pack delivers proof of the Barcelona-based artist's impressive early form by gathering together some of the best cuts he released between '94 and '98 under a variety of aliases, most notably Sideral and The Fat DB. Interestingly, there's plenty of variety to be found within the collected cuts, with sparkling sci-fi ambient ('Elipse') and deep, shuffling IDM (the acid-flecked brilliance of 'Mare Nostrum' and 'Butterly') nestling side by side with deep techno ('I Wanna Look at the Stars'), ragged futurist acid ('Incognita'), intergalactic techno ('Planetarium') and even cuts inspired by the soul, bass-weight and shuffle of the then emerging UK garage sound ('Can Make It').

Review: Two years ago, Early Sounds Recordings co-founder Pellegrino S. Snichelotto dished up a debut mini-album that brilliantly joined the dots between Daniele Baldelli style Afro-cosmic grooves and jazz-funk. This is his first outing since and explores similarly sunny and meandering sonic territory, beginning with the languid guitar solos, jaunty electric piano riffs and Tullio de Piscopo style percussion of "Astri & Riflessi". Smoother and deeper dancefloor jazz-funk flavours are provided by "Zodyaco", "Libra Position" is a dub-driven affair rich in spacey synth solos and heavy bass, and "Genti Del Mediterraneo" is a riotous dancefloor workout rich in crunchy Clavinets, elastic slap bass and wild electric piano solos. It is, then, every bit as essential as its fine predecessor.

Review: When Cabaret Voltaire returned to the release schedule in 2020 as the one-man Richard H Kirk show, fans were relieved to find that mind-bending meld of 1970s Kosmische, techno, dub, house and space-age experimental electro was as pure as it ever has been - the results being a typically fresh and forward-thinking record the man in question summed up as "no nostalgia... normal rules do not apply. Something for the 21st Century. No old material."

Less than six months later and the big CV has more next level business to offer us, coming in the form of Shadow of Funk, a new EP that offers something of a counterpoint or extension to last year's full-length, Shadow of Fear. Based on 'Billion Dollar' alone - an acid-driven big, dark room banger that closes this EP -this release looks set to make an equally heavy impact, but as with anything this man touches, the joy is in discovery. So, let's leave it at that.

Review: This is the second Kenny Larkin reissue Mint Condition has lined up for us this month. This one finds the Detroit techno pioneer work under his POD alias, where the other is from his Dark Comedy days. A real highlight for the second wave circa 1992, these soul-drenched techno tracks are exactly why we love the Motor City sound so much. Thankfully, all six originals are given full room to breath across two sides of wax - with bonus, previously CD-only tune 'Chinese Checkers' also included for good measure. Our favourite is the icy electro coolness of 'Northern Lights,' or maybe the warm cosmic techno hustle of 'Vanguard.'

Review: The truly special thing about a track like 'Tainted Love' is its malleability over time. The original elements touch on New Romanticism, New Wave, electro, and synth pop, creating a twisted and mutated version of the crooning troubadour that smacks of sticky dancefloor heat in subterranean haunts.

With that in mind a remix collection could pretty much go anywhere, and in many ways this one does. Presenting several interpretations of this timeless and iconic tune, these range from the not-so-different instrumental and the strikingly powerful but simple acapella, through to DJ Hell's typically growly stomper, and the groovier, wavier Jack Ford and Jaimieson Hill cut. Oh, and don't forget the very DIY sounding bonus track, 'The Hungry Years', which is a whole different story in its own right, so we'll leave you to discover that one.

Review: Summer is Dam-Funk season. The synth funk pioneer's sounds never seem more fitting than when cruising about on an early summer evening, top down (at least in your mind) with the sky turning burnt orange. He soundtracks that moment four more times here with 'Rise' being a more downbeat and pensive vibe, then 'Make It' getting a little more playful on the bump-n-grid beats and squelchy boogie bass. 'From A G Perspective' has low-riding Cali-funk in its bones and 'Free' closes with more lush analogue textures and shimmering chords on this vital, limited 12".

Review: Trans-X was Pascal Languirand, but the fantastic vocal from his biggest single, 1986's 'Living on Video,' was performed by Laurie Ann Gill, a Canadian who never got the credit at the time. This reissue will put her in the spotlight and rightly so - this is pure dance effort gold, with hi-nrg disco beats, flashy synth-pop styles and a native retro-future tint that still bangs. It's rather unusual source material for Claptone who normally favours deep and soulful sounds, but he does a fine job of flipping into a big, cheery, chugging, tooting Italo-disco stomper. A dub mix is also included for a more raw vibe.

Review: Le Matos' all new Ninja Eliminator Trilogy captures the band's early years across four fantastic cuts. Fans will recognise 'Rage Of Honor' which has already been put out as part of the 5 Years compilation while the other tracks here have never before been released. Musically this is high sheen, retro-future synth work of the highest order. The keys are sugar sweet and crystalline, the rhythms sleek and expansive and the moods nicely cosmic. It makes for a perfectly escapist, high energy trip to another dimension.

Review: To celebrate the 25th birthday of their celebrated debut album, A New Sound Spectacular, the Belgian band has decided to offer-up this selection of long-forgotten remixes of two tracks from the set, '2Wicky' and 'Inhaler', both of which were originally released on now delated 12" singles. The A-side highlight is undoubtedly DJ Pulse's terrifically spacey drum & bass revision of '2Wicky', though the heavy trip-hop psychedelia of the 'Not So Extended Hoovering' version is also surprisingly good. Over on the flip, you'll find two more D&B-inspired takes on 'Inhaler': a wonderfully deep and jazzy 'Mr Pink' revision courtesy of Pierre Job AKA Hector Zazou, and the band's own string-laden 'Drum & Orch' revision.

Review: Long based sax supremo Nubya Garcia's debut album was a real thing of beauty so it only makes sense it now gets revisited by a team of super remixers for this special Record Store Day release. Presented on limited edition turquoise marbled vinyl it opens with Makaya McCraven's airy and floaty light remix of 'Source' before DJ Tahira layers up 'Stand With Each Other' with ethno-grooves that are loose and off kilter. That tumbledown vibe continues on the scruffy deep house version of 'Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be' by Shy One before big jazz house feels from Mark De Clive-Lowe close things down.

Review: Willy Lubisi better known by his stage name "SculpturedMusic" is a DJ & Producer who hails from Spruitview, situated in the east of Gauteng. He has 3 Albums. 2018 Saw SculpturedMusic evolve with times with his Smash Hits "OverFlow. Sing My Blues and who can forget "SadToThink" rumbled the house music dance floor across SA, which saw him take "Best Producer of 2019 at Dance Music South Afrika". Tokzen Records is going to release two projects on vinyl from SculpturedMusic thus far, and the projects are : East Blues E.P, Tell The Grooves while we at Tokzen Records are planning on release more projects from this outstanding artist.

Review: Detroit legend Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes has had a truly massive month with a couple of releases on his esteemed Detroit Wax imprint (which he runs with Niko Marks) and this week he kickstarts his City Boy imprint back into action. This is its first release in 11 years, presenting part one of the Knucklehead Series featuring a fine selection of moods and grooves. First up is the deep down and dirty tech-funk of '1-2-3', followed by the dusty twilight mood music of 'Hold Me Down' and over on the flip is the double 12's most energetic cut in the form of 'Test Unknown' - a sincere expression in proper Motor city style 'hi-tech soul'.

Review: Taken from Lorraine Johnson's first 'Album The More You Want' released in 1977 on Prelude Records and produced by Jesse Boyce and Moses Dillard, this single has been reissued many times over the years but always shifts. It's a textbook bit of floor-filling r&b, disco and soul complete with a brilliantly well-defined bass riff, soaring Philly strings and an empowering vocal from Johnson. On the flip, 'Feed The Flame' is even more celebratory with its big horns and stomping rhythms. Both of these are timeless classics that will unite dance floors and music lovers of all shapes, shades and sizes.