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Review: For their latest deep dive into Italo-disco history, ZYX Records have enlisted the help of Guiseppe "Joey" Mauro - an Italian producer, songwriter and keyboardist whose career stretches right back to 1984. His "Italo-disco legends" selection is heavy on his own work - no bad thing given his credentials - and contains a wealth of material that has never appeared on CD before. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including Mauro and Ventura's sparkling and uplifting 'You & I', Italowarriors' throbbing and colourful crew cut, 'The Warrior (120 Italo Version)', the bubbly cheeriness of 'Crazy (Classic Mix Version)' by Malcolm & The Bad Girls, and the effortless Italo funkiness of Raf Coney's 'Horsepower'.

Review: Manchester's Kali returns to White Peach with four delicious dubwise treats. 'Scurvy' dodge the limes in favour of a big squeezy accordion and what it lacks in vitamin C it definitely makes up for in weight. Elsewhere 'Sober' hits on more of an instrumental grime type of vibe, 'Stripey T-Shirt' brings out the squeeze boxes again for another woozy oddity while 'Cop Something' brings the whole experience to emotional conclusion. Stunning.

Review: The EP is called House of Prince and the Purple One's face is peering back at us from the centre of this new 12" on Tech-Nology which means only one thing - it's tech house music inspired by the legendary funkster. And it is well executed tracker too with vocal samples, trumpet sounds and much more all chuckle into the mix over a range of betas that are playful and party starting but also effective and never kitsch. 'Grindhouz' is our favourite for just how warped and weird it sounds.

Review: This is a special purple version of a new 12" from Danish label Tech-Nology, and when you spot that Prince is the face not he label and the EP is called House of Prince there are no prizes for guessing why they went with that colour. This tech house offering draws inspiration from the legendary funk innovator and comes with expertly crafted beats, Prince vocal and trumpet sounds, and more. Seamlessly blended into the mix, these elements create a dynamic and lively atmosphere that is both playful and energising, without ever crossing into kitsch territory.

Review: SOLO 500 is back on their own self-titled label with the third entry in Galaxy Sound Company's series and again it digs deep into jazz-funk to turn out some killer breaks. Up first is the main theme from 1974's subway hijack movie The Taking Of The Pelham One Two Three and it is one with a funky, jazzy, high-octane sound that has been sampled by Company Flow, Mix Master Mike and many more. On the backside is an edit of a tune from Manfred Mann Chapter Three's self-titled 1969 LP. This one has been famously sampled by The Prodigy. Another great little 7".

Review: Nowhere does techno as proper as Planet Rhythm. This latest 12" is another no-frills banger with rusty synth and menacing drum loops all perfectly intertwined. There is a hurried sense of funk to 'Formation' that really keeps you on edge, while 'Basel' is turbocharged with video-game style synths. 'Romance' gets more edgy and brings some industrial percussion and automation to the beats while 'Here' slips into thumping and loopy house territory of the sort that reminds us of the one and only Floorplan.

Review: Peach Disc's label head Shanti Celeste welcomes her good friend Saoirse on board to care care of its 20th EP., Adn she does a fine job of keeping it fresh with a varied four tracker that starts with the intense loops and tribal percussion of 'Mangomouse'. Once the thudding kicks arrive and bring a subtle sense of funk to the dubby techno mood things really take off. 'Heated Cloud' is urgent, emotionally intense house a la Floorplan and 'Vampire Heart' pairs eerie synth twangs with an EBM style marching beat but more dubby low ends and 'Catfished' has muscular beats infused with paranoid vocals. 'Driver' is a final heavy but heartfelt cut with a real sense of purpose.

Review: Manchester mavericks A Certain Ratio have been on a rare run of form of late, with 2023's 1982 counting as one of their most vibrant and endlessly entertaining albums for decades. Of course, all their albums are of a consistent quality, but It All Comes Down To This genuinely crackles with energy. From the word go, the veteran band's inherent funkiness is present, but this time it comes cloaked in fuzzy funk-rock guitar riffs, acid-fried effects, and vocals that are amongst the most forthright they've committed to wax (or, in this case, CD). In many ways, it is - as the band and producer/Sopeedy Wunderground boss Dan Carey intended - a 'back to basics' sound that focuses on the key aspects of ACR's sound. When those 'basics' are so strong, it's no surprise that the results are this impressive.

Review: Moving Pressure makes its inaugural bow here with a first 12" from Rene Wise. Wise by name, wise by nature it seems, cause this is some seriously fresh techno that looks outside the usual reference points. 'Escaping Siro' is busy, energetic, persuasive in its layering of quickened drums, twisted synths and cosmic atmospheres while 'Caging Green' is stripped back but not minimal - paddy drums and floating synths surge onwards as future tribal percussion peppers the beats. 'Dry Beetle' brings dome depth and dub, with warped synths panning about the mix and the linear beats soon sweeping you up. 'Lonely Singing' shuts down with more deep space eeriness.

Review: Three exceptional low end delights from Parisian artist Quasar right here on Infernal. Each cut as unhurried as the last, there's a latent swagger coded deep into each groove as the Frenchman does his thing... 'Reminiscence Dub' is a gloopy, dubby strut in deep space, 'Space Raiders' hits with a deep bounce that recalls the likes of Roots Manuva's hopeful anthem 'Witness' while 'Molotov' (with Causa) brings the EP to an explosive finale. Unforgettable.

Review: Greyscale unveils its latest endeavour, the Spectrum Series, as a way to continue to evolve its offerings and this time it is with something that makes a vibrant departure from its traditional black-and-white aesthetic. The inaugural release features the iconic Lithuanian dub track 'Kasdienybes Sventykla' by grad_u & Eazystyle MC as a way of commemorating its 15th anniversary. It came as a double CD in 2011 but now gets a first vinyl pressing on a nice 10" slab of wax. The track itself taps into the earliest roots of dub in the 70s and traces a line through the 80s with its heavyweight drums and endlessly echoing bass topped by great mic work. A pared-back instrumental features on the flip of this latest crucial drop from the dub dons at Greyscale

Review: The Invitations have roots tracing back to the mid-60s and saw various lead singers take the mic until Lew Kirton joined in 1973. Kirton's vocals grace both 'Look On The Good Side' and 'They Say The Girl's Crazy' from 1974 which are now reissued for the first time. Originally released on Silver Blue Records, a label founded by songwriter and producer Joel Diamond, these tracks were arranged and co-produced by Bobby Martin in Philadelphia and boast the unmistakable Philly Sound. Kirton later departed for a successful solo career, notably remembered for hits like 'Heaven In The Afternoon' but this reissue brings forth a timeless slice of soul history.

Review: Old Clarty pants Spooks switches up his brand for a new heavy hitting series of club jams. Kicking off with 001, there's a very distinctive bite to this ghost's bark as he goes in on the heavier tear-out vibes with 'Shark Attack'. Deeper into his ocean we plunge as 'Quiet Storm' sucks us down into the sand and 'Sitting Bull' flips for an upbeat early 2000s breakbeat garage type of mission. 'Gas Mark' brings this bloodclart bake-off to a tasty but very messy finish. Sheesh what a set. Spooky never misses but this is some serious Bizzle even for him. Essential.

Review: Hardcore trad house devotees Chixwax keep it nostalgic once more here with a new EP from Nacho Marco that ticks all the boxes for party start house without ever getting trite. Each one makes bold use of the celebrated Roland 909 drum machine and so they all come with booming low ends and punchy drums. None more so than the chord laced and bumping opener 'File 1.' 'File 2' brings dreamy pads and soft focus xylophone melodies Roy Ayres would love and ' File 3' taps into a 90s New York sound. 'File 4' brings a low slung and more dubby rhythm topped with Detroit chords.

Review: Polish party vibes courtesy of Riffz. 'Twilight Rhythm' brings the ephemeral rave feels with its big airy pads and big sweeping jazzy breaks. It's in good company; 'Why' asks all the hard questions over some tightly rolled drums and dank, slimy aesthetics, 'Second Thoughts' switches up the drums into a much fresher, cosmic brew while 'Game Over' (with Subreachers) closes on a poignant, thoughtful note. Deep jungle perfection.

Review: Nick and Astro, known collectively as Potatohead People, join forces once again on a tantalising teaser 7" from their upcoming album, Eat Your Heart Out'. Featured on 'Paradise' is the highly hyped Canadian artist Diamond Cafe, whose velvety vocals grace this early 80s-inspired blend of digital sex funk that will remind you of Sade, El Debarge, and Prefab Sprout. Describing his music as "bathing in a cloud of honey on a very foggy night," Diamond Cafe's performance is nothing short of magic here. On the flipside, Nick Wisdom puts his spin on the track, infusing it with dub elements and enhancing the bassline.

Review: Alex Puddu is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer renowned for his collaborations with luminaries like Edda Dell'Orso and Joe Bataan, and here he presents a debut double single that is sung in Italian. With tracks 'Pullover Grigio' and 'Texas Blonde,' he introduces a fusion of Italian funk-pop from the late 70s and early 80s and melds the with the pop and indie melodies of contemporary Italy. Also drawing on influences from soul to disco, Puddu's unique production style shines through with its most tender chords, seductive vocals and sunny sounds.

Review: UK mainstay Subb-An makes a welcome return with this fresh new EP on Aesthetic. It finds him in great form with opener 'Seeing Colours' heading off down a nice liquid minimal route with crisp tech drums and twinkling synths up top to bring the magic. On the flip side is 'Plants', a rather serene and sublime cut with more rolling drums and plenty of deft synth designs that bring a certain celestial charm to the fizzing leads. Snad's remix then shuts things down with a more driving sense of tech house rhythm to complete a tasteful EP of heady sounds.