Tags: Disco House

Review: 'Alive 2007' is known as one of the most influential live albums ever, and this new reissue via Daft Punk's parent label Daft Life cements that influence. Performed at the French venue Bercy, we feel much harder, better, faster and stronger as we listen eagerly to the the pair's signature talkboxes, samples and hooks, this time drenched in crowd jeers and natural reverb. In this instance, Daft Punk manipulated their established material, transposing and deconstructing the structures of their studio tracks and paving the way for the future of live electronic music performance.

Review: It's been two years since the 2022 release of Young Pulse & Natalie Nova's multi-mix single 'Free', across the digital version of which we were graced with five exclusive mixes. With the 'original' itself and in turn being a cover of the Ultra Nate song from 1997, Pulse and Nova's version is a jubilant, disco-strung version, abandoning Nate's garage house proclivity for an upped sense of swing. This new vinyl edition also brings a fresh mix to the table, totting up the versions to six; first, there's the OG aforementioned 'Disco Tribute mix', as well as a 'Disco Dub' version, the new and never-heard-before highlight.

Review: Correcciones Calypso returns from a generous hiatus with the fourth edition of its acclaimed edit series, replete with four re-edits that veer from the subtle to the downright brazen. Thomass Jackson and INigo Vontier invite the French duo Youkounkoun to open proceedings with an insane early 80s edit full of big drums and exotic touches that's been blowing dancefloors all around the world for the past years - and definitely resides in the brazen category, despite a lot of work having gone into it. Olta Karawame make their debut on the series with a powerful, compact edit full of ballsy keyboard riffing and a military-sized kick drum that is guaranteed to have heads banging . To complete the release label bosses Thomass and INigo deliver edits of their own with their characteristic sound, giving this EP maximum a value for money factor and entertainment from start to finish.

Review: Anane's soulful vocal delivery takes centre stage on her reimagining of this evergreen disco cut - originally crafted by Love Symphony Orchestra in 1978 - rebooted here through a series of new mixes from some massive house names. Dimitri From Paris delivers two irresistible cuts, his club mix a vibrant and energetic journey through classic house sounds, while his dub strips things back to a hypnotic groove. Masters At Work's 'Clap Yo Hands Dub' injects a dose of infectious energy, while Moplen's remix takes a more atmospheric approach, its swirling synths and hypnotic rhythms creating a mesmerising soundscape. Mousse T's 'Fantastic Shizzle Mix' adds a touch of soulful bounce, while Blackchild's remix delves into deeper, more tribal-infused territories. Two Soul Fusion's remix closes out the collection with a smooth and uplifting vibe, its soulful melodies and infectious groove leaving a lasting impression. A true classic reimagined through the lens of a host of diverse, talented producers.

Review: Marseille's Ravanelli Disco Club returns with Antwerp-based Aymeric, resident at Geheimzinnig and Transit clubs, for their eighth release. Expect sexy, disco-tinged deep house all the way across That Sound EP. From the dreamy and low slung title track which gets a sultry, boogie down rework by mighty Frenchman Anoraak up next. On the flip, more club ready vibes await on the uplifting, Chicago inspired vibe of 'Peace' followed by the thumping funky house of 'Little Loving' with a distinct "French Touch" vibe that you'll love as much as we did.

Review: Alan Braxe is one of the cornerstones of the famous French touch house sound. He's crafted plenty of seminal tunes and now is back once again with Falcon for this new and lush deep house 12" on Smugglers Way. It bears all the hallmarks you would expect of the pair: big loopy loops, filtered chords and house drums that get you grooving. 'Love Me' is the one old heads will appreciate the most thanks to its old school ways, while fresh disco influences colour 'Creative Source.' 'Elevation' is more blissed out and Balearic and 'Step By Step' is downtempo lushness.

Review: Basile de Suresnes offers a seamless blend of nostalgic disco energy and modern house rhythms. The opening track brims with soulful samples and an irresistible groove, a nod to late-night dancefloor euphoria. Following this, a bassline-driven funk-infused cut keeps the energy rolling, blending deep rhythmic elements with playful textures. Closing the release, a high-energy finale showcases soaring strings and a pulsating beat, delivering a vibrant crescendo. This is a confident statement of intent for selectors seeking to bridge classic influences with a contemporary twist.

Review: Cotonete are a genuinely unique proposition: an eight-piece French jazz-funk outfit who performed live for a decade before recording their first single in 2016. They've delivered a couple of great albums since, including this year's brilliant Victoire De La Musique. 'O Ceu E Preto', a Brazilian flavoured number, was one of the highlights of that album and here gets reworked for house dancefloors by French veteran DJ Deep and pals. On side A, he joins forces with fellow local legend Dimitri From Paris to deliver a chunky, bass-heavy vocal version that sits somewhere between Masters At Work's more Afro-house-infuenced efforts and Deep's own late-night dancefloor hypnotism. He explores the latter side of his musical personality further, alongside Romain Parcet, on a flipside dub that exquisitely deep, trippy and delay laden. It's a genuine triumph!

Review: Hyperdrama is the fourth full length album from the French Duo Justice. Two songs have preceded the album's May release. 'One Night/All Night (featuring Tame Impala)' is destined to be a club hit with its catchy EDM pop appeal. The bombastic electro pulser 'Generator' will also have a strong club appeal to it and you can expect the rest of the album to be just as strong with a production job that's clean and the tracks are powerful. This version comes in a beautifully designed gatefold 2xLP that also includes a sticker.

Review: In recent interviews, Justice explained that fourth album Hyperdrama - the wildly successful French duo's first for seven years - was born out of the idea of getting elements of disco, funk and electronic music to "fight with each other" (rather than smoother co-existence). Given the forthright and sometimes abrasive nature of their work, it's an idea in keeping with their career to date. Musically, what we get is a mixture of their usual electroclash and rave-inspired riffs and motifs, and basslines, strings and other instrumentation rooted in black dance music of the 1970s and '80s. When the fusion lands - as it does much of the time - it's a unique and thrilling fusion. For proof, check Tama Impala hook-up 'One Night/All Night', the Italo disco/jazz-funk/electro-house fusion of 'Incognito', and the wonderful slow-boogie mutation 'Saturine'.

Review: Hardrock Striker's prolific output as a label owner and producer maintains as we take a trip into the Italo dimension of his sound on this essential new Skylax 12". 'Dead Souls' sounds like it's paying tribute to the Joy Division track of the same name, here strapped to the snappiest of robo-disco beats and spelt out in thrumming arps and pointed bleeps. As well as two versions from Striker, Parissior also throws down a pair of interpretations which bring their own motorik magic to the the table, plus the odd new wave motif thrown in for good measure.

Review: To mark the label's eighth birthday, the crew behind Paris's Pont Neuf Records has put together a fifth Hexagonal Club compilation. The series is rooted in the imprint's desire to showcase the best French dance and electronic music has got to offer, hence a line-up containing a mix of rising stars, scene stalwarts and heavy hitters. There's naturally plenty of high-grade material stretched across the two slabs of wax, including the sun-splashed, piano-sporting Mediterranean house heaviness of Maison Blanche's 'The Best of Times', the heady deep house smoothness of Tour-Maubourg's 'No Purpose Groove', the spacey synths and chunky low-end pressure of 'You Can't Understand' by THEOS, the breakbeat-powered dreaminess of Dylan Dylan's 'On My Mind' and the head-nodding beauty of DJ Psychiatre's 'Mister Rhodes'.