Tags: Psychedelic Disco

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Skyrager returns to his HITD imprint with more of the magical sounds that have made him an international favourite with dedicated disco-heads. This three-tracker brims with his signature grooves, all of which are crafted from deep crate finds and reworked with his unique touch. The A-side is a 14-minute, Euro-funk-inspired boogie that combines dreamy keys and smooth synths with real vocal soul. 'Love Is Good' brings a Caribbean-infused, soca sound with a catchy guitar hook before closing with 'Love Is Bad', a funky yet laid-back disco groove with a slinky bassline and euphoric guitar riffs that ring out in prog fashion next to female vocals.

Review: Sol Power Sound is back in a big way with a reissue and remix EP from the legendary Nigerian Ju-Ju king, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. The double A-side EP features 'Eyi Yato', a tune from 1981, that captures Chief Commander and his band at their absolute funkiest. It's as if there's something in the name itself - 'Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey' - that commands an almost godlike, daresay tyrannical command over each conjunctive performance here; every one of the All-Stars' parts play back as though they've puppeteered to an autocratic degree, resulting in a funky tightness that only obedience to the most just of authorities can muster. The original, with its boinging jews' harps and wahhing guitars, is the patent highlight; but we're sure you'll be no less pleased to learn of the (double-time! dub disco!) Mad Professor flip (...!) that's on there too (winky face).

Review: Given the brilliantly simple concept behind this fine compilation - contemporary Detroit producers remix Funkadelic - we're rather surprised nobody's done it before. With 17 varied re-rubs stretched across two hugely entertaining CDs, there's plenty to enjoy. Highlights come thick and fast, from the deep house/P-funk fusion of Alton Miller's take on "Get Your Ass Off and Jam" and Andres' loose, hip-hop influenced revision of "Music For My Mother", to the thrusting loops and heady late night hypnotism of Anthony Shake Shakir and T-Dancer's version of "Standing on the Verge". While many of the versions stay relatively faithful to the original, the more "out-there" interpretations - see BMG's outer-space ambient dub of "Maggot Brain" and Moodymann's epic revision of "Cosmic Slop" - are also consistently impressive.

Review: Dan Tyler and Nick The Record's third installment in the Mr Bongo Edits series brings a bold twist to Cuban classics with three tracks that are equal parts cosmic and dancefloor-ready. On the A-side, Tyler extends two Juan Pablo Torres tracks from his reissued 1978 'Algo Nuevo' and 1977's 'Super Son.' First, Tyler reimagines 'Cacao,' a standout track from Torres' LP, giving it room to breathe and intensifying the percussive climax with swirling synths and spacey dub effects. It's a track that thrives on a big system, building tension as it goes, and works wonders in the right environmentijust ask anyone who caught it at La Paloma in Barcelona. Next, Tyler dials into 'Pastel En Descarga,' turning the Latin-funk fusion into a punchy, trippy dub with delay and drama, keeping the track's energy while taking it further into spacey, cosmic territory. On the flip, Nick The Record tackles Grupo Los Yoyi's 1977 'Paco La Calle,' taking a 2009 edit and expanding it into a longer, more hypnotic piece. The percussion pushes and pulls as the psychedelic synths swirl, creating a dynamic and ever-building groove. The 2025 version is elevated with new synth lines courtesy of Tyler, deepening the track's psychedelic richness. A cosmic whirlwind of reworks that bridges the gap between '70s Cuban innovation and modern dancefloor sensibilities.

Review: Most disco diggers will be aware of the DJ Harvey adjacent Black Cock series - when it launched in the early 1990s, it was one of the first hush-hush re-edit outlets around. Mystic Slot was Harvey and Gerry Rooney, and this double-header - first released 31 years ago in 1993 - is arguably their strongest moment. A-side 'No Way Back' is a Clavinet-heavy, largely instrumental revision of the Dells' infectious track of the same name, rearranged to stretch out key passages of groove, build and breakdown. It's still a fantastic re-edit, as is flipside 'Disco Adventure', a cut-and-paste dancefloor classic that builds a low-slung, sweat-soaked dub disco delight by blending the groove from a lesser-celebrated Jimmy 'Bo' Horne cut with elements borrowed from tracks by the Winners and eccentric producers Rinder & Lewis.

Review: There can be no questions about the intention of the Garries label given its name - to make music for the more out there moment son the dance floor. And the first Ep certainly lives up to that with a pair of weird and wonderful jams by mysterious artists who go only by, we assume, their initials. AR's 'Comin' Apart At The Edit' is a cosmic world of slow motion rhythm and live drums with warped efforts and whirring synth sounds that all take you into another dimension. BS's 'More BS' is a mix of astral synths squelch and slow motion chug with a soft-rock vocal bring plenty of emotional impact up top before some prog licks ring out to add further unusualness.

Review: This is a reissue of a rare 1978 single from Whirl (aka West Indies Records Limited) which blends George Clinton's famous Parliament funk with Caribbean flair. The Outfit was one of the Caribbean's funkiest bands and they always showcased the creative potential of "Spouge music", particularly with their explosive cover of Parliament's 'Dr. Funkenstein', which they renamed 'Dr. Spougenstien'. Despite its rarity, the track became a hit in Barbados and was often mistaken for an original song. The B-side features a punchy Cosmic disco version of the Peter Gunn theme.

Review: Giovanni Damico teams up once again with Star Creature for a new 45 packed with fresh boogie bangers. The A-side delivers a funky, psychedelic disco stomper that will effortlessly and quickly transport you to listeners to 1981. It has echoes of Afro sounds from Lagos and the disco energy of NYC's Lower East Side, with catchy chants and breakbeats evoking a hidden Kid Creole track. The B-side is a great take on Italo disco with dusty drum machines, percussion and vintage synths infused with Damico's own guitar and bass work. This is another great chapter in the ongoing story between artist and label.

Review: Much loved and hugely influential disco maestro Patrick Cowley is back on regular home label Dark Entries with From Behind. The label has done much great work to highlight his indelible contribution to the world of disco after he left a remarkable legacy before his death in 1982 from AIDS-related illness. Known for his chart-topping disco hits, this one is a collection of vibrant covers of 60s garage and soul classics recorded during his prolific period from 1980 to 1982. From Behind then is full of all of Cowley's influences and blends psychedelic sounds into dancefloor-ready tracks that honour the songs that shaped him. The album arrives on both CD as here, but also vinyl, complete with great artwork.

Review: The seventh volume of Cosmic Discotheque continues its exploration of 1970s disco with aplomb. This series is all about uncovering rare and overlooked gems from the era and in particular, this edition spans Afro-disco, funk, space disco and Middle Eastern-inspired dance music. The label does a fine job of bringing forgotten singles back to life here and saves you the (albeit pleasurably) effort of digging through flea markets for hidden treasures. With classic disco elements all featuring like drum breaks, soaring violins and vintage synths this collection delivers an authentic sound perfect for any party and full of the thrill of discovery.

Review: Liraz's latest release Enerjy is a potent fusion of cultural activism and musical prowess. With four tracks sung in Farsi, she ignites a musical revolution in the Middle Eastern landscape. Collaborating with Uri Brauner Kinrot, the album pulsates with raw energy and a fervent call for global harmony. Liraz's vocals exude passion and purpose, serving as a conduit for positivity and light in tumultuous times. Enerjy is not just a collection of songs; it's a bold statement of resilience and hope, highlighting Liraz's unwavering commitment to bridging cultural divides through the power of music.

Review: Approach Release have done more than just approach release; they've actually sealed the deal on releasing - all while managing to work in a great deal of inhalatory EBM tension too - what with this new tenth addition to Talking Drums' Drum Chums vinyl series. Here the pair steer the brazy train through heady style-blends over four shapeshifter tracks; 'So Wrong' sallies forth with snarling synths and rigid drum patterns before a ghostly vocal twist pulls the whole thing into a haunting Italo dreamscape. The mood lifts with 'LuvLuvLuv', where slo-mo soul meets glistering psychedelia - equal parts groove and wooze, the track's as suited to sunrises as slow dances. Flip over to 'E-Killa' for an inflammable powder trail of Afro-disco and fizzing tropicalia, built to move a room from the waist down. Fade cut 'Lou Cee', finally, is a heartfelt Balearic blear; a finale that's as sentimental as it is stylish.

Review: Roggtrax is the latest of many alter-egoic endeavours by Matthieu Roggwiller (aka. Mattrogg) since 2020. His latest 12", 'The Docksides Boy', is a minimal, surfy disco wave-braving - an instrumental dance project homing in on the defined edges of early '80s "Anglo-Saxon disco, blended with sub-Saharan African disco, new wave and art pop of the time. Building off its own coinage - 'electropical' ambience - the sonic palette here is smooth, rhythmical and oded to the guitar, with casual disco hookers like 'Strato' and 'Finger' both in name and in content recalling the image of fingerstyling while overlooking a Mediterranean sundown.

Review: Has any band undergone such a radical musical evolution as Martin Circus? The French band, formed in 1969, initially explored psychedelia, heavy rhythm and blues and formative progressive rock, before pivoting to Cerrone style disco, new wave and eventually, synth-pop. Evolution Francaise 1969-85 does a great job in charting this sonic journey on one action-packed compilation, chronologically serving up such heady musical highs as 'Annie, Christine ou Partricia' (a heavy rock-meets-The Rolling Stones workout), 'Les Indiens De Demier Matin' (psychedelic disco-rock), 'Mon Premier Hold Up' (their most Cerrone-esque number), 'Disco Circus' (their most famous cut, here re-edited by Francous Kevorkian) and 'J'Tai Vu Dans Le Canoe?' (quirky synth-pop).