Drop Out Orchestra At Juno Download

Review: Given Lightspeed Recordings' love of vintage synths sounds, electrofunk dub effects and contemporary nu-disco, it's little surprise to find that "Disco Me", a collaboration between funtime disco chap DJ Agent 86 and productive veterans Drop Out Orchestra, resembles a contemporary fusion of '80s electro and Italo. The solid original is joined by a wealth of remixes, including a sparkling, electric piano-laden proto-garage tweak from DJ Rocca and a chugging Italo version from Kid Who. Delightfully, there's also a wonderfully camp Hi-NRG take from George Kelly that bizarrely features a great electric guitar solo.

Review: Having already stormed up the sales charts on vinyl, Ron Basejam and Dicky Trisco's Drop Out Orchestra reworks finally make their way to digital download. Trisco's mix is particularly good fun, offering the perfect balance between percussion-laden disco revivalism (check the low-slung walking bass, jazz guitar and heavyweight timbales hits) and slick nu-disco (tasty synth melodies, some 21st century FX). Crazy P man Ron Basejam opts for a housier approach, weighing in with a mix that sits somewhere between electrofunk revivalism, jazz-funk and string-laden deep house. Expect to hear it plenty of times on disco dancefloors over the next six months.

Review: The ever prolific Drop out Orchestra return with another new single, the all-action disco slammer that is "Ego". As with previous releases, the action centres around heavyweight live bass, this time wrapped around hustling funk guitars and the odd burst of jangly piano. It's loose, live and a whole lot of fun. This time round, there's a strong remix package to get stuck into, too, including a rare rework from Black Strobe. The Parisian duo pepper their stripped-back electrofunk version with simmering synth-strings, whilst Lou Teti turns the original into a breezy nu-disco jam. There's also an uber-Balearic, piano-laden version from Tronik Youth that impresses, too.

Review: Drop Out Orchestra's "It Will Never Be The Same Again" first appeared on Aeroplane's In-Flight Entertainment mix in October 2011, and here we finally see a single release on Eskimo Recordings, including a set of remixes from the likes of Moullinex and Punks Jump Up. Moullinex takes the optimistic core of the original and injects some Chicago snare rolls and a rounded, plucking bass line that sits in the back of the throat. Punks Jump Up meanwhile utilise a notable clap drenched in a deadly phase that cuts right through the beat. The vocal hook, fierce piano stabs and soft guitar sounds all dovetail with effortless aplomb, making for a very enjoyable cut that rounds off a fine release.

Review: "I'm a cork on the ocean," chimes the autotune-laden vocal hook on this latest missive from super-productive Swedish disco duo Drop Out Orchestra. The track itself does its best to replicate the feel of floating on the sea, bobbing up and down on a rubbery bed of low-slung bass guitar and cock-rock solos. It's not their finest work, but it's certainly great fun - and funkier than a sailor's undies after a particularly choppy night aboard a tiny fishing vessel. JP Source and the biscuit-loving Gary Baldi (boom-tish) remix, with the former's smooth deep house rub just edging out the latter's piano-laden nu-disco take.

Review: There's an authenticity to the multi-coloured disco revivalism of Drop Out Orchestra that's hard to dislike. While their music is more often than not firmly focused on contemporary dancefloors - see the nu-disco of "Made Fists" or the Italo-and-electrofunk influenced goodness of "Trees, Grass and Stones" - they're not afraid to proudly display their influences. This six-track EP for File Under Disco comes loaded with original instrumentation - rubbery electric bass, parping horns, soaring strings, loose drums - and unashamedly fun tracks that touch on disco-funk ("Red Beans"), Salsoul-ish disco-pomp ("The National Theatre", "Day Vague") and even jazz-funk (the Blue Feather-ish "The Blue Train"). As a result, it's a pleasing blast of retro-futurist disco fun.

Review: Drop Out Orchestra treat us to three versions of "West Gothic Climax", namely the original 12" mix, an instrumental and a remix from Dana Bergquist. The funk laden, synth heavy original is worth the admission price alone, but it's Bergquist's dubby, heads down refix that is taking the plaudits here at Juno Download HQ - the twisted mid section breakdown is particularly memorable. A dub version which brings the seriously sleazy guitar to the fore rounds off another excellent release from the Swedes.

Review: If you're a fan of smart dubby disco grooves driven by insatiable funk basslines, it's likely you'll own at least one Drop Out Orchestra production or remix. Here, they apply their bass-driven goodtime disco formula and apply it to vocal disco-pop. The results are as hooky, well produced and deliciously groovy as you'd expect, with Kinema's vocals fitting the insatiable backing like a well-worn glove. Instrumental and dub versions are included (the latter coming on like an early 80s synth disco production given a Balearic tweak) for those who don't dig the vocal, while floor-friendly remixes are provided by Casio Social Club, JD73 and Faze Action (our pick).

Review: In recent times, Drop Out Orchestra have moved further towards the worlds of synth-pop and touchy-feely nu-disco. "Your Girl", featuring the vocals of Kinema, continues this journey. While some of their trademarks are present - the rubbery electric bass, disco-flecked guitars, organic sounding percussion etc - the overall impression is of an act attempting to make shimmering, smiling pop music. The Dub wisely makes more use of the original's disco elements, lacing the original's tactile chords atop a guitar-heavy groove. Disturbingly, it also features some needless vocoder vocals. Best of all, though, is Kinema's remix. This offers a sparse and sprightly disco-pop take on the shiny original.

Review: The recent speculation that Todd Terje was responsible for the last Drop Out release - The epic "I Work Out" by Humorous Norwegian Disco Alias - means more people might be inclined to check out the rest of the Swedish imprint's prodigious output. And what better place to start than "Disco Me" the label's in house Orchestra's collaboration with Australian disco icon DJ Agent 86. The Melbourne DJ & Producer has over 20 years of experience and recently set up the Lightspeed Recordings imprint which has been making waves at night throughout the global discothèques. "Disco Me" is robo disco at its finest, a deep percussive groove propelled along by an elastic electro boogie bassline, replete with filtered flourishes for the surprise factor.