Max Essa At Juno Download

Review: Perhaps fed up with being typecast as a maker of shiny, soft focus Balearica and nu-disco, Max Essa has taken the bold step to launch a new side project. Unlimited Man, his first full-length under the Jan Ken Po guise, clearly wanders further towards the dancefloor than some of his previous output, but his trademarks - those bright pianos, that hint of disco dubbiness and those swooshy synths - remain. There's admittedly a little more grit to tracks like "Civilised Gangbang" and "Palm Beach Boy Trees", and "Horny Diplomat" has a lovely cosmic disco feel, but really it's business as usual. If you enjoy Essa's productions, that's a very good thing indeed.

Review: Italian disco stallions Heels Of Love - aka Luca Saponaro and Michele Tessadri - call on the vocal talents of Max Essa on "Chain Gang", which is treated to a slew of fine remixes commissioned by the tireless folks at Nang. The original is cloaked in a delicious 80s analogue sheen thanks in no small part to Essa's vocals - for this reason we suggest you pay little attention to the instrumental version provided! Foto and Laser Tom both chip in with a brace of remixes each, with the former's version in which they bring the keys right to the front our pick of the bunch.

Review: On this sparkling EP, a selection of cuts from nu-disco adventurer Max Essa's White Shoes Blue Dreams album get a dancefloor makeover. Aside from a wonderful slo-mo chugger from Eskimo Recordings veterans Visti & Meyland (think dubbed-out nu-disco with a vaguely Balearic shimmer), Essa handles remixing duties himself. This works particularly well on the special dub version of "Midnight & A New Direction", which just bristles with authentic 80s dub disco percussion, clipped guitars and heavyweight electric bass. Opener "Glass Bottomed Boat" is worth a look, too, if only for the Gino Soccio-ish backing groove and kaleidoscopic melodies.