Tad Wily At Juno Download

Review: Having hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Tad Wily, it sounds like Retrofit boss Jay Shepheard is trying to push deep house in a new direction. "Parallel Perc" provides a hint of where the duo is headed, with a groovy, low-slung bassline and dubbed out drums hinting at dance music's funk and disco heritage - connections that are reinforced thanks to the use of soaring, orchestral strings. "Haselnuss" has a similar set of influences, although the duo put a greater emphasis on a funk guitar riff and melancholy synth hooks while "A Sopot Connection" also doffs its cap to the 70s, with its prowling, predatory bassline sounding like a lost porn movie soundtrack, were it not for the accompanying juxtaposition of cool, icy synths. Finally, "TEC 1? also references the late 70s and early 80s, but rather than disco, focuses on the primal electro funk of Cameo to make its mark. Like the previous releases in this series, Retrofit #3 shows that with a little imagination and some good old-fashioned perspiration, house music can still sound exciting.

Review: Jay Shepheard's Retrofit imprint reaches its seventh release with this fine EP of old school sounds with an undeniably modern feel. "Hefty Done Me Right" begins proceedings with a house-disco hybrid sporting a particularly meaty analogue bassline, 80s electro vocal samples and shimmering pop synths, while "The Electric Model" marries a distinctly Kraftwerk-esque motorik vibe with Balearic disco sweeps and horns. Up next, "One Night In Puzon" opens with a tense rising string line, broken with a crystalline piano mosaic and deep squelching bass. Finally, TW closes proceedings with his own dub take on "Hefty Done Me Right", amping up the electro feel of the original with an MPC cut-up style reworking filled with heavy vocal samples and rolling piano stabs, transplanting the original from its Italian roots to 80s Harlem.

Review: Not much is known about Mr Wily, a new signing to Smash Hit Music, but these four tracks of classy nu-disco are more than enough of a calling card. First track AYO has a low slung funk about it, as well as some nice Loft-era disco drums and some tastefully used vocoder. After a chorus featuring a heavily reverbed voice imploring you to "get down", some playful synths take centre stage until a heart-stoppingly long filter break finally sucks you into the genius of this song. High Jacket Pipe is a more minimal and laidback tune, with long periods of tantalising beat drop outs that finally give way to a steady stream of hi-hats as the song surges forward again.

Lost comes over like a more spaced out and deeper Prince track, using claps and atmospheric breaths just like the purple one. Probably the most uptempo of the tunes here, it's full of pleasing stabs and keyboard sweeps. Like all of the songs on Brockley Boogie, there's a good balance between retro sounds and modern production which avoids it becoming yet another 80's tribute piece. The slow funk of final tune Low Budget comes with a lot of bounce, as well as teasing bits of vocal filtered through some dub echoes.

Fans of any era of disco, from Larry Levan to LCD Soundsystem, will are strongly advised to check these four tracks out.

Review: Fresh from collaborating with Retrofit boss Jay Shepheard, Tad Wily returns to Mullet with more synth-heavy electrofunk bombs. "Go Ahead" sets the tone, fusing heavy synth basslines and vintage P-funk synths with just the right amount of new wave dubbiness and delightfully sparse production. "Garage Love" continues in a similar vein, throwing more vocals into the pot on a lowdown, late night synth jam. Mullet Regulars Casio Social Club offer up two remixes of "Go Ahead", with the sprightly, bouncy "Luvdub" just edging out their similarly New York-themed "Remix".

Review: Following a string of well received remix outings, the mysterious but fast-rising Tad Wily returns to Smash Hit Music. As with previous excursions, the three tracks here offer a deliciously dubbed-out fusion of original disco synths, P Funk chops and proto-house grooves, all wrapped up in the sort of unashamedly joyous production that would have oh-so-serious deep housers crying into their achingly fashionable hats. "Tape Love" itself is a riotously heavy slab of P Funk revivalism, while "Lonely Night" fuses the lo-slung bass of classic Chicken Lips with sparkling nu-disco synths. Best of all, though, is "Jack Gone South", a vibrant Paradise Garage throwdown that sounds like a jam between D Train and Frankie Knuckles.