Back Catalogue

Review: The Hands of Time reaches its third release will the help Social Disco Club. Electronic, acid jazz of the highest order from the Portuguese producer offers a statement of intent for 2010 for both him and the label.

Hands of Time are a young label, currently led by Humberto Matias' Social Disco Club whose "I'm Good For You" is already the producer's second release of the label's entire back catalogue of three releases. The previous two outings were edit based, coming from Social Disco Club themselves and then The Beat Broker. However, now they kick start proceedings with an original production from the Portuguese artist. An infectious jazz sample house groove sets in from the start as a neat piano chord hook and a steady bassline set the tone. Tidy percussion with some jazzy high hats and symbols are soon joined by a lush, authentic sounding soul jazz female vocal. Adding a playful feel to this suave and sophisticated number gives it real character and personality - something that Social Disco Club is proving to be able to effortless bring to his tracks.

Dr Drunks re dunk adds an unstoppable rolling four note bassline to the original, making it a groovier and dancier versions for the dancefloor. Tiago strips the track before patiently building it up and up with stabbing synths and swirling sounds in this driving disco take on the original. Finished by a funky dub version, this release highlights Social Disco Club as an act to watch throughout 2010. As his building reputation continues to grow, we can only wait and see what he has up his sleeves next.

Review: Despite a solid discography, it would still be fair to say that Humberto 'Social Disco Club' Matias has built his fast-rising reputation largely on the back of some excellent re-edits. While his original productions are rarely less than noteworthy, they regularly lack a bit of sparkle. For the first few minutes, "Let's All Chant" looks as if it's wandering off down the same route, with a relentless, drugy bassline sparring with so-so percussion. But then, just as all seems lost, a hooky disco vocal samples drops in (at least on the strangely named "Gay Version") and we're away. It's very simple, but it works brilliantly. Good work, Humberto.

Review: Given the quality of his previous releases this year - most notably the Lilt EP of original productions - 2012 could be a breakthrough 12 months for Portuguese producer Humberto Matias, better known as Social Disco Club. Here, he goes back to the disco edit scene where he first made his name, offering up two lip-smacking party jams. Lead cut "Na Mouche" is particularly good, fluctuating between growling disco-rock and percussion-laden party disco for seven sweaty minutes. "Disco Sucks (Again)" offers a formidably tough and driving version of Harvey Mason's iconic 80s boogie cut "Groovin You", wisely concentrating on the track's famous percussion and widely sampled backing vocals.

Review: You know what you're getting from Coyote's label - sun-kissed grooves tailor-made for White Isle inclined DJs with exquisite taste. This latest single from Portugal's Social Disco Club is a good example. "Peaceful Warrior" is a chugging mid tempo house/nu-disco groove pepped up by lazy West Coast guitar solos, flutes and the deftest of 303 touches. It's pretty tasty, all told, though the remixes really take it to another level. Soft Rocks provide a low-slung, punk-funk influenced take (very Rong Music), the Pacific Horizons mix focuses more on the acid freakery, and the Pharoa Black Magic mix opts for something altogether more OTT - think Reverso 68 jamming with the Phenomenal Handclap Band.

Review: If the sparse beats-and-old skool acapella intro of "Lilt" doesn't get you going, you're clearly in need of serious House Therapy. Like Portuguese producer Social Disco Club's other recent work, it bristles with late night intent, offering a sweaty blast-from-the-past and long, drawn-out chords that could have been stolen from "Sueno Latino" or "Pacific State". "Simple Dreams" is positively warm and cuddly in comparison, all darting synth bass, loose percussion and jazz keys. Then there's "Unknown Sea", a stretched-out, retro-futurist nu-disco jam that bubbles and fizzes with electronic intent. Social Disco Club has always showed promised; he's now delivering.

Review: Having made his name with some impressive edits, Portugal's Social Disco Club is now pushing on as a producer of suitably atmospheric deep house jams. "Just One Touch" sees him pop up on the always reliable Under The Shade imprint with the sort of warm, touchy-feely, piano-heavy vocal that will have dancers reaching for the lazers in no time. As usual, Under The Shade are on-point with their choice of remixers. First, The Mekanism give the original some bumpin', garage-influenced swing - all fluid electric pianos and drawn-out chords - before Francis Inferno Orchestro goes all dark, tribal and intoxicating. With an instrumental thrown in for good measure, there's plenty to get excited about.

Review: The esteemed Dikso imprint presents the sixth edition of their Super Sound Singles series with quite the all-star continental line up. Representing Portugal is the prolific and magnificent Social Disco Club, whose "You Got To Stay" nestles nicely between house and disco, whilst Kitano's "For The King" plunges deep into the chugging, bass heavy house refrain. Soho 808 are on top form at the moment with appearances on Wurst and Mystery Meat and their return to the Super Sound series is magnificent. "Turning Slow" features the Ditto style vox of Lydia Caesar and present a near flawless contemporary update on the classic disco sound. The excellently named Satin Jackets close this release with aplomb on the twilight tinged "Girl, Forever".

Review: Brighton's Soft Rocks very rarely leave listeners feeling dissatisfied, either with their remixes or their original work, and "Leave Your Earth Behind" is a perfect example of what they do best - beautiful, well-crafted Cosmic lovelyness. Great variety in the Roots Unit's pair of mixes also - well worth a listen.

Review: Given the eclectic nature of Soft Rocks' output so far - and, in particular, their effortlessly Balearic re-edits of crate-digging obscurities - you'd expect this debut original album from the Brighton quartet to be impressively varied. For the most part, it is - though perhaps not in quite the ways you'd imagine. While you could certainly describe it as Balearic - see the dreamy, Kate Bush-ish pop of "Thunder Thunder", the Afro-tinged slo-mo prog-disco weirdery of "Slowdown" and the Spanish vocals and bubbling grooves of "Mirador De las Estrellas" - that wouldn't really do it justice. Hidden amongst the album's 11 exquisite cuts are trips into weirdo cock-rock territory, twisted dub-punk and folksy, string-drenched hypnotism. A fittingly impressive debut.

Review: For some reason, Soft Rocks' brilliant debut album, 2011's The Curse of Soft Rocks, flew under the radar. It's a pity, because it's one of the best full-lengths to emerge from the cosmic/Balearic scene to date. Here, that album gets remixed, with an impressive cast of like-minded producers re-imagining the Brighton crew's immaculate efforts. Predictably, there are some stunning versions, from the intense fuzziness of Andrew Weatherall's take on dub-punk single "We Hunt Buffalo Now" and Spectral Empire's ket-addled rework of "Thunder Thunder", to the dub disco shenanigans of Young Marco, and Cage & Aviary's wonky new wave version of "Slowdown". Best of all, though, is Justin V's take on "Talking Jungle", a ten-minute slice of baggy disco peppered with impeccable pianos.

Review: American producer Softmore specialises in the sort of twinkly, laidback, partially horizontal fare that sits somewhere in between slo-mo deep house, hazy Balearica and winding downtempo beats. It's a formula, pepped up with the odd sneaky sample (opener "Got The Power" bites an old Bee Gees favourite), which guarantees fine late night fare. There are neat musical touches all over the place (see the subdued jazz guitars on "The Truth", or the muted horns on "Now It's Jazz", a kind of tribute to Boulevard-era St German), which add to the smoky sense of release. In many ways, it's quite a nostalgic release - this kind of gear was once all the rage - but that only adds to the fun.