Back Catalogue

Review: The reinvention of former nu-disco producer Maelstrom continues apace, as he drops his second EP of early 90s house jams for Endless Flight under the Arthur James Denton moniker. "An Odyssey" looks further back for inspiration. The lead track fuses the early deep house sounds of Nu Groove with a dash of original Chicago acid, resulting in something that's but rough and glisteningly smooth. "Loon" pairs Lone-ish revivalism with DJ Gregory style Afro-house, whilst Legowelt weighs in with a shimmering remix of the title track. His version is gloriously Balearic - think Nacho Patrol on Red Bull, and you're close.

Review: Sometimes taking on a new pseudonym can be just the fillip an artist needs to create his best work. That's arguably the case here, as the Glaswegian formerly known as Maelstrom reinvents himself with a delicious two-tracker for Endless Flight. Where his previous releases - and those on his Solardisco label - flitted around the edges of nu-disco and nu-Balearica, these tracks are raw, heavy, druggy slabs of late night 90s US house. Both "Lost In The Dance" and "In Vision" rock hard, working a selection of bass-heavy grooves, riffs and samples that should cause ructions in dark basements and dimly lit warehouses the world over. Bravo!

Review: Dave 'Daco' Connelly is a veteran studio knob-twiddler with a penchant for releasing chunky dance music with soul. "Drip Dry", his second release for hometown label Paper, follows that ethos, offering up a swinging midtempo groove heavy on weighty synth bass, scat vocal hooks and sparkling pianos. It's neither nu-disco nor deep house, but rather something in between - a strange but flavoursome concoction that's certainly worth investigating. There's a great bonus remix from Yam Who, too, which sneakily ups the tempo and injects "Drip Dry" with a 1000mg of liquid space funk. If anything, it's even better than the original version.

Review: Technicolour writer and producer Dan Deacon is possibly one of the most unique sounding musicians in the world. A credible and unpretentious exponent of avant-garde pop, he dazzles both on record and at live shows, where Deacon typically performs amongst the crowd armed with a table full of gadgets and pedals, as well as a mic. Anyone yet to be exposed to his sound would get the vibe from hearing "Woof Woof", which features layers of manipulated and pitch-shifted vocals, a slowly rising Farfisa organ and drums that build and stack on top of each other to create a joyous orgy of sounds by the end. Remixes from Hudson Mohawke, Allez Allez and Luke Abbott make this an unmissable EP.

Reigning in the wildness somewhat is a mix by golden boy Hudson Mohawk, who turns in a mix that's strangely conventional for him. Not that that's a bad thing at all, his take on Woof Woof is a gem - full of twisted loops of acoustic guitar, wildly pitched-up vocals and live drums. London duo Allez Allez are also let loose on the opening track of Deacon's Bromst album, Build Voice, and create a powerful and epic nu-italo backing for it - with some impressively heavy synth work making it instantly loveable. A stalwart on James Holden's Border Community label, Luke Abbott takes on Surprise Stefani to round off the EP, and stays true to Deacon's fondness for elegantly building a song continuously to a huge climax. Fans of Deacon's will love this remix package, and hopefully it'll widen his appeal among dance music fans even more.

Review: Chilean nu-disco adventurer Dany Dorado has a special gift. On the face of it, his melodic, vaguely Balearic compositions conform to the bubbling, White Isle-friendly nu-disco stereotype, yet somehow they seem extra-special. Perhaps it's his neat way with a tune, or the depth of his compositions; either way "Sin Mirar Atras" is not your average melodic shuffler. It certainly ticks the "nu Balearic" boxes - Reverso 60 grooves, twinkling melodies, shiny synths etc - but it never seems formulaic or forced. Remix-wise, check the Casual Encounters version - a slightly more discofied take (lovely clavinets, dear) that offers a touch more space in the mix and an altogether more laidback groove.

Review: Although still finding their feet as producers, French duo Darabi can count Ivan Smagghe, Joakim, Ewan Pearson and Michael Mayer amongst their admirers. "Truckin" is their second single and further enhances their credentials as sharp house/disco/pop fusionists. The title track is oddly alluring. While little more than some excellently lazy midtempo disco drums, a few nagging synths and a pseudo-Arabian melody, it's impeccably constructed and charmingly hooky. What really makes the package, though, is the remixes. There are must-check rubs from Krikor (druggy space rave), Bozzwell (slick techno-pop), the Love Supreme (deep marimba disco) and Clouded Vision (acid house meets blue-eyed soul).