Back Catalogue

Review: Champion of freaky twists on disco roots, Justin Velor hands his tracks over to a host of remixers for this new 12" on the sturdy Brutal Music imprint. Psychemagik brings a lazy kind of deep house sound, letting languid chords and forlorn guitars hover in between the low slung roll of the beat, proving to be something of a foil to the rest of the EP. Cherrystones immediately ramp up the intensity with a ranging drum workout and swathes of shapeless guitar wails and distortion on a thoroughly oppressive tip. The Go! Team are last up, and they reappropriate "Galiano Rocks" into a squalling riot of punk attitude and effervescent energy.

Review: Having recently signed an artist deal with Vendition Records, Dutch nu-disco DJ, Kono Vidovic, has recently made the step up from spinner to producer. This is his second release and it's a classy one. Vidovic is fond of deep, laconic grooves and that's what "From Lisa With Love Is All About". Built around a cheeky sample of Kelly Charles's 'You're No Good For Me' (previously used by the Prodigy), Vidovic pitches the vocal down to sit within an infectious melancholic electro-house setting.

Review: Amsterdam-based Kono Vidovic is arguably best known for his Dirty Future Disco mixtapes, which have been a huge hit online (just check his Facebook page or Soundcloud profile for proof). In recent times he's moved into production, and here drops a pleasingly baggy single for Vendition. "Lion El'Groove" sits somewhere between lazy Balearic disco and sprightly deep house, delivering formidably positive vibes throughout. There's not much to it, but enough detail - nice clipped disco guitars, tasty chords, occasional vocal samples, p-funk squiggles - to suggest it will fit in a variety of sets.

Review: For the eighth release on his Santa Esperanza imprint, Ilya Santana hands over the reigns to newcomer Mario Viera. He delivers an EP of lucid, tactile nu-disco that variously treads ground previously covered by the likes of Sare Havlicek, Peter Visti and, of course, Santana himself. It actually reminds us of vintage Eskimo releases from the mid noughties and early fare on Permanent Vacation, perhaps with a dash of Daniel Wang in his more spacey phase. Think drifting melodies, nu-Balearic builds, twinkling synths and chugging arpeggios (see closer "Cosmic Matter"). All three cuts are highly desirable, but it's the Maxmillion Dunbar-ish title track that most impresses.

Review: Marius Vareid has long been part of the furniture at Prins Thomas' Full Pupp label, releasing a string of typically Scandolearic 12"s over the last few years. Here he presents his long-promised debut album, a dewy-eyed journey that's as Balearic as stumbling out of Space at midday with a mile-wide grin on your chops. While there's plenty of delicious synthscapes, dreamy downtempo grooves and soft-centred Norwegian disco to enjoy, the album's best moments are more obviously bright, breezy and rush-inducing. The wonderful title track and piano-heavy "Sandstrand", in particular, are utterly beguiling, as is enchanting closer "Tropisk Storm". Highly recommended.

Review: Out on Prins Thomas and Steve Kotey's peerless Full Pupp label, Norway's Marius Vareid delivers this stunning release of well-crafted and seriously affecting cosmic nu-disco. Having already released an album on Full Pupp in collaboration with Jarle Brathen under their Ytre Rymden Dansskola alias, this single picks up the grooves and soundscapes from where that project left off. Title track "Vallefaret" keeps the grooves gentle with some distantly echoed pianos to the fore, but the arrangement is so effortlessly perfect it keeps your attention hooked as arpeggiated synths drift over the building beats. Villa Farris keeps the same vibe, this time making good use of synthy brass keys and some deep, almost sub-aqautic pads. As Full Pupp consistently prove, when it comes to quality cosmic disco, Norwegians do it better.

Fellow Full Pupp stalwart Blackbelt Andersen is given the chance to flex his skills over a mix of Vallefaret and throws in some added disco claps and hypnotic hi-hats, as well as some driving bass parts, overall making it more dj-friendly. Jarle Braathen's mix however goes nicely deep, adding long dropouts where he builds the mood with some heavy dub-style delays on the synths and percussion, before dropping back into the groove and chopping up the original's chords to make it his own. As Full Pupp consistently prove, when it comes to quality cosmic disco, Norwegians do it better.

Review: When Peter Visti dropped his first few singles on Eskimo Recordings back in the late 2000s, there was palpable excitement. While he hasn't quite delivered on that early promise, the Danish producer remains a considerable talent - as this promising debut album shows. His sound is still rooted in soft-focus nu-disco and slow-motion Balearica (see the snuggly "Be A Vise Man" and synth-laden dancefloor grumpiness of "Lost In Space"), but there are plenty of pleasing, well-executed diversions - not least the stripped-back old skool squelch of "Drinking In Darkness", deep house bump of "I'm Out The Door" and slick punk-funk groove of "Bongo Fever".