Bestsellers All Time

Review: Anyone who decides to dedicate a fair chunk of his debut edits release to scalpel cuts of tracks from Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane and Stevie Wonder must have gonads the size of watermelons. Sitting down could be an uncomfortable proposition, then, for the mysterious V, whose seven-track debut EP also includes chunky, floor-friendly re-tweaks of The Kinks and Sly & The Family Stone (as well as a couple of stonking disco bangers). While some would argue that much of the material here didn't need messing with, he's done an excellent job. The Dub of "Whole Lotta Love", for example, is pitched just right, offering much more bang and exactly the right amount of disco dubbiness.

Review: Amsterdam dwelling editor par excellence Em Vee took the solo reigns on the inaugural Lumberjacks In Hell - and truly excelled with a great reimagination of "Miss You". The second release on the label sees the German share duties with Spanish edit demon Rayko. First up is an expert rearrangement of Candi Staton's cover of the Bee Gee's standard "Nights On Broadway" which strips the track of its orchestral leanings to focus on the groove! Following this is a meaty take on a classic, with Barbara Keith's cover of "All Along The Watchtower" reinforced with some bottom end bump. Em Vee spreads a special disco version of Alma Lee's late 70s Philly delight "Gimme Your Love" with an extended intro that fully displays his edit talents.

Review: The mysterious V has got some balls. You see, it's common practice in re-edit circles to steer clear of certain big tunes and artists. V clearly didn't get the memo, because this second volume of party-hearty, floor-filling reworks contains sneaky dubs of tracks by Steve Miller (a smile-inducing version of "Fly Like An Eagle"), the Sex Pistols (a filter-heavy tweak of "Anarchy In The UK"), The Lovin' Spoonful ("Summer In The City") and The Beach Boys ("Good Vibrations", which gets a weirdly breaksy Balearic rework). Better, though, are the versions of the more disco and funk-inclined material. His Betty Wright rework ("Slip & Do It") is particularly magical.

Review: This release reads like a re-edit producer's convention, with four different artists all delivering their own unique takes on selections from disco's past. "Hitney Wouston" is Deep & Disco's funky tech-house take on "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by you know who. It's an enthralling version that competes with Girls On Top's all-time reworking from back in the day. Alkalino's "Ruff N' Stuff" is a killer blend of throbbing bass, cowbells and a retro rap. Debonair's "Mellow Mellow" features a mesmerising, heavily filtered string loop and lots of disco lasers. Retro-house don Jonewaynes wraps things up with the looped slice of shimmering Balearica that is "Number 1".

Review: Terje Olsen doesn't release many records, but when he does they tend to be pretty special. This surprise EP for Running Back is his only his fifth original single in seven years, but it's arguably his best yet. "Ragysh" is devilishly simple, a naggingly hypnotic house/ electronic disco head-nodder that builds to a gasping climax of chic, intergalactic melodies. It's partnered by "Bonysh", a dubwise beats track that ekes maximum thrills from little more than ever-changing percussion. "Snooze For Love" - available in dancefloor and downtempo versions - continues the stargazing theme, offering up an uber-Balearic mix of bleep melodies, dozy chords and sleepwalking percussion.

Review: And so it lands. Todd Terje launches his new eponymously named label Olsen in fine style with the much anticipated EP It's The Arps. Or should we say Todd Tease as the Norwegian has been dropping lead track "Inspector Norse" since the budding months of last summer! Given that Terje's first original material in some five years resulted in one of last year's highlights with the Running Back released Ragysh, it's natural he would want to leave some space before following up. The first of a series of EPs crafted from using one bit of vintage gear in particular, It's The Arps sees Terje dabble with the intricacies of the Arp 2600 analogue synthesizer as well as pay homage to his favourite Monty Python sketch. This is just as nerdy as you'd expect from a man who recently launched a website with the specific intention of exploring the obsessive studio nature of his contemporaries. The aforementioned "Inspector Norse" is an obvious highlight here, slowly unfurling gorgeous layers of playful synthesis that grapple the simplistic drums with flirtatious delight. It makes for another signature track from Terje which is likely to engender a rapturous reception for many months to come. Alongside it, "Myggsommer" provides a brief, twee interlude into oddball sci fi soundscapes which again prove to highlight the Arp 2600's capacity for inventive and idiosyncratic sounds. From here Terje unveils a two part skywards saunter through "Swing Star" showcasing a more dextrous manipulation of the Arp 2600's melodies across the markedly more rhythmic upbeat first part and expansive luxurious cosmic subsequent endeavour. Whilst "Inspector Norse" is guaranteed to be the one track from this release you will hear in the international discotheques, the remainder of It's The Arps serves as a excellent reminder of Terje's ever growing talent as a producer.

Review: Sneaky re-edit imprint Editorial likes to offer good value. As with previous releases, "Cross Corner" features no less than six floor-friendly reworks to satisfy the needs of all but the pickiest disco divas. While there are a couple of merely solid versions of well-known hits (Grace Jones and Marvin Gaye both get cut-up), there are far more high quality re-arrangements of lesser-known gems. Of particular interest are the contributions from The Legendary 1979 Orchestra and Manmademusic, both of whom wonderfully stretch out soul-flecked disco gems with inch-perfect precision.

Review: Norwegian disco beard Todd Terje launches this epic (and unmixed) collection of some of his best remixes. Ranging from the rare to the ubiquitous, the underlying theme here is quality. There's some killer cuts under his different aliases (Duliatten Disco Dandia, Kacic Kullmann?s Five), which includes an unashamedly awesome reworking of Ace of Base, erm, classic "All That She Wants" under the Chuck Norris moniker. Throw into that remixes of Jose Gonzalez, M, Rogue Cat, old chum Lindstrom and of course Shit Robot, and you have a compilation not to miss. Indeed, unless you have followed the Terje's career with an incredibly hawkish eye, there's sure to be a few gems on here that you missed the first time round. And there's even an hour long mix of Terje classics at the end to round it off.

Review: The scalpel fiends and rework hounds behind the Editorial label rarely disappoint, and this latest split EP is packed with floor-friendly midtempo goodies. The most revelatory cut of all is Ed Wizard and Disco Double Dee's "Slow Fire", a delicious 109 BPM bumper that re-casts Gwen McRae's electrofunk-era disco bomb as a stoned head-nodder. It works so well that you wonder why nobody's done it before. Elsewhere, there's some sweet groovery from Feza, a surprisingly percussive disco-funk jam from the usually dawdling 78 Edits, and a decidedly Balearic jazz-funk excursion from Manmademusic and Freshtone. Really, it's only the usually on-point B-Jam who lets the side down with the so-so "Everyday".

Review: The third edition of Horse Meat Disco's cowbell revue arrives on Strut at a time when the genre is in the midst of a golden period and thus it's no surprise to see the concept behind this collection mirrors that. Whilst the two previous editions have focused on the underground NYC disco sound of the late 70s/early 80s, this third selection bridges the gap between then and now with the first twelve inch strictly contemporary productions chosen by Jim Stanton and Severino. It's a smart selection too ranging from the gritty arpeggiated funk of Leftside Wobble's revision of L.I.F.E.'s proto house cover of Marvin Gaye to Yam Who's bottom heavy diva anthem "I'm In Love" and Tom Trago in glistening disco pump mode. James Hillard and Luke Howard take the controls for the more vintage sounds, with the camp flex of Rose Lauren's "American Love" and the MOR Philly disco of Idris Muhammed particular delights. Available in both mixed and unmixed form too, which is very nice indeed!

Review: The House of Disco site launches its new label endeavour of the same name with an impeccable selection of cosmopolitan sounds from four of the contemporary disco scene's most valued selectors. The ubiquitous Nicholas kicks things off with the slinking "Talking About Love" which leans on a soul classic with aplomb, and it's matched by the most upwardly mobile number on this release from Australia's Francis Inferno Orchestra. "Sun Up" is driven by one of those incessantly energetic filtered cores and surrounded by a thumping groove and leaves you gasping for the moment the vocal hook and hats finally kick in. Up next everyone's favourite South American dwelling East European exponent of super slow disco does his thing on "Outstanding" whilst Psychemagik indulges in some carnival leaning house boom on "Carnaval De Transoco". A deft release that corners all aspects of the modern discoteria needs.

Review: As the title suggests, this five-tracker from the previously re-edit-happy Editorial imprint showcases slo-mo disco/house crossover cuts from a selection of mostly little-known producers (the fast-rising Matthew Kyle aside). For those who've been digging the superb releases of labels like Sleazy Beats, Wolf Music and Instruments Of Rapture, Slo-Motion Potion comes highly recommended. It's largely impressive stuff, with DJ Butcher's epic "Shake Your Body", Kyle's deliciously sensual "Off My Mind" and 78 Edits' heady opener "Come On Baby" standing out. That said, the whole package is well worth a listen.

Review: For the uninitiated, The Gaff is a Canada-based DJ, producer and prodigious maker of "party breaks" - shorthand for re-edits and reworks that should appeal for those DJs for whom loose rhythms are of more interest than a straight 4/4 pulse. This first contribution to the digital-only Katakana Edits series is full of funk and soul-laden jams with heavy but snappy drums. There's a global feel, too, with excellent forays into afro-funk ("High Life") and Latin beats ("Mambo Number 5"). While all four tracks are carefully tuned to the needs of dancefloors, the afro-flecked disco-funk grooves of "Funny Saga" stands out.

Review: Four excellent new funk/soul/disco bombs from the Whiskey Disco label, with some surprising covers and peerless edits for your aural delectation. Anthony Mansfield sets about deconstructing a fresh cover of "Hercules" by Aaron Neville, while fans of Philly/Al Green-esque slow '70s funk will love Cosmic Boogie's soft-touch edit of "How Can You Say Goodbye". Rayko ups the tempo a little with his mix of the boogie wonder "S&M (Sexy Music), while WD label-head Sleazy McQueen has a lot of fun with Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do", looping up instrumental sections just right for a new perspective on this classic Stevie joint.

Review: Having previously delivered both chunky disco edits and cheeky, bootleg style reworks, the usually reliable Chopshop crew offer up an EP dripping with soul and funk. Included is a loose, hip-hop tempo rework of deep jazz-funk standard "Nautilus" from Copycat (ideal for those bar sets/warm up moments), a head-nodding, heavy 4/4 tweak of an odd electrofunk record from DJ Raw Sugar, and a dubbed-out take on James Brown ("The Boss") by Discotech. Best of all, though, is DJ Agent 86's "Give It To Me Baby", a cheeky, horn-toting rework of freaky 80s funk legend Rick James.

Review: Finally! Motor City Drum Ensemble aka Danilow Plessow drops the Raw Cuts series into one neat little package. Ubiquitous in 2009, the series showcased the Stuttgart native's ability to combine warm pads and luscious synths to create a house sound with a decidedly classicist tip. On this EP you'll also find two new jams from the Plessow-produced Jayson Brothers and a couple of new MCDE tracks, the highlight being "Prayer".

Review: After impressing with a series of decent contributions to re-edit EPs from Chopshop and Man made music, Japan's Beaten Space Probe (AKA producer Shota Tanaka) strikes out on his own. The mood throughout Beaten Space Probe 01 is celebratory, as Tanaka subtly extends, tweaks and improves a string of groove-heavy disco jams. The four-track menu includes a particularly tasty extension of Loletta Holloway's "Love Sensation" and the deliciously optimistic "Nine Lives", a sugary sweet but surprisingly meaty edit that builds to a blistering climax. Best of all, though, is opener "Boogie Prancin", which is as addictive as it is cheery. That's very, by the way.