Eight Weeks

Review: Given his encyclopedic knowledge of music, you'd expect any compilation put together by Bill Brewster to be full of unlikely gems and lesser-known anthems. That's certainly the case with After Dark, the first in a new DJ-focused series from the Late Night Tales camp. From start to finish, Brewster's selections are spot on, from the lowdown, slo-mo disco oddness of Sheffield chanteuse Marti Caine's "Love The Way You Love Me" and wide-eyed, acid-laden kosmiche of Coober Peder University Band's "Moon Plain", to the dirty electrofunk of Zed Bias's "Koolade" (featuring Toddla T, of all people) and mid'80s percussion fest of Martin Kershaw's "Keep On Pokin". If that wasn't enough, Brewster has also unearthed a decent Jamiroquai record. The wonders never cease.

Review: Joey Negro's Z Records have a remarkable knack for knocking out vintage compilation after vintage compilation. Here though, they've really discovered a rare niche of unmined gold courtesy of Nuphonic's David Hill who acts as selector. As Hill explains "gospel music has often followed trends in secular music" and this album captures 24 attempts of gospel getting on the disco and boogie trains. Highlights include the hiNRG longing of "I Need You", the electro-soul of "Love Is The Message" and the piano & strings frenzy of "Awake O Zion".

Review: Barely Breaking Even know that if you're going to release a series of remixed classic underground New York house, you better get the right remixer. Veteran Bronx DJ John Morales is one half M&M productions, who were there at the time and remixing all the greats and the very goods too! Here's 21 unreleased cuts from their vaults, highlights including the deep and percussive "Always There", the synths-meets-funk-meets guitars of "Do What You Want To", the raunchy growler "If You Know Like I Know" and their ragtime-indebted version of stone cold classic "Is It All Over My Face".

Review: Hot damn daddy-o! Here we have a deliciously decadent collection of rockabilly and surf music from the 1950s. It's all zoot suits, wrap around shades and Bettie Page types dancing on pink and turquoise cocktail tables. Tiki holidays in Hawaii with the sweet smell of 'jazz cigarettes' driving all the young folk into a debauched, kitsch-trash frenzy. Simply 'Crazy man, crazy'!

Review: Time get out the 'shrooms out as Claremont 56's dancefloor offshoot Leng present this psychedelic DJ mix from Psychemagik. Yes these nu-disco freakazoids have been granted the right to take us on an hour-long journey that takes in their beloved afro-beat, disco, funk and psychedelia. High-lights of this trip include the flower power vibes of "Catching A Wave", the saucy Euro-funk of "Gozame Ya!" and the west coast Manilow-isms of ""House Of The Rock".

Review: Following the success of the first Shake-A-Leg club-night compilation a couple of years ago, Perfect Toy now unveil the equally enjoyable follow-up. Run by vinyl junkies Tobias Kirmayer and Jerker Kluge, their Munich club night is all about fusing rare Afrobeat, funk, jazz and soulful hip-hop (as professed on their matching t-shirts!). Highlights include killer cuts by a disparate range of artists including Mighty Mocambos and Afrika Bambaataa, Fanga and even Jacknife Lee!

Review: We can always rely on French funkateers Soulab to keep us supplied with regular selections of vintage sounding modern soul gems. This latest compilation features a host of their regular artists and once again the quality is up there. Highlights include the futuristic electro-funk of LA Mitchell's "The Ease", the hazy g-funk vibes of Uraz Kurt's "Remember The Light", the dark, broken electro-hop of Isaac Aesili's "Freedom Cry" and the crazy garage boogie shuffle of Proser & Azaxx's "Prince Is Not Dead".