BBE At Juno Download

Review: In recent years, we've become accustomed to disco compilations appearing at a furious rate. While many of these compilations are undoubtedly worthy of attention, the volume of releases can sometimes be bewildering. This 15 track selection from Al Kent, the second in his Disco Love series, ticks all the right boxes, however. Even by the highest crate digging standards, these tracks are pretty obscure; many won't have had much of an airing since their original release. Those into the rich, soulful side of disco - that brand of string-laden dancefloor material most associated with the Philadelphia International label and studio -will find much to enjoy. Perhaps the most noteworthy is Scarborough's delightfully sweet "Make Love To You", an epic of biblical proportions that lasts longer than most drunken one night stands. See also Valerie Simmons' supersweet "I Can't Make It On My Own" and the rousing orchestral manouvres of "I've Got The Need". An impressive DJ mix featuring album highlights by Kent is also included.

Review: As someone who briefly escaped 70's Glasgow and got a taste of the golden age of NYC Disco, Al Kent is a perfect choice to lead you through a classy selection of some choice and rare Disco treats. Having used his huge collection in the past for re-edits and originals, he also took the bold step of forming his own band in 2007 under the name The Million Dollar Orchestra.

The selections here reflect the point at which Funk and Soul mutated into Disco, with most of the tracks capturing that pre-Moroder organic sound. Lee Alfred's Rockin-Poppin Full Tilting for example has a laid back vibe similar to Curtis Mayfield's more uptempo tunes. New Ghetto Express's version of Standing On The Verge of Getting It On (originally by Funkadelic) up's the tempo on the wigged-out classic, again combing the Funk with a Disco groove.

Lypso Disco by Smile Street People, as you'd guess from the title, has a playful Calypso lilt and bounce to it. Cosmic Disco by Patricia White on the other hand doesn't sound like something that Todd Terje or Lindstrom got their cues from, but it is a fun song with some brilliantly random thumb-piano playing in the background!

Anyone looking for samples will have a field day among these tracks, Sweet Daddy Floyd's I Just Can't Help Myself for example has a break in the middle to die for. You could loop up 4 bars practically anywhere and have something pretty damn funky to work with. For that reason alone, it's well worth having a listen and broadening your horizons.

Review: Long before disco-digging and needless re-editing became the pastime of a generation, Glaswegian graphic designer-turned-DJ Al Kent was doing both. For proof, check his acclaimed, illicit Disco Demands series. Originally launched in 2000 as an outlet for his obsession with barely-known 1970s dance music, it quickly became a conduit for his painstakingly faithful re-edits of long-forgotten disco records. Having seen his stock rise of late, BBE have decided to re-issue each of the five volumes in one bumper box set. For those with a love of disco's stranger fringes, The Best Of Disco Demands should be required listening. With 45 stonking cuts - some re-edits, others original studio versions - across five discs, it's an essential indulgence for disco heads everywhere.

Review: Originally a standout from Osunlade's "Passages" compilation on BBE, "Africa" is a rollicking Afro-house hybrid that uses the power of naked, raw percussion to make it truly standout from the crowd. With heavily delayed and rasping horns filtered over a hypnotic mix of congas, ADSS' original is intense fun, while the remix fleshes out the beat even more with cymbals and cowbells - making it a great crossover between soulful house, UKF and Afro-beat. A remix from Dimitri of "Heaven" is equally fascinating, with frantic strings looped into a blur over a subtle but driving beat. Essential listening for fans of organic and rootsy house music.

Review: This exciting project sees Bara Brost's album Elephancycle get the full remix treatment, with Part 1 featuring six tracks from the record getting interesting reworks. First up, Tim Vita takes the 20s swing sampling "Madame Vita" and stripping out the original's contemporary elements to create an infectious groover. Kareem turns in two remixes; his revision of "Dusty" takes the introspective minimalism of the original and fleshes it out with some colourful melodies, and his version of "Tapdance Shoes" takes the toe tapping weirdness of the original and magnifies it with a menacing vocal. A further two remixes come from Nanopole, who accentuates the bumping rhythms of "Fraulein Lea" and "About A Grumpy Minute" with a palette of detuned synth oddities. Finally That Bleepy Stuff reworks "Fortune Cookie" into something considerably darker, turning the original vocal into something altogether more sinister and drenching it in warehouse sweat.

Review: It's minimal house with a soulful edge as Bara Brost gets remixed. While the original version of "Rumpelstilzchen" is a tracky affair, littered with breathy vocal samples, the Drauf & Dran version gives it a new edge, thanks to the building chords and melancholic melodies. "Allez Hop: Mocking Bird" sees a return to the stuttering, woodblock beats that have become mnml's staple, but it's all change again on the Bacalao & Sonne reshape. There, the beats are even more microscopic, but they come swathed in warm filters and evocative synths. "Monkey Nuts (Mocking Bird)" advances a deeper sound, but it's the Horn Iscasal take that really impresses with its dreamy chords and child-like vocal samples.

Review: BBE lift "Elephancycle", the eponymous title track from Bara Brost's album, and embellish the steely burlesque house vibes with some refined remixes. If you didn't check the album, "Elephancycle" is a contemporary update on the 1920s cotton club jam "Mini The Moocher" and features the distinct vocal talents of Sick City singer Conan Kowalski, whose inherent personality is a perfect fit for the slick yet stripped down backing that has a hint of John Barry. Remixwise, Antoni Oliveri mkes his intentions clear, adding swathes of delay to the orchestral arrangements whilst slipping in a peak time house bump whilst Nadja Lind goes deep, dark and dubby on a skipping minimal groove that jerks with melodic menace.

Review: BBE Eleven, Saturday 1st December 2007, Canvas, Kings Cross Goods Yard, London N1 9pm-5am. Featuring The Kings Of House: Louie Vega, Osunlade, Pete Adarkwah. The Kings Of Hip-Hop: DJ Premier, Marly Marl, Spin Doctor, Mr Thing. The Kings Of Disco: Dimitri From Paris, Joey Negro, Robert Strauss. The Kings Of Soul: Gilles Peterson, Kon Amir, Phil Asher, Aaron Jerome.

Review: A long time associate of the excellent Electric Wire Hustle, fellow Kiwi Benny Tones goes solo for this sparkling debut on BBE that's a feast of delicate and electric soul. With Fat Freddys Drop's Joe Dukie, MC Shihan The Poet and Mara TK amongst the vocal guests, Benny Tones lays down some expertly textured broken beats - check the Rhodes 'n' bass combo on "On My Way", the low end swagger of the Dilla-esque "Fountain Of Youth" or the THC funk of "Nevermind" and you'll see what we mean. Classic BBE.

Review: One of the tracks taken from the forthcoming Benny Tone album (due out in spring this year), "Chrysalis" blends anaesthetised rhythms and clapping beats with soulful vocals from jazz trained vocalist Sacha V. It starts off with an atmospheric intro with clinking, chiming SFX and warm, melodic synths shimmering in the background, slowly building up the layers, but always erring on the side of caution, it remains an understated slice of futuristic electonica for the duration. Bringing in a range of influences, with bass heavy foundations and elements from a range of genres, it will be a sure fire hit for any discerning music fan.

Review: Inspired by countless trips to Africa, Louie Vega-championed producer and writer Boddhi Satva has managed to brilliantly fuse soulful house and nu-jazz sonics with songwriting styles and scales inspired by west African greats like Grammy award-winner Oumou Sangare, who appears on the incredible "Nganari Konon". An album replete with gentle, shimmering delights like the tender "From Another World" to the Afro-grooved "Nankoumandjan", Satva slots into BBE's exotic roster of artists perfectly.