Chopshop At Juno Download

Review: Something a little different from the Chopshop camp, as DJ Butcher and BnC join forces for a project inspired by the disco-biting world of early hip-hop. It's a definite progression for the Chopshop crew, who previously stuck largely to straightforward re-edits and mash-ups. Of course, there's plenty of reliance on classic samples - see the bumpin', jazz-flecked disco breaks of "Like We Say" and rubbery disco-funk groovery of "Freak The Groove" - but also plenty of invention within the bouncin', block-party grooves of "Firehoes" and "Play It Again". It's the latter - all head-nodding bump, twittering flutes, disco horns and addictive rap - that really stands out.

Review: Cazbee is best known for his collaborative re-edits and reworks with Padded Cell man Richard Sen, most of which have been nigh on essential. Here he steps out of Sen's shadow for a four-tracker on DJ Butcher's Chopshop imprint. As you might expect, it's pretty good, offering up smart re-edits across a range of styles and tempos. There's the sweet, synth-laden disco-funk of "Get On Up", a breathless afro-funk stomper ("Travellin Man"), and a sultry, sensual stroll through slo-mo pastures (the 'erection section' groove of "Second Time Coming"). Best of all, though, is "Stand Up", a riotously percussive disco workout that gets the right balance between lo-slung funk and peaktime pressure just right.

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: Chopshop Music joins a growing number of labels to endeavour to show their support following the recent devastation in Japan. This Re Birth compilation gathers up tracks from an impressive array of disco centric artists and will hopefully raise the funds that will have some positive effect on the country's attempts to recover. Included are fifteen tracks from the likes of Martin Brodin, Dead Rose Music Company, Tal M Klein and Space Ranger - with a variety of styles and tempos traversed from start to finish. Alongside the raft of edits there are some interesting original tracks present - not least "Kaneda" by Kompleks which features some nifty sampling of an animation classic!