Lumberjacks In Hell At Juno Download

Review: Em Vee's on-point Lumberjacks In Hell imprint reaches its fifth release with another three disco edits par excellence. This time around, it's the turn of Germany's Frico and British edit specialist Mannmademusic to supply the goods. Frico dominates with his fast-moving edit of Coffee's "Casanova", teasing out its vocal hook with an extended piano build-up. Mannmademusic offers two cuts; first up is "Circles", a guitar led stomper with loose percussion, which serves as the perfect contrast to the slow moving, symphonic disco strings and syrupy vocals of "Easy Lover". Another winner for what is surely one of the more discerning disco labels out there.

Review: Lumberjacks In Hell score a real coup here in releasing the "Chante vs James" edit from Chicago based DJ Hugo H; a long term weapon of Rahaan, it's been embraced ahead of release by the likes of Soul Clap and few could deny the instant appeal it has. Deftly cutting up some prime funk from James Brown and the acapella from a late 90s Chante Moore's slow jam, it's the epitome of bumping Chi Town house. Hutchinson gets a further chance to flex his timeless Chicago style on 2 more tracks that apply the same equation of drum heavy rhythms with infectious vocal hooks and slick melodic turns. "Moments of Dance" is particularly beguiling in its execution.

Review: The Lumberjacks in Hell imprint does a great job in sniffing out dancefloor-friendly re-edits and reworks that eschew the usual tried-and-tested formulas. This latest missive features a mixed bag of reliably groovesome oddities. There's the disco-jazz madness of Jamie 326's "Can You Feel It", and three wide-eyed bangers from the hitherto unknown Boogie Nite. Of these, the most obviously upbeat is the loopy funk/soul strut of "Do Your Thang" and James Brown-ish "Sexy Sexy Sexy". Most interesting of all, though is "Earth Calling Mickey", a Balearic disco weird-out that sits somewhere between oddball house and head-nodding disco.

Review: Continuing their forays into the world of yesteryear grooves unabated, those pesky hell-dwelling Lumberjacks are at it again, this time drafting in O Boogie and Red Greg for some disco funk finesse for the smoothest get-downs. O Boogie is up first, leaning heavy on a rich piano hook that hammers lower register chords over an incessant disco tick, while evergreen track "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" gets re-versioned in such a floor-burning fashion you'll need asbestos boots just to get out alive. Red Greg's "Inner Rhythm" plies familiar tropes into a sweet instrumental groove that makes all the right moves.

Review: The excellent Lumberjacks In Hell imprint has served up some fine edits in its short lifespan to date, most notably from Chicago's Mutant Beat Dancer Traxx and the label's latest release turns to two other Windy City residents renowned for their collections and skills. Rahaan needs little introduction for the disco loving community with essential drops on Stillove4music, Disco Deviance and more, whilst Mr Sounds runs the excellent Bring The Heat website. This twelve is all about the A Side "Rainin Bleeding Boy" which puts a well loved UK EBM couple through the dub laden beatdown grinder - though DJs will get plenty of mileage out of both tracks on the B Side with "Flip Side" some supremely chopped up disco funk and "War I Declare" a stomping and heavily filtered bomb.

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.