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Akabu
Browse the latest digital releases by Akabu
Played by: Kraak & Smaak, Pete Haigh, Juno Recommends Deep House, BRENDON P, Sean McCabe, Nickas (Deeppa Records), Saint-Loup-en-Bray
Review: Seems like a few years now since Dave Lee last dusted off his Akabu alias but the name is usually a sign of quality and this new offering is unlikely to disappoint his army of fans. 'Highways' features an ultra-soulful male vocal courtesy of Jinadu, who's also worked with the likes of Black Coffee, Cristoph, Dixon and Jimpster, and comes in three mixes: Dave's own Medusa Mix and Medusa Dub lean towards his Sunburst Band style in their space-y, jazzy musicality while Toy Tonics regular Cody Currie supplies a refix for floors that like it just a little bit (deep) housier.
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ZEDD 12353
03 Mar 23
Deep House
03 Mar 23
Deep House
Crackazat / Various
Review: The release of Dave Lee's annual Essentials collection on Z Records - a kind of "best of the year" from his now 30-year-old imprint - is fast becoming as much of a Christmas tradition as family arguments, disappointing presents and undercooked turkey. Predictably the 2020 edition is once again up to scratch, with the much-loved Essex producer showcasing some seriously good disco, deep house, soulful house and revivalist dancefloor jazz-funk. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the rushing, sunshine soulfulness of Crackazat's 'Waterfalls', the Vision's 2020 re-rub of Jakatta and Seal classic 'My Vision', Michael Gray's extra-percussive disco-house take on Hi Voltage's 'Let's Get Horny', the celebratory brilliance of Art of Tones and Anduze's 'Flower Child', and the Shur-I-Kan's previously unreleased instrumental rework of Mistura's 'Smikle For Me'.
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ZEDDDIGICD 053
11 Dec 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
11 Dec 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
Various / Joey Negro
Review: Undoubtedly the strongest selling point of Z Records' second set of "Dubstrumentals" (largely instrumental remixes to you and me) is the sheer number of previously unreleased mixes on offer. Sure, the quality of the disco and house cuts on show is uniformly excellent but it's unusual to get so many previously unheard treats in one place. There are some genuine gems, too, including a sparkling Hot Toddy nu-disco instrumental mix of Joey Negro's "Stomp Your Feet", an inspired Saison instrumental of Akabu & Linda Clifford's "Ride The Storm" that features two exquisite extended breakdowns, a must-have "Disco Blend Instrumental" of Joey Negro and Horse Meat Disco's "Candidate For Love", and a stellar, proto-house style dub of The APX's "Sweet Surrender".
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ZEDDDIGICD 052
07 Aug 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
07 Aug 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
Various
Review: Remarkably, three decades have now passed since Dave Lee AKA Joey Nergo inaugurated his label, Z Records. To mark the occasion, Lee has compiled this suitably epic, 44-track retrospective. There are plenty of big tunes and underground anthems present- see Jakatta's "American Dream", Raven Maize's "The Real Life", The Sunburst Band's "Everyday" and Doug Willis's "Spread Love" - as well as some of the veteran DJ/producer's favourite catalogue cuts and some slept-on gems. Throw in a string of memorable remixes - think Ame's remix of Akabu's "Phuture Bound", Grant Nelson's vintage rub of Z Factor's "Gotta Keep Pushin" and Joey Negro's revision of Patrice Rushen disco classic "Haven't You Heard" - and you've got a brilliant retrospective of one of house and disco's most consistent labels. Don't sleep!
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ZEDDDIGICD 051
29 May 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
29 May 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
Played by: Dave Lee ZR, Juno Recommends Deep House, G-Blaster (Memorie Cluster), Soulfuledge, 80's Child, Alioscia Mele
Review: Unbelievably, this much-sampled classic will be 20 years old next year. No doubt there'll be more new mixes on the way then, but in the meantime there's this very serviceable refix from deep house men-of-the-moment Saison. The London duo wisely leave those very familiar sweeping, string-like pads and Ms Clifford's spoken vocal to retain centre stage and concentrate their efforts on the bottom end, supplying a bassline and tough-but-muted drums to make the track more easily programmable for a new generation of DJs...some of whom won't even have been born when it was first released, but let's not dwell on that!
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ZEDD 12287
20 Mar 20
Deep House
20 Mar 20
Deep House
Akabu / Various
Played by: Dave Lee ZR, Dr Packer, Juno Recommends Deep House, Monkey Boots, HWah, Le Visiteur Online, Deep Dish
Review: It wouldn't be summer without every house label under the sun releasing an Ibiza-themed compilation. To be fair to Dave Lee's long-running Z Records imprint, they've been delivering White Isle-themed collections every summer for many years. Given that their sound - a blend of funk-fuelled grooves, soulful house, tech-tinged anthems, disco re-edits, boogie revivalism and classic US garage influences - is well suited to sun-drenched alfresco parties, it's little surprise to find that Z Records Presents Ibiza 2015 is rather good. While much of the standout material comes from Lee himself under a variety of guises (check, in particular, the Doug Willis jam "Crystal Lover"), there are also top-notch cuts from Sean McCabe, Opolopo and Fibre Foundation, whose cover of disco/boogie classic "Weekend" is simply superb.
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ZEDDDIGICD 035
10 Jul 15
Disco/Nu-Disco
10 Jul 15
Disco/Nu-Disco
Various
Played by: Dave Lee ZR
Review: Z Records annual Ibiza compilation is a much-loved institution, intended by Joey Negro as a companion for those heading out there this summer or for those listening at home in the less Balearic UK. With a 22-song tracklist it'll take all summer to get through it, but what a summer! Highlights include Negro's collaboration with the mighty Horse Meat Disco, "Candidate For Love", the raw disco-not-disco gem "Crystal Lover" and the simply gorgeous forlorn house of "Everybody Wants Something". So, another great season then!
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ZEDDDIGICD 032
30 Jun 14
Funky/Club House
30 Jun 14
Funky/Club House
Andreas Saag / Various
The Sunburst Band vs Atjazz - "Where The Lights Meet The Music" (Andreas Saag remix) - (5:53) 116 BPM 
Review: Throughout his long career, Swedish producer Andreas Saag has flitted between deep house and nu-jazz, crafting a melodic, musically rich and soul-flecked trademark sound. He's a good choice, then, to compile and mix a collection of Z Records' deeper moments. There's much to admire on this unmixed version (Saag's mix is included as a bonus cut), from the flowing keys and fluid grooves of the Swede's own remix of The Sunburst Band v Atjazz's "When The Lights Meet The Sky", to the string-laden beauty of Andre Lodeman's rework of Akabu's "Another World". Highlights come thick and fast, with further notable selections from JD73 (remixed brilliantly by Tornado Wallace), Jupiter Beyond, The Sunburst Band (reworked by Recloose) and, of course, Joey Negro.
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ZEDDDIGICD 029
27 Jan 14
Funky/Club House
27 Jan 14
Funky/Club House
Joey Negro / Various
Review: Following a host of releases with his Sunburst Band, Z Records boss Joey Negro is back to perhaps what's he's best known for: spinning light and soulful disco house. This second in the series kicks off with the handbaggy "Smile" by Mistura and take in thumping diva business "Every Day Of The Week", sublime techy house "Life Is So Strange", unsullied authentic disco "Power To The People", acid-jazz on "Better Things To Come" and the phaser-heavy, electro-boogie of "Begun To Love".
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ZEDDDIGICD 025
10 Jun 13
Funky/Club House
10 Jun 13
Funky/Club House
Akabu feat Alex Mills
Played by: Dave Lee ZR, Casio Social Club, Anna Maria X, B.Jinx, Juno Recommends Deep House, Husky, J&M BROTHERS, Rony Breaker, 2 Good Souls, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Distant People, Joey Negro, Alan de Laniere, Pagany
Review: When Joey Negro dons his Akabu guise, you know he's about to lay down a timeless house groove. He did it with "Sax My Bitch Up", he did it with "Life Is So Strange", and, with the help of Alex Mills' dulcet tones, he's doing it with this, too. Rolling with a classic analogue bassline and deep dreamy chords, the "Strip Mix" is an instant hip-wiggler with serious 'zone-out' potential while the "Warehouse Mix" adds more texture and a hollow harmony to the bass a la Robin S. Everybody wants something...and your dancefloor wants to hear this!
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ZEDD 12185
01 Apr 13
Funky/Club House
01 Apr 13
Funky/Club House
Various
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band - "The Secret Life Of Us" (feat Donna Gardier & Diane Charlemagne - Joey Negro extended mix) - (6:40) 117 BPM
Review: End of year reflections... For some labels it's just a re-hash of familiarity. For others it's a chance to really celebrate the breadth of releases. Negro's Z Records definitely falls in the latter category as we're dazzled with disco and funk sciences through the ages: From cheeky edits of disco classics (Lady Aya's "Shake Your Body") to rare funk jams like Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers "Back It On Up" (taken from Paul Phillips ace Under The Influence album) via more straight up funky house work-outs Jakatta's "Scattering Stars" and Supernova's superb futurisation of "American Dream".
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ZEDDDIGICD 022
10 Dec 12
Funky/Club House
10 Dec 12
Funky/Club House
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Funky House
Review: No, don't worry, it's not the Ibiza closing party... Ibiza remains open all year and promoters are already organising line-ups for 2013. This is the label boss Joey Negro's personal closing party. And having spun tunes there for well over 20 years, he knows how to select the very best party tracks. No-nonsense funky house business, then. With a strong nod to the bass influence in today's dancefloor patter, too. Cuts like Z Factor's "Sound In The Air" and Spirit Catcher's "Absolute Drop" both reference the old while sounding band up to date with crisp, vibrant production qualities and dominant bottom end. There's plenty of Joey's own material here. Appearing in his many guises expect to find an ace rework of Jakatta's "American Dream", a handful of Doug Willis flavours and a rather fetching Kaytronix remix of Akabu. The party season might be over, but it'll always be open in your heart if you invest in this...
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ZEDDDIGICD 020
10 Sep 12
Funky/Club House
10 Sep 12
Funky/Club House
Various
Played by: George Kelly, Gazeebo, FINGERMAN, Faze Action, Superbreak, JKriv (Razor-N-Tape), Tasun, Del Strange
Review: Although famous for straight-up house productions, Joey Negro's Z Records has spent the last few years cosying up to the nu-disco crowd. Here, many of the label's most disco-centric releases get a new lease of life, on a collection that gleefully joins the dots between nu-disco, disco-flecked house, boogie and electrofunk revivalism. There's another chance to check the Revenge's excellent edit of Chapter 3's "Smurf Trek", remixes from Faze Action, Tornado Wallace and The Idjut Boys, a smattering of classic re-edits from Onur Engin and Red Greg, and plenty of original material from Dave 'Joey Negro' Lee under a multitude of aliases. Oh, and a sparkling 60-minute bonus DJ mix from Faze Action.
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ZEDDDIGICD 018
25 Jun 12
Disco/Nu-Disco
25 Jun 12
Disco/Nu-Disco
Joey Negro presents Akabu
Review: Z Records clearly don't do things by halves. Eschewing the usual format for remix albums - a CD's worth of reworks - Joey Negro's imprint is offering up a whopping 26 different versions of tracks from his debut Akabu full-length, The Phuture. So, where to start? Jimpster's touchy-feely deep house take on "Searchin" is as good as place as any (handily, it's the opening track). Elsewhere, look out for a splendid, soundscape mix of "Phuture Bound" by Ame, a tight and percussive builder from MCDE, a delightful Detroit techno-meets-electrofunk rework from Octave One, a skippy, old-skool garage excursion from Lovebirds (surprisingly) and solid contributions from Spirit Catcher, Shur-I-Khan and Andre Lodemann.
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ZEDDDIGICD 017
16 Apr 12
Deep House
16 Apr 12
Deep House
DJ Meme / Various
Played by: DJ VIVONA
Review: Released on Joey Negro's Z Records, Rio spinner DJ Meme whips through thirty of the best from Z on this new mix - available either as individual unmixed tracks or as one continuous mix. Always a haven for the best soulful and funky house, Z Records highlights such as JN's mix of Doug Willis' "Power To The People", Sean McCabe's mix of JD73's "Think Twice" and Akabu's "The Phuture Ain't What It Used To Be" make for an effortlessly bumping and uplifting voyage.
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ZEDDDIGICD 016
19 Mar 12
Funky/Club House
19 Mar 12
Funky/Club House
Played by: Marco Febbraro, Sean Gormally (Love the Bomb), Saison, Juno Recommends Funky House, JUSTIN WINKS (CASIO SOCIAL CLUB), Rony Breaker, Mighty Mouse, Cosmonauts, Ellen Allien, Stephane deschezeaux, Yass, Spirit Catcher
Review: Recently, Dave 'Joey Negro' Lee has successfully mined a rich seam of boogie and New York synth disco in his house productions. This collaboration with vocalist Joel Edwards continues that trend, fusing sparkling electrofunk synths and a deliriously positive vocal from Edwards with chunky house bottom end. The results are faithfully solid, offering a sharp and synth-heavy take on Lee's traditional disco-house sound. On the remix front, the usually synth-boogie heavy Spirit Catcher flip the script, this time turning in two versions dripping in cute disco touches and colossal old skool garage organs. As remixes go, they're pretty special.
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ZEDD 12146
10 Oct 11
Funky/Club House
10 Oct 11
Funky/Club House
