Review: After celebrating their landmark 40th anniversary last year, long running Ibiza-based institution Cafe Del Mar are back for the next annual compilation in their series. Cafe Del Mar Chillhouse Mix XII does exactly what it says on the tin, and quite frankly no one else quite does it better. Highlights come from: legend Ian Pooley on the bumpin' late night groove of "Puzzled", Montreal staple Fred Everything getting the remix treatment by the ever reliable I:cube on the ultra deep sleaze of "Barbarella" and British nu-disco heroes Bent also getting a low slung rework by the mighty Ashley Beedle on "Friends". Elsewhere, Kiwi duo Chaos In The CBD keep "Cool But So.." by Detroit first wave pioneer Alton Miller in a typically soulful and emotive form with their perspective, while Chicago staple JT Donaldson delivers perfect mood music as always with his remix of Dirtytwo's "Hopeless" and Ron Trent showing us all exactly just what 'deepness' really is all about on his stunning version of Tevo Howard's classic "Without Me" feat Tracey Thorn - an oldie but still a goodie!
Review: There's much to enjoy about the ninth volume in Toy Tonics' ongoing Top Tracks series, which showcases much played, sought-after highlights from the label's rapidly growing catalogue. The standard of material on show is uniformly excellent, from the warming and organic broken dancefloor soul of Cody Currie's compilation opening 'Moves' and the sparkling piano house retro-futurism of COEO's 'I Can Never Be Yours', to the Amp Fildder-esque deep house soul of Rhode, Brown & Kosmo Kint's 'Through The Night', and the good-time, carnival-ready dancefloor sunshine of Sam Ruffilo's disco-tinged 'Es Buena'. Throw in a couple of killer cuts from jazz pianist-turned-deep house don Joel Holmes, and you have a seriously good compilation.
Review: As the title suggests, this wonderful EP from COEO pays tribute to the glory days of early '90s piano house. If you've been struggling through the current global pandemic, we guarantee that all four tracks will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Our pick of a very strong bunch is 'Hyperactive', where bold piano stabs, style synth-sax motifs, New Jersey garage style organ chords and a rubbery, all-action bassline ride a sweaty and chunky, hip-house style rhythm. There is of course much to set the pulse racing elsewhere across the EP, from the deliciously deep, loved-up and glassy-eyed wonder that is 'I Can Never Be Yours', to the acid-fired bustle of breakbeat-driven closing cut 'Bliss'.
Review: As you'd perhaps expect from an act with multiple releases on Toy Tonics, Let's Play House and Razor 'N' Tape to their name, COEO's first outing on House of Disco is really rather good. The headline attraction is undoubtedly "Habibi Dub", a wonderfully cheery, melodic and up-tempo affair full of stylistic nods to 1980s Euro-disco and NYC freestyle (Fairlight stabs, bubbly Bobby Orlando bass, chiming synthesizer riffs, delay-laden drums etc). The package also contains two tasty remixes of the tune - a typically Balearic-minded, delay-laden piano-house take from Phillip Lauer and a more tropical-sounding Mix & Fairbanks take - while one of the two bonus cuts, "Joe Armstrong Theme", sounds like the kind of track you'd hear on the soundtrack to legendary 1980s TV series Miami Vice.
Review: Not content with serving up regular doses of ear-pleasing nu-disco, the Future Disco crew has decided to start sound-tracking days spent lounging on the beach. Somewhat predictably, this second Beach Life selection is packed with seriously steamy, sun-kissed grooves. While this epic digital package does contain two (un-credited) DJ mixes, the real joy is the expansive - not to mention eclectic - selection of DJ-friendly, unmixed tracks. Check, for example, the sun-down, jazz-funk influenced bliss of Folamour's "L'homme Loup", the head-nodding lounge warmth of Snacks' "Daydream", the gentle Balearic nu-disco of Sirs, the lo-fi deep house haziness of DJ Boring and COEO, and the sand-in-the-shoes shuffle of Eli Escobar's delicious remix of Kraak and Smaak's "U R Freak". Throw in a swathe of tasty, laidback but floor-friendly deep house jams and you have a solid collection of serious summer jams.
Review: As per usual, the UK's Toolroom imprint has put together the definitive summer collection when it comes to tech-house and anything minimal. As you can see - and hear - there are 67 tracks on here, all from the very best and most coveted talent in the scene; Mark Knight features prominently, of course, alongside established house entities like Erick Morillo, Format: B, Sascha Funke, Nic Fanciulli, and many others. But, don't stop there, as there is plenty of new talent to discover in artists like SecondCity, GotSome, Marcellus Wallace, ANOTR, and many more. There are three continuous mixes available, also, one for each summer setting. This is BIG!
Review: Since launching back in 2012, Brooklyn imprint Razor-N-Tape has been responsible for releasing some of the finest reworks the re-edit scene has to offer. For proof, check out this second trawl through the label's rapidly expanding back catalogue. There's nary a duffer in sight, with highlights including the mid-tempo, eyes-closed disco brilliance of Michael The Lion's "Any Time", the swirling deep house/disco fusion of Junktion's "I'm Wishing" and the tactile boogie throb of Deep&Disco's sought-after "So Tight" (the best Thelma Houston rework we've ever heard), to the spiraling saxophones of Tom of Brooklyn's tasty "Summer Jam" and COEO's wonderfully evocative and slightly beefed-up Escort rework, "Light Star".
Review: Since the Disco Volante EP first appeared on wax a couple of years back, COEO has gone on to release a trio of sought-after EPs on Toy Tonics. Despite its' vintage, the five-tracker remains one of the Munich duo's strongest releases and sees them blend samples from classic recordings with their own drums and musical flourishes. Check first the breezy Afro-beat-goes-disco cheeriness of "Nigerian Affair", before whacking on the wonderfully rich keys and organic deep house bump of "Pajama Stomp", and the riotous, high-octane disco-house loop-funk of "Long Night Ahead". Best of all, though, is opener "Like It Is", a sweet, dewy-eyed, string-drenched soul revision that achieves the perfect balance between dancefloor grunt, and paying due reverence to the German pair's horn-heavy source material.
Review: Scene veteran Sean Brosnan is the selector behind Future Disco's latest all-action collection of nu-disco and disco-inspired house cuts, which is here presented in DJ-friendly, unmixed form. As usual, you'll find a clutch of recent peak-time club hits - see Louie Vega's fantastic rework of Sylvester's "Dance", the brilliant E-Live Remix of Saucy Lady's boogie-powered "Together" and Danny Krvit's simultaneously stomping and spacey Extended Vocal Dub Edit of Emilie Nana's "I Rise" - alongside previously unheard Future Disco edits and lesser-celebrated gems (see Amp Fiddler's "Steppin", Kraak and Smaak's collaboration with Luxxury, and Greg Wilson's exclusive tweak of Sweet Tooth T's cover of Chemise's boogie classic "She Can't Love You").
