Review: During the various lockdowns of 2020 and '21, Crazy P delved deep into their vaults to see what unfinished songs were lurking in the dustier corners of the archive. These were then used as inspiration for new, finished and polished versions. This two-track single contains two fine examples of this repurposing process. Lead cut 'If Life Could Be This Way' is suitably strong - a heart-aching, bittersweet chunk of laidback melancholia that sits somewhere between blue-eyed soul, Balearica and hazy West Coast jazz-rock. It's sure to be a fan favourite in years to come. 'How Could I Know' meanwhile is similarly horizontal, with tear-jerking (electronic) string sounds and a fine lead vocal from Danielle Moore clustering around a clicking, lo-fi drum machine beat.
Review: To mark 15 years of the Lazy Days Recordings label he established with Mike Fresco in 2005, Canadian deep house legend Fred Everything has decided to release a trilogy of celebratory compilations, each of which focuses on a specific five-year block. This one celebrates the best material released on the label over the last five years (2015-2020), delivering thrills by the barrowload. Everyone will have their own highlights, but our picks of an extremely strong bunch include the early Larry Heard style warmth of Lance DiSardi's 'Field Recording', the early morning shuffle of Fred Everything's 'Someone Like You', the rushing piano house revival of Fred Everything and Shur-I-Kan's glassy-eyed 'Until Then', and the glacial, tech-tinged goodness of Martin Iveson's 'Leave Me Here'.
Review: Crazy P drop their ninth studio album in a 23-year career. One of these days, they'll surprise us - either by dropping a thrash metal album, or just by making a record that isn't very good - but that day's still some way off, and for now the Manc trio are happy doing what they do best. And let's be honest, they do it better than most! Danielle Moore's voice seems to improve with every passing year, and if you've ever liked a Crazy P album it's hard to imagine you wouldn't like this one. Lyrically there's a new political edge, but it's the sumptuous, shimmering disco-Balearic grooves that'll win you over first.
Review: No, it's not a cover of the Abba track, though with Crazy P all things are possible! Instead, this trailer single for the Crazy ones' soon-come eighth album 'Age Of The Ego' is a shimmying, sparkling nu-disco jam that's got a lazy, almost Balearic feel, and that comes topped, as ever, by Danielle Moore's fine vocal as well, in this instance, as some parping jazz-funk sax. The album's out at the start of May, with a full UK tour to promote it; until then, there's this!
Review: In case you haven't noticed, Paper Recordings has been on fire in the 18 months that have passed since Paper Cuts volume three landed. Further proof is provided by volume four of the label's "best of" series, which adds a couple of unheard exclusives - the sparkling, ever-building nu-disco headiness of Bachgenaur's "Steady Drummer" and Vinny Villbass's Metro Area-ish instrumental re-make of Diskobeistet's "Birkelunden" - to a tight list of 2016 and 2017 highlights. These include (but aren't limited to) Chris Massey's rubbery, funk-fuelled tweak of 2 Billion Beats' "Sold My Soul", the glassy-eyed, sunset-friendly warmth of Crazy P's "Last Knockers", the organic haziness of Steve Cobby's "Boule De Suif" and the soulful house/nu-disco fusion of DJ Spinna's ace rework of Soundersons' "Can't Get Enough".
Izo FitzRoy - "Hope You Can Wait" (Hot Toddy remix) - (5:06) 120 BPM
The Lab Rats & The Experiment - "Music Is My Way Of Life" (feat Lisa Millett - The Lab Rats Present The Experiment/Lab Rats Main Experiment) - (8:11) 125 BPM
Marc Evans - "The Way U Love Me" (Dim's TSOP version) - (9:44) 126 BPM
LaTrece - "I Want To Thank You" (MK Downtown mix) - (6:17) 114 BPM
Puzique - "Nice N Tight" (Urban Blues Project remix) - (7:34) 125 BPM
Review: Following on from their successful hook up with 2020 Vision, nu-disco heroes Crazy P have now joined forces with the Classic label (how has this not happened before?!) and here we get the "Truelight EP". Spacey retro soul balladry gives way to filthy cosmic funk on "One True Light" and "In My Hands" is nasty Padlock EP-style disco of the highest order. Hot Toddy (aka Chris Todd of Crazy P) remixes the latter into hypnotic acid and band co-founder Ron Basejam turns the former into chugging, sun-warped Balearic boogie.
Review: The Paper Recordings household keeps coming up with the goods; each new month brings a whole heap of quality house material, and this time they've grouped together a truly special crew of producers. Futureboogie and 20:20 Vision causual, Crazy P, kicks things off by delivering a magnetic slice of slo-mo, funk house in "Last Knockers", a true gem for the boogie heads, and just a great dance tune all-round. Paper Recordings associate, Flash Atkins, goes into more progressive mood on his "Rivers Of Jordan", a house nugget with a fine layer of arpeggios for maximum club damage, and Steve Cobby's "Boule De Suif" ties this stunning little three-tracker off with some gentle, balearic house waves that push the dust into the beat - check those vintage video game sonics, too!
Review: On this second set of remixes of tracks from Crazy P's well-received Walk Talk Dance Sing full-length, band member Chris "Hot Toddy" Todd is in the ascendency. He delivers two tasty reworks, turning "Cruel Mistress" into a Moroder-goes-deep house nu-disco shuffler, before reaching for the lasers on a "Disco Redux" of "Something More" that bobs and weaves - all jaunty synths, piano chords and looped vocals - more than a retired boxer on crack. As fine as these two versions are, the headline attraction is undoubtedly Luke Solomon's version of "Echo". Typically bumping and energetic, it laces Danielle Moore's hazy vocal over an analogue-rich backing track full of incessant drum machine hits and twisted electronics.
Review: Some 18 years after first appearing on Paper Recordings, disco/house/jazz-funk fusionists Crazy P are still going strong. In fact, their recent Walk Talk Dance Sing album - their eighth studio set - is arguably one of their strongest for years. Here, two highlights from that set get the remix treatment. Band members Chris 'Hot Toddy' Todd and Jim 'Ron Basejam' Baron each provide a rub, with the latter's swirling, organ-laden nu-disco-meets-jazz funk-meets-deep house version of "Cruel Mistress" really impressing. Elsewhere, Asadinho's woozy, steel drum-laden organic house interpretation of "Cruel Mistress" is particularly impressive, but it's Juju & Jordash's version of the same track that really impresses. Trippy, left-of-centre and full of both bleeping analogue synths and dubbed-out disco elements, it's a fittingly eccentric interpretation.
Review: Veteran UK house act Crazy P (aka Danielle Moore, Jim Baron and Chris 'Toddy' Todd) are back with a defiant new long player courtesy of the Walk Dance Talk Sing label. It's been a few years since we've had a album from the group, and this 11-track-strong effort doesn't disappoint. Highlights include the sumptuous opener, the sleepy disco of "Like A Fool", the slinky and soulful synth odyssey "Echo" and the beguilingly honeyed female vocal chorus of the title track. Walk Dance Talk Sing fits the bill for this Saturday's night party or Sunday morning's chillout soundtrack.
Crazy P - "Clouds" (Outboxx remix) - (6:17) 120 BPM
James Fox - "Holding On" (feat Vanity Jay - NYC mix) - (5:57) 120 BPM
Tempelhof - "Drake" (Future Disco edit) - (6:21) 83 BPM
ADA - "Maps" (Michael Mayer & Tobias Thomas remix) - (8:54) 125 BPM
Downtown Party Network - "Space Me Out" (feat Egle Sirvydyte - Mario Basanov remix) - (8:18) 120 BPM
Clockwork - "Lost Keys" (feat Tale Of Us) - (5:02) 120 BPM
Various Artists - "Future Disco - 'Til The Lights Come Up" (continuous mix) - (1:02:58) 121 BPM
Review: How many long-running compilation series are still going in this day and age? Ok, well respected ones then. Sean Brosnan's Future Disco series has always delivered the goods and can always be used as a benchmark for where the nu-disco world is at any one time. This time, it's (perhaps unsurprisingly) all about the vintage house vibes so not so disco then, but still a thrilling listen. Highlights include the slinky DJ T-esque "You're The One", the ever-brilliant DJ Koze's remix of hot newcomers Mount Kimble and the deeply enchanting Axel Boman remix of "Naughty".
Review: With an intrinsic link to the Futureboogie crew in the live arena, long-serving UK house crew Crazy P bring their broad sound to the label with gusto, maximising on the skills the component member possess. Most apparent of these is Danielle Moore with her arresting croon shining through the most on "Clouds", and also popping up in snippet form on "Burning". There is a spread of different moods at work across the tracks from seedy electro tones on the first track to the sizzling disco flavour of "Virtuality", leaving plenty of room for Outboxx to lay down a blissful slice of keys-rich deep house in their inimitable style.
