Review: Some would argue that Aeroplane's productions have not been the same since Vito De Luca and Stephen Fasano went their separate ways. While Fasano is rebuilding his career as The Magician, De Luca has been left to carry on producing and DJing as Aeroplane alone. Here he brushes aside criticism of his debut album with a debut mix set. It's actually rather good, offering a typically accessible and synth-heavy mix of groovy contemporary disco (Cosmonauts, Drop out Orchestra, Poolside), unreleased exclusives (his own, auto-tune heavy "Save Me Now") and forgotten gems (Stars On 33) that touches on curious Balearica, Italo and punk-disco. This digi version is available in its intended mixed form, but you can also buy the tracks featured individually!
Review: Given Lightspeed Recordings' love of vintage synths sounds, electrofunk dub effects and contemporary nu-disco, it's little surprise to find that "Disco Me", a collaboration between funtime disco chap DJ Agent 86 and productive veterans Drop Out Orchestra, resembles a contemporary fusion of '80s electro and Italo. The solid original is joined by a wealth of remixes, including a sparkling, electric piano-laden proto-garage tweak from DJ Rocca and a chugging Italo version from Kid Who. Delightfully, there's also a wonderfully camp Hi-NRG take from George Kelly that bizarrely features a great electric guitar solo.
Review: On their previous outing, long-serving nu-disco duo Drop Out Orchestra joined forces with vocalist Emma Putila for a cheery outing that cannily combined elements of celebratory disco old and new. This time out, they've opted for more of a Balearic nu-disco feel, with calming flute solos, rich electric piano chords and colourful synth sounds riding snappy drums and one of their trademark bass guitar lines. Throw in some clipped, Chic style guitar riffs and jazzy solos and you have a track tailor made for lazy afternoons and humid evenings. The obligatory remix comes courtesy of rising star Monsieur Von Pratt, who makes the most of the pair's brilliant bass and guitar parts, combining them with chunkier beats and a few more squiggly synth lines to excellent effect.
Review: There's an authenticity to the multi-coloured disco revivalism of Drop Out Orchestra that's hard to dislike. While their music is more often than not firmly focused on contemporary dancefloors - see the nu-disco of "Made Fists" or the Italo-and-electrofunk influenced goodness of "Trees, Grass and Stones" - they're not afraid to proudly display their influences. This six-track EP for File Under Disco comes loaded with original instrumentation - rubbery electric bass, parping horns, soaring strings, loose drums - and unashamedly fun tracks that touch on disco-funk ("Red Beans"), Salsoul-ish disco-pomp ("The National Theatre", "Day Vague") and even jazz-funk (the Blue Feather-ish "The Blue Train"). As a result, it's a pleasing blast of retro-futurist disco fun.
Review: Having already stormed up the sales charts on vinyl, Ron Basejam and Dicky Trisco's Drop Out Orchestra reworks finally make their way to digital download. Trisco's mix is particularly good fun, offering the perfect balance between percussion-laden disco revivalism (check the low-slung walking bass, jazz guitar and heavyweight timbales hits) and slick nu-disco (tasty synth melodies, some 21st century FX). Crazy P man Ron Basejam opts for a housier approach, weighing in with a mix that sits somewhere between electrofunk revivalism, jazz-funk and string-laden deep house. Expect to hear it plenty of times on disco dancefloors over the next six months.
Review: Drop Out Orchestra's "It Will Never Be The Same Again" first appeared on Aeroplane's In-Flight Entertainment mix in October 2011, and here we finally see a single release on Eskimo Recordings, including a set of remixes from the likes of Moullinex and Punks Jump Up. Moullinex takes the optimistic core of the original and injects some Chicago snare rolls and a rounded, plucking bass line that sits in the back of the throat. Punks Jump Up meanwhile utilise a notable clap drenched in a deadly phase that cuts right through the beat. The vocal hook, fierce piano stabs and soft guitar sounds all dovetail with effortless aplomb, making for a very enjoyable cut that rounds off a fine release.
Review: The ever prolific Drop out Orchestra return with another new single, the all-action disco slammer that is "Ego". As with previous releases, the action centres around heavyweight live bass, this time wrapped around hustling funk guitars and the odd burst of jangly piano. It's loose, live and a whole lot of fun. This time round, there's a strong remix package to get stuck into, too, including a rare rework from Black Strobe. The Parisian duo pepper their stripped-back electrofunk version with simmering synth-strings, whilst Lou Teti turns the original into a breezy nu-disco jam. There's also an uber-Balearic, piano-laden version from Tronik Youth that impresses, too.
Review: Drop Out Orchestra treat us to three versions of "West Gothic Climax", namely the original 12" mix, an instrumental and a remix from Dana Bergquist. The funk laden, synth heavy original is worth the admission price alone, but it's Bergquist's dubby, heads down refix that is taking the plaudits here at Juno Download HQ - the twisted mid section breakdown is particularly memorable. A dub version which brings the seriously sleazy guitar to the fore rounds off another excellent release from the Swedes.
Review: In recent times, Drop Out Orchestra have moved further towards the worlds of synth-pop and touchy-feely nu-disco. "Your Girl", featuring the vocals of Kinema, continues this journey. While some of their trademarks are present - the rubbery electric bass, disco-flecked guitars, organic sounding percussion etc - the overall impression is of an act attempting to make shimmering, smiling pop music. The Dub wisely makes more use of the original's disco elements, lacing the original's tactile chords atop a guitar-heavy groove. Disturbingly, it also features some needless vocoder vocals. Best of all, though, is Kinema's remix. This offers a sparse and sprightly disco-pop take on the shiny original.
Review: If you're a fan of smart dubby disco grooves driven by insatiable funk basslines, it's likely you'll own at least one Drop Out Orchestra production or remix. Here, they apply their bass-driven goodtime disco formula and apply it to vocal disco-pop. The results are as hooky, well produced and deliciously groovy as you'd expect, with Kinema's vocals fitting the insatiable backing like a well-worn glove. Instrumental and dub versions are included (the latter coming on like an early 80s synth disco production given a Balearic tweak) for those who don't dig the vocal, while floor-friendly remixes are provided by Casio Social Club, JD73 and Faze Action (our pick).
Review: Drop Out Orchestra are one of a handful of acts producing high quality revivalist disco and boogie, joining the dots between classic sounds and modern nu-disco. "Tough Love", their latest single on their own Drop Out label, is one of the strongest examples of their retro-futurist sound for some time. The original version, featuring the vocals of Steven Kimber, bristles with classic electrofunk synths, cheery disco guitars and snappy drum machine beats. The Cyclist delivers the obligatory remix, adding some stonking house pianos on a bright-and-breezy nu-disco take that's even more upbeat than the original. Best of all, though, is the percussion-heavy Tough Dub, a delay-laden instrumental in the style of 1980s boogie dubs.
Review: The Drop Out Orchestra massive make an appearance outside of their more familiar Drop Out label and land most vertically on Germany's Peppermint Jam with a four-pronged house affair for the weekend evenings. "I Got It" is a soulful, disco-leaning romper-stomper with classy vocals by Yvette and all that stringy goodness you'd come to associate with the 70's. The tune is rewired by HIMWOL into a funky house number and by Gary Baldi into an 80's electro kinda jam. You also get an instrumental of the original, naturally...
Review: In a bid to promote their first vinyl compilation, Original & Unreleased Volume 1, the kind lads and lasses at File Under Disco have delivered this digital taster. It features remixes of previously released FUD jams by Drop Out Orchestra and JKriv & The Disco Machine. The former's "The National Theatre" gets a jaunty, extra-percussive refresh from British nu-disco veterans Dicky Trisco and Pete Herbert, who make great use of the original's sharp, swirling strings and low-slung groove. Arguably even better, though, is Get Down Edits' remix of JKriv and company's "Disco Rocket", which expertly laces the original's celebratory vocal around a breezy, sparse, bass-heavy disco groove.
Review: Ten years ago, Eskimo Recordings emerged from Ghent, as an outlet for mix albums from hometown heroes the Glimmers. Since then, the label has gone on to be a leading light on the nu-disco and nu Balearic scenes. Fittingly, this expansive tenth anniversary set was put together by the Glimmers, and features two solo DJ mixes featuring label highlights aplenty. For DJs, the real bonus is the huge selection of unmixed tracks on display, which adeptly showcases the depth and variety of the label's output. Highlights are plentiful, from the woozy Scandolearic vibes of Lindstrom & Prins Thomas and brilliance of early Aeroplane, to the sun-bright dream pop of Hiem, and the bouncing dancefloor groovery of LHAS Inc.
Review: With 23 tracks to choose from, there's no faulting the value for money offered by this summer compilation from London's Slightly Transformed label. Such an extensive tracklist also offers plenty of scope for stylistic variety, with tracks ranging from laidback, groovesome boogie/soul jams like opener 'What Are We Gonna Do' to the mellow Balearic haze of 'Summer In The City', via the strident 80s attitude of 'Edgy', the looping filter disco of 'Something About Love', the authentic-sounding Blaxploitation funk of 'Mac And Carly Go Uptown', the Zapp/Cameo-isms of 'Firebabe' and even a bossa nova cover of Bill Withers. Serve poolside, accompanied by several mojitos, for maximum impact!
Review: There's no high concept behind Midnight Riot's latest compilation of label favourites and unheard cuts, just a desire to deliver "summer burners" to "make your body move". As usual, label boss Yam Who has gathered together a selection of original productions, re-edits and remixes that prioritize frenzied limb shaking. Highlights include a deliciously deep and woozy, Joey Negro style M+M rub of Soulpersona's "Sunset City", a bouncy, boogie-meets-nu-disco revision of Hypnotic Lovers' "Chemistry" by Birdee, the sax-laden disco-funk shuffle of Stephen King's "Hold On To You", some soaring peak-time disco edit business from Alan Dixon and a suitably cheery, talkbox-sporting rework of an underground disco classic by long-serving edit crew Drop Out Orchestra.
Review: As you might extrapolate from the title, Riot In Lagos is Midnight Riot's tribute to the endearing influence of African dance music. In typical style, this is achieved through a blend of contemporary productions, sample-heavy cuts and edits of original African material. The standard is impressively high throughout, with little in the way of fluff or filler. Highlights include, but are not limited to, the inspired deep house/Afro-disco fusion of Mena & Melgado's "African Food", the rich deep house bump of Yam Who's "How We Do", the dense percussion and glistening guitars of Drop Out Orcherstra's Candido tribute, "Jin Go La", and the pitched-down, Fela-in-dub chug of Hober Mallow's "Egbe Mi O". Oh, and Jonny Walters' hypnotic Afro-boogie shuffler "Jam Bo Ree".
