Review: We can think of few DJs more suited to compile a retrospective of killer 1990s house and garage than Z Records boss Joey Negro and Fanatix member Neil Pierce. It's perhaps unsurprising then that this follow-up to Negro's admired 2015 compilation is packed to the rafters with must-have treats. There are naturally some suitably big cuts present - see Kerri Chandler's fine mix of N-Joi's "Anthem" and Todd Terry's rub of Martha Walsh's "Runaround" - but for the most part the selections will be new to all but a small collection of veteran US garage enthusiasts. Our highlights include the riff-powered goodness of Slam Mode's "100% Power", Marshall Jefferson's deep dub of Screamin' Rachael's "Rock Me" and the soulful rush of Donald O's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright".
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".
Review: When it comes to blending classic disco and bumpin' peak-time house, few can match Joey Negro - a man who has been offering up disco-fied house jams since the early '90s. There are naturally plenty of his own tracks and remixes on "Put Some Disco In The House", an expansive collection of quality disco-house moments, with highlights including the rolling disco-boogie heat of "Put The Music On It (Original Disco Mix)", the chunky, walking bass-propelled "Dancing Into The Stars" (with Horse Meat Disco and Angela Johnson) and a slamming rework of Sessomato's jazz-funk flavoured "Moody". There's plenty of heat to be found elsewhere, too, with standouts including JKriv and Adeline's "Vertigo", Opolopo's boogie-tinged revision of Sylvester classic "I Need You" and the spiraling disco pump of Yam Who and Jaegerossa's "Grateful".
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!
Review: This excellent collection from Z Records draws together some of boss man Joey Negro's favourite label cuts of 2019, many of which he of course had a hand in either producing or remixing. There are naturally tons of superb multi-track remixes of disco gems old and new (see the versions of the O'Jays, Delia Renee, Tamiko Jones and Double Exposure), as well as fresh revisions of vintage Joey Negro house productions under other aliases (Doug Willis, Z Factor, Foreal People) and a swathe of killer cuts that join the dots between disco and house (Sunkids and Chance, Four80 East and CeCe Peniston, Bobby D'Ambrosia and Michelle Weeks). Throw in tracks and remixes from the likes of Fouk, Crackazat and Lay-Far and you have a superb collection of peak-time-ready workouts.
Shay Jones - "When Love Calls" (E-Smoove's Late Night) - (7:08) 120 BPM
Slam Dunk'd - "No Price" (feat Chromeo & Al-P - Dr Packer extended remix) - (8:06) 123 BPM
Luke Solomon - "Light You Up" (feat Queen Rose & Amy Douglas - Louie Vega Roots mix) - (9:10) 123 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
Copyright & One Track Minds - "Good For You" (feat Angie Brown) - (8:17) 125 BPM
Review: The Z Records crew is off to the White Isle of Ibiza and they want us to dance along at home - hence this fittingly summery selection of celebratory disco and house gems. There are naturally plenty of recent label highlights (see the cuts from Crackazat and JKriv & Adeline) and a swathe of fine tracks and revisions from boss man Joey Negro. Amongst the many highlights you'll find the celebratory disco brilliance of Bob Sinclar, Dimitri From Paris and Byron Stingily's "Love Is The Answer", the boogie/house/soul fusion of Opolopo's colourful revision of "Searching" by Roberto De Carlo and Dyanna Fearon, the soulful house sweetness of Cookie's "Best Part of Me (Unreleased Original Mix)", and Faze Action's epic, solo-laden, jazz-funk style re-make of Raven Maize classic "Forever Together".
Review: If you missed any of Z Records most potent releases this year, do not fear: boss man Joey Negro has brought together all of the label's best bits on one handy, plus-sized compilation. There's another chance to savour the Escort style Brooklyn disco revivalism of J Kriv and Adeline's "Vertigo", Sean McCabe's smooth and soulful rework of Detroit Rising and Ron Trent's impeccably musically rich remix of Joey Negro's "Distorting Space Time". Synth-fired boogie goodness is also provided via a superb "Unreleased Dub" of Janet Kay's 1980s gem "Eternally Grateful" and a brilliant Joey Negro rework of the APX, while soaring, string-laden disco hits are dotted throughout the compilation. If you dig disco, house and boogie, you need this in your life.
Review: Half the fun of each new Ibiza season is the accompanying DJ mix albums that ensue. Here it's the turn of Z Records' legend, Joey Negro, who compiles and selects Z Records Presents Ibiza 2017. With Joey Negro you know you will always get an expert blend of house and disco, new and old. Here we see exclusives rub shoulders with first time digital virgins. Highlights include Dr Packer's thumping edit of "Change Position (88)" by Brooklyn Express, the hazy bass twangs of "Phantom" by A Band Called Flash and the warm electro of "It's More Fun To Compute" by Negro himself.
Review: A UK disco master with almost 30 years experience, when Dave Lee aka Joey Negro presents his selections we all sit up and listen. Here's his take on the year that was and it's brimming with 19 rich and rewarding gems to see us through the holidays. Highlights include the deep gospel shuffle of "Reach Out (Atjaz remix)" by Sean McCabe, the sizzling crackle of camp disco accelerator "Unique (New York Underground mix)" by Danube Dance & Kim Cooper and Pezzner's warm synth funk rework of "Candy Coated Perfection" by Opolopo and Diane Charlemagne.
Review: It's that time of year again when Joey Negro unveils his label's choicest cuts for the latest season on the White Isle. As usual it's a selection of both quality and quantity (22 tracks in all) and highlights include the laser-disco-house of Doug Willis' "Spread Love", the linear stomp of The Sunburst Band's "Journey To The Sun" and Munk's cheeky hi-NRG rework of "Do you Dream In Colour".
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...
Review: According to the law of weather, it's not officially summer until Joey Negro releases his annual compendium of sun-kissed funk, soul, house and electronica. Ergo, all rubbish weather you've experienced so far this season is down to this not coming out until mid August! Better late than never eh? And with cuts as beautiful and deep as Agora's flute-flicking "Montayo", Masters At Work's broken beat analysis of The Blackbyrds "Mysterious Vibe" and Supernova's Nalin & Kane style remix of Jakatta's "American Dream" the rain and grey skies have been worth it. 24 cuts, all unmixed for your DJ pleasure, squeeze as much out of this season and jump on this now.
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.
Review: Covering the many guises of Dave "Joey Negro" Lee, Z Records compile some of the British house don's most 'beefa-shaped moments on this new, 25-track collection. Recent delights, such as his collaboration with Gramaphonedzie ("No Sugar") and his more soulful Doug Willis project ("Music Speaks Louder Than Words") mix up against classics such as "The Real Life" (done under Lee's "Raven Maise" alias) and tribal-house anthem "American Dream" - here represented with the extended "Different Gear" mix. Look out also for The Revenge's excellent edit of the disco bomb "Kilimanjaro" by Letta Mbulu.
Review: Having already compiled "20 Years Of Joey Negro" earlier in the year, Z Records have now put together some of the many-aliased producer's best mixes and originals from the last twelve months. The fluid funk of his mix of AC Soul Sympnoy's "Still In Love" is a stand-out, while his slow funky-house version of Carly Simon's "Why" is another must-have. With his Raven Maise and Akabu projects also handsomely represented here too, this is a key collection for all funky house fans.
Review: You probably couldn't find a more fitting remixer for Joey Negro's live disco/boogie combo, The Sunburst Band, than serial re-editor and self-proclaimed "revisionist" The Reflex. Here, he naturally does a stellar job with the parts to a pair of Sunburst Band classics, emphasizing the more traditional elements of the original tracks in his usual trademark style. So, he goes heavy on the cut-glass strings on his superb 'Revision' of the breezy disco-boogie anthem "The Secret Life Of Us", before delivering a slightly chunkier, groove-based "Vocodub" of the same track. Best of all, though, is the London-based Frenchman's version of "Caught In The Moment", which majestically stretches out the intro before turning the original into a sun-kissed, soft focus, soulful house classic.
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.
Review: Here Z Records boss Joey Negro presents his own take on the everlasting 90s revival. Just like on all his other projects he's dug deeper to present gems the label say may have until now slipped under the garage doors (i.e. haven't yet been granted digital immortality). Highlights of these 26 rarities include Robert Owens' smooth n' sultry synth jam "Gotta Work", the bitchy disco of "Unique" by Danube Dance & Kim Cooper and the raw attitude of Mike Delgado's "The Murder Track". With this fine release, who needs a time machine?
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".
Review: Joey Negro's Soul Of Disco series has always been a great source of forgotten disco gems for those who like their dance music rich, stringy and soulful. This third two-disc selection from the Z Records boss is no different. For disco diggers, there's plenty to enjoy, be it the rich, horn-drenched instrumental grooves of Board Of Directors' "Hanging Tough", the raw, clavinet groove of Loi's "Body Contact" or the wobbly synth bass and perfect percussion of Phenomenal's "One Two Three". With a smattering of bonus re-edits from Joey Negro himself for those who like their grooves a bit more DJ-friendly, The Soul Of Disco 3 is nigh on essential.
Review: Joey Negro focuses entirely on the Brit Funk movement of the 1970s and 80s on his latest mix compilation. The twenty-three tracks provide an extensive history on the genre and contain a number of extremely rare and very sought after crate digging collectables. Avoiding the huge hits of the scene which appear on retrospectives the world over, Negro unleashes a host of the genre's underground club hits that remained only on the local scene, many of which were re-edited by Negro exclusively for this compilation. Do not miss this.
Review: Joey's live band get geared up for the summer with a brand new single. It's been a while since we heard any brand new material - almost four years in fact - but, as with pretty much all of Dave Lee's projects, it's been worth the wait. With soothing harmonies, infectious percussion, a gutsy bass groove and lavish strings, it's an instant heart warmer with instant appeal. For those looking for a more stripped back groove, head directly to the Latin Escapade dub where you'll hear that slick, strolling bass in all its live glory. There's also an instrumental, reprise AND accapella on offer, meaning no DJ need is left out. Truly sun-splashed, let's hope it encourages some better weather...
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