Review: Hit makers Rodgers and Edwards' mammothly influential Chic songs enjoy one of the finest curatorial salutes from UK disco's most discerning torch-bearer/creator Dave Lee. Digging deep into his vaults and unearthing some of the best homages, references and blatant covers, Negro join the dots and delivers some rarities you may have never heard before. Get lost in the music of She's shiny guitar strumming "Easy Money", freak out to Charanga 76's "Good Times" and get lucky with Van Jones's "Not About That"... Everyone knows about the hits and influence, most of us know how important a role Chic played in sample culture but Negro has gone the extra mile to celebrate some of the lesser known references Chic have had over the years. Freaking great.
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: 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!
Review: Dave Lee's Z Records imprint has always been a reliable source of the sort of grandstanding house, soulful garage and disco-flecked grooves that require strong vocals. Lee, of course, is a past master at this kind of thing, and his 20-plus year career has seen him forge links with many legendary vocalists. This compilation celebrates those 'divas' - there are notable appearances from Taana Gardner, Gwen Guthrie, Thelma Houston, Michele Weeks and Taka Boom - by showcasing some of their best work for Z. There's some great material peppered throughout, from the classic disco-soul of the Sunburst Band's "In The Thick of It" and "Everyday", to the block party electrofunk of Kola Kube's cover of Carly Simon's "Why".
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - "Back It On Up" - (6:34)
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".
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: 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".
