Review: Arriving just in time for the summer season, Hot Digits delivers a compilation that is tailor made to soundtrack lazy, hazy days. Even Funkier's "Feel So Good Inside" is an irresistible, funk-fuelled disco groove, while Ben Jamin's "Handle" inhabits a similar space. Soaked in wailing guitar and soulful vocals, it's a wonderfully infectious track. Both Andy Buchan and P-Sol raise the tempo with string-filled disco workouts, while Fray Bentos' "Danced To Death" offers a more electronic take on this sound. The compilation does veer towards house on occasion - most impressively with the subtle drum builds and chord progressions on Down Under Disco's "On My Mind". In the main though, Year Nine impresses most when it draws on disco and funk influences, such as the raucous party jam that is label owner Fingerman's collaboration with Chewy Rubs, "Block Party Bad Boy".
Review: Over the past few years, Qwestlife - AKA Yam Who's Andy Williams and new partner-in-crime Tom Laroye - have become go-to sprinklers of magic disco dust in the same way the likes of Dr Packer, Richard Earnshaw and Dave Lee were before them. Here, Midnight Riot gather together 11 of their best re-rubs, and just one look at the artist roster - Mannix, Ron Carroll, Andre Espeut, Nick Reach Up, Rony Breaker - should be enough to get lovers of the soulful stuff salivating, with standouts for this writer including the boogie nouveau of Jack Tyson Charles's 'Best Friend' and The Wandas' dreamy, soul-drenched 'Baby Don't You Go'.
Review: Austrian producer Manfred Kling, AKA Mannix, has a CV that takes in labels such as Midnight Riot, Peppermint Jam, Black Vinyl, Duff Note and Favouritizm. Now, he makes his Slightly Transformed debut with two original disco productions that capture that late 70s vibe while still sounding up-to-date. 'Find A Love' has the surging, looping feel of filter disco and sports a hefty b-line, near-falsetto male vox and euphoric brass, not to mention some subtle but impressive Rhodes work towards the end, while 'Stay Stay Stay' nudges even closer to disco-house territory with trumpet parps, soaring strings, Blaxploitation-esque guitar squalls and a boogie-style male vocal.
Review: The fast-rising See Saw label hasn't put a foot wrong since launching back in March, offering much-check material from such nu-disco scene favourites as Hotmood, Pookie Knights and Monsieur Von Pratt. Here they showcase a sole track from another scene darling, sometime Midnight Riot, Re-Loved and Tropical Disco contributor MANNIX. The Austrian producer has undoubtedly hit the mark with "Balearic Funk", a joyously up-beat and positive chunk of retro-futurist piano house action full of hands-in-the-air riffs, rubbery slap-bass samples, handclap-heavy nu-disco drums and swirling effects. It's the kind of effortlessly cheery and sunny track that can't fail to raise a few smiles out on the dancefloor, and you always need a few of those on your USB stick.
Review: Seamus Haji's disco and boogie label Re-Love bring us a two-tracker from scene stalwart Mannix, and a predictably classy affair it is too: with no immediately recognisable samples in play, we'll assume these are original productions rather than re-edits, but Mannix has captured the lavish feel of original 1970s disco perfectly. 'Just Believe' is the funkier of the two, with a full-phat bassline front and centre and an almost chant-like female chorus, while 'My All' is big, swirly and orchestral, with strings that just don't stop augmented by some killer space disco stabs. Contemporary disco at its best!
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