Review: In 2003, amid a shifting landscape of closing record stores and evolving electronic music genres, Phonica Records emerged as a haven for dance and electronic music enthusiasts. Founded by Simon Rigg, Tom Relleen, and Heidi Van Den Amstel with backing from The Vinyl Factory - Phonica aimed to be a welcoming hub for all genres. Starting quietly, the shop gradually gained a strong reputation, fueled by the founders' ties to Koobla Records. Phonica thrived in its early years by championing emerging genres like electro house and minimal-micro house from labels like Kompakt and Perlon. In 2007, the Phonica record label was born, evolving into a platform for both staff and emerging talents, featuring early releases by now-established artists such as Peggy Gou and Four Tet. In 2023, celebrating its 20th anniversary, Phonica showcases its journey with 20 Years Of Phonica - a compilation boasting 18 exclusive tracks from established and rising artists across the label's diverse musical spectrum. Hot tips include tracks by Willow, Dorisburg, Ron Basejam, Roman Flugel and more!
Review: The fact that the previously vinyl-only Ron's Reworks edit series has finally landed on digital download is a very good thing indeed, especially since the man behind the project - nu-disco don Ron Basejam AKA Jim Baron of Crazy P - has been responsible for some fine re-edits over the years. There's plenty to get the blood pumping on this third instalment, starting with 'Revelation' - a sparkling rearrangement of a life-affirming, piano-laden number that sits somewhere between jazz-funk, Latin jazz, spiritual jazz and disco. 'Games You Playing' [sic] is a synth-sporting slab of disco-funk heaviness rich in punchy horns, mazy sax solos and thickset grooves, while 'Bada Bongo' is a percussive, break-driven, drum-heavu workout guaranteed to get limbs moving on the dancefloor.
Review: ISM's tenth anniversary celebrations tend towards the epic, with the Yam Who-helmed label serving up a series of bulging retrospective compilations stacked to the rafters with imprint highlights, dancefloor hits and overlooked gems. This second selection boasts 24 more tried-and-tested ISM classics, from the rubbery disco-funk bounce of Birdee's "Chemistry" and the synth-laden electrofunk revivalism of Qwestlife's D-Train style revision of "Streetlife" by Natasha Watts, to the spiraling Balearic disco throb of Pete Herbert's killer remix of Gemini Brothers' "Jeckermich" and the piano-powered nu-disco-soul of Rocco Raimundo's "Higher Lovin", featuring the smooth vocals of Stee Downes. Other highlights include the boogie-soul revivalism of Sweetooth's "Make Believe" and the hypnotic deep house/electrofunk fusion that is Mark E's fine revision of Heion's "Follow Me".
Review: Here, Aaron Dae and JKriv gather together some highlights from the first three years of their popular re-edit imprint, Razor 'N' Tape. Given the label's infamously high hit rate, it's little surprise to find that Disco Cuts Volume 1 is full of tried-and-tested dancefloor smashers - the kind of dub-flecked, handily compressed jams that work wonders in both disco and house sets. Highlights are naturally plentiful, from the dubby pulse of Deep&Disco's ace Chic rework "Feel The Rhythm", and the cheery '80s soul revivalism of Ron Basejam's gospel boogie cut "Someday", to the undulating grooves of Luvless' "Castles In The Sky" (you can guess the identity of the original source material) and head-nodding pulse of Only Children's chugging "Falling".
Review: If you weren't aware already, Yam Who? is one ambitious, tirelessly active chap. First emerging at the turn of the century with some superb edits of poppy R n'b (anyone remember his boogie take on "Frontin" by Pharrell?) the Yam master has gone on to build quite the empire with his Midnight Riot label. The latest MR release reflects his nature, a new mix featuring 20 killer rollerskate jams from friends as well as some outright classics. Highlights include the glistening, chrome-plated funk of George Kelly's "Turn It Up", the sleek and synthy 80s jam "Living A Lie" by Freekwency and the slammin Linn drum freestyle action of "On The Upside (High Drummer edit)" by Wonkar.
Review: There's a touch of the Clash Of Titans here, with prominent Brooklyn re-edit label Razor N Tape recruiting James Baron (Ron Basejam/Crazy P) for a heavyweight nu-disco release. Baron doesn't disappoint either, delivering three tough disco housers that touch on 80s electro-boogie ("Love Don't Wait"), soulful gospel ("Someday") and loopy, filtered funk ("We Supply").
Review: ISM Records' two Futurism EPs have proved so popular that label boss Yam Who has decided to use them as the inspiration for an expansive compilation of previously unreleased gems. Unlike the label's other popular strand, Midnight Riot, there's always been a bit more of an open-minded, eclectic feel about the Futurism releases. This is no different. Whilst rooted in nu-disco and deep house, Futurism: Shades of Space also touches on 21st century jazz-funk (Manmademusic), bongo-laden spiritual house (Nu Ak's "Fly Away"), fluid garage (Nega Tiv's excellent "Liquid Call"), woozy Balearica (Ben La Desh and Plan DAqua), block party boogie (Questlife feat Wildstyle, Freekwency) and nu-jazz (Hamish Balfour). More importantly, the quality threshold remains high throughout.
Review: Ron Basejam is the alter ego of keyboardist James Baron of Crazy P and Secret Stealth fame. Here he drops his superb full album for Yam Who's ISM label. Fans of Ron include the likes of Gilles Peterson (who put the charismatic ''Into My Life'' on the recent Brownswood Bubblers 5 compilation), DJ Harvey, Dam Funk, The Revenge and Greg Wilson, and it's easy to see why. The album trips through musical genres effortlessly taking elements of the past and fusing them with modern day production techniques. Ron's influences are all represented here, with touches of deep house, disco and melancholic dreamscapes set against jazzual synth funk-fired treatments and vocal sample snippet production. Definitely one to check.
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