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Secret Soul Society
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Review: Something of a departure here for former Neon Heights man Cal Gibson's Secret Soul Society, as out go the dusty lo-fi beats and hazy Balearic loveliness, and in steps some electronic disco struttery to take their place. That's not to say the EP as a whole isn't still a fairly mellow affair - it's not all angles, dry ice and cheekbones - but the synth collection definitely gets a bit more of a bashing this time out! The title track in particular gets quite eardrum-piercing in places, though 'Wonder' is a bit closer in spirit to earlier releases, a languorous headnodder for those times when being vertical just doesn't seem worth the effort.
Review: "Wanna Be Free" by Boogie Brothers vs Secret Soul Society is a disco house track that features a catchy vocal sample, a funky guitar riff and a disco beat. The track has a classic and uplifting vibe, as well as some modern and fresh elements. The EP also comes with a dub mix that strips away the vocals and adds some synth stabs and effects. "Wanna Be Free" is a fun and groovy release that showcases Boogie Brothers and Secret Soul Society's talents, and yet another great release on Citizens Of Vice.
Review: Secret Soul Society return with a three-tracker that'll suit those who like their disco and Balearica on the slightly more abstract side. A looping, chimes-like riff forms the backbone of 'Bring Me Love', with cascading drums below and a treated one-line vocal (the title) on top - one for the warm-up or lazy afternoons on a Mediterranean beach. For 'Talking About Love', think early 80s boogie dosed with CBD and passed through a nu-disco filter, and you're roughly in the right ballpark. But the best bet for floor play is probably the more strutty and urgent-sounding 'Needy', which drips with repressed energy before busting out soul horns and vox.
Various
Played by: Secret Soul Society
Played by: Secret Soul Society
Review: Citizens Of Vice bring us a new three-track, four-mix EP from Secret Soul Society, a loose collective headed up by deep house and Balearic stalwart Cal Gibson, AKA Neon Heights. The EP opens with the uber-drifty Original Mix of 'Take A Chance On Love', which is all slo-mo drums, layered atmospherics and haunting female vocal snip. That's followed (somethat ironically) by 'Driftin', a midtempo number with a soulful female vocal; then we get a more obvious call to dance in the form of the fat-bottomed, boogie-vocalled 'For You & Me', before the Italo-flavoured Popsneon Oh Laura Remix of 'Take A Chance...' completes the EP.
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Various
Review: A definite case of wearing your heart on your sleeve here, as Discoholics Anonymous serve up an eight-track collection of tracks built for when you and that special someone are (ahem) getting better acquainted. Some of the tracks here are straight-up re-edits - Gwen McCrae's "Let's Straighten It Out" becomes Lup Ino's "Tossing And Turning", while Billy Paul's "Let's Make A Baby" is reworked by The Found Sound Orchestra and FF Edits revisit a much-loved Bobby Caldwell classic. Others are seemingly original productions, while stylistically the album ranges from scratchy leftfield hip-hop to mellow Balearica to smooth soul... but as a set, it should serve its purpose perfectly.
