Sporting a finely tuned, funk-infused aesthetic and dynamic, York-based label and release outlet Alpaca Edits have carved out a real niche for themselves in the thriving, multi-pronged soul, funk and disco scenes. With plenty of cross pollination between each sound, this sustained diversity has been a major marker of their widespread popularity, driven firmly by the enigmatic Pete Le Freq. A sharp focus on tasteful, respectful disco edits (both nu and old-style) has made them a force to be reckoned with, backed up by cracking appearances from Andy Buchan, Chuggin Edits and Deelicious, as well as Le Freq’s own seminal ‘Refreqs’ series - all have received widespread support and attention. A platform cherished and firmly appreciated by many, Alpaca Edits will continue to be a UK staple for years to come.
Review: UK stalwart Pete Le Freq cut his teeth on the East Midlands deep house scene, coming up alongside the likes of Inland Knights and DiY, but these days you'll find him working mostly in the disco and funk sphere. And now here comes an 11-track collection that's very much in the latter vein, and whose genesis is rather neatly explained by the title! 'Lip Gloss' reworks Hi-Gloss's 'You'll Never Know' and 'Spidey's Girl' chops up 'Mary Jane' by Rick James; that suggests the other nine cuts are also probably re-edits, but if so he's dug admirably deep for inspiration! Either way, if it's disco and funk from the more traditional side you're after, you'll find much to enjoy here...
Review: Pete Le Freq's re-edit series reaches Volume 5, with more cryptic artist names providing cheeky clues as to the sources. 'Day And Night Working' by Son Of Jack is an obvious one (The Jacksons, 'Working Day And Night', 1982), while Salsoul Orchestra's 1975 'Chicago Bus Stop' provides the basis for 'Sheffield's Bus Station' by Sal's Really Big Band. Elsewhere, 'Tried, Tested & Positive' and 'Discovered A Vaccine', both credited to AAS, are a couple of string-drenched, uptempo 70s-style disco stompers with big diva vocals - and were known in a previous life as 'Tried, Tested And Found True' and 'Found A Cure' by Ashford & Simpson.
Review: A stalwart of the UK's deep house scene for over 20 years, Pete Le Freq comes to Alpaca Edits here with four very classy reworkings. Given that the original tracks in question are Skyy's 'Here's To You' (in Vocal and Dub flavours), Smokey Robinson's 'Being With You' and The Jones Girls' 'Nights Over Egypt', you certainly couldn't accuse the man of willful obscurantism when it comes to source material, but all three/four are very well done - especially 'Being With U', which has always been something of a guilty, schmaltzy pleasure for this reviewer and which just got one helluva lot easier to programme!
Review: York's Alpaca Edits label bring us four more reworkings of classic dancefloor cuts - and have some fun with the nomenclature while they're about it. So D Train's 'You're The One For Me' gets reinvented as 'One' by D'Bus, Imagination's 'Flashback' becomes 'Back Flash' by Brain Ideas, Funkadelic's '(Not Just) Knee Deep' is reworked as 'Dirty Knees' by Local Assembly (geddit? Parliament!) and Player's 'Baby Come Back' gets plundered for 'Back Baby Ribs' by Game Participant. We won't be handing out any crate-diggin' medals for this one, then, but all four re-edits are very serviceable and sure to raise a few smiles on the dancefloor.
Review: Mexican producer Jesus Rodriguez, better known as Monsieur Van Pratt, comes to Alpaca Edits with three reworkings of vintage dancefloor cuts, though the originals in this instance remain sadly unidentified. 'Me & You' is a brass-tastic cut with a near-falsetto male "you give me so much pleasure" vocal, if that helps, while 'Talk About Funky' sounds like it's been hewn from the rock of 70s Afro-funk, and closer 'That Boogie' has a distinctly Fatback Band-ish feel. The latter takes the gold for this reviewer, with 'Me & You' a close second, but all three are plenty playable.
Review: This is the first-ever release from Heritage, a UK DJ/producer with a long track record working on the tech side of the industry. Coming on Pete Le Freq's York-based Alpaca Edits label, his debut finds him teaming up with Ed Mahon, a Blackpool-based house DJ/producer who also co-founded online station Cowbell Radio, to rework three classic disco/funk/boogie cuts from Donald Byrd ('Loving You', 1978), The Brothers Johnson ('Strawberry Letter 23', 1977) and Jean Carn ('My Love Don't Come Easy', 1979). No wheels are getting reinvented here, but all three takes are respectfully done, and chunked-up nicely!
This Ain't Yo Mama's Soul Train (original mix) - (6:11) 120 BPM
This Ain't Yo Mama's Soul Train (Micfreak remix) - (4:54) 124 BPM
Review: Alpaca Edits regular Pete Le Freq takes time out from offering up "multi-track edits" to deliver a swirling, string-drenched chunk of disco house sweetness in collaboration with Coco Street. In its original form, "This Ain't Yo Mama's Soul Train" makes extensive use of elements from a Philadelphia International classic, layering up glassy-eyed Tony Montana style orchestration and vocal snippets over a bustling house beat. The accompanying Micfreak Remix takes the track further into disco-house territory, pitching the cut up to 124 BPM and beefing up the beats to gargantuan proportions. It's a suitably heavy alternative version that sounds like a peak-time staple in waiting.
Review: Last year, Montreal scene stalwart and original disco DJ/remixer Robert Ouimet surprisingly returned to action with a trio of rework singles released by Basic Fingers and Whiskey Disco. Here he marks his first appearance on Alpaca Edits with another quartet of tried-and-tested re-rubs. He starts in confident fashion via the bouncy, string-drenched and bass-heavy disco brilliance of "Blow Your Whistle", before closing his eyes and reaching for the flanged disco-funk guitars on the celebratory stomp of "Super Slick". His love of rock-fired disco heaviness is explored further on standout rework "Finger Lickin", while closing cut "Good Time Crescendo" is a soaring, feel-good disco number that more than lives up to the promise of its title.
Review: Given that he named himself after a popular brand of tinned pastry products, it would be fair to say that Fray Bentos likes pie. Disappointingly there's a distinctive lack of pie puns within the track titles of his latest EP, though the edits themselves are top notch. "Sum Ting About Ya" is an expertly rearranged and lightly bulked up slab of disco-soul, while "What It Takes" is a thrillingly delay-laden, tooled-up revision of a sing-along disco classic that makes the most of the original's synth bass-propelled instrumentation. For the EP's final two tracks he joins forces with Dusty Sanchez, first for the bustling disco-house stomp of "Hit It Off" and then the filter-smothered warmth of "Strengthen It Out", a deliciously dreamy affair blessed with superb piano solos.
Review: Multi-track maestro Pete Le Freq is back with a third selection of hot-to-trot reworks created using original vocals and instrumentation from a range of disco and boogie-era cuts. He successfully teases and filters out the Jackson Sisters on "Refreq'ed Miracle", before putting his stamp on Phreek's Patrick Adams-produced Paradise Garage anthem, "Weekend". He then delivers two storming cuts based on Dan Hartman's "Relight My Fire": an extended instrumental ("Pete's Got Vertigo") and a sing-along version with added Loleatta Holloway ("Relight Dan's Fire"). Elsewhere, he successfully tampers with a Salsoul classic ("Twenty Percent") and sticks a bouncy house beat beneath a string-laden disco classic ("Luv Town").
Review: Alpaca Edits heavyweight Pete Le Freq continues to make merry with the multi-track tapes of dusty disco, soul and electrofunk classics. This second selection of "freak-outs" is every bit as on-point as its predecessor, with the self-proclaimed "Freq" sprinting through the soaring disco-soul brilliance of "The Playa" before slinking into '80s soul/AOR pop mode on the dreamy and quietly groovy "Any Further" (a period 12" Dub style revision of a well-known radio favourite). Elsewhere he tampers with Janet Jackson's Jam and Lewis produced classic "What Have You Done For Me Lately" with typically impressive results before successfully "talkin' about bad girls" on punchy rework "Naughty Girls". Best of all, though, is "Let No Man", a loose and life-affirming edit of one of the greatest disco records of all time.
Review: Right now it seems like a week doesn't pass without the release of a new re-edit EP from Pete Le Freq. While it's not that surprising - the disco edit scene is full of prolific rework merchants - what is eyebrow-raising is the way that the Alpaca Edits regular is able to keep the quality threshold impressively high. For proof, check the glassy-eyed yacht rock/AOR disco-soul brilliance of "Before", the all-action, slap-bass and string-laden disco heaviness of "Stompy McStompface" (this week's most humorously titled re-edit), and the filter sporting, dub disco style "Boo Ghee Nights", where one of disco's most famous cuts gets a tidy 21st century makeover.
Review: We'd like to think that Pete Le Freq completed these glassy-eyed '70s and '80s yacht-rock edits while dressed in suitable attire, specifically a pastel coloured, loose fit jump suit and boat shoes. Sadly, he probably didn't, but happily his "rewinds" will suit all those yearning for a bit of warm, sun-kissed positivity. Our pick of the bunch is "Say", where a string-laden classic from blue-eyed soul maestro Boz Scaggs is gently tooled up, dubbed-out and rearranged for maximum dancefloor impact. Elsewhere, "Yah Mo" is a tasty version of an eyes-closed, synth-laden '80s soul/yacht rock classic, while "Puddin' & Pie" is a groovy, occasionally echoing version of soft focus Toto classic "Georgy Porgy" that's just crying out to be rocked on an Adriatic boat party.
Review: Alpaca Edits founder Pete Le Freq is on a roll at the moment, with a string of high-grade EPs still to drop in coming weeks. "Burnin" is the first of these and is every bit as essential as the producer's previous edit EPs. He starts in confident mood offering up a groovy, subtly beefed-up revision of a Gwen McRae classic that wisely gives dcue prominence to the original track's killer bassline. "Turn Your Love" sees the friendly Freq get busy with filter tricks on a breezy version of a 1980s George Benson favourite, while "Dreamin' The Dream" is a driving, low-slung revision of a powerful disco-funk workout. Arguably best of all, though, is "What About Nile", a gently breezy, filter-sporting slab revision of a sleek, chic and lovelorn disco classic.
Review: Ireland's Dexter Jones serves up three reworked dancefloor nuggets from days gone by. 'Don't Stop' opens with an extended, Italo-esque synth intro, then bursts suddenly into life around the two-minute mark with a great big horns riff and a vocodered male "don't stop" vocal that alternates with a female vocal chorus singing "don't stop the music", though where these elements have come from we can't tell you (and no, it's not Yarburgh & Peoples!). The male-vocalled soul/boogie grooves of 'Get On Down', on the other hand, have been lifted from Raydio's 'It's Time To Party Now' from 1980, while there's more "boogie bassline + soulful harmonies" action on the closing 'Split Personality'.
Review: Fresh from a recent outing on Rare Wiri, sometime Midnight Riot and Hot Digits duo Cuz Electric (AKA Rich Hall and Megan Jones) bring their brand of disco revisionism to Alpaca Edits for the second time. They begin by putting their spin on an elastic, P-funk influenced electrofunk jam (the body-popping brilliance of "Elevate"), before cannily re-arranging and re-EQ'ing a mid '80s new wave disco jam on the big studio grandiosity of "Help Myself". They skip their way through a Hugh Masekela style mid-'80s South African bubblegum track on "Too High", while "To Moira" is a deliciously muscular, string-laden chunk of camp disco celebration just crying out for peak-time plays.
Review: Fresh from showcasing his trademark brand of hypnotic dancefloor reworks on Seamus Haji's Re-Loved imprint, sometime Midnight Riot and Hot Digits artist Chuggin Edits makes his first appearance on Alpaca Edits for almost a year. There's much to admire across the five-track EP, from the Saccharine sweetness of drowsy Balearic rework "We Are Devotion" (the kind of softly spun AOR pop edit that screams "end of night jam"), to the triple-time blue-eyed soul cut-up of "Bit By Bit", via the 1980s Barry White haziness of "The Peach" and sun-kissed, trumpet-sporting warmth of the EP's superb closing cut, "Pleasure". In other words, it's another fine collection of unlikely, Balearic-minded reworks for steamy sunsets and tactile sunrises.
Review: Former DJ Mag Middle East editor Andy Buchan is undoubtedly one of the rising stars of the nu-disco and re-edits scene. His reworks are always of a solid standard - and often even higher - making each successive release a "must-check". Predictably he's in fine form on this Alpaca Edits outing, brilliantly kicking things off with the jaunty, peak-time-ready disco-soul stomp of "Clean Up Your Own Yard (J Moore edit)". Arguably even better is "Fortunate Son (Ccr Edit)", a percussion-rich rework of a flash-friend funk-rock classic, while closing cut "Say Wot (A Sensible Captain Edit)" is baggy, bouncy, giddy and blessed with the kind of bassline that will be stuck in your head for days. And yes, it is a revision of an overlooked Captain Sensible classic.
Review: Sometime Masterworks Music manipulators That Needs An Edit (an alias of Alpaca Edits mainstays Pete Le Freq and Jon Baker-Hood) have decided to have a "Multi-Track Freakout" and we've all been invited along to listen to the fun unfold. They begin with a stellar, surprisingly stripped back revision of Dan Hartman classic "Relight My Fire" that brilliantly showcases instrumental elements largely buried in the original (razor-sharp funk guitar riffs, bongo patterns etc) before introducing the track's superb vocals and orchestrations. The result is a killer, 12-minute peak-time beast. Handle with care! The EP's other outing is similarly epic, with the duo giving a Clavinet-heavy new twist to Michael Jackson classic "Get On The Floor". This, too, has the makings of a dancefloor anthem.
Review: Bam: 15 massive edits from Alpaca crew all in one hefty, hairy hit. How many can you spot? How many can you play in one set? How many more of these words are you going to read before you press play and hear for yourself? If you know Alpaca, you'll know the deal; deep digs and big faves all respectfully beefed and tweaked for your DJ pleasure. From the roxy foxy yearning of "This Is More" to the upbeat glory of "Don't Call Dr Nick" via "Labour Of Love", an edit so percussive and funky it'll have you crying out loud. That's barely scratching the surface... You're going to have a lot of fun with these this Christmas.
Review: Austrian producer Mannix returns to Alpaca Edits with two more retro-happy, disco-flavoured jams. Centred around a singalong "why must a girl like me love a man like you?" chorus, 'A Girl Like Me' is a high-camp affair with something of a 70s Eurovision air about it, and hence is probably best served to dancefloors that don't mind a hint of fromage (or formaggio or K?se, if you prefer). Rollicking along at a fairly pacey 127bpm, the accompanying 'You Got Me' operates in similar territory, but has more of an authentic US feel.
Review: York based Alpaca Edits is run by Pete Le Freq and makes make what you like in the headphones come out the big speakers with their top edits, reworks and remixes. Now he has hot C Da Afro - see what he did there - from Greece who has appeared previously for Midnight Riot, SpringBok, Editorial and Spa In Disco. Filtered late-night Miami vibes abound on "Touching You Feeling You", sexy deep disco for lovers awaits you on "Weekend Madness" and "With Cristine In The Disco" features some sultry saxophone action that would make a grown man cry.
Review: Re-edit kings Rocknrolla Soundsystem return with their takes on three more vintage dancefloor gems. The Jackson 5 are the first to go under the knife, with 'Keep On Dancing' extended to 6:39 of looping groove with MJ's vocal front and centre but not over-used. Next it's the turn of Rufus & Chaka Khan's 'Live In Me', a rolling affair with those mighty tonsils in full effect, before the Rocknrollers get deep down and dirty as they rework The Gap Band's 'Shake' with its Fatback-ish earworm of a chorus ("shake, shake shake shake, shake my booty at the disco").
Review: Alpaca Edits are back with one of the scene's most favoured editors at present: Andy Buchan. The Leeds based disco DJ first cut his teeth playing in Dubai a while back, where he was editor of DJ Mag Middle East. Nowadays, you can find him playing across the UK and presenting his highly sought after resplices on top labels like Hot Digits, Masterworks, Spa In Disco and Audaz. His new Deja Vu EP features the disco inferno of "Imagine This" (Crescendolls edit), the lo-slung boogie down vibe of "U Did It" (Fatboy Ann edit) and the flamboyant What The "Jezahel" (Birley Shassey edit) - which was our favourite of the bunch.
Review: Mike Woods has previously delivered the goods on a number of popular re-edit imprints, including Masterworks Music, Cherry Cola and Disco Fruit. Here he stars on Alpaca Edits for the first time. Woods begins with the chunky, synth-laden, sun-kissed goodness of "Mind Funk", before dipping into his bag of throbbing, EBM-influenced Italo-disco tricks with "Hey Hey", a stomping rework of a Fairlight CMI-powered Trevor Horn production from 1984. It doesn't take a degree in crate digging to work out the track being rearranged on "Rapping Wordyhood"; for the record, Woods's revision is faithful to the original while giving it his own subtle tweak. Arguably best of all, though, is "Get Down", a loopy, floor-friendly revision of a lesser-known cover of an early hip-hop classic.
Review: Seemingly inspired by the pathetic pitches of fictional Norfolk broadcaster Alan Gordon Partridge, South Beach Recycling treats us to their take on the great man's Inner City Sumo concept. We're not quite sure what Alan would make of the three tracks on show, but plenty of people are likely to be mightily impressed. Check, in particular, "Feladup", a jaunty and hard-hitting interpretation of a slamming Fela Kuti classic, and the stunning, orchestral disco wig-out that is 11-minute epic "Whistle Bump". This epic edit contains all manner of saucy solos as well as sultry strings, cheeky cut-ups and one hell of a floor-friendly groove.
Review: Having previously released on many of the edit scene's most prolific labels - think Hot Digits, Editorial, Masterworks Music and Disco Fruit - Deelicious attempts to complete a full house by adding Alpaca Edits to his CV. Perhaps the most notable feature of the EP is the subtle variety of the producer's reworks. Contrast, for example, the heavy but swirling disco-house bounce of "Sexy Cream", whose undulating orchestration works in perfect harmony with the producer's chunky new house beats, and the '80s boogie-meets-disco-funk brilliance of synthesizer-heavy opener "Tilt". Those searching for deeper and dreamier vibes should also check the hazy country-disco sweetness of "Dreamer".
Review: Austrian DJ and remixer Mannix Kling stands for high quality house music productions with influences from disco, soul, funk and boogie. Over the years, he's had releases on labels such as Purple Music, Favouritizm Records, Sunclock and Lapsus Music. On Muscle Car Funk Pt 2, Mannix lends his deft hand to a bunch of re-takes that sure as hell needed an edit! "So U Wanna Be A Star" is a right disco inferno that sounds quite familiar and while we cannot name it off the top of our heads - it sounds like a fresh revision for modern dancefloors. Secondly we have a respectful edit from a creative source (ahem!) we know that much - "Good Lovin' Is Good Livin'' takes things down a deeper and more sultry route.
Review: Disco-minded dance soldier Mannix lands on the insufferably seductive Alpaca Edits with two new fiery bits of glitter-ball funk - the Muscle Car Funk edits! "Looking Ahead" is a disco sensation, mashing up heavyweight bass drums with sensual strings and funky guitar bass, while "The World Is A Ghetto" travels at a much calmer pace, churning the vibes through a mid-tempo swagger that makes for the funkiest of funk bombs. Yes!
Review: Pete Le Freq is Alpaca Edits and Llama Farm head honcho, serial re-editor and reworker of soul funk and disco. Here he presents three respectful edits such as "L.O.V.E." where he delivers a lo-slung and funky affair: Greek style, no guesses who he resplices on "Shake It Up Cheryl" - it's an oldie but indeed a goodie. There's also a 1979 British soul classic thats given a nice modern revision here on "One More Step" - timeless stuff! Pete's been djing for the last 20 years, has played all over the UK and Europe, spinning with the likes of Inland Knights, The Littlemen, Soydan, Cagedbaby, DIY, Matt Shrewd and loads more. His productions have taken elements of disco, soul, funk and jazz with a large dose of wobbly bass and blended them all together in a deep house smoothie.
Review: Chuggz is back! Once again flexing between neat digs and familiar finds, he kicks off 2018 the way he climaxed 2017 - with serious funk and flare. "Don't Let It Go 2 Ur Hed" makes you pull up your jeans and pay attention with its lush waving vocals and rolling groove, the string-laden "Keep On Doing Wot Ur Doin" will make you shout 'bo' in the most sensual hip-slinked way imaginable, "Maskerade" is a work of cosmic downbeat dreamy wonder while "Bye!" is a straight up walrus of a dreamboat. Let's hope he's not saying goodbye for too long....
Review: Pete La Freq is a Cambridgeshire DJ that heads up Alpaca Edits and its parent label Llama Farm. On "Freq Show" be prepared for a Cameo sounding, neon-lit boogie funk edit that could well have been on the soundtrack to classic '80s films like Beverly Hills Cop or Action Jackson. And that P-funk bassline, manalive! Next up he serves up some lo-slung, deep disco business on "Stuff" that goes for that late '70s NYC kind of vibe. Finally "Changing Transport" is the kind of feel good and sunny 'respectful edit' that will appeal to fans of other equally lauded disco Stus of the moment - such as Perth's Dr. Packer or The Noodleman from Toronto. This follows up some awesome releases on the label in recent times, from the likes of Andy Buchan, RockNRolla Soundsystem and the charmingly titled C Da Afro.
Review: It's time for some pre-Xmas edits with South Beach Recycling, and this lot are up on Alpaca Edits for the first time - that can only mean vibes and vibes, from start to finish! In fact, "Heaven" loops its majestic disco riff over a phat, chunky beat that will cause absurd levels of hysteria on the dancefloor. "Intrusion" is a similarly freaky disco affair, this time coming through with horns and Rhodes keys sounding more seductive that anything we've heard this week, plus, you get the jazzy, sax-led magic of "The Floor" as an added DJ weapon that will undoubtedly appeal to all the boys and girls. Hot and unstoppable!
Review: Following scalpel-wielding missions on Katakana Edits and Springbokz, the Rocknrolla crew returns to the warm bosom of Alpaca Edits. The Dutch four-piece is in fine fettle throughout, serving up a trio of reworks that dig deep in the crates for inspiration. First up, they make merry with a drowsy cover version of all-time jazz classic "Fever", combining their source material's lounge jazz instrumentation with subtle nods towards dubby deep house. "Benson's Ghetto" sees the edit quartet brilliantly combine elements of an impassioned Philadelphia Soul era disco classic with sunshine jazz guitars and freestyle vocals reminiscent of George Benson, while "Father Father" is a wonderfully chugging take on a disco-era blue-eyed soul gem.
Review: York based label specialising in soul, funk and nu/old disco edits. They make what they like in headphones come out the big speakers - and hopefully some vinyl releases are coming soon. Next up for the label is Andy Buchan, who is back in his home of the United KIngdom after a long stint in Dubai. Here the Leeds based artist delivers "Caught In The Middle" and it hurts not knowing the name of the early '80s disco diva he sampled on this wicked edit. Next up "Kos Mick" does exactly what it says on the tin with this cosmic synth journey that reaches near intergalactic moments. There's also some super soulful galaxian vibes on "Dancing Tight" and "Space Chant" gets some Afro vibes in the house. In addition to deejaying and production, Buchan is a copywriter, editor and journalist who worked at DJ Mag Middle East. He is also a self-confessed expert muffin maker.
Review: York might not be the disco capital of the world, but the way the gang at Alpaca Edits carry on it might just as well be! They've been trotting out world class soul, disco and funk edits for a good while now, and here they deliver the second instalment of their compilation in aid of testicular cancer support. There are 15 quality scalpel jobs this time around, with highlights including the rumbling, evening poolside boogie of "I Need A Drink" by Hotmood, the punchy electro-disco of "Head Lights' by Stephen Richards and the white-hot 70s disco rock of "I'm A Man" Pontchartrain.
Review: This time last year, Stephen Richards popped up on Alpaca Edits with an expansive, 17-track album of full of sample-heavy blends of disco, deep house and Balearic boogie. Here, that album is given the remix treatment by a rather impressive collection of fast-rising re-editors. Highlights are plentiful, from the languid "Disco Beatdown" goodness of Fingerman's remix of "Fusion" and Get Down Edits super-smooth, soul-driven interpretation of "Cool B", to the mutant electrofunk/disco fusion of Evil Smarty's re-fix of original album highlight "Moto Garage". Lob in further fine remixes from Chuggin' Edits, A.O.D and Fabiolous Barker, and you've got a rather tasty package.
Review: Back in July 2016, we commented that Chuggin' Edits debut release - a fine E.P of largely slo-mo toe-tappers - did "exactly what its' title promises". The same could easily be said of this first outing on Alpaca Edits. "What Choo Gonna Do" sees the mystery editor make merry with one of disco's most sensual end-of-night head-nodders, Stephanie Mills' peerless "Wha Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'". He or she expertly extends key instrumental passages whilst retaining Mills' brilliant vocal, the result being an extended period of pleasure. On the virtual flip, the chief chugger takes his or her scalpel to Lowrell's brilliant "Mellow, Mellow Right On", making it rise and fall in all the right places.
Review: Given the usual high quality of their reworks, it's little surprise to see Situation pop up on Alpaca Edits. There's much to admire on this four-track assault of mid-tempo floorfillers, with the Gloucestershire outfit showcasing their shrewd way with a scalpel. They begin with the Rhodes-laden soul shuffle of "Cookin' On Love", before sneakily rearranging a much-loved, synth-heavy boogie banger from Melba Moore to emphasise the killer bassline, sweet vocal and ear-catching guitars ("Moore Melba"). Also impressive is the bluesy, low-slung funk-rock of "Gimme Some", though the standout is undoubtedly "Prancing Mayfield". Expertly stitching together bits of several tunes, it's an altogether more classy proposition that 99% of cut-and-paste efforts.
Review: The Alpaca Edits camp are back with Anything To Stay Up. Stevie Wonder's classic "Love's Light In Flight" (known here as "Acid Paradise") gets a re-rub and is almost as good as that great one by Soul Clap a few years ago. There's some Salsoul Orchestra sounding big band disco on "Sweet Sensation" And they're not wrong: That Needs An Edit! Chic's "Soup For One" gets a re-splice on "Mojo Soup"; now that definitely needed an edit!
Review: Hi REz is a Californian producer who has caught the re-edit bug. Alpaca Edits are helping him work through this fever. So far he's tackled the likes of Phil Collins, The Stones, Sade and Nina Simone. Now he's tackling the big guns again with Dionne Warwick's fur-lined disco ballad "Deja vu", slowed down into a touchy feely haze. Next Silver Connection's "Fly Robin Fly" is again slowed down, this time into Italo disco style arpeggiated glory and finally the mighty Al Green's "Love & Happiness" gets gently retweaked into a four to the floor jam. Impressive work!
