And Friends Records is a concept label where we explore the melodic world of the electronic music, touching genres such as disco, funk and jackin-house in an attempt to create a 'pattern' of good vibes and musical wonderland.
Review: The title here's misleading - as a digital-only label, And Friends releases don't really have B-sides - but we'll let them off because 'B-Side Tunes' is as fine a label 'best of so far' comp as yours truly has heard in a while, covering as it does a dazzling array of contemporary dancefloor styles. Rolling, summery nu-disco vibes dominate, but from the garage-y organ grooves of Cosmocomics' 'Make My Love Brighter' to the wigged-out jazz-funk/disco of Uptown Funk's 'Slidin'', and from the peaktime strut of Ezirk's fairly self-explanatory 'Saxophizzle' to Ferdinand Debeaufort's truly sublime, 70s-sounding 'Like The First Time' - which blends elements of disco, mellow Bill Withers/Labi Siffre-esque soul and west coast rock, then tops the lot with a proper earworm of a strings flourish - there's PLENTY to enjoy here. So dive on in!
Review: If it's more trad-style, 70s/80s-sounding funk, disco and boogie grooves you're after, then you could do a lot worse, this week, than check for this four-track sampler from And Friends, the Bucharest-based "funk, disco and jackin' house" label headed up by Ezirk. The label boss is joined by Hotmood for the lively lil' roller that is 'Tremendo Boogaloo', before it's over to Ken@Work, who brings us the boogie-tastic 'Sit Back And Unwind'. Lup Ino's 'Secrets Of Your Mind' then brings the authentic crushed velvet suit vibes, before Funk Hunk's dense, percussive 'Freak With Me' plays us out.
