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Groove Democracy
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Don't Walk, Funk!EXCLUSIVE
Review: Madrid collective Groove Democracy are back with hometown hero Nelue turning in a bunch of clever re-edits that are too good to turn down. They run the whole gamut from disco to funk to soul, boogie and back again. The real highlight here being his ergonomic backspin of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder's "What's That You're Doing". Block rocking beats abound on this one!
Rock My DiscoEXCLUSIVE
Played by: Alien Disco Sugar (Leonidas DeeJay)
Review: After two years of blood, sweat and tears, Spanish re-edit producer Fernando "Nelue" Gomez is finally in a position to present to us his debut LP, "Both Sides". The first thing to notice about the record is that (in his own words) it's "100% original disco/funk/Balearic/soulful/house". There are 11 tracks in all, featuring guest appearances from the likes of Max Essa, Cavaliers Of Fun, Ribal Rayees, Angie Cervantes and Ryan Peel. Highlights include the sizzling electro-house of "Right Through You", the portentous space-disco of "Tired Of Your Lack Of Empathy" and the low key synthy Balearica of "John & Mary".
Heat U UpEXCLUSIVE
Played by: DJ P-SOL
Review: Midnight Runners are a boogie-obsessed duo from Indonesia whose releases and electric live shows have led to a deal with DJ Nelue's label, Groove Democracy. The Heat U Up EP is the first fruits of this hook up and it's impressive stuff. Boasting four slick slices of early '80s sequin-funk, it's hard to tell what's an edit and what's a live boogie jam - the best of which includes the raw, throbbing guitar stomp of "Mint", the power drums and synth washes of "Make It Worth" and the go-go meets Jam & Lewis bass jam of the title track.
Various
Groove TimesEXCLUSIVE
Played by: DAVE GERRARD, ROTCIV, FINGERMAN, Superbreak, Evil Smarty, Dynamicron (Los Grandes/Our Nights), DJ P-SOL, Ziggy Phunk
Review: Spanish nu-disco DJ Nelue has developed quite a reputation for himself both with his residency at his Moroder Sound Club and with his label, Groove Democracy. Now he's upped his game again by delivering a seriously impressive 24-track label compilation featuring his own work and a selection of offerings from a host of key names on the re-edit scene. Highlights include Nelue's gentle retweak of Terri Well's 1984 anthem "All My Love", the chuggy arpeggiation of "Canebiere Man" and The Metaphysical's Bloop Crack glorious extension of Wham!'s kitchen synth drama, "Everything She Wants".
Summer Disco AnthemsEXCLUSIVE
Review: It's been a little while since Spanish producer Fernando "Nelue" Gomez delivered a fresh batch of edits, so it's pleasing to see him dusting down his scalpel for this EP of summer-themed reworks. Predictably, the mood is celebratory throughout, with Gomez keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the dancefloor. So, we get the simmering, string-drenched humidity of the sultry "Do It & Come Back", the hedonistic bump of the low-slung "Crying", and a near 10-minute extension of Bumblebee Unlimited orchestra classic "Lady Bug". Best of all, though, is the equally epic "Rebound", a constantly rising whirlwind of filtered horns, hissing percussion, looped vocal hits and a delightful disco bassline.
Sharp SoulEXCLUSIVE
Review: Whenever Spanish nu-disco label Groove Democracy realise its soul o'clock, they know who to call. Well, the clock has struck and Sharp Soul has been hauled in again for another round of slick disco edits and boy do they get the job done. There's four belters here, highlights of which include a killer extended version of Executive's 1984 synth-soul classic "Celebrate (Your Love)", the even more electronic funk of "I Need You" and a frankly bonkers rubber bass-fuelled cover of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Bueno!
Let It GoEXCLUSIVE
Review: For their latest excursion into wide-eyed nu-disco territory, Spain's Groove Democracy have recruited Russian duo Antosh Music and Solila. On "Let It Go", the latter delivers a superb vocal over the former's cheery disco production, a lovable mixture of rubbery electric bass, bold synth melodies, loose live beats and clipped funk guitars. Think Drop Out Orchestra jamming with Crazy P, and you're close. There's a trio of remixes to enjoy, too, with Nellue's upbeat piano-laden reinterpretation just edging out Ilya Santana's sun-flecked nu-disco take and KLar&PF's dreamy Balearic rework. It all adds up to an excellent EP, and arguably Groove Democracy's best release for some time.
Here We GoEXCLUSIVE
Review: Having now appeared on labels such as Editorial, Diggin Deeper and Vehicle, P Sol is now becoming a bit of a disco edit label lothario. His latest conquest, sorry, home, is Groove Democracy and he's cooked them up four funk bangers for breakfast (at least he stays the night). You know the drill by now: vintage, hard-to-argue-with funk lovingly tweaked and extended into protracted bliss. Highlights include Gwen McRae/Larry Levan's masterpiece "Getting Hot" as well as the loopy '80s funk of "No Lies" and the raucous stomp of Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothing". Sizzlin'!
John & MaryEXCLUSIVE
Review: Spanish producer Fernando Gomez (AKA Nelue) seems to be maturing into a discernable talent. Over the course of a handful of releases on Nang, Lovemonk and Disciple of Groove, he's begun to develop a trademark sound that sits somewhere between sun-soaked Balearic house and wide-eyed nu-disco. "John & Mary" is another slice of deep, disco-infused joy, all twinkling pianos, lazy jazz guitars, spiraling electronics and soaring chords. A trio of joyous, floor-friendly interpretations join the emotion rich original, with 2 Billion Beats' piano-laden Balearic house shuffler just being eclipsed by Light Echo's intoxicating combination of fluid, delay-laden keys, woozy melodies and fuzzy analogue bass.
Sharp Soul Edits Vol 1EXCLUSIVE
Review: It would be fair to say that Sharp Soul, whoever he or she may be, is publicity-shy. These excellent re-edits, coming out on Nelue's Groove Democracy label, arrived without any info, and a quick Google search for "Sharp Soul edits" brings up very few results. Whatever their source, there's much to get excited about here - not least a stomping '70s disco-soul version of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" given an inspired tweak. It's the kind of thing that shouldn't work, but it's a veritable floor-filler. Elsewhere, check the sax-laden soul-rock bagginess of "Gone" and the slinky soul-funk goodness of "Easy".
Moroder Sound Club Vol 1EXCLUSIVE
Review: Nelue is a DJ operating out of Madrid, where he holds down a residency at the spectacularly named Moroder Sound Club. Big on nu-disco, here Nelue applies his tweaking skills to a selection of classic cuts by the master of disco himself, Giorgio Moroder. It could be argued that it's hard to improve on perfection, so why bother editing this stuff, but here he successfully adds a leaner, modern edge to "Evolution" (from Battlestar Galactica), "Love & Passion" (American Gigolo) and the quirky solo jam, "Sooner Or Later".
Nelue Reworks Vol 3EXCLUSIVE
Review: Nelue is a man who knows which side his disco toast is buttered on: the floor-friendly party side. As such he doesn't hold back; Sinead O'Connor's definitive version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" gets whisked up in a whoosh-filled blender and arrives back in bouncey, housey form. Stevie Wonder gets a furious electro-disco makeover on "Walkers" and elsewhere "The Real Deal" is attitude-heavy electroboogie and "All My Love" is an emotionally stirring anthem with belting female vocals.
NELUE vs DJ SteefEXCLUSIVE
Played by: B-Jam, JimmyTheTwin, Straightoffthefloors.com, FINGERMAN, Superbreak, Dj Steef, Juno Recommends Disco, Tasun, Kiosko 33hz, Trujillo
Various
Played by: The Beat Broker, Marbeya Sound, Kid Color, Get Down Edits, Dynamicron (Los Grandes/Our Nights)
Review: Since setting their stall out last year with a series of excellent "versus" EPs featuring producers from different countries, re-edit specialists Groove Democracy have picked up a lot of props. This latest installment - a second face-off between scalpel-fanciers from Spain and the USA - should get plenty of support. There's plenty of high-grade material to devour, from the dubbed-out synth-funk of Tim Zawada and NELUE, to the hustlin' disco-boogie of Alvaro Cabana (check the excellent "Love To Fly" edit) and touchy-feely Balearica of the Beat Broker. Highlights wise, look no further than the sweet, disco-soul shuffle of Gazeebo's "Music" rework and Space Duke's Prince-ish "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy".
Various
Nelue Reworks Vol 1EXCLUSIVE
Played by: ROTCIV, Timewarp, Superbreak, JKriv (Razor-N-Tape), Sleazy Beats Recordings, Kiosko 33hz, Sccucci Manucci, Cyclist, Touchsoul, Get Down Edits, Dynamicron (Los Grandes/Our Nights)
Review: Re-edit specialist Nelue makes the step from Soundcloud fave to full-blown artist with a selection of his best reworks to date. The four tracks featured do a good job showcasing his floor-friendly style, which offers a neat balance between dubbed-out contemporary groovery and original electrofunk and disco. Each of the four tracks is worth a listen - they're all sharply floor-friendly and come with oodles of synth-bass goodness - but it's the dubbed-out, tooled-up version of Instant Funk's "Body Slam" that probably impresses most. That said, the housed-up, delay-laden treatment of Prince's "Sign O'The Times" is pretty tasty, too.
