Review: San Diego duo Castle Queenside keep their funk alive and strong in It Ain't Easy. Harking back to the days of early Daft Punk and looped up American club house, Queenside bring the cuts to Mango Sounds. With guitars at maximum frett in "Groove Me Right" it's as Linda Clifford is there too in the room for the vocal boot. Filters and classic piano chords go the distance in the title-track with thumping drums of Masters At Work quality tying in with a massively soulful serving of vocals. That French touch the American way.
Review: In which Mexican DJ, producer and re-editor Hotmood loops up two vintage disco/boogie gems for your delectation and dancing delight. The source material for 'Cisco Disco' eludes us but it's a pleasing lil' hip-swayer nonetheless, with brass fanfares, a main riff that's not unreminiscent of Sister Sledge's 'Thinking Of You' and some fine Joey Negro-esque stabs, all topped off with a repeating male "disco, disco" vocal. 'That's What We Are', meanwhile, is a reworking of 'Hi-Tension' by the 70s Brit-funk outfit of the same name, who were essentially the UK's answer to Brass Construction - so expect plenty of horns action here, too.
