Review: Warrington's Danny Worral has carved out a niche for himself delivering robust, floor-friendly re-edits that specifically rework synth-laden '80s electrofunk, soul and boogie jams. Here he presents his first album of reworks for regular home Midnight Riot. The source material is a mixture of the well known and slightly obscure, with the likes of the Whispers, Prince and the Aleems under the scalpel. Worral keeps the feel of the original tracks - including, in most cases, the vocals - giving them a little more contemporary dancefloor swing, largely thanks to extra-fat beats, subtle house rhythms and thick synth basslines. It's an attractive proposition for anyone who enjoys synth-laden '80s jams. Highlights are plentiful, from the glassy-eyed fun of the title track through to the soulful house shuffle of closer "In Your Life".
Review: Following a pair of well-received outings on Ruben & Ra's Retrospective imprint, 1980s re-edit specialist Danny Worrall pops up on Midnight Riot with another five-track collection of electrofunk rubs. There's plenty of party-starting fodder on show, from the bustling horns and rubbery grooves of opener "Make You Mine" to the Prince style Purple Funk throb of "Hot", and shiny synths and looped vocals of "My Future is Clear". Arguably best of all, though, is the sumptuous '80s soul re cut "Secret Love". There's also a version of Hall & Oates "I Can't Go For That", though it barely changes the original's winning formula.
Review: Warrington-based 1980s obsessive Danny "80s Child" Worrall tends to eschew the obvious, delivering re-edits of '80s soul jams and overproduced, mid-'80s electrofunk curiosities. He's at it again here, dropping five more soulful, synth-laden nuggets for the Midnight Riot label. There's some saucer-eyed '80s soul in the shape of the touchy-feely "Missing", some gigantic, radio-friendly synth-rock ("Control"), and a dash of deliciously smooth, slow-dance fare ("Kiss U"). Better still is the New Jack Swing-flavoured dayglo rush of "Be Together", and "All Alone", a riotous electrofunk jam built around a familiar bassline and Shep Pettibone style drum edits.
Review: Warrington-based 80s Child is turning into a one-man re-edit machine, delivering floor-friendly touch-ups of synth-heavy electrofunk, 80s soul and boogie jams on a regular basis. There's naturally much to admire about this third EP for regular home Midnight Riot, from the rolling boogie-house revision of stone cold classic "Flashback" - all carefully cultivated loops, filters and metronomic pulse - to the chiming synthesizer melodies, vocal breakdowns and delay-laden drums of "This Love". Arguably best of all, though, is the heavyweight swing, looped vocals and killer synth bass flex of "Run From My Love", one of his strongest rubs to date.
Review: Fresh from turning in a killer remix of the Soup Dragons "I'm Free" alongside Midnight Riot boss Yam Who, Alan Dixon returns to the label with a feisty four-track missive. He fires from the word go, with bounding, energy-packed opener "All We Need Is Dance" delivering a brilliantly bouncy revision of a shirts-off, turn-of-the-'80s San Francisco disco smasher. The thrills don't stop there, either. "Let Ya Feet Rock" is a thrilling combination of elastic slap bass, synth-fired disco-boogie instrumentation and sturdy beats, "Dance Across The Floor" is a seductive 129 BPM deep disco workout, and "Forever" is a riotous re-edit of a stone cold classic that sounds like an end-of-night anthem in the making.
Review: Midnight Riot's latest label debut comes from Alex Zuiev, a floor-focused producer and re-editor who has previously released music on FKR, Cherry Cola, Whiskey Disco and Editorial. There's naturally much to enjoy here, from the throbbing, Moroder style arpeggio lines and camp orchestration of title track "Moon Dream", to the sparkling Italo-disco revivalism - think screaming space synths, clipped Chic style guitars, crunchy Clavinet lines and mazy organ solos - of standout "Soul Train". The fun doesn't stop there, though; both the delay-laden, 60s soul-plus-synths vibe of "Don't See" and baggy disco-funk roller "Nobody Can Stop You" are tried and tested treats.
Review: Originally released in 1981 on Streetwave and CBS, Alton Edwards' debut single "I Just Wanna (Spend Some Time With You)" is a boogie-era electrofunk classic blessed with Latin style horn stabs, super-sweet vocals and the heaviest, most squelchy synth bassline known to mankind (or womankind for that matter). Here it gets the reissue treatment with Streetsounds' founder Morgan Khan's fine original vocal and instrumental mixes (tracks three and four) being joined by two new rubs by veteran British house producer Michael Gray. He wisely retains Edwards' killer bassline, baggy electric piano chords and razor-sharp horns, underpinning them with bustling peak-time house drums on all-action "Remix" and "Dub" variations.
Review: Midnight Riot isn't messing around with this collection of remixes of tracks from Detroit veteran Amp Fiddler's recent Motor City Booty set. Label boss Yam Who has pulled out all the stops, drawing on both Midnight Riot regulars and genuinely hot talents such as Eli Escobar (whose slick, soulful house rub of "Soul Fly Part 2" is a highlight), Thatmanmonkz, Inkswel and Mark E (who genuinely steals the show with a dreamy, mid-tempo take on "Superficial"). Taken as a whole, it's far more "killer" than "filler", with sterling contributions from Sam Redmore (dub-flecked Afro-house goodness), Kid Sublime (sun-kissed boogie-soul), chewy Rubs (low-slung disco-house heaviness), and Modified Man (synth-heavy broken beat).
Review: The Sound of Detroit by one of it's unsung heroes, Amp Fiddlers new album Motor City Booty coming straight off the D Funk assembly line, a full on dance floor affair from Motown to P-Funk, Techno and Neo Soul. This 11 track album produced by Amp Fiddler & Yam Who? includes the massive 'Soul Fly' sounding like a Mark Ronson production had he been hanging out with George Clinton's Parlet followed by the bonafide P-Funk anthem 'Steppin' both featuring the stunning vocals by the Dames Brown girls. Amp Fiddler is credited for taking both a young J Dilla and also Q-Tip under his wing teaching them his Akai MPC techniques, setting the path for some of Hip Hops finest recordings which have defined the shape of things to come. His musical collaborations & current duties include: Moodymann's musical maestro, keyboard wizard for Theo Parrish's live band, a longstanding Funkadelic member, co-writer for Sly & Robbie, Prince, Maxwell, Jamiroquai & Seal to name a few.
Review: Boogie-loving soul man Andre Espeut should be regarded as one of the nu-disco scene's finest voices. Yet despite adding his slick, smooth vocals to all manner of other people's music, he's yet to enjoy considerable solo success. Perhaps this new single, featuring two superb mixes from Yam Who and Tom Laroye's Qwestlife project, will change that. The opening "French Connection Remix" place Espeut's superb vocal atop a killer backing track that sits somewhere between revivalist electrofunk and "Get Lucky"-era Daft Punk. The track's inherent boogie flavour is explored more explicitly on the looser and even more synth-heavy "London Lockdown Mix", which is probably our pick of the pair (though it's a close-run thing).
Review: It's been a great year for fast-rising nu-disco producer, remixer and re-editor Andy Buchan. Fresh from impressing via appearances on Spa In Disco, Masterworks Music and Hot Digits, Buchan pitches up on Midnight Riot with two of his strongest revisions to date. While "Same As It Ever Was" is close to his usual style - think rolling house style beats, swishy noises, rich deep house chords and tons of synthesizer-wielding nu-disco swagger - it's title track "The Big Do" that's really got us hot under the collar. For starters, it's propelled forwards by some seriously good slap bass, with hazy, soul-flecked vocal samples, slick Rhodes style chords, starry eectronics and no-nonsense beats only serving to enhance the glassy-eyed, loved-up mood. Like much of Buchan's output, it has all the right ingredients.
Review: UK outfit Bad Bambino describe themselves as "a techno funk band bringing you groovilicious tunes with a beat that is guaranteed to get you bopping!" On the evidence of this, their first official release, they certainly have an ear for a catchy pop tune - who knows, the lightweight, frothy original could even have mainstream Top 40 potential. But for more serious spinners it's the remixes that'll be of more interest, with Mannix the pick for commercial floors, Andy Baker treading a more sophisticated, understated path and Yam Who? turning in Vocal and Instrumental rubs that sit right on the soulful house/nu-disco cusp.
Review: Midnight Riot begins its second century of releases with what appears to be a label debut. They're keeping tight-lipped about the identity of Barbi (and pretty much everything else about this release), so we'll quickly move on to the two tasty tracks that make up the EP. Opener "I Need To Know" is something of a bustling, rolling, bass-heavy disco-funk treat, where punchy horns, cut-glass strings, bluesy guitars, incessant Hammond lines and gravel-throated vocals wrap themselves around a relentless groove. Flip to the virtual B-side for "Too Late", a similarly inclined chunk of effects-laden, horn heavy disco haziness with plenty of bottom-end bounce.
Review: Those who follow Belabouche on SoundCloud will know just what a prodigious re-editor he is; not a week seems to pass without a clutch of new scalpel works from the talented Italian producer. Here he brings his effortlessly soulful, loose-limbed approach to Yam Who's Midnight Riot label for the first time. All five tracks are excellent, with the baggy, string-drenched disco-soul bump of "Slide Into Your Heart" and dubwise funk thrust of "Money Runner" standing out. He mixes up the tempos well, with the EP's two slower moments - the sinewy jazz-funk headiness of "Open Your Mind" and intoxicating, horn-heavy "The Way We Live" - being particularly potent. If you're after edits that match dancefloor chops with an easy soulfulness, this should be an essential purchase.
Review: Okay, hold tight because this one's a bit confusing! Bernadette Trax is a new alias for UK deep house stalwart Michael Lovatt, and is also the name of his new Berlin-based label - but the digital release of this, the label's debut offering, is being taken care of by Midnight Riot. Got that? Then all you need to know is that 'Setting Sun' in its Original form is a slice of wistful, midtempo Balearica with an excellent jazz-inflected vocal from Ms Glahn, while the remix from Yam Who? & Jaegerossa gives the track a summery disco dancefloor makeover. Completing the EP is 'Mello', a druggy, hypnotic slo-mo affair.
Review: Keeping the fire burning for disco freaks everywhere, Big Danny Kane sidles up to Midnight Riot with a plush EP of rich, warm groovers for all kinds of different times of night. "The One" especially shines with its punchy electro funk b-line and a hook vocal turn from Princess Freesia, capturing that mid-'80s mood in an impeccable fashion. "Octopussy" and "Rock Me" inject a little more house-minded pump into the proceedings, but the chunky synth lines and slick rhythmic edits still represent the core of Daddy Kane's ample repertoire. Keep an ear out for the radio-friendly funk of "Need Ur Love" which comes on like late era Fatback Band and sounds all the better for it.
Review: 2015 has been a good year for Olivier Tunier, arguably one of the re-edit scene's most under-appreciated scalpel specialists. Having already unleashed fine EPs on Whiskey Disco, Phat Elephant and Hot Digits, the Amsterdam-based producer delivers another cracking quartet of reworks on Midnight Riot. As usual, he touches on a number of styles, moving from the percussive, strobe-lit disco hustle of the superb "Get Up", to the straightened-out Caribbean disco grooves of "Reggae Tempo", via the dense tropical percussion, jaunty horns and sweet Brazilian vocals of "Um Ba Yao". Best of all, though, is "Yes I Know My Way", a blinding blast of audio sunshine blessed with breezy piano hooks, impassioned blue-eyed soul vocals and deliciously swinging beats.
Review: Whisper it quietly, but this is Midnight Riot's one-hundredth release. Label boss Yam Who isn't making much of a song and dance about such a momentous occasion, though The Coburg Disco Association is certainly a strong offering. What's arguably most impressive is the hazy, hip-hop-minded fusion of elements driving Inkswel's brilliant "Half Pipe" (credited to his INXXXWEL alter-ego), which combines the producer's love of squelchy analogue synth bass and swinging, MPC-driven beats with hazy rap samples and elements borrowed from a classic chunk of early '80s disco-boogie. You'll find a similar ethos at the heart of Rela's blissful, R&B/Balearica fusion "So Beautiful", too. Elsewhere, Booshank peppers a rock solid proto-house groove with alien electronics and swirling vocal samples, while Paz expertly rearranges a killer Afrobeat excursion.
Review: Some hot nu-disco grooves from South African producer Brian Basil van Heerden here on the Wild Cat EP. He is founder and owner of the legendary vinyl store Camino Records, DJ since 1998, founder and owner of Strutmode Recordings - in addition to being one half of Janova Jacks and Southside High. From the slo-mo/lo-slung sleaze of "Funking It Up" and the title track - which is followed by by an electric rendition by label stalwarts Yam?Who and the late night boogie down groove of "Flashback" - it is clear that Brian Snr can bring the funk, whatever the occasion!
Review: This time last year Brian Basil van Heerden delivered his strongest single to date under the now familiar Brian Snr alias. The good news is that "Hot Shot" - his first EP for 12 months - is arguably even better. In its original form (track two), "Hot Shot" is sleazy, throbbing and overtly sexual; a revivalist chunk of mid-tempo Italo-disco headiness full of whispered spoken word vocals, razor-sharp alien synthesizer lines and an arpeggio style bassline so druggy it may induce hallucinations. It comes accompanied by two fine remixes: the "Hober Mellow Dub", which re-casts it as a chunk of dubby deep house dreaminess, and a superb Yam Who revision which re-builds the track as a sparkling slab of revivalist disco-boogie cheeriness complete with Balearic piano stabs and swirling strings.
Review: Grecian DJ/producer C Da Afro is beginning to build up an impressive discography. Impressively, Midnight Riot is the 20th label he's released on to date. Soul Grooves is his first EP for the imprint, and contains a quartet of floor-friendly tracks that sit somewhere between remixes, re-edits and original productions. So while "Soul Groove" is based heavily on Matsubara's Paradise Garage fave "S.O.S (Society Of Soul)", C Da Afro has added a swathe of new synthesizer parts to compliment the original's killer jazz-funk guitars. We must presume the same process has been followed on the tactile electrofunk bomb "I've Got This Feeling", and the almost overpowering synthesizer bliss of Balearic boogie closer "You Mae Me Feel So Good".
Review: When it comes to serving up floor-friendly re-edits of largely overlooked disco and boogie cuts, few producers hit the mark quite as consistelt as C Da Afro. The Greek producer has delivered tasty reworks for a dizzying array of labels over the years, none more so than the mighty Midnight Riot. He's at it again here, too, with what we believe to be his fifth outing on Yam Who's label. Choose between the rolling, jazz guitar-laden disco-funk bump of "The Shadow", the filter tricks and effervescent synthesizer/piano solos of cheery disco-boogie shuffler "Moving On Up" and the sparkling, Italo disco-meets-electrofunk brilliance of title track "Playboy Boogie",
which is arguably the strongest moment on another fine EP.
Review: Greek producer C Da Afro steps up to the plate with four more re-edits here. The source of the first two is a mystery, but 'Gambling In Vegas' itself has clearly been drawn from the loungier end of the 70s disco spectrum while 'Knock Out Groove' moves a little forward in time to the boogie era of the early 80s. 'True To The Cause' reworks Cheryl Lynn's 'If You'll Be True To Me' from 1981 and is packed with hand-clappin', finger-poppin' disco energy, while Leon Hayward's 1983 Casablanca single 'I'm Out To Catch' provides the basis for EP closer 'Disco Tonic'.
Review: In some cases it's useful to name-check some of the labels a producer has released music on; in the case of re-edit scene stalwart C Da Afro, it's easier to name the handful of imprints he's not appeared on. Here the prolific Greek rework merchant returns to Midnight Riot for the first time in almost five months, which by his standards is an eternity. As usual there's plenty to set the pulse racing across the EP, from the lolloping, electric piano-sporting orchestral disco brilliance of "Party Purpose", to the dewy-eyed, slap-bass sporting goodness of "Get Happy" and the filter-smothered disco-house revision business of bouncy closing cut "The Love For The Music".
Review: Greek producer C Da Afro returns with three doses of retro-fuelled dancefloor fun. 'Feel Alright' is a lively disco workout with some killer synth stabs, exuberant brass and a treated female "feels all right" vocal chorus. The title track is an altogether more low-slung funk number that recalls the likes of Cameo, Zapp or Ohio Players, while completing the EP is 'Let's Talk About It', a phat-assed, funked-up disco-houser that'll whisk you straight back to the mid-90s. There's plenty of stuff like this about, admittedly, but nearly 10 years into his recording career, Christos Antoniou does it better than most...
Review: Greek producer C Da Afro (Christos Antoniou) has been plying his disco trade for a few years now, with releases on labels such as SpinCat, About Disco and Disco Fruit, but here he comes to the ultra-hip Midnight Riot with a three-tracker that'll delight those in search of some authentically 70s-sounding grooves. 'Yesterday' is a lavish affair topped with female vocals in a near-chanted style, 'Disco State' has a vaguely Candido-esque feel and sports some fine parpin' saxophone, while completing the package is 'The Flip Track', which is considerably pacier than the other two, operating at an almost hi-NRG tempo.
Review: While Christos Antoniou AKA C Da Afro releases rather a lot of tidy re-edits, he often saves his best work for Midnight Riot. Or at least that's how it seems to us. Certainly, there's much to enjoy on the Greek producer's latest outing on Yam Who's label. Highlights include "Feel Like Dancing" - a rolling, pumped-up revision of a 1986 94 East private press jam to which Antoniou has added a thickset synth bassline - and the soaring orchestration and thumping disco-house grooves of "Heaven". Slick P-funk revision "Tonight" - all bubby synths, kaleidoscopic solos and Roger Troutman style talkbox vocals - is also worth a listen.
Review: Given his prolific nature, we were rather surprised to discover that "Shaking Boogie Love" marks C Da Afro's first EP for Midnight Riot in almost two years. Predictably, he hits the ground running with the title track, a fine slab of heavyweight electrofunk/disco fusion where jaunty piano lines and sweet female vocal samples ride a bustling house groove. The producer's love of sticking sizeable, hip-wiggling house beats beneath synth-heavy boogie cuts is explored further on '80s soul revision "We Can Go", while "All The Way" is a slightly tooled up version of a sweeping orchestral disco classic. Finally, "The Boogie Man" sees him pepper a rubbery nu-disco groove with snaking saxophone lines and P-funk vocal snippets.
Review: Greek re-editor and remixer C Da Afro was one of the nu-disco success stories of 2016, so hopes are naturally high for his first outing of 2017. Lost In Echo is predictably strong, offering up a trio of tracks that gleefully blurs the boundaries between re-editing and original production. We're particularly enjoying the low-slung disco-funk grooves, fluid additional percussion hits, breezy vocals and dub disco effects of "Say You'll Be Mine", though sweet, boogie-based opener "You Don't Know" - all meandering organ lines, loved-up chord progressions, rubbery guitars and sing-along vocals - is arguably the EP's most floor-friendly moment. The pitched-down disco camp of "Tell Me Something" is pleasingly dubbed-out, too.
Review: Athens based C Da Afro is radio Producer and owner Of Nitro Radio 102.5 FM. He delivers some neon-lit boogie down funk on his new offering entitled "Too Hot To Handle". With previous releases on Editorial Records, Spa In Disco, Alpaca Edits and fellow Greek George Kelly's Chop Shop Music: this guy certainly ain't messing around! For something a bit more low-slung (and definitely slo-mo) we'd say next offering "Passion Fruit" is certainly a tip for the early evening or late night alike. Finally "Rebel Disco" gets some swagger on via a '70s rock/disco fusion reminiscent of Frank Farian's legendary work in the era. These edits certainly are obscure enough (by our standards anyway) and certainly sound respectful - which is the main thing. Above all they are reliable dancefloor fodder for any discerning nu-disco DJ and we'd recommend them for sure.
Review: Grecian producers C Da Afro and J.B Boogie first joined forces last year, releasing an E.P of filter-heavy disco/house fusions on SpinCat Records. Here, the Athens-based duo delivers more similarly celebratory, party-ready fare for Midnight Riot. They begin with the rolling, 109 BPM goodness of "Feel My Life", a delicious fusion of sparkling synths, glittery guitar lines, smooth vocals and head-nodding grooves. "Together (Guitar Mix)" craftily turns a lesser-known, mid-tempo boogie jam into a guitar and synth solo-laden, eyes-closed monster. Best of all, though, is the shirts-off pomp of "Bad Disco Lady", which gains much of its dancefloor power thanks to the combination of extended, filter-laden breakdowns and notable drops.
Review: Such Is Yam Who's commitment to nu-disco, that even during the festive season his Midnight Riot label is pumping out numerous winter warmers. This Jump EP contains four retro-futuristic joints all of which are culled from only the most neon lit of '80s dancefloors. Highlights include the chopped up robo-funk "Jump", the slow and low, leather tracksuited bassy grind "You're The One" and the tougher, electronic rare groover "Melody".
Review: Having previously tasted success by delivering re-edits and reworks of disco and boogie cuts, the latest Midnight Riot missive flips the script. It features rising house producer Chaka Kenn delivering reworks that pay tribute to the glory days of house in the late 1980s. "Why Waste Your Time" is a perfectly executed revision of a well-known favourite from the turn of the '90s, with the producer making great use of the original's sparking piano riffs, synthesized string stabs, bouncy synth bassline and snippets of the familiar vocal. It's accompanied by an arguably even stronger Dub and "Who's At The Front Door", which seemingly stitches together bits from classic deep house tracks that all have the same title (listen, and you'll get what we're on about).
Review: If you're fiending for some disco-infused vocal house goodness in the "traditional" style, you'll struggle to do much better this week than this cover of the Gwen McCrae classic. There are five mixes to choose from: all five operate in the territory roughly mapped out by Joey Negro and Stonebridge, but Glass Slipper's energised rub is probably the one you'll hear most at the likes of Horse Meat Disco or Glitterbox - handbags at the ready! - while the deeper, more sultry Chevals Remix is the pick for those in search of more soulful, US garage-style grooves.
Review: French producer Chevals touches on a range of musical styles on this EP for Midnight Riot. Of the four cuts featured, 'Mindbuster' itself is that which sits most comfortably under the 'nu disco' umbrella, while 'I Wanna Be Next To You' fuses elements of disco, funk and house into a languid, sundown-friendly groove. 'Thank You For The Ride' has an 80s-ish feel - and more specifically, a distinct Janet Jackson-esque flava - and finally 'Can't Keep On Lovin' You' is very similar in spirit to the R&B-tinged deep/soulful house that Om used to specialise in, with hints of Daft Punk in the bassline.
Review: First out on the 'Disco Made Me Do It Vol 3' comp back in June, this cut from French producer Chevals returns in Extended Mix form courtesy of UK scene legend Michael Gray (Hustler's Convention, Full Intention, Pearn & Gray, etc). Several lines from Janet Jackson's 'Pleasure Principle' provide the vocal, which sits atop crisp drums, a big fat, squelchy bassline and synths lifted from the original. There's a lot more invention and imagination gone into this track than your average "just whack a 4/4 kick under it!" shonky bootleg/re-edit, but it's still the Janet bites that carry it - particularly the subtle hint of that infamous, spine-tingling wail.
Review: Unheralded re-edit master Chewy Rubs pops up on Midnight Riot with four more tried-and-tested chunks of discoid gold. The rubbery, delay-laden boogie of "Universal Love" - think slap-bass, echoing vocal samples, synth squiggles and shuffling house drums - kicks things off, before "Party On & Get Down" successfully rearranges a smooth disco-funk shuffler. There's a dash of subdued disco bounce in the shape of "I'll Tell You", before "Let It Lay" delivers the knock-out punch - a righteous chunk of squidgy P-funk with just the right amount of delay-laden low-slung disco flavour. All four tracks are expertly teased and tweaked, suggesting they'll prove popular on disco floors over the next few months.
Review: UK comer Chewy Rubs (Deep Sense/Chopshop/Situation Sounds) is up next for London's Midnight Riot. It's all things retro ("Cosmo Disco"), slo-mo ("To The Party") and indeed lo-slung ("Gonna Make You Feel"), these four lush and loopy disco jams that still retain their dusty and vintage sensibilities and are quality jams that are welcome additions to any serious Disco Stu's arsenal.
