Review: To date, Andy Buchan has delivered material to many of the nu-disco scene's most popular labels, including Editorial, Audaz, Hot Digits and Thunder Jam. This time round he's hooked up with long-serving Spanish stable Rare Wiri. It's a strong collection of dancefloor workouts, moving from the throbbing, hard-wired Italo-disco jauntiness of piano-laden opener "I Like It", to the sun-kissed nu-disco-meets-deep house warmth of "Rocking Music", via the hip-hop sampling boogie-house goodness of "Lost And Found". With its delay-laden rap vocal samples, tumbling synth solos, fluttering chords and breezy grooves, the latter track is probably the EP's standout moment.
Review: Rayko's Rare Wiri label bring us a five-track EP from Rich Hall and Megan Jones, better known as Cuz Electric, a nu-disco duo who've also appeared on Midnight Riot, Particle Zoo and more. Opener 'Blurred Vision' has something of a Crazy P-ish feel in its Original form. Ilya Santana sprinkles some 80s disco dust over his remix, while Rayko himself takes the track into more dreamy, downtempo pastures. 'Gurvitz Dreams' is a druggy, chuggy affair with a Moroder-ish throb, while 'Polly' completes the EP on a livelier note with house-y pianos and soaring strings a-gogo.
Review: Mexican combo Dark Punk Hippies continue to slowly rise through the ranks. This tasty outing on Rare Wiri follows quietly impressive EPs for such labels as Spa In Disco, Thunder Jam and Golden Soul. In its original form, "Safari Zafado" is a curious but rather fine combination of mind-altering, Italo-disco style arpeggio lines, humid synthesizer motifs, reverb-laden vocal chants, warped analogue bass and loose limbed tribal percussion. Rayko reaches for the thickset boogie synth-bass on his wonderfully trippy revision, where echoing vocal chants and cascading electronic beeps help create a mesmerizing mood. To round things off, James Road re-imagines "Safari Zafado" is a warm and woozy chunk of sparkling nu-disco goodness.
Review: Dim Zach begun his career way back in 1990, spinning techno in his native Greece. He's also played live around the World with Liebe. These days, though, he's more focused on disco, and here delivers a fine EP of ear-pleasing re-edits for Spain's Rare Wiri. While the tempos of the five edits on Army of Lovers are undeniably on the pitched-down end of the spectrum, he manages to pack in plenty of energy to get dancefloors moving. Highlights include the sensual, sax-laden disco strut of opener "Give It You", the Middle Eastern intoxication of rearranged cosmic disco fave "Egri", the dilated pupils, hazy spoken word vocals and dreamy Balearic shuffle of "Army Of Lovers", and the hazy looseness of "Lullaby" (a tasty rework of the Cure cut of the same name).
Review: Veteran Greek 'Balearic vibes master' has been in the game for nearly 30 years and you can hear it in the quality of his productions. Here he delviers three new gems on the mighty Rare Wiri. "Wish You Are Not A Dream" kicks things off with a warm and textured electro-soul cover a seventies classic. From there we get a an old Hot Chocolate jam remade into 21st century soul-pop gold on "No Lie" and lastly "All The Ways To Love Your Woman" wraps things up with some dreamy, golden vintage boogie.
Review: It's time to welcome back Spanish nu-disco veteran Ilya Santana, who has been missing in action, presumed DJing, for the best part of two years. As comebacks go, "Electric Mind" is pretty darn good. Underpinned by druggy, Italo-disco style arpeggio lines and squeezable synth-bass, the slo-mo shuffler's best asset is undoubtedly the wild variety of vintage synthesizer lines that Santana smartly layers on top. The remixes are rather tasty, too. There's a decidedly Baldelli-esque, guitar-laden "Cosmic Western" remix from Rare Wiri boss man Rayko, while label regular James Rod pushes up the tempo and emphasizes Santana's Italo-disco influences on his dancefloor-friendly revision.
Review: Spain's 'chunk house' hero Ilya Santana has joined forces with Midlands nu-disco guy Slync for this mutual musical love-in. First up is Santana with the dreamy six minute Italo-disco-meets-Balaeric of "Midway". Slync then takes the track on a much more laid-back trip with plenty of delayed guitars and loops. He then provides his own "Don't Cha", a fluffy handbag house confection, for Santana's remixing hands where it becomes an exhilarating hiNRG odyssey.
Review: All of a sudden, Rayko is getting a little nostalgic. Here, he goes Back To The Roots of his Rare Wiri imprint, offering up brand new remixes of the cuts that appeared on the label's first release way back in 2008. First up, Phunktastike and Julian Sanza remix Ilya Santana's "Instrumental Odyssey". Sanza steals the show with a sparkling Balearic disco re-rub built around his own rubbery electric bass, chugging beats and flowery synth solos. There's a similarly terrace-friendly feel about Sportito's breezy and atmospheric take on Rayko's "White Russian", while Lone Soldier turns the same track into a low-slung, Italo-influenced chugger.
Review: Like his friend and contemporary Rayko, James Rod is impressively prolific. Amazingly, Robot Freaks is his tenth release of 2016. Happily, though, it's also among his best. It's hard to find fault in the chugging, mind-altering electronics, throbbing bassline and dub style Break Machine samples that form the backbone of opener "Got To The Street Dance", while electrofunk-meets-nu-disco fusion "You Ready" contains some of the most rubbery electronics, sharpest funk guitars and shiniest synths you'll hear all year. The more vocal-heavy "Feel The Love", a rearrangement of a forgotten '80s soul cut with heavy new synth-work, completes a fine package.
Review: Madrid's Rayko and James Rod go way back, with a long hearty history of collaborations. One of their key projects is the Classics Of Arrikitaun series and now we have here a fourth instalment. James is up first this time, delivery two new tunes: the light and breezy boogie of "So Easy" and the moody electro arpeggios (and Italo disco melodies) of "Hit!". Rayko starts tough we a raw and chunky vintage funk banger called "What's Your Doin" before going all synthy on the smooth 80s RnB of "Get Your Loving".
Review: California's Jay Airiness has steadily risen through the ranks of the nu-disco scene, leapfrogging from one good label to another. The latest groovy lily pad he finds himself on is the mighty Rare Wiri one. There are three super tight and elastic jams barely contained here. Up first is "Funky Rendezvous", a slow and mechanical funk grind. Beyond that we get the fizzy euphoria of the Michael Zager-esque boogie banger "Get Down People" and the percussion driven cosmic funk freak-out "Just Dance". Special stuff.
Review: Pure suntan funk from the heart of Venice Beach; fly Frenchman Jay Airiness returns to Rare Wiri with three more heated jams. "Boogie City" chugs with such grace and measured majesty. A low-looking hip-slinker that you never want to end, it's a guaranteed floor-filler. "Give Your Love To Me" kicks with much more spright and boogie, reminiscent of a Rick James backbeat while "My Funky Tip" takes us to much steamy R&B pastures. Full spectrum.
Review: Some three years on from his last solo outing, former Silver City and 2020 Soundsystem man Julian Sanza pops up on Rare Wiri with more dub-wise, synth-heavy disco fare. Like former studio partner Fernando Pulichino, Sanza's productions make extensive use of rubbery electric bass, sparkling boogie synths, and heaps of tape delay. This formula still offers plenty of room for manoeuvre, though; contrast, for example, the dub disco-meets-proto house cheeriness of "Cannot Dance", and the more Balearic dreaminess of "Can't Stop The Feeling", which benefits greatly from eyes-closed electronics and sweet electric guitar touches. Arguably best of all, though, is the stripped-back, delay-laden Balearic disco dub of closer "Sunset".
Review: Hot on the heels of former Silver City man Julian Sanza's Can't Stop The Feeling EP comes this hot-to-trot remixed version. Belgian boogie revivalists Spirit Catcher steal the show with a wonderfully bouncy, positive and synthesizer-heavy reinterpretation of the title track, while Ilya Santana joins the dots between punk-funk, Balearica and Italo-disco on his stellar rework of "Cannot Dance". Elsewhere, Phunktastike press the big purple button marked "nu disco" and deliver a throbbing-but-wavy take on "Yayaya", before Yam Who turns the musicality up to maximum on his attractive remix of "Sunset". Happily, there's not a duffer in sight, but plenty of dancefloor-ready goodness.
Review: Three tracks of squelchy, synthy nu-disco from the Ukrainian duo here. 'Heatwave Affair' does its thing atop an unusual soundbed of bubbling aquatic sounds (or possibly chirupping insects, it's hard to tell), while Spain's Jesu Aparicio, AKA Parissior, delivers a smoothed-out deep house rub that makes good use of some synth stabs beamed straight in from the 80s boogie era and even finds room for some harmonica action, all underpinned by a seriously phat, rump-shaking b-line. Arguably the standout, though, is the gloriously slo-mo synth-funk of the curiously titled 'Moving To 70Ass', which rocks a killer organ line.
Review: We live in chaotic times but mercifully this brand new Russian quartet are here to help us make sense of things. And they're doing it with a vibrant soulful house jam that wouldn't go amiss in the sets of everyone from Krivit to Kevorkian. Feel good, funking and full of summer vibes, it's heightened by a cosmic remix from James Rod and a heavily swung kick-loaded twist from fellow countryman and serial editor Valique. Time to "Smile".
Review: Spanish producer Parissior flexes his disco muscles on a four-track EP for Rare Wiri that demonstrates his versatility nicely. Hypnotic opener 'Another Chance' loops up just a few lines of a tremulous female soul/R&B vocal over a dusty, lo-fi backing to great effect, while the hazy, druggy 'She Moves' is slower-moving but beefier and more stripped-back, and features one of the most sonically crowded breakdowns you'll hear all month. 'Manay Rah' then takes us into shiny, sparkly 80s Italo territory, before Parissior underlines the point with the upbeat and very aptly titled throbber 'I Like Cosmic, My Girl Don't'.
Review: It's been a while since we heard the once much-sampled vocal from Raze's 'Bass Power', but here it comes again courtesy of Wolverhampton lad Lee Perry, AKA Peza, who marries it to glacial, bleepy Italo synths and hard-hitting 80s electronic drums to create the title track 'Bass Doctor'. Elsewhere on the EP, squelchy electro-disco workout 'Aeiou' borrows from Freeez classic 'IOU', albeit not as heavily as you might expect, while 'Planet Cars' is a heavyweight electro jam that, as the title suggests, lifts from both Gary Numan's 'Cars' and Afrika Bambaataa's 'Planet Rock'. Three solid cuts whose familiar samples should ensure maximum floor appeal.
Review: One-man production whirlwind Rayko strikes again. Not content with re-editing every single 1980s electrofunk record (or so it seems), he's decided to head back to original production. It could be a wise move. Certainly, there's something rather special about the breezy Balearic house chug and twinkling pianos of "Altered States", the EP's standout moment. Elsewhere, Rayko sticks largely to a very European take on nu-disco, delivering sharp synth hooks, bubbling rhythms, electro-flecked grooves and bright melodies aplenty. There's a touch of low-slung disco guitar on the enveloping "Keep The Faith", and an Ilya Santana-ish headiness to the foreboding grooves and saucer-eyed melodies of "Space Surf".
Review: Having recently released his debut album proper - the vibrant nu-disco pulse of Rebirth - Spanish producer Rayko returns to the re-edit scene with which he makes his name. The Elektroboogie EP is typical of his style, delivering a mix of Balearic curiosities (the jangling, sunshine-friendly goodness of "Bring On The Night"), rubbery disco (the loopy electrofunk flavour of "Don't Make Me Waiting"), thick-set electrofunk ("What I Like"), dubby proto-house (a memorable version of Samson & Delilah's 1984 Paradise Garage classic "I Can Feel Your Love Slippin' Away") and well-known anthems (a tougher rearrangement of Joe Smooth's end of night Chicago house classic "Promised Land").
Review: Spanish re-edit hero Rayko had a productive 2011, releasing some of the best cut-ups and disco reworks of the year. Here he begins 2011 in similar fashion, delivering four more tried and tested slabs of dancefloor funk. Opener "My Lady" does a terrific job at re-modelling a Prince-era, slap-bass heavy 80s jam, removing all but snatches of the vocal in favour of more instrumental groovery. "After The After" continues on a similar theme, going deeper into slow dance territory, while "Turn Me On Again" builds brilliantly over six delightfully sensual minutes. "This Is It", meanwhile, adds some head-nodding house flavours to a simmering 80s soul jam. Solid.
Review: Mr prolific Rayko is back with yet more gems. If you thought that Chromeo were the only folk out there rockin' that whole mid-80s electro-boogie thing, you'd be wrong. This EP could be straight out of the US club charts, circa 1986. "You're The Best" might easily be Chaka Kahn jammin' in the Danceteria, "Bored" is Miami freestyle meets Jam & Lewis with lashings of harsh string stabs for '80s overload. Finally, "Win U Back" takes a pinch of Shalamar, sprinkles in some Pointer Sisters and mixes it up for a frothy Soul Weekender explosion.
Review: Every now and then Spanish disco maverick Rayko gets the time to release some of his in-demand edits on his own label, Rare Wiri Feelings. Maybe it was the Christmas lull, but he's found the time again, and here we have On The Beat. The title track cruelly, but beautifully, teases out B. B. & Q. Band's "On The Beat" to heavenly effect, "Satisfaction" is a moody glam stomp and "Sneak Preview" is slick soul pop, but it's the funk meets Italo-disco of the euphoric "Time Bandits" that's the standout here.
Review: Given his hectic DJ schedule, it's amazing that Rayko somehow finds time to knock out a new EP every few months. Like many of his releases, Rock Me straddles the blurred line between boogie re-edits and original production. This is particularly evident on "Feelings For You", which mixes elements of Gwen McRae's brilliant "All This Love I'm Giving" with bold, occasionally ragged synthesizer lines and a rolling, bottom-heavy groove. He explores rubbery, bouncing Italo-disco territory on the rather good title track, while stand-out "Saturday Knight" - all '80s soul vocal samples and oh-so familiar, Metro Area style bass - is the kind of surprisingly addictive groover that could ignite any nu-disco or deep house set.
Review: There can be few harder working producers in the contemporary disco scene than Rayko, who seems to drop a new album or collection of re-edits every other week. That the vast majority of these hit the spot is great credit to his finely honed production skills and instinctive grasp of what works on dancefloors. There's plenty to admire on this latest collection of synth-laden '80s re-edits and makeovers, from the undulating guitars, synth-house grooves and spacey sound effects of "Queen", to the camp Euro-throb, fizzing electronics and wide-eyed stare of "Cosmic Rider". Elsewhere, there's some hard-wired P-funk in the shape of "Get Up", and a subtly tooled-up re-fix of Wuf Ticket's cheeky electro jam "Ya Mama".
Review: Two new fresh edits here from Spanish nu-disco hero Rayko. Although his debut album, Rebirth, came out recently, he's already left it behind in favour of new electro-boogie to plunder and rejig. "In Love" features the kind of laser-sharp basslines that could cut through a car, tight-as-a-gnat's-chuff guitar and seductive female sirens on vocals. However, it's the synth-drenched electronic rare groove of "Piano" that really nails it for us.
Review: There's life in them there '80s yet, at least according to Spanish producer Rayko who returns here with an EP of tunes that could come straight from an episode of Miami Vice circa 1985. Brooding digital synth washes rule the roost with "Peyote Warrior" being all angsty electro-disco basslines, tropical pads and guitar wails, "Lucky Strike" features live-sounding bass and drums with layers melancholic electronics on top, "Juno Lover" is the sound of a stakeout under palm trees at night and "Play" the urgent and percussive soundtrack to a fictional car chase. You can almost smell the sunblock!
Review: Rayko returns on his own Rare Wiri label with two new rubs of the lead track from last month's EP of the same name. The Paper Street Soul Remix is quite similar in feel and structure to the original but a little less bombastic, and hence better suited to those mellower sets. Ilya Santana's reworking of the track is a little more radical, as he adds lashings of the analogue 80s synth sounds that he's known for, resulting in a mix that's built for peaktime play. This is far from new ground for Rayko, admittedly, but fans will lap it up.
Review: Madrid's disco don Rayko, is back on his own label for some pastel coloured edits on Rare Wiri Feelings Vol 1. Unbelievably he's tackled Frankie's '80s disco-sex-punk anthem "Relax" - possibly the most re-edited/bootleged '80s tune ever. However he turns it into a smoother electro-house workout, which largely works. "Dare" sees Linndrum fills compete with elastic slap bass resulting in a mid-80s Miami freestyle showdown and finally Hall & Oates' classic "Family Man" gets dubbed out in fine style.
Review: Four varied tracks make up this new EP from Spanish nu-disco producer Rayco Pena. 'Spelling Love' has a distinctly 80s feel, thanks not least to a very new wave-y vocal. 'Lucky Lately' also harks back to the 80s, but this time we're talking glitzy US boogie rather than angsty European synth-pop. 'Beat' has something of a Prince-y vibe about it, and then we're back in boogie territory again for EP closer 'Changes'. Pastiches these tracks may be, but paying homage to great music of yore isn't a crime - especially not it's when done as convincingly as the four tracks here.
Review: Nu-disco comes in many forms these days, and here scene stalwart Rayko brings us three tracks that are built more for home listening than dancefloor fun and frolics. Opener 'Hell O' gets the ball rolling with its glacial, Italo-esque chug, vocodered "if you were mine" vox and plangent electric guitar wails. 'Force Majeure' is a dreamy, laidback affair with a nagging bass riff augmented by atmospheric synth sweeps and insistent hi-hats, while closer 'CS-80' operates in not dissimilar territory but has a happier, more blissed-out air, dystopic sci-fi synth chords notwithstanding! An ideal soundtrack for lazy days and late-night herbal excursions.
Review: Spanish nu-disco don Rayko (Raico Pe?a) revisits four 60s/70s faves with impressive results. Marvin Gaye's 'Mercy, Mercy Me' becomes lazy, lounge-y groover 'Mercy', with fat live bass and looped snatches of Gaye's vocal floating over the top; Steve Miller Band's 'Fly Like An Eagle' becomes blissy, druggy throbber 'Fly' and Ray Carlos's 'Amigo' is, er, Roberto Carlos's 'Amigo' but a bit more Balearic! The jewel in the crown, though, is 'Dust Woman', a frankly superb reworking of Fleetwood Mac's 'Gold Dust Woman', with added eerie howls, that will cause some real 'WTF?' moments on dancefloors...
Review: Fresh from collaborating with pal James Rod on the latest edition of their joint "Classics of Arrikitaun" series, Rare Wiri boss Rayko offers up another trio of eccentric but essential tracks that blur the boundary between re-edits and original productions. First up is "Moda", a throbbing fusion of pulsating TB-303 acid bass, hazy Spanish vocals, twinkling pianos and languid Balearic electric guitars. It comes accompanied by "Tear Down", a bombastic revision of a poodle perm-sporting 80s rock slammer rich in wild guitar solos, and the glassy-eyed soft rock/Italo disco fusion of "Independence", a fine revision of a Donner Summer end-of-night classic laden with gospel style backing vocals.
Review: This year Spanish label Rare Wiri Records celebrates their 10th Anniversary with some really special tunes coming out on vinyl and digital formats via Raico Pena's beloved Madrid based imprint. Here we have the lo-slung boogie down groove of "Heart Heart", the respectful edit of a familiar underground goodie on "Out Of Funk" and the sexy neon-lit mood lighting of "Normal". Some great releases from the label in 2017 from the likes of Andy Buchan, Jay Airiness and James Rod so it is good to see a return to from from the label.
Review: Prolific Spanish producer Rayko brings you four slices of synth-tastic nu-disco with a prog twist here. The title track is a lazy, hazy affair in which untold layers of analogue sound oscillate their way in and out of the picture. 'Autopower' is a tad funkier in feel and, with its sense of repressed energy, would make a great building track, while slightly more standard-issue Balearic/nu-disco vibes can be found on 'New Horizon'. But for some truly out-there thrills, head for 'Oopart', a guitar-led affair that comes on like Ripperton jamming with space rock diehards Ozric Tentacles.
Review: For their latest tidy trip into re-edit territory, Rare Wiri has turned to the undisputed talents of synthesizer-loving nu-disco don Ilya Santana and label founder Rayko. The latter offers up some chunky, delay-laden P-funk thrills in the shape of "Revenge of the Rare Wiri", before returning later in the EP with the eyes-closed rock style guitar solos, thickset synth bass and swirling female backing vocals of poodle perm-sporting mid-80s MTV wig-out "Demons". Santana charges off on an Italo-disco flex on the arpeggio-driven, synth-sporting sleaziness of "Angie", while closing cut "Dreams" is a pitched-down shuffler laden with robotic vocoder vocals, bold synthesizer riffs and more pulsating, arpeggio style bass.
Review: Rayko and James Rod's "Classics of Arrikitaun" re-edit series consistently hits the mark, something we attribute to their often left-of-centre choice of source material. This seventh volume in the series is naturally both on-point and action packed. Rayko kicks things off with the brilliantly pitched-down P-funk chug of "Dude" - all baggy electric piano riffs, squelchy electronics and hazy talkbox vocals - before returning to action later in the EP via the ricocheting drum machine hits, eyes-closed guitars and swirling chords of 1980s alternative synth-pop cut "Night of Dragons". James Rod explores similar sonic territory on chugging Balearic synth-pop revision "Hi Ho Te", while "Love It" is a bounding, sun-kissed version of a mid-80s, post-boogie pop hit.
Review: Hard working editor-turned-producer Rayko has decided to start 2016 in emphatic fashion, delving deep into his alternative 1980s influences to deliver a decidedly Balearic disco shuffler alongside fellow Spaniard Landerground. Built around Achtung Baby era U2 style guitar lines, dubbed-out electronics and hazy vocal samples, "Secret Patch" is arguably one of Rayko's strongest singles for some time. Longtime cohort and pal James "Rod" Rodriguez provides a pair of remixes. There's a chunkier, more obviously dancefloor-friendly "Club Mix", and a "Slow Cosmic Burning" remix, which makes greater use of the trippier elements of Rayko and Landerground's original, while adding some spacey new synth lines.
Review: Madrid's Rayko is back! This disco fiend has appeared previously on Editorial, Nang and Lumberjacks In Hell: so you know he ain't messing around! He enlists good buddy Space Duke on the Never Gonna Give EP. Starting out with right groovy edit of a certain classic on "Too Much Love" with ergonomic functionality for the modern dancefloor. The killer '80s EBM synth bass on "Giving Up The Bass" is absolutely wicked and equally wins points for functionality while the title track closes out this fine EP in style.
Review: It's barely been seven weeks since the release of Rayko's acclaimed album No Stopping, but already the prolific producer has moved on to his next project. "Drive" sees him join forces with fellow Spaniard Landerground to deliver a wonderfully fluid, fluttering chunk of synth-heavy Balearica. The title is clearly a nod towards the famous movie of the same name, and many of the electronic sounds are reminiscent of the film's legendary soundtrack. There's a rather fine remix package, too, with Ilya Santana's rubbery, dub disco-influenced effort - arguably also the most filmic of the three reworks - impressing. James Rod's chugging, guitar-laden interpretation is also pretty darn tasty.
Review: Re-edit hero Rayko teams up with the little-known Dynamicron for this four-track scalpel trip into the murky world of 80s power-pop, Eurobeat and skewed Balearica. Rayko himself offers up two tracks - the soft focus Balearic pop indulgence of "Voyager" and the handbag-friendly chugging cut-up 80s pop sweetness of "Foreign Affair". Dynamicron, meanwhile, goes for a heavier sound on his two cuts, the booming bottom end throb of "JukeBox Hero" (80s powerpop goes disco-house, anyone?) and guitar solo-laden "WorkingClass Hero" (yep, an edit of a cover of Lennon's "Working Class Hero"). There's a distinct whiff of hairspray about the whole EP!
