Review: MBO's first contribution to the 'Katakana Edits' came on Vol 128 and now, just five instalments later, he's back with another brace of fresh reworks of vintage nuggets. What exactly those nuggets are will have to go sadly unidentified this time out, but 'Twilight' is an unhurried lounge-y, tropical kinda jam with some sprightly-fingered jazz keys and minor chords that recall Flash & The Pan's 'Waiting For A Train', while 'Boca' is even more laidback, with Balearic-style dusty, sampled drums, wistful flute, schmaltzy strings and, most importantly, some very cool, blues-y Hammond work. Perfect for groovin' on a sunny afternoon.
Review: Valique's V's Edits reworks have long been some of the most popular re-edits on this platform, with DJs responding not only to their floor-friendly nature but also the wide range of sounds and styles he turns his hand to. So, what's on offer this time around? Well, for starters Yellow Blues is raising money for victims of the war in Ukraine, a country to which Valique has family ties. As usual, it's a mixed bag of goodness, with highlights including a squelchy, TB0-303 speckled take on a Johnny Cash classic, the chugging nu-disco/swamp blues fusion of 'Was It Worth It?', a fine revision of Rodrigues classic 'You Can't Get Away', a housed-up tweak of an old Doors gem ('Learn To Forget') and a toe-tapping, club-ready revision of Kenny Rogers' sing-along 'Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Conidtion is In)'.
Review: This impressively expansive collection from experienced remixer Valique showcases some of the best downtempo and Balearic edits from his popular V's Edits series. There's certainly plenty to get the blood pumping and the juices flowing throughout, from a chugging, ten-minute take on Pink Floyd ('Brickwall') and a pleasingly squelchy take on Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams' 'Lose Yourself To Dance' (here renamed 'Lose Your Elf'), to a chunky dub-house re-imagining of Jimmy Cliff classic 'The Harder They Come' and a loopy, hypnotic, mid-tempo disco-rock revision of T-Rex ('Jewelry'). Throw in party-hearty takes on cuts from Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and the Beach Boys (an odd but impactful reimagining of 'Good Vibrations') and you have a great value compilation.
Review: Since Leonid Lipelis's last Beard in Dust outing on Bahnsteig 23 was one of the best things the label has released to date, we're expecting big things from this belated return. This time round, there's a far more Balearic feel to proceedings, though the Moscow-based source material remains deliciously obscure and virtually unknown. He hits the ground running via the brilliant dub/electro/jazz-funk fusion of TB-303-sporting roller More Acid, before making high with attractive synthesizer solos and bubbly arpeggio bass on the Holiday 85 style quirkiness of Pulsation. Next up is the high-octane lo-fi drum machine hits, cheap synthesizer riffs and dreamy backing vocals of Back Again and finally the pages from Ceefax go Balearic flex of Flowers.
Review: Although he's contributed numerous tracks to recent compilations, this three-tracker from Frank Virgilio is actually the enthusiastic label-hopper's first single since the spring. He begins by applying his magic touch to a prime slice of horn-heavy purple funk, wrapping the original's flash-fried guitars, tasty trumpets and scat style vocals around a chunky disco-house style groove. He dips the tempo - but not the floor-friendly intensity - on "Cat In Rio", a low-slung dub disco affair that boasts a suitably heavy bassline and plenty of sun-kissed, samba-soaked synths, while closing cut "Matt's Ring" is a loopy, disco-house style cut-up of Matsubara's "SOS", a jazz-funk/disco fusion classic that used to get regular rotation at David Mancuso's legendary Loft parties.
Review: French label Beaumonde specialise in reissuing lost or forgotten global music recordings, mostly from the 70s and 80s. This new album-length collection, though, finds them handing over the keys to their archives to some of today's hottest up-and-coming producers - the fruits of whose labours range from Jet Boot Jack's remix of Acayouman's 'Take You Down', which should work on any floor where disco is played, to Bully Boy & TeeTwo Mariani's much more reverential Refix of Beliz's 'Mazunga'. The scales tilt quite heavily, it has to be said, in the latter direction: as such, this is an album that will appeal mostly to fans of Balearic, cosmic and global music styles, but that's worth checking by open-minded disco spinners of all persuasions.
Review: In the space of a year Bahnsteig 23 has positioned itself as a label of note with a strong run of EPs that draw on a rich spread of influences from cosmic disco to world music to provide a little more spice in your dancefloor selections. Portland's Elliot Thomas takes his Etbonz alias out for its first proper outing here after a split single with Dro Carey some years back. This single jam serves to raise the intrigue around the project further still with its dense, organically enhanced production and dreamy atmosphere, keeping the tempo slow and simmering for the early part of the party.
Review: Two pleasingly understated and classy jams here from Mexico's Joseph Terruel, brought to you once more by Paraiso Musique. 'The Guest' tops a simple chugging, bass-y groove with two competing sampled vocals, one a strained voice saying "soul!" (or something like that) and the other an indecipherable soul/boogie snip. There's just enough going on to maintain the interest for its five-minute duration, and it's certainly got enough energy for dancefloor play, but the pick here for yours truly is 'The Uninvited Guest' - a dusty, looping jazzy joint that'd work in the warm-up but is probably best served in a post-club setting.
Review: DJ Hooky isn't ashamed to venture down the road of mash-ups, because even though they may have been done to death, they still always rock a party. Here on "Jazz We Got" Mos Def's rapping gets layered over a really old and crackly jazz loop for some groovy chilled out vibes. Bonus track "Wicked Dub" takes the immortal Wicked Game by Chris Isaak and blends it seamlessly with some slow and low dub reggae.
Review: After that insightful debut via the Tom Tom Disco outfit, Acid Hamam comes through with a barrel-load of expectations which he proceeds to fulfil in fine style. This new EP launches his own, self-titled imprint, and there's no better way to open a scene than with the gentle, percussive waves of "Hypnozahara", which evolves into even murkier landscapes on the supremely dubwise "Psychedelic Cumbia". "Ode O" changes the pace, taking those organic beats into house mode, which are then expertly remixed by Victor Norman. "Dream Of Abbi" finishes this majestic opening release with dreamy, chanting sways of tribalism. What an absolute tip we have here!
Review: A fine 2015 for UntilMyHeartStops so far has seen the label usher in superb 12" releases from Zach Lubin, Arnaldo, and Duckett with the latter's pair of records a particular highlight. Label co-founder Leif is next up with Taraxacum, his second album and UMHS's debut long-player and it may be their finest work to date. Building on Dinas Oleu, his well-received 2013 debut album for Fear of Flying, the nine tracks on Taraxacum show Leif channelling all-new levels of immersion in his productions right now. Very much an album you sink into, there are still tracks on Taraxacum that will work on the dancefloor when you require something a bit hypnotic; we'd love to see a small club reacting to the startling "An Elephant Madness" for example. Great work Leif!
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