Review: Fingerman's Hot Digits imprint has packed in a lot of releases over the past 12 months, as this expansive roundup of the label's second year in business proves. Featuring 27 tracks and a bonus mix by the South Coast dwelling label boss, there's naturally plenty to admire. Highlights include, but are not limited to, the rolling, head-nodding grooves of Eyeco M's "Keeping It To Myself", the killer proto-house throb of "Tonight" by Bad Barbie vs Evil Smarty, the sexy, string-drenched disco loveliness of P-Sol's "Can't You See", LTJ's trumpet-boasting funk bumper "Fat Thing", and the hard-wired, bass-heavy rework of Julia & Company's "Breakin' Down (Sugar Samba)" by Melon Bomb. It is, though, all pretty darn hot.
Review: London's Horse Meat Disco club really has beaten all comers in the -disco stakes: if a decade of packed parties, international DJ gigs and bringing the disco sleaze to Rinse FM isn't enough, they now deliver their fourth(!) compilation for Strut Records. James Hillard, Jim Stanton, Luke Howard and Severino all share the selection of a 16-strong tracklist, which also appears in mixed form too. Highlights include the quirky Chaka Khan-esque "Ain't No Way" by Opal, the sumptuous luxury vibes of "Stop" by Valerie Allington and the legendary low-slung bass-fest "Barah" by Cleavage. Full marks again, how do they do it?!
Review: Half the fun of each new Ibiza season is the accompanying DJ mix albums that ensue. Here it's the turn of Z Records' legend, Joey Negro, who compiles and selects Z Records Presents Ibiza 2017. With Joey Negro you know you will always get an expert blend of house and disco, new and old. Here we see exclusives rub shoulders with first time digital virgins. Highlights include Dr Packer's thumping edit of "Change Position (88)" by Brooklyn Express, the hazy bass twangs of "Phantom" by A Band Called Flash and the warm electro of "It's More Fun To Compute" by Negro himself.
Review: You're only five years old once, so why not celebrate in style? And here Warrington lad Danny Worrall's disco and re-edits label Masterworks Music do just that, with an anniversary collection packing a whopping 50 back catalogue nuggets. You'll excuse us the full track-by-track, then, but suffice to say that this is the label that helped launch the careers of Dr Packer and Natasha Kitty Katt, both of whom feature here, and with names like Ziggy Phunk, Rayko, Alkalino, Chuggin' Edits and Fabiolous Barker also on bill, you should already have a pretty good idea what to expect. Classy stuff all round, and a great VFM package - here's to five more years!
Review: London based Alien Disco Sugar produces quality remixes, edits and original tracks. He returns on Greece's Digital Wax Productions with Gravity Stars & More Sugar - The Best Of Vol 2. From the lo-slung boogie of "Forgetin", the pure disco inferno of "Feel Like I Feel", the massive horns arrangement of "Funkin' Around" or the classic soulful vibes of "Your Love" - this collection of classics is timeless and all have been respectfully edited by the man - just the way we like it. It's a whopper of a compilation, with 26 tracks all in all. And if that was not enough, they are all mixed to perfection on not one, but two continuous mixes - which had us boppin' about the office all day and will no doubt have you dancin' the nights way too - well into 2018! Other than a release by Frey Bentos, Digital Wax has served as an outlet solely for Alien Disco Sugar throughout the better part of 2017.
Review: Not to be confused with the techno-minded Dutch label of the same name, this Deep Sense is based out of Mexico, they have a penchant for the funkier side of the dance and the cheekier side of edit culture. They proved it on their inaugural voyage in November 2014, and they're proving it once again right here... Kicking off with the sax-massaging jack-jam "The Road To Kalakuta" the whole album is an instant party full of sassy sonic surprises. Highlights include the dusty vinyl crackles and heaving harmonics of Rafael Fernandez's "Nothing's Changed", the epic synth-slapping cosmicity of Funk My Jesus "24K", the classic funk guitar squeezes of Chuggin Edits "We Got The Funk". And that's just a handful of party peals to be harvested from this 16-track heavy album. Bon voyage indeed!
Review: Toolroom is back with the second instalment of the 'House Party' series, with Chicago veteran Gene Farris, the enigmatic Wh0 and ascendant duo Raumakustik closing out the summer in style with their respective mixes. Featuring 80 tracks from leading international names including Carl Cox who goes for a minimal vibe on his remix of Hannah Wants & Kevin Knapp's "Call Me", Hot Since 82 serves up something different than usual on the summertime vibe of "Rise", Saved chief Nic Fanciulli gets some spiritual and life-affirming vibes in effect on "Virgo", Hamburg disco stu Tensnake gives Dombresky & Boston Bun's "Stronger" a neon-lit makeover and label boss Mark Knight impresses with the funky house anthem "Tonight" ft. Chenai and Mr. V.
Review: A UK disco master with almost 30 years experience, when Dave Lee aka Joey Negro presents his selections we all sit up and listen. Here's his take on the year that was and it's brimming with 19 rich and rewarding gems to see us through the holidays. Highlights include the deep gospel shuffle of "Reach Out (Atjaz remix)" by Sean McCabe, the sizzling crackle of camp disco accelerator "Unique (New York Underground mix)" by Danube Dance & Kim Cooper and Pezzner's warm synth funk rework of "Candy Coated Perfection" by Opolopo and Diane Charlemagne.
Review: An outlet for both unreleased and exclusive music from the label's family members alongside rising talents, this is the fourth instalment of Toolroom's popular 'House Party' series. Featuring standout releases from Mark Knight's label plus the scene's biggest imprints, with highlights coming from: industry heavyweights Nic Fanciulli & Andrea Oliva on the slinky "Medium Rare", the inimitable Yousef with the pounding acid of "Save Me" (feat. Molly Green), legend Todd Terry with TCTS on the boompty bounce of "Get Freaky" and UK tech house hero Seb Zito delivering the peak time stomper "Don't Stop". As if that was not enough, there are also three continuous mixes by scene stalwarts such as Lefti, Piero Pirupa and label staple Maxinne.
Review: In 2003, amid a shifting landscape of closing record stores and evolving electronic music genres, Phonica Records emerged as a haven for dance and electronic music enthusiasts. Founded by Simon Rigg, Tom Relleen, and Heidi Van Den Amstel with backing from The Vinyl Factory - Phonica aimed to be a welcoming hub for all genres. Starting quietly, the shop gradually gained a strong reputation, fueled by the founders' ties to Koobla Records. Phonica thrived in its early years by championing emerging genres like electro house and minimal-micro house from labels like Kompakt and Perlon. In 2007, the Phonica record label was born, evolving into a platform for both staff and emerging talents, featuring early releases by now-established artists such as Peggy Gou and Four Tet. In 2023, celebrating its 20th anniversary, Phonica showcases its journey with 20 Years Of Phonica - a compilation boasting 18 exclusive tracks from established and rising artists across the label's diverse musical spectrum. Hot tips include tracks by Willow, Dorisburg, Ron Basejam, Roman Flugel and more!
Review: When it comes to celebratory, life-affirming musical positivity, you can't beat Midnight Riot's ongoing "Disco Made Me Do It" compilation series, which gathers together a mixture of re-edits, reworks and original productions from the label's vast roster of artists. At 24 tracks deep it's a bit of an epic, though we can happily confirm that the quality threshold remains impressively high throughout. Our current favourites include the Redux Inc re-edit of Casa Blanco's P-funk flavoured hip-wiggler, "Funk & Dub With You", the rushing, piano-powered house bounce of "Got Me" by Ladies on Mars, label boss Yam Who's sparkling nu-boogie revision of Phil Jaimes' "My Sensitivity" and the deep, groovy '80s soul flex of Chevals' "Thank You For The Ride".
Review: Buffalo Boots, Britpop, Alcopops and Chris Evans; the '90s were a mixed bag indeed. One thing that the final decade of the 20th century did do well was dance music and here we get a selection of 36 more underground tracks from that time. Highlights include the sizzling nu-NRG of "To The Rhythm" by Divine Dance Experience, the bizarre, randy trance of "I'm A Sex Maniac" by Dick, the stabby vogue jam "Cauz I'm Learn" by Old Skool and the deep early Red Zone (aka David Morales) remix of System 3 Request "Desafinado".
Review: The title here pretty much says it all, as Midnight Riot serve up a 20-track 'best of' collection that's replete with quality disco- and boogie-inspired house nuggets. There's no room here to go into all the tracks one-by-one, but highlights for this reviewer include Danny Kane's 'Pop Goes The Cherry', which bites Ruby Turner's 90s classic 'Never Ever Gonna Give You Up', and 'Sheroes' by the heavy-hitting Manc double-act of Massey & Paulette - think Daft Punk's 'Teachers' but for people with two X chromosomes. Now dive in and find your own favourites - with cuts from the likes of Amp Fiddler, Paris Grey, Dylan Debut and Jet Boot Jack to choose from, it shouldn't be difficult!
Review: They may both be vastly experienced, but it would be fair to say that Groove Culture chiefs Micky More and Andy Tee are genuine rising stars. Following a string of confirmed club hits that blend disco, house, soul and jazz-funk, the pair have put together a sequel to their much-admired 2021 compilation For Those That Like To Get Down. It naturally includes a handful of their own productions and remixes (see their fantastic, bass guitar-propelled piano house revision of Miguel Migs and Lisa Shaw classic 'Lose Control' and their fab Cevin Fisher hook-up 'All About The Culture' for starters), alongside a swathe of summery, life-affirming blends of house, soul and disco from the likes of Mark Cotterell, DJ Mark Brickman, Derek McKenzie, Serge Funk and Simon Adams.
Review: Bass is all over the place in the UK at the moment, so much so that this is already the second instalment in this recent compilation series. Boasting some heavy hitters including number one hit "Feel The Love" by Rudimental feat John Newman, we get 40 tracks spanning drum and bass, dupstep and electro house. Highlights include the fluffy pop meets dubstep of Netsky's "Come Alive", the wobble-hop of Foreign Beggars' "Flying To Mars", the future drum and bass of "I Remember" by Culture Shock and the epic synths of Camo & Krooked's "Further Away".
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from Toolroom's "Poolside Ibiza" compilation strand, namely groovy nu-disco, house and laidback Balearic beats inspired by afternoons spent lounging by the water in stonking White Isle heat. Naturally, there are plenty of gems to be found amongst the 40 unmixed tunes selected by chosen DJs Moullinex and Xinobi, from their own collaborative post-punk/dub number "X Marks The Spot", to the slick '80s synth-pop dreaminess of Tensnake's fine remix of Xinobi's "Far Away Place" and the drowsy, Morricone-influenced soundscape weirdness of Simple Symmetry's remix of Moscoman's "I Ran". Throw in some seriously good cuts from Felipe Gordon, Donald Dust, Pin Up Club and Meera (whose carnival-ready boogie jam "Fine Without You" stands out), and you have a fine collection of summery cuts.
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