Review: Influential and prolific, Dave Lee has been one of house music's major proponents of soulful, disco-tinged, vocal tracks. Without question, he was instrumental in its development. Produced With Love is only the second ever Joey Negro album to be released and the first for more than 20 years. It proves that dance music with character still exists and rather than rely on sampling older records, the overwhelming majority of music is newly recorded. Rest assured that there's quite the supporting cast here, on the vocal front: the late great Diane Charlemagne on "Overnight Sensation", Canadian songstress and frequent Nick Holder collaborator Sacha Williamson on "I Recognize" and the legendary Linda Clifford on "Won't Let Go". Fellow London disco dons Horsemeat Disco collaborate on "Dancing Into The Stars" too. The second half of the collection focuses on Lee's impeccable remixes and yes: there is a version of "Must Be The Music" and a track by the inimitable Peven Everett entitled "Love Is Thicker Than Water" alongside several other gems.
Review: Top-level disco/house fusionists and Groove Culture Records chiefs Micky More and Andy Tee have been let loose in the Z Records archive. The result is a fine compilation that combines some of their favourites from the long-serving label's catalogue with a sextet of remixes the duo has prepared specially for the collection. If you've been following their work, you'll know exactly what to expect, namely peak-time ready, soul-fired cuts that combine authentic disco instrumentation (horns, strings, guitars, bass etc) with rolling house beats and plenty of life-affirming vocals. Highlights are naturally plentiful, with their trio of Sunburst Band remixes, Masters At Work's classic, Nuyorican Soul style remix of The Blackbyrds' 'Mysterious Vibes' and Frankie Knuckles (RIP) and Eric Kupper's 'Directors Cut' mix of Sunburst Band's 'The Secret Life of Us' all standing out.
Review: Covering the many guises of Dave "Joey Negro" Lee, Z Records compile some of the British house don's most 'beefa-shaped moments on this new, 25-track collection. Recent delights, such as his collaboration with Gramaphonedzie ("No Sugar") and his more soulful Doug Willis project ("Music Speaks Louder Than Words") mix up against classics such as "The Real Life" (done under Lee's "Raven Maise" alias) and tribal-house anthem "American Dream" - here represented with the extended "Different Gear" mix. Look out also for The Revenge's excellent edit of the disco bomb "Kilimanjaro" by Letta Mbulu.
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