Review: Germany's DJ Friction once more dons his Frico re-editor's hat and serves up another brace of reworks of classic tracks from days of yore - more specifically, in this instance, days of early 80s boogie yore. First to get the treatment is 'Never Let You Go', a 1982 cut by UK outfit Savanna. Frico's remake is very faithful to the original, but most importantly he leaves the fine scatting section towards the end intact... doo doo dah-dah! Frico then turns his attention to 'Sparkle', another 1982 jam, this time by veteran Japanese singer-songwriter and producer Tatsuro Yamashita. Boogie lovers will be in raptures.
Review: Berlin's Soundsmith returns to UK label The Disco Express, his regular home, with a brand new three-track/four-mix EP. Things kick off with the chunky, guitar-flecked nu-disco of 'New Energy' itself, after which he drafts in fellow label stalwart Bustin' Loose for the uptempo Italo vibes of 'San Remo'. Then we get the dense instrumental 'SX3000' with its blend of atmospheric sci-fi synths and choppy disco/funk guitar, before Sparkling Attitude's much more full-on and driving remix of the title track completes the package. Standout peaktime-friendly moments may be in short supply but all four will keep 'em moving for sure.
Review: Rhode Island-based Katakana Edits bring us the 98th installment in this long-running series, and once more we're in the hands of Morlack, who's contributed no fewer than 14 previous volumes. The French DJ/producer has dug pretty deep for source material: 'Cali Style' bites Eddy Grant's 'California Style', the Jimmy Castor Bunch's 1975 novelty funker 'King Kong' gets a light-touch refix and 'L.Cats' gives The Cure an unexpected breakbeat makeover, but that's about as much as we can tell you! The rest of the EP draws on unidentified soul, funk and boogie nuggets, many of them with non-Anglophone vocals.
Review: With 30 tracks to choose, there's no faulting the value for money on offer with this latest Salsoul collection, but a note of caution should perhaps be sounded: if you've only just discovered Salsoul and are doing some exploring, then this isn't the best collection to start with, because most of the label's best-loved tunes already featured on Volume 1, back in 2017. That potential commercial weakness is also, however, the album's greatest strength, because it's the more obscure cuts that will be of most interest to long-term fans... and there are plenty of both! With a mixture of ACTUAL original mixes plus a few contemporary rerubs from the likes of Dave Lee and Danny Krivit, this is a worthwhile and rewarding addition to the ever-growing roster of Salsoul comps.
Review: Strut's archival remit remains as international as ever, with their latest compilation squaring the focus on late '70s Hawaii on the delightful Aloha Got Soul: Soul AOR & Disco In Hawai'i 1979-1985. Across the backdrop of societal change on the island (statehood into America in '59 and the Vietnam War) Hawaiian youth found inspiration in the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and later Earth Wind & Fire leading to a truly vibrant scene by the mid-'70s. It's after this where Strut pick up the story, bringing together a glorious 16 track collection that spans the genres and suggests Hawaii to be a most fertile location for music during this era. Do take some time to check the detailed sleeve notes from Aloha Got Soul's Roger Bong which offer further context for the music!
Review: Originally starting back in the mid-noughties as a slightly Ed Banger-esque producer, London based Swede Blende has mellowed over time into a more discofied take on the electro sound. He's also forged a bond with the always-hip Eskimo recordings. Here he presents three new sparkly gems: the cowbells and string-laden "Paramount", the raw '80s punky-funk of "Sparkle" and the wall of synths beauty that is closer "Plush". Just lovely.
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: After six years spent teasing and titillating with a steady stream of high value singles, David Kennedy is finally ready to release his debut full-length under the now familiar Pearson Sound alias. The first artist album to appear on the Hessle Audio imprint he co-founded with Pangaea and Ben UFO, Pearson Sound is a surprisingly sparse and otherworldly affair. Intriguingly, Kennedy's usual twisted, dubbed-out analogue rhythms largely take a back seat, with moments of tough dancefloor abandon (see "Rubber Tree" and the tipsy "Headless") playing second fiddle to stripped-back synth-scapes and otherworldly ambience. It's striking on first listen, and only gets more impressive with repeat listens
Review: Hiatus Kaiyote is a four piece group out of Melbourne that have slowly but surely seen their music picked up by the likes of BBE and now Brainfeeder. Combining a bunch of soul notes and cool jazz with electro-acoustic beats, R&B vocals and other virtuosic instrumentation, the twice grammy nominated band deliver their most acclaimed release yet. Described by Rolling Stone as 'a stunning step', a true LA Beat scene sound can be heard clear as day in the summery synth waves and keys of "Chivalry Is Not Dead". With downtempo beats and complex arrangements colliding with found sound and ambient melodies in other numbers like "Blood & Marrow" and "Sparkle Tape Break Up", there's extra piano sessions in "Red Room" alongside the twinkling keys of "Sip Into Something Soft". A fully fledged album of deep influences channeling a new age in blues, it's safe to say after six years: Hiatus Kaiyote have arrived.
Review: hedZup label head WLAD is pleased to present his debut album Call Lab. Developed over the course of 12 months, the Parisian producer serves up 10 tracks in collaboration with the creme de la creme of the European tech house scene at present. From the boompty swing-fuelled futurism of opener "Moulin Rouge" in collaboration with Sake Records' Oden & Fatzo, to the moody and tripped-out afterhours vibe explored on "Sparkling Water" with local hero Mancini, the dubby, emotive and looped-up style of "Lova Droppa" with British duo The Willers Brothers (nailing that Cabinet Records vibe of old) and the stripped back minimal funk of "Odyssey" with the Avotre and Toolroom affiliated Sante. It's what the label described as 'a broad and brilliant collection of tasteful and club ready house cuts' - and that's spot on!
Review: "Unlovable" eh? Either our kid Andria is being ironic or he's got serious confidence issues. We've dispatched Juno's resident agony aunt to France to find out which one. In the meantime let's check out his beautiful debut... The title track oozes soul and classic Continental panache, operating with a wonderful sample that really wouldn't have gone amiss on Discovery back in the day. "Sparkle" lives up to its name in every way with a real dreamy twinge to the well crafted loop. "Turbo Disco" lives up to its name even more - it's fast, and it's got stunning disco loop. Do you need any more superlatives? Classic French vibes throughout; you can hear the influences but, more importantly, you identify a new distinctive artist to watch. We love him already.
Review: Liquid Pegasus's synth-funk focused 2016 debut album "What I Actually Do" was so good that many expected him to become a major force in the growing nu-boogie scene. His career seems to have stalled since then, with this outing on Clandestine Boogie marking his first outing in almost two years. It's a vibrant, colourful and sun-kissed affair that regularly reaches rush-inducing levels of positivity. Check the meandering synth-bass, sparkling stabs and eyes-closed jazz guitar solos of "Makin' It Hot". "Sparkle" is deeper, more laidback and a touch more disco-fied, with Dave Allison upping the tempo a little while increasing the Balearic factor on his accompanying remix. Matt Hughes' tidy take on "Makin' It Hot" is arguably sturdier and more club-ready than Liquid Pegasus' original version.
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