Review: "Shut The Lights Out" is a funky throwback brimming with infectious energy, courtesy of Berlin production duo Lovebirds and vocalist NILE. Lovebirds channel their well-regarded love for 70s and 80s sounds into a groovy production. The foundation is an arresting funk beat, bolstered by classic disco instrumentation and dreamy synths. NILE's vocals are the perfect compliment, with a motivational spoken-word style that adds another layer of interest. The package is completed by a remix from disco aficionado Birdee, who takes the original's sparkling energy and adds their own signature touch. Birdee's remix is an upbeat and spacey take, perfect for extending the dancefloor journey.
Review: Rare Wiri bring us three new rubs of the tracks that made up German nu-disco regular Andy Bach's 'If You Leave' EP, released in November last year. Romanto's take on 'Come On Now' strips away the deep house elements and transforms it into a hazy summer nu-disco jam, Stephane Deschezeaux's Organic Remix of 'Dimesions' injects a little more funk and soul into what was quite a trippy, Balearic-leaning original, before 'If You Leave' - a fairly 'accessible' and pop-oriented nu-disco cut in its original form - gets handed over to label boss Rayko, whose rework gives it a deeper, more underground kinda feel.
Review: Discuji returns to UNKNOWN Season with a bang, bigging up Baltimore's vibrant music scene with his latest collection of remixes. Adding to the excitement is NYC's legendary DJ-producer DJ Romain who makes his debut on UNKNOWN Season, delivering funky filter disco remixes reminiscent of that iconic NYC sound. From DJ Romain's infectious grooves to Discuji's TransPacific Dub, inspired by M-Scape & Yoshi Horino, this package ventures deep into disco-infused tracks made for the party - turn it up!
Review: NYC combo 79.5 are, like Midnight Magic and Escort before them, a live outfit whose trademark sound and output is shaped by the rich musical history of the city they call home. That superb sound was outlined on last year's eponymous debut album, tracks from which appear in remixed form on this must-check EP. There are two takes on previous single 'Feel Like Dancin': an extended deep house take by Malik Hendricks with added Afro-house percussion, and an impressive low-tempo chugger titled the 'Generalisation Dub'. 'B.D.F.Q' also comes in two contrasting variations: the spacey electro-meets-ghetto-house flex of the Jubilee Remix, and an extended version of FSQ's Midnight Magic style neo-disco interpretation. A percussive and joyous J Kriv house revision of 'Our Hearts Didn't Go That Way' completes a fine package.
Review: Montenegro-based rework maestro Mitiko (real name Sasha Mitich) has been a busy boy this year, with this EP-turned-mini album marking his sixth missive of 2024 to date. There's plenty to get the blood pumping and the feet moving across the seven tracks on show, from the lightly housed up vocal disco rush of 'Along With You' and the filter-sporting Afro-disco joy of 'Fungi Mama', to the slow-motion disco-funk headiness of 'Ghost' and the build-and-release excellence of the stomping, string-laden peak-time disco of 'Peak At You'. Those seeking mid-tempo thrills are catered for via 'Get Up and Boogie', while 'Latin Hustle' is a memorable revision of a Spanish language dancefloor gem.
Review: Leeds-based Jay Dixon AKA Jay-Son specialises in dark, moody electronic disco and has chalked up releases on such labels as Rare Wiri, When Disco Goes Wrong, Paisley Dark and Nein Records, among others. Here he returns to the former with a two-track release: 'Into The Infinity Of Light' is a throbbing, pulsating workout that blends influences from Italo disco, Belgian new beat, coldwave and acid house, topping the lot with rave-y "come on!" shouts, while the accompanying 'Such A Vibration' is a hazier affair that operates at a much slower tempo and makes good use of some classic Loleatta vocal snips.
Review: Fresh from delivering an EP of nostalgic 'Club Specials' on regular home Wolf Music Recordings, Frits Wentink returns to Clone's Royal Oak imprint for the first time since 2020. Title track 'Spiritual Basslines' - which is available in 'Club Mix' and 'Extended Mix' variations - follows a similar sonic template to the Amsterdam stalwart's most recent releases, adding classic deep house sounds to the kind of skippy, loose-limbed groove most often found on late '90s US garage releases. Highlights elsewhere across the EP include the vintage Nu Groove-influenced excellence of 'Eternity', the dub house meets-nu-disco shuffle of 'Golf Cart Joyride', and the deliciously deep, dusty and dubby shuffle of 'Olympiad'.
Review: Daydream Utopia emerges as a deep journey into atmospheric downtempo & electronica, designed for immersive listening experiences if only brief! Evoking a sense of inner and outer space exploration, the album's ethereal soundscapes offer a soundtrack for introspection and dreaming realities by blending warm analog tones with futuristic nostalgia. Chris Coco invites listeners to ponder existential questions while navigating their own thoughts, offering a place for balance, clarity and purpose should you get it. From the enigmatic "Synesthesia" to the introspective "Tokyo Ame," each composition sparks curiosity, whether it's decoding hidden meanings or exploring the depths of human connection. For lovers of ambient synth!
Review: It's clear to all who follow electronic music with any level of regularity that Om Unit has become one of the most consistently impressive names to follow, with the last decade of work showcasing creativity and sonic innovation with every new outing. This latest 'Fragments' album project sees those talents again at work, from the moogy bass flicks on 'Snagged' to the icey soundscaping of 'Entity' and super sharp drum processing of 'Side Quest'. This album showcases mastery at work, with Om Unit again proving to be a level above those around him, with highlights including the colourful melodic squelches of 'Moonglade' and breaks-inspired energy-boosting qualities of 'Hard Skin'. Top work, as always!
Review: Foliage Records presents the next version of their compilation series Deep Rooted via Bristol legend Sean McCabe! This eighth edition unearths some fresh gems from trusted stalwarts like Atjazz and Jimpster, with Sean McCabe himself throwing down twice with Karmasound in "A New Day" alongside others like Harold Mathew's Jr in a extended vocal mix of "This Place" to something else with Turbojazz and Monica Blaire in "Don't Look Down". Full of pure house vibes, McCabe takes on Taliwa in a remix of "Music For My Sun", while other stand out numbers include Blaze's deep and stuttering "Celestine Prophecy" and Black Sonix's percussive "Afrotone". Don't sleep on McCabe's Deep Rooted mix either to see how well all of this curation comes together.
Review: Given that Divine Who is a gospel-disco rework project helmed by Greg Belson (one of the world's most renowned gospel diggers) and Midnight Riot chief Yam Who, you'd expect this second volume in their ongoing 'Altared Disco' series to be packed to the rafters with killer revisions of dusty and obscure gems. It is, of course, with the pair hitting the mark straight away with 'Dance' - a thickset disco-house affair in which soaring gospel lead and backing vocals rise above chunky beats, infectious piano riffs and swirling sonics. 'Never Turn Back (Jaegerossa Remix)' is another peak-time ready house-style revision of a piano-powered, hands-aloft gospel-disco treat, while 'Feel' puts a new spin on a slap-bass sporting chunk of early '80s gospel-electrofunk.
Review: Leeds' own disco don Andy Buchan returns to Hot Gorilla with an EP consisting of what are, essentially, three nu disco-fied cover versions - specifically, his takes on 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds, 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk and 'Burning Down The House' by Talking Heads. But there's a twist - as the EP title suggests, each of those covers has been augmented by the employment of a full choir on vocal duties. It's an approach that may prove a bit 'Marmite' (for this writer, the treatment works best on 'Get Lucky') but it certainly makes a change from endless re-edits...
Review: Over the last few years, Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson has spent a fair amount of time mentoring Peacey, a young producer with oodles of talent. That much is proved by the rising star's expansive debut album, a superb 16-track set that combines sizzling colo cuts with a string of inspired collaborations. The Edinburgh-based artist sets his stall out via the luscious horn arrangements and immersive ambient electronics of 'Play It By Ear', before drifting between head-nodding R&B loveliness (Oveous hook-up 'Love In The Forest'), sensual and seductive, soul-flecked deep house ('Hold Me Back' with Clyde and Atjazz), mid-tempo boogie-soul ('Playground' with Rona Ray), dubby and dreamy downtempo grooves ('Last Night's Dream'), deep and techy, spoken word-sporting dancefloor workouts ('Culture Bandit' with Vanessa Hidary) and jazz-funk influenced excellence (LaRoye collab 'In The Distance').
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