Disco Recommendations March 2010

Review: The RV Cock remix of Dirty Jesus gloriously and unimprovably titled house track "Dont Fuck With My Shit" starts with the kind of percussion so indebted to Harveys life in Hawaiian/LA paradise that it all but dons a loud shirt and offers you a cocktail. Thankfully this is soon overshadowed by something altogether more menacing, as dark, slow, spacey synths come to the fore. By the time the ethereal vocals and horns come in, Harvey has lulled you into a druggy stupor - and of course this is exactly where he wants you - before he drags you out of it with one final bass drop that is sure to tear the roof off after-parties from London to Honolulu.

Review: The debut release of the new label "let's get lost" which is kicked off by mule musiq and force of nature's Kza. 'Vol. 1' is Kza's re-edits of all time top favorite obscure disco tracks.

Kza is a one of the most popular djs / artists in Japan, and is well known as Japan's biggest records collecter! Last year he released his first solo album "Dig & Edit" on mule musiq's sister label Endless Flight. The album was supported from eric duncan from rub n tug and many more. The long awaited new album from Force Of Nature is coming later in 2010...


A side "goodie goodie" is an edit of Vincent Montana Jr Project - Goody Goody's "It Looks Like Love" - this track is a well known garage classic that's been chopped and extended for the dancefloor. B1 "Dancer" is an edit of french disco band Voyage's classic boogie song "I Love You Dancer". B2, "tonight", is a canadian rock oriented disco group Beauregard, Violletti & St. Claire's "Ce Soire" which is included to their first album. The original is very short, so this edit creates a longer version for DJs.

Review: Tiny Sticks presents Cage & Aviary with 'Beat'N'Path'. Having put out releases to mini acclaim on esteemed labels such as DFA, Dissident Distribution, Astro Lab, and their own The Walls Have Ears imprint, Cage & Aviary are now set to spread their wings with a brand new spanking release for Tiny Sticks and it’s a winner in every way! Two very individualistic tracks that ooze charm & personality. On the flip NYC's Brennan Green runs with the acid theme in the original and turns in a pure analogue master class. Amazing. DJ Support from: James Murphy, Joe Hot Chip, Mark E, Cosmo Vitelli, Roy Dank, Inflagranti, Toby Tobias, Lexx, Azari & III, People’s Popular Front, etc etc....

Review: Marking the final release in Daniel Wang's Best of Balihu series, the disco connoisseur compiles some unreleased cuts and newer versions of tunes from his seminal EPs.

While having never been a huge sample fiend in his time, probably the most noticeable appropriation on the EP is the accapella of "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" by Sylvester on first tune Sylver Belt. It only makes a fleeting appearance though as Mr Wang keeps things moving quickly over the course of the tune, switching things up like Coldcut did in their heyday.

More conventional is Not Feeling It, which plunges straight into an awesome late-night groove, with heavily reverbed vocals and sparse Techno stabs over some wickedly punchy kicks. East Village Hustle brings some lush and silky strings into the mix, and keeps the funk going with some equally tasteful bass.

The instrumental version of If It Feels Good has been kept in Wang's archive until now and finally gets a release here. Some other very vintage pieces show up on the EP also, Shadows for example is as rare as hens teeth, as well as Unhouse, which is a quirky yet soulful Rhodes and flute-fest.

Definitely a must-have for all fans of the Balihu series and for anyone interested in Nu-Disco period.

Review: Nottingham based producer Chamboche drops his second release on Jisco Music offshoot, Under the Shade. "On the Streets" brings two new tracks from the disco head, reinforced by two excellent remixes from Toby Tobias and Brontosaurus.


Under the Shade are getting quality records out on a regular basis at the moment. Last month they unleashed Mark E’s epic "White Skyway" and with another Ilija Rudman effort still to come, "On the Streets" underlines the emphatic productivity of the imprint. Indeed it was Chamboche’s "Ipso Facto" EP that launched the label in just August last year. Now he returns for their seventh release, delving into his disco house sound that is fast making a name for himself.


Veteran house head Toby Tobias leads proceedings with his shimmering remix of "On the Streets." It is a relatively slow paced piece of Balearic house come disco. It chuggs along with warmth and depth courtesy of retro keyboard lines and some spiralling snyth arpeggios. The live sounding slap bass guitar gives the remix an endearingly natural flavour, not to mention bags of funky attitude. The Friends edit comes next, upping the tempo and adding a sense of urgency to the track. An incessant Italo / electro disco bassline provides the backbone here as the arpeggios are sent through the filters to heighten their effect. It manages to feel subtle whilst keeping things pumping, a difficult craft to master. Rekids talent Brontosaurus comes in to lighten things up on his effervescent remix of "The Problem" before Chamboche displays his power disco forces once more with the November edit of the same tune.


As Under the Shade's reputation continues to grow without limit, so too does Chamboche's. With more releases already in the pipeline, it is great to see the producer following in the industrious ways of his label. We just can't wait to hear what's next.

Review: This project will get serious attention for the inclusion of Holger Czukay from seminal 70's band Can, a perennial influence among DJ's and producers. Coming in two parts, Day and Night, both are dominated by the breathy narrative from Ursa Major (reminiscent of Patti Smith). A loose arrangement by the band evokes the road trip detailed in the song, while fans of Can won't be disappointed by the intense atmosphere created over the two songs.

Review: Now on their third release, the Hands Of Time team - led by Social Disco Club aka Humberto Matias - strike gold with 'I'm Good For You'.

After the edit based releases from Social Disco Club and The Beat Broker, this original production also by Social Disco Club (Bear Funk/Mindless Boogie), straddles the fine line between disco and house, with its infectious vocals leading the bongo charge. Already featured on Still Going's 'Resident Advisor Mix', this is more proof that Social Disco Club is a name to watch in 2010, after remixes and releases on Tirk, Disco Deviance and many more.
On the flip Dr Dunks (aka Eric Duncan/Rub N Tug) throws a huge rolling bassline into the mix to rock down the house. Finally, Tiago from the Italians Do It Better/Eskimo/Mindless Boogie stables, strips back the original and showcases his deft production skills for a totally unique take that builds and builds.

Review: United Performers presents 'Heavy Hitter', the first class reissue of Barbara Norris's magnificent disco-funk floorfiller. Although the a-side features the knockout vocal version of this classic party starter, it's the incredible dub mix - after its killer electric funk groove caused it to be the stand out track on Metro Area's Fabric mix and placed it high on many a DJ's wants list - which has made this such a highly prized 12".

Review: Norwegian houser Chmmr delivers a slice of chord-heavy, hands in the air house music on Lunaflicks.

"Love Will Lead U" is an unashamedly, peak-time dancefloor house offering. Its mega chords and piano keys takes us back to the early days of Ibiza before "Man" brings us back down again with deep basslines and more chords in an acid washed next morning atmosphere.

Review: As someone who briefly escaped 70's Glasgow and got a taste of the golden age of NYC Disco, Al Kent is a perfect choice to lead you through a classy selection of some choice and rare Disco treats. Having used his huge collection in the past for re-edits and originals, he also took the bold step of forming his own band in 2007 under the name The Million Dollar Orchestra.

The selections here reflect the point at which Funk and Soul mutated into Disco, with most of the tracks capturing that pre-Moroder organic sound. Lee Alfred's Rockin-Poppin Full Tilting for example has a laid back vibe similar to Curtis Mayfield's more uptempo tunes. New Ghetto Express's version of Standing On The Verge of Getting It On (originally by Funkadelic) up's the tempo on the wigged-out classic, again combing the Funk with a Disco groove.

Lypso Disco by Smile Street People, as you'd guess from the title, has a playful Calypso lilt and bounce to it. Cosmic Disco by Patricia White on the other hand doesn't sound like something that Todd Terje or Lindstrom got their cues from, but it is a fun song with some brilliantly random thumb-piano playing in the background!

Anyone looking for samples will have a field day among these tracks, Sweet Daddy Floyd's I Just Can't Help Myself for example has a break in the middle to die for. You could loop up 4 bars practically anywhere and have something pretty damn funky to work with. For that reason alone, it's well worth having a listen and broadening your horizons.