Juno Recommends Disco April 2021

Review: 
The eleventh edition in the Tuff Cut series sees the artist formerly known as DJ Housemaster Cam (HMC) deliver a couple more low slung, slo-mo edits for maximum dancefloor potential. The Adelaide-based legend serves up some proper disco fever on 'Shame', with a real champagne flavour if you know what we mean. On the flip, hear the amazing grace of 'To The Rhythm', yes it's yet another resplice of the classic, but this time it's been done just right! Respectful edits of the highest calibre, from a land down under.

Review: Disco don Dimitri From Paris and the always glossy Glitterbox label is a perfect coming together as this new single proves. It has a cliched title but the music excuses that - it's pure timeless joy, with feel good vocals, big shiny strings and a knotted, funky bassline that cannot fail but ignore the floor. The musicianship is second to none on the extended disco mix and that areas on through all versions. There's the big full take, the more paired back club dub and a cappella, and all are dynamite.

Review: Get those party pumps greased up and don thine finest gladrags, it's time to hit the disco with the fruitiest bunch in town. By now you no doubt know about the level of quality you should be expecting from a Disco Fruit 12", and this second sampler doesn't disappoint. Label regulars are present and correct, with Hotmood kicking things off with the sultry, sizzling 'You Are A Star', while C Da Afro vamps things up with the kind of uptempo electro-disco that borders on hi-NRG. Mitiko slides into a slinky Balearic groove on 'Back To Dance', and Loshmi takes things in a more esoteric, jazz-inflected direction on standout cut 'Regah'.

Review: A's and Bees is a new label with a slightly different mission - as well as offering up heavyweight 12" pressings packed with double sided delights, the label also promises to donate 50% of the profits from every wax to the British Beekeepers Association. They kick off with a bro one, too - it is a much needed reissue of Rare Pleasure's 'Superfine Feeling', which was only pressed din small quantities and now fetches over L400 quid on second hand sites. The 1977 soul drenched disco number brings real joy with its wind and strong stabs, strident beats and scorching vocals.

Review: Mr. K and Most Excellent Unlimited are back once again and this time featuring a lowdown and stomping disco gem from Minnie Riperton. Her 1977 single 'Stick Together' rather sticks out in her discography of smooth modern soul, but that's not to say it isn't great. The second half to the original is what has been reworked in this edit and so we are treated to a lengthy exploration featuring keyboardist Sonny Burke (laying down some irresistible keys. Flip it over for his take on 'Body Language,' an album cut on the Jackson Five's last Motown album and here served up with an iconic bass line that just doesn't quit.

Review: Long time crate diggers will know that an original of this one will often go for upwards of sixty quid. The 1981 disco tune is one of only three that American vocalist Lauriece Hudson ever appeared on, but boy is it a goodie. There's a hint of Tam Tam clubs's rickety drums to the way it builds, with hip swinging claps and lush strings all adding depth and detail. Of course, it's the airy vocal that is the rightful centre piece as it soars to the cosmic skies and takes you with it. Whether dropping this one as a big Friday night warm up, end of the night go-home-happy tune or anything between, it is sure to never fail you.

Review: Robot84's impeccable run of funkified house cuts continues apace with this new drop. The London-based duo have the peak time squarely in their sights on 'Make Me Feel Good', rinsing a veritable cascade of uplifting house tropes from across the board. It might be that you want that pitch perfect diva vocal lick, or perhaps you just want the instrumental - either way you're covered on the A side. On the flip side, things take a turn towards Italo with the sleek and sassy 'Futuro Disko', and then veer towards a dubby, tech-tinged strain of house music on the immersive 'Ago (Dubbed Out Mix)'.

Review: After a fantastic first instalment, Deeppa continues its series with Anton Scruscru landing next to his friend Sergey Timoshenko on the a-side. Scruscru goes solo to start with, laying u price languid beats and jazzy keys into a classic summer disco jam and then with Timoshenko they offer 'Jubilee Boulevard', a warm, vibe fuelled dancer for late night and steamy sessions. Common Mode starts up the b-sidfe with the deep, bubbling beats and flute lead bliss of 'Black Mirror' before Flabaire closes down with sunset house gem 'Shelter' featuring a majestic Rhodes solo by JD73. All four of these are primed and ready for summer deployment.

Review: John Devecchis has been instrumental in bringing a strong sense of personality and flair to Cardiology's explorations of the disco edit tradition, and now his The Owl alias is back for a third bout to kick off 2021 in style. 'Only You Baby' is certain to set a party off, whenever one materialises, thanks to its deadly bass hook that sounds like a thousand boogie fantasies rolled into one. 'You' takes a slinkier route, riding on a steadfast, strum-a-long groove that holds it down for the duration before 'Got To Dance' wakes you up with a huge, feel-good break and a cheeky vocal sample. 'Fever' is the pick of the bunch though, amping up the percussion until the congas sound monolithic and dropping a guitar lick you'll spot a mile off.

Review: Taken from Lorraine Johnson's first 'Album The More You Want' released in 1977 on Prelude Records and produced by Jesse Boyce and Moses Dillard, this single has been reissued many times over the years but always shifts. It's a textbook bit of floor filling r&b, disco and soul complete with a brilliantly well defined bass riff, soaring Philly strings and an empowering vocal from Johnson. On the flip, 'Feed The Flame' is even more celebratory with its big horns and stomping rhythms. Both of these are timeless classics that will unite dance floors and music lovers of all shapes, shades and sizes.

Review: Rahaan is one of those artists who you know will always come through. His music is a direct connection to an era when producers managed to capture real and raw energy in tracks that brim with musicianship and good time grooves. This time out he does just that on Neighboursoul Rhythm, serving up four fine hits. 'To The Point' is a soul drenched, hi tempo disco cut with intense strings, drums and vocals, then 'Cuttin' Loose' strips things back but honest slow down, racing along a smooth and sweet disco groove. 'Last Thing' is all about the majestic strings and funky bass and 'Black Magik' pulls no punches.

Review: Moscoman's outlying Disco Halal has another nicely left of centre 12" on its hands here with the twisted, Moroccan influenced rhythms of Polocorp. Polocorp is one half of Polo and Dan and someone who was enchanted by the local Gnawa sound while travelling through north Africa. He set about setting up a local collective of talented artists known as 'The Atlas Collective' including Simo Baala, Abdallah Roudani, Monclif Boubul and Andrey Zouzari. Here they lay down some mystical and intoxicating disco with remixes from Yuksek and Dombrance adding their own unique spin.

Review: 
There isn't much info out there about Arts & Craft, who put out only two singles back in the mid-eighties. But they sure are worth owning, as Jus Born know. They serve up this latest reissue with a new edit. Original 'I've Been Searching' is a stunning bit of Philly style disco that has big stings, plenty of glamour and a taught, funky bassline. Next to an instrumental, the one and only Al Kent comes through with an edit that fattens out the bass and raws out the breakdowns for real dance floor destruction.

Review: Edit master and fountain of all knowledge when it comes to the best in disco, soul and funk from the last 40 years, Mr K is back n his own self-titled label with more of his specially cooked up reworks. He kicks off here with 'You're the One For Me' which features a well known vocal that is repackaged in reverberating bass and hip singing claps. It's feel good disco gold with a groove that never lets up. The second sizzler ups the ante further with high speed drums and superbly kinetic bass funk on 'Sentimentally It's You' which hurries along with lightening synths and breathless vocals.

Review: Duca Bianco brings the disco goodness once more here with Tom Bolas serving up four fresh cuts. 'Tanz Ohne Planeten' is a go slow chugger with ling legend drums and glistening chords. 'Guestlist Of Love' soars on a slick electro beat with robotic vocals adding some cyborg funk. 'Fick Mich' steps it up with withering chords and libidinous vocal cries over stark and steely drums. Last of all, things get seductive and blissed out on 'Shinjuku Strut,' a retro future vocal disco gem designed for good times. This is a hugely varied EP that nails four very different but equally brilliant styles.

Review: Set your phasers to disco, the Spincat label is back with more of that fired up, exquisitely edited goodness that makes you want to get down. First up on this various artists 12" is The Funk District, who keeps things heady and swooning on the Philly string busting 'Like A Bird On A Cage'. Hotmood, fresh from bringing the good stuff to Disco Fruit, is feeling feisty on the decidedly jacked up 'La La La'. It's an uptempo stomper with a relentless charge and a loopy flavour that could sit in a techno set as easily as a disco one. C Da Afro and JB Boogie team up to kick the B side off with 'Latin Vibez', which works in some choice 80s electro funk flavours amongst the driving disco beat.

Review: Back in its day, Prequel did more to define a dazzling disco era than almost any other label. It's vast back catalogue still gives dance floors all over the world plenty of joy. The timeless sound, seamless fusion of funk, jazz and soul with disco grooves will always be appealing as this gem from 1982 proves. Starshine was
M. Traxxx and Michael Bailey, and they only put out a couple of tunes. 'All I Need Is You' was the standout with its steamy vocals and cute melodic motifs, bright chords and funky bass. The instrumental actually features the vocals again, but slightly reworked and more buried in the mix.

Review: Following up that great inaugural release which featured a wicked edit of Kate Bush's classic 'Running Up That Hill' by the legendary Dutch techno expert Orlando Voorn, GOAT Series are back with some re-rubs of disco's greatest hits and near misses. It doesn't get any more low slung than on Detroit Boogie Assembly's 'New Beginning' which receives a streamlined edit version by Paul Phunk on the flip. B2 cut 'Living In XTC' sure is an oldie, but you bet it's still a goodie.

Review: The irrepressible Kraak & Smaak get naked on this new single with the help of IVAR & Berenice Van Leer. The title tune is a nice slow and loose warm up number with depth and heart to spare. Fouk reworks it into something more for the club - a warm and authentic bit of real house music complete with classy piano chords, a great vocal and interesting drum sounds. 'In Plain Sight' (feat IVAR) is another lush and lazy, disco tinged go slow house tune with a remix from Rodney Hunter that ups the tempo and head to the dance floor.

Review: 
Italian Italo disco project Mr Flagio (which stands for Flavio Giorgio after members Flavio Vidulich and Giorgio Bacco) originally released their archetypal, synths heavy disco sounds in 1984. It has been reissued a number of times but always sells out because of the dazzling brilliance of the production. 'Take A Chance' has everything - the crashing hits, cold 80s machine sounds, crystalline arps and surging future bassline, all finished off with a big vocal. The original is presented here alongside an instrumental and two slightly more contemporary remixes from Italoconneciton.

Review: The much loved cult free zine Faith Fanzine relaunched recently to a welcome audience. Now they follow it up with the launch of their own label, also called Faith. The first release is a double 12" reissue of the classic 'Cathedrals' by DC LaRue. They say the aim is to "educate a new generation of house fans" and they do that by enlisting contemporary funk and soul maestros Jamie 3:26, Maurice Fulton, Greg Wilson and Faith's own Terry Farley & Dave Jarvis to serve up their own takes of this classic vocal track that has been sampled hundreds of times over the years.

Review: The Made To Dance mission is s simple but effective one - take some stone cold gold from yesterday and smartly, sympathetically re-edit it for modern dance floors. No one knows who is behind this project - or even whether it is one person or a collective - but who cares when the jams are this sweet? The seventh volume is another superb one with 'Yuda' bringing mad Latin rhythms, intense hand claps and chunky tribal grooves. On the reverse is 'Achili', which is built on pounding kicks as loose perc and steel drums all add fuel to the fire.