Disco Recommendations August 2010

Review: You wait ages for a Golf Channel release and then two stunners drop in the space of a week! The New York imprint follows the gentle cosmiche groove of Dominik Von Senger with some proper dancing fare from !!! Out Hud stalwart Justin Van Der Volgen. Very much in line with his output as part of TBD with Lee Douglas, "Clapping Song" takes mid 90s European house as its core influence. A clapping rhythm reminiscent of the diwali riddim is main percussive element in a relentless beast of a track which trades in any attempt at subtlety for all out sweat inducing industrial bliss. Flip over for the pulsing techno meets deep burning balearica of "Sheebooyah", a track which sounds perfectly suited for the sun rising across the Adriatic at one of this summers many festivals in Croatia.

Review: Lee Foss steps up for the third release on the Hot Creations imprint he bosses with fellow Hot Natured type Jamie Jones and it might be their best to date. If you've attended one of this summer's Hot Natured parties at Sonar or DEMF then the four cuts here will be familiar to your ears. The looped vocal refrains on "U Got Me" sound eerily like Rick Astley, yet fit perfectly within the confines of the infectious 80s throwback disco Foss has crafted with a heavy dose of vocal panning. "Run Around" lifts the vocals from an early 90s New Jack Swinger and dips them in a truly infectious summertime groove. The real heat is on the flip though with a hypnotic analogue synth competing with a superbly cut up soulful vocal for the best aspect of the marvellously deep "Happen For A Reason". The Arabic shuffle through the outer reaches of cosmic darkness that unfolds on "Chic Sheik" makes for a splendid end to a very impressive release.

Review: Mock & Toof continue to enlist the more interesting artists to have a crack at tracks from their superlative debut album. Previous single "Farewell To Wendo" was lent some dancefloor kudos by the hands of the mighty Brontosaurus and Kink & Neville Watson. They return with a double a-side featuring reinterpretations of two of the best tracks from Tuning Echoes. Ray Mang (Mangled/DFA) takes on the cosmiche ethno pop of "Supress Your Feelings" and leads it down the path marked 'epic cosmic disco this way' retaining the bass line and adding punchy drums and some lovely arpeggiated synth work. The super talented Dan Lissvik from Studio gives "Shoeshine Boogie" a completely different feel, replacing the slap bass boogie of the orginal with an off kilter cosmic funk feel. Mock & Toof even throw in a vinyl only exclusive new track "Live At Alipali" which is a little nugget of shuffling mutant disco that's already got the ears of Jacques Renault and Todd Terje.