Compilation Recommendations Best Of 2015

Review: Prins Thomas and Belgian label Eskimo have form when it comes to the epic mix CD, the pair combined to classic effect on the Cosmo Galactic Prism back in 2007, but they've really outdone themselves with Paradise Goulash. We do not envy the Eskimo employees tasked with licensing all 57 (count 'em) on this triple disc set which fully confirms Prins Thomas as a master of joining the dots between multiple corners of the cosmic cosmos. Described as "a gentle wander within the musical mind of the Prins," Paradise Goulash of course takes its name from Larry Levan's Paradise Garage and unfolds into one of the most mind-bogglingly good mixes you will hear this year.

Review: The Sources series of record label retrospectives, compiled by renowned crate digger and journalist Bill Brewster, has previously delivered excellent retrospectives on Easy Street and Fresh Records. Here, Brewster turns his attention to another New York institution of the late '70s and early '80s, popular disco imprint Sam Records. As with previous instalments, Brewster tells the story in loosely chronological order, highlighting both well-known classics - think Vicky D, Komiko, John Davis & The Monster Orchestra and K.I.D - and lesser-known gems. It's these latter selections, including the Evasions' brilliant "All Wrapped Up", Underground's smooth "Behind My Back" and the alien boogie of the Webboes' "Under The Wear", that make this an essential purchase for disco and electrofunk heads.

Review: It's been some four years since Norman Jay MBE's last Good Times compilation. Here he makes a welcome return with Skank & Boogie, a typically summer and soulful selection that typically joins the dots between reggae, jazz, boogie, '80s soul, disco and more besides. Opening with Saint Germain's obscure - but rather fine - reggae-jazz cover of the "Pink Panther Theme", the legendary DJ digs deep to present a near non-stop stream of groovy gems. Highlights naturally come thick and fast, with The Real Thing's smooth, UK take on Philly Soul, "Love Takes Tears", Laurel Aitken & The Gruvy Beats' undulating reggae shuffler "Kent People", and Chanson's soulful boogie anthem "Don't Hold Back" standing out.

Review: Back in the early 2000s, Mark E made his name with a series of re-edits on the Jiscomusic label. Those early explorations - long, loopy, glassy-eyed and chugging - effectively defined his distinctive production style. He returned to these roots in spectacular style last year, with a series of similarly minded edits under the E Versions alias. Here he gathers together those cuts on CD for the first time, delivering rubs that variously touch on yearning, deep Balearic house ("I Don't Know What This Is"), heavy loop disco ("Child Star", "The Shoe"), strobe-light, warehouse-friendly tackle ("Mingo") and Madonna ("Magazine", a fantastically chugging, basement-friendly revision of "Vogue").

Review: Waze & Oddysey's W&O Streetracks imprint pulls together the likes of Eliphino, Ejeca, Citizen and XXXY for its first (unmixed) compilation released this Winter, W&O Streettracks Vol 1. Having clocked up eight releases on Street Tracks, it's the ideal time to throw down a milestone and document the sound of the label in one package and W&O Street Tracks does so with panache. The result of Waze & Oddyssey's plunge into their address book is a 12 track compilation that neatly reflects modern house music. Ejeca, Citizen and W&O themselves sit alongside newcomers like Mediman and Sage Caswell while the emergent talents of New Jack City and Eliphino make for a nicely profiled piece of work

Review: Having previously put together seriously good retrospectives for Fresh Records, Sam Records and Easy Street Records, Bill Brewster turns his attention to another seminal New York imprint of the 1980s - Arthur Russell, William Socolov and Juggy Gales' eccentric Sleeping Bag Records. Over the course of its 11 year lifespan, Sleeping Bag moved between dancefloor-friendly genres at will, a facet that Brewster has wisely chosen to celebrate over three discs. So, while there are disco and boogie bangers - Class Action, Dinosaur L', Joyce Sims, Konk etc - we're also treated to dubbed-out beatbox electro (Sound of JHS 126 Brooklyn, Mantronix), freestyle (Nocera, Ann-Marie), bumpin' hip-hop (Cash Money, Mikey D & The LA Posse), proto-house and, of course, early NYC house (Kariya).

Review: Following the runaway success of their Magick Cyrcles and Magick Sunrise compilations, Psychemagik return with another selection of wilfully obscure Balearic gems. There's a subtly breezy, occasionally humid feel to much of the material this time round, with the acclaimed crate diggers' selections flitting between stoned blue-eyed soul, baked west coast rock, curious, semi-spoken word pieces, and the kind of material that suggests getting horizontal as a matter of priority. It goes without saying, of course, that the selections are thrillingly deep, with a tracklist that will have even the most committed record collectors scratching their heads.

Review: In some ways, New York's Fresh Records was always an odd label. A subsidiary of Arthur Russell's Sleeping Bag Records that was initially set up in 1985 to release hip-hop, A&R man Kurtis Mantronik quickly widened its' remit to include electro, freestyle and, later, house. This expansive three-disc anthology from crate-digger Bill Brewster tells the story of the imprint's eight-year history, beginning with a disc of bona fide dancefloor jams (focusing mostly on freestyle and house gear from Todd Terry and Hanson & Davis cuts). Discs two and three focus on the label's arguably better-known hip-hop history, showcasing the work of Fresh staples EPMD, Just Ice, T La Rock, Stezo and Nice & Smooth.

Review: In 1997, fresh from the success of his brilliant debut album Communications, Anthony Child took his Surgeon project to Tresor. It was the beginning of a productive partnership between the Midlands techno titan and the similarly weighty German imprint. Tresor 97-99 gathers together Child's three albums for the Berlin-based label, offering them in freshly re-mastered form. Disc one boasts the frenzied intensity and intergalactic freakiness of 1997's Basictonalvocabulary, while disc two hosts the jazzier loops, funkier samples and weirder ambient interludes of 98's Balance. As for disc three, that's 99's Force + Form, one of Child's most inspired outings. It consists of four long crackly, hypnotic, full-throttle workouts, including the uplifting, samba-tinged brilliance of "All The Heart of it All".

Review: Harmless Records are keeping Bill Brewster busy. Having seemingly exhausted the back catalogues of an impressive list of New York labels - P&P, Easy Street, Fresh Records, Sam etc - the DJ historian has turned his attention to Chicago's DJ International Records. Over the course of three CDs - not to mention his usual detailed sleeve notes - Brewster tells the story of the influential '80s house label, from the pioneering early works of Frankie Knuckles, Chip-E and Fingers Inc, through the timeless anthems of Joe Smooth, Farley Jackmaster Funk and Sterling Void, to the hip-house of Fast Eddie and Tyree Cooper. Being Brewster, there are also a few forgotten gems and deeper selections to be found, too, making this a fitting tribute to one of dance music's most important labels.

Review: Hit makers Rodgers and Edwards' mammothly influential Chic songs enjoy one of the finest curatorial salutes from UK disco's most discerning torch-bearer/creator Dave Lee. Digging deep into his vaults and unearthing some of the best homages, references and blatant covers, Negro join the dots and delivers some rarities you may have never heard before. Get lost in the music of She's shiny guitar strumming "Easy Money", freak out to Charanga 76's "Good Times" and get lucky with Van Jones's "Not About That"... Everyone knows about the hits and influence, most of us know how important a role Chic played in sample culture but Negro has gone the extra mile to celebrate some of the lesser known references Chic have had over the years. Freaking great.

Review: It would be fair to view Psychemagik's occasional Magik compilations for Paul Murphy's Leng label as anything less than essential. The first three - and, in particular, Magik Sunset Part 1 - were packed with fantastic obscurities from the worlds of stoner disco, left-of-centre rock, psychedelia and Balearica. This latest selection continues this run, offering both mixed and unmixed discs. As usual, there are some genuine "how did I not know about this record" moments, from the star-kissed Balearic jazz of Fabio Fabor and saucer-eyed white boy reggae-rock of the Trepidants, to the Flamenco-tinged AOR disco shuffle of Jack Adkins' "Sunset Beach".

Review: Bill Brewster has been a busy man of late, compiling retrospectives focusing on a number of legendary New York labels, including Sam, Sleeping Bag and Easy Street. Here, he turns his attention to Patrick Adams and Peter Brown's much-loved P&P Records. Over three discs, he does a terrific job in showcasing the imprint's instinctive fusion of soul and disco, serving up both familiar staples - Cloud's "Atmosphere Strut", Super Jay's "Super Jay Love Theme" etc. - and lesser-known gems. In the latter category you'll find Dennis Mobley & Fresh Taste's curiously loose and eccentric cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", the jaunty bounce of The Golden Flamingo Orchestra's "The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us", and the tough-but-sweet disco-funk brilliance of Marvin Wright's "Robot Dance".

Review: Where Hospital's Fast Soul Music compilation was a celebration of the label's instinctively soulful D&B sound, this follow-up is far more steeped in 1990s nostalgia. As the title suggests, Fast Jungle Music highlights the influence of D&B's formative years - and specifically the ragga, dub and breakbeat influences of '90s jungle - on their expansive roster of artists. Being a Hospital release, melody and soul are still present, but often take second place to thrillingly loose and booming jungle breaks, throbbing basslines and deliciously old skool samples. The two discs are vaguely themed, but the differences are subtle, at best. Throughout, what's delivered is a perfect balance between liquid idealism and vintage rave madness.

Review: Given his long-standing dedication to the sound, there could be few more fitting DJs to compile a two-disc set of 90s House & Garage than Joey Negro. While there are, of course, some fairly well-known anthems present - the Masters At Work produced "Voices in My Mind" by Voices, and Kerri Chandler's brilliant "Ladbroke Grove", in particular - the vast majority of the veteran Essex DJ's "personal selections" will be unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated US garage and soulful house heads. The excellent track list includes a couple of killer Mood II Swing jams, a lesser-known Tony Humphries instrumental take on A Bitch Named Johanna's organ-heavy "Freak It", and a thunderous, sub-heavy Fire Island remix of Michael Watford.

Review: The BEB boys have had this LP from Regis in the works for a while now, getting every coldwave freak from here to Timbuktu raving with excitement. Although this LP isn't made up wholly of new tracks, it is a fine compilation of the man's most important material post his purist techno days of the late 90's and early 2000's. Within, you'll find all of his most diverse and thought-provoking works, from the infamous remix of Raime's "This Foundry" to the gorgeous techno excursion that is the remix of "Loss" by Dalhous, a collection of works that span ambient, goth, techno and EBM. However, there a three new tunes: there's the excellent Nitzer Ebb-style remix of "Manbait" by Family Sex, the electrifying "CU1" by CUB, and the wavy, far-out trip that is "Plant Lillies At My Head" by Tropic Of Cancer. Yes, this is a bit special, so do the right thing.

Review: Since 2012, Soul Jazz's Sounds of the Universe offshoot - named, of course, after the imprint's London store - has delivered a string of inspired 12" singles featuring exclusive cuts from the likes of Andres (the brilliant, Latin-tinged house gem "Ribena"), Tevo Howard (the yearning, deep, instrumental synth-pop of "Summer Romance"), and Heatsick (the deliciously wonky "Snakes & Ladders"). Here, they gather together these inspired, previously vinyl-only moments on CD for the first time, alongside a second disc of never before heard cuts. This selection is, of course, every bit as good, and boasts stunning contributions from DJ Stingray (the fluid Detroit electro of "Cytokines"), Seven Davis Jnr, Ras G and Golden Teacher (the dubwise, off-kilter pulse of "Maladroit").

Review: New Richie Hawtin DJ mixes are something of a rarity these days, with his last commercially available selection dropping back in 2012. It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that he's decided to indulge himself a little on this celebration of his Enter Ibiza residency, which stretches to an impressive four discs. The first CD is largely deep, woozy and tactile, with deep, tribal and tech-house fare from the likes of Pig & Dan and Marc Houle. Cuts from John Tejada, Radio Slave, Paul Johnson, DMX Krew and Daniel Bell help give the second disc a bumpin', tech-funk feel, while the third disc attractively flits between melodious, progressive influenced fodder and booming, bass-heavy fare. As for the last disc, it indulges Hawtin's lesser-celebrated love of ambient, via a range of evocative, spacey and becalmed cuts.

Review: Here's something to raise the spirits of househeads everywhere: a two-disc mix of vintage Strictly Rhythm material - mostly from the New York house and garage label's 1990s heyday - by Get Physical founder DJ T. More excitingly, the package also contains unmixed versions of the German veteran's selections, each of which he has re-edited. Happily, his selections are spot on, and for every well-known classic - Hardrive's "Deep Inside", Wink's "Higher State of Consciousness", Phuture's "Rise From Your Grave" etc - there are countless other deeper, even more essential selections (see KDope's "Watch This", Sneak's hustling "Keep On Groovin" and the nagging cyber-funk of Mood II Swing's "It's Gonna Work Out"). In a word: essential.

Review: It's a decade since the Smallville Records store opened in Hamburg, with the now famous label of the same name launching a year later. To celebrate this achievement, the deep house institution has put together an 11-track collection featuring brand new material from a hand picked bunch of label stalwarts. Predictably, there's much to enjoy, from the loose, organic rhythms and dusty melodies of Moomin's "I Whisper A Prayer" and the dreamy chug of Smallpeople's "Cricket Orchestra", to the instrumental synth-pop-goes-deep house of Jacques Bon's "Tribute To You", and the impeccable Motor City futurism of Juniper's "Variations In Grey" (an ironic title, given that it's amongst the compilation's most colourful compositions).

Review: Established in 1986 by Rocky Jones, DJ International offshoot Underground Records was one of Chicago's most influential labels in the early years of house. Here, Bill Brewster continues his impressive Anthology series by gathering together three discs worth of classics and slept-on gems from the imprint's bulging archives. Confirmed house-heads may already own some of the better-known cuts - Steve 'Silk' Hurley's "Jack Your Body", ESP's "It's You", Tyree's "Acid Over", and so-on - but there's more than enough lesser-known gems to make up for this. Check, for example, the jazz-scat vocals and raw acid lines of MD III's "Face The Nation", the cheery piano-house goodness of House Family's "The King of House", and the wild 303 lines and intense drum machine hits of Cool House's "Rock This Party Right".

Review: Sebastian 'Minilogue' Mullaert and Kontra-Musik boss Ulf Eriksson have a "long-lasting musical love affair". It's one that's seen them frequently play club gigs together, where they blend the boundaries between DJing and live performance. The Dance was recorded at one such session at Inkonst in Malmo, Sweden, and sees them deliver the kind of atmospheric, undulating, slowly evolving, minimalist techno journey for which they've become renowned. Amongst the 17 tracks you'll find nine previously unreleased cuts, including three from Mullaert, and some impressive exclusives from Andreas Tilliander and Porn Sword Tobacco & SVN.

Review: Given the success of Disco Patrick's first collection of "independent disco, modern soul and boogie", it's little surprise to see Soul Jazz ask him to helm a second volume. While there are one or two selections that will be familiar to certified disco diggers - Mad Dog Fire Department's "Cosmic Funk", High Frequency's delicious "Summertime", Dunn Pearson Jnr's expansive "Groove On Down", Paper Dolls' heavyweight "Get On Down" - the vast majority of Disco Patrick's selections are thrillingly obscure or overlooked. Thus, there's a chance to savour the wonky, horn-heavy disco-funk looseness of Skip Jackson & The Natural Experience's "Micro Wave Boogie", the rubbery bass and sweaty Latin percussion of Montego Joe's "Freestyle", and the Afro-disco brilliance of Timmy Thomas' overlooked "Africano".

Review: Given the upsurge in interest in all things disco and boogie in recent years, it's perhaps unsurprising that Ibiza's Glitterbox night - established in 2014, and returning for a second season this June - is one of the White Isle's most hyped events. Here, the brand delivers its' first compilation, a two-disc mix-up of disco, house and electrofunk from Defected boss Simon Dunmore, with a third, unmixed disc thrown in for good measure. Packed with disco classics (Chaka Khan, Todd Terje's rub of Chaz Jankel), synth-heavy boogie (World Premier, Skipworth & Turner), breezy soulful house (Ultra Nate, Ten City) and stone cold anthems (Ashley Beedle remixing Bent's "Magic Love", Sure Thing, Storm Queen), it's an enjoyable romp through smile inducing, goodtime pastures.

Review: With the annual Miami Winter Music Conference in full swing, veteran DJ Pete Tong has joined forces with UK bass upstarts Gorgon City to mix a celebratory volume of his All Gone series. The Radio 1 man handles disc one, joining the dots between the fluid, yearning tech-house of Matt Tolfrey, the booming tribal rhythms of Franky Rizardo, and the trancey, progressive-tinged deepness of Guy Gerber and Puff Daddy. Unsurprisingly, there's a more robust, in-your-face feel about Gorgon City's disc, as they quickly work their way through sub-heavy, garage and acid-tinged offerings from ZDS, Jimmy Edgar, James Barnsley and Jesse Rose & Troze.