DJs: Most Charted - Disco - Most Charted June 2012

Review: Big things were rightfully expected of Chamboche when he was granted the honour of the debut release on Jiscomusic's shiny new label Under The Shade back in 2009, but this new EP for the same label is the producer's first in two years. The period out of the spotlight hasn't affected his production poise, with "Smoke Screen" every bit as infectious as his previous output, twisting a hefty vocal sample around a stripped back groove that morphs brilliantly into full scale colour. Under The Shade continue their rep for well chosen remixes, securing a beast from Bicep which tweaks the vocal to fit perfectly atop a constantly elevating procession of machine made emotion. Not to be outdone, Wolf Music acolyte KRL also excels with a dubbier rendition that toys with the vocal even more amid a more expansive pattern of sounds. Proceedings close with another Chamboche original in the form of "Mind Your Mind" which unfurls with signature mind bending glee.

Review: Faze Action have never been comfortable with the nu disco tag, and in an age where it's dominated by digitally designed and somewhat pedestrian in its tempo the Lee brothers return with a dynamic live sound that sets them apart. "Freak for Your Love" is the lead track from their forthcoming album Information Overload and straddles a sick dubbed out punk funk groove that brings to mind the sort of incessantly sweat inducing music DFA was releasing in the label's first few years. A pleasant new direction for Faze Action is explored further on the accompanying "New Wave Disco Dub Mix" that delves further into the realm of echo and delay over that strident groove. The mysterious ST holds court on the flip with two rerubs that switch the emphasis up towards a throwback bumping 90s house flex without loosing the original's charm.

Review: The Sccucci Manucci label has done a fine job of handpicking artists on the rise for their releases to date, collaring the likes of Casino Times, Francis Inferno Orchestra and Toomydisco as well as the odd established name like Jacques Renault. The label's fourth release Forza Quattro is still grounded in the disco/house sensibility that has served them so well, though the presence of Waze & Oddysey demonstrates the Sccucci A & R team are willing to deviate. The elusive US pair are in the midst of a hot patch right now with releases already burning on Body Work and Southern Fried and plenty more due over the coming months, so their presence here is a real coup. "I Can't Hear You" sounds vaguely like a extra bouncy cover of the classic "RIP Groove" and definitely ranks alongside their output to date. Alongside this the white vinyl EP has tempo traversing contributions from Fil Lavin, Sellouts and Deadly Sins, with the latter's slow and chuggy "Don't You Know" a particular highlight.

Review: Claremont 56's main man Mudd gets busy with two remixes of Holger Czukay and U She's "La Premiere", getting nice and slow to worm a lazy kind of shuffle into the original track from all-round Krautrock legend Czukay. The "Ode To Phreek" remix is a loungey track that hops along with quite a spring in its groove, as muted guitar strikes drive everything along behind U She's mournful tone. The "Garden" mix does slip a more prominent kick into the mix whilst subtly dubbing out certain elements in a coolly executed celebration of eclecticism.

Review: Having already reissued the Joubert Singers disco classic "Stand On the Word" in its original form earlier this year, French label Favourite get busy with a remix-heavy accoutrement in twelve inch format. Those new to the art of collecting classic discotheque vinyl will no doubt be tempted by the appearance of the much vaunted Larry Levan mix, which turns out wasn't actually by the legendary DJ but instead the equally brilliant and much missed Walter Gibbons. Regardless, the remix is a classic in the disco canon, and is complemented by three all new renditions. Long term label associate Patchwork comes through with a nicely judged remix that realigns the groove to a slinky Philly disco swagger, while on the flip Austrian duo Panoptikum Arkestra go for a stripped back dubby beatdown angle. Local Parisian production talent Walter Mecca calls on the spirit of p-funk and Dilla for a nicely blunted hip-hop take to round out this 12" nicely.

Review: In an interesting meeting of minds, the burgeoning The Backwoods moniker from DJ Kent sees two relatively fresh talents getting put on remix detail with two very different results. The Stallions comes from the wider remit of Rvng Intl. and the like, and drop a smacked-out version of "Cloud Nine" that pumps away on a solid kick pattern but floats up in a cloud of arpeggios like the earliest strains of trance. On the flip it's left to Japanese duo Cos/Mes to reach for a more lilting, pastoral version of "Awakening" that bubbles with organic percussion and a psychedelic hop to the rhythm.

Review: Regular cohorts and Disco Deviance mainstays Pete Herbert and Dicky Trisco have provided disco DJs with some killer re-edits, reworks and remixes over the year. Their style is groove-heavy and dubwise, teasing listeners with just a whisper of vocal or singalong chorus here and there. The 10 revisions on this collaborative edit collection certainly fit into that category, offering a mix of heavyweight electrofunk (see "Exodus"), horn-heavy disco (the delightful, low-down stomp of "Jump On Your Feet") and clandestine boogie dub ("Everyone Can Do It", "Happy State"). For those seeking floor-friendly disco interpretations, it should be an essential purchase.