Back catalogue: Disco/Re-Edits

Review: Super Spicy's Super Spicy Recipe series is back with a sixth mouthwatering offering and once again it's a super hot outing of party-ready house and disco sounds. First up is the irresistibly colourful disco charm of Birdee with the freewheeling 'Underground' and its groove-infused piano. Label boss Monsieur Van Pratt then adds his own spin to a rare groove classic with a lung-busting soul vocal and Pato Watson is in edit mode as he tweaks 'Ella Fue' to perfection. Italian don Paul Older brings some funky jazz fusion sounds to his steamy 'Turkish Lights, C. Da Afro keeps it a party with his 'Nothing But The Funk' and Mexican Juan Soto slips into a more deep and loved-up funk-house vibe on 'All Is Full Of Love'.

Review: Moiss Music released a hot pair of EPs in February and repeat the same trick in May with another quality double drop. It is a various artists offering as always with DJ Delivery's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' a sure-fire floor-filling anthem to start things off. It's got loopy drums and string samples as well as sumptuous vocal harmony then Borka & The Gang keep the feel-good vibes alive with 'Kidding Feelings and Even Funkier's' Dance With Your Feet' is another smile-inducing bit of disco warmth with withering sic-fi synths and hip swinging claps. Jordan Reece's 'Prayer' has hints of gospel in the vocal while noodling keys and tight kicks all get looped to perfection.

Review: In its full digital form, Z Records' excellent Life's Better With Disco Comp is an epic 37 tracks deep. Naturally there aren't that many cuts on this sampler 12", but the four on show are undoubtedly amongst the set's many highlights. Boss man Dave Lee kicks things off via a superb classic disco-meets-nu-disco revision of Firefly's 'Love Is Gunna Be On Your Side', before there's a chance to cop an obscure Backroom Productions rework of their early proto-house/garage-house gem (as Ruffneck), 'The Power - The Rhythm'. The mid-'80s fun continues on Larry Levan's vintage remix of Jonny Dynell's 'Rhythm of Love' - a killer fusion of dubbed-out synths and drums and Konk style Latin percussion - while Doug Willis' 'Doug's Disco Theme' is a classic disco-house number from Lee under one of his many alternative aliases.

Review: Especial Specials has joined forces with Osaka-based imprint Chillmountain Recordings to offer up another Enjoy Your Self EP. This one once again showcases the talents on its roster with label head Ground kicking off with a beatdown meets trance sound on "Utau Narukoyuri'. After that slow burner come tribal percussive sounds from 'Arauma' (Kobato Dub), sunny cumbia on 'Something Sign' and a meandering Balearic journey from Akira Arasawa With KUN & FRANKY-CH that is brought to life with new age flute sounds, bird calls, jungle drips and folkloric strings. A fantastic EP, then.

Review: This collaboration between Jimi Tenor and Tomasz Guiddo shines brightly and features a heartwarming hook that really lodges deep in the brain as 'Where The Wild Roam' pairs ancient-sounding lo-fi drums with a Western-style whistle and plenty of earthy, twanging guitars. Next up the legendary Louie Austen lends his vocals to 'Smile' for a steamy and tropical house sound lit up with Latin melodies over a shuffling, samba-adjacent rhythm. Erobique, known for chart hits in Europe and his work with DJ Koze, contributes his magic, while Freestyle Man, aka Sasse from Moodmusic, delivers his trademark deep house style. Ale Castro adds a DJ-friendly house version, enhancing the EP's overall allure.

Review: DC archival masters Peoples Potential Unlimited first shone the light on Dwight Sykes and his Jahari project on the must grip Situations cassette late last year, revealing the work of a key player in Michigan's underground boogie scene. Those selectors out there without the means to play tapes in a club setting will no doubt be very thankful to PPU for this 12" that brings together some unreleased demo cuts from Jahari along with a newly remastered version of the superb title track from that cassette. So up top you get two alternate takes on "Fire & Desire" with the studio version a real funk gem, whilst "Situations" sounds all the more sweet and soulful in newly remastered form.

Review: Some boogie collectors go weak at the knees at the mention of Christopher Jay's 'What Do You Want Me To Do', a superb single from 1987 that's long been near impossible to find. This isn't that gem, but something arguably even more exciting: some previously unreleased business from the same obscure, overlooked artist. 'Be My Lady' dates from a similar period and sees Jay sing swooning words to a member of the opposite sex over a sunny and kaleidoscopic blend of rubbery bass, clipped guitars and shiny synthesizers. Flipside 'Come Out Tonight' is rather tasty, too. Slower and even warmer, it sits somewhere between 80s soul and yacht rock.

Review: Italian soul legends Jestofunk released the classic 'I'm Gonna Love You' back in 1991, it was their first single, in fact. Comprised of northerners Alessandro Staderini, Claudio 'Moz-Art' Rispoli and Farias, they went on to release six albums until disbanding in 2005 after 'Mama Blues'. A zeitgeist of the early '90s acid jazz sound, featuring new jack swing styled beats, a killer sax and soulful vocals, it was the MC Turbo Sax Mix which undoubtedly gained the most popularity, and became an essential track on the playlist of many a hair salon throughout the rest of the decade. Some of you may even know the track from its inclusion on 2011's Knights Of The Playboy Mansion, mixed by French Touch icons Bob Sinclar & Dimitri From Paris. The version featured here is a nice modern reshape by Groove Culture heads Micky More & Andy Tee, taking the track into sensual and emotive territory with their deep house style remix. Proper mood music.

Review: Nacho Marco and Garen Moreno have not released much music as Jet Hammer - just two singles in a decade, in fact - but what they have put out is genuinely superb. Their latest EP, an expansive collection of retro-futurist gems inspired by 12" mixes of the 1980s, is similarly impressive. For proof, check opener 'Last Night', which sounds like the missing link between Italo-disco and the Cure; the Bobby Orlando-era Pet Shop Boys meets New Order wonder of 'How It Started'; and 'On Your Side (Instrumental Version)', which adds an early UK acid house veneer to the shimmering, club-ready extended synth-pop jams of the late '80s. Throw in an alternative new wave/post-punk style '1981 Mix' of 'Last Night', and you have an indispensable package.

Review: The 11th Barefoot beats is another hugely effective disco 12" with two well purposed cuts. JKriv & Dicky Trisco link up first for 'Mae Do Mar,' a tune that has you dreaming of warmer climes, sandy beaches and sunny skies. It's an airy cut with a tropical percussive line, hints of Latin flair and breezy vocals. Flip it over and the temperature goes up a notch - Bernardo Pinheiro's 'Xango' is a superbly soulful and heartwarming groover. The chords are draped elegantly over the busy funky bass and the vocals are chants that draw your attention and get you in a trance.

Review: The Fogbank label has put together the first in what will presumably be a series of collections that focus on the work of US producer Joey Chicago. This Best Of pulls together the music he has made on the label since its inception in 2011 and it has already had plenty of support from house Gs like Roy Davis Jr. The opener 'The Funk Hustle' is the worldwide smash here with its funky breaks and slinky grooves. 'Remember The Way' then expertly layers in a soulful r&b vocal to smooth drum work and 'Feels So Good' also has the sound of those 90's house tracks we all crave. A worthy collection, then.

Review: Jonny 5 is known for his superlative edits as well as heading up the Bahnsteig 23 label and here he returns from time out becoming a father to kick off this new one from Duca Bianco. 'Joy riding' is loopy disco-post-punk for a peak-time trip. Multi Culti man Dreems then brings the Afro party vibes with his 'Bususua' which is packed with dub fx and steeped in fun. Miserymix then throws in their Italo-licked post-disco and punk sounds on 'Adjust Your Love' before a big finale by Black Bones. They offer a deep and dubby house that has been a secret edit for a while but finally gets unveiled here to great effect as it worms its way into your brain.

Review: Episode 8 of Cruise Music Vinyl Jams includes a mix of old and new releases so we start the A side with Mirko & Meex and their huge track Praise You, which is followed by Mark & Danny's Down Down Down.
On the B Side we have one of our biggest artist, Peter Brown and another great track, Hang On.
Last but not least we have James Ingram - Can You Dig It which is peaktime superfunky jackin track from a few years back.

Review: Z Records' ongoing 'Attack The Dancefloor 'series of compilation style vinyl EPs has long been a reliable source of disco-fired excellence, and this 21st edition is another high-quality affair. We're first treated to a superb Jimpster revision of recent Mistura single 'Want Me Back', where Jemini's spoken word vocal, jazzy keys and spacey synth sounds rise above loose-limbed deep house beats and wiggly TB-303 lines, before Birdee drops a genuinely joyous, organic-sounding disco-house take on 1991 classic 'Do What You Feel' (now credited to Joey Montenegro, rather than his now retired Joey Negro alias). Elsewhere, Lee's own rework of Lakeshore Commission's Bluey collaboration 'In The Light' is a smooth, soulful, string-drenched delight and the veteran producer's 'Destination Boogie' tweak of Destiny II's 'Play To Win' is a revivalist '80s electrofunk delight.

Review: Cult favourite Nick the Record is one of the deepest digging DJs out there. When he steps up with is own productions they are just as well informed and classy. This new one with Jamie Read is another case in point. 'I Appreciate' has an effortlessly timeless vibe - 80s production, 70s disco and proto-house styles all inform it, with the chords hanging in the air next to the steam voxels while the bass does its job down low. On the flip is 'I Appreciate' (Disco edit) which is more leggy and energetic in the way it builds.

Review: You know what you are going to get when you see the Glitterbox label - big, timeless tunes that are designed to get glamorous dance efforts in a spin. Glitterbox Jams Volume 4 is another fine assemblage of such sounds, with Moplen opening up with an edit of 'Love Will Be Our Guide' that is built on train track drums and fleshed out with magnificent horns, strings and synths. The Dr Packer remix is only a slight touch up then on the flip Aeroplane offer up an old school electro-boogie mix of 'Armaghetton' that sure is fun. Flush's 'Come Back Baby' closes in romantic vocal house fashion.

Review: Dave Lee aka Joey Negro has pulled together a fine team of remixers here to serve up their own versions of tunes by him, Jakarta, The Sunburst Band and Prospect Park, all for his own Z Records. Freerange boss and deep house Don Jimspter goes first and brings real sunshine to his take on 'He Is.' Detroit badman Andres then does what he does best to 'I Recognise', that is layering in hip hop slanted beats and nice rolling baselines under lush chords. On the flip are two more positive house vibrations to make this a handy EP.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records continues to fly the flag for disco-tinged house, or house-tinged disco, from new school artists and old-school mainstays. One thing you can be sure of with music n this label is that it will be big, crowd-pleasing tackle that never forgets its roots. There is real religious rapture in the thrilling Doug Godbizniss mix of 'The Mighty Douglas' which gets the EP underway in fine style. After that is a sumptuous, string-laced house classic from Ron Basejam, a lush mix of the wonderfully ethereal 'American Dram' from lounge-y house don Atjazz and classy, hip-swinging vocal house bomb from Dave Lee himself.