New releases last two weeks: Funk/Reissues

Review: Like a veteran striker in his final season, GAMM has really captured some top form on late and now drops a fire premiere from Chicago's Emmaculate and legendary Basement Boys producer DJ Spen. Opener 'Step Into A Black Whole' is a genre-hopping 11-minute journey that moves from deep house to a hip-hop breakdown featuring KRS-One before morphing into a jazzy Afrobeat stomper. First heard by GAMM contributor Coflo during a wild house set, the track blew the roof off and always will. On the B-side, 'Boogie On Disco Woman' delivers a gritty funk, disco and soul rework with raw drums, clavinets and soulful vocals. Two standouts.

Review: Dancin' The Mambo (The Reflex Revision) grooves with infectious disco energy, seamlessly blending Chic-esque rhythms with early piano house vibes. The Reflex's revision injects new life into this 1980 gem, maintaining its French flair while adding modern twists. With its pulsating basslines and irresistible beats, this track is a testament to the timeless allure of disco music. Perfect for igniting dancefloors, its vibrant energy captures the essence of a bygone era while feeling fresh and exciting for contemporary audiences. Prepare to be transported to a world where disco reigns supreme and every beat compels you to move.

Review: The late great Ron Hardy had as much influence on DJing and club culture as anyone before or since. It's not just what he played, but how he played it that set the standard from his legendary residency at the Music Box - not least the fact that he often had the highs squealing out of his system because they were the frequencies that had most impact on him while he was high on heroin. His productions all reflect his approach in the booth, and this latest collection of classics is back with rising disco, rawness, low-slung funk and high-speed, feel-good disco bliss.

Review: This second instalment in the Spring Revisited seriesia collaboration between Acid Jazz and Ace Recordsioffers two expertly handled edits from across the Atlantic rooted in the fertile legacy of 70s New York soul. London's modern disco institution Dave Lee reinvents The Joneses' 'Love Contest' with his trademark finesse, giving the track a full-bodied groove-up without losing its bittersweet heart. The strings soar, the rhythm section locks tight, and Lee's decades-deep knowledge of disco and boogie shines through in every detail. On the flip, New York-based Coleen 'Cosmo' Murphy brings lush new life to Street People's 'I Wanna Get Over'. With sun-drenched keys, crisp hand percussion and subtle delays, she transforms heartache into late-night liberation. Both sides feel like love letters from DJ to danceflooriclassic soul refracted through contemporary ears, pressed on wax that looks and feels like it just time-travelled from 1979.

Review: If you like your disco, funk and soul edits noodly, low-slung and spiritual, consider your options no further than Dave Maze's D&E imprint. Homegrown in Chicago - long fecundated Midwestern ground for all things dignified dance music - Maze cultivated D&E out of the local rare groove and soulful house scene in the city, going on to sign many an eminent on the circuit. But it's Maze himself here who shines, slaying the Minotaur to master a labyrinthine haul of tracks complementing an initial two 'Disco Yams' from October: these are root veg, groove prize-winners, plucked from the ground. Uncanny strings and digital disco progressions make for a rarely cold, inorchestral movement on the A, which develops quite assuredly.

Review: The third volume of the AfroColombia Remix series merges African and Colombian sounds with contemporary electronica. It's a collaboration between Colombian labels Galletas Calientes and Palenque Records that celebrates Palenque's 20+ years of activism and Galletas Calientes' two-decade legacy while honouring the late Abelardo Carbono with a remix of his track 'La PiNa Madura' by Voilaaa - it's a standout here with hints of funk, soul and disco all bringing the sunshine. The compilation also reinterprets Nigerian Igbo Highlife and Ekobe music thanks to producers Captain Planet, Uproot Andy and Caribombo. They bring new, funky energy to timeless classics while preserving the original cultural essence.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Edit master Scruscru rarely misses no matter what sounds he decides to put under his scalpel. For this one on his own superb Scruniversal label he turns his attention to the lush sound world of City Pop over in Japan. On one vital 12" the maestro cooks up six varied but equally vital sizzlers starting with the funky sounds and big brass of 'One For Xsuxsu' then taking in the blissed out disco and house beats of 'Kyoto Sunshine', jazzy keys of 'Horomi & Rikishi', funky bass twangs of 'Secret Dream' and jazz lunge excellence of 'Nippon Bossa' before 'Scrutinised Tune' closes out with brown beats and sunny chords. Scruperb stuff.