Z Records 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Dave Lee's "AC Soul Symphony" alias has been releasing delectable and sultry disco since 2005 but reached his magnus opus in 2023 with the release of the Metamorphosis LP. Here we find two tracks handpicked from the album and delivered, for the first time, in a 7" format. The single starts much as the album does with the track "Windy City Theme", beautifully scored, recorded, and produced legato strings envelope the track, punctuated with horns and vocals reminiscent of a Love Unlimited Orchestra production. This version of the track has been rearranged, speeding up the pacing of the track and reaching the juicy parts in a really satisfying way. On the flip side we have the title track from the album Metamorphosis, which is the first time the vocal version has been made available on vinyl. A bass laden intro gives ways to glistening pianos and those signature strings (have we mentioned how good the strings are?). A more laid back and seductive track than the A-side, but no less appealing. Again, due to the limitations of the 7" format, 'Metamorphosis' has been expertly rearranged with loving care and attention.

Review: Z Recordings chief Dave Lee has teamed up on this one with Omar, a prolific multi-instrumentalist who was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to music. The result is 'Starlight', a serving of emotive soul funk with a nod to legend Stevie Wonder. Over on the flip, we have the late night boogie-down vibe of Destiny II's 'I'm Here For This' featuring Aria Lyric's powerful vocal delivery, underpinned by an uplifting arrangement that has summertime vibes abound. A new project by Lee, it debuted earlier this year with the excellent 'Play 2 Win'

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: Sean McCabe's work has formed a solid backbone for Dave Lee's Z Records in the last couple of years. He has a fresh disco style that pairs the old with the new in essential ways. For this new 12" he teases his new album with a sampler of four reworks and remixes. His take on 'Now What' is deep and glossy, then he takes The Blackbyrds' 'Mysterious Vibes' in a slick and soulful deep house direction complete with standout lead sax. The deep house mood continues on the 'Timeline' remix chi has late night keys and exudes real warmth. Last of all is a fantastic broken beat workout that is lush and jazzy.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


Sean McCabe's work has formed a solid backbone for Dave Lee's Z Records in the last couple of years. He has a fresh disco style that pairs the old with the new in essential ways. For this new 12" he teases his new album with a sampler of four reworks and remixes. His take on 'Now What' is deep and glossy, then he takes The Blackbyrds' 'Mysterious Vibes' in a slick and soulful deep house direction complete with standout lead sax. The deep house mood continues on the 'Timeline' remix chi has late night keys and exudes real warmth. Last of all is a fantastic broken beat workout that is lush and jazzy.

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: If there's one label to trust with presenting a faithful and knowledgeable overview of the '90s garage house sound, it is surely Z Records. Joey Negro's evergreen stable has been a bastion of the music since its inception, and this second volume of gold standard tracks is as well-informed as the first. Serious cuts and mixes from the likes of Satoshi Tomiie, Kings Of Tomorrow, Kerri Chandler, Marshall Jefferson - the list of big hitters goes on. But it's not just marquee bookings - there are some seriously headsy jams in here that will even have connoisseurs learning a thing or two. Bursting with musicality, soul and grooves by the pound, this is exactly how a comp should be done.

Review: Time to Attack the Dancefloor once more as we supply some heavy Disco & House weaponry. Featuring the brand new remix of Opolopo's storming 'Stroke my Disco' by dutch funkateers Fouk who double down on the Piano and Clav workouts for the peak time. Exclusive new material from Wipe The Needle who's 'Skyscrapers' track is a modern Jazz-Funk masterpiece, heavy on the flute and soulful bass. On the flip Dave Lee takes it back to '97 with his rework of Backroom Productions 'Classic Vibe' which sees him flex his house-ier muscles, re-arranging the classic elements and adding extra keys to this much loved underground tune. Finishing off the EP is Dave's remix of nu-soul diva Raquel Rodriguez, where he crafts Raquel's dynamic vocal delivery over chunky Disco drumming & soulful synths before letting loose into Roy Ayers-esque vibes finale!

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records looks back to go forward as it offers up a spiffing new 12" of contemporary reworks of 4 classics cuts of various vintages from the ZR back cat. Kicking things off in fantastic fashion is a slap bass and wah clav powered take on Raven Maize's 'Forever Together', originally released in1989, this was the first house cut to feature the now iconic keys riff. Dave's Heavenly Star mix of 'One Kiss' (first out in 1991) is pure hip-swinging soulful disco. Joey Montenegro (who could that be?) offers two classic cuts on the flip side. 'Make A Move On Me' (Original Disco mix) sees the crossover hit from 2005 get a Chic like makeover with its zippy leads and timeless diva vocals. Whilst the special 25th Anniversary Mix of 1998's 'Can't Get High Without U' closes things off with some peak time, tension filled, disco house action!

Review: Originally dropped mid-summer as a digital release, the quality on this remix package from The Sunburst Band was just too good to keep off wax. First up, bandleader Dave Lee himself steps up with a 'Jazz Funk Renaissance' version of 'Listen Love' which frames Wayne Hernandez's stirring vocal turn with molten Rhodes and wah-wah guitars aplenty. Then the Louie Vega-Josh Milan dream team come correct with two spellbinding versions that speak to their prowess in the field of live, deeply rooted house music. For good measure, Lee rounds things off on the B2 with a 'Flute Reboot' for those who just want to zone in on the groove.

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.