Dee Gorgeous - "Better Than Sex" (Dirty Channels edit) (4:22)
NY House’n Authority - "Ravenswood House" (Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon edit) (5:42)
Review: Four tracks of peerless Nu Groove jack attack, rejigged by a stellar roster of producers including Honey Dijon and the late Soulphiction, whose mardy remix of Rheji Burrell's classic stompa 'Come 'N Get It' opens proceedings in sleazy style. The Acid Jerks dub of Tech Trax Inc's eponymous 1990 banger is also a highlight, with driving, introspective organ basses underpinning snappy piano action and whispered proto-producer tags. These two are followed by a rushy, beefa-ready remix of Dee Gorgeous' 'Better Than Sex' by Dirty Channels, and an excellent spartan percussive acid flip of Ny House'n Authority (Burrell at it again)'s Ravenswood House by Honey Dijon and Luke Solomon.
Review: Cyphon Recordings celebrates its tenth release with Emotive Technology, a new project by Chilean artist Massiande. The five-track EP offers soul-stirring techno spanning various styles. Despite being his debut under this alias, Massiande boasts a decade-long career, releasing music on esteemed labels like Housewax and Phonica. The EP kicks off with 'Rise,' a fusion of new beat and arp-operated techno, setting the stage for peak-time euphoria. Tracks like 'It's On' and 'Your Zone' dive deeper into hypnotic rhythms, while 'Walk Into The Light' pays homage to Detroit's techno legacy. Closing with 'The Swing,' the EP captivates with its resonating synths and pulsating basslines, embodying machine music with soulful depth.
Review: Backatcha is on a superb run of releases right now with top tunes from Leonie and Learoy Green dropping around the same time as this stepping street soul gem from En to End. This is primo boogie from the late 80s now landing on 45rpm for the very first time. It's been taken from the tape archives of London singer-producer Tony Shand and kicks off with the vocal version of 'Nothing's Happening'. His rather deadpan vocal has an aloof kind of allure next to the squelchy bass and glowing keys. The instrumental strips it away to allow the retro production to shine.
I Still Love You (feat Intrigue - instrumental) (4:50)
Review: En-To-End's 'Money Talks' is an old school street soul classic from the late 80s. It's been reissued before by Backatcha Records but is an ever-green anthem so is also welcome back. This version comes with a yellow label on limited 12". And so to the tunes - 'Money Talks' is a low-slung groove with spoke-sung vocals and lush chord work. Also included is the brilliant drum work of 'I Still Love You' with its r&b vocals and irresistible groove. Instrumentals of each feature on the flip but the vocal versions really are the ones.
Money Talks (Sean P Special mix - instrumental) (5:58)
Are You Gonna Be (instrumental) (4:27)
Review: 'Money Talks' by En to End is a street and soul disco classic from the end of the 80s. It's a real favourite here at Juno HQ and so whenever it reappears we're glad to see it. Right now Backatcha Records has got two versions available with a yellow label edition and this straight black label edition with slightly different versions. The tunes stand up, however, they are presented - two delightful slices of dance floor action with oodles of romantic vibes. 'Money Talks' (Sean P Special mix) is doused in vocal harmonies and glowing keys and on the back is the deeper, more sentimental 'Are You Gonna Be' with instrumentals of both on the flip side.
Review: It's time for all minimal fans to jump aboard the Leitmovtif train once more here with this decent split EP from En and Orbit. The latter invites us into his world first with 'Hey Tobit' which is nice and lively tech brought to life with scurrying synths, well-designed effects and a nice sense of colour. 'Niagara' then pairs delightfully cosmic-sounding melodic motifs with a glossy tech house kick. En's 'Laboratorium' keeps things classy with another forward-thinking mix of barmy astral synth designs and effective, stylish drum programming. Last of all, 'Dream About' gets a little trippy with its chilly cowbells, smeared pads and heady atmosphere.
Review: Astonishingly, original copies of Energize's 1979 private press single "Piece of Class" have changed hands for over 500 quid online. Helpfully, Rain & Shine have decided to save us all a few bob by slinging out this licensed reissue. The title track is something of a bustling disco-funk gem - a genuinely wonderful fusion of hazy vocals, dueling horn solos, spacey synthesizer flourishes and driving bass guitar. B-side "Star of the Disco" is an even more up-tempo affair, with mazy saxophone solos, rasping horn stabs and starry jazz-funk keys riding a walking bassline and high-octane disco drums.
Review: Enness lays down four melancholic, progressive house head-hangers to Housewax. The product of a demo submission - take note, aspiring producers - 'Let Me Love' is avowed as a future classic by the German label. The title track combines a pitched-down vocal hook with a demure piano-4x4 montage, backed by a secondary vocal sample that insists on looking into the listener's soul. Then there's the wonky, submerged burrer 'Move Back'; the suspenseful spine-tingler 'Ring It'; and the wonkier, soul-food plying that is 'Sensations'.
Review: Enter The Void's 303 Acid EP is a powerful four-track collection that delivers relentless acid techno energy, perfect for the dancefloor. Released on Planet Rhythm, this EP is an excellent listen for fans of the genre. Side-1 kicks off with 'Track 1,' a heavy techno acid track reminiscent of Hardfloor. It's packed with rave energy and a big club sound that's sure to ignite any set. 'Track 2' follows with sci-fi acid sounds and a liquid 303 workout that's both futuristic and hypnotic. Side-2 opens with 'Track 3,' where acid lines call dancers to the floor like sirens, supported by a bassline-heavy, crushing beat that demands attention. The EP closes with 'Track 4,' an epic track with rising acid notes that pay homage to the pioneers of the past. The intensity and emotion in this track verge on legendary, making it a fitting tribute to the acid techno legacy.
Review: Yuima Enya & Inokashira Rangers offer fresh takes on classic Sade tracks with their new release. 'Smooth Operator' transforms into a smoothed-out lounge record infused with reggae, while still retaining the soul and pop appeal of the original. On Side-2, 'Kiss of Life,' becomes a breezy jam with a subdued yet vibrant lounge band feel. Hats off to them for tackling such beloved songs and making them their own. These are great alternative versions, bringing new life to Sade's classics while respecting the originals. Perfect for fans looking to experience these timeless tracks in a new light.
Review: Eoin DJ is back with a tune that belies his age and taste: this one is a homage to Nalin & Kane's legendary 1997 classic 'Beachball' which was a huge hit in Ibiza and just about everywhere else in those heady and trance-tinged crossover dance-pop days. The EP blends sparse, organic percussion with potent bass and lush atmospherics that hark back to that era while also sounding contemporary - a fine mix of euphoric vibes and club-ready grooves. The title track you may well have heard as it has been something of a hit for a while in the clubs and has been championed by tastemakers like Job Jobse, Sally C and Spray. Bliss Inc's remix elevates the original into a modern hard-house anthem, while Infinite Well and On Lilac Skies deliver techno restraint.
Review: Mr Bongo has already reissued a swathe of classic albums and singles from legendary hip-hop duo EPMD, whose place in the pantheon of rap greats has long been assured. Here they continue to mine the duo's catalogue, delivering a new edition of the pair's 1987 debut single (which, it should be noted, has long been hard to find on "45"). 'It's My Thing' remains a classic hip-hop club cut, with flowing rhymes rising above a backing track rich in raw drum machine hits, aquatic p-funk bass and sampled snatches of a smooth, disco-era soul number. Flipside 'You're a Customer' is a more sparse and stripped back affair, with slightly faster-paced raps riding stuttering beats and a squelchy synth bassline.
Review: An original 7" of this gem will cost you upwards of 100 quid so Know How are doing us all a favour here. As EPMD, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith were a red hot duo who served up many quintessential rap gems. "So Watcha Sayin'" is taken from their second album "Unfinished Business", imbued with scratching by DJ Scratch, deeply buried chords and of course a slick verse that is pure old school. While flipside "You Gots To Chill" has some fresh vocoder work, dusty drum loops and body popping bass, the a-side takes all the glory here.
Review: Although it was originally released at the height of hip-house mania (1988 to be exact), EPMD's 'I'm Housin' is not a rap-sporting house record. It is, though, a bona-fide club classic, with E Double E and PMD trading verses atop a rolling, dancefloor-friendly groove built from elements of Aretha Franklin's 1971 soul classic 'Rock Steady'. All these years on, it still sounds fresh - as this Mr Bongo reissue of the rare 1989 UK seven-inch version proves. In a word: essential.
Review: A 7" is all about having a perfect nugget of music on the most compact of wax, and here Mr Bongo pick out two of the best cuts from one of the greatest crews to touch the mic. EPMD were on their finest form when they dropped Unfinished Business in 1989, doubling down on the runaway success of their debut Strictly Business, and here we get two of the album's hottest joints for your instant gratification. 'The Big Payback' piles the funk on heavy, keeping it moody in the low end for EPMD to do their thing over the top, while original opening track 'So Wat Cha Sayin' nestles on the B side with one of the wildest rub downs Erick and Parrish ever committed to record. Truly essential hip hop from the golden era.
Review: Mr Bongo's EPMD reissue series continues with a fresh pressing of one of the NYC duo's most significant and best-loved singles, 1988's 'You Gots To Chill'. Predating much of the West Coast G-funk material that later covered similar sonic ground, it sees the duo delivering some of their rap verses over a beat crafted from samples of Zapp's P-funk classic 'More Bounce To The Ounce' and Kool & The Gang party classic 'Jungle Boogie'. This time round, it comes backed by another EPMD classic from the same period: the mid-tempo, JB's-sampling head-nodder that is 'Let The Funk Flow'. That's never appeared on a single before, making this "45" even more desirable.
Review: EPMD arrived as an almost unbelievably well-formed hip hop group in the 1980s. Right from the moment they dropped their 1989 debut - 'Strictly Business' - they soared, immediately backed it up with 'Unfinished Business' in 1989 then came more big hitters like 'The Big Payback.' But 'Strictly Business' remains one of the NYC duo's most significant and best-loved singles and it is pressed up here to its own 7" courtesy of hardcore fans Mr Bongo. It's a track with tons of samples, scratching, smooth bars and churning beats. Flip it over for an instrumental.
Review: A 7" is all about having a perfect nugget of music on the most compact of wax, and here Mr Bongo pick out two of the best cuts from one of the greatest crews to touch the mic. EPMD were on their finest form when they dropped Unfinished Business in 1989, doubling down on the runaway success of their debut Strictly Business, and here we get two of the album's hottest joints for your instant gratification. 'The Big Payback' piles the funk on heavy, keeping it moody in the low end for EPMD to do their thing over the top, while original opening track 'So Wat Cha Sayin' nestles on the B side with one of the wildest rub downs Erick and Parrish ever committed to record. Truly essential hip hop from the golden era.
Review: Big up to the Equalized label for making it to #010 without ever putting a foot wrong. The label's eponymous production outfit takes care of this move into double figures with another direct to dance floor and hand-stamped 12" with two forceful bangers. 'Track 1' brings the heat with cantering drums and lashing percussion all run through with caustic synth textures. 'Track 2' is another high octane and chunky techno rocker with pent up energy and subtle hints of warehouse funk.
Review: Originally released on the Soulful Thangs Vol. 7 compact disks for Latin Soul Recordings in 2007, the song 'It's So Hard To Say So Long' by the Equasions took on a life of its own. A timeless soul and funk single recorded in San Antonio in 1971, revered by sweet soul collectors internationally, has now become available for the first time in over 50 years through Symphonical Records. In partnership with band leader and songwriter, Robert Williams, this group also features high school classmates Vernon Shannon, James Hartfield, Ricky Cotton, and Lamar Sumter. 'It's So Hard To Say So Long', is a poignant sentiment to lost love, yet hope created through beautiful harmonies, whereas 'World Of Loneliness' is a psychedelic reflection of society of the era, which Robert mentions remains true today. Big shout out to Symphonical for putting out this very desirable 7"
Rhano Burrell - "When Can I Call You" (feat Lisa Lee - Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon edit) (5:21)
Review: The second volume of edits of classic outings on Nu Groove records, assembling modern house heroes such as Dam Swindle, Phil Weeks, and Honey Dijon to re-fix tunes by the legendary Equation and The Burrell Brothers among others. Highlights include Dam Swindle's misty eyed extension of Equation's 'I'll Say A Prayer 4 U'- a perfect rainy day house anthem, and the paranoid phonk of Rhano Burrell's 'When Can I Call You' as remapped by Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon. Surefire party starters all round.
Review: Mr Bongo's Eric B & Rakim reissue series continues via a fresh pressing of the hard-to-find U.S seven-inch single release of the NYC duo's second single, 1987 gem "I Ain't No Joke". Rakim's distinctive vocals naturally take centre stage on side A, albeit over a sparse-but-strong Eric B beat high on the kind of crunchy drums, headline-grabbing scratches and sampled horn motifs that marked out the duo's best collaborative work. As with the original American single, the B-side boasts "Eric B On The Cut", a quality cut-and-paste affair in the style of Grandmaster Flash's "On The Wheels Of Steel" that's little more than a highly impressive DJ routine.
Review: There can be few hip-hop heads who don't know Eric B & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul", a Bobby Byrd and Funkadelic-sampling beast from 1987 that remains one of rap's most recognizable moments. The rap from Rakim is iconic, but it's the Eric B beat behind - all loose-but-heavy, snare-heavy beats, recognizable guitar licks and chorus-style blasts of Bobby Byrd vocals- that makes the track such a club-ready hip-hop classic. Here it gets the reissue treatment on "45" courtesy of Mr Bongo, with the duo's brilliant vocal version being joined on the flip by the overlooked, delay-laden "Dub Mix". For those who covet alternate versions of classic cuts, this instrumental revision is a must.
Review: Berlin's master beat specialist, electronic dub pioneer, African music enthusiast, Basic Channel and Rhythm & Sound member, and Hardwax co-founder, Mark Ernestus, is back with a new Ndagga bullet - and yes, that list was exhaustive on purpose. The myth of a man has turned his attentions from techno to African beat music over the last few years, and the releases have been amongst our favourites within the 'outernational' scene. "Lamb Ji" is as electric and magnetic as you'd expect, full of life and mystique thanks to its complex percussive patterns, hazy production, and lamenting tribal vocals - a super charger on the system. "Lamb Rhythm" is basically a version of the original; more dubby, more stripped-back and with no vocals. Powerful stuff, as always.
Review: Ernie Mckone & Toby Baker have produced this new single for Erine & The Family McKone. The A-side features Valerie Ettienne who is well known for her work with the likes of Galliano and Jamiroquai (with him she made a cover of a Brenda Russell classic). 'In The Thick Of It' is a super silky and mid-tempo soul jam with lavish melodies and gentle grooves. The flipside is in cahoots with Lex Cameron, an increasingly noteworthy London-based singer. It's a tender and loved up tune for cosy dance floor moments.
Review: Intriguing new reissue from Ernie & The Family McKone on the acclaimed Boogie Back, just one of many labels to focus on obscure street soul, freestyle and R&B since the early 90s. One side is a freestylectro remix of an absolute classic, while the B's 'Make A Move On Me' is much sultrier, replete with digital organs and soft strings against a steady-sexy house backing.
Review: First released way back in 1989 - though it was reportedly recorded four years earlier - Eros' "Go For It" is undoubtedly an obscure, overlooked gem. It's certainly well worthy of the reissue treatment, featuring as it does an intoxicating blend of Paradise Garage-ready grooves, colourful synthesizer lines, soulful male and female vocals, tape echo, dub delay and the kind of stripped-back percussive sections that work so well on the dancefloor. On the flip you'll find the earlier, previously unreleased demo version, which is closer in feel and sound to both AOR disco and jazz-funk.
Review: Gerard Hanson, known as techno don Convextion, delivered three deep electro gems as ERP for Frustrated Funk and the cuts were soon regarded as mini modern classics. As such the EP gets reissued on blue vinyl and from the off he lays down a killer moody electro-funk vibe with the elastic basslines and emotive synth strokes of 'Luctu.' The B-side 'Tuga' captivates with its beautiful strings and harmonised synths, while 'Pith' charms with its hushed, In Sync-style drum machine rhythms and a nocturnal vibe. Hanson's rich, emotive electro-artistry is fully on display here.
Review: Isle of Jura revisits the wonderful 'A Muto' by Esa here with a fresh reissue of it in original form with various remixes. It was originally released in 1986 on the 'Atesa' album and became an instant hit in Cameroon and Africa. The lyrics of tell the story of a woman leaving her husband, frustrated with her isolation as the housekeeper. The song blends Makossa, a brass-heavy style from the French Cameroons, with Ambasse Bey which is a traditional fast-paced dance music from Cameroon. When it was first written, Martin gathered session musicians in Paris and personally programmed the drums and synths using a Linn Drum and Yamaha DX7 to create a unique fusion of modern and traditional Cameroonian sounds.
Review: Escape Artist makes their label debut on Craigie Knowes with Far Away Places, a 12" that captures the final moments of European summer while embracing the Southern hemisphere's party season. This four-track release delivers expertly crafted tunes, blending deep grooves and soaring melodies, perfect for lifting both dancefloors and spirits. Each track stands out with its own distinct energy, offering a versatile sound that suits everything from underground club nights to outdoor festival stages.
Review: After his recent releases on X-Kalay and Craigie Knowes, Melbourne's Escape Artist returns to Phonica where he has previously released his well-received Energy Breakthrough EP. Once again here he shows his love of serving up euphoric and energetic cuts with the A-side, 'Forgot Who I Was,' building great intensity with delicate melodies and a shifting bassline. The B-side, 'Remembering', offers a contrasting yet complementary vibe that keeps on with the previous track's two-step rhythm while evolving into a more uplifting direction with ambient techno elements and acidic breaks. It's potent stuff.
Review: Isle Of Jura come through once more with a superbly in demand reissue of a sought after disco cut from the 1980s. 'Save Our Love' by Escape From New York is a blend of disco, new wave and funk that has a mystical atmosphere and drums perfectly of their time. The vocal is full of yearning under the shimmering synths and on the flip is an even more 80s-leaning tune, 'Slow Beat' (dance mix) has more obvious 80s leanings and the 12" closes with the Instrumental of 'Save Our Love, stripping back the vocals and giving more air to the bass.
Days Like This (DJ Spinna & Ticklah club mix) (5:27)
Days Like This (K-klass club mix) (7:07)
Space Rider (MJ Cole vocal mix) (5:09)
Days Like This (Spen & Karizma main mix) (9:26)
Review: It is fair to say that Demon Singles Club has another top nugget on vinyl here. 'Days Like This' by Shaun Escoffrey is a proper good slice of modern house music and it gets remixed here by top dogs Spen & Karizma, MJ Cole and DJ Spinna. This reissue of the 2002 original has been remastered by Phil Kinrade at Alchemy Mastering with the new remixes including the first-ever vinyl appearance of the MJ Cole contribution. There is lots to love in each of these with all of them being standouts and perfect for playing as the days warm up.
Review: It's been a while since we last heard from Kinfolk, but the broad-sweeping label with cosmic chuggery in its bones is back with this powerful dose from Ess O Ess and Saulrichards. "Totem" is an epic track that rolls around in the muck somewhere between shoegaze extravagance, post-rock heaviness and psyched-out electronics. The "Swamp Crawl" version of the track keeps the guitars bedded deep within the mix, but there's space for more expressive synth work. Hardway Brothers take the track on a similarly rockist journey, but take their time building up to a climax. Otologic wrap things up with a deadly dub that will have low tempo trippers rubbing their hands with delight.
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