Back catalogue: All genres

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Drop Music marks a marvellous quarter of a century of releases with this new slab of vinyl featuring some gems from disco funksters Crazy P and the house mainstays Inland Knights. Crazy P go first with 'Disc Odyssey' which is perfectly indicative of their much beloved sound with its low slung kicks and funky bassline. Inland Knights then offer a trio of in demand & unreleased tracks. 'Overnight' is a bumming deep house joint, 'Walk On' has an icy late night vibe and balmy pads and 'Do It Again is a more playful closer, with some killer b-line action. All four, needless to say, are timeless gems, and the fact the last two are appearing on vinyl first the first time makes it an even more desirable cop.

Review: 'Toro' is a modern classic post-punk track by Spanish band El Columpio Asesino, formed in 1999. Thoroughly difficult to classify or put into any neat box, their sound is characterised by synthesised elements and sinister rhythmic singing, with cryptic lyrics heard throughout. Here techno titan I Hate Models lends 'Toro' a surprise sped-up remix of a remix, remixing the ultra-dry retro-nostalgist version by Andre VII. Whereas Andre's is a drier take on the track - setting its dark-wavey lyrics against serious buzzing saws and scary sixteenth-note stabs in true synthpunk fashion - I Hate Models' version expounds on this further, fleshing out hardcore rollicks and luxury woops for a sublime, floor-frightening ultimatum in sound.

Review: Drop Music marks a quarter of a century of reliable and ever-on-point sounds with a special series of EPs that embodies what it's always been about, offering up both classics and never-before-released tunes. This one kicks off with 'Make A Move' which is chunky low-slung tech. It unfolds at a relatively slow tempo but that gives the fat acid gurgles time to really hit. Inland Knights then serves up the next three cuts, starting with the bass bin bothering sounds of 'Push It', the more silky tech loops of 'Long Time' and the vocal-laced acid-tech swagger of 'Same Talk.' Here's to the next 25 years.

Review: A historical pairing of hip-hop and soul that celebrates the connection between the iconic rap track and its sampled origin. Side-1 features 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me' by the Geto Boys', a landmark 1991 hit, widely regarded as the first Southern hip-hop classic. Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill deliver deeply introspective verses exploring paranoia, mental health and street life, setting a precedent for emotional storytelling in rap. The track's haunting atmosphere and raw vulnerability put Houston's 5th Ward on the map, cementing the group's legacy in the genre. On Side-2, Isaac Hayes' 'Hung Up on My Baby' takes center stage, the soulful 1974 instrumental that inspired the Geto Boys' masterpiece. With its funky guitar licks and cinematic grooves, the track embodies Hayes' genius and underscores the lineage between soul and hip-hop.

Review: Original Gravity strides into 2025 with this electrifying debut release from I Ragazzi. The limited 45 rpm has been crafted by the talented Neil Anderson and the title cut 'Terremoto' on the A-side bursts with funky, soulful energy that promises to keep floors moving and grooving all night long. It has big drums, crashing hits and driving Hammond organ stabs that never let up. On the flip, things get a little more laid back with 'Via Appia' which is led by more great organs, this time with swirling horn sounds and an inviting rhythm.

Review: Debut release on the Canadian label imprint from two Icons Of Hip Hop with the the debut 45 with Otis . This 45 draws on hip-hop's golden moments drenched in soul samples .Up first on 'Otis', which is offered up as a vocal mix on the A-side. It's three minutes of beat-making perfection with muted horns sampled throughout, raw back-and-forth bars and dusty drums with plenty of guttural soul. Flip it over for the massive funk instrumental which is stripped of the mic-work and allows the rawness of the classic 6t's soul sample to really shine through.A great start to what is sure to be an essential label for hip-hop heads.

Review: 'Ain't No Sunshine' is one of the great soul songs. Originally recorded by Bill Withers, a legendary vocalist who simply walked away from the scene once he had said all he had to say, it has been covered many times. Here it is Yasushi Ide who steps up with a new version that comes featuring Ken Booth & U-Roy on this new 7" from Grand Gallery out of Japan. In original form, it's dubbed out to the max with oodles of echo and dark pads next to some original vocal toasting. 'Border Town' is then a more acoustic sound with gentle guitar strums and slow, persuasive rhythms.

Review: Known for his meticulous sound design and trippy, psychedelic approach, the Japanese producer gets key tracks from his 2023 Agartha album remixed with contributions from Kompakt veteran Michael Mayer and rising talent Philipp Stoffel. Opening the selection, 'Agartha (Wata Igarashi Sorcery Acid Mix)' plunges into heavy analog territory, channeling old-school acid trance with pulsing basslines and swirling synth layers. It's a trip that maintains a relentless and hypnotic momentum. In contrast, 'Floating Against Time (Wata Igarashi Shimmering Mix)' leans into atmospheric techno, unfolding with a celestial, meditative quality. The track's ethereal pads and evolving textures create a sense of weightlessness, staying true to Igarashi's deep, transportive aesthetic. Michael Mayer steps in with his version of 'Ceremony of the Dead', infusing it with an upbeat vintage techno feel. His remix brims with Kompakt's signature warmth, blending ravey elements with a steady, driving groove. Closing the set, 'Abyss II X Darkness (Philipp Stoffel Fusion Mix)' picks up the pace with rolling basslines and dubby, melodic layers. Stoffel's take is fast and fluid, balancing deep, introspective elements with club-ready energy. A refined touch for floor or sofa alike.

Review: Back once again, it's Ill Behaviour with yet another two pantherine jungle steamers to top up their eponymous series of black labels. With purring associative moods of a melanistic leopard on wax, 'Side A' crafts knockout jungle from mutedly distant, longing r&b samples and rampant drum snaffles, wafting a prowly energy not too far from the voracious ravishing of prey. 'Side B' goes speedier jungle techno, proving that this is no alley cat; the piano breakdown is particularly impressive, weaving successfully controlled, empirically tested vocal science chops around a well-controlled mallet melody line, one we could only too easily assume was played in by a feline philanderer.

Review: Reel People Music breaks new ground, in more ways than one, with the launch of fresh compilation series Broken, Deep & Dope. A spin-off from acclaimed compilation brand Soulful, Deep & Dope - introduced back in 2015 - this new series sees the much-loved independent imprint pushing further at the boundaries of soulful music. All with that customary Reel People feeling. Broken, Deep & Dope 2024, the series' first instalment, unleashes 20 superlative examples of the soulful 'bruk' (broken beat), nu beat and nu jazz sound that has so innovatively informed contemporary dancefloors around the world since its inception back in late '90s West London.

Review: Dub dons The Inn House Crew keep it as real as ever with this latest outing on Southside Productions. Come to the Party is a new 45 rpm that kicks off with the title track featuring the talented vocal guests Laylah Arruda & Mad X who bring some fiery Spanish-sounding vocals to a breezy dub groove with sunny melodies and dubwise swagger. 'Rock Your Body Baby' (feat AJ Franklin) on the flip is another sunny one with a warped bassline and humid organ chords up top. The contributions from Franklin are playful and boogie-inducing with plenty of soul.

Review: In a fresh outpouring of covers 7"s, Japanese rocksteady version band Inokasira Rangers share the best of several new vinyl cuts, this time remoulding The La's's Britpop masterpiece 'There She Goes' into fine reggae pottery. Once referred to as "the second national anthem of the UK" in a period of national musical fervour, the heartsick one-hit-wonder anthem gets a thorough Hammond-organ-ising here, sacrificing lyrics or vocals for a single transcribed organ line. On the B is also a version of Janet Jackson's unforgettably minor-keyed Clav-house steamer, 'Together Again', this time rock-steadied to a similarly beautified degree.

Review: Back in 2022, James Burnham aka Burnski started a White sub-series of his much-hyped Instinct label and the first one sold out as quick as a flash. Now he is finally back with a follow-up that will likely do the same. This limited one-sided 12" slab of sonic filth features just one tune, but what a tune it is. '02' is a house cut with elements of garage percussion, old-school dirty bass, and even some trance-infused chords that chime with what's going on in the dance world right now. Some return horns at the breakdown really send it into overdrive and it's not hard seeing this one blow the roof off many a club this summer.

Review: Two new, pure, unadulterated, deep house bits by The Italian Stallion aka. DJ Soch. These two tracks establish everything an idealist dance requires; warm pads, dreamy chords, jazzy keys, and all-round tough beats and driving basslines. A-sider 'Magic Touch' brings a pendular swing to things, with a mesmeric groove unfurling to peak on an especially brilliant vibraphone breakdown. B-side 'Dreaming A Better World', meanwhile, hatches the sonic blueprint for a new transition town, plunging our ears into vats of yearner vocals, three-note string cadences and high-on-life bass syncopations.