Review: Whilst all the vinyl samplers for this DJ History curated Trax Re-edit compilation are worth investigating, it's perhaps this third volume that screams essential the most by virtue of the presence of JD Twitch, Andy Blake, Richard Sen, Toby Tobias and Hardway Bros as the resident re-editors. Nor do they disappoint either as Hardway Bros team up with Rekids type Tobias and introduce some driving energetic synth patterns into Adonis' "We're Rocking Down This House" as well as embellishing the bottom end for a modern day warehouse thumper. Equally good is Cave Painter Andy Blake teasing out the rubbery off kilter undertones to Willy Wonka's spoken word drum machine thriller "What Is House" whilst retaining the raw, stuttering core. On the flip, Richard Sen goes deep on the signature synth stabs to Ron Hardy's "Sensation" which will destroy the more discerning dancefloors out there. Finally JD Twitch strips Mr. Lee's "Pump Up Chicago" of its really quite silly overtones and twists the track into a brilliantly hypnotic and menacing acid tinged late night jacker
Review: Two previously rare Julio Ernesto 'Fruko' Estrada productions on one super-juicy 45! First up are The Afrosound with a cover of The Chakachas' instantly recognisable "Fiebre En La Jungla". Throwing an array of steamy, sensuous vocal textures, it will cause some serious heat on any floor whose dancers knows the original. We remain in Columbia on the B as one of Wganda Kenya's rarest Disco Fuentes 45s gets a revisit. Heavily percussive cumbia laced with rich organ-primed funk, things get really hypnotic when the groove strips back to the insistent rhythm devices.
Review: Legofunk builds more bridges between beats with another four tracker from various artists. Atoz kick off with a chunky, heavyweight house tune 'Woman' which samples the iconic vocal from Nina Simone's 'See-Line Woman' tune. Musta goes for a more flailing and funky driven feeling on the afro-tinged 'Cam Run Sun' and on the flip, Wandervogel references one of the greatest fights of all-time with 'Thrilla In Manila.' No punches are pulled on this fulsome afro-disco pumper and last of all things get deep, with hip swinging claps and twirling trumpet leads all primed to warm up any club on 'Agosto D'Amor.'
Review: When it comes to offering up seven-inch singles of tracks taken from classic or sought-after albums, Dynamite Cuts has an impressive track record. They're at it again here, this time mining Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson's 1978 jazz-funk/disco fusion masterpiece "Step Into Our Life". On the A-side you'll find the languid, loose and groovy title track, a memorable affair in which dueling vibraphone and trumpet solos make merry atop a head-nodding, toe-tapping jazz-funk groove. Flipside "For Real" is a little more energetic and loved-up, with touchy-feely vocals, husling slap-bass and sci-fi synths to the fore.
Review: Like many labels at this time of year, Banoffee Pies has decided to get into the Record Store Day spirit, delivering a limited edition, hand-stamped 10" featuring a trio of Afro-inspired cuts from their growing roster of artists. There's naturally much to admire, not least the deliciously bass-heavy "Simigwado (Eidt)" by Az, a heavy Afrobeat rework that gets the right balance between the restless throb of house music and the vibrancy of the producer's source material. Walter Ego impresses, too, with the cowbell-laden Highlife shuffle of "Eme Nenyo", while Philou Louzolo steals the show with the Clavinet-heavy Afro-disco goodness of his superb "Royal Booty Funk".
Review: Supply Records returns with a seventh release which finds Will Martin make his label debut and build on the budding production partnership with John Barera, which commenced with a standout contribution to a various artists 12" on Dolly last year. Much like "Reality" from that aforementioned release on Steffi's label, the four tracks here commence on a disco flecked tip with "Awake" which is filled with driving soulful strings and cracking drums. Classic Rhodes punctuate "Say It Now" whilst the flip shows a different side to the pairing with "Unknown Factor" heading into stab heavy techno territory, whilst title track "Yen" displays Martin and Barera's mastery of haunting atmospheres. Supply meets demand once again!
Review: The first Premier League Pressing features one of the best known tracks in popular culture. The Belmont Shadows beef up an acapella version of 'Kiss Him Goodbye' where you'll hear the drummer get wicked over cuts and beats from one of the top DJs of the west coast. On the flip, we have a tough breakbeat-heavy Latin version by Wilson D N that has never been on a 45.
Review: Sundries' Disco Goodies series, which rounds up the best of the label's digital releases and presents them on multi-artist EPs, reaches its fourth instalment. It hits home hard from the start, where Berobreo's 'Soul Driven Dynamics' provides an attractive mix of 1970s orchestral soul samples and rubbery deep house beats. Experienced re-editor Oldchap brings the goods with a lightly tooled-up and beefed-up rework of an orchestra-sporting disco gem ('Coloridos'), before X Gets The Crest delivers a percussive, hot-stepping and filter-smothered re-wire of a much-loved Cymande classic ('Still Come Home'). Over on side B, Alexny's heavy disco-funk re-edit ('People Says') is joined by a hazy and horn-heavy revision courtesy of Sould Out ('City Gal') and the pitched-up disco loop-funk of 'Since You Came' by Workerz.
Review: Key to the ongoing World Unknown parties has been the sense of community it engenders as a group of dedicated attendees fill the South London dark room every month, and it's from this lot that Blake and Hart have also hand picked some of the artists that have appeared on the affiliated label. After a year off from the slog of releasing records, World Unknown serve up the second of two new releases that features two such talented regulars in Black Merlin and White Lodge. Both the former Bird Scarer graduate and his less heralded B Side partner seem inspired by the work of John Carpenter here - in the case of the former it's the spiraling synth lines married to the kind of chugging beat that gives Weatherall palpitations. White Lodge adopts a more interesting approach on "Swung" an appropriately titled track paced at 6/4 which is described as the "opening salvo in this year's snare roll revival".
Mark Brickman & Yam Who? - "Shined On Me" (feat Venessa Jackson) (7:30)
Wayfaring Strangers - "Get Your House In Order" (6:12)
Platinum City - "Holy Spirit" (7:35)
Yam Who? & Brian Lucas - "Yah Mo B There" (6:16)
Review: House music's roots are in the church and this new a celebratory various artist collection pays homage to that. The grooves are laced with soulful vocals, churchy chords and big strings that make for grand architecture and grander feelings of joy. Mark Brickman & Yam Who? open with a vocal gem that cannot help but bring a smile, while Wayfaring Strangers pump it up a little more with some funky disco house before Platinum City get you locked in a nice loose, long legged groove that is resplendent with lush keys and big vocal turns. 'Yah Mo B There' has an irresistible 80s vibe and big sing along choruses that will get hairs standing on end.
Review: Riffing off of his recent sophomore album, street soul and R&B artist Teddy Bryant joins forces with German Funk producer WOZ301 to provide what's sure to be one of this summer's many dancefloor anthems. 'Time To Move' recalls the similarly pithy, glitzed-out disco-funk of the eponymous song by Carmen, except Bryant brings not only a lower register but also an excess of irony to the form, crafting a whole new narrative around the idea of movement, while letting on his excitement at the sight of us. On the B, WOZ301 puts together a Modern Funk banger with 'Cotton Mouth': heavy bass stabs paired with playful squealing synths.
Review: Rock A Shaka out of Japan always cook up the good and for this new 45rpm they bring low slung funk, disco and boogie to a dubbed out reggae vibe thanks to a superb a-side from Ronnie Butler. 'Funky Rasta' has tinny analogue drums and crisp 80s production style with a great female vocal. Willie Lindo on the backside then offers up the more laid-back and horizontal dub sounds of 'Midnight' complete with natty acoustic chords and island-life atmospheres. Pure sunshine music for good times only, as always with this label.
Review: It's been a while since label bosses Cabral and Renault treated us to volume six but, as always with OTP, its well worth the wait. Cabral kicks off proceedings with a sludgy proto-house number that comes complete with some fantastic chopped up vocal work a la Kevin Aviance. Kon follows with a homage to the disco edit. Not to leave us languishing in the 70s for too long, "Love Reaction" whisks us forward to a packed warehouse in Chicago circa 1989. Big, roomy, boomy and laced with just the right amount of contemporary production, it's Renault at his darkest. "Night Walker" is the final piece of the edit puzzle; woozy, filtered and possibly the best example of a processed Cevin Fisher vocal ever, it's the ultimate funk finale.
Willie Colon - "She Don't Know I Am Alive" (dub Two) (4:36)
Tony Cook & The Party People - "On The Floor" (Underground mix) (4:15)
Review: Oh my - it's number 35 in the RDY edits series, and that means an instant purchase, peeps! These never stick around for very long, and especially when they're as bad-ass as this latest one. So, quick recap, just in case you weren't aware, this series aims to recollect of all legend Ron Hardy's edits; these are the tunes that made house music famous at the infamous Musik Box in Chicago. Italian disco sensations Chaplin Band feature with a subtle edit of "Il Veliero", a melancholic yet charging disco oddity, and the flip quickly heads down more electronic territories with a touch-up of "She Don't Knw I Am Alive" by Willie Colon. Tony Cook & The Party People's "On The Floor" is given a good makeover with that solid, 4/4 beat that contains the dubbiest of drums around. Ya can't miss this...
Review: Coffee's "Casanova" was recorded in 1980. here is the original 12" version. There are no words to explain what you feel when you dance to this for the first time. A pure London 80's classic.
Review: Universal Cave Records 003 pairs another record digging and DJ duo, Philadelphia's D. Lord and Werner Williams. D. Lord's 'Start the World' is stampeding euro funk with chainsawing clav and an unrelenting bass groove. Maximum funk effect achieved with vital precision. Werner Williams' 'You've Got Style' exudes cool. It's one part psychedelic synth groove and one part cockeyed classic rock, soaring harmonies & juju for days - a long lost cousin to Fox's 'The Juggler.'
Review: The world of dark disco tech is vast and so covers plenty of niches and nuances with artists all over the world adding their voice to the conversation. Spanish label Waste Editions offers up four more to the mix here with another well-assembled VA. Dark Vektor's 'Amb La Mirada Ens Menjarem' begins with some synth sounds that evoke a horror scene over snappy drums and sleazy guitar riffs. Synth Alien's 'Replica Cosmica' gets a little more loose but still comes with evocative vocal samples and a characterful world of synth sounds, some that fart, some that gurgle, some that amuse. Imiafan's 'Stupaj (Keen K RMX)' is another prying, loopy sound brought to life with myriad effects, textures and vocal snippets and Wardum shuts down with 'Wrambling' which has grinding bass and scuttling effects topped with occult vocals.
Bryan Jones - "Part Of The Game" (DJ Dan remix) (6:12)
DJ Dan - "Conjunction Funktion" (6:08)
DJ Dan - "Command Your Soul" (6:04)
Review: US vet DJ Dan is back once again with the Slammin Trax series, bringing some of his spiciest originals and remixes onto vinyl for maximum party damage. "Engine No 9" does a fine job of chopping up a classic hip hop vocal lick and strapping it to a chunky big room house jam. Dan's remix of Bryan Jones brings even bigger levels of hype, not least around the monster breakdown and drop. "Conjunction Funktion" brings a more flamboyant funky flavour to the table without losing that massive impact, and "Command Your Soul" fires off a plethora of riotous licks, samples, hits and stabs while keeping the funk at the forefront.
Wanda Star Williams - "Mr UFO" (DJ Nori edit) (4:12)
Montreal Sound - "Music" (DJ Nori edit) (3:52)
Review: DJ Nori's TK Records EP first arrived on the scene in 2016. It's become a sought after modern classic ever since because it features a sublime, double-header of tasteful edits that never fail to get funk lovers going. First he tackles Wanda Star Williams' 'Mr UFO', flipping it with big strident drums and fierce vocal deliveries that are perfectly impassioned. On the reverse is Montreal Sound's 'Music' which is a bustling and atmospheric funk jam with plenty of live recordings of vocals, claps and people doing monkey sounds to make it as characterful as possible.
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