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Review: Amsterdam label Music from Memory are steadily becoming the most interesting archivally minded operation out there, with this retrospective of Mallorcan guitarist Joan Bibiloni following essential issues of work by Gigi Masin and Leon Lowman. On El Sur, MFM founders Tako Reyenga, Abel Nagenast and Jamie Tiller cast their gaze over Bibiloni's work from the more experimental era of his long career (he first released a single in 1967) selecting tracks from a six album run which commenced with the album Una Vida Llarga I Tranquila, originally released in 1984. It was during this time that Bibiloni began to compose with the assistance of tape loops, drum computers and synthesisers and these primitive experiments make for compelling listening across the ten tracks on El Sur.

Review: Archeo Recordings bring us some more Balearic Italian treasure here with some gold initially recorded in Bologna almost two decades ago. It's a collaboration between friends Bottin and Lucio Dalla that has never before been on vinyl. 'Lunedi Cinema' was an ident that played before Monday night movies on of one of the main Italian TV channels for many years. This electronic version includes the Martedi Mix from 2008, a Minibar Bonus Track and also a mix by pioneering Italian dream house dons Leo Mas & Fabrice with a Bottin dub sealing the deal. It's a superb package of real Italo music history.

Review: After his hugely well received lovers' rock compilations for this label, Sam Don digs deep into the rich world of UK sweet soul on this - typically - excellent new compilation from the wondrous ashes of the North. He comes up with plenty of mega hard to find and expensive musical treasures that have all been painstakingly researched and tracked down. It was a short lived but fertile scene in the underground back in the 90s and if you didn't; know that already you will after one listen through of this - the sounds are highly danceable with silky, low-lit melodies and steamy and seductive vocals for loved up late night dancing.

Review: It would be fair to say that "The Adventure Of Kohsuke Kindaichi" is a "cult album". While many will have heard snippets of some of its tracks in hip-hop tracks and via dusty disco re-edits (a number have been given the scalpel treatment in the past), few outside of Japan have been able to get the album since it was released way back in 1977. The premise is odd - composer Kentaro Haneda created the disco and jazz-funk set as a soundtrack to a series of detective novels - but the music is superb: a zany but hugely entertaining mixture of nods to various soundtrack styles underpinned by killer disco grooves and swirling orchestral movements. We'd heartily recommend checking out the clips ASAP.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


In anticipation of Nouvelle Phenomene's forthcoming album, Bordello A Parigi concomitantly announce the reissue of their acclaimed debut LP Glory Of Romance, almost ten years after its initial release. An emotively depth-scouring work of contemporary synthwave-via-darkwave, the musical quadrangle of Angela Santa, Fanni Santa, Peter B. and Zsolt Dziba first produced this impressive studio project under the ambit of Russian indie label Other Voices, giving rise to the likes of 'Glory Of Romance' and 'Caresse', both excellent singles venturing into a well-established sound, yet colliding it with a fabulously fresh thematic locus, such as modern-day fatigue and artifice. Truly an ever-new phenomenon, Nouvelle Phenomene's style - that of gothic-sonic art nouveau - is a newness that nevertheless does not forfeit timelessness.

Review: Ilan Pdahtzur is as obsessive a record digger as any of his more visible peers. His particular niche is early to mid-eighties club music, and now he gets a platform to show off his skills thanks to the Spacetalk label. "Night City Life" is about music to match that exact setting - nocturnal urban metropolises with glowing neon lights shimmering in the darkness. There's a lot to love across four sides of vinyl here, from Italo disco to steamy boogie cuts and iridescent synth jams. It will make you nostalgic for a time and place you've never experienced (at least not as perfectly as this) and no doubt get plenty of dance floors on their feet.

Review: Purple Disco Machine is the alias of Tino Piontek, a German DJ and producer who has become quite the staple of Aussie label Sweat It Out! in recent years. Exotica is his third album to date, and features a bunch of scorching disco numbers all delivered in his renowned style; from the infectious vocoder funk of 'At The Disko' with Lorenz Rhode, the neon-lit Italo euphoria of 'Dopamine' (feat Eyelar) as well as a collaboration with Italian deep house heroine in the form of 'Loneliness' and bonus track 'Twisted Mind' featuring Agnes.

Review: While their trademark sound has always been flourished with plenty of nods to the past - think jazz-funk, disco, acid jazz and boogie - Reel People's career has been forged on crafting new songs and instrumentals. For their latest album, "Retroflection", they've decided to flip the script, serving up a set of covers of classic cuts with the assistance of some notable vocalists. It's a neat twist and one that results in a string of superb revisions. Check, for example, the Mica Paris-fronted take on Alicia Meyers' "I Want To Thank You", their starry version of electrofunk staple "Don't Stop The Music" (complete with sublime Angie Stone vocal), an Incognito style take on Willie Bobo's "Always There" and a riotous, scene-stealing romp through Pleasure favourite "Joyous".

Review: Croatian producer and DJ Ilija Rudman, is among the leaders in Balearic style of deep house and downtempo and has released on a who's who of some of the strongest labels in the genre like Is It Balearic? Recordings, International Feel Recordings and NuNorthernSoul. For the Retrospective EP, Ilija steps up to produce a bit more dancefloor focused works for the Maze label. 'Foolish Way's has an 80s electro pop funky feel that we really appreciate while the Grem edit of 'Where Do We Go' is great late-night driving music. For the B-side, 'How Many Ways' is almost like a mix of German and Chicago house music. 'The Last Action Hero' is perhaps out favourite on here for being the deeper and more melodic cut of the bunch. A strong dance EP.

Review: Berlin-based Saturns Drive is a project by New Zealand-born DJ and producer Elfy, and is one that takes its cues from a world of early sci-fi, exotica and library music, as well as coming on thick with cosmic disco synthesizers, Italo grooves and lush arps. His latest outing 'Next Stop Nebula' also brings in slide guitars and retro digital synth sounds over the top of rhythms that owe a debt to the 90s. It's a fresh and new sound that makes for expansive, immersive listening and transports you to an imagery, sun-kissed world where gentle grooves like 'Next Stop Nebula' and 'Bride Of Frankenstein' await for a nice laid-back party.

Review: Victor Simonelli's house music legacy is assured - he more than made his mark on the genre back in the 90s with plenty of iconic cuts and legendary DJ sets and now that is all being highlighted by this ongoing multi-part series from Unknwn. The comprehensive collection looks at the early years here with some of his top mixes including those that have not previously been released. There is an in-depth almost hour-long audio and written interview between BTG founder Alex Rose and Victor to go with this release that is well worth finding.

Review: The story goes that Donna Summer wasn't t happy when she heard the final version of her most iconic hit 'I Feel Love'. She didn't like how sexualised her vocal had become next to the iconic synths sounds. No such problem with this album which has much morels and orchestra sound on the lavish opener and title cut. It's an epic, 16-minute plus track that takes up one whole side, while the flip side tunes re slow and sentimental ('Full Of Emptiness'), disco-tinged and funky fresh ('Need-a-man Blues') and beautifully tender lullabies ('Whispering Waves'.)

Review: Tantra II, the fourth album by Tantra, showcases the band's electric fusion of disco, funk, and electronic elements. The recording sessions were helmed by producer Celso Valli, and the record was initially unveiled in 1982 to great acclaim. The album takes the form of two extended jams, one on each side, with funk, Italo, Balearic, cosmic and more all influencing the extended dance floor jams. Now it is reissued for the first time ever on vinyl so gets the full treatment with a pressing on nice heavyweight 180g wax and is presented in a limited edition run of just 300 copies.

Review: Cologne's legendary Kompakt label has been rolling out these superb compilations for many years now. The 23rd instalment is another fine snapshot of the more matter and grown up end of the tech, minimal and techno spectrum with plenty of familiar faces as well s new school stars. Boss man Michel Mayer opens up with the bright melodies and swinging grooves of 'Talmi' before Jurgen Paape keeps it deep and delicious with more easy going grooves and keys. Elsewhere a Sofia Kourtesis remix if Perel brings more dancefloor ready sounds and Reinhard Voigt's 'Endlich XXL' (feat Eduard Weber) is a freaky one for the afters.

Review: French label Wagram is a go-to when it comes to quality compilations that take a broad look at certain sounds and scenes, and this one is an on-going series that focuses on house sounds with an Afro undertone. The grooves are lively and often come with plenty of percussion. The drums hit hard but with funk, the vocals are Afro-centric and plenty of irresistible hits come thick and fast from the jazzy tribal swagger of 'Imbalaye' to the big steel drum party sounds of 'Viet Dao' (Klement Bonelli & Yann DL remix). Another great collection of colourful Afro house sounds.

Review: In 1977, Gaye Mody Camara, a young Soninke raised in Mali's Kayes region, settled in France to found his own empire modelled psychically after the great Soninko empire. Initially selling wax, kola nuts and other goods in his Parisian outlets, he rapidly started distributing cassette tapes and eventually producing a multitude of recordings for his own label, Camara Production. Crossing paths and collaborating over the next four decades with legendary artists, griots and industry moguls like Boncana Maiga and Jean-Philippe Rykiel, Camara became one of the great independent music producers of his generation, and a pillar of the Parisian Soninke diaspora. Released in close collaboration with Camara and with the assistance of Daouda N'diaye, one of A.P.S' (Association pour la Promotion de la langue et de la culture Soninke) historical members, this selection of songs and accompanying notes aim to shed a light on an intricate culture and its modern music, unjustifiably unknown outside of West Africa and the various diasporas around the world.