SUPERPRINCE レコード& CD

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


To mark their 50th release, Brooklyn scalpel fiends Razor-N-Tape has put together a triple-pack of tried-and-tested reworks from some of the scene's heaviest hitters. It's as strong as you'd expect, with highlights including the heavyweight, delay-laden disco-funk brilliance of Dimitri From Brooklyn's "Hooked On This Feeling" (a dub disco revision of an old Frank Hooker jam by Dimitri From Paris), the Clavinet-driven, piano-laden peak-time hustle of Joey Negro's "Let's Get Ornery", the Clarinet and trumpet-sporting hedonism of Jacques Renault's emotive and heart-tugging "Said I Would" and the screaming, hands-aloft rush of Superprince's "Dependable". Fittingly, label co-fouder JKriv delivers one of the standouts, a rolling revision of an Italo-style, arpeggio-driven delight titled "Lovin' Lasers".

Review: To mark their 50th release, Brooklyn scalpel fiends Razor-N-Tape has put together a triple-pack of tried-and-tested reworks from some of the scene's heaviest hitters. It's as strong as you'd expect, with highlights including the heavyweight, delay-laden disco-funk brilliance of Dimitri From Brooklyn's "Hooked On This Feeling" (a dub disco revision of an old Frank Hooker jam by Dimitri From Paris), the Clavinet-driven, piano-laden peak-time hustle of Joey Negro's "Let's Get Ornery", the Clarinet and trumpet-sporting hedonism of Jacques Renault's emotive and heart-tugging "Said I Would" and the screaming, hands-aloft rush of Superprince's "Dependable". Fittingly, label co-fouder JKriv delivers one of the standouts, a rolling revision of an Italo-style, arpeggio-driven delight titled "Lovin' Lasers".

Review: Former Razor 'N' Tape twosome Superprince (AKA Philadelphia duo Shawn Ryan and Jeffrey Levi) return to hometown imprint Universal Cave with a quartet of hot-to-trot re-edits. There's impressive variety across the four tracks on offer. Check, for example, the head-nodding Italo-disco throb of closing cut "Buy You A Dream", the horn-heavy disco-funk bounce of "Come To Me" and the gently unfurling synth goodness of "Rose", a slow jam laden in loved-up vocals and twinkling piano lines. Best of all, though, is opener "Mama", a bona fide boogie floor filler that's worth the admission price on its own.

Review: Philadelphia's own edit kings Superprince return on Razor-N-Tape with four more heaters, all guaranteed to find a place in your record bag. The funky and percussion driven disco of "TKO Dance" leaves little imagination to the source - it's an oldie but a goodie! The slo-mo and jazzy lounge antics of "Keep It Real" are new to our ears, but we're sure it needed an edit - and it's a respectful one at that. On the flip, they save the best for last with the sexy disco inferno that is "You Are Here" ('possibly' a reference to the legendary Mr Mouzon) while an underground goodie by a one hit wonder from 1982 gets a well needed second coming on the neon-lit funk shenanigans of "Special".

Review: Universal Cave is a record label headed by the Philadelphia trio of Ryan Todd, Brian Hart Cassidy and Shawn Ryan. Their releases range from signature soft rock and AOR to disco, boogie and deep house. The aforementioned Ryan is also one half of the duo Superprince with Jeffrey Levi Fry, who are known for their sharp productions and remixes heard on labels like Moulton Music or Razor-N-Tape - and like on the latter they impress yet again with this collection of respectful edits. From the sweltering latin rhythms of "Lambada" to the timeless classic house of "Take Your Time" and even the mandatory slo-mo joint in the form of "Hang High" - which is as lo-slung as you like it!