Disco Recommendations Best Of 2016

Review: Not just a beautiful compliment to pay someone special, but a hugely influential record that inspired Floating Points' now legendary Plastic People parties, too... A super obscure and expensive one at that. Now re-issued on Floating Points' own Melodies imprint - across three 45s - the Detroit band get full exposure with the deliciously funky main track enjoying two versions before dipping into the softer, more pastoral charms of "I Feel Like Dancing" and the string-led swoon festival, "Theme For Someone Special". We close on two contrasting grooves; an earthy ballad ("Trust Me") and a Whitfield & Strong style funk instrumental ("Dance Awhile"). Cheers Sam!

Review: It would be fair to say that Estiban Lindsay's one and only album, 1980's L.A Walk, is something of a sought-after rarity. Considered by many disco/boogie diggers to be a must-have, original copies of the Canadian classic currently change hands for three-figure sums online. Ever the dusty-fingered digger, Nik Weston has managed to license two tracks from the album after hearing global trotting DJ Hunee championing the main track in his sets in 2015 , and provides his own extended dancefloor re-edits. Both are subtly done, with Weston teasing out Lindsay's grooves and making more of his deliciously soulful versions, all without adding needless house drums or contemporary production tricks. The EP also contains the original version of the warm, disco-boogie gem "Come To Me". As played by Craig Charles (BBC 6 Music), Hunee, Eddie C, Tom Noble, Admin, Mike Shaw, Volcov, Frank Booker, Red Greg, Ashley Beedle, Joey Negro, Dom Servini, Miles Eastwick, Faze Action and many more...

Review: Marcel Vogel's ever-ready LIH imprint celebrates six years of juicy, sassy, often illicit disco soul with some of the label's best cuts to date. Ideal for filling any holes in your collection, the likes of Uptown Funk Empire's Pharoah Saunders cover "Freedom", Manmademusic's gospel-level "Circles", Eddie C's tweaking, freaking drum funk "What It Is", Stacy and Peven's stuttering funk "Body Jerkin" still slap and tickle just as stylishly and smoothly as they did when Marcel first prised them from the editor's clutches... And still will in 10, 20 or 50 years-time. Proper dancefloor clobber.

Review: Lavish gospel disco action from AOTN: longstanding gospel writer Calvin Bridges gets the 45 salute he deserves with two powerful 1978 flashbacks. Reminded by Floating Points just how relevant and timeless "The Power Of Your Love" sounds, AOTN bossman Fryer has licenced its vibrant, floor-shaking sermon with complete blessing from Bridges himself. "He's Alright", already a staple for Fryer for years, enjoys the coveted b-side status; with its big piano roll intro and gutsy gospel vocal, if there's a bad vibe in sight after dropping this then you're in the wrong job. Mighty.

Review: We can think of a fair few disco diggers who will be more than a little annoyed by this re-issue. Originally released on the obscure La Shawn label back in 1980, "Take Me I'm Yours" is widely considered to be one of Patrick Adams' best productions. It's certainly something of a dusty gem, with Mary Clark's soulful, country-tinged vocals simply soaring over a reggae-tinged, string-drenched disco groove. It would have been nice to have seen original flipside "You Got Your Hold On Me" included, but it's not a major issue; given the in-demand (and hard-to-find) nature of the A-side, we should be pleased it's come back round again.

Review: Danny Krivit's fine re-edit of Gary's Gang classic "Let's Lovedance Tonight" first surfaced on Nervous Records back in 2007, and has been something of an in-demand item with disco DJs ever since. This, then, is a more than welcome reissue. The genius of Krivit's scalpel job is that it merely emphasizes the sections of the original that dancefloors want to hear; specifically, the acoustic guitar and organ-heavy groove, killer drum breaks and winding saxophone lines. It's simple but devilishly effective. For those seeking the full vocal experience, the original 1979 12" version is included on the flip.

Review: Multitrack wizard The Reflex returns for his second release on Revision Records with two more killer edits. He tackles Marvin Gaye's classic "Gotta Give It Up" giving it the perfect modern revision for modern dancefloors, pretty damn brilliant if we do say so ourselves. On the B side he lends his Midas touch to Serge Gainsbourg's infamous "Sea, Sex & Sun" allegedly three years in the making, this dirty disco funk nugget includes vocals from both the English and French versions. Exclusive to vinyl and previously unreleased, get your hands on this one before you miss your chance as pressings are limited.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: After SHAKE 001 flew off shelves back in September, Mahogani's Dan Shake returns with his second edits release. Already firmly supported by the likes of Daphni, Soul Clap and Gilles Peterson, expect more groove-laden gems from one of the UK's fastest rising talents.

Review: The work of obscure, conscious funk outfit Africano has previously proved popular with reissue labels, in part due to the rare nature of their original 1970s releases. This limited 7" single features two of their finest tracks: the fairly well known "Open Your Heart", and 1973's "Satisfactorize Your Mind". While the latter is a string-drenched treat that feels like a dustier, slightly more psychedelic take on the Philadelphia International sound, it's "Open Your Heart" that most impresses. Featuring urgent, passionate vocals, winding horn lines and a stomping funk-soul beat, it remains the outfit's finest moment bar none.

Review: Hometaping Is Killing Music, the Scottish imprint devoted to the underground, is back this time with Italian young gun Nicholas on the Bonus Beats 1 EP. Things kick off with "Hot Nights" which offers as deadly a sample usage of Minnie Ripperton as the Linkwood classic "R.I.P.". Also on the A side is "Atmo" featuring Paul Cut; more deep and soulful funk grooves for fans of KDJ style jams. On the flip we've got the pumping percussive DJ tool "Together (Beats)" which is a welcome addition to any serious DJs arsenal and finally "Something To Believe" which gets back on the soul train in delightful '70s retrovert fashion.

Review: "Lescudjack" is one of the finest moments in Michael Chapman's epic discography. Originally featured on 1978's "Life On The Ceiling" album, the instrumental track melded the British guitarist's distinctive finger picking style with throbbing synthesizer lines and heavy space rock influences. Famously a favourite of Daniele Baldelli, and a long-standing secret weapon of Kosmiche-minded DJs, Chapman's peerless original version is joined here by a brilliant Lexx edit that subtly extends it into a more dancefloor-friendly version, with a longer opening build-up, a tasty drum break in the original, and a deliciously dubbed-out conclusion.

Review: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The House Of Disco, come in and make yourselves comfortable. What began life as a blog and party has now become fully established as a record label, as THOD arrive at release number 14 with Dutch pair Daniel Leseman and Hans Peeman at the helm under their FOUK name. The Gruff EP comes after two well received FOUK Eps last year and fits snugly into The House Of Disco aesthetic, brandishing a trio of disco house pumpers that all retain that loose and live feel to them. Push us for a favourite and we'd probably plump for the filtered pump of the curiously named "Freebooter". Complementing these are remixes from Ron Basejam and Snacks of the title track, with the rasping groove of the latter a delight.

Review: Many hardened disco diggers have long dreamed of finding a copy of Karriem's super-sweet 1979 single, "I Love You". It has a reputation for being one of the harder disco records to find, with copies of the original Pashlo Records release changing hands for serious sums online. Happily, Favorite Recordings has gone to the trouble of licensing it, offering this re-issue in replica artwork (complete with lyrics on the back sleeve). "I Love You" itself is near perfect, with Karriem's fine vocals and killer electric piano solos riding a loose disco groove full of clipped guitars and rich percussion. Like the original 12", this version boasts the superior extended mix, and a tighter edited version.

Review: Fresh off a 12" appearance on Dirt Crew alongside Harry Wolfman, Manchester-based DJ and producer Loz Goddard is back on a solo flex with the Drunken Monk EP for the Reserve sublabel from NYC edit crew Razor N Tape. Four tracks deep, this 12" has that slinky, glossy feel to it that sounds just right on Razor N Tape, with the Love Unlimited Orchestra does disco house shuffle of "Lovin'" the pick of the A-side cuts. Flip over and "Moovish" sees young Loz veer off into heavily filtered house territory, throwing in what sounds like some nifty RAMP sampling while he's at it. The appropriately-titled "Something Special" rounds out the 12" in fine style with a bit of a French Touch.

Review: Last year, legendary disco label T.K released a pair of 12" singles featuring fresh Todd Terje reworks of classic material from K.C & The Sunshine Band. It was such a success that they've decided to repeat the exercise, recruiting Aussie rework specialist Late Night Tough Guy to breathe new life into Timmy Thomas' impassioned anti-war record and the recent subject of sped-up sampling by Drake, "Why Can't We Live Together". Typically, his version is built around a lolloping, disco-friendly house groove, onto which the original record's killer organs and vocals sit. It's tastefully done and hugely playable, of course, though some disco DJs will still prefer to reach for Thomas' impeccable original. Handily, T.K has included that heartfelt slice of soul brilliance on the A-side.

Review: The Melbourne artist most commonly known as Andras Fox reaffirms his bright light status with a mini-album under a new alias, House Of Dad, which arrives as the debut release on the label of the same name. Fox, real name Andy Wilson, has been in impressive form across a number of projects of late - Andras, A.R.T. Wilson and the Wilson Tanner collaboration with John Tanner among them - and fans of his rich approach to production will delight in this House Of Dad endeavour. Described as an homage to his plumber father, the six tracks veer from Gigi Masin-style piano meanderings to pattering electro workouts and deep house shufflers. Throughout it all, Wilson's measured talent for instrumentation shines through.

Review: Finally, the tenth instalment of the tight-as-hell Secret Squirrel label, another two-pronged nu-disco attack to satisfy each and every one of your DJ needs. Sticking to their strictly anonymous look-and-feel, the ambiguously named "Track 1" wraps a fuzzy twist of guitar riffs around a heads-down groove that emanates sexy strings from all angles; "Track 2" on the B-side meanders towards a more synth-pop kinda sound, where a busy beat flex gives charge to an ultra-sleek and carefree 80's sound. Oh, lord, those riffs!

Review: Jago's 1983 debut single, "I'm Going To Go", is largely regarded as something of an Italo-disco classic. Much of the track's infamy comes not from its' cheery original version or superb instrumental - which makes copious use of reverb and tape delay - but rather from Frankie Knuckles' Plant Mix. The house great's killer proto-house remix was a favourite with dancers at The Warehouse in Chicago, and has been bootlegged numerous times in recent years. Here, it gets an official repress on Dark Entries, alongside Jago's original vocal and instrumental mixes. All three versions are killer, making this 12" an essential addition to any record collection.

Review: The Kat Edits label have scored a real coup here, licensing a pair of tweaks the legend Domu originally committed to a super-rare Japan only CD compilation for the ESP DJ Classics series back in 2009. Domu's always been a classy producer no matter what he turns his hands to and this pair of edits really do deserve to be preserved on the vinyl format - kudos to Kat! Up top, "Love Vibes" by The Emotions is given a slightly upwards pitch adjustment by Domu, with plenty of skilled filtering to boot, whilst the B-side sees Claudia Barry's classic 1978 jammer "Give it Up" is embellished with some extra raunch sauce.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Maneuvers to Dresden for the Dunkeltier missonen. Follow jaw drop debut "Rising" for Macadam Mambo edits, Sneaker DJ dons persona for 4 cut n pastes of library, EBM, industrial und proto groove musings to neu welt orders. Bahnsteig not beige balearic nu disco shite edit machine but searching deeper,. Schnel!
Speigel TV is youth reminder of joke time aber now for the tanzfloor. Groovy. Cruisin generates proto 4/4 hymns for dose of 909ers. Tear It Down does so mit electric body punk funk. Ending am TV-show bringen it home. Bis the East lover.
Can you tanz?
Panzer Peoples Unite !!!

Review: Joe Clausell began this project in 2005 and still it keeps giving. An evocative fusion of afrofunk and disco inspiration, most of us assumed his decade's work had culminated last year with the album Makussa. We were wrong; this year he's delivered a series of heavily requested extensions, this beautiful slice of string-surged disco being the most recent. The extra two minutes are exactly what the DJ needs for a much roomier groove that allows the salubrious elements to really strut; the shimmering guitar, the strident strings, the insatiable afro-infused drums. Just when we thought the original couldn't be topped... We were wrong. Again!

Review: Danny Krivit has been chopping, looping and rearranging music since the days of scalpels and reel-to-reel tape, so it's little surprise that his re-edits are constantly on-point. His latest release - a first on 7" for some time - serves up two more expert reworks. On the A-side, he serves up a tightened-up, cut-down and to-the-point version of Wood, Brass & Steel's much-loved disco-funk shuffler, "Funkanova", finally introducing the original version's spiraling synths midway through. The origin of flipside "Sex" is better disguised, though its' combination of thrusting, low-slung funk breaks, heavy bass, wiggling sax lines and occasional, James Brown-like grunts packs a serious punch.