Juno Recommends Disco March 2020

Review: Rain & Shine's "Soul Is My Salvation" project is something of an epic: an eight-part series of "dancefloor friendly gospel songs" curated by veteran Chicagoan DJ Tone B Nimble (real name Anthony Fields). This first part - "Chapter 1" - opens with a sublime, gospel style sing-along cover of Sister Sledge classic "We Are Family" that sounds like it was actually recorded in church. It's brilliant, life-affirming stuff. Over on side B, scalpel fiend Al-Tone offers up an extended version of obscure New Zealand group The Pink Family's 1979 cut "Don't Give Your Life Away" - a warm-hearted - some would say righteous - disco workout that's almost as good as the A-side. We await the next volume in the series with baited breath.

Review: Glitterbox and Defected big cheese Simon Dunmore has long been a fan of Lemelle's 1982 boogie killer "You Got Something Special", and it was reportedly his idea to reissue the track. It was - as ever from Dunmore - a smart move. In its original form (track two), the cut is a near perfect example of soulful, club-ready boogie - all sparkling electronic melodies, loose drum machine beats, eyes-closed guitar motifs, synth-bass and sing-along vocals. This time round, it comes accompanied by the original flipside Instrumental Mix and two fresh revisions. On the A-side you'll find a sweaty, tooled-up edit from Aussie scalpel scene stalwart Dr Packer that drags the track further towards boogie-house territory, while the B-side boasts a more traditional (and reverential) re-edit from KON.

Review: Two years ago New Guinea joined forces with Early Sounds Recordings to offer up a killer compilation of rare 1970s and early 80s disco, jazz-funk and electrofunk recordings from Napoli, the Italian city they call home. Such was the success of the set that they've decided to offer up this equally impressive sequel. Amongst the mostly ultra-obscure, little-known cuts you'll find a wealth of highlights, from the high-octane disco stomp of Tonica & Dominante's "Babilonia", the spacey boogie business that is Ara Macao's super-sweet "Reflection", the languid AOR-funk of Maria Kelly's "Dimme" and the low-slung jazz-funk brilliance of Tony Iglio's "Luci Di New York".

Review: Kalita's latest must-have 12" mines a notoriously obscure and hard-to-find private press seven-inch single, NYC outfit Cross Island's 1978 45 "East of the Apple". It's that record's alternative "Just a Little Different" mix that everyone's after, so that takes pride of place on side A. It's a percussive, low-slung affair - all heavy bass, Kong style Latin hand percussion and deep electric piano motifs - topped off by vocals espousing the virtues of Long Island. Glaswegian re-edit king Al Kent offers up an extended, more celebratory revision of the track on the flip, stretching out the intro drums before unleashing the song's more celebratory, life-affirming musical elements. He also delivers a remix of previously unreleased cut "Wave", a bustling disco-funk number full of crunchy Clavinet lines and soaring disco orchestration.

Review: For the 13th volume in their occasional "Store Jams" series, Amsterdam's Rush Hour crew has turned to Superior Elevation Records chief Tom Noble, a producer best known for his re-edits and remixes. "Flashlight" is not a cover of the famous Parliament/Funkadelic jam of the same name, but rather a similarly and colourful revivalist disco jam rich in low-slung grooves, flanged guitars and kaleidoscopic synth lines. Sometime Jamie 3:26 collaborator Masalo handles remix duties on side B, brilliantly re-imagining the track as a muscular slab of starry-eyed late night Italo-disco. Whisper it quietly, but it could well be even better than Noble's original version.

Review: Secretsundaze haven't been known for their re-edits much in the past, but that's about to change with this choice new 12". On one side, the label bosses James Priestley and Giles Smith take a tender touch to "Ghana Nila", a little-known spiritual originating in a Californian ashram. Ge-ology is ready to go on the flip, bringing his distinctive MPC funk to Herbie Mann's "Stomp Your Feet" and teasing even more juice out of this already abundant floor burner from the late '70s. From movement meditation to effervescent energy, this record has a spectrum of feelings covered in two edits that sound genuinely fresh and inspired.

Review: It would be fair to say that there are few bigger contemporary disco producers than Purple Disco Machine. His particular brand of revivalist disco offers a near perfect balance of 1970s style instrumentation and contemporary dancefloor chops, thus delivering timeless tracks that guarantee good times for all those who hear them. "In My Arms" is a great example of this. It's authentic - walking bassline, swooping Salsoul strings, gospel-influenced piano riffs and so on - but also boasts builds and drops more associated with rush-inducing house anthems. Of the two versions it's the celebratory, full vocal "Extended Mix" that we'd recommend, though the instrumental take is pretty tidy too.

Review: Super smooth groove-smiths Whiskey Disco have distilled another disco bomb here. Thoma Cher is the supplier of the good times via, firstly, the pure party gem that is "Holiday Holiday", on an EP that marks Cher's first solo outing on this label. "Dancer" is an uplifting track with a warped bassline that wraps itself round the sliding hi hats and loose drums as boogie synths add colour. "Be My Love" is an instantly recognisable gem with a fat bassline slowed to a sensuous pace overloaded with breathy vocals. Great stuff.

Review: All the stops have been pulled out for this big new remix package on Redux Inc. First up is a new multi-track rework of Double Exposure's 1976 "Ten Percent" that was first mixed by Walter Gibbons. With a new keyboard solo by the talented Johnny Tomlinson (best known for working with Bonobo) and a boost by the elusive Robbie Casa Blanco, the result is a real contemporary disco banger with lush strings and a soul train groove that never lets up. Dr Packer then tackles Steve Arrington's 1985 classic, "Feel So Real", adding layers of rugged arps and rooted drums that work it up into a grooving dancefloor favourite. Melba Moore's previously album only "You Got Me Loving You" then gets an extended Dr Packer rework with some marching drums, funky bass and sumptuous strings.

Review: The sweet and funky side of the Constant Sound empire is back for a third bout. Cardiology deals in the finest disco edits and deep house delights for soul-centric groovers, and so it continues with this sure-footed 12" from The Owl. "Soul on Fire" is an appropriate title for the lead track, which keeps the vibe sizzling throughout with a strictly managed dose of Philly disco magic. "Universal Funk" takes things more upfront, but still those drops hold just enough back to keep the track utterly cool. "Funk Town" gets wild on the filter with the core sample hook before dropping some sassy bass and bongo heat at the track's apex. "Concrete Soul" completes the picture with a wistful choice in samples and the nastiest b-line on the whole record.

Review: With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Caserta and the rest of the Bridge Boots crew have decided to offer-up something decidedly glassy-eyed and loved-up - specifically two fresh bootleg re-makes of Teddy Pendergass's 1978 Philadelphia Soul classic "When Somebody Loves You Back". The seven-inch singles boasts two distinctively different versions. On the A-side you'll find the "Rooftop Mix", a striped-back blend of dub disco and boogie in which Pendergrass's fine vocals rise above a rubbery bassline, colourful '80s soul synths and toe-tapping beats. Over on the B-side Caserta flips the script, layering selected snippets of Pendergrass's vocal over a deep, dark and bass-heavy house groove. It's sub-titled the "Basement Dub" and that's exactly what it is.

Review: The latest must-have release from the Boogie Butt camp boasts a suitable obscure chunk of boogie/jazz-funk fusion from 1982. "Walk" was the sole release from the Sam Culley Band and has become something of a collector's item owing to its warming fusion of slap-bass, dreamy synth chords, soulful vocal phrases, jazzy guitars and rich horns. This time round the sought-after original version is accompanied by a remix by Boogie Butt members Lord Funk & Moar. Their revision is a little tighter rhythmically, with extra contemporary weight, but otherwise sticks closely to the Sam Culley Band's excellent original version.

Review: Duca Bianco have been on a roll lately with their off-beat edits and versions, finding a unique niche in a saturated market by welcoming a bit more of that psych rock sound into their grooves. On this record it's DJ Si Si Si Gracias, who is happy slinging out loose and jangly funk that sounds like it's been picked up in 1980s New York lolling around outside The Mudd Club with one eye on Danceteria but definitely too freaky for Studio 54. "Gerry" is a special highlight - a slow and delirious groover with wild synths spilling all over the funk. If you want things really messy though, head straight for the dub chaos of "All The Feeling", where the percussion sounds like it's falling in on itself (in a good way).

Review: So far we've yet to hear a duff track or release from Flamingo Pier, a hybrid Anglo-Kiwi crew whose vibrant and colourful music combines a plethora of musical influences in pursuit of disco-fired dancefloor gold. There's tons of goodness to be found throughout their latest collection of cuts, from the drowsy, Holy Ghost style deep disco warmth of opener "Tripping Up", to the sprightly '80s electrofunk brilliance of "Boogie Meltdown". Sandwiched in between you'll find two more heaters: the kaleidoscopic, synth-heavy nu-disco cheeriness of "Indigo" and "Jungle Groove", a tight and throbbing proto-house number that sounds like the missing link between Paul Simpson and Escort.

Review: Apparently DJ Harvey and Lovebirds have been hammering these "personal edits" from the Sirsounds crew in recent DJ sets. Listening to the clips, it's easy to work out why: they're a cut above the rest, edit-wise. There's a good variety of sounds and styles on show, from the stuttering drums, blissful guitars, dewy-eyed vocal snippets and rich boogie synths of "Love Me Right (Version)", to the eyes-closed synth solos and driving disco-funk grooves of quirky closing cut "What Does It Take". Our pick of the bunch though has to be the effortlessly eccentric Italian electro-funk insanity of "SASA", which sounds a little like it could be a lesser-known outing by Tullio De Piscopo (though don't quote us on that).

Review: Record Shack have unearthed another rare gem from the early 80s and worked hard to give it its first officially licensed 12" release. Before now, no one has quite known the proper title of these tracks as they were on white label only, but now that is cleared up once and for all. "Bad Guy Good Guy" opens with a killer bit of early '80s jazz funk with boogie bass vibes while the infectious guitars and summery leads also colour the flipside - "Synth Good Guy " is still as glorious and full of radiant sunshine as it was back when first put out.

Review: Few artists make modern club sounds that are as stuffed with authenticity and musical charm as Jacques Renault. The studio wizard and musical polyglot comes correct once again here on a new one for Take Away that packs four fantastic punches. "Love Come Down" is the afro opener before "Movin' On Up" gets all disco with its noodling bass and slick riffs. "Give It To Me" then lays down more excellent funk bass and loose limbed percussive patterns that make you wiggle and "Everybody Do It" is the final piece of this most excellent puzzle. For a taste of what it would have been like to party at The Loft back in the day, look no further.

Review: For those of a certain age, Gwen McRae's "All This Love That I'm Givin" will always evoke memories of Cassius' French Touch classic "Feeling For You", which sampled it heavily. It remains a killer record in its' own right, though, as this timely reissue proves. Originally released in 1979, it sees McRae at her powerful best, delivering a potent message to an errant lover over a killer, low-slung disco-funk groove. It's one of the tracks that should really be in any discerning funk, soul or disco DJ's collection. Flip for original B-side "Maybe I'll Find Somebody New", a breezier chunk of laidback soul with a slightly Southern lilt. It's good, but pales into insignificance compared to the brilliant 'A' side.

Review: Four years have passed since Breakin' Bread alumnus Kazahaya last appeared on Disco Bits with a tasty edit of a lesser-known version of the Jackson Sisters' "Miracles". This follow-up is therefore well overdue. A-side "High Enough" is an absolute dancefloor bomb - a tidy fusion of musical elements from Rare Pleasure's string-laden disco classic "Let Me Down Easy" and breathless vocal samples seemingly lifted from one of the many versions of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Flipside "Forever" is another driving disco workout built around another heavily orchestrated, everything-but-the-kitchen sink 1970s production. It's as breathless and life affirming as the A-side, which is no bad thing.

Review: If the rich history of US gospel soul, funk and disco gets your juices flowing, you need this new 12" from Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell in your life. As with many of the storied producer's edit-focused 12" singles, it has been pressed in limited quantities and should therefore be grabbed before all the copies disappear. On the A-side he offers up a tidy, dancefloor-focused tweak of Crowns of Glory's hard-to-find 1976 gospel soul cut "Lord, Look At Your People", brilliantly teasing out the intro before unleashing the song in all its inspiring righteousness. Over on the flip Clausell turns his attention to the Clavinet-heavy, Blaxploitation-era gospel disco anthem that is Keith Barrow's equally as inspired 1977 gem "A World Of Lonely People".

Review: 43 years ago French disco legend Cerrone mused on humanity's impact on the earth on "Supernature", his most celebrated record by some distance. He takes a similar approach on his 17th studio set, a collection of dramatic, synth-laden disco cuts that recalls the grandiose, rush-inducing approach of his finest dancefloor moments. There are nods towards fellow French pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre and - more surprisingly - Pink Floyd dotted around the album, as well as plenty of insatiable grooves, thought-provoking vocal samples, soaring strings and colourful synthesizer parts. Cerrone has largely steered clear of disco for decades, so "DNA" feels a little like a thrilling return to his roots.