Back catalogue:

Review: Jazz-funk twosome Zamie (Jadie Kiggundu AKA Ziggy Funk and pal Jamie McShane) impressed with their recent album, Fortuitous. On this EP, two of the set's most potent cuts have been given the remix treatment with club dancefloors in mind. Incognito main man Bluey handles side A, offering up a smooth, groovy and musically detailed take on 'Smash N Grab' that peppers a slap-bass-propelled groove with spacey synth pads, jammed out Rhodes stabs and all manner of life-affirming electric piano solos. Over on side B, Glaswegian veteran Al Kent takes 'Wildfire' down the disco, turning in a near 11-minute, Tom Moulton style rub rich in punchy synth-horns, snaking sax solos and spacey synth solos aplenty. Colourful, grown-up disco with a jazz-funk flex... more please!

Review: Austrian jazz pianist Joe Zawinul has seen it and done it all. The man has been part of the jazz scene since the 1960s, and he has landed on timeless imprints such as Columbia, Atlantic and Prestige, so top marks there and absolutely no questions asked. He's up for something a little bit different this time and, in fact, he appears only as the original producer of "The Harvest", remixed here into an acid-laden and self-stlyed 'Bayara Citizens' house bombshell from Joaquin Claussell. There is little no jazz at the core of this ten minute monster, but the arrangement is wild and uncontrollable, much like the rhythms of the 60's jazz scene. A trip you wouldn't expect...

Review: Bedford-based trio Zenana never made much of an impact when they were first active in the 1980s but have become the toast of the world's media following the rediscovery of their excellent, Italo and Hi-NRG-influenced 1986 synth-pop single, 'Witches', by crate diggers a couple of years back. Here that fine track, originally produced in terraced house in Cornwall by the brother of bandmember Anita Tedder, gets the reissue treatment on Rush Hour's RSS series - thanks, in no small part, to a new (but authentically 80s sounding) extended remix from long-established Bristol DJ/production duo Bedmo Disco. Their flipside 'Spell of Love' version strips back and stretches out the track, taking cues from NYC proto-house, Martin Rushent dubs and mid-80s Shep Pettibone remixes. It's the 12" dance mix the song never had first time round.

Review: Juuz Records box up, package and release the fifth edition in their vinyl only series. Silat Beksi, Soyro, RWN and Zlatnichi are the latest artists to be spotlit, and all of them deliver a seamless minimal techno experience, teeming with tics and fidgets, the four-piece sonic equivalent of a gut microbiome. Usually, we like to home in on the oddest tunes and we'll certainly indulge the impulse here; Silat Beksi and Soyro's 'Shout In 30 Seconds' makes impressive use of gurgly, subharmonic dream-voices, swabbed across the otherwise sticklike mix, like glue holding a skeleton together. Equal technical and ambisonic itches are scratched on Fedo's closing 'Lena Told', whose transitional vocal scramblings play back like furtive rumours spread through a fragile transmission chain.

Review: Selva Discos broadens its horizons with the next release that celebrates the start of a new series focusing on showcasing the music of contemporary Brazilian artists. First up is Pedro Zopelar, known not only for his work with the anarchic-techno-punk act Teto Preto, but also for the project My Girlfriend and his solo LP - both on Funkineven's Apron Records. Novaterra Vol 1 features the hi-tech jazz of 'Livre', the off-kilter funk of 'Dias Tensos' is wonderfully disorienting, while the UK broken beat influence of Bugz In The Attic or Atjazz are clearly evident on tracks like 'Modo Aviao' or the bittersweet 'Boogie Da Paz'.

Review: The fertile South African house scene keeps on giving rise to brand new goodness. Token is a label whose mission it is to bring such sounds to the wider world and this second EP is another winner. 'Stay' immediately gets you dreaming of warm climates and gorgeous sunsets before 'Set It' picks up the pace but keeps the pads warm and fuzzy and the bass elastic and deep. There is spiritual vocal faire on the cosy 'A Winters Night' and a melodic masterclass on 'The World Order' that is steeped in US house tradition but brings something fresh.

Review: Five years on from their lauded debut album, Dan Piu and Robert P. return with a second trip into luxurious deep house, this time moving from deepArtSounds to Deep Explorer. It's a logical step given their closeness to Dubbyman and his particular world of serious, soulful deep house, and their new album sounds right at home on the label. Dubbyman himself has a hand in a number of tracks on the album, not least the stunning, fired up club cut 'La Experiencia Tribal'. Meanwhile Owen Jay and Chris Gray guest on the melancholic downtempo jam 'Where Do I Go From Now', while Grant and Bjak lend some heady vocals to 'Honesty'. This is a proper deep house album, teasing different tempos and exploring beyond the confines of the club.

Review: Ziggy and the extended ZFEX crew return with their most ambitious project yet, a double album that dives deep into the tension between creative instinct and artistic intention. Spanning 15 tracks recorded between Berlin and London, the record sees the collective pushing their signature fusion of jazz, funk, and electronic influences into bold new spaces, with a fresh embrace of disco and highlife grooves. Throughout, vintage synths and off-kilter percussion meet the addition of electric guitar, adding a raw, expressive edge to the band's evolving sound. 'Astras Theme' sets the stage with a swirling, cinematic introduction, while 'Radicalise' brings a frenetic energy, driven by tightly wound rhythms and razor-sharp instrumentation. Elsewhere, 'Shine Your Light' channels a cosmic funk sensibility, balancing the album's introspective moments with sheer dancefloor exuberance. With contributions from a diverse lineup of forward-thinking musicians across Europe, the UK, and Australiaiincluding appearances from Oscar Jerome and Tom Driesslerithis record stands as the most dynamic and exploratory incarnation of ZFEX to date. It's a project that refuses to sit still, capturing the restless spirit of a band constantly evolving yet always deeply rooted in groove.

Review: Pacific Rhythm kicks off 2024 with Out Of The Unknown, the sophomore LP from ZG, the collaborative project of Zansika Lachhani and Grant (aka Tony from Frank & Tony). Following their acclaimed 2022 debut on Scissor & Thread, this album continues to push boundaries. Across 7 tracks, ZG crafts rich, intricate rhythm patterns with thoughtful, unexpected arrangements. Zansika's voice seamlessly ties everything together, presenting a unique vision of modern deep dance music influenced by the duo's extensive musical journey. Out Of The Unknown navigates dramatic atmospheric downtempo, MPC-style beatmaking, and late 90s deep house, creating a harmonious blend of UK and US-inspired sounds. This album flows effortlessly, providing a beautiful experience. Enjoy the trip - it's a stunning trip through the depths of contemporary dance music.

Review: Abyssal, wondrous deep house explorations from Zone+, the latest signee to Lee Burridge's label All Day I Dream. Drawing inspiration from the free-floating, equanimous nature of a particularly fascinating animal - the jellyfish - the general outlook of this album is housey, dreamy, curious, and full of jet-propulsed sonics. Highlights include 'Apart' and 'Electric Dreams', which have enough spontaneous, beat-gripped movement to convey the feeling of water flowing through an immortal jelly's bell.

Review: Brazilian DJ and producer Pedro Zopelar's sound is a perfect fit for Apron. It's proudly analogue and rough around the edges, with lo-bitrate synth feels that at once take you back to the 80s while also somehow surging into the cosmos. This sunny record takes in slick electro, stylish boogie a la Dam Funk and brisling beat tracks that are flashed with acid and twanging slap bass. There is an irrepressible sense of late night funk to 'Cruisin', body popping breaks on 'Cidade Jovem' and on standout track 'Back In Tha Game' you glide on tinny cowbells and rickety beats that you hope will never end.