Review: This glorious package of remixes of the BaianaSystem band draws together contemporary Brazilian sounds with plenty of modern dance floor flourishes. A?gua is the standout track from their 2018 LP and is a poem to the bands native Bahia people with the legendary Antonio Carlos & Jocafi. It is perfect material to rework for different settings and deep house don Jimpster does that with his fat bottomed, tropical remix then stripped back dub. Brazilian producer Diogo Strausz joins forces with RNT boss JKriv on the flip for a more drawn out and cosmic exploration that pumps up and down on weight bass and that lovely loose jumble of percussion.
Review: Clive From Accounts's tunes are as good as his artist alias. For his latest meeting he serve sup a knowing blend of soul, house and disco from across the ages. The relative newcomer impresses from the off with 'Tell Me' which is a steamy vocal over a fulsome house beat. 'Without Your Love' cuts loose on a more heady and cosmic house groove with some gorgeously seductive trumpet lines drifting in and out of ear shot and 'Strictly Business' is fun, cuddly basement grooves for intimate parties. 'Yukon' is a nice fresh breakbeat to up the energy.
Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca - "Days Of A Better Paradise" (5:57)
Saucy Lady - "Passport To My Love" (5:52)
Misiu - "Love Me Do" (5:59)
Clive From Accounts - "It's Not That I Don't Care" (5:16)
Review: JKriv & Co. at Razor N Tape serve up possibly their biggest release yet, if this one is anything to go by. The first edition in the label's brand spanking new Family Affair series features the pairing of legends Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca on 'Days Of A Better Paradise' kicking off the A side, before Saucy Lady's late night boogie-down biz on 'Passport To My Love'. Flip over and you're treated to a seriously lo-slung cosmic disco dub on Misiu's 'Love Me Do' and finally Clive From Accounts tells it straight up on the acid jazz joint 'It's Not That I Don't Care'.
Review: Considered "the absolute Don of Italo piano house", Don Carlos is up next on esteemed NYC label Razor N Tape with an EP of rare vintage house from the archives - 30 years old in fact. For the uninitiated, Don (Carlo Troya) and S-Tone (Stefano Tirone) released two records on Italian imprint Calypso in the early '90s under the alias Montego Bay. Features the emotive, late-night garage of 'Music All Night' (Deep In Milano mix) followed by the low-slung dancefloor heater 'Keep Dancing The Boogie' on the A-side. The flip offers the life-affirming vocal cuts 'Waited So Long' and 'Gotta Keep Dancing' respectively which perfectly capture the zeitgeist of house music's golden era in the early '90s.
Review: Amy Douglas is the latest addition to the Razor-N-Tape talent ranks and serves up a mighty fine rough 'n' tumble New York disco double A-side 7" to open her account. The opener is 'Freak At Night' with stiff synth stabs and strident drums that get the party pumping while the belting vocal brings the soulful hook. Absolute dynamite. Things are a little more loose on the flip with 'Bit-O-Honey' having more jangling drums and guitar riffs underpinned by a funky bass riff. The vocal is more florid and expressive making this a different but equally impactful sound.
Review: The faultless Razor-N-Tape label has long been one to keep an eye on for fans of all forms of house, disco and plenty in between. This new one from Balearic man Max Essa with slow-motion maestro Eddie C is perfectly timed to arrive as days are getting longer and the sun is out more. It features four lush tunes that roll deep with languid chords, deft little funky guitar riffs and laidback vibes that douse you in all the feels. 'We Live In The Hills' is the standout for us with its fleshy synth work and a sprinkling of tropical percussion.
Remedy (feat Steve Monite - JKriv Disco dub) (6:02)
Review: Razor-N-Tape is a bastion of deep house brilliance as once again perfectly exemplified by this vibrant new package from Flamingo Pier. New Zealand collective Flamingo Pier have dropped several well received 12"s on the Soundway Records label and then came good with 2021's self titled full length. They are still all about bringing happy, sunny vibes to a tropical disco template here with the likes of the synth lead 'How 2 Feel' then funky vocal pumper 'Remedy'. There are cosmic rays lighting up the big chords and aloof vocals of 'Beneath The Neon' then a couple of remixes on the flip bring more dubby disco-house sounds.
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: Man-of-the-moment Felipe Gordon was little more than a Columbian producer with promise when he first appeared on Razor N Tape Reserve back in 2019. It's therefore nice to see him back on the Brooklyn-based imprint two years on. Those who've followed Gordon's career of late will know what to expect - namely heady, musically rich dancefloor workouts that join the dots between deep house, nu-disco and jazz-funk. Opener 'Strings of the Afterline' is pleasingly hazy and dreamy whilst boasting Gordon's usual synth-heavy squelch, while 'The Fall of a Withered Empire' is a rare vocal number with a deep jazz-house feel. Elsewhere, 'Classico' is a bouncy, classic-sounding deep house bounce-along rich in sparkling synth riffs, while 'Julia Y Lewis' is a more languid and laidback chunk of jazz-sampling, funk-fuelled deep house haziness.
Review: Gold standard house label Razor-N-Tape looks back to Guinu's modern LP of Brazilian jazz-funk, Palago^, and has some key cuts from it remixed by a selection of assured studio hands here. First up, Jose Marquez reworks the title track into a heavy and hypnotic jam with big percussion. The Faze Action remix of 'Haha Fe' brings some fresh disco sounds and RNT stalwart Diogo Strausz brings big room synth energy and cosmic vocal filters. Last of all, Brazilian Carrot Green brings the 80s boogie brilliance to 'Porao de Ferro.'
Please Take Me There (Makez vocal House remix) (6:30)
Please Take Me There (Sizmo A Capella dub mix) (6:39)
Review: House of Spirits made a fine debut on this label back in summer and now quickly follows it up with more sumptuous house sounds. It is an alias of Tom Noble, a mind full of soulful and blissed out musical ideas that he translates fantastically. 'Please Take Me There' is irresistibly cool and catchy with its funky bass riffs and many great guitar motifs all causing over a smooth groove. The Makez vocal House remix is deeper and has a hint of shuffling US garage to it, then the Sizmo A Capella dub mix ups the blissed out feels with new age melodies and supple, dubby drums.
Review: JKriv returns to Razor-N-Tape after two years away and in that time it is clear to say he has further fine tuned his sound. This latest offering kicks off with 'Blueprint' which is a nice loose sound with elastic acid lines and bright chord stabs. 'Intuition' (feat Megatronic) slows down to sun-kissed and lazy swagger with soulful spoken words and cuddly pads and soft shakers all soothing you to your core. 'Zone 1' then kicks on with a nice bright blend of nu-disco colours and soft acid undulations and 'Paula's Dance' (feat Pauha) closes with some steamy and timeless house that is perfect for sunset sessions.
Review: Razor-N-Tape throw it over to Lex Wolf here for some homemade and high impact edits from the disco world. The artist is already well known for some red hot recent releases on the Make-A-Dance crew's MAD Edits series and now brings more big samples and bigger beats to some main stage bangers. The opener layers up raw drum machines, r&b vocal hooks and withering melodies. 'Russle Love' then plays with filtered and screw about with some synths to make for a prickly bit of body music with what sounds like an Arthur Russel vocal lost in the middle. 'Warmer' is another energetic and twisted fusion of disparate sounds and 'Sendsome' then shuts down with a little extra soul.
Review: If you have been dancing recently you might well have already been enamoured by the charms of some of the tunes on this new one from the superb Razor N Tape label by Magic Words, a new project from NY-based producers Eli Cohen and Peter Hargarten. Centred on an emotive and dreamy loop, the title tune epitomises Balearica with its Spanish guitar and melancholic harmonies. Toronto's Jex Opolis delivers a massive remix that retains the original's delicate texture, overlaying it with a pulsing, club-ready drum foundation that is sure to make it a real summer staple.
The World (feat Stavros - Kiko Navarro remix) (7:33)
Review: UK-born, Lisbon-based Megatronic has been deep in the scene for more than 20 years as a DJ, producer and activist. She now joins an equally important label in Razor N Tape with a bold EP, 'Do I Belong To You'. 'The World' opens with soulful and melancholic vocals by Stavros and a louche, journeying groove that is steeped in cosmic edgy thanks to the subtle pad work. 'Nuffin But LUV' has a more dusty US garage feel, and the Jimpster remix of 'Been Thinkin' gets as deep as you would expect. 'The World' (feat Stavros - Kiko Navarro remix) is a more tense and dense percussive tech sound and adds a different edge to this fine EP.
Review: Ronen Sabo is Obas Nenor, a DJ and producer from Tel-Aviv, Israel who heads up Nenorion Music, as well as being part of the RaBo & SnoB duo. He returns to Razor N Tape Reserve to follow up 2020's On That Day EP with another four hot edits on this one. On side A, you've got the hypnotic electronic disco scorcher "How Can I Be Free" followed by the sunset balearica of "Do You Remember" which heads totally poolside. Turn over and you're treated to the deep, down and dirty late night vibe of "Work That".
Review: It's another family affair over at New York City's Razor N Tape label. For this edition, they have tapped the ever reliable Israeli indie-dance heroes Red Axes for a euphoric rendition of Nenor's 'Do You Remember' (feat Jenny Penkin) making for proper Balearic vibes, while the one-and-only Boo Williams delivers another ultra-deep house journey in the form of 'Besty Smith'. Over on the flip, we see the return of New Zealand-based producer Frank Booker who hands in the late night mood music of 'Time Won't Tell' followed by Peter Matson with a slinky and neon-lit rework of label chief JKriv's 'Something Else'.
Espantapajaros (feat La Perla - Poirer remix) (4:36)
Flor De Jazmin (feat Paz Court - John Beltran remix) (4:40)
Review: Pahua is a Mexican singer, percussionist, DJ and producer who was once part of the Sotomayor band but went solo in 2020. Her sound is steeped in Latin influences and resulted in a debut album in 2023 and she recently landed on Razor-N-Tape with some tracks that now get remixed on this new 7". First up is 'Espantapajaros' (feat La Perla - Poirer remix) which is a mix of deep drums and synths with some florid flutes up top to bring the colour and charm. On the flip side is 'Flor De Jazmin' (feat Paz Court - John Beltran remix) which layers in some lovely sunny melodies to the shuffling samba rhythms and expressive vocals.
Bessa Simmons - "Sii Nana" (JKriv Fit rework) (7:11)
Vincenzo - "Love Accurate" (6:54)
Ilija Rudman - "Discoteka Parmida" (5:25)
Yasmin - "Real High" (4:59)
Arnau Obiols - "Pagan Mambo" (5:04)
Review: On this sampler EP for the Razor N Tape label's latest Family Affair compilation, the Brooklyn based imprint showcases previously unheard cuts from a mixture of new artists and long-established names. In the latter camp you'll find long-serving deep house don Vincenzo, who delivers the gorgeous, tactile and loved-up deliciousness of 'Love Accurate', and Croatian nu-disco don Ilya Rudman (the acid-heavy dancefloor squelch of 'Discoteka Parmida'). Elsewhere, Yasmin impresses with the neo-soul/nu-disco fusion warmth of 'Real High', Arnau Obiols slams down the Fela-influenced Afrobeat excellence of 'Pagan Mambo', and label co-founder J Kriv turns Bessa Simons 'Si Naana' into an Afro-tinged analogue house treat
Canto Das Tres Racas (Kai Alce NDATL vocal mix) (7:55)
Caramba (5:09)
Caramba (Lex Wolf Technobloco remix) (7:47)
Review: Diogo Strausz brings some brilliantly authentic and escapist Afro house and deep house vibes to this steamy new platter from the Razor N Tape crew. 'Canto Das Tres Racas' has it all - tropical and loose-limbed drums with lashings of percussion, soulful vocals and rich chords with delicate acoustic guitars. The Kai Alce NDATL vocal mix makes it more club-ready but no less emotive, and 'Caramba' then brings strings to the fore once more with another eco-system of busy bird calls and busy drums topped with raw horns. The Lex Wolf Technobloco remix takes things into late-night territory but the Afro atmospheres still come on heavy.
Review: JKriv's classic Bukom Mashie Rework gets a deluxe revival in a delectable 7-inch package having long been hard to find if not out of print entirely. And now what's more it also features a fresh acid dub. The original eight minute opus has been expertly trimmed for a streamlined A-side stomper, while the B-side showcases a brand-new version with a reimagined arrangement. This edition is embellished with vibrant 303 acid lines and live flute by the talented Domenica from Underground System all of which ensure that it is sure to become a big summer anthem once more in 2024.
Review: Under the Tigerbalm alias, Rose Robinson has done a stellar job in crafting a trademark style that blends elements of boogie, nu-disco and proto-house with a variety of global musical influences - most notably African, Latin and South-East Asian sounds. On this welcome return to Razor N Tape, the London-based producer leans into the Latin inspirations, first via the colourful nu-disco breeze of 'Profunda Alma' (featuring regular vocalist Joy Tyson), and then on the 21st century synth-samba of 'Vem Ca' (featuring Jao Selva's honeyed vocals). Yuksek turns the latter into a club-ready Latin nu-disco gem, before rising stars Make a Dance deliver two rubs of 'Profunda Alma': a superb, warehouse-ready and TB-303-laden 'Acid Remix', and a percussive, spaced-out and decidedly delicious 'Tribal Dub'.
Review: The Looking In EP marks the return of Brooklyn-based quintet Underground System to local imprint Razor-N-Tape, with a stunning five track release of originals and remixes. It offers a fresh and unique blend of Balearic grooves, left-field funk and up-tempo backbeats that respectfully showcase the US sound. The tracks are complete with the band's signature use of flute and synth soundscapes, driving percussion and catchy vocal hooks that are sure to get you moving. On the B-side of the record, RNT mainstays Nenor and Clive From Accounts deliver two club-ready remixes that take the tracks into even more dancefloor-friendly territory.
Review: Al most ten years in the making, Tom Noble's debut album is that most rare of beasts: a decidedly dusty and loose-limbed revivalist disco album that genuinely sounds like a long-lost 'private press' set from the turn of the 1980s. Noble is a renowned crate-digger, DJ and disco-boogie specialist, so it's no surprised to find that the songs and instrumentals on show, which also offer nods to jazz-funk and dancefloor soul, is exceptionally well observed and painstakingly crafted via the contributions of many guest musicians and vocalists. For proof of the set's majesty, get your ears around the celebratory and synth-speckled 'Times Are Changin', deep disco treat 'Holding On', head-nodding soul slow jam 'Diamond Eyes' and warm, heady closing cut 'Moving Away'.
Review: Ben Sun is a London-raised but currently Margate-based producer who is now back on Razor N Tape with his full-length offering The Henge. It draws on his love of cooking up introspective analogue electronic textures and traverses several different moods and grooves with ease. At times bright and melodic, at others dark and brooding, it offers moments of euphoria and times of reflection. Stand cuts include the downbeat sounds of 'Moon Lion' and funky rawness of 'The Khan's Reverie'. Fact fans should note that the superb artist with the album was also designed by Ben himself.
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