Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: David Morales' legendary track 'Needin U' is one of those enduring anthems that just keeps living on. Hammered by all the top funky house jocks in the late '90s, it resurfaced at the turn of the millennium as 'Needin' U II' with Juliet Roberts on vocals, then in 2009 there was The Face vs. Mark Brown's version released on the latter's Cr2 label. Now, to celebrate the track's 23rd anniversary, Paris veteran Dimitri From Paris delivers his take on it, which has a deeper and low slung groove to it and features live instrumentation. Comes on a limited red vinyl pressing and picture sleeve release.

Review: Hailing from Philadelphia, the Eraserhood Sound label has been fostering a particularly cosmic bend of synths and soul music which is primarily rounded out by their in-house band, Fantasy 15. Following a string of on-point singles, the group now coalesce for a hotly anticipated debut album which delivers on the promise of those early drops. Drop in on 'Ray Gun' and let the thick swathes of brain-tickling synths send you stratospheric - this is hot and heavy boogie colliding with the loftiest prog and coming up trumps. There is a luscious vocal cut featuring Kendra Morris, but primarily this is an instrumental trip to take you very far out indeed.

Review: First released in 1976, Never Gonna Leave You was the name of both album and single, both of which fell under the shared credit of Satin Soul and Maryann Farra (aka. De-lite-ful), an instrumental soul group and singer both signed to Brunswick Records at the same time, and whom together collaborated for the entire decade. This new Japanese reissue of the full album via Solid highlights the group's success as purveyors of proto-disco, with the title track returning to our ears in all its glory, and with all its best hallmarks - sultry syncopations for rhythm guitar, breathy exhalations for voice - while complements such as 'You Got To Be The One' also amount to a rare - and stellarly-mixed, might we add - prototype of the cross-section of disco and latter-day neo-soul.

Review: Never Gonna Leave You is a rarity from the esteemed Brunswick label, credited to the sevensome US disco-soul-funk band active throughout the 1970s and beyond. With production by disco maestro Tony Valor, arrangements by Chi-Soul legend Eugene Record, and a new mix by the great Tom Moulton - not to mention an instrumental accompaniment from Valor's highly esteemed Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra - this 1976 classic is a cornerstone of stone-cold proto-disco, having already been reissued on CD in Japan multiple times since its creation. For its very first vinyl reissue, Never Gonna Leave You is lent the Real Gone treatment, delivering a newly r-rubbed version of the Chi-Lites' 'Stoned Out of My Mind' and delivering instant soul salvation.

Review: Formed in 1970 New York, The Fat Back Band are behind some of disco's most funky moments. They are also one of the scene's most prolific acts with no fewer than 22 albums to their name across the 70s and 80s. Yum Yum from 1989 is classed as a cult classic rare groove long player with nine cuts of synth-laden and squelchy body music. The band's smooth and characterful vocals light up each tune next to the tight bass riffs, the leggy drums and the general sense of celebration and party that oozes from their every arrangement.

Review: Fatima Yamaha is one of several aliases used by Dutch musician and producer Bas Bron, who is best known for the anthemic 'What's Girl To Do'. but who has so much more in his locker. This album proves that. It was recorded over a five year period after his 2015 album Imaginary Lines and draws together electro, p-funk, Detroit techno, Chicago house and plenty of in between styles. 'Drops In The Ocean' is a fantastic opener with potential to become another huge hit while the mix of hooky vocals and melodies with underground beats pervade tracks like 'Day We Met' amongst other highlights.

Review: Fabrizio Fattori has been a deep cover hero in Italian dance music since the mid 80s, and while he may have shifted his attention to tribal house music in the 90s, this collection zeroes in on his earlier afro disco funk work, which drips with Balearic groove appeal. Collecting sought after records and other archival gems, this lengthy EP is a joyous, synthy excursion through sunny climes, from the MIDI brass and plastic slap bass of "Leg Pulling" to the intricate percussion and live sax of "Bara-Hum-Ba." This is a quintessential Best reissue - beautifully packaged, and putting super rare music back in the hands of the fans.

Review: Although Peoples Potential Unlimited mostly deals in super sweet little 7"s, it also does a fine job of putting out some top notch albums. Italian musician Alex Fernet is next up to keep that going with his Lucidanotte. It's a feel good record couched mostly in disco but with heavy elements of funk and Italo, soul and electro. There is an 80s vibe to the tools used and the sounds that result, with poolside funkers like '"Medusa Smith' sitting next to sunset dancefloor gems like 'Phantom Of The Club'. His own vocals appear in many tunes to back up the boogie baselines and as well as being great in isolation, the tracks all add up to a fine and coherent longer player.

Review: F.I.D.E.L (Further Individual Delusions) is the avatar project of Paris-based composer, producer and A&R, R. DIlouya; UK funk and soul and Northern soul legend John Turrell; and French hip-hop, soul and jazz force majeure Sly Johnson. Hailing from North Paris and Northern England, F.I.D.E.L release their latest project Out Of Sight to the great post-disco, boogie and new wave pop that shaped the world's collective unconscious at the twilight of the Thatcher / Cold War Era. F.I.D.E.L takes this as a jumping off point and channels its sound through the care and the musical craft of the past to a yet more modern soundscape using Prophet Synthesizers, Clavinets and Drum Machines to create a fast, nervous, funky, ironic and intoxicating satire of post-COVID Western society. While most of the musical heavy lifting is done by Dilouya himself, Turrell lays down socially anchored lyrics, rooted firmly in the gritty, no-nonsense world of a working-class man. Recorded over two week-long studio sessions in Paris, Out Of Sight showcases Dilouya's timeless songwriting and bold production style, setting ground for Turrell's classic vocal performances and Sly Johnson's revered musicianship.

Review: Italian producer GSQ adopts his given name for the very first time on a musical project here. That usually means an artist is bearing their soul and being more honest and vulnerable about the music they want to make but either way Francesco Fisotti does a fine job of captivating us here. The tress on the cover look very LA but the sounds inside are all Italo - deep house, downtempo, disco and Balearic all feature with distinctive synth melodies from Southern Europe. 'Mercedes Fantasy' has some great odds school raps, 'Bootyyy' bounces with some hip-hop charm and 'Mezza Estate' is a lush jazz-funk pearl.

Review: Now this is exactly the sort of record we want to be hearing this summer. It's full of warmth, joy and soul from the New Zealand collective Flamingo Pier, who have already put out some well received 12"s on the Soundway Records label. As far as debuts go, it as good as they get with its majestic mix of big horns, deep house groves and euphoric disco vibes all finished with some super smooth vocals and the odd cheeky sax. Written in South Aukland during 2020 and capturing plenty of that spot's sun, the record brims with life affirming chords, bendy baselines and influences as broad and diverse as Roisin Murphy, Peven Everett and Tim Maia.

Review: Cordial Recordings in partnership with Pilier Records are proud to announce the return of Philadelphia's legendary Mr Garfield Fleming, with this mini album of new productions. Fleming only released about three singles sporadically between 1981, 1984 and 1991 - but he's an incredibly under appreciated artist, we know that much. All female vocals are performed by fellow Pilier recording artist Mz. Nina. Featuring the sexy deep-funk of "Ain't Nothing Too Good For My Woman" - this one is a true diggers delight for those in the know! The late night boogie-down vibes of "Daddy's Home" or "Is That OK" takes things down slo-mo territory and of course we've just got to mention that terrific Daft Funk Funktion Creep Rub (yep!) of "Grass Ain't Greener".

Review: All funk lovers have long been dialed into the red hot heat served up on an endless basis by the Jalapeno label, Now it is to Flevans that they turn for another long player destined to warm you through this winter. There is an organic and naturalistic air to the sound pallets here that takes you into the great outdoors right from the opening track. Following that the tight stick work and jazzy chords, soulful vocals and rolling drums all make for a storytelling musical ride with highs, lows and plenty in between.

Review: Flight Facilities picked up plenty of fans in the wake of their first album so this sophomore effort has been much anticipated. And they won't be disappointed as Forever is another superb display of widescreen musical ability, rich in playful experimentation and traversing several different genres with equal elan. Everything from Chicago house to techno, lush orchestral stings to indie-tinged electronica and more feature across this fine mix of timeless tunes. Long featured vocalists Emma Louise, Georgia Nott and Caroline Smith all feature once more here to add their lush vocals tones and take things to another level.