Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: Former Whiskey Barons man Bosq has enjoyed a long working relationship with Nigeria-based, Benin-born guitarist and vocalist Kaleta. We make this the pair's eleventh collaborative single in the last decade and, as with their previous outings, it trumphantly blurs the boundaries between Afro-disco, Afro-beat and Afro-funk. On side A you'll find vocal and instrumental takes on 'Meji Meji, a pleasingly live-sounding affair full of rubbery bass guitar, righteous horns, infectious drums and Kaleta's evocative guitar licks. Over on the flip, they opt for even heavier, life-affirming horn motifs, Afro-disco grooves and more sun-splashed Afro-funk guitars on vocal and instrumental versions of the similarly inspired 'Sonayon'.

Review: Bosq and Kaleta's most recent single, an inspired Afro-disco two-tracker featuring 'Meji Meji' and 'Sonayon', has been given the remix treatment. On side A, Folamour successfully re-imagines 'Meji Meji' as a joyous, sun-bright slab of cheery deep house/colourful nu-disco fusion, wisely making the most of Kaleta's infectious vocals, the original disco bassline, and the pair's chirpy horns. Over on side B, Bosq takes over and delivers a delicious 'disco dub' of 'Sonayon'. A little more stripped-back and groove-based than the original nix with breakdowns and special effects aplenty, Bosq makes merry with horns, highlife guitars and more Afrobeat style bass guitar pressure.

Review: American born/Colombia-based producer Ben Woods aka Bosq, and Benin-born vocalist/guitarist Leon Ligan-Majek aka Kaleta follow up on the success of their recent collaboration with Purple Disco Machine, and build on their nearly 10 years of working together with their new Afro disco number 'Ipade'. It features Kaleta's trademark chants and exclamations in a mix of Yoruba and English, over sleek rhythms, a ripping horns section and one funky bassline. Over on the flip, get down deeper into the groove with the lo-slung swagger of 'Ariya Tide'.

Review: Sweat It Out Records kicks off their tasty Sweat Sampler series with their first volume, cutting niftily across four exceptionally sweaty bops, spanning tongue-in-cheek deep tech reworks and downtempo disco delights. First off is the dream team of Cid and Havoc & Lawn, whom together deliver a hilariously effective house version of America's 'A Horse With No Name'; this is shortly followed by Saturday Love, Kon and Furious's 'Come Out', a rejigged nu-disco samosa packed with some rare vocal spices; then there's 'Give It To Me' by Marco Lys and Ben Miller, a bass-driven bouncer unafraid of lasershot winddowns, injunctive vocals and risers; and finally, there's Set Mo's 'Could I Be', the anthem of the bunch, whose buildup and drop is alarming, affecting, cumulatively awe-striking.

Review: Cool Million featuring Kenny Thomas on vocals is a refreshing return to the soulful sounds of yesteryear. With Without Your Love, the duo, Rob Hardt and Frank Ryle, once again showcase their talent for crafting infectious grooves that harken back to a more musically satisfying era. Thomas's soulful delivery shines on this track, serving as the perfect complement to the funky rhythm and melody. The song exudes a timeless quality, reminiscent of classic soul and R&B from the 80s, with its boogie-inspired feel and soulful synths reminiscent of artists like Paul Laurence and Kashif. Originally released in 2012, this track now get's its own 7" for DJs and collectors to highlight the standout track.

Review: The second volume of edits of classic outings on Nu Groove records, assembling modern house heroes such as Dam Swindle, Phil Weeks, and Honey Dijon to re-fix tunes by the legendary Equation and The Burrell Brothers among others. Highlights include Dam Swindle's misty eyed extension of Equation's 'I'll Say A Prayer 4 U'- a perfect rainy day house anthem, and the paranoid phonk of Rhano Burrell's 'When Can I Call You' as remapped by Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon. Surefire party starters all round.

Review: It seems like Italo, although always popular, is having a particular moment in the spotlight right now. Plenty of it is being reissued, including the classic self titled 1980s album from Kano, the Italy-based ensemble's debut full-length which mixed up synth funk and disco across six vibrant cuts. It very much hinted at the electro and breakdance movements to come in the years after and now the opening track from the album gets a standout and standalone reissue on 12", alongside a new 2022 mix and Purple Disco Machine & Lorenz Rhode remixes.

Review: There are few bigger or more celebrated Italo-disco singles than Kano's 'I'm Ready', which became an anthem on underground U.S dancefloors (as well as in its native Italy) following its release in 1980. Here it gets a new pressing courtesy of re-established original Italo-disco label Full Time Production, with Kano's original mix - a soaring, synth-heavy sing-along driven forwards by waves of arpeggio-style synth sounds and insatiably funky bass - being joined by a trio of 21st century revisions. Mousse T delivers vocal and instrumental takes that cleverly chop-up and loop up key sections to re-imagine the track as a surging funky house number smothered in vintage Italo-disco synth sounds, while FrescoEdits stretches out an extra-percussive disco groove before throwing in choice synth sounds and vocals from Kano's peerless original mix.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Best turn their attention to that sweet mid 80s spot when the petri dish of party music was shaken up between disco, boogie, Italo and the emergent house sound from Chicago. Claudio Simonetti was a titan of the Italian groove, but his monster jam as Kasso, "One More Round", reached the stratosphere when Windy City godfather Frankie Knuckles gave the track his Midas touch. No more justification is needed for this pressing, but don't overlook the flip which finds 80s remix supremo Brett Wilcots taking on "Walkman" and whipping up a boogie frenzy of the highest order.

Review: Best turn their attention to that sweet mid 80s spot when the petri dish of party music was shaken up between disco, boogie, Italo and the emergent house sound from Chicago. Claudio Simonetti was a titan of the Italian groove, but his monster jam as Kasso, "One More Round", reached the stratosphere when Windy City godfather Frankie Knuckles gave the track his Midas touch. No more justification is needed for this pressing, but don't overlook the flip which finds 80s remix supremo Brett Wilcots taking on "Walkman" and whipping up a boogie frenzy of the highest order.

Review: Initially released digitally in the autumn of 2021 to promote his forthcoming (and now recently released) comeback album Reborn, 'Renegade' is as good an advert for Kavinsky's sparkling, synth-heavy trademark sound as you'll find. Featuring soulful, autotune-sporting vocals from Cautious Clay, the song is evocative, uplifting and pleasingly catchy, with just the right balance musically between original 1980s electrofunk sounds and the kind of sci-fi seeped electronic colour associated with Daft Punk's soundtrack to TRON: Legacy. This vinyl version also contains Kavinsky's instrumental mix of the track, which deftly highlights the quality of his composition and production.

Review: The intriguingly named Humus Per Tutti label has made us wait well over two years for a seance EP after the tantalising first volume of this self-titled series. It comes from a section of artists who are all editing some worldly source material. First off is a Jean Kefta edit that locks you in a guitar loop while intoxicating vocals up top bring the charm. The Babach Flangerman mix of the A1 is another loopy disco cut with a Middle Eastern flavour and the comes Jean Kefta & Max Houmous's snake charming and psychedelic disco groover 'Muharaqa'.
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Review: It's always a good day when Al Kent is back with new music. This one on Gamm, Welcome To The Dub, finds him dubbing out some lush disco sounds. The title cut is a loopy and jazz-funk-infused number with lovely hi-hats and noodling chords all radiating joy and uplifting energy. 'Dubanova' then takes a more low-slung route with a sleazy guitar riff and nice live drums embellished with smartly overdubbed vocals coated in echo. 'Happiness & Peace' is a quieter affair with echoing hits and a meandering lead that encourages your mind to do the same.

Review: Elado Gulab Jamun did a fantastic job with his edit of this Bollywood gem to the extent that it has become a real dancefloor gem that's been much loved all around the world for the last two years. Now it makes its way to a 7" vinyl pressing and is backed with his 4am mix of the same tune. This one is a sublime and dubbed out, acid tinged electronic trip that comes with original CD artwork that pays great tribute to original artist Nadim Khan. Another tasteful outing from Razor-N-Tape for this fresh edit.

Review: The last of the Konduko series from Emotional Rescue arrives now and quite possibly it is the best of the lot from Noel Williams. His 'Fantasy' saw him work with Larry Dermer aka Der Mer on what is an effective and catchy electro jam that operates at the higher end of the tempo chart with some classic vocoder vocal action to really make it pop. Despite being released originally in 1984 this one still bangs with its emulated TR-808 beats and nagging melodies. The instrumental heightens that and then the Jonny Rock Discomix shuts down with long-form rework that shows why the DJ, editor and all-round amiable bloke is so well regarded.

Review: Hard-hitting Italo/darkwave from Italian group Kirlian Camera, a longtime act in the genres and one of their many defining bands. 'Communicate' is reissued from an initial release in 1983, and is as dubious and 'dark' as this kind of music can get, sounding like what would have happened to Talking Heads if each member had been given a hoverbike and rode it into a Miami sunset. Remixes from Flemming Dalum and Vanzetti & Sacco appear on the B-side - while brightening, warming and changing the instruments in parts, they prove little needs to be altered about the track in order to bring out its best parts.

Review: Absolute funk fire from Gladys and co; "Love Is Always On Your Mind" is arguably one of their most overlooked jams in history. Heavily swung and quite gritty in comparison to their other work, it's an instant floor display lavished with stacks of energy and groove. Flip for the heavily referenced, sampled and edited 1980 classic "Bourgie Bourgie". Silky soul disco at its finest. Another white hot reissue success from Buddah.

Review: Fool's Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records' Mark Knight. Coming straight from the heart, it's a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, 'Untold Business', which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal house from the 1990s from where he came. With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great songwriting, this new Toolroom sublabel will be a platform for high quality house music designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho Mark Knight, who joins forces with his Australian Toolroom labelmate, Sgt Slick, and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight, on a dynamite cover of Prince's 1979 classic, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. Respectfully transporting the song onto today's dancefloors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV's that would indeed make The Purple One proud. Completing the vinyl package is dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British soul icon, Jaki Graham, whom together bring the dancefloor heat with their new single, 'Fire'. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, 'Fire' see's Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

Review: Razor-N-Tape is back again this week, this time with Kokoro Disco-San, an experienced trio of musicians and producers from Barcelona who have clearly stayed on the pulse of the nu-disco scene in recent years. 'Sunshine' in its original form is an edit of a familiar vocal-led disco groove which is perfect for poolside chilling, but it's the reworks by label chief Jkriv which really bang the party. The bright like neon Beach Burn mix is sure to get the hands in the air, as will the low slung SPF76 mix which is perfect to drop just before sunset.

Review: Electro-disco bordering on future funk from Kokoro Disco San, the Barcelona trio behind the excellent 'Isla Fantasia' released a few years back. On the A-side comes 'The Brightest Light', corralling enchanting female vocals (those of Brigitte Emaga) on a driving, French-house reminiscent accompaniment, amount to a watery poolside bounce. The B-side's 'Mistura Magica', meanwhile, is skewed to be more organic and comes as an impactful but relaxed foray through tropical futurisms and technicolour flute soarings by Irene Reig.

Review: 'Hollywood Swingin' is one of the most recognised Kool & The Gang songs in their amazing catalogue, having soundtracked movies, been sampled in hip-hop as well as used in commercials. So how would someone remix it and make it fresh once again? Easy. In 2005 they added Jamiroquai's unmistakable voice, made a disco and house version of it too, the 'Disco Dust' mix adding new sounds while not losing and ounce of the original's energy. 'The After Party' mix offers a more house version of the classic.

Review: Kozmik Funk is also known by aliases such as QUADRANT 77 and Synthman, but when they're donning this cap they tap into organic grooves with a space age slant that are a true gift to interstellar spinners. Following a prior volume of similarly astral jams, they return to NYC Records with a fresh trio of drum-focused rollers that keep the beats front and centre and weave subtle threads of synth around them for a heads-down experience that will delight DJs and dancers alike. Our pick is 'Percussion Invasion', which works wonders with pattering bongos and congas, and tickles the ears with artful flecks of boogie lead lines.

Review: A creative dose of future funk here from Kraak & Smaak; 'I Don't Know Why' is a maximized, bass-heavy and neatly saturated tune for partystarting, with Mayer Hawthorne laying down just the right lyrics to set such a mood: 'people having fun at the function!', etc. On the B-side comes the X to the A's Y. Berenice Van Leer complements Hawthorne's tenor with an angelic falsetto over a crispy, wahhy, and mysterious instrumental. An overall neat slice of tropical let-your-hair-downage from the Netherlands trio.

Review: Krewcial is a master of clever cut up and paste and edit jobs. He tackles a big range of old soul and disco sounds that many will know and love and he does it on labels like Gamm, Riot, We Play House and now Vinylators. 'Extended Girl' is a shoe cold classic with big trumpets and drawn out breaks all making the original that bit more club ready. 'Piano Girl' is another edit of the same tune but here with more pianos laced in - no prizes for guessing that one - and Dub Girl is a final version of the same tune that pairs things back to the bare essentials.

Review: Hot on the heels of his Discosaurs EP, which saw him expertly re-edit a swathe of obscure disco jams, Pascal Garnier AKA Krewcial delivers another hot-to-trot dose of dancefloor focused rearrangements. This time round, he's chosen to do a bit of (we think) multi-track "versioning", offering a trio of reworks of the same killer cut: Chaka Khan's 1980 disco hit 'Clouds'. The 'Extended Clouds' version is fairly faithful to the original, just longer and even more epic. Arguably more revolutionary and revelatory is the 'New Clouds' take, which opts for a denser, more freewheeling disco-funk sound with crunchy guitar licks aplenty and heavier bass. On the 'Acoustic Clouds' take he removes the groove entirely, instead showcasing Chaka's vocal and the original instrumentation. It's a real treat!

Review: Anita Baker, quiet storm legend and balladmaker, gets two of her most heartwarming classics remixed by Krewcial, with Texan vocalist Sheelah Monae filling in for Baker's original vox. 'Sweet Love' hears a lounge and club mix respectively, both versions heavy on the most broken housey, piano-centric moods. 'Whatever It Takes', meanwhile, gets a club mix and an intriguing version of the original acoustic, rapidly homing in on disco strings and deep-hit bass licks.

Review: You always know what you are going to get with Running Back - and we mean that in terms of quality rather than any one particular musical style. Gerd Janson's label does what it wants but never fails to set the floor alight. Here it is Krystal Kevlar who brings his own brand of main room house. Like so much stuff right now, 'Endeavour' has a 90s bent with its sweeping chord sequences before 'Americana' takes you on a deeper and more undulating groove. 'Tokyo Flower' is a festival tune for hands-in-the-air moments and 'Excelerator' then sinks down into more trippy techno territory.

Review: The Cult had their fair share of phases from the inception in the early 80s, with Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy forming the nexus of the band through various line-ups. Their self-titled album (known as Black Sheep to the band's devoted fanbase) from 1994 captures them shortly before breaking up for the first time, when Astbury and Duffy were at odds with each other and recording their parts in separate sessions. You wouldn't know to hear this cohesive, clear-sighted slab of early 90s rock, where detectable grooves sneak in amongst the hooky riffs and Astbury's gutsy delivery. It's also one of the most personal albums for the singer, tackling some deeply personal subject matter and making for a unique point in a perennial band in UK rock history.

Review: Payfone's track record to date is exceptional, with the duo delivering some of their most impressive work on Paul 'Mudd' Murphy and Simon Purnell's label, Leng. 'I Feel You', which sees them reunite with vocalist and songwriter Kyd Neirida (who is depicted on the cover and previously featured on 2022 single 'Put Your Face Away'), is another strong offering. Their original mix is impeccable - a slow-motion shuffler in which Neirida's expressive, emotional vocals rise above a rubbery synth bassline, metronomic beats and flashes of effects-laden guitar. Murphy dons his Mudd alias to deliver vocal and instrumental takes that expand the sound further - he is a master of slow-motion Balearic disco after all - with guest musician Michele Chiavarini adding the crowning touch via some gorgeous, life-affirming piano solos.

Review: The Tropical Disco crew continue to show an utter disregard for the season by serving up more of their seamy and summer grooves. The super strong Various Artists collection kicks off with the funky bass riffs of 'In Motion' from Phazed Groove, who ride the riffs and fluttering flute lines to the cosmos and back again. Ziggy Phunk gets more raw and punchy with a freewheeling disco house cut that will shake your booty loose and on the backside are two more timeless tracks: 'Funky Tranky' has lush trumpets reaching for the skies and 'Calabao' brings a real Latin vibe and flailing percussive energy.

Review: 'Disco Made Me Do It: Vol 6' is a fresh V/A of disco and nu-disco tracks released by Riot, UK partybringers who specialize in disco edits and remixes - all with an effortless, clean sheen. This comp's got four tracks by different artists: the opener 'Spread Love' comes as an extended gospel mix by Sense Of Sound Singers, laying down an unbridled, heavy-set vibe of hope. Meanwhile, continuers like Jaegerossa's 'It's The Same' and Birdee's mix of Kathy Brown / Jet Boot Black's 'Thief In The Night' are instantly compelling, upping the sultry factor and French house intonations.

Review: Remastered on vinyl for the first time since 1980, Kano's eponymous album is given a new life through limited edition and hand-numbered vinyl. Italian production duo Stefano Pulga and Luciano Ninzatti are considered pioneers of Italo by many, with their sound serving as a bridge to electro and breakdance later in the 1980s. Features dancefloor hits such as 'It's A War' and its instantly recognisable hook, the neon-lit night drive of 'Cosmic Voyager' and another golden oldie in the form of 'I'm Ready' with its funky vocoded goodness . This one is a new must have for disco lovers.