Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: This limited gatefold edition compilation, curated by Leri Ahel & Zeljko Luketic, brings together 18 rare disco tracks from Yugoslavian artists, pressed on 2 x vinyl. Featuring the likes of KIM Band, Gabi Novak, Arian, Ljupka Dimitrovska, and more, the collection is sourced from original master tapes, ensuring pristine audio quality. Disco, a Trojan horse in Yugoslavia's pop music scene, thrived for an unexpectedly long time. Influenced by American and European disco acts like Boney M and Amanda Lear, Yugoslav producers and record companies like Jugoton and PGP RTB embraced the genre's vibrant energy. The scene fostered a unique blend of genre hybrids, electronic experimentation, and bold themes, with artists creating memorable and innovative disco music. This compilation captures the spirit of that era, shows both chart-toppers like Zdravko Colic and experimental gems. It highlights the creativity and freedom that disco provided, allowing musicians to push boundaries and deliver unforgettable tunes.

Review: This 12" reissue of Fats Gaines Band's 'Zorina' harks back to the group's clean, stark collective funk sound. The band was led by Fats Gaines, a jazz musician and orchestra leader who had a significant presence in the Bay Area music scene since the 1950s. Zorina, meanwhile, is a soul singer from Louisiana who joined the band as their vocalist. Eight tracks of smooth disco-funk careen across an expertly-mixed plane of stereo goodness, with tunes like 'Born To Dance', 'Sweet Freak' and 'For Your Love' sure to dazzle with their clean, synth-bass-heavy "owws".

Review: Label affiliates Mytron and Zongamin make a combined return to the ever-on-point Canadian stable Multi Kulti, delivering an extended selection of typically off-kilter, genre-bending sonic mastery. In what appears to be a match made in the leftfield heavens, the duo join forces to explore dance-ish music's outer reaches, blending tribal motifs with 8-bit sampling and all manner of wonkiness. From the blissful bells of Conjunction With Reality to the bass-heavy throb of GHX, there is unsurprisingly plenty to savour here. Opening cut '08932168' blends enchanting lead melodies with rolling polyrhythms and dubbed-out effects before the equatorial percussion of 'Calliope Omniglot' makes way for the wiggy atmospherics of the collection's title track. Highly recommended.

Review: Zan's new album on BDQ Records is a refreshing blend of boogie, jazz, funk and soul. Known for her strong and sultry voice, Zan rose to fame in the 80s as the lead singer of Melbourne's I'm Talking, alongside Kate Ceberano, and her vocals on hits like 'Holy Word' remain iconic in Australian music history. Zan's musical journey includes collaborations with The Models and appearances in music films like Australian Made. Her diverse background, born in London with Sri Lankan heritage, has influenced her soulful style. Having lived in New York and London, Zan's experiences shine through in her music. Her self-titled solo album in the 90s and tours with bands like Mother Earth improved her career internationally. Back in Melbourne, Zan continues to enchant audiences with her live performances. Her new songs are steeped in 80s dance and pop flavours, re-capturing that feelgood factor from the era whilst bringing to it a new unique and contemporary.

Review: The latest record to waft from the Four Flies feeding ground focuses on Paolo Zavallone, an elusive musician and patron of the DIY music label Paloma Records, which only saw five records released. After venturing into the world of music publishing in 1983, Zavallone would either produce licensed-for-film music himself, or consign the task to his peers, chiefly his friend Mauro Malavasi. This record, made up of a quint of nameless, coverless records, captures the highlights of the sottofondi style, i.e. incidental music made largely for early 80s Italian comedy series on TV. Easy listening fusion blends with pots-and-pans avant-gardism ('Cronaca Nera' particularly), proving the remarkably prescient range of an obscure musician.