Review: RNT welcomes Brooklyn-based band 79.5 to the family with the first single from their forthcoming eponymous LP. Soulful and psychedelic, the haunting melodies of Club Level float above a steady strutting rhythm section, punctuated by moaning baritone saxophone and drenched in washy reverb.
NYC mainstay Eli Escobar crafts a masterful remix that leans into 80s nostalgia, with a soundscape and arrangement nothing short of perfection.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Afrodesia may come on like another dusted down gem from those dedicated detectives at Best, but it is in fact a modern construction from the talented studio trysts of Mystic Jungle and Whodamanny from the Periodica camp. These Italian producers have more than proved their knack for crafting sublime, honey-smooth jams with a nod to the golden studio era of the 70s and 80s, and they're more than up to the task on this killer 12" of heavy funking jams with a dose of boogie and a nod to Ivory Coast disco. It's quite simply perfection, rendered with love and attention to detail, but utterly natural in its feel and flavour.
Review: From the wide-ranging livestream sets he does from his basement to the sprawling hip hop and house albums he does for Moodymann's Mahogany via disco-laced house anthems like 'New 4 U', Andres always unites this music with a unique sense of groove and emotion. That is still true now as he steps out on GT Flips with a bunch of electro-leaning cuts that are classy yet primed and ready to ignite any party. Track 2 is a quick and punch one with ghetto undercurrents and jazzy keys, Track 4 is an excellent ass-wiggler with expertly deployed vocal hooks and Track 3 is a stripped-back bumper with a feel-good vibe.
Review: Detroit mainstay and masterful hip hop and deep house fusionist Andres is back with not one but two new EPs. For this first one, he brings some silky electro rhythms to his signature sound but doesn't forgo that irresistible sense of r&b lushness he is known for. Track 1 brings a heart-aching vocal sample to quick beats and pristine snares, Track 2 has skittish rhythms topped with snapping snares and another classic, well-worked sample, then Track 3 takes off to the cosmos on ice-cold electro rhythms topped with plaintive chords. There is a hint of acid squelchy to Track 4 but it still somehow sounds very much like Andres. A fresh EP indeed.
Review: This is a full artwork version of the same release that dropped recently as a pre-release white label, so will look as good on the shelves as it sounds on the decks. DJ Dez Andres has been particularly productive of late after releasing a series of" records that showcase his signature edits. The collection includes 'Boogie,' a broken beat banger featuring a catchy whistle, followed by 'Maxin',' a sensuous, downtempo track with smooth pads and laid-back beats. The final track, 'Talking,' wraps things up with soulful vocals and a romantic, late-night vibe.
Review: Italian talent Giuseppe steps up to Loft Records with a trip back to the 80s. He fuses everything from Italo house to post-punk, techno and synth pop into these warming grooves and does so with a fine array of hardware tools including the Yamaha DX7, Korg monologue and Behringer Crave, all of which lend their distinctive palettes. 'Flying Minds' is a musical techno opener with singing leads and crunchy beats, and that bright sense of melody also defines 'This Is My Show' and the playful, angular grooves of 'No More Dark Music'. 'Takinti' shuts down with the rawness of a proto-house cut and sugary synths of a classic Italo gem.
Review: Back in the late '70s and early '80s, Aquarian Dream's "Phoenix" was something of an anthem on the UK's soul all-dayer scene. While ostensibly a disco record, the band's jazz-funk roots ensured that it was particularly popular with serious dancers, particularly those who headed for the jazz room rather than the main dancefloor. The Norman Connors-produced cut remains something of a must-have for disco DJs who like their grooves to come with a fair dollop of instrumental solos. This timely re-press also includes the even wilder "East 6th Street" - originally included on the 1979 UK re-issue - which features Aquarian Dream band-members trading solos over a killer disco-funk groove.
Review: B+'s B-Beat Classic is originally from 1983. It is an early hip-hop and electronic fusion with some great talk-box vocals and a loose-limbed mix of percussion and drums. It moves slowly and purposefully, with scratches over the top and unhinged funk soon permeating your body. Leftover tape was used to create the effects and original copies have a note that the tune was dedicated to a first generation Boston disco DJ named Jim Stuard whose career was cut short by the Everard Baths fire in New York City in 1977.
Review: Cosmic disco legend Daniele Baldelli is enjoying recognition these days like never before, and now he's back alongside Marco Fratty with his first album in five years. As you would expect from something with Baldelli's magic touch, there's a warm '70s flavour to the music on offer here, but it's also rendered in pristine modern production quality. Particular highlights across this two disc set include the sweet flute-riffing of "Jasmine Flavour" and the freaky vocoder trip outs of "Slinky Funk", but truthfully the bar remains high throughout this impeccably executed slice of spaced-out disco business.
Best Friend Around - "It's So Good To Know" (Muro Diguma edit) (4:36)
Foster Jackson Group - "Feel The Spirit" (Muro Diguma edit) (4:10)
Review: Given his reputation as Japan's "king of digging", you'll be unsurprised to learn that DJ Muro's latest scalpel-style Diguma Edits are of thoroughly obscure, hard-to-find disco cuts. For example, an original copy of Best Friend Around's hard to find modern soul-goes-disco number 'It's So Good to Know' - a warming and glassy-eyed cut full of hazy grooves, super-sweet vocals and spacey synth sounds - would cost you hundreds of pounds; Muro's shortened, light-touch edit seems a bargain at a fraction of the cost. Foaster Jackon Group's similarly rare 'Feel the Spirit', a carnival-ready slab of Brazilian influenced jazz-funk/disco-funk fusion, is given the Muro touch on the flip, with equally as exemplary results.
You Could Be More As You Are (Super Disco mix) (5:07)
You Could Be More As You Are (Bleep mix) (2:59)
Review: For the unaware, Saada Bonaire's 1984 gem 'You Could Be More As You Are' is the very definition of a cult classic. Known for offering a chugging blend of new wave, leftfield synth-pop and post-disco dancefloor nous, it was produced by an obscure German DJ and fronted by two female vocalists. Those singers have now joined forces with producers Jens Mahlstedt and Ralph 'von' Richthoven to deliver a 2025 remake. It's presented in two distinctively different forms. On the A-side, we get the 'Super Disco Mix', a driving, bass guitar-driven affair that mixes replayed elements of the 1984 original (including some of the spellbinding synths) with clipped disco guitars and freshly recorded vocals. The flipside 'Bleep Mix' is not an early Warp style re-build, but in fact a slightly more electronic-sounding dub disco version.
Bruise - "When Pianos Attack" (The Reflex Revision) (8:09)
Lou Hayter - "Time Out Of Mind" (The Reflex dubavision) (6:01)
Lou Hayter - "Time Out Of Mind" (The Reflex Revision) (6:17)
Review: Discolidays kicks off its third release with this spicy little joint from The Reflex, the remixer par excellence who is given two juicy tracks to get busy with. On the A-side it's Bruise's 2022 track 'When Pianos Attack' which is being tweaked and pumped for maximum impact, while on the flip Lou Hayter gets the executive treatment via some seriously sophisticated disco house flexing from an expert in the field. With dub and full-fat versions to sink your teeth into, there's plenty of potency in this record to keep your party primed.
Review: Reissued from the 1983 original press on House Of Music - and subject to many a reissue since, for good reason - the Italian duo BWH hear their enduring classic 'Livin' Up / Stop' rereleased once more. Something about the collaborative effrots of Stefano Zito and Helene Zito made for a dizzying concoction in Italo, and the lasting interest in this single is backed up by the song's squeezy-clean mix and Hi-NRG synth rollicks. 'Stop' on the B-side, too, is slower and more rapacious, and without it, the single wouldn't be the same.
Review: Charlie Charlie's 'Save Us' is a track brimming with raw emotion, and Mondag's remix feels like a perfect counterpart, bringing a subtle touch of melancholy with its soft saxophone solo. The track maintains its weight, but Mondag's approach gives it a dream-like quality, coaxing out the depths of its aching beauty. Bella Boo's edit brings a noticeable shift, tightening the rhythms and infusing the track with a sharper energy, but it never loses the soul of the original. Gerd Janson, meanwhile, offers an ambient version that feels like an entirely different experience - less immediate, but no less absorbing. On the other side, Hypernatural's remixes expand on the dreamlike, almost otherworldly feeling of the originals. Knightlife's take on 'Spirit Walk' stretches the song's already fluid nature, making it feel weightless, while Gerd Janson's remix of 'Stormfront' adds a darker, more reflective mood.
Review: While this fabulous album may sound old - as if it was an obscure, jazz-funk-tinged Italian disco release from 1982 - it is in fact brand, spanking new, making it the first new LP of original material released by legendary Italian imprint Best Record in over four decades. Created by Raffaele 'Whodammy' Arcella and Cosimo Cosmo Mandorino, it offers the same kind of boundary-blurring fusion of early '80s boogie, electro, low-tempo Italo-disco, jazz-funk, disco, Afro-cosmic and colourful Balearic pop (with a few cheeky raps and spoken word vocal passages thrown in) as the Neopolitan albums of the early-to-mid 1980s that inspired them. It's a brilliant set all told - one that authentically pays tribute to their influences and inspirations while offering something genuinely new and exciting.
Review: This release sees the Crossroads production team joining forces with rising Italian soul singer Cler for a captivating reimagining of two classics ia soulful dance anthem penned by Shawn Christopher, receives a fresh update, its uptempo r&b groove adding a contemporary edge to the timeless melody. Cler's vocals shine on both the radio and dub versions, showcasing her impressive range and soulful delivery. On the flipside, she tackles the iconic 'Georgy Porgy', infusing the classic track with a warm, nu-soul groove. Once again, both radio and dub versions are offered, highlighting the versatility of the production and Cler's captivating vocals. This release is a testament to the enduring power of classic soul music and the exciting potential of this rising star.
Review: Giovanni Damico teams up once again with Star Creature for a new 45 packed with fresh boogie bangers. The A-side delivers a funky, psychedelic disco stomper that will effortlessly and quickly transport you to listeners to 1981. It has echoes of Afro sounds from Lagos and the disco energy of NYC's Lower East Side, with catchy chants and breakbeats evoking a hidden Kid Creole track. The B-side is a great take on Italo disco with dusty drum machines, percussion and vintage synths infused with Damico's own guitar and bass work. This is another great chapter in the ongoing story between artist and label.
Review: The world of dark disco tech is vast and so covers plenty of niches and nuances with artists all over the world adding their voice to the conversation. Spanish label Waste Editions offers up four more to the mix here with another well-assembled VA. Dark Vektor's 'Amb La Mirada Ens Menjarem' begins with some synth sounds that evoke a horror scene over snappy drums and sleazy guitar riffs. Synth Alien's 'Replica Cosmica' gets a little more loose but still comes with evocative vocal samples and a characterful world of synth sounds, some that fart, some that gurgle, some that amuse. Imiafan's 'Stupaj (Keen K RMX)' is another prying, loopy sound brought to life with myriad effects, textures and vocal snippets and Wardum shuts down with 'Wrambling' which has grinding bass and scuttling effects topped with occult vocals.
Review: The Extra Soul Perception label held a first ever writing camp in Nairobi in 2019 and Lynda Dawn was one of the pupils. She has already released 'Roses' on the label's New Tangents...Vol. 1 EP with other music from the UK, Kenya and Uganda. But this was the standout track so now it makes its way to its own 7". It is the sort of heart achingly beautiful slow motion disco-soul that will be perfect end of the night send home or early evening warm up for more cosy dance floors. There is a slightly more beefed up version from XL Middleton to complete this tidy 7".
Review: Best dig out a bona fide gem from the early days of Italian house music - a one-shot hit from the masterful minds of Alex Neri and Marco Baroni that originally surfaced in 1992 on Adriatic Club. This sunkissed classic has everything a deep house cut should - smooth piano, a splash of diva vocals, and feel-good vibes oozing from every pore. For our money the "Deep Jungle Mix" is the one - a smouldering swinger that will draw you in and keep you warm at night, but whichever twist on the '90s styles you prefer this record has got you covered.
Review: Archeo Recordings present the best works of Ettika, who way back when laid down an interesting fusion of Italo, new beat, Arabic funk and Balearic hip-hop for a synthetic, sample-heavy chanters. Really, it's quite difficult to nail this one in words. Resurfacing after it was found in an online mix known as the 'Balearic nightmare', original copies of the record soon found itself being snapped up again; now it hears a thorough reissuing, owing to a demand that hasn't tapered since. With versions in French and Arabic respectively, it's clear that this plodding Balearic emoter more than deserves its place as a hidden classic.
Review: This week on Peoples Potential Unlimited we have '1 2 3 Stella' which is the debut release by Alex Fernet - an artist from Bassano del Grappa, near Venice, Italy. A breezy and neon-lit boogie down affair from the late night that gives a brazen nod to the '80s, it is complemented on the B side by the romantic late '70s easy rock vibe of 'Tornerai' which is an Italian cover version of 'In your Eyes' by Badbadnotgood featuring Charlotte Day Wilson. Fernet impressively walks the fine line between undeniably kitsch and impressively cool.
Heartbeat (club mix - Muro Diguma club edit version) (4:54)
Heartbeat (club mix - Muro Diguma party edit version) (3:55)
Review: If you had to make a list of the top 10 Paradise Garage classics, Taana Gardner's pitched-down, Larry Levan-mixed "Heartbeat" would come somewhere near the top of the list. Here the slow disco classic gets the re-edit treatment courtesy of Japanese DJ/producer Diguma (aka MURO ) on a tidy 7" single. First up on side A is the "Club Edit", a multi-track revision (we think) that cannily layers Gardner's vocals and the key synth parts over the original version's killer groove. The flipside "Party Edit" strips back the vocal to just a few key phrases, focusing instead on showcasing various instrument solos buried in Levan's epic original mix.Very limited and likely Juno is one of the few stores outside of Japan to stock this 45
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Kaidi Tatham - "Doin' The Most" (7:32)
Matthew Law - "Dilla's Disco" (4:10)
Review: The Private Stock label is back with more of their irresistible house magic with a limited translucent red splattered 12" featuring some pretty big names. Terry Hunter kicks off with the sort of guitar-laced roller that you imagine would have been massive at Paradise Garage with 'Go Back Jack' then Ian Wallace brings big and sunny house stomps with his 'From Beginning To End.' DJ Jazzy Jeff & Kaidi Tatham then team up for the irresistibly feel-good disco, soul and house fusion that is 'Doin' The Most' and Matthew Law lays down dusty MPC drums with grinning bass and lo-fi atmospheres on the perfectly entitled 'Dilla's Disco.'
Review: At first, we thought Jack's only residence was 'the house'. It was only 'the house' that we assumed to be the place of Jack's groove; never did we guess that our mythical friend ever set foot into the discotheque for the odd wonkier shakedown now and then. So too do Jackin' Disco prove us wrong with two new Jackin' Disco edits; here of Basement Jaxx's 'Red Alert' and Locksmith's 'Far Beyond', both of which bringing a bangingly driven flair to an otherwise skeletal yet latent-potent pair of OGs.
Chuck Davis Orchestra - "Spirit Of Sunshine" (6:23)
Review: Westend brings more of that glorious disco goodness that they have been so well known and loved for over such a long period of time. This one is a split that kicks off with Jake's 'You Are the Star.' It's propelled by neat and tidy bass guitar riffs with more decorative melodies and riffs up top. The drums have an irresistible sense of slide to them and the vocal is of course the icing on the cake. Chuck Davis Orchestra steps up in the flip with more lush and classy disco complete with effervescent string stabs and more funky bass. 'Spirit Of Sunshine' manages to bottle up just that and douse you in it from start to finish.
Review: Taken from the album of the same name, this 1976 classic from Temptations frontman Kendricks was a huge disco anthem when released. Only, apparently, to be overshadowed by Donna Summer's "Love Trilogy". Kendricks' trademark falsetto rings with emotive insistence and with a tight guitar and bass backbone, big strings and bold horns, funk oozes out of every single beat matching his soul bar for bar. An excellent reissue.
Review: Vancouver's Maya Killtron is an artist on a mission. A talented songwriter and vocalist with a deep-rooted love of synth-funk and 80s boogie, her slim catalogue to date is full of quality collaborations with talented, like-minded producers. She's at it again on her latest missive for Spanish "modern funk" stable The Sleeperz Records. On side A, she works with producer Andrew Napoleon on the brilliant 'Body Fly', a glossy slab of mid-80s synth-funk/synth-pop fusion rich in squelchy P-funk bass, bright lead lines and colourful chords. Estonia-based Latvian Artis Boris tales over on side two, underpinning a typically expressive and soulful Killtron vocal with sinewy strings, modern boogie grooves and nods aplenty to early 1980s disco. Naturally, the sound is nostalgic, but both cuts sound undeniably fresh.
Review: In the world of house music, it's often the B-sides - more adventurous or deeper alternatives to the peak-time-focused lead cut - that often last the test of time. It's a conclusion that Vick Lavender has come to, at least, because this limited-edition EP marks the first in a 'B-Sides Series' in which all cuts are bonuses, alternate takes or 'tributes' to other artists. He begins by paying tribute to Dexter Wansel on 'A Space of My Own', layering dense hand percussion, spacey electronics and intergalactic synth sounds over a rock-solid kick-drum pattern. He then slams down two versions of the King Sporty sampling 'Mr Sporty': the sax-squelch-and jammed-out keys-heavy brilliance of the 'Time Traveler Re-imagined Mix' and the more leisurely, synth solo sporting deep house warmth of the 'Drums & Life' version.
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