New releases this week: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: Groove Culture enlist Italy's Da Lukas for a stinging string-disco propeller, 'Doin' Me Wrong', backed up on the B by 'Good Man'. Massive pressure-house feels coincide with the trilling afterglow of disco, as rock-bottom breakdowns prefigure high-as-a-kite apexes, word-painting the A track's lyrical focus on manic depressive push-pull relationships ("you tell me don't do this, you tell me don't do that"). The B-side track is weightier by comparison, deploying waterier wahs and an echo of Motown in its otherwise relentless garagey swing.

Review: Wow! Of all the melancholic modern disco we've come across this year, this has to be the best so far, though we're surprised its popularity hasn't metastasised in size since its original Rysque Records release back in 2013. Ben Johnson and Tim Tucker make up Love Cryme, and their works combine a localist Sacramento slapper sound and a hissing, reel-to-reel feel. Compared to their Star Creature debut which brought measured but still potent titrations of purple sizzurping G-funk, 'Get It On' goes for a more minimally classic disco-soul cruise, with a sloppily gated snare and two-tone tearjerker preluding a neurotic but decadent vocal line from Tucker, as libidinous synths swell out uncontrollably from below.

Review: Antoni Maiovvi flaunts an aerated, sunspotty sound on 'Knights of New Haven', blending Ned West Coast influences and US machine music. 'Later Not Lately' pulses with light kicks and ruffling hi-hats, echoing Chicago house and flavoursome tech trance; Legowelt (Danny Wolfers) reimagines it with serrated snares and a gritty TB-303 bassline. 'Slack Blabbath' weaves staggered synths and sharp percussion, and closer 'The Madness In The Method' swirls static-laced drums around eerire bass, balancing Maiovvi's horror-disco roots with bold house rhythms. This EP is a dark, driving, and grand fusion of electronic styles, veering increasingly crushy and redux-happy. Legowelt's snare is especially oomphy, and the closer's synths especially brooding.

Review: Italo-disco enthusiasts, strap in for something special, as cult Italian label Disco Segreta celebrates its tenth anniversary with a touched-up, honest-to-time reissue of Cecilia Rizzoli's 'Cosi Non Va'. A priceless Italo disco classic long prized as a collectors' white whale, this unique number 1985 came as an ultra-limited edition of just 500 copies on Scarabes Sound and Discokkio. With hypnotic Juno synths, punchy Linndrum beats, and Cecilia's emotionally charged vocals - providing a glimpse into the Italian singer-songwriter's couth early days - offers melancholic Italo satiation. Remastered from the original analog master and featuring a fresh edit by Claudio Burgos (Mr. Fantasy), this one's a jackpot.

Review: Turin's Bunkereeno Kollektiv and ITALIA90 have come together to launch their own new label Anna Records and it debuts with a split EP from Tools 4 Seduction and Lachina. The Argentinian former goes first with the Italo-infused sound of 'Like on VHS' full of dreamy chords and retro-future drums. 'Choruscan' is brighter and happier with cheery chords and a wonky baseline brings the vibes. On the B-side, Lachina who hails from Turin flips the vibe with more strident disco-techno sounds and direct cosmic energy on 'Out Of The Past'. His 'Metallic Rain' then brings flashy synth arps and a speedy intergalactic groove.

Review: UV & Nenor link up once more and return to Fossils with three new edits that take the form of spaced-out deep cosmic chuggers. These are all classy tunes with an analogue edge, great deference to the classic synth sounds of days gone by but all with nice modern touches. 'Space Love' is a widescreen odyssey with sultry female vocals and a sweet theremin sound. On the flip, 'Shwag' has hazy pads and slowed down, rugged, sleazy drums and bass and then last of all comes 'GoGo Stomp' with another bubbly bottom end, squelchy bassline and weird but wonderful vocal sounds. A brilliantly high-grade addition to your record back.

Review: Pantechnicons of Philadelphia soul, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes reached their musical peak with Teddy Pendergrass between 1972 and 1975. Their 1975 album Wake Up Everybody hears Pendergrass' last vocal contribution to a band before he went solo; the record is filled with thought-provocations and gnomic lyrics, and became famous more by way of its covers than its originals. Returning the favour, 'Wake Up Everybody' was later covered by John Legend & The Roots, while 'Don't Leave Me This Way' became a disco classic thanks to the vamping vocal verves of Thelma Houston. This 750-copy 50th anniversary repress now comes with a special bonus: a rare 11-minute remix of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by remixing pioneer Tom Moulton.

Review: Pacifico is the debut album from Italian-born, LA-based multi-instrumentalist Francesco Perini under the Pearz guise. It tracks a five-year sonic journey through Florence, London and Los Angeles and takes in all the sounds of those places so blends disco, electro, nu-jazz and Japanese City Pop into a rich, genre-spanning sound. True to its name (Pacifico means "peaceful" in Italian) the album captures the reflective calm of travel's end and has collaborations with artists like Kuntessa, VANBASTEN, Natalie Findlay, Jules Apollinaire and others bringing their own depth to the project. The result is a multicultural tapestry of sound that is full of warmth, groove and introspection.

Review: Catawba Records celebrates 40 years of influential music with The Lowdown: A Catawba Records Story. Founded by industry legend Richard Mack who helped launch icons like Earth, Wind & Fire and The Jacksons, this curated compilation from the label highlights Catawba's rich legacy in disco and soul with standout tracks from Maurice Starr, Dutch Robinson and The Fantastic Aleems. It takes in all manner of infectious grooves with throwback analogue drums sounds, brilliant keys and smooth vocals with plenty of rare edits, unreleased gems and more well-known but still timeless cuts. Favourites for us include the lithe and leggy Silk jam 'Somethin' 'Bout The Way' and the soul-drenched funk-disco of Jackie Moore & Wilson Pickett's 'Seconds Of Your Love'.

Review: Gold polygon masked producer (only the best of them wear them) Satin Jackets returns with a laid-back blend of lush grooves and breezy melodies, perfectly attuned for moments of ease and escape. Drawing from a string of singles released over recent years since 2010 for the likes of Nu Indee and Eskimo, Cruise Control has an unshakable sense of atmos and rhythm, as a drench of sun washes over each production. The German producer shapes his compositions in solitude before bringing in collaborators who elevate the mood, whether through serendipitous connections with David Bay and Small Black, or the instant spark of a friend's bassline transforming a stuck idea into a standout hook. Listeners often comment on the uplift they feel in his work, and it's clear he prioritises that sense of instant musical chemistry.