Back catalogue: Funky/Club House

Review: Naarm-based producer Sam Alfred shows no signs of slowing down as we continue to be impressed by the material coming out of Australia right now. After releasing the energetic 'Suzuka' EP, completing a sold-out headline tour and playing a packed set at MODE Festival, he's now back with more full flavour beats. This one disk off with a real house anthem inspired by 90s club music with punchy piano, airy synths, and a driving cowbell rhythm. 'Care 4 U' has carefree garage house vibes a la salute, 'Keep It' brings some euro dance and trance energy and 'Distance' is a peak-time acid-laced pumper. Brilliant stuff.

Review: Rebirth is thrilled to announce the release of three bonus parts of the 'Ciao Italia. Generazioni Underground' album in 2023, available on limited edition vinyl. 'Ciao Italia' Bonus Quattro, Cinque and Sei continue to connect two generations - the trailblazers of the early 90s and those continuing the legacy today, with a futuristic perspective and renewed energy. Bonus Sei includes classic tracks from legends like Doni & Leo Young, Pastaboys, G.P.M., Steve Mantovani, Dan-E-Mc, Daniele Mad, along with unreleased material from newer Italian artists such as Hiver and Feel Fly.

Review: Drop Music marks a quarter of a century of reliable and ever-on-point sounds with a special series of EPs that embodies what it's always been about, offering up both classics and never-before-released tunes. This one kicks off with 'Make A Move' which is chunky low-slung tech. It unfolds at a relatively slow tempo but that gives the fat acid gurgles time to really hit. Inland Knights then serves up the next three cuts, starting with the bass bin bothering sounds of 'Push It', the more silky tech loops of 'Long Time' and the vocal-laced acid-tech swagger of 'Same Talk.' Here's to the next 25 years.

Review: French label Skylax has a freaky new one on 12" here - it is a rare edit outing for the label that deals in raw house and techno and finds some well-known pop sounds reworked into devastating dance floor cuts. 'Acid Edit ' has swirling falsetto vocals and a menacing acid line lashing about over stripped-back and raw drums. It's a playful yet effective tool for sure. 'Acid Tool' then offers up the same sound but without the vocals do is a more strobe-lit and direct offering for heady dancefloors. A great pick-up for when you need a hit of timeless acid.

Review: Intergalactic Conexion EP comes as the brand new four-track slab of heat by the Dutchman known as Furz. Lending his talents to local label Hoarder, the four cuts here are primed for bondmaking in the dance: opener 'Intergalactic Connection' says it all, with its repeated vocal refrain over a light-hearted instrumental organ-squelcher. Runners-up like 'Better Get Ready' and 'Double Funk' nod to cheesy Euro and Italo house tropes, but indulge them in a kitsch, not trite, way.

Review: The exceptionally named Panty Soaker Sound System bursts onto the scene here with a powerful debut EP on their own self-titled label. 'Hormones' marks the inaugural outing and is a track that ignites the floor while exploring self-empowerment and inner desires. It has picked up early praise from Honey Dijon and is a full-throttle and steamy, erotic house sound that is sure to become a bit of a winter anthem. The EP includes three acid-infused original mixes, followed by the Prosumer HorMoans Remix which is a dark stomper with prickly 303 lines and a heavy groove. For those craving a harder vibe, the LUXE Dark Room Remix delivers a broken-beat reimagining with high-energy that takes you to new heights.

Review: Shadow Pressings returns to their own self-titled label with more joyous disco, house, acid and funk fusions on their Mid Level Boss: Bonus Round EP. 'Find A Friend' is a lively opener with funky basslines and big claps, scurrying disco grooves and call and response vocals that brim with character. 'Holding One Shoe' flips the script to bring some slow motion acid house undulations while 'Train Of Fools' is a deep cut with raw percussion and sensuous vocals adding soul. Superb chords bring late night charm to the prickly beats of closer 'More Music In The Night'.

Review: Shan's second installment in his warehouse series continues to deliver the high-octane energy that made its predecessor a hit. The TRACKS perfectly capture the essence of underground raving in forgotten, defiant spaces. The opener, 'Phantazia,' leads the way, blending proto-hardcore vibes with soulful strings reminiscent of Soul II Soul. It's a track that commands attention, demanding action on the dancefloor. '89 Swing' and 'Euphony' bring in breakbeats that nod to the golden era of rave, with the latter evoking the atmospheric soundscapes of The Future Sound of London. 'Elevate' blurs the line between house and techno, creating a pulsating rhythm that's as hypnotic as it is driving. 'Uplift My Spirit' brings a touch of warmth with its break-for-love vibe, adding emotional depth to the EP. Each track on this EP is crafted to fit any rave setting, offering something for everyone, whether you're deep in a warehouse or lost in a late-night set. Shan delivers another potent dose of rave nostalgia, with a modern twist.

Review: Telefax Productions - mysterious musical masterminds formed by veteran producers with roots in the late 80s - finally drop a vinyl release of their 2024 breakout club anthem, 'Break This House Down'. It is an unashamedly revivalist hip-house banger backed by proper DJs like Honey Dijon and Luke Solomon and features fiery verses from rising Buffalo MC DeeVoeNay. Alongside the flame-hot original is a live band version with HR Nightmare, plus a rough and ready bruk remix from London's EVM128 and last but not least, a visceral acid house rework. This is a perfect example of how you balance nostalgia and freshness and do it right. The package is finished in style with fine artwork by KLF legend Jimmy Cauty.

Review: Not content with merely being one of the biggest selling indie bands of right now, Yard Act are busy carving themselves a tasty side hustle as A&R men, with their Zen FC label scooping up some of the most exciting other music around as well as their own. This album from Sheffield's long serving synth maverick Adrian Flanagan (Kings Have Long Arms, Eccentronic Research Council, International Teachers Of Pop) is not an obvious choice for the guitar slingers, being closer to electro pop than indie, but it's a compulsive and ingenious listen all the same. Written during lockdown, it follows the rise and fall of an imaginary superstar DJ, each song pushing the narrative along and featuring a plethora of guests, including Richard Hawley and Maxine Peake, both of whom feature at the album's 'comedown' conclusion.

Review: Anywayawanna - The Best Of is a vibrant snapshot of The Beatmasters' trailblazing journey through late 80s/early 90s dance music. Known for their innovative fusion of house, hip-hop, and pop, this compilation encapsulates their most infectious hits with a who's-who of guest vocalists. Standout tracks like 'Rok Da House' with The Cookie Crew and 'Hey DJ/I Can't Dance' featuring Betty Boo showcase their knack for high-energy, floor-filling anthems. 'Burn It Up', with PP Arnold, and 'Who's in the House?' with Merlin MC, further cement their place in club culture history. The glossy orange vinyl edition adds a nostalgic touch, making this a great package of the era's UK dance scene.

Review: Freaky, playful synthwork from Sao Paolo's Zopelar on the ever-reliable Tartelet imprint. Over eight immensely juiced, irreverent meditations on synth funk, boogie, deep house, Italo disco and acid, Zope showcases a mastery of foregrounding unconventional musical forces, cheeky and envelope-pushing analogue synth programming and genre-mangling at its very best. Highlights include the heart-in-mouth sway of 'Distraction', which at times sounds like a lovechild of Marcellus Pittman and Genesis-era Larry Heard, the eerie, questing squelch of seductive B-side opener 'Safe In The Dark' and the queasy, euphoric alarmism of lost freestyle hit 'Free Your Spirit (Ritmo II). Very addictive.