Back catalogue: Funky/Club House

Review: This compilation captures the essence of the Balearic sound, offering a sun-drenched journey through diverse electronic styles. 'Stay Cool (& Less Horny)' sets the tone with its laid-back groove and infectious melodies, while 'Ketkeys' adds a touch of psychedelic flair with its swirling synths and hypnotic rhythms. On the flipside, 'Chug Love' delivers a dose of feel-good energy, its pulsating bassline and uplifting chords guaranteed to get bodies moving. 'Tiny Nancer' closes out the compilation with a dreamy atmosphere, its ethereal textures and Balearic-infused melodies creating a sense of blissful escapism. This is a must-have for those seeking a sonic escape to sun-kissed shores and blissed-out vibes.

Review: Nu Groove's ongoing edits series turns its attention to one of the legendary NYC's most iconic early release, Bas Noir's 1988 garage-house classic 'My Love Is Magic' - a piano-powered vocal number fronted by two female singers from New Jersey and produced by the Burrell Brothers. Their original club mix is featured (A2), alongside a trio of fresh re-edits. Bushwacka kicks things off with a deeper, more sonically detailed and marginally punchier rework that makes much of the Burrell brothers' percussion and piano stabs, before Mark Broom takes over on side two. His 'dub retouch' fittingly sounds like a piano solo-sporting NYC house dub of the late 1980s - no bad thing in our book - while his more revolutionary 'A12 mix' re-casts the track as a harder, heavier peak-time loop jam.

Review: Timmy Regisford's remix of Basic Black's 'Don't Make Me Fall In Love' squarely pegs the former's vision in dance music: a fusion of uptempo soul with clear lyrical locutions and sharp grooves. As vice president and A&R at Motown, Regisford played a crucial role in the success of Basic Black's 1990 debut album, a hallmark of the new jack swing era. In his rework, the iconic DJ and co-founder of Club Shelter reimagines the track through an unmistakable New York dance lens, preserving it in the oral traditions of soul and bassy, ballroom house. Formerly a rare white label, this remix was originally exclusive to New York's DJing elite, and never officially released as a single until now. Restored from a DAT tape in Tony Humphries' archive, this rewrap includes a never-before-heard instrumental version and a bass-and-beats-only edit, cryopreserving Regisford's jackin', frosty touch.

Review: During the early-to-mid 1980s, the BB&Q band dropped a slew of killer electrofunk jams, most of which combined infectious synth basslines, group vocals and colourful lead lines with beats variously inspired by boogie, 80s soul and freestyle. Alongside 'Dreamer', which was mixed by the legendary Shep Pettibone, 'Ricochet' was one of their biggest dancefloor hits. High Fashion has decided to give it a 21st century disco makeover, pairing one of their in-house remixers, Michael Gray, with Glitterbox favourite Dr Packer. Their 12"-leading full vocal naturally bumps up the beats to suit house dancefloors and adds a few authentic-sounding synth lines, but otherwise makes the most of the BB&Q band's original music and vocals. The flip-side 'Dubstramental' is very good, too, paying tribute to the various effects and production tricks used in 1980s dancefloor dubs while also utilising 21st century beats.

Review: BDK's Tequila EP from Say Namm White delivers four full-powered, disco-tinged house heaters. Side-1 opens with 'Big Disco Banger,' a high-energy, filtered house anthem true to its name, followed by 'I Don't Want It,' which offers a deeper, yet still anthemic, vibe. Side-2 starts with 'Love Coming Over,' leaning into a Euro disco sound with heavy Fire Island influences. The EP closes with 'Please Don't Rush,' the deepest house track of the lot. If you are a disco house enthusiasts then check this record out because its packed with infectious grooves and vibrant energy.

Review: Scruniversal's sub label Tunes Delivery invites Moscow scene veteran Leonid Lipelis to don his Beard In Dust moniker for their third instalment, one which dips into various different eras of dance history for inspiration. There's a distinctly late 80s feel to opening tune 'Music of the U', complete with sampled bell stabs and the kind of beats that wouldn't be out of place on an S'Express or early Coldcut house affair. 'The Armenian Break' and 'City of Love' look back even further, back to the female-fronted disco efforts of the 70s, the latter adding a touch of Balearic flourishes. 'Abstractish P' circles around some serene arpeggios, with rave whistles and, as it progresses, twisting guitar notes, lending it an individual air, while closer 'RoRyaRe' nods to ExCel-era 808 State with some nice bleepery before settling into more progressive headnodding territory and some distinctive synth play.

Review: The first ever release by the elusive Benedict on 12". 'Can't Stop' is a lacrimal liquescence of red-lit dance music, one that does an impressive job of obscuring its vocal sample source, though they've not stumped us: the siftage in question is The Internet's 'Hold On' (2018). Syd Tha Kid's condensed vocals are made nymphlike in their buttery brush-up against warbled deep house prods, marking out a truly luxurious listen.

Review: Sundries' Disco Goodies series, which rounds up the best of the label's digital releases and presents them on multi-artist EPs, reaches its fourth instalment. It hits home hard from the start, where Berobreo's 'Soul Driven Dynamics' provides an attractive mix of 1970s orchestral soul samples and rubbery deep house beats. Experienced re-editor Oldchap brings the goods with a lightly tooled-up and beefed-up rework of an orchestra-sporting disco gem ('Coloridos'), before X Gets The Crest delivers a percussive, hot-stepping and filter-smothered re-wire of a much-loved Cymande classic ('Still Come Home'). Over on side B, Alexny's heavy disco-funk re-edit ('People Says') is joined by a hazy and horn-heavy revision courtesy of Sould Out ('City Gal') and the pitched-up disco loop-funk of 'Since You Came' by Workerz.

Review: 'My House' was a parting gift from Queen Bey herself following her record-setting 'Renaissance' album cycle, the first in a trilogy she continued with 2024s 'Cowboy Carter'. Landing multiple awards and ten top spots on various 'Best of 2022' lists, the track is a big, brassy, chant-led track featuring the same hallmarks that peppered her 'Homecoming' history-making Coachella performance. Serving as promotion and as the credits sequence, for her theatrical concert film 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce'. The track is anthemic and uplifting, a combination of braggadocious flexing and preaching the power of love and healing - it's an infectious hit. On the B-side of this release is an extended intro edit of Beyonce's legendary chart-topping hit 'Single Ladies', celebrating its 16th birthday this year.

Review: Legendary Italian producer Gianni Bini makes his debut on Groove Culture with 'The House Of Glass' LP, a vibrant disco-house record that takes listeners back to the genre's roots. With over a thousand production credits under various aliases like Bini & Martini and Fathers Of Sound, Gianni has long been a defining force in disco-house. Now, he delivers a fresh project packed with live instrumentationidrums, bass, guitars, stringsiand infectious vocals that evoke the energy of classic discotheques. Side-1 opens with 'Dancing & Grooving' featuring Alfreda Gerald in a high-energy disco anthem. The Dave Lee edit shines with vibrant horns and an unstoppable groove. 'Ain't Nothing Going On', featuring Anduze and remixed by Micky More & Andy Tee, brings lush strings and an irresistible guitar riff, perfect for an all-night dance session. On Side-2, 'Friday Night', with MO's epic vocals and smooth delivery, is another Micky More & Andy Tee remix that exudes timeless disco elegance. 'Lately', featuring Karmina Dai and remixed by Emmaculate, wraps up the album with a soulful disco blend that feels tailor-made for late-night revelry. With The House Of Glass, Gianni Bini proves once again why he's a master of the genre, blending timeless grooves with modern flair.

Review: Tinted Records offer up the latest new single by LA-based funky pop house producer Birdee. A resident of the likes of Groove Culture and Body Heat among many other hot label names, Birdee delivers big newness on this stratospheric uplifter, replete with surrounded fingerclick claps and a serious vocal line. Three new mixes also feature, with a new dub mix on the A2, as well as a nighttime caban-bound flip by The Coney Island Rhythm Band on the B-side, as well as a closing piano weapon version by Jerk Boy.

Review: Earlier this year, legendary NY house label King Street Sounds was acquired by Armada Music. The Dutch imprint plans to reissue many of the well-known - and lesser-celebrated - gems from the King Street vaults in the months and years ahead. To kick things off, they've delivered this vinyl sampler featuring some of the stable's most admired cuts of all time. So, we get Dennis Ferrer's iconic remix of Blaze and Barbara Tucker's gospel-powered soulful house anthem, 'Most Precious Love', the 'King Street Mix' of Jovonn's legendary deep, bumpin' tribute to New Jersey's Club Zanzibar, 'Back To Zanzibar', Mood II Swing's hot and heavy 'moody club mix' of their own Carole Sylvan collaboration 'Closer' and the all-time deep house classic that is the Wamdue Black extended rework of 'Cascades of Colour' by Ananda Project. Simply essential!

Review: Inner Life's 'I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)' released in 1979 is a quintessential disco anthem that captures the exuberance and allure of the era. Jocelyn Brown's powerful vocals deliver a story of fleeting romance, seamlessly intertwining with lush orchestrations and a driving rhythm section that still get people up and dancing all these decades on. The track's infectious groove, memorable hooks, and lavish production epitomise the magic of late-70s dancefloors which is it why it is such a staple in both nostalgic disco sets and modern dance compilations. This reissue offers up four different versions by the great remix king John Morales.

Review: The third installment from long serving house institution King Street Sounds offers up a stellar selection of deep house gems that shine on vinyl. Side-1 opens with Danell Dixon's 'Dance Dance' in DJ Pierre's Wild Pitch mix. Its sweeping melody and piano-driven elegance embody the quintessential house vibe, setting a high standard. Following this, Big Moses delivers 'Brighter Days' featuring Kenny Bobien. This extended mix pairs a Sylvester-inspired vocal with a mellow yet uplifting groove, carrying a timeless house message of joy and positivity. Flipping to side two, DJ Pierre's 'Dancin'' takes center stage with a filtered anthem that shows his signature Wild Pitch flair, igniting the dancefloor with energy and style. Blaze's 'Shine' closes things out in the Shelter vocal extended mix. Blending melodic piano, gospel influences and jazzy undertones, it's a laid-back yet upbeat track that exudes warmth and soul. A great taster of this label's undisputed ongoing mastery of the house genre.

Review: Love Chug by East Coast Love Affair and BDK delivers two distinct approaches to peak-time dancefloor energy, perfect for any house club setting. Side-1 features 'Love Chug' by East Coast Love Affair, a track that expertly builds with a driving disco vibe. A powerful guitar riff takes the lead, while a filtered hook pushes the sound deep into house territory, creating an immersive experience that evolves throughout. On Side-2, BDK's 'Pure Sass' offers a strong, uplifting house track that borders on gospel house. Its vibrant energy and soulful vibe are reminiscent of classic Jasper Street tracks, making it an irresistible choice for the dancefloor. Together, these tracks provide a dynamic balanceione that builds and one that never lets upiensuring that the energy stays high all night.

Review: Culture Club legend and pop maverick Boy George makes a triumphant return for Record Store Day with an exclusive coloured 12" of a long-lost gem. Originally produced in the '90s and revived as a dancefloor hit in 2007, the wonderful 'You're Not The One' now receives its first proper vinyl release, having previously been CD only, with copies on second-hand markets fetching upwards of L450. Reimagined by original producer Kinky Roland, this version features standout remixes including a sleek Vocal and Dub version by house legend Eric Kupper and a genre-blurring rework by Grammy-nominated UK talent Paris Cesvette. Superb club-ready pop nostalgia.

Review: Honey Boy is a superb new single by the one and only Purple Disco Machine alongside the super star bass player and Chic band member Nile Rogers as well as Shenseea and Benjamin Ingrosso. With all these talents on one tune you know it is going to be a big one full of rich bass and killer hooks and so it proves, with funky beats, lithe bass playing and dazzling disco pads that are all topped with an irresistibly sunny vocal.

Review: Luv Shack's compilation style 'Disco Biscuits' series is the very definition of reliable, with each new EP delivering killer cuts aimed at the more cosmic end of nu-diusco dancefloors. Volume five in the series arrives with four more tried-and-tested workouts and little in the way of forgettable filler. Check first Rising Seed's 'Back For More', a driving slab of spacey dub disco/cosmic disco fusion in which intergalactic electronics and samples sitars ride a Prins Thomas-esque bassline and beats, before admiring the chugging and squelchy nu-disco shuffle of 'Suffering of K.P' by B.Visible. Over on the flip, Peletronic's 'Drifting' is a glassy-eyed slab of immersive deep house/nu-disco fusion, while Jon Gravy's 'When U Leave' is a stomping slab of peak-time house headiness rich in bustling beats, memorable melodies and hands-aloft riffs.

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: Woody Bianchi, renowned funk digger and DJ, embarks on yet another archaeological record collection excavation, unearthing yet another volume of badass funk from the adjacent era of disco that emerged in the 70s and 80s. This is an in depth compilation series to say the least: the tracks are all examples of funk greats which reflected certain motifs from the disco explosion that came after it - even "James Brown had to take notice of the Saturday Night Fever". Several hard-to-find gems appear among ubiquitous classics, among extensive liner notes by Woody himself.

Review: The Blessed Madonna, aka US DJ and producer Marea Stamper is back with the release of her debut album proper after an album of remixes with Dua Lipa in previous years. Godspeed is a great embodiment of her sound which covers a wide range of house and disco styles, always served up with big energy and lots of love So far, fans have heard the bonus single 'Happier' featuring Clementine Douglas and it is a bittersweet bubblegum dance track blending melancholy vocals with triumphant production. The rest of the album promises the same infectious energy, with catchy basslines, sharp breakbeat breakdowns and a nostalgic feel. Godspeed captures Stamper's emotional depth and big time grooves in style.

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


The Blessed Madonna riffs on an immensely successful DJ career so far with the announcement of her debut album, Godspeed. So far, the public is only privy to the bonus single 'Happier', featuring singer Clementine Douglas, a pristine bubblegum dance number turbid with the bittersweet taint of melancholy on the part of the latter singer, and a driven, victorious feel in the production by theThe Blessed Madonna, personally known as Marea Stamper, herself. We can happily disclose, however, that the rest of the record is just as infectious and technical in equal parts, with earworming bass movements backed by stark breakbeat breakdowns and nostalgic moods, all cementing the moving story of Stamper's comeup on the international scene.

Review: The Blessed Madonna riffs on an immensely successful DJ career so far with the announcement of her debut album, Godspeed. So far, the public is only privy to the bonus single 'Happier', featuring singer Clementine Douglas, a pristine bubblegum dance number turbid with the bittersweet taint of melancholy on the part of the latter singer, and a driven, victorious feel in the production by theThe Blessed Madonna, personally known as Marea Stamper, herself. We can happily disclose, however, that the rest of the record is just as infectious and technical in equal parts, with earworming bass movements backed by stark breakbeat breakdowns and nostalgic moods, all cementing the moving story of Stamper's comeup on the international scene.