Back catalogue: Funky/Club House

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: Mushroom Pillow is on a proud and so far successful mission to bring back Latin American music from the 60s-80s via its Relatin project. it's all about mixing up the traditional and the modern and putting fresh spins on what went before. Many of the originals they look to have gone unnoticed the first time round and that's the case here as Franc Moody adds his own twist to Elia & Elizabeth's 'Alegria.' His remix is a sympathetic one that gets the hips swinging over fat and funky disco bass and beneath the sunny Latin vocals. He strips them away on the instrumental version on the flip.

Review: Faris Pashion returns with its first release since Autumn/Winter 2021, and despite the hiatus, it has lost none of its elusive house and disco magic. The new one is a two-track celebration of Italo disco and house that is sure to bring out the most high-energy struts on the dancefloor, or get spins for style cats at Milan Fashion Week. 'Ital Come Out' kicks off with some funky and percolating Italo melodies next to lush chords that speak of a balmy summer's evening dance in the open air. 'Say To Ya' then gets deep and silky with a gooey bassline and cosmic melodies next to a soul-stirring but subtle vocal that oozes cool and late-night charm.

Review: Southern Fried Records celebrates its 500th single with the massive release of 'Role Model', marking the return of label head Fatboy Slim, causing fans worldwide to rejoice as Norman Cook steps back into the spotlight. After bonding on a South American tour, Cook invited Parisian DJ, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Chloe Caillet to remix the track. The result? A powerhouse remix that's already making waves, showcasing Caillet's flair and giving 'Role Model' a fresh, electrifying twist that's sure to ignite dancefloors.

Review: A polished deep house rework that retains the breezy charm of the original while adding a weighty, melodic groove. Built around PNAU's 'Baby', its smooth sax riffs and warm vocals give it an effortless appeal that has kept it relevant over a decade. Dance On The Beat Italy's reissue on pink vinyl includes remixes by Tocadisco, Robin Schulz and Pretty Pink, each offering a fresh angle, from stripped-back minimalism to lush, feel-good layers. Whether for the dancefloor or casual listening, this is a definitive pick for selectors seeking understated house brilliance.

Review: In 2007 Juno Records is ten years old, and we've decided to celebrate by releasing 10 singles throughout the year. Each one is a classic dance track featuring new remixes from the some of the most exciting and established names in the business, including Julien Jabre, Spirit Catcher, Dimitri from Paris, Lindstrom, Troy Pierce, Cobblestone Jazz and many more. These releases will initially only be available from www.juno.co.uk and www.junodownload.com. To launch the series we have pulled out all the stops with the re-release of the timeless "In The Trees" by Faze Action, featuring remixes from the legendary Carl Craig and Jerome Sydenham & Tiger Stripes, as well as the brilliant 1996 original mix. A genuinely huge release, this could be the first of 10 future classics! ***Stop press 19/12/07: the Carl Craig mix has been voted #3 in residentadvisor.net's "Top 5 Remixes Of 2007".

Review: Moiss Music is dropping two slabs of heat this month - their sixth and seventh EPs overall. Both are various artists' collections with plenty of 'floor-facing disco fun. Mathew Ferness opens this one with 'Paradisio' which has plenty of inspiration taken from late afternoon dances somewhere like Ibiza. 3kelves & We Are Neurotic get you working your feet with the busy percussive grooves and squelchy synth funk of 'Laguna Reservoir Funk' while Naux brings lots of loopy fun and throwback vocal goodness to his steamy 'Foxxy Cleopatra.' Partner Music rounds out the EP with the most energetic and busy of the lot - the restless melodies of 'People Should Romance.'

Review: Now under new ownership (international dance music powerhouse Armada Music, fact fans), long-serving New York house imprint King Street Sounds is doing a good job in showcasing gems from its vast archives. This second label sampler contains four more genuine must-have cuts. First up, there's a chance to admire the deep, soulful house wonder that is Dennis Ferrer's 2008 hook-up with honeyed vocalist K.T. Brooks, 'How Do I Let Go'. It's followed by Masters at Work's deliciously loose, disco-influenced deep house revision of 'Give It Up' by Lil' Louis' Rain project (first released in 2000), Mood II Swing's DIY Soundsystem favourite 'Sunlight In My Eyes' (easily one of the greatest deep house jams of all time) and Lil' Louis's swinging garage-house rub of Kimra Lovelace's 'Misery'.

Review: Hands up - this is one of our favourite ever jams and frankly we can't really understand anyone who doesn't rate it pretty highly. It is a classic of the early dance scene that got hammered everywhere from Warehouse to Paradise Garage and remains in a class of one decades on. Next to the brilliant original, which is from a time when proper songwriting and musicianship defined house and disco, you get a Ron Hardy edit that is more uptempo, with hissing hi hats cutting through the funky rhythms and loopy drums. Sublime.

Review: The American female vocal trio First Choice released their rendition of 'Love and Happiness' in 1973. The track is a cover of Al Green's original released just a year earlier in 1972, but First Choice's version was perhaps helped along the way by a peak case of nominative determinism: for us, theirs is the first choice. Featured on their debut album, Armed and Extremely Dangerous, it stood out on the Philly soul girl gang's record as one of the records most propitious to sampling by house and techno musicians, such as Todd Terry and Jungle Brothers. But this time, the legacy of this preceptive soulful-house interplay is honoured by a newly reissued remix by the mysterious but titanic Chicago producer Ron Hardy, whose inclusion on the record is the real star here. Hardy's signature reel-to-reel fuzzes and presence-bled hues effect recollections of a pre-DAW production setup, and the resonances of dub (woodblocks, four-tone hooks, burly basslines) nest the original Al Green vocal nicely.

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: The In Waves label is fast approaching its tentth release but before that it turns once again to Flowers On Monday for this lush new four track EP featuring Amega and Weam Ismail. It's the rousing and hymnal sounds of 'Featuring Amega And Weam Ismail.' that open up with loose, interwoven grooves and stirring melodies all topped off by the prayer-like vocals of Ismail. 'Your Sand' (feat Amega) is another dreamy deep house jaunt and 'Resonate Me' (feat Amega) is a spine tinging and angelic electronic lullaby that gets served up in a superb ambient version.

Review: Z Records returns with a Hustle-tastic 12" to light up both your life and DJ sets. It's the boss himself Dave Lee who kicks off with his extended rework of a bonafide Brit Funk classic in the shape of Hi Tension's 'British Hustle'. Featuring David Josephs's signature vocals over the chugging Caribbean rhythm track, it's a song that's never received an extended club mix from the tapes since its first release in 1978. His second cut is a Re-Wriggle of a Funky Worm volume pumping classic that becomes a fat-bottomed house jam with stomping brass, ear-worm vocal hooks and Latin inspired keys. "On the flip' (as they say) is Foreal People's 'Tango Hustle' - a driving clav heavy, jazz funk workout complete with chanting dance instructions over various solos. Add in an acapella and some 'Hustle Beats' and you have a very muscular package.

Review: Swirl People revisit their roots with a nostalgic four track EP from their early days as Fortune Cookie. This collection - which is their third release on L.I.T.S. - features carefully selected tracks from their original 1996 releases on Marguerite, a small label run by a friend. Nearly three decades later, these still much sought-after tracks are finally being reissued. The EP opens with 'Glitter Girls,' which is characterised by a catchy bassline, followed by the deep groove of 'Um Bongo.' On the B-side, 'Galactic Snackbar' offers a retro-futuristic feel, while 'Frisko Heaven' wraps up the EP with classic disco-filtered house energy. Timeless tackle, for sure.

Review: The history of 'Toca's Miracle' underscores how transformative the mashup era could be. By merging Coco Star's impassioned vocal from 'I Need a Miracle' with Fragma's 'Toca Me', a simple experiment became a phenomenon. This vinyl reissue foregrounds its dramatic tension: the interplay of shimmering synths and the vocal's raw emotional pull still feels electrifying. While the original captured a late-90s wave of clubbing euphoria, its carefully crafted layersian evocative bassline, cascading melody, and dynamic buildihave aged with grace. More than nostalgia, it's a reminder of dance music's power to reinvent itself and connect deeply with listeners.

Review: Mark Francis teams up with Nimiwari to deliver a soulful house gem in 'Exclusively', a track that brings the Newark DJ's signature sound to the forefront. Known for his residency at Club Shelter, Francis expertly crafts a lush soundscape, with Shawn Lucas on keys adding a rich layer of depth. Nimiwari's vocal performance, blending soul and house influences, elevates the track with emotion and finesse. On remix duties, Detroit legend Alton Miller steps in with a groovy rework, featuring his trademark keys and a bassline that glides effortlessly. Miller's take is an elegant nod to his deep roots in the scene, co-founder of The Music Institute club and a key figure in Detroit's house history. Both the original and remix are backed by instrumentals, offering DJs ample space to work with on the floor. Francis and Nimiwari have created something special here, a soulful, timeless track with just the right amount of modern flair. It's a testament to their artistry and the production skills of everyone involved, especially in how the music flows so naturally from one version to the next.

Review: DJ International presents the re-release of this rare classic, "Only The Strong Survive". Frankie Knuckles' timeless production combined with the powerful vocals by Ricky Dillard makes this a dancefloor hit.

Review: Aretha Franklin's soul anthem 'Respect' is arguably a record that doesn't need tampering with, though over the years there have certainly been some successful revisions - not least a B-More inspired take that dominated clubs in the early 2000s. On this single-sided 12", Matt Early and Lee Jefferies deliver their 'Expand Your Mind' remix - a funky, chunky and driving house interpretation that loops up key sections of Franklin's familiar vocals over a bed of bustling beats, rubbery bass guitar, warming chords and mazy, P-funk style synth solos. Throw in some well-crafted breakdowns and build-ups and you have a guaranteed winner that shows plenty of respect (sorry) to the peerless original.

Review: French Affair was a German-French dance-pop band that emerged at the dawn of the new millennium and had some heart success between 2000 and 2023. 'My Heart Goes Boom (La Di Da Da)' is one of them and 'Sexy' is another. It gets reissued here with several different mixes making it more suitable to club play and is an irresistibly bold, upbeat tune that collides infectious house drums with catchy, sultry vocals. The production is polished, with deep basslines and crisp percussion and a smooth vocal delivery adding a layer of steamy allure. This one is both seductive and fun and perfect for playful sets in the sun.

Review: The Friends 4 Ever label makes another solid shout to remain in your affections for the long run with a fourth EP full of house joy. This one samples a delightful Chris Rea Balearic classic and layers in the vocals from 'Josephine' to a rolling, deep and soulful house groove full of loved-up vibes and laid-back grooves. It's the sort of dancefloor uniting tune that could well bring tears if dropped at the right moment. Flip it over and you'll get something tinged with boogie-disco brilliance in the form of Surface's 'Falling In Love'. Two absolute pearlers.

Review: Kaninchenbau's main collaborators Sokur and The Funk District helm this latest intergalactic journey in the form of 'All Over You'. It's a superbly tasteful and deep disco joint with lush synth work and the sort of groovy drums that make every head to the floor and get down. Next to the original is a classic 'House Mix' version and then comes two epic remixes on the flip. Both are from accomplished and ever busy Razor-N-Tape producers Nenor and DJ Vas who bring a real touch of classic to their work and offer a different look than the A-side.

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: After hitting on something of a formula with 'Only Human', this A-side banger is further proof that Four Tet is onto a rich vein of side hustle action with his KH alter ego. 'Looking At Your Pager' is a cheeky slice of '90s throwback-ism in jackin' house form, and in a heuristically Hebden-esque style, makes deft use of the hilariously autotuned opening verse heard in 3LW's girl band hit, 'No More'. It's a very clever tune; just as no-one uses pagers anymore, nor do people use the kind of dubstep wobbles heard underneath the track's clacking groove... Mr. KH makes them cool again!

Review: A top value for money opportunity here, as Moiss Music deliver the latest in their sweet and sticky Jam series of various artist 12" line ups, bringing you no less than six bubbling, vivacious disco triumphs from six artists. Khemir's 'Disco Bandit' kicks off proceedings, a production that sounds like it was made by a band of around 45 musicians, a proper cavalcade of strings, brass, brazen disco thump and beautifully bold vocals. Wurzelholz's 'Prince' goes for a bit more economy but with a slinky funk bassline like that - not to mention the occasional exclamation from the purple overlord himself - it's equally devastating in dancefloor terms. Among the other highlights, 'Golden' by I Gemin has the feel of a lost Daft Punk flip tune and Cosmocomics' 'Glamorous Garcon', boasting 70s-style synth bubbles that are as cute as they are retro. Tasty as ever.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped***


A top value for money opportunity here, as Moiss Music deliver the latest in their sweet and sticky Jam series of various artist 12" line ups, bringing you no less than six bubbling, vivacious disco triumphs from six artists. Khemir's 'Disco Bandit' kicks off proceedings, a production that sounds like it was made by a band of around 45 musicians, a proper cavalcade of strings, brass, brazen disco thump and beautifully bold vocals. Wurzelholz's 'Prince' goes for a bit more economy but with a slinky funk bassline like that - not to mention the occasional exclamation from the purple overlord himself - it's equally devastating in dancefloor terms. Among the other highlights, 'Golden' by I Gemin has the feel of a lost Daft Punk flip tune and Cosmocomics' 'Glamorous Garcon', boasting 70s-style synth bubbles that are as cute as they are retro. Tasty as ever.

Review: Ready your arms and ears for an injection of nostalgia from Mark Knight and Funkagenda. These two longstanding artists tear the house down with their reimagining of the classic track by French maestro Laurent Garnier - clearly, the original is by now a house music standard, to the extent that Garnier isn't even obviously credited on the release here. It just goes without saying. Knight and Funkagenda's 'cover' here is neatly chiptuney, emphasising the bare bones of the composition, while their networking abilities see to further remixes of the cover by ATFC, Rene Amesz, and - hilariously - Hardwell. A varied remix EP spanning EDM, deep tech and nu-disco.

Review: Toolroom's 'sampler' series, which rounds up previously digital-only releases and sticks them out on action-packed 12" EPs, reaches its sixteenth instalment. Given the format, you'll be unsurprised to discover that there's plenty of bona-fide peak-time heat on show, starting with Mark Knight and James Hurr's excitable, filter-heavy, string-laden disco-house bomb 'You Take Me Higher'. Friend Within offers a scintillating blend of heavy acid bass, glassy-eyed female vocal samples, weighty beats and subtle disco samples on the superb 'Chain', while Martin Ikin and Winnie Ama opt for even heavier drums, warped bass, creepy electronics and dead-eyed spoken word vocals on the sweat-soaked 'Control It'. To round things off, we're treated to the tech-tinged funky house bounce of Flashmob and Raumakustik's percussion -rich 'Club Talk'.

Review: Sultry purist disco house moods from Groove Culture Italy, welcoming four standalone originals to the first edition of their 'Groove Is In The Heart' series, three out of four of which are remixes of tunes that have already been released on the label. True to their form, this record welds the ways of classic disco and disco-house, opening with the melismatic vocal tones of 'Ease My Mind' by Fleur De Mur before moving into the slightly slower chic-funk of Derrick McKenzie and Angela Johnson's 'On My Way Out'. Things turn housier - as the outdoor shindig moves indoors at first sign of the crepuscular tide - with 'My Prayer', while House Freakers' 'Tease Me' rounds things off on a well-sidechained womper.

Review: Next up on Amsterdam's XXX we have a wicked double header coming from a bunch of right heroes of the dark disco scene, across both sides of the Atlantic. Los Angeles-based duo Split Secs, comprised of west coast veteran TK Disco and Frenchman Alexandre Mouracade (aka SONNS) who head up the Machine LTD imprint, contribute the low-slung, slo-mo throb job that is 'Accept The Answer'. Secondly, Berlin by-way-of Pescara's Franz Scala, main man at Wrong Era and co-chief at Slow Motion, serves up the neon-lit modern Italo antics of 'Overflash'. They then proceed to do a mighty fine job of remixing each other on the flip. Tip!

Review: The now nicely matured Samosa label out of Italy is back with a 31st offering of its lavish disco and funk fusions. This time out the four tracker features four different artists starting with Strange and 'Hard Working' (De Gama Re-drums) which is a cosmic laced late night stomper then Frank Virgilio gets all romantic and feel good with 'Love Is Positivity.' Mosaik Kollektif opens up the flip with the deep sounds of 'Keep' (De Gama Re-drums) and last of all comes some more freewheeling funk with Monsieur Van Pratt and his 'Funk De Ibiza.'

Review: Venice-based artist Fango has a home studio out in the sticks and also works as part of a live band, but when not doing that he crafts juicy, fulsome and funky upbeat techno. Maschio is a young label that taps him up for just that here and 'Primavera' is what he offers in return - it's a chunky tune full of bright chords and happy pianos - sort of like a French filter house version of techno - all fizzy loops and fuzzy lines that are in a constant upward arc. A similarly smiley Dritto remix completes this tidy two-tracker.

Review: There are promising signs that something of a renaissance in dance music is taking place in the greater New York area, helmed by one of the new school progenitors of deep house. As half of New Jersey based Sfere Recordings along with house legend Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer can only be described as the face of hope for a new generation of producers of deep and musical electronic grooves. A real artist with an aptitude for song-writing and new production concepts, Ferrer is undoubtedly at the top of his game. Known first and foremast as having the Midas touch with remixing, this long player displays Dennis Ferrer as a songwriter, producer and tastemaker at the pinnacle of his powers.

Review: All funk lovers have long been dialed into the red hot heat served up on an endless basis by the Jalapeno label, Now it is to Flevans that they turn for another long player destined to warm you through this winter. There is an organic and naturalistic air to the sound pallets here that takes you into the great outdoors right from the opening track. Following that the tight stick work and jazzy chords, soulful vocals and rolling drums all make for a storytelling musical ride with highs, lows and plenty in between.

Review: Flight Facilities picked up plenty of fans in the wake of their first album so this sophomore effort has been much anticipated. And they won't be disappointed as Forever is another superb display of widescreen musical ability, rich in playful experimentation and traversing several different genres with equal elan. Everything from Chicago house to techno, lush orchestral stings to indie-tinged electronica and more feature across this fine mix of timeless tunes. Long featured vocalists Emma Louise, Georgia Nott and Caroline Smith all feature once more here to add their lush vocals tones and take things to another level.

Review: On their fourth studio album, The Masters Plan, Robert and Lyric Hood - the father-daughter duo behind Floorplan - deliver a masterclass in house and techno that's as diverse as it is cohesive. Released on Luke Solomon's Classic Music Company, this 18-track odyssey showcases the Hoods' uncanny ability to blend the sacred and profane, the light and dark, into a sonic tapestry that's uniquely their own. From the opening chords, it's clear that Floorplan's Detroit roots run deep. The gospel-infused 'We Give Thee Honour' sets the tone, its uplifting vocals and rolling rhythms invoking the spiritual ecstasy of a Sunday morning service reimagined for the dancefloor. This spiritual thread weaves throughout the album, most notably on tracks featuring local Detroit vocalists like the soulful trio Dames Brown, Earthtone, and Lowell Pye. But make no mistake - The Masters Plan isn't all celestial bliss. The Hoods aren't afraid to get grimy, as evidenced by the pummelling beats of 'What A Friend'. Here, they demonstrate their mastery of techno's harder edge, crafting a track that wouldn't sound out of place in the sweatiest basement clubs of Berlin or London. It's this deft navigation between styles that makes 'The Masters Plan' so compelling. The dreamy house soundscapes of 'Feel It' provide moments of blissful respite, while collaborations like 'Fake & Unholy' with label-mate Honey Dijon inject a shot of pure dancefloor adrenaline. What's most striking about 'The Masters Plan' is how seamlessly Robert and Lyric blend their generational perspectives. Rather than a handicap, their age gap becomes a strength, allowing them to draw inspiration from decades of electronic music history while still pushing the sound forward. Ultimately,
The Masters Plan feels like both a celebration and an invitation.

Review: 'Toca' is Fragma's debut trance album from 2001, following the smash success of their Eurotrance single for Positiva, 'Toca's Miracle'. Perhaps best describable as the 'R.I.P. Groove' of the trance era, the track saw to acclaim and much raving (both rave reviews and rave parties) thanks to its proto-Deadmau5y clap layering and sultry vocals by British singer Coco. The milking of the brand inevitably followed, but despite the cynicism that might surround that, this is a beautiful and pure sounding vocal trance LP. Now seeing its first vinyl release (CD was the format for trance back then), 'You Are Alive' and 'Magic' are creatively acidic, cute cuts.

Review: Just a week after the first volume of this bumper collection of house gold lands, we're treated to the second volume via Sosure Music. The Director's Cut Collection is an assemblage of remixes by the one and only Frankie Knuckles aka The Godfather of House alongside his frequent musical sparring partner Eric Kupper. They turned out many vital tunes in their time as this eight track selection shows with everything from their take on 'The Look' to a 'Director's Cut' Classic club mix of 'Let's Stay Home' via a 'Re-Directed' mix of the stone cold classic 'Baby Wants To Ride' featuring Jamie Principle.

Review: Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper's Director's Cut project continues with its third rendition, bringing together yet another eight house remixes of established neo-soul and trip-hop songs by the pair and their friends. Standouts on this one include Tony Humphries' Work & Play Mix of Inaya Day's 'Let's Stay Home', which follows the singer's orders to "take advantage of this little bit of rainfall" to produce a slice of humble, heated house pie; and Director's Cut's 'Signature mixes' of sultry lullabies by Martina Topley-Bird and Vintage Dbow.