Best Italy レコード& CD

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Best Italy continues to do a wonderful job of unearthing much-sought after gems and giving them the re-press they deserve. Lily Ann was a quintessential one hit wonder of Italo disco perfection that surfaced in 1984, and "Going Crazy" captures the mood of early 80s dance music perfectly. Adding value to the release beyond the fresh mastering job and high-end modern pressing, as well as the previously released vocal and instrumental we also get treated to a dub mix of "Going Crazy" to give you even more options for dropping this impeccable slice of Italian dance music history.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Dent on the side, product in perfect working order***


Best Records present another deep cover jam Balearic diggers will rejoice at being able to lay their hands on. Blue Night was the brainchild of Peter Miconi, who created "Turn Me Loose" in 1983. All the elements are present here, from the aching blue-eyed soul vocals to rich guitar solos and an irrepressible funk bedded down in the groove, here stretching out for a full 14 minutes of pure sunkissed bliss. On the flip, SIRS takes a careful run at the original that simply reframes the elements with a more pronounced rhythm section - this is someone who knows exactly what the track needs and declines to change anything for the sake of it. Classy stuff, as you would expect from a reissue on Best Records.

Review: A genuine one off, largely made using the then-new Yamaha DX-7 synth, Joe Car's sole single from 1984 has long been one of the rarest Italo-disco 12" singles around. This reissue has been a long time coming, with the revitalised Best Record finally securing the rights to re-release it earlier this year. It remains a fun and surprisingly on-point release. It appears in two takes, both of which we think were laid to tape at the time. On the A-side you'll find the 'Electro Potato Mix', where chiming lead lines, Fairlight style sampled stabs and male vocals rise above a chuggig, arpeggio style bassline and machine drums. Nestled on the flip is the original vocal version, which sounds like the sort of thing Chris Lowe from Pet Shop Boys may have been dancing to during the period - there are certainly a few cuts in the duo's earlt catalogue that utilise similar sounds and grooves.

Review: Robert Cotter originally released Timeless in 1980, capturing the magic of the disco wave while it was still informed by a classic 70s studio approach before synths and drum machines become the dominant medium. The stand out track on the record is ‘Rock Me With Your Love’ - a timeless gem of get-down heat laid down by a crack team of players and captured by Ned Liben at Sundragon Studio in New York. If you’re always on the hunt for the fiercest jams from that era, you won’t be disappointed by what you find on this album of expansive, expressive tracks from an undeniably talented crew that missed out on wider recognition when their magnum opus was originally released more than 40 years ago.

Review: During the pre-Italo-disco era, many Italian musicians and producers made the move to New York after making their own surprisingly authentic-sounding disco records back home. There, they frequentlyworked with Black American singers to make singles and albums that were, curiously, then released in Italy rather than the U.S. New Jersey singer Robert Cotter's 1980 set, Timeless, is a particularly good example - especially as it's a fantastic collection of disco, disco-funk and dancefloor soul workouts. Reissued here for the first time, highlights of the five-track set include the infectious, stretched-out opener 'Rock Me With Your Love' - an under-played dancefloor classic - and the boogie-tinged disco shuffler 'Timeless'.

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


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: Best Record has secured the rights to this 12" vinyl reissue of Fascination 'Out to Get You', which is dedicated to Giancarlo Meo, the esteemed producer behind Easy Going and other iconic acts. This release, curated by Claudio Casalini, pays homage to Italy's vibrant disco era and blends elements of disco, soul, and funk. The original comes as three different and equally captivating versions, including a re-edit by DJ Massimo Berardi who injects plenty of contemporary flair while preserving the essence of the original tracks. With its fusion of retro charm and modern energy, this reissue offers a nostalgic yet danceable vibe and is primed and ready to for igniting dance floors worldwide once again.

Review: Best Records has got some superb reissues dropping right now, just in time for summer, and Mike Francis's brilliantly Balearic soul cut from 1982 is next up. This effortlessly heartwarming vocal track was produced by Paul and Peter Micioni and emerged from the Italo Disco scene in Italy on the heels of a former big hit with the Metropole group. However, on this project, he worked under a new stage name but didn't lose any of his creative edge. 'Love Has Found You' is impossibly laidback and lovely with its carefree melodies and 'Nighttime Lady' is a mid-tempo slow burner with funky low ends and a nice playful vocal full of love.

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


REPRESS ALERT!: Best Italy turn their impeccable reissue powers towards a surefire burner from 1984 given the stamp of approval by the likes of David Mancuso, Larry Levan and Ron Hardy back in the day. "Come Back Lover" was actually mixed down by another legendary DJ - Tony Humphries - and it shows. Even the original mix plays out with an extended, floor-focused flow that captures the creative energy at work at this epochal time for DJ culture. As ever with Best reissues, there's a plethora of alternative and dub mixes to suit any spinner's specific requirements, with the groove front and centre every time.

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


Best turn their attention to that sweet mid 80s spot when the petri dish of party music was shaken up between disco, boogie, Italo and the emergent house sound from Chicago. Claudio Simonetti was a titan of the Italian groove, but his monster jam as Kasso, "One More Round", reached the stratosphere when Windy City godfather Frankie Knuckles gave the track his Midas touch. No more justification is needed for this pressing, but don't overlook the flip which finds 80s remix supremo Brett Wilcots taking on "Walkman" and whipping up a boogie frenzy of the highest order.

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


REPRESS ALERT: This is a reissue that will have all Italo hunters rejoicing - Topo's "Ba Ba Go, Go" is the kind of holy grail jam that gets bootlegged and still commands high prices. It's not hard to see why - it's a masterclass of otherworldly electronic disco with a prog rock bent and an insanely catchy, oddball vocal hook. With its minimal synth lines and subtly spooky futurist mood, it's every inch the curveball classic. It's shocking it's taken this long for an official remastered version of this track to surface, but don't sleep because it might not be around for long.