Gamm レコード& CD

Review: Enigmatic producer Black Truffle debuted on this label back in February with the first volume of his Black Truffle Edits series. Once again he mixes up disco, funk, boogie and more with 'Aurora' being nice and bright, airy and inviting to get things underway. 'Milk & Honey' ups the energy levels with more spongey synths and plenty of OG disco attitude next to some scorching vocals. Last of all, 'Spa Dance' gets more freaky and funky with some spaced-out synth work and plenty of great guitar riffs underlining the sliding disco drum work.

Review: The long running Gamm label looks to long time disco don DJ Monchan for a special new cut that takes the dance floor on an epic adventure over more than nine minutes. 'What Is Your Love Worth?' has lush Philly strings and brims with happiness from the big horns and florid vocals. It's a groove that never quits and brings irresistible heat to the club. 'W Wheeling' has a more raw and visceral appeal - the funky drums and bass, the big keys and the expressive male and female vocals counter each other next to big Rhodes energy and lashing of boogie brilliance that brings 90s New York charm.

Review: The legendary Game label is pure bait for dancers. Whether serving up disco, hip-hop, Latin or funk it knows how to hit the perfect sweet spot that brings everyone together. DJ Monchan is next up with this tasteful two-track 12". It starts with the low-slung and dubbed-out disco-house loops of 'Love Me' which is topped with a short, simple but sensuous vocal hook. On the flip is 'U&me' which brings some li-fi crackle and funky jazz licks over rolling and warming drums. A real early evening classic, for sure.

Review: It's always a good day when Al Kent is back with new music. This one on Gamm, Welcome To The Dub, finds him dubbing out some lush disco sounds. The title cut is a loopy and jazz-funk-infused number with lovely hi-hats and noodling chords all radiating joy and uplifting energy. 'Dubanova' then takes a more low-slung route with a sleazy guitar riff and nice live drums embellished with smartly overdubbed vocals coated in echo. 'Happiness & Peace' is a quieter affair with echoing hits and a meandering lead that encourages your mind to do the same.

Review: US re-edit crew The Patchouli Brothers return to Sweden's Gamm with two more reworked dancefloor cuts from days gone by. On the A, you'll find the exuberant 'Fuqua & James' with its sweeping strings, brass fanfares and falsetto "I'm so grateful" vocal - the track being a rejig of Sylvester's 'Grateful' from 1978 that, somewhat unusually, is quite a bit slower than the original. In comparison, the B's 'Peace, Love & Understanding' mines velvet-suited mid-70s soul a la Barry White or Joe Simon for its source material, but is every bit as upbeat and danceable as the A-side.

Review: French DJ-turned-remixer Young Pulse's popular Paris Edits series notches up seven volumes, this time via a three-tracker packed to the rafters with heavyweight disco-funk grooves. Arguably the best of a very strong bunch is 'Bobo's Reason', a reverb and delay-laden, slightly beefed-up rearrangement of an excitable, horn-heavy disco-soul tune from the Philadelphia school of orchestrated dancefloor fun. There is of course plenty to set the pulse racing elsewhere across the EP though, with the spacey, synth-laden, percussion-rich disco-boogie of 'Beggar's Run' being joined on side two by the high-octane disco-funk weight of 'Bisso's Love'.