Disco Recommendations October 2013

Review: Having signalled the end of their Originals series in fine fettle with a wonderful selection from the New York based producer and selector Alex from Tokyo, Claremont 56 send out the end product of what must be one of the most onerous tasks in recent years. This rather dashing 5xLP box set house two tracks a side from each of the ten Originals compilations issued since the series commenced back in 2008. Aside from the sticky issues of actually legally licensing these tracks for a vinyl release, there's also the factor of having to whittle out just two songs from each of the compilations. Regardless, Paul Mudd Murphy has done a splendid job with inclusions such as Donna McGhee's superb disco cut from the Rong Music volume or the undervalued Anthony Watson gem from the final installment getting the approval of the Juno review team.

Review: Space Dimension Controller returns to Clone's Royal Oak series in style with the first of five Correlation releases! It was back in 2010 that the then-emerging Space Dimension Controller first landed on Clone's Royal Oak imprint with Journey To The Core Of The Unknown Sphere; since that landmark release the Belfast born producer's career has taken off with successive EPs on R&S which ultimately led to this year's concept-heavy debut album Welcome To Mikrosector-50. Correlation#1 retains the intergalactic motifs that have become a Space Dimension Controller trademark, however the five tracks here find Hamill focusing on a straighter dancefloor approach akin to his earliest releases. His one concession to conceptual themes manifests itself visually with Hamill producing a series of prints relating to the mood and colour of each track. One print has been randomly inserted into each of the records included in this first pressing.

Review: Yes! A brilliant induction into the Neroli annals of fame for Mr Dego and his 200 Black crew; joining the likes of Domu and Nubian Mindz in adding some classic bruk boogie perspective to Volcov's long running label. There's numerous reasons to check this triple hitting Find A Way plate, not least the title cut where Dego teams up with Akwasi and Kaidi Taiham, with the latter offering up a rare turn on vocals as opposed to manning the keys; the results are sublime and soul enriched boogie which offers a nice contrast with the deeper, rolling bump of "The Hurt". The amazing Bembe Segue turns up on "Sunshine" with Dego and crew wisely taking a step back to let her take centre stage.

Review: Kinfolk head to Philly for Kinfolk004, welcoming committed vinyl rummager and top notch DJ Billy Werner into the fold. This two track 12" is the apparent end product of that rare occurrence where budding producer sends label unsigned tracks that are actually decent. "Kick & Flutter" is a blinky blue sunrise of a tune, innocent, euphoric and, dare we say, totally Balearic... not retro but timeless. "Where the sea meets the Stones" treads a similar line but with a more incessant acidic undertone. Both perfect for chasing sunrises and sunsets... As is traditional you get a Soft Rocks remix to boot... murmured voices, gentle pulses and psychedelic repetition. Did any of the original make it in there? Just relax and enjoy it...

Review: Very, very strong dramatic italo/disco/soundtrack-like double 12". Reminds me of "Tenebre" by Claudio Simonetti and John Carpenters "Escape From New York". Must have for the "The Hague Sound" lovers. One of the best releases from Legowelt ever!

Review: Four finely crafted edits from the Ibizan Messalina imprint here. The most obvious one is Jamie Fatneck's daring acid reversion of "Billie Jean". While there are myriad edits and reboots of this available, Jamie's added a completely different twist to proceedings. Elsewhere we get funky with Jamie's tightly chopped Doobie Brothers edit "Fool" while the label boss digs deep for two of his own soul-coated house bombs; "Dame Un Beso" takes a Cuban 'cha cha cha' rhythm and takes it to a more sombre, reflective place while "Because Today" pays homage to the original jacking west coast deep house sound.

Review: ** Psychemagik classic repress alert ** Ah yes, "For Your Love", the 1978 Euro Disco classic from Chilly hasn't that been re/edited by at least 78% of Soundcloud's disco edit community? Correct - it's actually second only to the gazillion marketing tools presented as a remix that are helping to power forward the career of Lana Del Rey. Psychemagik are yet to remix Lana Del Lips so we can forgive them for adding to the slew of edits of Chilly's Yardbirds cover version already released. As it stands the Psychemagik version of "For Your Love" is a commendable revision which beefs up the low end and extends everything beyond the ten minute mark. Much better is the sub blessed take on Joyce's "Aldeia De Ogum" which should come with a Punta Del Esta Approved stamp.

Review: 1978 gem from Freddie 'Wabine' Harris on the private press label Wabine Productions gets a limited reissue for the disco heads. Both tracks on The Martians Visit are certified discotheque killers with B Side cut "Sail On" the acknowledge biggie, a highly sought-after jazzy soul classic melding super-cool low-slung grinding Island funk with understated steel pans and a dreamy female chorus. Don't front on the title cut though as it's a tight slab of sun-drenched space-disco with a solid up-tempo Caribbean groove, great strings and squelching bass. Fantastic stuff!

Review: A fantastic reissue from 1985 here, this DJ History championed slice of AOR disco last appeared on Moonboots and Balearic Mike's Originals compilation on Claremont 56 a few years back. Timelessly smooth and synth driven, it's not far off a Bee Gees cut but played at half speed. With sprightly keys, a definitive 80s boogie bassline and a stunning falsetto vocal, this guarantees meltdown on all disco floors. The instrumental is a thing of beauty, too. This has aged really, really well.

Review: When it comes to edits, Al Kent is definitely up there with the best. A selector in every sense of the word, he doesn't just highlight the best of the past, but also the best elements of those originals. Here we find him revisiting Stanton Davis's 1977 jazz funk fusion album Bright Days. Taking the first and last tracks from the set, both cuts have been reshaped to fit today's dancefloors. "Things Can Not Stop Forever" is more loop-based with an added pounding stomp. The percussion from the original's intro has been applied over the guitar lick to give the edit a real insistency and groove. "High Jazz" has undergone a similar facelift. The original's far-out intentions and unpredictability are still found in the edit, but Al's managed to tether it together by way of a solid 4/4 and more emphasis on the keys than the original's emphatic vocals.

Review: Following a series of cheeky 12"s and a collaborative LP with Tito Wun, Cologne-based Damiano delivers his debut solo LP. Excitingly varied yet reassuringly consistent, across the double vinyl LP you'll find myriad house gems ranging from the warm organ-coated deep jazz swing of "Adhab Ya Msafiri" to the evangelistic loopy gospel chugger "All Good" via dronesome, slo-mo fuggy funk of "Sweet & Kind". Accomplished, authentic and confidently delivered, Damiano is full of love!

Review: Andrew Weatherall and Timothy J Fairplay's project of dubbed out disco and house spread itself comfortably across the Ruled By Passion, Destroyed By Lust LP on Rotters Golf Club mere months before, and now a rag tag collection of remixers has been drawn together to reinterpret most of the album. They've reached for like-minded souls, such as Ivan Smagghe, Phil Kieran, Richard Sen and Justin Robertson with the latter's Deadstock 33s remix of "Beglammered" filled with nervy industrial undertones. Elsewhere, Black Merlin do an especially captivating job of soundtracking "Skwatch" into a lurid 80s gore fest for the ears, while Scott Fraser whips up a hypnotic Italo inflected stomper, but really every one of these esteemed producers adds to the overall tone of vintage, motor-powered dance music for ghoulish souls.

Review: The Far Out Disco Orchestra was founded back in 2011 by Far Out Recordings boss Joe Davis as a means to celebrate the label's fifteenth anniversary. Harmonic 313's David Brinkworth, Daniel "Venom" Maunick, Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai, a massive string and the now sadly departed Jose Roberto Bertrami of Azymuth all played a part of The Far Out Disco Orchestra and the label have released numerous 12"s holding high profile remixes from the likes of Theo Parrish, Mark E, 4 Hero, Kirk DeGiorgio and more of the troupe's arrangements. Add two more stellar names to the list here as Mark Pritchard and Marcellus Pittman share sides both reworking "Vendetta". Given his recent penchant for footwork, the former surprisingly opts for a wonderfully uplifting ten minute analogue disco work out that dovetails nicely with Pittman's low slung effort.

Review: ** Clear vinyl edition! ** Way back in 2007, it was arguably the release of the After Dark compilation that really put Italians Do It Better on the map. These days, Mike Simonetti and Johnny Jewel's infamous label is part of the furniture, though it still retains an ability to amaze with the quality of its releases. After Dark 2 is, predictably, another cracker. Showcasing mostly new and previously unreleased music from the label's impressive roster, it's packed with stylish, synth-laden gems, from the yearning melancholy of Chromatics' brilliant "Cherry", and the droning, late night intensity of Farah's "Into Eternity", to the tactile, intergalactic atmospherics of Simonetti's "The Magician" and sparkling new-wave pomp of Glass Candy's four impeccable contributions. Don't sleep!