Disco Recommendations March 2011

Review: Much like Gavin Russom's Brazilian excursions last year informed the musical direction of his project The Crystal Ark, Optimo don JD Twitch returned from travels through Columbia with a new found passion for the country's distinctive Cumbia sound. That love of the music that's heavy on percussion but absent of any true throbbing drum beat has lead Twitch to rework the four tracks that appear on this fifth volume of the Let's Get Lost imprint overseen by Force Of Nature's KZA. A delightfully leftfield departure from previous editions, the presence of cover versions of "Staying Alive" and "Do You Think I'm Sexy" will tick the box for those seeking an off the beaten track floor filler though it is the two other untitled tracks that really impress. In particular the final track, a crashing excursion through cowbell heavy grooves, delightfully cheap sounding organ stabs and indecipherable vocal Latin refrains.

Review: Glaswegian disco digger Al Kent has come a long way in the last decade. When he first set up Million Dollar Disco 10 years ago, his specialism was filter-heavy disco-house. Now, though, he's a disco purist through and through - as, to be fair, he always was at heart - delivering high grade re-edits of super-obscure underground bombs. This three tracker offers more top-notch cut-and-paste action for the heads. There's no post-production trickery or extra kicks, just incessant disco grooves, lung-busting vocals, razor-sharp strings and life affirming horns. Basically, if you dig real disco, you need this. Lead cut "Feel It Baby", in particular, is a killer.

Review: After impressing with their 2010 debut on Ghostly International and the debut Visionquest release, Benoit & Sergio transfer to the mighty DFA for their latest offering. In many ways, it's a match made in heaven. Their distinctive sound - a kind of fusion of Kompakt's poppier vocal moments, achingly hip indie-pop and dreamy deep house - is a good fit on DFA. Certainly, there's much to enjoy on the Boy Trouble EP, from the jaunty melancholy of the title track to the introspective warmth of "What I've Lost" and Balearic beauty of "Full Grown Man". Visionquest return the aforementioned favour with a more dancefloor friendly remix, but it's the original tracks that really excel.

Review: To date, the Autodiscotheque imprint has delivered some fine warehouse jams from the likes of Pete Herbert, Red Rack'em and JD Twitch - with the latter's tweaks of Brass Construction and Bronski Beat a particular delight. The sixth release sees the return of Richard Sen and Cazbee, responsible for the debut Autodiscotheque release. Sitting somewhere between disco and proto house, echoing the "more Ron than Larry" ethos of the label, the burning funk of "Gone Crazy" is a particular delight, thanks mostly to the primal drum sounds and early 80s taut rhythmic throb. Flipside treatment "Music Is Everything" begins in more simplistic disco terms, though it gradually gets twisted inside out quite brilliantly, though the best is left till last with the skeletal EBM rattle of "Shake It".

Review: More splice 'n' dice edit action from Glasgow's premier disco beard, with three more goodtime grooves on offer. Lead cut "Message To The People" brilliantly rearranges and fattens up Mass Production's much-loved disco-funk banger "Welcome To Our World Of Merry Music". It was obvious something of a labour of love, because it remains faithful to the original while giving it a serious rocket up the backside. Respect is due. On the B, "I Feel The Groove" is another stomper - this time with space synths - while "Keep On Doing" will satisfy DJs with a passion for slap-bass grooves and triumphant horns.

Review: Chicago legend Rahaan is back on Jerome Derradji's Stilove4music imprint with some decidedly raw and dusty dancefloor tweaks housed in the most minimal of vinyl packaging. Whilst a blank house bag and unlabelled twelve inch is the epitome of no thrills, thankfully Rahaan steps up musically with the A Side dedicated to an extended minimalist version of Lipps Inc's "Funky Town" that's delightfully augmented by some additional "toot toot, beep beeps" from the first lady of disco, Donna Summer. Essentially Rahaan breathes new life into a track that's veering on the overplayed by stripping it of its musical excesses and concentrating on turning the remains into something sweaty and hypnotic. On the flip "Love Bug" pitches down the helium centric disco craziness of Bumblebee Unlimited's song of the same name to something more palatable and rearranges the track to shift the focus onto those glorious strings with the final product something less frenetic. Finally Teddy Pendergrass' already downright funky "If You Know Like I Know" gets embellished with some bottom end rawness.

Review: Skylax Records impresario Hardrock Striker unveils the tenth release on his Cosmic Club offshoot with perhaps the most impressive contributions to date, presenting a neat slant on styles that fully represents the sonic ethos of the affiliated club night in Paris overseen by Monsieur Striker. It's always a pleasure to see a new original production from Walter Jones, and his contribution here proves to be the New Orleans based producer at his best. Staying true to its title, "Seven Minutes Of Disco" is a glorious excursion through the finer points of contemporary disco production, all glistening synth lines, heavy usage of cowbell, a thick groove of expertly layered drums and low bass all topped off with infectious organ noodlings. The latest offering from Italian duo The Love Supreme which follows proves to be just as impressive, though inherently much more unhinged rhythmically. "Barbatrick" is characterised by shuffling live drums and a disjointed groove concocted of ascendant synth nudges, delightfully dirty smudged bass and typically schizophrenic arpeggiated stabs. On the flip, "Lost In Space" sees veteran Danish producer Peter Visti deliver a slice of shuffling modern uptempo Balearica that bristles with undercurrents of outer galactic sonics worthy of its title. It is however somewhat overshadowed by the final track here from the Ukraine's biggest Legowelt fan, Renkas. "Where Is The Ocean" is a hauntingly oddball melding of the vintage Dutch electro pioneered by the likes of the aforementioned Danny Wolfers, and the rough synth dramatics of mainland European Cold Wave.