Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Chad Jackson and Hallmighty deliver a fresh take on classic sounds with Jazz Be Good To Me on Battle Weapons France. This hip hop/R&B release features two creative tracks. Side-1 showcases Chad Jackson's 'Jazz Be Good To Me,' a lively hip hop groove that echoes the late 80s and 90s, when dance music was a key component of the genre. Jackson updates the early 80s classic by the S O S Band with a vibrant, contemporary twist, making it a perfect fusion of old and new. On Side-2, Hallmighty presents 'What Is Stormy Love,' a masterful mash-up of Haddaway and Diana Ross & The Supremes. This track is produced so seamlessly that it feels like an original song from the late 60s, blending vintage soul with modern production techniques.

Review: Five new brooding tools from the heads over at Legofunk, each under their own three-lettered moniker. It's difficult to know which artists are behind each track here, but all are moody big-room house and disco groovers; LKN's 'Country Hous' strikes and instant chord with its echoed-out harmonica and deep bass stride, while continuations on the theme go on to impress; HLD's 'DITD' is an indeterminately dreamy number that plays up a rare triplet house rhythm, while LGD's closer 'A A On' amps up the mood of urban get-up-and-go with Hammond organs and funking low-reg licks.

Review: Tom Noble is renowned for his vinyl digging prowess as well as being the head of the Superior Elevation Records. Now he unveils his House Of Spirits alias with the debut single from an upcoming album on Razor-N-Tape. 'Times Are Changing' previews an album spanning nearly 15 years of work and one that blends modern-retro soul with nods to the Mizell Brothers and Patrick Adams. Recorded with live instrumentation and tailored for the dance floor, the limited 12" features an extended original and instrumental on side A, and a dynamic remix by Australian synth maestro Harvey Sutherland on side B. Infectious vocals and rich instrumentation, what's not to love?

Review: Mike Maurro is the label manager and remix king behind the legendary Brookside, who specialise in disco/soul reissues hailing from Brooklyn. His fingers in many pies, Maurro here remixes two classics from Philadelphia International Records, the O'Jays' 'I Love Music' and Harold Melvin's 'Wake Up Everbody'. Draggy, sunny and full of that downtempy, boxy re-edit magick.

Review: Mother Tongue's 'Yellow Jackets' series is wilfully eclectic, meaning second-guessing what will be on the next release is nigh-on impossible, but undeniably essential. Put simply, each EP in the series so far has been nigh on essential. Happily, volume five is superb too. On side A, Detroit scene stalwart Marcellus Pittman does a superb job of reworking a cult classic - Belgian outfit Arbeit Adelt's 1983 post-punk masterpiece 'Death Disco'. His resultant re-edit emphasises the track's weighty, low-slung groove, mind-mangling electronics and weirdo noises, extending the intro and outro to allow DJs to ride the mix. Over on side B, Chicagoan genius Jamal Moss dons the Hieroglyphic Being guise and offers up a sublime slab of intergalactic excellence, peppering a deep, shuffling, distorted rhythm track with spacey electronics and shimmering, star-gazing melodies.

Review: Amsterdam's Bordello a Parigi's ongoing Diamonds In The Night series has not only proved to be a reliable source of new - if authentically old sounding - Italo-disco, Hi-NRG and proto-Eurodance, but also a brilliant platform for new and up-and-coming artists. Volume seven in the series is another strong offering. It begins with the tops-off, melody-driven Hi-NRG joy of Tallac's 'Chemtrail Surfers' and concludes with the vocoder-heavy early morning dark bew wavce disco of 'Disco Homicide' by Hypersensitive. Sandwiched in between you'll find the tough, throbbing, strobe-lit and sweat-soaked hedonism of Luksek's 'Tropicale' and the Bobby Orlando and early Pet Shop Boys influenced excellence of 'That Moment' by Francesco Cascella.

Review: Fresh Sounds #000 is a new and unique series, limited and numbered to 150 examples thanks to the efforts of its parent company Ribo Cochlee. For the very first edition of the series, a mockley crew of newcomers come to the fore, be they DJ Moar, Disco Flegrei or Holdtight. Centring on woozy jazzdance and disco with an airily produced bent, the highlights on this one have to be Flegrei's 'Titamesque', which basks in a kind of sexy sophistry procured by the heady combination of live drums and a (we think) muted bass clarinet, and Yured Jones' 'Far Away', which breaks from the genre prescription for a more cinematic breakdown.

Review: If you're on the look-out for suitably big, party-starting workouts that make liberal use of samples from classic cuts and slept-on disco gems, this five-track label sampler from Tasty Recordings is well worth checking. Vinny Terranova sets the tone with 'Let's Go People', a barnstorming funky house slammer that boasts samples aplenty from an Arrested Development classic, before Disko Junkie pitches up a Grover Washington Jr classic and turns it into a bumpin' disco-house number. Elsewhere, Discotron's 'De La Disco' is a nu-disco edit-not-edit of a 'daisy age' hip-hop classic, HP Vince's 'Oh My Love' is a disco-house take on Luther Vandross, and Fraser's 'Chicago 93' is a thickset disco-house slammer that uses the same disco samples as a famous funky house classic of the early 2000s.

Review: If you like the sound of a mystical fusion of ancient Japanese folklore and contemporary electronic music, this EP created by Italian producer Volantis and Japanese artist Hiroko is for you. Inspired by a psychedelic experience in Kobe, it blends hardware synthesis with haunting vocals to cook up otherworldly spiritual realms. The title track merges Hiroko's narration with Japanese train sounds while summoning ancient beings while Eden Burns' remix intensifies the ritualistic atmosphere. 'La Kappa' features Hiroko's playful vocals over dreamy sequences with Fabrizio Mammarella's Italorama Version adding a touch of Italo disco. The whole thing was co-produced with Niccolo Barozzi and bridges East and West seamlessly.

Review: As head of the Diskokaine imprint, Wolfram Eckert has graced the public with the delightful sounds of Sally Shapiro as well as maintaining a wonderfully infuriating website - you need to check this out! In a production career that has seen the Swede trade under a surfeit of aliases for labels such as Creme, Gomma and IDJ Gigolos, Eckert has focused on the Wolfram name to deliver a stellar album forthcoming on Permanent Vacation. Entitled Marflow, the album features a stellar cast of guests including Legowelt, Shapiro, House of House, disco legend Paul Parker and mid nineties one hit wonder Haddaway. Permanent Vacation indulge in some appetite whetting here with another collaborative effort between Wolfram and Andy and Kim Ann of Hercules and Love Affair, notable for some fine remixes from fellow Swedish icons Tiedye and Axel Boman, with the former's balearic rock cover version most ingenious.

Review: Beres Hammond's venture into soul and r&b, backed by a lineup of reggae legends, offers a surprising break from his usual style. The album blends disco-inspired elements with Hammond's rich vocals, yet tracks like 'Keep My Wheel Turning' and 'I'm Lonely' stand out with a raw edge, adding grit to the smooth soul vibes. The title track showcases Hammond's emotional depth in a yearning romantic ballad, yet it's the overall feeling of experimentation that gives the release its unique charm. While this detour into soul isn't a permanent shift, it finds Hammond working at the peak of his expressive powers, offering an unexpected but satisfying listen.

Review: Classic jazz funk album from the legendary Johnny 'Hammond' Smith with a special version with six previously unissued bonus out-takes. Released in 1975 and his 32nd long player, it heralded a fresh chapter in his career that saw him exploring more electronic instrumentation and deeper shades of funk in a similar way to Roy Ayers or Bob James. The result was a timeless document that carries motifs of many of today's artists; the harmonies of "Can't We Smile?", for instance, smack of Plantlife while the punctuated piano work and mirrored squiggling synths on "Song For The Family" echoes with Flying Lotus-style whim. Also a key source of breaks for many junglists, Gears is a historic document that's not only played a strong role in electronic music but still sounds incredible today.

Review: Johnny Hammond was a prolific organist, composer and multidisciplinary artist active throughout the USA for the majority of the 20th Century. By the time the lesser-known LP and meditation on devilish excess 'Gambler's Life' was released in 1974, Hammond's sound had grown unusually cacophonous and was noisy to a kind of perfection that could only be described as an acquired taste. That doesn't deter us, though: this reissue from Soul Brother carefully pays homage to the late great's 28th album, with the broken wonk of 'Rhodesian Thoroughfare', the voluptuous funk of 'Star Borne' and the melismatic virtuosity of 'Virgo Lady' all tempting us back towards the broad gate.

Review: A couple of years ago, Super Disco Edits released the debut single from Buddy Hank & The Shine Band, East Orange New Jersey-based band who were briefly active in the early 1980s. Here they go one step further, delivering a first full-length full of tracks recorded way back in 1981. Immaculately mastered from the original studio tapes, "Dust To Diamonds" is as good a boogie-era album as you're likely to hear. Rich in slap bass, soulful vocals, good-time grooves, jazz-funk flourishes and colourful synthesizer lines, the eight tracks flit between sugary warmth and effervescent dancefloor heat. In other words, this is genuine buried treasure for DJs who take disco and boogie seriously.

Review: Rob Hardt is a prolific multi-instrumentalist and producer and has spent 30 years crafting hundreds of songs and working with international artists. Known for his influence on soul, funk, rap, and r&b, Hardt leads the band Cool Million which boasts millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music. His productions are robust and packed with authenticity so always manages to cut through to the big time. This new album is a collection of those sounds, drenched din soul, and featuring plenty of great collaborations that have helped bring his musical visions to life.

Review: While former New Young Pony Club member (and sometime Hot Chip collaborator) has devoted much of her career to DJing, her occasional solo musical releases have always been strong. Her solo debut LP, 2021's Private Sunshine, was excellent, but if anything this belated sophomore effort is even better. The album's genius lies in its consistency and the first signs of a smart, stylish, trademark boogie and proto-house influenced synth-pop sound, with extra authenticity provided by clear sonic nods to classic 1980s cuts from NYC and beyond. She's always been a talent, but it feels like a genuine crossover moment could be upon us - helped, no doubt, by the quality of the sassy 'Frequency', slow-motion jam 'Stop The Rain' and future dancefloor anthem 'In My Heart'.

Review: Heatwave's greatest hits collection from 1984 is a perfect embodiment of their sound. Disco, soul and funk all combine to thrilling and floor filling effect across nine tracks. The band formed in the mid-70s in Europe but had members from all over the world. Johnnie Wilder was the founder and an American serviceman based in West Germany who stayed put after the war and sang in local clubs before hooking up with Rod Temperton in the UK. 'Boogie Nights' is their most iconic and successful hit and it opens this collection in gloriously uplifting fashion.

Review: Chicago was a hotbed for talent in the 1970s (well, it always has been and always will be, to be honest) and one of the groups to emerge at that time was Heaven & Earth, a vital soul vocal collective. They released four high-quality albums and this one, 'I Can't Seem To Forget You', was the first on Clarence Johnson's G.E.C. Label. It is packed with super sweet vocals and Dwight Dukes' lush falsetto and has never before been reissued. This version from the good folks at P-VINE has an extra bonus cut 'Promises,' which has previously only been available as a single from 1975.

Review: Disco bossmen HiFi Sean and David McAlmont return with their new album, Daylight, on Plastique Recordings and a fine one it is too to follow up their acclaimed 2023 debut, Happy Ending. Daylight features twelve exhilarating tracks that celebrate the essence of summer and do a good job of capturing its vibrant colours and joyous moods. This is the first of two albums from the duo in 2024, with the nocturnal counterpart, Twilight, set for release on December 1 and therefore likely to be a celebration of the moods of winter. In the meantime, your days will be long and bright and full of dancing with this one.

Review: Former Soup Dragons man Hifi Sean (real name Sean Dickson) seems to have found a musical soulmate in David McAlmont. The pair have already impressed via a pair of well-regarded albums and here drop a third collaborative full-length - barely six months after its predecessor, Daylight, appeared in stores. Designed as a kind of flip side to that set - a loosely conceptual musical night drive from dusk 'til dawn - Twilight cannily combines slow, soft-touch grooves, dreamy textures, bubbly electronics, strobe-lit synths and McAlmont's honeyed vocals to great effect. The plentiful highlights include Blessed Madonna collaboration 'The Comedown', the tactile bliss of 'Goodbye Drama Queen', the huggable wooziness of 'High With You' and the heartfelt sweep of 'Star'.

Review: Six months after dropping their second collaborative full-length excursion, Daylight, HiFi Sean and David McAlmont deliver the yang to that set's ying - the loosely conceptual dusk-til-dawn night drive that is Twilight. More synth-heavy and strobe-lit than its predecessor, the album sees the effortlessly soulful McAlmont add his honeyed vocals to backing tracks rich in soft-touch grooves, dreamy textures, bubbly electronics and strobe-lit melodic motifs. This limited, deluxe edition is the one to grab if you can; aside from being pressed to colourful purple vinyl, it also comes bundled with a single-track seven-inch flexi-disc (containing a fine alternate dub mix of 'Driftaway') and an autographed art print.

Review: HiFi Sean and David McAlmont's latest collaboration, Daylight, delivers another dose of upbeat, soulful and danceable tunes on the follow up to their acclaimed debut, Happy Ending. The first of two releases from the duo this year, with the companion album, Twilight, set for release in December, Daylight is a vibrant journey through 12 songs that celebrate the colors and feel of summer. The duo's chemistry shines through as they explore themes of joy and exploration, and fans can anticipate a deluxe limited 'Neon Orange' Vinyl Edition featuring a free orange flexi-disc, signed art print and downloadable lyric book.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records label has a growing reputation as a purveyor of high quality, crate digger-friendly disco and boogie compilations. This latest, curated by former Nuphonic boss (and Ballistic Brothers member) David Hill, shines a light on the gospel end of black American dance music in the 1970s and early '80s. For those new to gospel's influence on disco and boogie, it's a revelation. Moving from righteous gospel-soul (Tommy T & Company, Truth & Devotion) to spine tingling disco screamers (Bobby Womack and Christina Essence's superb version of Sylvester favourite 'I Need You') and synth-laden boogie jams (Norman Weeks & The Revelations, The Young Delegation's brilliant "He Lives"), it's an unashamedly celebratory trip into dancefloor gospel territory. Recommended.

Review: Although the end is now finally in sight, we are still very much spending time at home, gazing off into the distance and dreaming of better times. Enter this sumptuous soundtrack from Hillside, whose Sunday In June album on the ever classy Claremont 56 is a perfect accompaniment to you lazy afternoons. The gorgeous record is utterly doused in sun, with sparkling keys, go-slow beats and lush strings all oozing cool yet bribing with warmth. It's the sound of perfect afternoon in the garden, or on the beach, with tropical grooves and Balearic bliss flowing freely from front to back.

Review: Day-Glo Chaos Gets Physical, the third album by Hologram Teen (Morgane Lhote), is a tight, kaleidoscopic blend of 80s synthpop and quirky electro. Lhote draws from her obsession with arcade games and cinematic synths, building a vivid world where bright electronic textures collide with playful rhythms. It's no surprise she cites influences like Jacno's analogue electro and John Carpenter's dystopian scores - you can hear their pulse throughout the record, most notably in tracks like 'Midnite Rogue', which nods to Lhote's love of retro gaming with a rhythm as driving as an Outrun arcade session. The album thrives on its sharp production and colorful arrangements, creating a sense of motion and energy that's both nostalgic and forward-thinking. The inclusion of everything from Sega Master System-inspired sounds to a custom synth designed in Ableton (cheekily named after prog-rock legend Rick Wakeman) showcases Lhote's playful approach to electronic music, while still maintaining a sense of sophistication. Tracks like 'Teen Beats Highway' and 'Valley Nights (Burnin')' tap into that irresistible groove, perfectly balancing punchy, rhythmic hooks with atmospheric melodies. This isn't just a retro throwback; Day-Glo Chaos updates and modernises the nostalgia, offering a nuanced reimagining of synth music's neon-glow past. It's meticulously layered yet fun, upbeat without being overbearing. Whether you're drawn in by the danceable beats or the sonic tributes to old-school gaming and 80s cinema, this album brims with personality and an unmistakable charm.

Review: Honey Dijon is the perfect artist for the DJ-Kicks series given the breadth of her knowledge and she delivers a killer mix with tracks from Blackjoy, Art of Tones, Shaboom, Kiko Navarro, and an exclusive new cut of her own. A Grammy-winning DJ, activist, and fashion icon, Dijon has found success in various fields while staying true to her Chicago house roots. The 19-track mix, her first commercially available compilation, highlights her deep knowledge of house music and blends forgotten classics, rare finds, and modern gems. This vinyl sampler includes one of her own original tracks, definitely one of the best of the lot.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged and LP1 label on wrong side but otherwise in excellent condition***


Honey Dijon is the perfect artist for the DJ-Kicks series given the breadth of her knowledge and she delivers a killer mix with tracks from Blackjoy, Art of Tones, Shaboom, Kiko Navarro, and an exclusive new cut of her own. A Grammy-winning DJ, activist, and fashion icon, Dijon has found success in various fields while staying true to her Chicago house roots. The 19-track mix, her first commercially available compilation, highlights her deep knowledge of house music and blends forgotten classics, rare finds, and modern gems. This vinyl sampler includes one of her own original tracks, definitely one of the best of the lot.

Review: Honey Dijon is exactly the sort of artist you want to hear from in the DJ-Kicks series. And she more than comes through with tracks by Blackjoy, Art of Tones, Shaboom, Kiko Navarro, and a brand-new cut from Dijon herself. Known as a fashion icon, activist, Grammy winner, and DJ, Dijon has achieved success on many fronts but always brings with her a sense of authenticity and a through line to the roots of house in Chicago. The 19-track mix marks her first commercially available compilation and showcases her deep knowledge of house music as she blends forgotten classics, dollar-bin finds, and modern tracks, including one of her own.

Review: Hot Chip continue to occupy a unique space in British music. Yet despite their standing as a bunch of polymaths just as at home with pure pop as experimental diversions, what continues to truly separate them from all or any contemporaries is a rich melancholy to their sound, and it's this which looms pleasantly large on 'Why Make Sense'. The songwriting of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard has never sounded sharper, not their beat-driven yet tastefully spare sound more addictive. Now as ever, no-one can reconcile human emotion and machine-like rhythm in quite the same fashion as this maverick outfit.

Review: Heels & Souls Recordings marks its tenth release with a reissue of Hot Slot Machine, the pioneering 1992 album by South African prodigy Makhosini Henry Xaba, also known as Joe Nina. Created when he was just 16, this six-track LP merges US and UK influencesihouse, hip-hop, soul and reggaeifiltered through a distinctly South African lens that set the stage for the emerging kwaito sound. Drawing inspiration from the bass-heavy rhythms of artists like Blackbox and Ten City, Hot Slot Machine goes beyond the bubblegum pop of the era, delivering a richer, synth-laden sonic landscape that resonated deeply with early 90s South African audiences. Tracks like 'Rhythm', 'Unchain My Heart' and 'Shake Ya Down' hit with chunky hip-house energy, while 'Lookin' Mix', 'I'll Be Ready' and 'Lovin' Mix' showcase a low-slung, infectious groove. The album, long lost to history, has been carefully remastered by Sean P and Justin Drake, who restored the tracks from surviving rips. Licensed from Gallo and featuring liner notes and unseen photos, Hot Slot Machine is a vital reissue that celebrates a crucial moment in South Africa's musical evolution.

Review: Brazilian artist Hyldon's 1981 album 'Sabor De Amor' is a Latin classic that is well overdue this reissue by Jazzybelle Records. It was the fourth from the soul man, singer and instrumentalist who was, with equally celebrated peers Tim Maia and Cassiano, at the very heart of the Brazilian soul revolution of 70s. This may be his most consistent album with its more than accomplished backing by Azymuth musicians including Alexandre Malheiros on bass, drums from Ivan "Mamao" Conti and Hammond jams from Sergio Carvalho amongst others. The bass is funky, the arrangements are sophisticated and full of sun with noodling jazz melodies and Portuguese vocals all oozing summer magic. From mellow moments like the title cut to more dazzling and upbeat dancers like 'Amor Na Terra Do Berimbau' this isa joyous listen.