Disco Recommendations September 2014

Review: More dusty-fingered funk and reissue fun from DJ Fryer's prolific Athens of the North imprint. As usual, these tracks are pretty darn obscure; they both dropped on the Split Decision Band's 1978 debut on the obscure Network Records imprint. "Watchin' Out" is a tight-but-loose chunk of hazy disco-era funk with a sturdy backbeat and particularly rousing horns. It will slip into both funk and disco sets with ease. Flipside "Dazed" is altogether slower, with sparser production emphasizing the quality of the parping, razor-sharp horns. It's a superb alternative to the equally admirable A-side. Another winner from Athens of the North.

Review: Former Chicken Lips man seems to be keeping Golf Channel Recordings boss Phil South in business. Having already delivered a constant stream of Rhythm Odyssey & Dr Dunks 12" singles (alongside pal Eric Duncan), Meredith now brings his Mind Fair project (a collaboration with studio partner Ben Shenton) back to the label. "Take Me To The Bridge" is typical of the duo's output, offering a loose, hazy, Balearic-influenced take on disco with distinct pop overtones and bags of live instrumentation. There's a more distinct dubbed-out feel about the huggable Balearica of "Let The Music Take Your Mind", while the Velvet Season & The Hearts of Gold remix of "Ceremony" is icy and out-there, doffing a cap to coldwave and sparse, melancholic deep house.

Review: The original 1983 7" pressing of Popsicles' "These Are The Good Times", pressed up by the band themselves, is rarer than rocking horse droppings. A quick search of the Internet found two on sale for a cool L1,200 a-piece. Thankfully, DJ Fryer's Athens of the North has seen to give it a much-deserved reissue. "These Are The Good Times" is a particularly good example of early '80s boogie-soul, less reliant on synthesizers than some other records of the period. It's warm, soulful and full of great musicianship. Flipside "Little Rocker", which was on the A-side of the 1983 pressing, is a little slower and synth-heavy, sounding like an eyes-wide-shut end of night classic in the making.

Review: Within the space of two perfectly executed 12" singles, Mark E's sneaky E Versions series - in which he returns to the world of loopy, house-friendly disco and Balearic re-edits with which he first made his name - has become a "must check". This third installment is every bit as essential as its' predecessors, offering to two deliciously glassy-eyed re-interpretations of unknown gems. Opener "The Shoe" delivers an undulating, loose-but-hypnotic chunk of head-nodding, hip-shaking disco, with rising and falling strings and horn stabs riding a tasty, bass-heavy groove. "I Don't Know What This Is" flips the script, offering up a dreamy, sensual and enorphin-heavy slice of floor-friendly Balearic bliss. Recommended.

Review: This latest installment in the popular Editors Kutz re-edit series is packing some real heat, which is arguably unsurprising given the talent involved. Whiskey Disco don Sleazy McQueen steals the show with opener "Let's Make Love Tonight", a perfectly pitched chunk of sensual, horn-toting disco that should ignite dancefloors the world over this summer. 78 Edits take on "Love Massage" - a sexy head-nodder in his loopy, toe-tapping style - is almost as good, while Vinyl Addicted & Jean-Paul Gavri's sweet, delay-laden, dub disco tweak of "Can't Play Around" (here re-titled "Let's Play Around") is similarly impressive. As if that wasn't enough to impress, there's also some top drawer shuffling Balearic disco from Lillo Carillo's (the sultry "Le Viole").

Review: While he may have spent the last few years pursuing a deep house agenda for labels such as Bosconi and Fly By Night, Bologna-based producer Riccio earned his stripes providing high class reworks for the now legendary Super Value Edits label. Here he returns to his roots with a four-track onslaught of tasty scalpel works for Editorial. There's naturally much to admire, from the string-laden disco-funk pulse of "Put Some Love In Your Life" and dewy-eyed, near Balearic disco wooziness of "Little Drummer", to the storming, peaktime brilliance of "I've Loved It" (our pick of a strong EP) and woodwind-laden loop funk of "Flute".

Review: Kuomboka was the last album Zambian band Witch ever created. Privately released in 1984, a year before they split, it's the zenith of their final funky hoorah... Gathering influences and references from disco, boogie and loose structures of highlife and Afrofunk, it's one of their most timeless and enduring records. From the partnership of African guitars and horns with the epic slap bass and staccato phrases of the title track to the 10CC style balladry of "Believer Ma Lover" via the spacey, cosmic drama of "More Sweat Than Sweet", this 30 year old document stands the test of time incredibly well.

Review: Those record buyers out there of a certain vintage will see the name Beatconducter on this 12" and remark what a coup it is for KAT to secure the man for their 20th release. Along with Red Astaire, Ture Sjoberg's Beatconductor edits helped establish GAMM as a powerhouse label for beat favouring selectors a decade ago. Of course he's remained a strong conductor of the beat in subsequent years under a variety of aliases (check out the Beatfanatic stuff if you can) and he brings his wise disco knowledge to the fore on these two edits. A side track "A Message Of Love" is a gospel stormer that leans on Ashford & Simpson's fantastic live outing of "The Boss," whilst "Boogie Love" revisits Lulu's "I Love To Boogie" beefing up the break, stretching and teasing before the rather ace vocal comes in and takes hold.

Review: Russian duo Simple Symmetry have enjoyed an impressive start to their career, delivering a pair of EPs for Glenview that join the dots between psychedelic electronics, wide-eyed nu-disco and Balearic deep house. This first single for Low Budget Family takes a slightly different approach, fixing their chiming melodies, warm deep house chords and winding synths to African vocal samples and skittering beats that sit somewhere between proto-house and Chicago jack. Soft Rocks provide the standout remix, delving deep into their bag of tricks to deliver a hypnotic, trance-influenced chunk of hazy late night house. Brennan Green's remix, on the other hand, is delightfully Balearic - thanks, in no small part, to some great pianos and jaunty synth melodies.

Review: As Diesel and Jarvis edge ever closer to the 50 mark with their excellent Moton series of edits, it appears the well of source material is no closer to drying up. No 37 commences in fine fashion with "Dreeme" a dubbed out rendition of "Elle Et Moi", the late 80s Gallic pop gem from Max "brother of Cerrone" Berlin with the vocals dropped in favour of boosting that wondrous piano lead. On the flip "She & Him" nudges the tempo up some and lands you in weirdo proto house Balearic territory with all manner of strange phasing going on (in addition to the odd "Hello"). Finally Moton friend Sean Innit flexes his edit skills with the cosmic space boogie vibes of "Step".

Review: The Running Back powered Edizioni Mondo label return with a third offering and the collectors out there that were charmed by previous blockbuster hits from L.U.C.A and ROTLA will be all over this sumptuous 12". Described by the label as a visionary production house, Studio 22 show the necessary chops to qualify that statement on the basis of these three tracks, not least the glistening title tracks that sees a smooth Library funk groove ebb and flow before a grand finale. On the flip "Pic Nic" is the sort of cosmic jam that will have the Sunday afternoon bar selectors licking their lips whilst the blissful final track "Vento Dominante" could easily be teased into a Gigi Masin track.

Review: Shamelessly funky edits from two Dutch disco dynamos SHMLSS. They've already given us plenty to jump to via Midnight Riot and Disco Deviance. We're likely to hear a lot more of them in the future, but right now it's all about this epic double up on Manchester's To Rack & Ruin imprint. "Disco Sensation" is a heady slap bass jam session with an array of tight chops and disco flurries on the fills. Meanwhile on the B we're treated to an epic rendition of Peter Jacques Band's "Counting On Love" where every string and piano rolls are polished and presented with dramatic glee. Bona fide disco vibes.

Review: A second Mind Fair 12" this week from Golf Channel primed as a taster for what to expect from the British duo's upcoming debut long player - the label tell us it will be a "bluesy folk funk swamp techno barnyard stomp of an album" in case you are wondering. If you are familiar with Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton's roving project you'll be prepared for the unexpected when it comes to Mind Fair and the two tracks on the Ceremony 12"certainly occupy their own universe. The title cut a superb 11 minute stomp through psychedelic blues disco that features Derek Holt of 70's black country legends The Climax Blues Band, whilst "Hiding From My Shadow" is as bugged out a slab of proto wave as the drug-fuelled name suggests.

Review: Stupid Human, previously known for dashing between electrofunk and disco re-edits, is clearly coming of age. Here, he joins forces with pal Space Tricks to launch a brand new series - of largely original material - inspired by global sounds. His "Zaire", a synth-laden exploration of late '70s African electronic music with a contemporary dancefloor pulse - is probably the highlight, though Space Tricks' humid, rolling "India" - all bongo-laden disco grooves, sitars and Eastern intent - pushes it close. The intense percussive bounce of Stupid Human's "Trinidad" is also excellent, while Space Tricks' slower, chugging "Turkey" offers a well-needed breather via delay-laden Middle Eastern instrumentation and reverb-heavy grooves. Excellent stuff.

Review: A certain Danish downtempo sort once again dons his KBE guise for a third selection of decidedly White Isle-friendly re-edits on his Balearic Blah Blah imprint. As usual, there's much to admire, from the beachside haziness of "Day Off" (seemingly a re-edit of a reggae-flecked Chris Rea track), to the rubbery electric bass and winding synths of "Exitsign" (a pleasing extension of a largely ignored, "Fascination"-era Human League track). Elsewhere, there's a welcome re-dub of Larry Levan fave "Pull Up To The Bumper" by Grace Jones, and "Dub To Me", a picturesque, guitar-flecked chugger that's almost the epitome of '80s Balearica.

Review: Spacey electronic disco from 1977... Not only was this ahead of its time, but it features the works of two of disco's most respected, revered studio artists; Tom Moulton and Patrick Cowley. Long-since sought after, West End have done us the good service of reissuing it in all its glory. Cowley's mega mix is linear, dubbed out and naked in vibe, which gives it a really neat timeless groove sensation. The disco mix is a little more frenetic and of its time thanks to the big drums, overlayed guitars and Michele's sensuous vocals. Disco perfection.

Review: The ever-essential Tugboat crew serve up a yet another delectable disco feast in the shape of a Tim Zawada sandwich filled with some wholesome Chrissy Murderbot produce. Naturally it's pretty scrumptious as the pair dive deep into the crates for four spacey jams that commences with the delay laden cosmic piano vibes of "Summertime" and climaxes with a crucial twist on B52's "Good Stuff". Inbetween Mr Murderbot shows off his lesser spotted talent for editing disco with the Rong Music-style chug of "So What" and Idjuts style discodub business that is "Dubbing In The Dark". From deep and discerning to carefree end-of-night chaos, Tugboat continue to flex full steam ahead.