Juno Recommends Disco: August 2022

Review: Saucy Lady's last collaboration with fellow Japanese native U-Key (real name Yukihiro Kanesaka), 2018's 'It's All Here', remains one of the standout cuts in the Star Creature catalogue. Given the label's incredible track record, that's no mean feat! Hopes are naturally sky-high then for this belated sequel, which sees them switch to Star Creature's sister label Tugboat Editions. Shiro Schwartz joins in the fun on A-side 'Hey DJ', a typically boogie-fired chunk of melodious city pop revivalism that ticks all the right boxes. Lee Wilson makes a guest appearance on the similarly glossy - and arguably more city pop-inspired - flip-side 'Tell Me If You Still Care', an eyes-closed male/female duet of the kind that were all the rage in the 1980s.

Review: Dave Lee is of course the given name of Joey Negro, the tireless UK music head, disco lover, record label owner, DJ, producer and archivist. 'Hey Uh-What You Say Come On' (Dave Lee Revibe) is first and is a big percussive workout with man Roy Ayers bells and xylophones over a steaming groove. 'Steal Your Heart' (Dave Lee Showtime mix) reaches for the big Philly strings and sets them free over a more chunky and funky groove that gets right under your skin. Lovely stuff.

Review: 45 Loves is a label based in Condom, France that specialises in very limited DJ tools on vinyl 7'. Its next release comes from Jerome Potin aka Moar; producer, remixer, DJ and A&R at the Trad Vibe label from Nantes, who serves up some low-slung grooves on the Funky Party two-tracker. On side A, you've got the late-night boogie-down vibe of 'J', and the long hot sexy summer nights continue over on the flip with the funked-up vocal disco house heater 'JJ'.

Review: Here comes a second release on a mysterious unknown label from someone known as Admin, who has previously landed on a VA on Banoffee Pies. That was a deep house track but these two are very much lush and summery disco vibes. 'Halo' opens up with the sort of open-air Mediterranean gorgeousness that has you picturing yourself sipping cocktails by a twinkling ocean in the late afternoon sun. 'Rivers' then picks up the pace a little but remains awash with musicality and soul-stirring chords over organic, loose drums. Perfect stuff.

Review: Oh we do so love a mysterious white label. Everything You're About To Hear Is True appears to be a disco edit label with plenty of Balearic chops, which leads in with a supremely slinky rub down of Lynsey De Paul's 1981 disco funk masterpiece 'Strange Changes'. Things pitch down without holding back on blue-eyed funk for 'Jesus Train', originally by Swedish songwriter Per-Erik Hallin. On the flip there's no less than three hits, from the boogie funk perfection of 'Get It' to the jazz funk ascendance of 'Surge' and the swooning disco of 'Wilson'. Rock solid songs given a respectful touch up for the discerning DJ.

Review: Brit-boogie obscurity alert! You might not be familiar with La Famille - a short-lived group established by jazz guitarist Alan Weekes, whose members also included then future Soul 2 Soul singer Caron Wheeler and a pre-fame Cleveland Watkiss - but in 'Dancer', they made one of the loveliest jazz-funk/boogie crossover records of the early 1980s. Originally a white label-only release and near impossible to find since, the record has long been crying out for a reissue. It has all the ingredients you'd expect - squelchy synth-bass, soulful vocals, leisurely jazz guitars, drum machine beats and an overriding sense of musical sweetness - and is presented in equally essential vocal and instrumental mix variations.

Review: Rome's Nicegroove label present their very first vinyl outing, cutting four disparate nu-disco bits from artists in their immediate, glorious orbit. Like the satiated lady depicted on its inner label, we feel instantaneously happy on first listen. Every mood from laid back (Lego Edit's 'Yam') to subdued (Mikeandtess' 'Winp') is covered. Production is only of the utmost quality, with every track retaining a semi-live feel nailing that sweet cross-pollination between disco-soul sugar and instrumental house.

Review: JKriv has delivered some of the finest solo productions of his career in recent times, including a pair of killer EPs on the Razor-N'-Tape label he co-founded with fellow Brooklyn resident Aaron Dae. Here he takes a break from crafting his own killer cuts to deliver some tooled-up reworks for the Echo Beach Edits series. He begins by delivering a bouncy, piano-rich, house style take on a soaring disco gem ('Mountain'), before successfully cutting up and rearranging a woodblock-powered disco-funk instrumental ('The House'). Over on the flip 'Down Slow' is an excitable, synth-sporting revision of a soulful disco-funk workout, while standout 'Tera Amor' sees him sprint his way through a carnival-ready samba/MPB sing-along.

Review: A nice one this week from the ever reliable Razor N Tape out of NYC by label chief J Kriv, on the late night boogie-down vibe of 'Something Else' featuring totally electrifying vocals by Brandon Markell Holmes. Also featured is the low-slung disco heater 'Try Again' featuring Phenomenal Handclap Band and another irresistible vocal courtesy of Nic Hanson on side A. On the flip, it's all about 'Shoulda Been Me' (feat Toribio) which receives a spiritual deep house rework by the one-and-only Alton Miller that's worth the admission alone. Tip!

Review: South African funk outfit Stimela, named after the Zulu word for locomotive, formed out of the ashes of bandleader Ray Phri's previous band, The Cannibals, and soon became an institution in their homeland. Five albums deep in 1986, they also released the astounding Rewind EP, which now gets faithfully reissued by Mr Bongo for a fresh audience. Every track on here is a winner, from the epic, proggy groove of 'I Love You' to the low slung, synth-rich funky angles of 'Shaka Doo Ba'. You won't regret copping this slab of wax, trust us.

Review: The Roz Ryan studio real reissue series hits a third and final instalment here. This one is another superb piece of previously unissued 2 step soul that will pirouette its way into your heart. It was discovered in 1980 and produced by the mighty Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey. First up is 'Love Changes' which was also covered by O.C Smith and is a slow and sultry number with buttery but poignant lyrics. Flip it over for the more upbeat, driving and dancefloor ready number that is 'Funky Way To Treat Me' with a production that heightens all the lush disco elements.

Review: As usual, there's no confirmation as to who is behind this edition of the Semi-Skimmed Edits series, but as the previous volumes were the work of scalpel fiend James Greenwood, it's likely he's made these reworks, too. There's plenty to admire throughout, from the grandiose horn arrangements, starry instrumentation and club-ready jazz-funk grooves of 'Tea For Two', and the driving, heavily orchestrated disco-funk hedonism of 'Boogie Drunk', to the Chic-style guitar licks and sweaty drums of closing cut 'You Control Me', whose swirling, filtered breakdowns will do a terrific job in spiking energy levels out on the dancefloor.

Review: Crazy P remain one of the most cherished live disco outfits in the UK and on the world stage, Here they submit their last LP to the remix treatment from a host of great contemporary names including the inimitable Gerd Janson from the Running Back label, Afrobeat kingpin Dele Sosimi and his recent musical sparring partner Medlar, the ever-green Hypercolour artist James Welsh and much loved dusty deep house shaman Soulphiction. Add in bumpy takes from Ron Basejam and a raw one from DJ Nature amongst others and you have one fine collection.

Review: BDK serves up clubby disco on Say Namm, a new label coming out of Belfast, and its inaugural release features four edits with summer firmly in mind. There's the evocative late night jazz bar vibe of 'Pattie' complete with gorgeous vocals, followed by the funked-up disco loops of 'Blow Your Mind' that'll mix well with your Robsoul or Heist records, while the thumping disco house of 'Love Vibration' is aimed firmly at the dancefloor, as is the sweltering closer 'It's The Right Time'.

Review: When it comes to blurring the boundaries between Defected style accessible house and revivalist disco, Purple Disco Machine is arguably in a league of his own. The German producer has certainly ticked all the right boxes with his latest 12", which features two club-length extended versions of two excitable, festival-friendly workouts. A-side 'At The Disko' is a perfectly pitched chunk of bouncy nu-disco/house/p-funk fusion rich in vibrant synth sounds, spacey synth-strings, Nile Rodgers style guitar licks, energetic piano stabs and autotune-heavy vocals, while flipside 'Don't Stop' joins the dots between K.I.D's thrusting disco classic of the same name, the Munich Machine hedonism of Giorgio Moroder and breakdown-heavy classic house.

Review: Fresh from a much-admired outing on Lost Palms at the tail end of 2021, Demi Riquisimo returns to his own Semi-Delicious imprint with his first EP of 2022. He's in full-on rave revival mode from the off, daydreaming about the legendary Castlemorton Common raves on 'Rush Common', where psychedelic acid motifs, glassy-eyed melodies and hands-in-the-air stabs ride a thrusting techno-tempo beat. He opts for a more angular and robotic, post Italo-disco sound on 'Paroche', before doffing a cap to Hi-NRG on the sweaty Lulah Francs hook-up 'Circulate'. Finally, 'Don't Feed The Tiger' sees him embrace the morning after vibe via bubbly electronic bass, chugging beats, exotic instrumentation and Indian vocal samples.

Review: After the re-release of their superb debut album Panorama Pacifico just over a year ago, we have been big fans of Satin Jackets. Now they finally come back in a big way with this glorious new EP on home label Eskimo out of Belgium. Once again they set their sights on breezy cosmic grooves with a range of global influences. 'Hundred Fifty Up' is a perfect sundown tune that will shift the mood of the party from playful to more locked in. 'Sassa & Back' then layers up midnight chords and wavy grooves with warm and enveloping sub-bass and 'Little Airplanes' brings a celestial vibe and falsetto vocal coos. 'Levante' is one to lay back and soak up while gazing at the clear blue

Review: During the disco and boogie era of the late '70s and early '80s, Philadelphia vocal quartet Touch of Class notched up a string of dancefloor hits, as well as a handful of well-regarded albums. The two tracks showcased here were initially recorded in 1975 and at one point were slated for release as a double A-side single (promotional acetates exist), but in the end finished up on the band's 1976 debut album I'm In Heaven. A-side 'I Love You Pretty Baby' still sounds superb: a simmering, super-sweet slice of string-laden Philadelphia soul, proto-disco gorgeousness that makes the most of the group's wonderful harmony vocals and some impactful orchestral arrangements. 'You Got To Know Better' has a slightly more vintage soul feel despite the presence of more luscious Philly Soul orchestration.

Review: German trio Silent Circle are perhaps not that well-known in the UK, but throughout the 1980s they were stalwarts of the post Italo-disco "euro-dance" scene. This tidy 12" delves into the early period of their recording career, pairing 1985 debut single 'Touch in the Night (Crash Version)' - a bubbly chunk of new-wave, Italo-influenced synth-disco that reminded us of Bobby Orlando's productions from the same period (think strong male vocals, chugging arpeggio bass and bold lead lines) with two versions of the glossier 'Stop The Rain in the Night' from 1986. The 'album mix', which boasts a more polished production than the A-side, reminded us a little of the first Pet Shop Boys album, Please, while the 'No Rain Mix' is a little more dancefloor-focused and groove-driven.

Review: There really is no end to our appetite for these edit labels that rework classic old tunes into slightly more workable modern dance floor bombs. For the last few years one of our favourites has been FrescoEdits which have been serving up a steady stream of disco bombs from across the ages. This one is a split with LRS and Dr Dwarf saving up two tunes each. 'A Part Of' opens up with soul enriching flutes and joyous grooves that will lift any party and 'Where's The Love' then brings funk slap bass and hip swinging drums. The flip side opens with a go-slow work of a soul classic and a silky late night seducer with shimmering drums and a frankly weird male vocal.

Review: If warming, glassy-eyed midtempo disco niceness is your thing, we'd heartily recommend this languid, sun-drenched edits offering from the Too Slow To Disco camp. It's packed to the rafters with toasty, afternoon-ready fare that's arguably best listened to while decked out in boat shoes, pastel-coloured shorts and a stripy t-shirt. HOLDTight steps up first with the head-nodding, saucer-eyed shuffle of future yacht disco classic 'Be My Love 2Nite', before Delfonic offers up a fine rearrangement of an obscure, breathy and seductive disco gem full of prominent Moog synth sounds, jaunty pianos and whispered vocals. 'Jorge's Pipa' by Jack Tennis is a fine, floor-friendly tweak of a disco-era Brazilian gem, while Those Guys From Athens' '4 Your Love' is a seductive disco slow jam straight from the top shelf.

Review: A decade ago, People's Potential Unlited (PPU) delivered a much-needed reissue of an insanely obscure, private press single from Bob Fickling's little-known FLICKK project. 10 years on, the label has returned to his catalogue and picked out two more gems, both of which were originally released in 1987 on Fickling's own private press imprint West Coast. A-side 'Prime Suspect' is lo-fi, P-funk influenced, post-boogie dancefloor soul at its finest - all thudding and snapping drum machine percussion, spacey synths, killer bass and Fickling's own slick, soulful vocals. Over on the flip, 'Body Shop' is a more laidback, slow-motion affair featuring some suitably lo-fi synth sounds and a more loved-up vibe.

Review: America's Rocksteady Disco label returns for its second round up of delectable remixes and VIPs, with a continent clashing fusion of pan African vitality and cool house saunter across all four offerings. Ontario-based Igor B leads the release with a drum and sub bass heavy dancefloor reimagining of Moonlighter's iconic "Give Us Rain (Ah Mila)".before Blair French reworks Sol Power All-Stars' 'Every Time You Move', making the most of electric bass from Jazzanova's Paul Randolph, guitar by Frank Martin (Elcados, Shina Peters) and DC-based Besufekad Tadesse's baritone sax solo via the mixing desk controls. The flip goes even deeper, with Tokyo-based Dazzle Drums giving Eddie Logix's 'Sunday Palaver' the hi-fi Afro Tech treatment, perfect for those dingy after hours parties, before Logix's Balearic-esque reinterpretation of Nois Land's cult classic 'Big Kahuna' brings proceedings to a glorious close.