Juno Recommends Disco: April 2022

Review: It was certainly unpredictable that a legendary jazz drummer would record one of spiritual disco's most revered songs twenty-three years into his career, but that's exactly what happened when Idris Muhammad laid down the epic "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" in 1977. Hailing from New Orleans, Muhammad always had more than a touch of funk to his rhythms, and by the late '70s his collaborations with master engineer Rudy Van Gelder on recordings for the CTI and Kudu labels had gelled perfectly with the reigning jazz-funk sound of the day. Arranger Dave Matthews (famously part of the James Brown stable) collaborated with lyricist and former Long Island record store clerk Tony Sarafino on writing the song, which on the original recording unfolds over a nearly 9-minute build. Appearing at the crest of the disco movement, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" was an immediate hit with David Mancuso and the attendees of his loft parties, quickly spreading to other venues and even making a small climb up the Billboard R&B charts. For this new issue on Most Excellent Unlimited, Danny Krivit, whose own career as a dancefloor orchestrator from the DJ booth has paralleled the timeframe of the song's existence, has replaced the original loose introduction with a mix-friendly steady groove that maintains the unstoppable pulse of the song while maintaining the cathartic mid-song break and giving the track potential for even more momentum.

Another percussionist is responsible for our flip side track, "Magic's in the Air." Vince Montana was not only an in-house arranger and producer for Philadelphia International and other Philly soul labels, but was an accomplished vibraphone player. His talents are on display and doubly emphasized by Mr. K in this overlooked cut from Ronnie Walker, a falsetto singer who draws a rather strong comparison to the best songs of fellow Philadelphians Blue Magic with this uptempo, subtly synthy 1975 track. Never having appeared on a 12-inch, and indeed never having appeared even on a full-length album, Krivit's edit is the first extended mix of "Magic's in the Air" to date. Alongside "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This," itself notoriously difficult to find in 12-inch form, this latest from MEU's long running series with Mr. K is a bonafide must-have for the discerning DJ.

Review: Juno Records & Robot84 present Promo Vol 4 - the four-track follow up to big hitter 'Make Me Feel Good' combining house, mid-tempo, ambient and disco-house. We've had support and plays from all the big jocks around the globe on this one, with 'Dreams From The Far East' getting plays on BBC Radio 6 by Nemone for the Gilles Peterson show, and numerous plays all summer in Ibiza at Cafe Mambo, Cafe Del Mar, and Hostal La torre & Pikes. 'Better, Believe' is getting plays from Dj Harvey & being dropped at the We Out Here Gilles Peterson festival. DJ support from: DJ Harvey, HIFI Sean, Horse Meat Disco, Laurent Garnier, Gerd Janson, DJ Aldredo (Ibiza), Gene Hunt (Chicago), Luke Unabomber, Heidi Lawden, Andy Wilson (Ibiza Sonica), DJ Pippi (Pacha ibiza), Willie Graff (Pacha ibiza), Bill Brewster, Pete Gooding (Worldwide FM), Boris Dlugosch, Eric Duncan (NYC), Kelvin Andrews, Tom Findlay (Groove Armada), Danny Horward (BBC Radio1), Leo Mas, DJ HARRI (Sub Club), Phil Mison, Rune Lindbaek, Dave Jarvis (Faith), Ben Santiago (Melon Bomb Ibiza).

Review: The word 'luxury' etymologically stems from the Latin for 'excess'. Testament to this sense of sheer decadence comes Luxxury's signature, womping disco edit style. From this fourth volume of the artist's reworks series comes four tracks fittingly replete with excessive gloss and sheen, all worked in to each track to make us loudly exclaim "aaaah"... From a Talking Heads re-rub, 'How Did I Get Here', to a loud and wally rework of Duran Duran's 'Girls On Film' - this is, indeed, exorbitantly Exxpensive Sounding Music.

Review: The super rarity disco funk Something Got A Hold On Me by Chuck Armstrong gets its first ever official reissue, as Emotional Rescue continues its series of looking at some of the artists working with King Sporty's Konduko label.

A long time South Florida native, Armstrong released numerous gospel toned soul 7"s for labels across the US, starting in 1962 with Cleveland's Gemini Records before going on to release with Detroit's Black Rock and Nashville's Sound Stage 7.

First working with Noel Williams on the 1973 single, Black Foxy Woman, before releasing his now sought-after album Shakin' Up in 1976, he returned to Konduko 3 years later to explore the shift to disco and boogie with William's masterly production.

Coming in at 10 minutes of deep, bottom rattling disco funk, William's teamed Armstrong's vocals of hypnotising love with his in-house Root Rockers band to devastating result.

Their unrelenting groove and horns, plus Betty Wright & co's backing vocals counteracting with William's studio skills, is further exemplified in a wonderful dub laden Discomix by Psychemagik.

Having released a sneaky edit a few years ago, it seemed fitting to bring the duo of beat diggers, tape manipulators and world travelling DJs, into the "official" fold by commissioning a new rework that extends, loops and arranges this classic around a nice heavy dose of dub effects for daze.

Review: Al Kent takes on Japan’s answer to Vince Montana for another extended disco mix, with the emphasis - as always - on disco! Judging by the popularity of the pair’s last outing this release should once again please those DJs and music lovers with a penchant for the percussion, strings and traditional instrumentation that underpins the best disco music, bringing it up to date with one eye firmly on the past.

Review: Has anyone counted the number of re-edits Danny Krivit has released as Mr K? Given that he's being doing it for longer than most of us have been alive, it must run into the hundreds. This is not a complaint though because each new 12" brings at least two more killer re-arrangements. The two on show here are, predictably, excellent. On the A-side ('Dance Wit' Me') he plays around with a killer, early '80s P-funk jam, gleefully making merry with the Funkadelic style squelchy bass, extended vibraphone solos, snappy drums, sparkling synths and party atmosphere. Flipside 'Glasshouse' is more in-keeping with some of his vintage edits. It sees him extend and tweak a heavyweight slab of disco-funk goodness from an unknown source.

Review: Two of Canada's most renowned disco, soul and funk tastemakers, the Patchouli Brothers, have finally launched their long-awaited new imprint Dodo. In celebration of the launch, they've kickstarted operations with a new split EP, charting the pair's two best edits of soul belter Mary Mundy's classic tracks 'Love Me, Love Me' and 'Love Is Gone'. Now working low-key as a music professor, Mundy's songs are such prized gems that many of them may as well be ghosts only for the best-stocked DJs to snaffle up and play. After reaching out to ask permission to do the remixes, the Brothers are indeed in (a) God's company on this one.

Review: British disco veteran Dave Lee's Z Recordings presents Attack of the Dancefloor Vol.19, featuring some quality disco heat. First up on the A side is Prospect Park with a remake of the Cheryl Lynn classic "Shake It Up Tonight" on which the label chief himself serves up a Disco Reshake, followed by Wipe The Needle who get super lo-slung on the deep disco cut "On Time" (feat Sacha Willamson - WTN 4x4 mix). Over on the flipside, Amsterdam's dynamite duo Dam Swindle get deep down and dirty on a rework of Lee's own classic from way back "Garden Of Love".

Review: North Carolina outfit Brief Encounter have long been a cult band amongst funk, soul and disco collectors, leading to reissues of both of their albums (1977's Introducing... The Brief Encounter and 1981's We Want To Play). Here Expansion Records continues the trend of delving deep into their catalogue by offering a new edition of 1976 single 'What About Love'. The title track is undeniably excellent - a sweet, funky and attractive chunk of disco-era dancefloor soul just dripping with emotion. Over on the flip you'll find original B-side 'Get Right Down and Do It', a heavier slab of horn-toting disco-funk pleasure that boasts a seriously addictive bassline and some surprisingly surprising synthesizer flourishes.

Review: The world has changed a lot since Junko Ohashi put out her 1984 compilation Magical. And never is that more clear than when looking at the album's front cover which depicts the twin towers still in situ in New York. Musically, though, the album is still on point for lovers of city pop, synth funk and 80s soul. It is one of the most recognised albums of the city pop genre with its sentimental chords, clean drum machine grooves and glowing synths all perfectly fitting in with the pure and innocent city pop aesthetic. The vocals are of course key tot hat - whatever Junko is singing about, she does it with the tones of an angel.

Review: Lots of new house, funk and disco records like to play at faux-rawness, leaving certain elements underproduced and untouched. But not Matt Johnson and Derrick McKenzie, two of the instrumental and production brains behind Jamiroquai. On this new EP comes four variations on 'Interstellar Love', a slick and unrelentingly well-rounded spacefunk track that leaves no cranny undecorated. Every bar end is garnished, every edge ornamented, be it by synth flourishes, telephoned-in vocals, or cheeky fills. For budding remixers out there, you've got the acapella at your disposal too.

Review: Makoto Matsushita's solo debut studio album landed on Air Records in 1981 and a year later got remastered and reissued on Moon Records. All of the ensuing CD copies used the second version which had remixed tracks and an English version of 'September Rain.' Now it has been remastered and reissued again, but this time it is the original 1981 version that we're treated to, albeit with the English version of 'September Rain' included as a bonus. It's a real high watermark for AOR, fusion and jazz-rock from the Japanese multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, lyricist and vocalist.

Review: On their latest audio missive, Psychemagik has handed over two of their best-loved cuts to well-regarded remixers. First up to the plate is Warehouse Preservation Society, who tackle string-laden house-not-house number 'Above The Clouds'. The WPS take is warmer, more bass-heavy and built around a punchy post-electro rhythm - all psychedelic rock guitar flourishes, hallucinogenic electronics, Jamaican toaster vocal samples and dub disco bass. On the flip, Bushwacka gives his take on 2011 classic 'Valley of Paradise', making more of the original's dreamy vocal sections while adding a tactile, shuffling, Balearic house-goes-breakbeat house groove and some suitably trippy acid-style electronics.

Review: Reborn is Kavinsky's first album in nine years. The self-styled "zombie who came back from the dead after his Testarossa crashed in 1986" was chosen to open Daft Punk's iconic Alive tour in 2007 and in 2011 he produced a track with the band's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo which went on to become the title for the cult classic movie Drive. He has since put put his own album and collaborated with The Weeknd and now comes his second album recorded at the famous Motorbass studio in Paris. It features big singles 'Zenith' and 'Renegade' and takes an epic trajectory.

Review: The A7 edits series has been responsible for some of the classiest re-rubs of recent memory, and they're not letting up on this latest 12". First up Ben Gomori has some fun with Oby Onyioha's eternally summery Nigerian hit 'Enjoy Your Life' before Jura Soundsystem bring some serious Balearic boogie flex to Togo icon Afia Mala's 'Koma'. Finally Eko's swooning disco delight 'Bowa Nga Ngebe' brings all the Cameroonian joy, respectfully edited for maximum satisfaction by D Tourn. If you want deeply dug gems from the annals of African disco history, look no further because these cuts will bring joy to anyone they come into contact with.

Review: Beatconductor brings some disco goodness and stylish 80s reworks to this first volume of Rekworks on an unknown label. The opener is a version of The Beatles's Come Together' that is slow and steady and sublime. There are more freewheeling and textural guitar licked grooves on 'Tenement Funster' while '1969' is another sleazy indie groove and 'Jailbreak' gets low slung and filthy with its rude guitars and pristine drum work. These are sure to bring a different kind of dirty disco vibe to any dance floor.

Review: When dance floor puppet master Jacques Renault slips out a new, limited edition, hand stamped 12" you know it is worth copping even before checking. When you do check, though, you will not be left disappointed: 'Never' is a super sized, super fun filter house tune with big pianos, great builds, touch edged and stomping house drums and a soaring vocal. 'Don't Say Goodnight' is another track packed with old school disco goodness married to a fresh house groove. Again the filters get worked hard, the percussion sounds straight from the 70s and the strings bring that touch of class. Essential.

Review: Love Drop seems to save his most inspired edits and reworks for his periodic outings on GAMM. For proof, check the Brighton-based producer's latest outing for the Swedish imprint - his third in total - which could well be his strongest release to date. A-side 'Lebanon' - so-called, we think, because it's an edit of a little-known Lebanese disco gem - is little less than inspired: a lightly tooled-up, ten-minute take that evolves throughout, boasts some subtle Middle Eastern/North African instrumentation, and brilliantly rises and falls from start to finish. It's hard to accurately describe, but utterly brilliant - the kind of epic disco workout that you'll want to listen to over and over again. Flipside 'Liberation' is equally as inspired, with Dubock beefing up and rearranging another obscure slice of jazz-funk/disco fusion complete with mazy synth solos, spacey electronics and a high-octane, club-ready groove.

Review: Guest serves up some precious gems mined from a wall of vinyl which have been cut, polished and mounted for maximum love. On the A side we have the good ol' fashioned funk of "Black Fist" in the tradition of the godfather himself, while over on the B side there's more vintage groove on offer in the form of the sensual slo-mo disco of "Jozephina" - which is as lo-slung as we like it. Respectful edits for the discerning DJ on offer here.

Review: Giuseppe Scarano's musical journey began at a young age, DJing in some of Puglia's best clubs like Clorophilla, Guendalina, Discorama and Heartz Festival supporting top tier DJs before launching NICEPEOPLE in 2018. His latest is on Constant Sound sublabel Cardiology and features four deep and dusty cuts. From the low slung disco loops of 'In Your Own' and the particuarly thumpin' Same For You' on the A side. Over on the flip, there's the swing fuelled deep house of 'Freaky' and some late '90s filtered house in the form of 'Best Places', cleverly sampling a pop classic from the same period.

Review: Is there any classic cut that The Reflex can't subtly improve? Over the years, he's delivered countless killer multi-track re-edits (or as he calls them, 'Re-visions') of much-loved, million-selling gems, and you can count the number of so-so tweaks on the fingers of one hand. He's done an excellent job in breathing new life into Q's wonky Italo-disco-era gem 'The Voice of Q' (side A), rightly emphasising the track's killer slap-bass and B-boy friendly groove, whilst inserting dub mix style breakdowns, builds and drops in all the right places. Over on the reverse he handles Ruth Silky Waters' lesser-known 1980 disco-funk gem 'Everybody Loves a Good Funk' (snigger), striking just the right balance between letting the song stretch its legs and showcasing the song's superb groove and high-grade instrumentation.

This is the first vinyl release on DISCOLIDAYS, a new label by remixer extraordinaire The Reflex, fully licensed from the copyrights holders, cuts remixed from the original multitrack for the very first time.

Review: If tactile, colourful and synthesizer-powered boogie revivalism is your thing, you probably already own a clutch of singles on the admirable Star Creature label. It's bad news for your wallet, but you need the label's latest "45" in your life too. 'What About Us' is a label debut from former hip-hop crew member Gillies, who serves up a sparkling, emotive chunk of squelchy synth-soul rich in squeezable bass, memorable melodies, Star Creature's trademark early '80s synth squiggles (LFO trigger action aplenty) and sweet female vocals. Label regular E-Live provides the flipside revision, combining D-Train style bold synth riffs with a chugging, pitched-down Italo-disco style bassline and unfussy drums.

Review: Some scintillating all-star action here, as nu-boogie star and Star Creature regular Andre Esput joins forces with fellow revivalist synth-funk stalwarts Kappekoff and Reggie Got Beats AKA RGB. 'Sugar' is the kind of colourful, bass guitar-sporting, synth-powered electrofunk goodness that would once have featured on legendary label Solar System - all squiggly lead lines, rubbery bass, tight machine drums and soulful lead vocals for the ever on-point Esput. The quality - and authenticity - of the trio's early '80s sound comes through loud and clear on the flipside instrumental version, which also includes added musical motifs and dub style drops. A genuine neo-boogie banger!

Review: Purple Disco Machine is the alias of Tino Piontek, a German DJ and producer who has become quite the staple of Aussie label Sweat It Out! in recent years. Exotica is his third album to date, and features a bunch of scorching disco numbers all delivered in his renowned style; from the infectious vocoder funk of 'At The Disko' with Lorenz Rhode, the neon-lit Italo euphoria of 'Dopamine' (feat Eyelar) as well as a collaboration with Italian deep house heroine in the form of 'Loneliness' and bonus track 'Twisted Mind' featuring Agnes.

Review: With influences like Parcels, Electric Wire Hustle, Blood Orange the Berlin based French-Italian duo Panna Cotta releases their accomplished 7 track debut EP "Sunrise" with an additional remix of the title track by label head Marcel Vogel. All songs are composed, mixed and mastered on analog gear to preserve the uncertainty of the moment, the imperfection of love.

Review: Slapping nu-disco 1s and 2s on this 7" from best buds Luciano FM and Stradivarius. Both tracks pacing themselves in equal measure, 'Mayday Off' is like the soundtrack to chill time; tuning out while some raucous tragedy occurs in the distance. Through the fog of its bass and echoed guitars, the mix is a pleasant, time-slowed blur. 'Nu Cafe', meanwhile, somehow manages to slow the tempo yet lift the mood, with an 8-bit instrumental nestling nippy hi-hats, breaths and clavichords in a sea of parasympathetic bliss.

Review: Brooklyn's Peter Matson returns to local imprint Bastard Jazz with three original tracks on The Right Way. Matson takes his experience as a DJ and musician to create these club-ready productions, featuring strong African influences for which he is known. On 'Call & Answer' he collaborates with Ibibio Sound Machine, fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams for a deep, sunny and uplifting groove that's perfect tackle for the upcoming summer session, backed by a more straight-ahead remix by Faze Action which gets a nu-disco vibe happening, plus more dancefloor dynamics to boot.

Review: DJ Junk is ironically named because all of the joints on this new 12" disco edit label are superb. Each one adds a house feel to some classic tunes from days gone by. 'Right In The Socket' kicks off with leggy drums and slapping hits next to jumbled toms and congas. It's a real cosmic crowd pleaser. 'Ready Get Down' then ups the ante with some taught and tight drum kicks overlaid with noodling guitar funk and big vocals. On the flipside, things get deeper with 'What I Got Is What You Need' which is a soul drenched stomper with heartfelt feel coos and last of all comes the more spaced out and spacious 'If You Want Me' which builds in teasing layers of well-filtered funk.

Review: Monsieur Van Pratt is a self-taught musician, producer and DJ from Mexico who has a clear love of disco, funk, soul and jazz of the 70s and 80s . He distils all that into his own floor-facing tunes with a big helping of charm making them irresistible to both DJs and dancers. He opens this tidy new 7" with 'This Jazz' which has playful sax riffs and chunky, convoluted drum tumbles that never quit. It's bouncy as a ball and packed with disco heat. 'Groove Lesson' is another devastatingly simple but effective tune with trillion guitar motifs, hip swing claps and disco chords underpinned by a perfeclty knotted and soulful bassline.