Back catalogue: Disco/Reediciones

Review: Turin DJ/producer Gigi D'Agostino started his career in the mid-80s, spinning Italo-disco, before scoring a host of Eurodance and dancefloor-focused synth-pop hits. Back in 2006, he dropped a vast double-disc compilation entitled Some Experiments, which has now been given the remix treatment. Heavy on his own productions and remixes, much of the material combines sounds familiar from Italo-disco, synth-pop, trance and Eurodance releases with beats that vary in tempo and Italian vocals. There are plenty of genuine 'experiments' though, including his own synthesiser-based (but still classical-sounding) cover of Andrea Bocelli favourite 'Con To Partio', a chunky 21st century Eurodance take on Europe's 'The Final Countdown' by Il Folklorista and the weighty, slow-trance chug of 'Rugiada' by Lento Violento Man.

Review: Funk, soul and house music cognoscente Dave Lee spent the best part of two decades trying to find the ideal vocalist with whom to work on a full-length LP. Only lately did he chance upon the glabrous tones of Maurissa Rose on a Theo Parrish record, 'Free Myself', after which the impulse to work with a plucky yet radical-potential singer across an entire album could no longer be ignored. From 'I've Been Here Before' to 'Look At The Stars' to 'Do You Believe', this international communication in soulful house shimmies through uptempo boogie flavours and lower-slung street soul, and is best described as a career-defining milestone, polarising two talents as reps of two of dance music's most a-musing cities.

Review: The Pete Hammond Hi-NRG Remixes presents a nostalgic journey into the classic 80s sound with 11 tracks from Dead Or Alive, expertly remixed by Pete 'Mixmaster' Hammond. Renowned for his work with the band's later recordings, Hammond breathes new life into these tracks with throwback Hi-NRG remixes. Originally issued as a 2LP colored vinyl set for Record Store Day, this project is now available as a 2CD set, catering to both RSD enthusiasts and CD aficionados. These remixes reimagine newer songs in the style of the 1980s, offering a retro take on their original sound. Included in the album are fresh remixes of hits like 'Hit And Run Lover' alongside the 2000 remix of the iconic 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)'. Each track is meticulously re-played and reworked by Hammond, capturing the essence of the era and paying homage to Dead Or Alive's iconic sound.

Review: Bristolian turntablist and crate digger Andy Smith has long been renowned for the depth of his funk, soul and hip-hop selections, though it's only in recent years that we've discovered the quality and diversity of his disco collection. He continues to flex those credentials on the third instalment in his Reach Up - Disco Wonderland series. While there's plenty of obscurity on show, as you'd expect, Smith has chosen to include contemporary nu-disco cuts and fresh re-edits alongside vintage picks. So, while we cuts from The Sunshine Band, the disco-highlife of Orlando Julius and some late 70s electro-disco courtesy of French outfit Quartz, we're also treated to fresher tracks and edits from BB Soul, Birdee and Nick Reach Up, Yam Who and Full Intention. Throw in a killer DJ mix of the same material by Skratch Bastid and you have a genuinely essential collection.

Review: Adding to the fervour around Japanese city pop - the genre is still a clogged but speculative seep for reissuers, who are keen to capitalise on the mainly Tokyo-born genre's still underground, under-recognised reserves of music - comes DJ Nutoya with a fresh and terse ten-tracker compilation: Tokyo Bliss. This breezy selection centres on the all-rounder genre's favourite international foci, boogie and funk: frissonic formulas for sensational home listening. Most tracks here make their debut on vinyl outside of Japan; from Buzz's pristine tremolo'er 'Garasumado', to Keiko Toda's escape-noteworthy 'Fade In' and Yuji Mitsuya's delirious summer disco dirge 'After Five At Caf-Bar', this is an impeccable curation job.

Review: If you're looking for a bumper collection of chart bothering and ever-popular 80s disco then look no further than this. Blanco Y Negro has assembled no fewer than three whole CDs worth of the stuff and managed to include every sub-genre imaginable. Pop disco, hi-nrg, Italo disco, 80s house, nu-disco and plenty in between are all covered with aplomb. There are stone-cold classics like The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me', Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel's 'White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)' and The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me' as well as a few equally fun but slightly less ubiquitous jams.

Review: Having previously shone a light on lovers rock via two volumes of his For The Love of You compilations, dusty-fingered selector Sam Don has turned his attention to 'underground UK soul'. In practice, that largely means - though not uniformly - street soul of the late 80s and 90s. It's a simple idea, executed brilliantly, with Don working tirelessly to get the blessing of all the artists involved. Sweet, synth-heavy and lusciously loved up, the 12 tracks on show are undeniably excellent, with the many highlights including the piano-sporting, breakbeat-driven dancefloor pleasure of Kofi's 'Step By Step', the sax-sporting shuffle of Jenny B's 'Sexy Eyes (Club Mix)', the bubbly 80s soul cheeriness of Cavalier's 'Don't Touch' and the bustling post-boogie brilliance of 'Passion' by Taffy.

Review: The Salsoul Recordings (1976-1979), a comprehensive 4xCD box set by the legendary Philadelphia group Double Exposure. This 46-track collection highlights the trio of albums they recorded for Salsoul's Gold Mind Records: Ten Percent (1976), Fourplay (1978), and Locker Room (1979). Each album is presented in an expanded edition, with the set's final disc offering a curated selection of remixes, instrumentals, and a cappella versions from their Salsoul discography. Key tracks include the groundbreaking 12" single Ten Percent, the soulful My Love Is Free, and other fan favorites like Everyman and Newsy Neighbors. The packaging includes a 28-page booklet designed by John Sellards. DJ Dyn-o-Mite of Jointzoftheday.org provides the liner notes, offering deep insights into the group's contributions to the disco era. This release is part of a larger 2024 series by SoulMusic Records/The Second Disc, celebrating the Salsoul and Gold Mind catalogues. The collection is an essential addition for any soul-disco lover.

Review: The comprehensive five-CD set celebrating George Duke's illustrious solo career from 1977 to 2000 is a treasure box for fans and newcomers alike. Encompassing his prolific years with Epic Records and Warner Brothers, this collection features 87 tracks that showcase Duke's unparalleled versatility across genres. From funky hits like 'Dukey Stick' and 'Say That You Will' to the soulful grooves of 'Shine On' and the infectious rhythms of 'Sweet Baby' from the Clarke/Duke Project, every facet of Duke's musical genius shines through. Included are standout tracks from his Elektra Records era, including highlights from albums like 'Thief In The Night' and his self-titled 1986 release. Duke's ability to effortlessly traverse jazz, funk, soul and beyond shows his innovation in music. With insightful sleeve notes by journalist Charles Waring, this collection pays homage to Duke's legacy as a virtuoso who defied genre boundaries and left an indelible mark on the music world. His passing in 2013 marked the end of an era, but his music ensures that his influence will endure for generations to come.

Review: Earlier this year, Defected offshoot Glitterbox Recordings delivered its first documentary, Where Love Lives, a loving tribute to the power of "dancefloor expression and liberation" which was filmed over 18 months in Paris, Ibiza, New York and London. This expansive three-disc set showcases cuts from the film's soundtrack, with Defected boss Simon Dunmore and Glitterbox A&R chief Seamus Haji acting as curators. The 52-track set is little less than a whirlwind tour of revivalist disco, nu-disco and modern boogie, with reworks of classic cuts sitting side by side with celebrated contemporary cuts and future classics - all rippling with a mixture of squelchy basslines, electrofunk synths, sweeping disco orchestration, crunchy cowbells, fluid piano solos and heady, life-affirming vocals. If you dig disco, you'll definitely dig this.

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: Arriving almost exactly three months after its predecessor, HiFi Sean and David McAlmont's third collaborative full-length is lightly a conceptual flip side to 2024's Daylight - a "dusk till dawn" night drive sequel, as they put it. To provide a distinctly different sonic sheen to the album that preceded it, the duo has reached for slow, soft-touch grooves, dreamy textures, bubbly electronics, strobe-lit synths and musical motifs forged in darker, if still colourful, tones. Add in McAlmont's honeyed, effortlessly soulful vocals, and you have another genuine gem from the 1990s survivors. 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'.