Back catalogue: Disco/Reediciones

Review: Z Records are kicking off 2023 in fine style with some seriously potent disco house wares, as if we would expect any less. On the A-side of this 7" we get AC Soul Symphony (Z main man Dave Lee to anyone else) having fun laying down the heat on 'The Philly Avengers' with a dramatic, wah wah toting funk explosion. On the B-side, Tiffany T'Zelle leads on vocals while Mistura handles the production for the swooning, passionate poise of 'If You Ever Need Somebody' - a future classic condensed into a radio-friendly edition for this killer 7".

Review: Soul meets speed garage on this new V/A EP from Z Records, blurring the lines between the genres in just the way we like it. The opening track - Grant Nelson's mix of 'Starlight' by Dave & Omar - is a euphoric, piano-laced uplifter which both sonically and lyrically urges us to reach for the sky. That's followed by the DJ Fudge production 'Everything' by Chocolate Fudge Band, featuring lots of live instrumentation and a Curtis Mayfield style vocal, while over on the flip, 'Looking For You' proves to be a deep and bouncy cut filled with soulful Motown vocal chops and an organ workout worthy of any Sunday service, over a beautifully wonky house framework.

Review: Operation Disco is a forthcoming album from Dr Packer and this four-track sampler shows up the sort of 80s boogie disco delights we can all look forward to. The artist is in a fine run of form right now and that continues through the slow slung bass and dazzling chords of his remix of soul-drenched opener Colors - 'Am I Gonna Be The One.' His take on The Sunburst Band & Leroy Burgess is more soulful and musical with a loose rhythm section getting you in the groove. The flip side features some blistering house music on 'Love Fantasy' and acrobatic vocals on chunky funker 'Runnin' by Mistura.

Review: Following up previous editions from master selectors Sean P and Nick The Record, the sixth edition of Z Records' Under The Influence series comes from the mysterious deep digging Winston: possibly Sheffield legend Winston Hazel of Forgemasters.. but that's to be confirmed! Featuring rare modern soul, funk and boogie tracks from the vaults. On the A side we have got Mary Gold's "Dancing" originally from 1981 and a mainstay in Motor City Drum Ensemble's DJ sets. On the flip is Al 'Man' Muntzie & The Embraceables 1979 deep disco joint "We Are Steady Rockin'" and some good ol' fashioned raw funk in the form of Mel Production Band's "Patti Duke Hustle" from 1980, where you'll really here a drummer get wicked among other things.

Review: The second taste of what is to come from the Dave & Maurissa album, 'What About My Love' is a modern slightly boogiefied take on the Johnnie Taylor classic. Here Maurissa shines with a heartfelt soulful vocal performance over Chic styled guitars, hip-cracking bass guitar and squelchy leads. On the flip is Disco Sparks's 'Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow' (feat Christine Wiltshire & The DS Orchestra) which is another life-affirming, lush disco/soul cut with funk drenched basslines, epic brass sections and standout vocal turns. Both specially edited for 7", this is an absolute must-buy for disco lovers.

Review: Vintage house and disco don Dave Lee knows a thing or two about serving up irresistible and timeless cuts and that's what he does here with the 24th instalment of the long-running Attack The Dancefloor series on his own Z Records. The man himself kicks off with Maurissa Rose on the loosely chugging, deep and soulful 'Open Me Up' (a first taste of the upcoming album together). He then slips into US garage style with his popular remix of The Trammps' 'I've Gotta Stand Up' that harks back to the glory days of 90s Soulful House. Felix Buxton's Celestial Being & Citizens Of The World Choir's 'Raise The Vibration' gets a gloriously sunny and positive Crackazat club mix before Lee closes the release with squelching synth in the form of his Boogified mix of Soul Dhamma's classic 'Flower.'

Review: For the 11th instalment of Z Records' ongoing Attack The Dancefloor series, label boss Dave Lee (AKA Joey Negro, Doug Willis, Lakeshore Commission and many more) has gathered together more certified floor-fillers from his own personal stash of productions and remixes. His tasteful rework of Harvey Mason classic "Groovin' You" - slightly more housey than the original, but making great use of the original's killer instrumentation and vocals - is particularly potent, while the rolling, horn-heavy Extended Version of Al McKay Allstars' "Heed The Message" is a good-time disco-funk treat. Elsewhere, Lakeshore Commission cut "Together (Right Now)" is a heartfelt tribute to Skyy mastermind and bass player supreme Randy Muller, while his Bionic House Mix of Doug Willis cut "Risky Biznizz" is a soaring, grandiose disco-house treat.

Review: Tonight we're going to party like it's 1975, as two disco classics from that crucial year on the very cusp of the disco revolution are lovingly overhauled by Dave Lee. The A-side sees the original version of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass - also covered by Thelma Houston in 1976 and British duo the Communards in 1986 - beefed up and preened for the modern dancefloor, in what you'd describe as a respectful but not overly reverential rework. On the flip it's the turn of Kokomo's 'Use Your Imagination', bursting with Saturday night bustle but also boasting a funky guitar riff that bears an uncanny resemblance to the one that would turn up on Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall pt2' a couple of years later. Dynamite party starters, whichever side of the vinyl coin you toss.

Review: Z Records' ongoing 'Attack The Dancefloor 'series of compilation style vinyl EPs has long been a reliable source of disco-fired excellence, and this 21st edition is another high-quality affair. We're first treated to a superb Jimpster revision of recent Mistura single 'Want Me Back', where Jemini's spoken word vocal, jazzy keys and spacey synth sounds rise above loose-limbed deep house beats and wiggly TB-303 lines, before Birdee drops a genuinely joyous, organic-sounding disco-house take on 1991 classic 'Do What You Feel' (now credited to Joey Montenegro, rather than his now retired Joey Negro alias). Elsewhere, Lee's own rework of Lakeshore Commission's Bluey collaboration 'In The Light' is a smooth, soulful, string-drenched delight and the veteran producer's 'Destination Boogie' tweak of Destiny II's 'Play To Win' is a revivalist '80s electrofunk delight.

Review: Over the years, Z Records' "Attack The Dancefloor" series has proved to be a serious source of tried-and-tested club cuts in a disco-centric style. Volume 13 is full to bursting with must-have tracks too. Label boss Dave Lee sets the tone, donning his famous Joey Negro alias to deliver a sumptuously summery "Disco Blend" of Mistura's Angela Johnson-voiced "Do You Love Me?" before Opolopo steals the show by turning Sylvester's surging disco anthem "I Need You" into a synth-sporting chunk of revivalist disco-boogie. Neapolitan Soul's "Welcome To The Dub" is a punchy chunk of disco-house laden in percussion and cute instrumental touches, while Lee's Joey Negro Club mix of Raquel Rodriguez's "We Go Together" is a sweet and seductive fusion of jazz-funk instrumentation and celebratory disco grunt.

Review: Z Records founder Dave Lee continues to celebrate 30 years of his iconic house and disco label with an ongoing series of various artist EPs. The fourth instalment is another belter opened up by the boss himself in Disco Blend form. He serves up libidinous synths and steamy vocals that get you on your toes and then sinks into a smooth and seductive deep house mould for his remix of Mistura's 'Smile. On the flip, disco don The Revenge works his magic on a lush afro disco cut and then comes a The Reflex version of The Secret Life Of Us which has big strings and a tight rhythm section all bringing the sunshine.

Review: This 2023 RSD release on Z Records is a treat for fans of soulful disco and 2-step garage. The A-side features a special 45 version of 'Secret Life Of Us', a catchy and uplifting anthem from The Sunburst Band's fourth album. The B-side showcases a 2-step soul mix of 'Look At The Stars', a smooth and romantic tune from Dave Lee's Produced With Love II album. Both tracks showcase the vocal talents of Maurissa Rose, who adds warmth and emotion to the songs.

Review: If you're looking for some high-grade, tried-and-tested disco and house fare, we'd strongly advise grabbing this second vinyl sampler celebrating 30 years of Dave Lee AKA Joey Negro's popular Z Records imprint. It begins with the insatiably sweaty disco-house hedonism of Doug Willis's down-low 2014 classic "Crystal Lover" - which, surprisingly, has never appeared on vinyl before in this original mix form - and ends with the Revenge's loopy, sort-after, synth-fired re-edit of Mid Air's early '80s disco-boogie classic "Ease Out". In between you'll find Lee's 2015 "JN Revival Mix" of his classic early '90s U.S garage/soulful house jam "Do What You Feel", and the similarly inclined and deliciously sunny "City Connection Mix" of Lee and the Sunburst Band's Angela Johnson-voiced "Only Time Will Tell". As the old cliche goes, this is "all killer, no filler".

Review: Z Records brought us a little comp here, but little is a bit of an underestimation considering all the tracks are full-on romper stompers! Soul Purpose remixes "Sounds In The Air" by Z Factor, and the dude gives it a real-tight beating, creating a nice, chunky Chicago groove for those hip-shaking moments. Bad boy Joey Negro rerubs "Smile" by Mistura and it's another Illinois affair but this time adding in some pleasing electro stabs. Flip it over and you got the infamous "American Dream" remixed by Supernova: inspirational, moving, lyrical and full o drums! J Paul finishes off in disco-garage mode with his remix of "Don't Want You Back" by Doug Willis - avoid if you don't wanna vibe!

Review: What is the crux of the connection between two of dance music's most beloved cities? Dave & Maurissa ask more questions than they answer on London/Detroit, their stellar new soulful deep house LP on Z Records. Formerly known as Joey Negro, Dave Lee is said to have spent the best part of a decade searching for another vocal talent to work with, where an encumbrance of applicants did not made the cut... until Maurissa Rose came along. Notably not by email or "next"-worthy panel judgment, the connection was made via Lee's chance encounter with Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record, after which many an email exchange, .mp3 swap and transatlantic air-shuttling ensued. What emerged was a versatile LP, reflecting the encyclopaedic knowledge of soul and house gone into its making, and the fact that this was the first time that either artist had recorded an entire LP with another across a single dozen-track serving.