Back catalogue: Disco/Nu-Disco

Review: The man like Inkswel seems to be in the midst of a production purple patch right now and we are not ones to complain, especially when he's firing off little nuggets of lopsided funk like the one that lines the A Side of this Omega Supreme 7". The puntastic "Delaide Reaction" sees Inkswel teaming up with his highly rated fellow Australian Andras Fox and features the vocal talents of the NJ Disco legend Gary Davis (those not familiar with the name need to attend Disco Night School!) This sun soaked slab of sunken boogie is complemented well by the flipside cut "Sunset on Sunset" by XL Middleton which lays on the p funk vibes heavily and snaps to a satisfying beat. As with all Omega Supreme drops, this one is pretty damn special.

Review: From Leeds to London via Bristol; PBR Streetgang and X-Press 2 have collided to create two superb slabs of timeless late night house; "Cosine" is a prog-minded, star-gazing strutter that would have sounded impeccable if it were released at any stage in the last 20 years. "Key Free" is a more upbeat, tech-minded workout with jazzy intentions... The frenetic synth meanders underpinned by a really creepy, ominous synth bass tone that wouldn't have gone amiss on Garnier's F-Com back in the day. For remix pleasure, "Cosine" enjoys a psychedelic twist from Lauer and a crunchy, angular electro b-boy flip from Elastic Dreams man A Sagittariun. Powerful.

Review: The Italian label Mr Disc builds on the success of the first instalment of their Obscure Track series with a second volume of nice old school electro funk and disco jams. Phono's 'Music Is My Sex' is playful and naiver in all the right ways, while Xenon head to outer space with vocoder vocals that still sound future on 'Xenon Galaxy.' Caroline Munro's 'Pump Me Up' brims with pure synth vibes, funky bass riffs and crashing drums that are pure 80s. Last of all is Stage's 'Dreamin On The Top' which sounds like a great-great-great-great-grandfather to the classic Todd Terje tune 'Inspector Norse'.

Review: The Peoples Potential Unlimited quest to unearth the Atlantic boogie that time forgot continues unabated - this time reviving a1983 gem from Detroit's The X Man. Wrapped in an excellently presented sleeve, the somewhat mysterious X-Man supposedly had what should have been a fruitful musical career cut short by a 30 year stint in a Motor City psychiatric hospital. This was no obstacle for PPU however, who were granted the master tapes to press up "That Body" and "Fired Up" at 45rpm on a nice fat twelve! There's an undeniable funk swagger to "That Body" which sounds like Jimmy Edgar if he was a child of the 70s - in a word, killer. The B Side proto hip-hop bump of "Fire It Up" proves to be just as infectious, driven by some loose limbed synth flourishes.

Review: Here is one the most spaced out classic Italo disco tunes out there. The timeless "Xenon Galaxy" will turn every sweaty dancefloor into a disco spaceship. Slow and seductive beats and spacey synthlines are backed up by a driving bassline and cosmic guitars. The release comes with two Idjut Boys edits, giving the original a most sexy spin, with plenty of dubby delays and smoked out effects. This space disco classic from 1983 is now once again within reach of Italo aficionados without having to pay ridiculous amounts on e-bay. Definitely a must-have in any disco collection.

Review: MoFunk Records boss queen Moniquea is back on the label with the boogie master that is XL Middleton. They go back to their roots here with some stylish street soul on a vital split 7". XL Middleton's first up 'I Can't Believe It' with its bright synth squirms, boogie bass and 80s drum machine sounds all topped off with plenty of cosmic funk and hip-swinging magic. On the flip is the equally bright and vivid Moniquea jam 'Get It Together' with its withering cosmic chords and gorgeous vocal all under pixelated leads that take you to the stars.

Review: XL Middleton's first 45rpm on the mighty Star Creature Universal Vibrations label is a majestic collab with the amazing Saucy Lady. 'Daydreaming' is pure good time music, packed with sunshine and to-die-for boogie baselines that wiggling away beneath jazz-funk chords and funked up drums. It's an irresistible jam as the temps go up, and if for someone reason you want to hear it without the effortlessly cool vocal, you can flip this 7" over for a fine instrumental jam. With debuts as good as this, the label is sure to want more from XL - we certainly do.

Review: Aural Medium has handpicked six tracks for this special new release which spans the last decade. As such, Transitional Being shows off another side to the production palette of XVARR. These are tracks that are steeped in ritualistic dance heritage but also enslaved to technology. They are often built around taught drum patterns and sequenced basslines, with twinkling synths up top and more than a slight trace of comic energy in the mould of Weatherall or Baldelli. Tracks lure you into a state of trance and on the more club orientated tracks presented here there is nowhere you would rather be.

Review: Xvectors are an Edinburgh-based 4 piece, who came together in mid 2003. The short, sharp bursts of intense, claustrophobic, guitar-driven dance music soon caught the attention of fledgling London label Adult Baby, who gave the band a deal to record their first 7" single. New fans were found in the shape of Soulwax, Tim Sweeney, Rory Phillips, the legendary Jamie Principle and JD Twitch and JG Wilkes. The band are now well known as being tremendous live performers, at once appearing to help you on the way to clammy nightclub gratification, while feverish, dark pop premonitions and murky psychological introspections are brought to life through their lyrics. With the release of "Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque" the band have surely stood out of the shadows and are now destined to set up more permanent camp in clubs all over the country. The triple A sided single is completed with Xvectors blistering cover of Jamie Principle's Chicago classic "Your Love", making this 12" a must have for all fans of (dirty) disco.

Review: More unearthed disco edits from the godfather of house music Frankie Knuckles, courtesy of the legendary Disco Queen. On the A side we have some rather deep down and dirty blaxploitation vibes (also sampled by Jamie 3:26 on "Dr F**K" several years ago) over a minimal proto-house drum track on "XXX" by XXX. On the flip, we have the powerful soul explosion of South Shore Commission's "Free Man" from their self-titled album of 1975. Now this one shows you all what a 'respectful edit' really is - listen and learn!

Review: Lecce-based Marco Erroi (Common Series) returns with more of his hot edits on the second edition of the XXXV series. There's a strong, lo-slung Blaxploitation vibe going on in this volume, opening with "B Movie" followed by some trippy acapella action on the reduced, spacey and almost cosmic "Not Just A Groove". Flip over for a respectful edit of a well-known classic ("Dancing" - no guesses there!) and closer "Karon" which goes well deep and spiritual with its sweltering Afro vibe, thanks to Erroi's on-point splicing techniques. Tip!

Review: Long time compadres spotted together on Mofunk as far back as four years ago with "Press Play", Zackey Force Funk and XL Middleton collide on the LA funk imprint again, this time sharing the 45" a side a piece. ZFF goes for the soothing touches, smooth with just subtle hints at sleaze while XL goes all out George Jetson with an upbeat juicy space bass strut, sprinkled keys and new jack vocals. Two dope label faces, two killer jams, one fly way to kick off 2018 from Mofunk.

Review: Zackey Force Funk and XL Middleton joined forces on the boogie powered electro-disco album Blue Blade Piranha and served up a journey that fuses funk and electronica in fresh new ways. The album features Zackey's distinctive vocals, known for their raw energy, paired with XL Middleton's unrivalled production prowess. The result is a genre-defying experience, where funky basslines intertwine with futuristic beats that showcase this duo's ability to push sonic boundaries and create a groove-laden soundscape that nods to the past while embracing the cutting edge. With its infectious rhythm and experimental flair, the collaboration stands as a testament to innovation as well as being irresistible to the hips.