Back catalogue: Funky/Club House

Review: It would be fair to say that post-disco outfit Unlimited Touch's 1980 single "I Hear Music In the Streets" is one of the greatest boogie/electrofunk records of all time. Louie Vega clearly agrees, because late last year he decided to gather together the remaining members of Unlimited Touch and record a fresh 2020 version. The A-side "Touch Mix" is the bomb. It features a more organic-sounding disco-boogie groove than the 1980 original, with delicious guitars, bass and electric piano/organ underpinning seriously good group vocals from the sometime Prelude-signed outfit. Over on the flip, Vega serves up an electric piano solo-laden dub mix, as well as a "Classic Boogie" take that naturally sounds very similar to the band's much-loved original version.

Review: Sampling As An Art Records is back with a new various artists package that has been assembled from talents the label boss has met on the road - musical projects undertaken during and after gigs. This is the first in a series of such releases and it kicks off with a fresh melodic house blast from Morgan, then gets the hands in the air with an old school, percussive piano number with UC Beatz's 'Ain't Good Enough' before S3A appear with 'Layers', a loopy filter house jam with sunshine, disco and soul in equal measure. Last of all is Mika Blaster with the epic sax and humid chords of 'Buisine Ness' (S3A edit).

Review: St Petersberg's Dobro label is noted not just for the quality and playability of its funky house and disco re-edits, but also for its value for money. This, their seventh release, is another great example, with no less than six floorfillers included on one 12", each bringing their own individual mood to the table. 'Flowers Festival' from Sun Rhythms has throbbing organs and fruity keys, topped off by a gorgeous Russian vocal. DJ Merci's 'Timetable' goes for chunky rave pianos and Fairlight stabs, lending it an 80s Italo-disco feel, before Ground Plane Aerial's 'Transition SP' closes the side with slap bass and stripped down house vibe that echoes some of Roule Records' more accessible moments. Side two VIGI's 'I Am You', is the most memorable of the whole package, with its idiosyncratic female vocal weaving a magical spell around the listener, before we finish off with a double whammy of Monny Me's swirling stringfest 'The Name Of The Game' and the parping horns and strutting groove of Ugly Frankie's 'Free Alcohol Shit', the latter including a bewitching and unexpected piano solo. Great work all round.

Review: Demon Records share a reissue of Urban Cookie Collective's 1994 mega-hit The Key, The Secret, adding three lesser-known cuts to the fore as well. The brainchild of one Rohan Heath, who founded the project in the late 1980s, Urban Cookie Collective amounted to a bewitching UK funky house formula, responsible for many a sort-of-underground hit. Not overproduced nor underproduced - cooked just right - 'The Key The Secret' is a prototypical example of uplifting UK-Euro house and synthpop, perhaps with hints of Italo disco thrown in courtesy of a sample from Glam's early 90s club stomper 'Hell's Party'. Meanwhile, B-side cuts 'Feels Like Heaven' continue to charm and bemuse with their completely earnest and unironic Euro-piano uplifts and motivational spirit.