Juno Recommends Disco: April 2023

Review: The one and only Mr K sure does know how to cook up a masterful edit. Here he heads into gospel territory with the latest 7" in Most Excellent Unlimited's collaborations with him. Both of these tunes are appearing on 7" vinyl for the first time here and have long been staples of the sets of Danny Krivit. His 'Churchapella' edit of Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' is as holy and steamy as it gets with the whole thing sure to uplift and energise any crowd. On the backside is a superb edit of the Clark Sisters slinky rare groove gem 'Ha-Ya (Eternal Life).' It's a slightly slower tune but one that makes just as much of an impact.

Review: We're told that the Hot Pot label has been specially resurrected to put out these jams from the one and only former Slum Village DJ, Mahogany Music artist, hip-hop head and house don that is Dez Andres. They are some of the edits and reworks he has been playing out on the circuit in his Detroit hometown and they get pressed up nice and loud here on fresh wax. First up he reworks a stone-cold classic with a distinctive Latin house twang while on the flip, his signature boom-bap drum work defines another killer groove. Super stuff as ever from the man.

Review: It has been a bit of a while since we heard from edit king and seductive groove maker Late Nite Tuff Guy. Thankfully now he is back after his hiatus with more of his brilliance in the form of a third entry into his Soul Cut series. He brings his magic fingers to a pair of dazzlers here, with a hearrt-wrenching version of a latter yaers Motown anthem, with a modern update that leaves the original vocals in place but adds a little more drum weight. On the flip, 'Don't Look' is a much more smoochy and seductive late-night sound for cosy dances.

Review: Correcciones Calypso returns from a generous hiatus with the fourth edition of its acclaimed edit series, replete with four re-edits that veer from the subtle to the downright brazen. Thomass Jackson and INigo Vontier invite the French duo Youkounkoun to open proceedings with an insane early 80s edit full of big drums and exotic touches that's been blowing dancefloors all around the world for the past years - and definitely resides in the brazen category, despite a lot of work having gone into it. Olta Karawame make their debut on the series with a powerful, compact edit full of ballsy keyboard riffing and a military-sized kick drum that is guaranteed to have heads banging . To complete the release label bosses Thomass and INigo deliver edits of their own with their characteristic sound, giving this EP maximum a value for money factor and entertainment from start to finish.

Review: Toronto-based 45 Label Eastside Edits is back with more of that heart-melting musical goodness for a fifth time. These two pearlers both rework classic samples into new and seductive funky beat frameworks. 'Second Nature' has twanging and funky bass and smooth rolling grooves with a laidback vibe all topped off with a distincitve hook. On the other side, 'Tapp Dance' has slower, deeper neo-soul vibes - two very tasteful reworks for sure.

Review: Best claims to be the first Italo-disco label to be based in Rome. It was founded in 1981 by pioneering DJ Claudio Casalini and sure does have plenty of gems in its catalogue. This is one of them from Carol Williams, whose charming and effortlessly cool vocals light up both sides of this mix of boogie, soul, disco and funk. 'What's The Deal' is a mid-tempo seducer with stepping chord sequences and bright synth work then 'Have You For My Love' ups the ante with more squelchy synth funk sounds and pixelated leads. It's the pick of the bunch if you ask us.

Review: Wrekin Havoc has been in no rush to get to their third EP - this one comes almost 18 months after the debut - but the music is worth the wait. It is another one from the in-house production team of the same name who describe themselves as crate diggers turned re-editors from deepest Wales. Here they set off on a Balearic-minded disco trip with the soul-drenched 'Double Deb' before 'Boon Rocks', boasting an electric boogie feel with its staying analogue lines and stiff drums. 'Kool Keith' is a low-slung and swaggering dub with classic house samples and 'Splash Gordon' shows yet another side with blissed-out electronic soul.

Review: The second slab of wax on Mexican imprint Ximeno Records' 'Club Series' delivers two desirable sides of synth-powered peak-time excellence. First up on side A is the Futures' 'Let's Get To It', one of the Philly soul quartet's finest boogie-era outings (and there were a few). First released in 1982, it's a classic electrofunk workout rich in squelchy synth-bass, superb group vocals and colourful electronic melodies. Over on the flip, there's something a touch newer: a chugging-but-driving, largely groove-based re-edit by Brazilian star Selvagem of a mysterious South American cover version of Donna Summer classic 'I Feel Love'. Re-titled 'Amor', it's a throbbing, peak-time-ready re-fix that sounds like a guaranteed dancefloor winner.

Review: Cold Blow has a strong track record when it comes to reissues and retrospectives, though previously they've tended to focus on obscure electro, techno and IDM. Here the London-based label flips the script, offering up a new edition of Andy Romano's 2010 single 'Everytime I Feel Alright', which was inspired by the producer's love of vintage Italo-disco. The title track is pleasingly authentic-sounding, with Romano's effects-laden vocals and bleeping synthesiser lead lines and Harold Faltermeyer-esque stabs dancing atop a Bobby Orlando style bassline and unfussy machine drums. An instrumental mix is included, alongside two original B-sides: the Fairlight stab-sporting deep electro/Italo-disco fusion of 'L'Amour Robotique' and the vocoder-sporting KOTO tribute, 'Sayonara Robot'.

Review: Mattie Safer, bassist for The Rapture, presents his solo project on Razor-N-Tape. The Lovetempo EP features chilled-out vocal tracks moving between laidback disco, modern bossa nova, and Sade-esque grown-n-sexy jazz grooves. Hitting notes of both melancholy and positivity, Mattie's plaintiff vocals wind through all four of the original songs, delivering catchy and singable hooks. Yuksek's remix of the most uplifting tune takes it to joyous hands-in-the-air territory. A delightful EP that showcases Mattie's versatility and talent, perfectly crafted for those who enjoy a smooth and soulful vibe.

Review: Washington DC group Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers have got a real belting Latin tune on their hands here with 'Berro e Sombaro'. It's a tune that has been sampled many times over the years though you will be hard-pushed to find an original version anywhere. It was originally the last tune on Chuck's Bustin Loose album from 1979 and soon became a go-to funk track with a big impact that also saw it make a mark on the 80s rare groove scene. On the flipside here is an exclusive 7" edit of 'Never Gonna Give You Up', which was composed by Gamble & Huff composed and has never been on 45 rpm before.

Review: The Demon Singles Club offers up a carefully curated selection of sought-after and classic tracks by legends from days gone by. Next up in the spotlight is Greg Henderson with some super lush disco and boogie vibes recorded back in the early 80s by the enigmatic artist. He only made a few records in his short career but they all made their mark and this one, 'Dreamin,' is a case in point: it will fill any floor with its catchy grooves and lush riffs which have all been reasserted for this special reissue project.

Review: More & More's 'Mary's Heart Man' makes sumptuous use of quick-fingered electric piano and low-tickling bass licks, sourcing envy-inducing sample material from the unknown ethers of either the internet, the diggers' crate, or both. Both of these additions to the re-edit label's catalogue are on the jazzy, psychedelic side, whirling the floorbound listener into a veritable dance hypnosis, all the while respecting the original tracks' stellar solos.

Review: When Superpitcher unveiled the King So So project on Hippie Dance in 2015 (initially anonymously), only a handful of the 10 'version excursions' were released on wax, with the rest only appearing digitally. Mule Musiq has decided to set the record straight, presenting the full suite of tracks on vinyl for the very first time. It's a pleasingly freewheeling and eccentric affair, with highlights including the dub disco-goes-cosmic quirkiness of 'Disco In The Sky', the ultra dubbed-out, Idjuts Boys-esque 'Girls In The Sky', spaced-out ambient interpretation 'Tripping In The Sky' and the deep, hypnotic techno flex of 'One More In The Sky' being our picks. Fans of wild, out-there goodness will also love the utterly mind-mangling 'Dubbing In The Sky' and spoken word-sporting ambient number 'King Soso In The Sky'.

Review: Hungarian DJ and producer duo Pleasure Voyage takes us on a conceptual sonic holiday with them to Italy on Azzuro, a majestic summer soundtrack. The gorgeous record kicks off with nice upbeat Italo sounds on 'In Vacanza' while 'Summer Voyage' captures an early evening dance after a few drinks and 'Electromarea' then offers dreamy Italo deep house from the 80s complete with dusty drums and nostalgic melodies. Things get even deeper later on, always with nice rough-edged analogue sounds and lived-in grooves that bring the good times.

Review: One Bjorn Wagner is the mastermind behind the cosmic disco project Magic Source, a natural follow-on after the acclaimed funk outfits Mighty Mocambos and Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. Voyage Spectral is his second album under the alias, following Earthrising in 2016. It's a dazzling display of synth-laden grooves, inspired not least by the rare and obscure cosmic disco bits made by relatively anonymous artists for European music libraries. Minimal, princely, fast disco cuts like 'Speed Boat To Atlantis' embematize the feel of this album and Wagner's oeuvre, as they nail the chilled-out psychedelic fantasy of magic-carpetting to far-off mythical worlds.