French politic Hi Nrg and Weird Zouk by the mysterous duo Barnes & Wobble.
disco
Skyrager – Beat Girl / Wonderful [HITD001]
Skyrager presents the first in a series of dance floor edits designed for optimum peak set destruction.
Timothy J. Fairplay – The Way Is Opened And Closed EP [WFL002]
On his second release for Work For Love, Timothy J. Fairplay continues the journey into dark spaces with four more deep synth freakers from his Fish Island School of Synthesis Studio.
VA – Italo Disco Legacy (Soundtrack) [369.047]
A journey into the past and the future of Italo Disco music through the stories of the original 80’s heroes and cult DJs and the voice of the new generation of artists, radio broadcasters and fans ready to carry on the Italo Disco Legacy.
Decent International 02 – Rentboy / Plantain [DECENT02]
Early 80s. Christiane F and Tron meet over a brutalist landscape. Clock is ticking. Electronic pioneers bang up post punks. Dirty hits. Take more. Time is running out. Northern European sub-cultural appropriation to destroy the dance. Still, it sounds good. And it looks nice. Nice sleeve art. Move along. Move along.
Intergalactic Gary @ Rhythm Section, Corsica Studios (London) 02.12.2017
N.O.I.A. – Forbidden Planet (Remixes) [NEXIT004]
The superb ‘Forbidden Planet’ is a shiny early electro cut with a great funk bass line, a real instrumental groove and fantastic melodies that shimmer like a hot sun. It’s filled with joy and sounds as fresh today as ever, the way it ducks and dives and offers real warmth. The Francisco Remix keeps the funk vibe but changes the groove to be a more Chicago house style cut. As such it has a rasping bassline, big drums and coarse percussion that make you want to jack. The masterful Ali Renault—a go-to disco and synth specialist who runs Cyber Dance Records, Human Shield Record Company and most recently his own Vivod imprint—then turns out a hypnotic version that is more driven and direct for the dance floor, with robotic bass and epic reflective synth lines. It’s a cinematic track with great analogue textures that goes back to the future. The last original is the excellent ‘Stay With Me’, a cosmic love song with breezy trumpets and dreamy disco vibes as well as soulful vocals. Italo melodies and infectious percussion finish it off and make it an instant crowd pleaser.
Mr Pauli – At Night [BAP107]
It’s with two kisses and a hearty handshake that Bordello A Parigi welcome stalwart of electronic music: Mr Pauli. Schooled on the West Coast, this pivotal figure has worked extensively with likeminded visionaries to create iconic tracks as the Novamen, Matzo & Pauli and Sumerian Fleet whilst producing his own unique works on labels like Moustache and Viewlexx. After such successes Pauli returns as a solo producer, delivering to the Bordello mansion two tracks of pure class. “At Night” is big, bright and brilliant. Hooks grip as soon as the needle lands. Vintage vocoder lyrics, a particular favourite of this trailblazer, tell a tale of twilight romance while crisp beats snap and notes sail. The flip keeps the fires burning. Synthlines are soaked in Mediterranean sunshine, an Italo Disco influence coming to the fore, with lovelorn vocals used to balance this cheer-filled creation. Golden sounds from a true pioneer.
Pasteur Lappe – We, The People [ASVN027]
Following the extremely well received re-press of Pasteur Lappe’s second album “Na Man Pass Man”, Africa Seven are heading back to the beginning with Pasteur. It is a another fine repress. The debut album “We, The People”. The story begins in the 60’s with a charming 19 year old Nicolas “Pasteur” Lappe becoming a sensation on Radio Adele in Douala, Cameroun. He goes on to become the editor of the Douala Gazette newspaper and become friends with other African music stars such as Tala AM, J Moboule and Fela Kuti. He also works tirelessly promoting new and upcoming local Cameroonian talent. After moving to Paris, a stint in journalism school and publishing a book of poems “Chansons Negres” he finally settles into a new life of music in Paris. Pasteur’s first album was recorded in 1979 with the backing band and production collective called the Zulu Gang, which include Douglas Mbida (who went on to release several top flight albums himself) and Jacob Desvariaux (who went on to form Kassav). The album is full of diverse sounds, from driving funk, sweeping disco grooves, syrupy ballads, reggae, Jackson-five-esque pop to finger-lickin’ soul. At its core though is the custom “Sekele” groove… a movement to encompass the dance, grooves and vibes from his native Douala. The nostalgic poet, with Africa at his essence Pasteur Lappe.
Amadou Balaké – In Conclusion (Ben Gomori Edits) [STEDIT002]
Sterns Edits returns after the sell-out success of its debut edition with another two catalogue reworks from Ben Gomori. This time he turns his attention to Burkina Faso’s much-loved taxi-driver- turned-singer, Amadou Balake´.
Arp Frique – Nos Magia [RHSTOREJAMS011]
Arp Frique is Niels Nieuborg from the city of Rotterdam, who has been actively involved in the Dutch live music scene for years, working with Cape Verdean & Surinamese musicians especially. After all these years, he finally presents his own true musical output. “Nos Magia” is a classic sounding, but unheard Cape Verdean funana song featuring the old skool Americo Brito on vocals. The b-side holds two collaborations with afro-beat protagonist Orlando Julius.
Benedikt Frey – Digital Tsunami 134
Marco Passarani @ Dekmantel Selectors 26.08.2017
Mark Knekelhuis @ Dekmantel Selectors 25.08.2017
Volta Cab – Johnny 320 EP [FRV027]
Frigio is hooking up with Russian electronic explorer Volta Cab for a four tracker of shadowy disco darkness. Thick drum patterns are shot through with strobe as “Johnny 320” enters the room. Swaggering onto the floor, this greased thug means business. Samples mutter intent as grooves grind and twist their way into the late hours. Juanpablo lowers the lights for his remake. Rhythms richochet and basslines loom in this lewd and dramatic track, a piece born in the grit and sweat of the floor under a haze smoke. The lights are kept low for the flip. “Immortal Fix” spikes and spins, laser beam synthlines cut through rumbling chords with snares that do more than just bear teeth. Italy’s Hesperius Draco closes Johnny 320 with giallo horror grandeur. Beats and words are shrouded in lilting strings for this sinister curtain fall.
Dollkraut @ Dekmantel Selectors 28.08.2017
Valerie Dore – Get Closer Remixes [RBSSS2]
Numero due in the Super Sound Singles series on Running Back continues on the re-issue/update tip of inexpensive records. Big in the charts in 1985, the Italian queen of “romantic dance” made her second single “Get Closer” a clairvoyant poem about… errr… life and love: “when the world is running down – get closer”! Think stonewashed jeans, endless summers on Italian beaches, boats coming back to the shore. Remixed by fellow country men Tiger & Woods, “Get Closer” gets sandblasted into our modern times and the necessary treatment to be the peak- and night time hug fest, it’s always supposed to be. Add a run out tool by DJ Oyster and a gentle DJ-friendly edit by Gerd Janson of the original to the billboard.
Sellorekt / LA Dreams – Turbo Quest [TURBO02]
Following on from 2015’s ‘Dreamatic’ EP by FM Attack is the belated next chapter in Mothball’s ‘Turbo’ series, dedicated to the best in contemporary synthwave. Sellorekt / LA Dreams is one of the most prolific and consistent artists in the genre, with a musical oeuvre spanning more than 30 albums. This 6 track EP has been carefully selected to make a thematically cohesive and exhilarating listening experience with maximum replay value.
Ozo – Anambra [ISLE004]
Isle Of Jura go back to 1976 to resurrect ‘Anambra’, the jewel in the crown of Dub, Soul & Funk outfit Ozo. ‘Anambra’ is something of a classic, a unique song that’s slow, ritualistic and spiritual, mixing African & Nyabinghi drumming with a Buddhist Sanskrit mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’. An alternate version ‘Anambra River’ appears for the first time on the same 12”.
V.V.A.A. – Struments 005 [STRUMENTS005]
The free will of Struments has led them to concentrate in one 12inch the encyclopedic knowledge of Marc Pinol, a duo of kids that present themselves as T.A.L., and the responsible for all that, Spastor, that appears in a remix signed by Florian Kupfer. Lliure Albir sounds as if Pinol was dazzled by the light of a lantern in a chill out while Paranoid London resound in the next room. In his remix, Palms Trax bet on tom toms and certain tribal groove, adding soft eighties keyboards, deep atmosphere, speeches and dub deliriums that perfectly fit in the freak universe of Pinol. Florian Kupfer remix made of Spastor’s Death In La Paz: a hit made in the German musician style whose groove is created by a fold in the sound and the apparent imbalance it has with the bass drum. If after this dawn breaks, it will not be small thing. T.A.L. are guided by a retro-spatial pulse to open a fan of sounds that expands and contracts threateningly, and delicately form what looks like an EBM hit stripped of the hammers.
The Hipodrome Of Music 