Big tune from Cameroonian outfit, ESA, originally released on an LP in 1986. For the first time ‘A Muto’ by Esa is given an official reissue. Not only does this mark a first as a stand along single, but the reissue contains previously unheard Instrumental, Dub and Keys Versions alongside an Acapella.
Unreleased themes from Kornelije Kovac for commissioned documentary short ‘Raport iz Sarajeva’, directed by Miodrag Zdravkovic in 1982. This music themes precede the official songs, idents and audio logos for the XIV Winter Olympic Games Sarajevo 1984 opening ceremony made by Kornelije Kovac in his Belgrade based studio from 1982 to 1984. Sourced from the original master tapes with full color artwork by Eric Adrian Lee. Includes insert with photographs from Kornelije Kovac private collection and liner notes by Zeljko Luketic.
Vermelho Wonder is a Brazilian duo formed by music producer and DJ Marcio Vermelho and performer/singer Ivana Wonder. Since their formation in 2016, they have been acclaimed for their avant-garde and experimental style. ‘Se Você’ is an electronic torch song that was originally released digitally in 2021 by Gop Tun (also one of Brazil’s main festivals for Electronic music). For the first time the single is brought to Vinyl alongside a new Jura Soundsystem interpretation. Bonus track ‘Catman’ (Dub) rounds off the 12 with a touch of underground house.
Optimo Music unleashes Japan’s GǼG and their Anarcho Disco volumes 1 & 2 into the world. The project “GǼG” was started by Disko Klubb boss Monkey Timers, who leads Tokyo’s underground disco scene, and Keita Sano. Using a variety of sampling and unique FX, thier music has created a unique GǼG sound that is psychedelic and anarchic, dance music for the open-minded and genre-free crews. This here is the first volume.
Dark Entries again shines a spotlight on bathhouse disco don Patrick Cowley with a newly remastered release of Kickin’ In. Although Cowley tragically passed from AIDS-related illness in 1982, he left an extensive archive of unreleased tapes, many of which Dark Entries has had the honor of releasing. While working as a lighting technician at The City, SF’s disco cabaret, Cowley saw rising star Frank Loverde perform. Cowley asked Loverde to contribute vocals to some material in progress, and Frank, Linda Imperial, and Peggy Gibbons joined Cowley in the studio. The resulting songs included “Kickin’ In,” a 9-minute cybernetic disco stormer that taps into the essence of Cowley’s hi-NRG sound: equal parts spaced out and zoned in on the dancefloor. In May 1978 Cowley joined Loverde on stage at The City to perform “Kickin’ In” as they opened for disco diva Sylvester. “Kickin’ In” was initially released in 2015 via Honey Soundsystem who found the tapes in the basement of Megatone Records owner John Hedges. This newly remastered version was made possible due to the discovery of the original multi-track recordings of “Kickin’ In,” allowing for a fresh mixdown by Jim Hopkins as well as the creation of a new instrumental version. Also included are two impeccably sleazy Cowley jams recorded in 1980, “Thief of Love” and “Make It Come Loose.” Cowley narrates excerpts from his erotic journals on these raunchy slow-burners, capturing the vibe of SF’s leather bars and backrooms. “Thief of Love” features Cowley collaborator Paul Parker on background vocals.
It’s difficult to ”label” the songs of this authoritative and necessary official reissue. ”Zombi” and ”In the Land of the Zombi” are two electro disco-funks from 1979, therefore from three years before was born the ”Italo-Disco” style, certainly more powerful, aggressive and more electronic than the ”Made in Italy” disco style of the 2nd half of the 70s. The creation of the original 7″ by Salvatore Ida, great musician and bandleader – to whom this excellent reissue is dedicated – was a sort of game for the authors of the two pieces: Federico Ida and Massimo Ida, were protagonists 4 years before of the Italian progressive rock scene with the sister Silvana Ida, Marcello Surace and Franco Vinci thanks to the immeasurable and acclaimed album ”Apoteosi”. So The Zombies were destined to pair with another easy ’79 joke by the Ida brothers: ”Let’s Go” and ”Mustang” by Sandwich. The two long versions of ”Zombi” and ”In the Land of the Zombi” were re-edited by Massimo Berardi, always diligent and active, as well as tidy and aware of where he was putting his hands, are fundamental in order to complete this 12″.
Highly wanted amongst collectors for its unique sound, this Italian psychedelic percussion heavy disco single was originally only released on 7 inch format sometime in the late 70s on the Idea label. Quite experimental for its time, it stands out not only for the reckless use of percussion but also the use of early synthesiser sounds in very rhythmic conscientious manners, some moments almost sounding as if a pioneering example of Acid House years before its time. While it seems like all possible percussion instrument sounds are chaotically employed into the drum salad that unfolds, the clavinet and vibraphone offer a contrasting dreamy nuance via a simple and slowly moving melody. Besides the original Parte 02a version this release comes with a new remix “Drum Implosion (Parte 10a) further propelling the chaos commenced in the original release with the aid of flangers and delays, already striking the fancy of DJs like Marcell Dettmann. Severely remastered at Manmade mastering, now featured in 12” format with full cover artwork.
Sosilly is back and they’ve brought some local aussie legends to join them on a cosmic outback bush boogie with 4 x epic dub-olicious, psych rock, Afro disco jams.
Discognosis’ Hardware Edits Vol. 1 offers a whirlwind of disco-infused energy across its four tracks. 4 wacked-out, psychedelic disco reworks with added hardware drum machine and analog synthesis for maximum dance floor impact. From the minds behind New Orleans’ most cosmic, coked-up disco party Discognosis.
LA-based trio ASHRR serve up their latest offering of soul-infused, funked-up space disco in the form of ‘Different Kind of Life’. Landing on wax as a selection of remixes featuring two edits from the longstanding figurehead of Berlin electronic music culture ‘Massimiliano Pagliara’. ASHRR compliment Massimiliano’s re-works with a special ‘ASHRR Soundsystem’ version to wrap up another unmissable outing laced with sun-kissed swagger.
Two-tracker from Indonesian group Precious Bloom. ‘Flashlight’ on the A side is inspired by Euro disco with a touch of Indonesian city pop. The track ‘Mojo’ on the B-side explores a rhyme of witchery…
DJ Subaru makes an accomplished production debut on CWPT with ‘Lots of Love’. DJ Subaru instinctively mines the expressive, outsider strains of disco, Italo and pop pleasures in their record bag, revealing an EP that throbs with the pleasures, pain and potential of a life in strobes and smoke. Vocalist and muse Tiss Vampiric emerges from London’s shadowy underground to lend their voice to the brooding, disco-Gothic track, ‘My Love’. Stalking a moody paradise amongst DJ Subaru’s EBM-oriented synthesizers, their baroque lyrics conjure an atmosphere that bridges the energies of subversive pioneers such as Soft Cell and Ministry, a sensual maze where denial only leads to more devotion, as well as more dancing. Keeping the lights dim but brightening the corners, the prolific cosmic disco pioneer Prins Thomas reinvigorates his legendary ‘Diskomiks’ approach for a euphoric remix of ‘My Love’.
The superduo formed by two authentic stars of the Italian dance scene is back with the ‘Rolling Wave’ EP on Mondo Groove. Daniele Baldelli & DJ Rocca are on fire in the four tracks of this new EP on Mondo Groove, which starts with the bleep sounds of the title track ‘Rolling Wave’, goes into orbit with the deep boogie of ‘Funk Infusion’ and a party number like ‘Marchin On’, and culminates in the refined disco-jazz digressions of ‘Focused Image’. A record that will be a future classic.
Beppe Loda is back with a bang for Neptune’s Dispatch #3, delivering four scorching tracks infused with his iconic spaghetti disco vibe. Beppe’s dance floor-tested toolkit features cosmic bliss, guitar riffs reminiscent of Santana’s long-lost Italian cousin, evocative odes to the queen of love, and a love ballad from Italy’s supposed Gatsby.
Surfing on the wave of 1980’s Nippon’s bubble of electronics and economics, fashion and the femme fatale, explosion of its pop culture and computerized technopop, and the world’s sudden fascination with everything Japan, a group of young studio musicians stemming from Tokyo’s downtown of Akihabara and Kanda came together for ad hoc recording sessions between 1982-1986. Their goal… produce the next domestic hit album, a travelogue of city pop inspired by the urban yet lonely sprawl of now globally admired Asia. Yet their vision of the concept album under the City Heights moniker ever came to see the light due to the group’s sudden disbandment after the tragic loss of love. Led by the guitarist come arranger-producer Hasegawa Jô and keyboardist Katsuragi Mariko, the City Heights sessions drew form Tokyo’s musical melting pot of early 1980s with a distinct blend of jazz, funk, boogie, spiced with a local touch of Nippon’s finest electronic instruments. Now, restored, remastered and occasionally redubbed by Japanese music connoisseur Sten Saluveer aka MILDHANS, this second, highly anticipated volume will take you on a journey through the love-longing nights of Aoyama, to the festive matsuri bustle of Jô’s hometown of Kanda, the Jasmine dreaming of Taipei, and a quirky nod to a then legendary musical superhero.
With a mysteriously unknown release date, “Photochrome” could have been originally put out somewhere between the late 70’s to early 80’s on the Italian Idea label, which although only boasting a minuscule catalogue of mainly 7”s has gotten the attention of many collectors of European disco obscurities for releases such as “Flavio – Drum Explosion” and “Aleo’s Band – EOE”. “Photochrome” features a very organic sound with hints of early electronics that might have been making their way into studios at the time. A fast passed driving bass line layered with what almost sounds like an early 303 bass line and spacey/cosmic vocals. Dry drum recordings give it a naive DIY feel which coupled with the experimental tricks on the vocals results in a very unique sound that has put this release on the radars of diggers world-wide. Now available once again at an affordable price with a new two part bonus beats remix that starts off as a more DJ friendly tool but soon embarks into a questionable full-fledged acid house excursion.
OTTO is back with a Maximal Super Sound Maxi 12″ on Eine Welt. The label, run by Alexander Arpeggio concludes this 12″ series with an obscure banger by the Berlin-based Organ Band OTTO. On the A-side: Obscure uptempo Italo Madness, bassline-heavy, and featuring dirty vocoder Ansagen. On the other A-side: a driving and full of surprises midtempo groover with mysterious german voodoo ritual chants.
The Hipodrome Of Music 