The kind of track that makes you want to know what kind of morning routine Apiento has on a weekday, “The Orange Place” is simply an underground dancefloor classic of the 2010’s that makes you realise something very special was going on with Paul Byrne’s Astrological charts at the time. Pure Sleazy Belgian Indiana Jones vibes, impossible to forget and very timeless. Now with full cover artwork and additional dubbed out afro cosmic remix by Castro.
Originally released on one of Bruton’s extensive library albums but later used as the theme song to a UK drama series dealing with the intrigues of a family motor business and the world of rally driving from the 80s, “The Winning Streak” is another production by the now late library music maestro Alan Hawkshaw. A downtempo track with remarkably trippy use of percussion elements via electronics and drum machines with entertaining accents and “exotic” vocals. Another wonderful example of library music tickling the fancy of diggers and collectors with a dancefloor inclinations thanks to its highly distinct sound — everybody loves a winner.
Shades Of Blur is a newly unveiled secret label by one of the most esteemed artists in the scene offers a unique blend of New Wave and Post-Punk flavors on its inaugural record.
Cybernetic disco maestro Patrick Cowley returns to Dark Entries with ‘From Behind’, a collection of grooving and ecstatic covers of 60s garage and soul cuts. Best known for his chart-topping disco anthems, Cowley left us with an incredible body of work before his tragic death in 1982 due to AIDS-related illness. Since 2009, Dark Entries has been working with Cowley’s friends and family to uncover the singular artist’s lesser-known sides, including his soundtracks for films on compilation albums School Daze, Muscle Up, and Afternooners. From Behind reveals yet another facet of Cowley’s myriad influences; garage and soul. As a tripped-out teenage music freak who arrived in 60’s San Francisco, it should come as no surprise that these psychedelic sounds, both heady and visceral, infuse Cowley’s oeuvre. Recorded during Cowley’s most productive period, ‘80-’82, these tracks show the master flexing his virtuosity while paying loving tribute to the songs that shaped him. A rough draft of Loverde’s “Iko Iko” contorts the jaunty Dixie Cups classic into a slithering, monstrous bathhouse groover, the song’s signature claps draped in cavernous reverb. An unexpected hi-NRG cover of The Doors’ “20th Century Fox” has Paul Parker on vocals, ironically twisting the original’s overt heterosexuality. Via Cowley’s vocoder, The Who’s “Shakin’ All Over” is transformed into a haunting meditation on the loss of bodily autonomy that AIDS inflicts, while the Moody Blues’ “Ride My See Saw” appears in instrumental, amped up and synthesized for dancefloor impact. We’re also graced with instrumental demo versions of The Seeds’ “Pushin’ Too Hard” and The Electric Prunes’ “Too Much To Dream (Last Night),” which later appeared on Paul Parker releases. Things close out with a swinging version of the Four Tops’ Motown classic “Baby I Need Your Loving”, Cowley later reimagined for R&B artist Carl Carlton.
Daniel Monaco returns on the Rush Hour Store Jams imprint with another disco heavy two tracker, with vocals from TK daMonza.
SIRS throwns in some free downloads of disco dance tunes that are mysteriously not so mysterious.
Discoring Records presents a 12″ white vinyl official reissue of 1982 classic, Klein & M.B.O. – Dirty Talk.
L.A. threesome Ashrr aka lead vocalist Steven Davis and producer-musician-vocalists Josh Charles and Ethan Allen are back with a brilliant new album for Ralph Lawson’s superb 20/20 Vision Recordings that finds them working by the old mantra of ‘art for art’s sake’. This effortlessly eclectic record collides electronic soul, post-punk, space disco and indie-dance and is rich in melancholic melody, hazy, late-summer moods and late-night dancing. The vocals bring an indie edge to jangling delights like ‘Please Don’t Stop The Rain’ while ‘What’s Been Turning You On’ is a laidback and languid groove for lazy sessions.
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. Optimo Music unleashes now their second volume from Anarcho Disco into the world.
Japan meets funky disco in an explosive fusion led by maestro Jiro Inagaki here on a classic album that gets a worthy reissue. In a particularly inspired year during which he also released Funky Stuff on Nippon Columbia, Inagaki masterfully reinterprets tracks by Quincy Jones, Commodores, Graham Central Station, B.T. Express, Kool and The Gang, Stevie Wonder, Sly and The Family Stone, Ohio Players, Ripple, and Billy Preston on this one. He does so in collaboration with Hiromasa Suzuki, a prominent name in Japanese jazz, and seasoned session musicians who add their own spice. Inagaki brings a fresh, danceable sound here with a broad mix of inspirations from jazz to city pop all shining through.
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.
The Hipodrome Of Music 