Review: MDA Grooves - Universo Positivo Remixed EP (Kai Alcé, JKriv, Sean McCabe and Medlar) (Universo Positivo Records)

For over 40 yeas (already), MDA - Mundo de Aventuras - have been melded urban club with Latin and Afro styles into modern Dance music so let's get 4 of today's top groovesters to rework some of their best tracks from Universo Positivo's catalog!

You'll know the name Universo Positivo as founder, Joseph Salvador who set up the label/Amsterdam club scene in the 1990s mostly on back of his own productions whilst the first release was by Orlando Voorn and Amp Fiddler (RIP)!  And now, regular readers will recognise the movers of dance, Kai Alcé, JKriv, Sean McCabe and Medlar as a current day 'Gang of Four' remixers picked out for this the game of Twister (Ed. see the cover artwork?)

Kai Alce, (last seen HERE on the NDATL Remix of 'What You Came Here For') who is seen as a "most influential architect" of deep house kicks off extending 'Sonido Latino' into jazzy-soul vibra-cool a la Roy Ayers' raceway/lounge.

Sean McCabe is another never too far from a remix (for the past 20 years) so he knows a sandy samba shuffle for 'Ipanema Jazz' (Ed. hardly on the beach as he's based in Bristol!) as keys/synths and trumpet battle it out out on a cuíca rub(dub).

Talking of UK samba, Medlar is another producer far from the beach in his South London studio (perhaps Rotherhithe pier is the closest) but he does love an Island and a remix (see HERE) and he revolves 'U R The Revolution' into the mainroom 'hands in the air' retro-house banger (Ed. this is not a 'clean' edit).

But standing on top in his usual educational way is co-founder of Razor-N-Tape, JKriv who might be based in Brooklyn but seems capable of turning any sound into fun-loving disco heaven like his version of 'Caparica Sunset' which will get anyone on a upbeat (also check out the recent 'Reel Ones' EP HERE).

Expect to hear these tracks all summer long.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDR: https://bfan.link/universo-positivo-remixed

Artist:  MDA Grooves 

Title: Universo Positivo Remixed EP (Kai Alcé, JKriv, Sean McCabe and Medlar)
Release date: 29th May, 2026
Label : Universo Positivo
Catalog Number : UP029
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Medlar - Islands Remixes (Delusions Of Grandeur)

I think Medlar and Delusions Of Grandeur are out to get me - perhaps they're out to get us?  Why else would they release a remix EP so soon after the brilliant album?

As we know, the 'Islands' album came out last month (see review HERE) with a great lava lamp inspired artwork.  The 4-track Remixes EP either enforces the 'no man is an island' theory or separates it - not sure about the Norwich canaries colour scheme.

What you can say is that it's brilliant as each remix is it's own island.  The previous single 'Dot The T's' (featuring Deevoenay on the spoken/rap poem) gets a typical off-disco electro NYC Peech Boys drama with heavy synths by Ron Basejam. 

A kinda of warm up for the big room acid of Paranoid London that's busy and buzzin' on 'Luv Interlude' (featuring Kim Anh) just to proove yesterday's gone (but not really as those acid 

trax still sound as exciting as they ever did.

And you recall the Sun Shone's 'Patience' album (see review HERE) that was edge-worldy, Medlar's gone an done a Mad Professor dub of world dance that's harks back to Transglobal Underground: dubby with the violin of Rebekah Reid's getting fully space-out. 

And don't miss out on the heavily percussive poolside remix of 'Atlantean' (featuring Wah Wah 45s Alfa Sacke of Raz & Afla (see review HERE) by MAD Josh Ludlow (as in Make-A-Dance) who's deep into the Tribal dub as we loved on Tigerbalms' 'Profunda Alma' (see review HERE).

Like I say, each track is a stand-alone companion to each other making it an essential EP for the summer and possibly a template for more 'Islands' get-a-way remixes .

Also featuring original 'Dot The Ts' on the Colour & Pitch March Mix by Will Sumsuch.

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Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - March 2025

Artist: Medlar

Title: Islands Remixes
Release date: 16th May, 2025
Label: Delusions Of Grandeur
Catalog Number: TBC
Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Medlar - Islands (Delusions Of Grandeur)

I remember Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s, Jazz FM etc) telling me years ago that, "Medlar is brilliant" so a follow-up to the debut album is well overdue, but is it the difficult second album?

Well 'Sleep' came out in 2013 on Wolf Recordings so in terms of time you might say it was difficult, even the Medlar collaboration Dele Sosimi on Mr Servini's label Wah Wah 45s was 5 years ago and inbetween times he's released his South London influenced tracks on labels including Full Pupp, West End and Peckham Cuts along with Delusions Of Grandeur.

And with that back ground he's been album to call up some mates to help in out on the 11 track album including Dele, Rebekah Reid, Deevoenay, Finn Peters (one of our all time favs from back in the day & checking my notes, see review HERE) Sam Virdie, Afla Sackey (as in Raz & Afla, see review HERE) and Arnau Obiols.

The opener with Dele is 'Take A Trip' Tropical Afro-post-psych-dub that'll you'll hear everywhere at some stage of the set this summer.   Dele also appears on 'Jungle Ridge' with Arnau Obiols that takes Lonnie Liston Smith (on organ) to the rave (in similar style to some of Charles Petersohn's 'Children Of Zu Zu' EP (see review HERE).

Still in the jungle or Rio Carnival, 'Yeah' is a Finn Peter's special jazz flute gang Peech Boy jazz-disco: NYC!  Talking of NYC, if you're a lovetempo kinda person, 'Luv Interlude' (featuring Kim Anh) takes the 303 Acid up a notch and then in a flash, your in Ibiza (with Andy 'In Plain Sight' Blake).

More trippy jazz is the horn of Sam Virdie on 'Sun Spots' and you can't rule out the appearance of Alfa Sacke of Raz & Afla (see review HERE) on 'Atlantean' as track of the album (and we're not talking about the Leyland double-decker bus chassis - 1958-86 of the same name).

In fact, the album is full of great tracks including the single, 'Dot The T's' is a little bit different for the clever rap by Deevoenay and in terms of 'out there', 'Cicada Dance' is exactly what it says on the tin but a violin solo!  Is that taking the Jean-Luc Ponty?  Rebekah Reid's solo is perfect Transglobal Underground: violin and loop pedal is the new jazz harp.

One of the reasons Dom is so excited about Medlar is that he know how good the Dele Sosimi Meets Medlar featuring Tamar Osborn 'State Of Play' (and the remix EP) is from a couple of years ago.  'Islands' sounds more like a love letter to various places he's visited on holiday with some of his best mates and he was clearly saving it for the BIG album release.

There's a Remix EP on it's way so stay tuned - wonder if he's got Charles Petersohn's number? 

BUY LINK: https://medlar.bandcamp.com/album/islands

Also featured in the Colour & Pitch March Mix by Will Sumsuch.

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Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - March 2025

Artist: Medlar

Title: Islands
Release date: 18th April, 2025
Label :Delusions Of Grandeur
Catalog Number: TBC
Format: Digital / Bandcamp