Review: Various Artists - Best of 2024 (The Disco Express)

Having had their 79th release this year, The Disco Express label are in a more than a good position to have a 'Best Of 2024' compilation that features the best in house 'n' disco.

And when you say "best", getting seven tracks on a 12" is an exciting prospect when first off the Rank we've got Sam Karlson & Magnolia's 'Everybody Move' (that features Ron Carroll) that you'll want on vinyl just for this track alone as it will move everybody.  

Dancefloor favourites Art Of Tones' 'The Magic Count' (Yeeeeah!!!!!) and Maryag's 'Poison For Us' (Moodena Remix) are just as hot to finish off side A. 

Put you're hands in the air for big string stabs, heavy piano and percussion plus Kria McKenzie's vocals on Doche's 'This Feeling' (as remixed by Birdee, think i'll be running this with Ayce's remix of LCGC's 'Rather Be' featuring Ms. Bowen (see review HERE) for a couple of big tunes.

The Luksek track, 'Break For Dancers' at top speed 80s electro seems a little out of place until you turn it up really loud. 

The compilaton ends with more Italo-piano influence with Cocktail Cool's 'What The Funk' (the Baka G remix) that's quite busy (to say the least) so that you'll have a chance to catch your breath (and a smootch), Rayowa's 'In The Sunshine' has a great soul heritage to like the a Sunday soul spot. 

If you love a soul train, you'll love this Disco Express and you might even want to do a quick reverse into the sidings for last years' 'Disco Jazzin' by Geeroco.  

Big tunes for their 80th release and just in time for Xmas (Express)!

Artist: Various Artists 
Title:  Best Of 2024
Release date: 29th November, 2024
Label : The Disco Express
Catalog Number : XPRESS80
Format:  Purple 12" Vinyl LINK / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Maarten Goetheer ft. Pong Nakornchai - Suite For Chick (NuNorthernSoul)

Regular readers we know that we love Chick Corea at YATM so when we heard of NuNorthern Soul's project with Maarten Goetheer and Pong Nakornchai 'Suite For Chick' to say we are excited.... 

And to back track a little, to say Chick Corea was a 'keyboard virtuoso' is a huge under statement as his career was near on six decades when he excelled as a straight jazz artist to bebop, post bop, avant-garde, fusion, Latin, jazzdance, chamber music, children's song and even more.

Indeed, we need to take a moment for the 'fusion' period as we're not talking any old fusion, he was in Miles Davis' Isle of Wight 1970 festival band with Keith Jarrett (two electric pianos!), Gary Bartz (sax), Dave Holland (bass), Airto Moreira (percussion) and Jack DeJohnette (drums); no doubt Miles' own virtuoso ability deserved such a band but that must have been amazing. And if you don't know about Chick's part in Return To Forever, you need to research.

Somebody that's done his research and it clearly a super fan is Maarten Goetheer who had a bit of a head start on most as his Dad, Gerard Goetheer was a jazz pianist (who no doubt saw Chick live at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Den Haag Congresgebouw days) and as the jazz-acorn didn't fall far from the tree, this is an eight track collection of re-interpretations with Maarten backed up by Thai drummer Pong Nakornchai.

There's 'City Gate Rumble' (original, reprise and dub reprise versions), 'Romantic Warrior' (original and dub reprise versions), 'Time Track' (original and dub reprise versions) and 'Hymn Of The Heart'.

Apart from Return To Forever's classic 'Romantic Warrior' these tracka were originally Chick's Elektric Band period and it's clear 'City Gate Rumble' was a return to synthy moogy fusion jazz wallowing with an up front busy drum pattern with really suits Pong's style that's as much South East Asian as Rober Glasper's side man Chris Dave and BRUK.

Combined with Goetheer mastery of Moog bassline, ARP twiddles, Wurlitzer chords on a Rhodes foundation, this is so inspriational and relentlessly listenable.

Maarten originally moved from Amsterdam to Hong Kong/Bangkok as a DJ after hearing a Masters At Work remix of Tania Maria's classic 'Come With Me' [so gives us hope of a 'Suite For Chick 2' with a re-interpretation of 'Spain'?] and I love the fact Maarten has done a very jazz/DJ thing by including reprise and dub versions - or even gamelan remixes?

NuNorthernSoul is a very adventurous and broad with its remit having releases by some of our other favourites like Ilija Rudman (see review HERE), Andre Espeut (see review HERE) and most recently, Blair French (see review HERE) plus specials by one of Japan's jazz-funk-fusion trailblazers Ryo Kawasaki!

Blimey! there's a thought, Maarten Goetheer and Pong Nakornchai, 'Suite For Ryo'?

 

Artist: Maarten Goetheer 
Title:   Suite For Chick  ft. Pong Nakornchai 
Release date: 29th November, 2024
Label : NuNorthernSoul
Catalog Number : NUNS066D,
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Beatkozina feat. El Mago & Axel Camil - Merhba EP (Compost Records)

Afro-futuristica flute gang house (with cover artwork to match) with a release on the always adventurous Compost Records label.

We know of Beatkozina after the release on Afroterraneo, 'Nusrat Passion' featuring Abirah Shah (see review HERE) but this 'Merhba EP' sounds even better as it's got added to the equally mesmerising vocals is some jazz flute: Flute Gang members have been blessed.

Not only that, this seems more jazzy too with a super cool dub version.that crosses Lonnie Liston Smith, Herbert Laws, Bobbi Humphrey, Ron Trent, Joe Clausell, Osunlade, Louie Vega, King Tubby (and more) in dance with "Moroccan rhythmic patterns, minimalism, transposition, and confrontation producing a tribal, complex, contemporary sound that carries a subliminal message of universality and identity at the same time."

Beatkozina is a London and Marrakech based duo of Mehdi Baami and Gregory Jouandon and 'Merhba' needs to be a vinyl release (I'll keep you posted on that) and the smart money is that it's going on this months' "Best Of" Colour & Pitch Sessions mixtape with Sumsuch.

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - November 2024

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - November 2024

Artist: Beatkozina feat. El Mago & Axel Camil

Title: Merhba EP

Release date: 22nd November, 2024

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT642-3 

Format: Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Toronto Hustle x Sean Roman - The Symington Avenue EP (Wolf Music Recordings)

You won't be surprised to find out the Toronto Hustle (aka Mark Kufner) and Sean Roman are Canadians and after hearing 'The Symington Avenue EP', they might be visiting Atlanta soon?

You've got to be good to follow the last release by label favourite Frits Wentink and his 'Together EP' (see review HERE) but when it could be as good as, 'Not Now, Not Ever', a post UKG/Gospel deep house boogie, that fits the bill.

On the remix is NYC/Detroit/Atlanta-based Kai Alcé is another 'go-to' name who has remix credits in the hundreds as he follows Theo Parrish and Moodyman to match current taste makers musclecars. Watch out for anything with NDATL (geddit?) on it.

This remix of 'Not Now, Not Ever' with its jazzy keys addition is going to go alongside Kai's best and just to pick a couple at random that we really like, the Jazzanova cover of jazzdance classic 'Saturday Night Special (as original done by he Lyman Woodard Organization), Elbert Phillips & Andre Espeut's 'Sunlight') and, one more, Colombia's Filipe Gordon 'For Martha'.  Kai has also collaborated with Stefan Ringer this year (Stefan having released 'Soulflow' last month) so expect to here much more of this along with toucan sounds, Rocksteady Disco, Razor-N-Tape et al.

To close out the EP we've got the equally good 'Could This Be' with a re-edit.  And if you ask, what's 'An Abacus Re-Edit' like? We'll as Abacus is a Canadian producer, it's like an upbeat disco dub a la Kai Alcé! 

Clearly, you can tell that all involved in 'The Symington Avenue EP' are all fans of the ATL Sh*t (in a good way) as we've got two stunning tracks with two stunning (re)mixes that are coming out at the best time of the year.

Symington Avenue, Toronto, ON M6N 2W2 - is that near a Pool Hall Bar & Club?

Phonica Records

Artist: Toronto Hustle x Sean Roman

Title: The Symington Avenue EP
Release date: 22nd November, 2024
Label :Wolf Music Recordings
Catalog Number  WOLFEP077
Format: 12" vinyl Pre-Order at PHONICA RECORDS / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Sam Nóbrega - Ponta De Dois Lados (Freestyle Records)

Sam Nóbrega, born in Recife and now resident in Lisbon, has all the multi-instrumental versatility of a Marcos Valle, Milton Nascimento, Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil with a sound to surpass Seu Jorge - what more of a recommendation do you need?

Recife in the Pernambuco north east region of Brasil and it may not be as fashionable as Rio or populous as São Paulo, but it's clearly given Sam a training in traditional folk, Música popular brasileira (MPB), tropicalia and no-fear of the leftfield; the track 'Espelho Animal' is a bit Tim Burton meets Frank Zappa on the intro to the South Bank Show!

This north-east element was said to give the Batucada tradition a harder sound compared to southern softie counterparts but in Nóbrega, he really does cover the bases,  'Natural' has a deep 60s west coast vibe with deep strings but there's some modern chancon and the title track does sound a bit of a protest song to me (but in a Brasilian way).

So no obvious dance based samba/bossa (although a remix album would be more than interesting) but there seems a trendy for this experimental MPB avant-garde, see Zé Nigro's album 'Silêncio' which feature Arthur​ ​Verocai and Saulo Duarte (see review HERE) or even Mr Bongo's compilation 'Hidden Waters: Strange and Sublime Sounds of Rio de Janeiro' (see review HERE) but Nóbrega along with Pedro Diniz who produced the album, will be much in demand after this release.

Artist: Sam Nóbrega
Title:  Ponta De Dois Lados 

Release date: 22th November, 2024
Label : Freestyle Records
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Ian Asher & Giulia Be - Let's Go (Magalenha) (Easier Said)

You might say any comparisions with Ian Asher's and Giulia Be's 'Let's Go (Magalenha)' and the worldwide dance craze, 'The Macarena' is purely coincidental.

Well, I'll leave that up to the more qualified than me to ponder that but the original (and even the Afro-dub mix) is at the more dancey pop club end of the scale; bearing in mind her past sucess of the cover of 'Mas Que Nada' with Oliver Heldens and Sérgio Mendes.

What caught our collective ears was the two remixes by the combination of Kapote (Toy Tonics) with/and Arpy Brown (FKA Athlete Whippet and the recent, 'But I Miss You Everyday' - see review HERE) who up the Latin and the synth for the end of night banger biz.

That's enough to warm you up as the snow falls this week (UK).

Artist: Ian Asher & Giulia Be

Title: Let's Go (Magalenha)

Release date: 22nd November, 2024

Label : Easier Said

Catalog Number : TBC

Format :  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Patchouli Brothers, Edits Vol. 2 (Razor-N-Tape)

Patchouli Brothers bid to take over the dancefloor continues with Edits Vol. 2 out on Razor-N-Tape and it's even more proof that we should be dancin' with you!

You might be surprisd to find out the the Patchouli Brothers are Canadians (more Canuk biz coming soon from the Toronto Hustle and Sean Roman with 'The Symington Avenue EP') and whilst the Bros. are known for disco/soul/Latin/boogie edits and remixes (check out RNT057, Vol. 1), Vol. 2 focuses their reworking of 90s house, 80s electro boogie, Euro dance!

If you thought that we don't need anymore of this re-cycling, the 'P' boys will prove you wrong as they know how to dig and edit all at the same time.   The opener with its female vocals en français. 'Male Dans Le Peau' is pure je te ador on boogie time.  

Sticking to with the Euro-currencies, 'Mista Hasta La Vista' is heavy on the Spanish castanets with some holiday romance lyrics that would give Baccara a run for their money back in the day, (Ed. Did someone say revival).  That said, it seems that there's at least one annual Eurovision entry that manages to make a mess in this ilk so it's healthy that we get a track that gets it right here.

But what you really want this EP for is the night time tracks of 'See You Tonight' that rests heavy on the Peech Boys as they take out NYC and 'All Nite' that's got a vocal of a VAR quality but stick with it, as it's somewhat absorbing (and has a great bouncy bassline).

The Patchouli Brother are nothing less than prolific with releases on influencial labels (like Defected, Soundway Records, G.A.M.M and more) in addition to Brooklyn's Razor-N-Tape (what a busy week they've had with the release of the equally disco friendly, Tom Noble Presents... 'House Of Spirits' (see review HERE).

I'm not sure why we've got an image of a beaver gnawing on a tree stamped on the label but recommend you get your teeth into this one. 

Patchouli Brothers Edits Vol. 2 | Razor-N-Tape

RNT057 // Patchouli Brothers Edits - 12" on 180g Wax | Razor-N-Tape

(including 'Disco 4 A Non-Nuclear Future')

Artist: Patchouli Brothers

Title: Patchouli Brothers, Edits Vol. 2 

Release date: 22nd November, 2024

Label : Razor-N-Tape.

Catalog Number : RNT059

Format :  Digital  / Bandcamp

Review: Rhythm Doctor - Digital Juju (Physical LP Only) (Almost Unknown)

When you go to the Doctor, he may have to refer you to the Emergency Department.  In the case of The Rhythm Doctor, this is an emergency as the first release on the label sold out very quickly and with only 300 vinyl sets of 'Digital Juju', it's time to act now!

Chris Long (aka The Rhythm Doctor) has set up the label Almost Unkown in Tallinn where he lives, DJs and broadcasts from IDA Radio every Monday.

And as for thier, the Rhythm Doctor has a seven track album out his own label.

Gilles Peterson is a big fan and old associate; dating back to his Peterson's broadcasting days in his parents' garden shed - see interview on Worldwide FM HERE - and this release is a reflection of Long's own radio show with the tracks being an infusion of "deep techno, sparse dub, dense ambience and fierce percussion" that feels like that other doctor, Dr. Strangedub, Steve Barker, Fela Kuti/Highlife, elements of On-U-Sound and more.

The semi-Paisley-fractal artwork is a combination of 'The Grand Illusion' by Prof. Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Chris' collage idea and don't you just love the 'Digital Juju' is only available as a physical release!  What a wag, he is.

If you're in East London tomorrow at 3pm, get down to the 'Digital Juju' album launch party at the Love Vinyl record store (see HERE)

Note: Juju - a style of music popular among the Yoruba in Nigeria and characterized by the use of guitars and variable-pitch drums.

Artist: Rhythm Doctor

Title:  Digital Juju 

Release date: 29th November, 2024

Label : Almost Unknown

Catalog Number :   AU03

Format: Physical LP only / Bandcamp

Review: Tom Noble Presents... 'House Of Spirits' (Razor-N-Tape)

Tom Noble Presents... 'House Of Spirits' is coming out just at the right time to make that big dancefloor impact; it can't be faulted.

Razor-N-Tape were founded by Aaron Dae ad JKriv and If you haven't come across the label yet, imagine them as the Brooklyn base of the "disco" trinity of Rocksteady Disco (Detroit) and Toy Tonics (Munich) who all started out serving the dancefloor at about the same time, these guys.

In fact, the label is having its 12th anniversary celebrations and this release is the cherry on the proverbial cake as 'House Of Spirits' has taken Tom Noble the best part of 15 years to produce!.  

And don't get the idea that this guy is just a bit lazy about this, he's crammed a history of disco into this release as well as running the label/shop 'Super Elevation' (also based in Brooklyn) plus releasing records on other label including Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space (god, I used to love Tim's WNYU shows).

So whilst the cover is like a cross between a Deep Purple/Dimtri From Paris mash up with Playboy magazine, the music is fantastic.   If you haven't heard recent singles 'Please Take Me There' and 'Times Are Changing' (this one also had a Harvey Sutherland remix), you've already got the idea of the classic golden era funky disco Tom's able to produce.

In fact, I'd go further 'Love Trip' is a like Arthur Russell's tribute to 'Miss You' (how cool it that?) whilst 'Holding On' gets the strings out for what sounds very early Brit-jazz-funk mixed with gospel house. the smoocher 'Diamond Girl' is a touch cheesy but that's what it was like at Room At The Top, Gossips and Oscars (insert your own favourite 80s club).

It's not that there's lots of disco misappropriation going on, the sum really adds up to more than the parts and whether it's Patrick Adams, Mizell Brothers or Nile Rodgters, Tom having decades of club music knowledge (Ed. the word 'Musicologist' is banned on YATM) has made these tracks as cool and as club friendly as if they'd come out at any time in the past 40 years; 'Times Are Changing' being proof that times ain't.but 'Times Running Out' is perhaps a warning to us all (not forgetting Brit-jazz-funk crossed the pond with Rod Temperton!) whilst the heavy synth chugging track, 'Moving Away' (arguably the best track) is the the "Hello" to playing the album again.

P.S. Update, 'Love Trip' is arguably the best track as Gilles Peterson played 'Love Trip' on his BBC 6 Music Show 'Prime Cuts' show 26.10.24 "Yes, excellent new music from Tom Noble album [his] new record with 'House Of Spirits on the brilliant always Razor-N-Tape on November 22nd"

Artist: Tom Noble Presents...

Title: House Of Spirits

Release date: 22nd November, 2024

Label : Razor-N-Tape.

Catalog Number : TBC

Format :  Digital - House of Spirits / Bandcamp

Review: Reuben Vaun Smith - Land Of Music (Ubiquity Records)

At one stage, Ubiquity Records were everywhere with thier distinctive 12" covers making them stand out from the crowd: that honor is now with Reuben Vaun Smith with his  'Land Of Music' that's in its own Pangaea of a musical supercontinent!

Ubiquity was founded back in 1993 in San Francisco and they've always had a sunny West Coast vibe to their artists and Reuben Vaun Smith's fits that criteria with the Balearic nu-disco quality of the 12 track album 'Land Of Music'.

If you're a fan of James Alexander Bright (see review HERE) or the "beach" series of Paul Hilary's 'Children Of The Sun' (see review HERE) or Lucky Sun (see review HERE) or even a combination of the three, Reuben along with the vocals of Lucy Saddler and guitar of Chico Mann (who himself has been ubiquious on so many labels over the years) are the combo for you.

This album was recorded mostly on a boat moored in the Mediterranean, an inspiration that's reflected in the titles, like the instrumentals 'Colours In The Sky' and 'Marina Scene' whilst 'Lost In Space' with Ms. Saddler and the title track are a bit funkier, as is 'House Boat Mayday' with Reuben on vocals.

It's really hard to believe the house-boat studio story as the production is so clean, (this is not "lo-fi" as previous RVS releases have been described), with the synths (and percussion) on top of the waves for the dreamy funk of 'Signature Whistle', 'Talking To People' and the closer 'Agua Vida'.

. 

There's more than enough sunny sounds on this album to keep us warm through the winter and I expect worldwide dancefloors will have it as a go-to summer haven (the track 'Summer Haven' in particular enjoys the disco synths vs. sax vs. percussion that fits much of the sea bed of this album).

More on a downtempo groove, we've got 'Disappear For A While' which is almost downtempo, chill-out synth pop; and it's really great and a favourite along with the 'Marina Scene' Stingray-disco, the too-slow-to-disco-jazz-funkish-jam 'Firefly', the marvellously warped piano bar 'We Dance The Sky' that sounds like a track taken from a Verve Remixed compilation (possibly in the a Shirley Horn's 'Return To Paradise' envelope).

As you can tell, this is a strangely individual album that's really accessible - even then, it's quite a lot to take in - also recommend his half-hour long one track EP, 'Bimba Sound' (see below link).

James Alexander Bright's mates, the Flying Mojito Bros. (see review HERE) will love this (Ed. that's trendy) and I must mention the artwork, Nadiuska and Priscila Furtad (aka Uinverso) are based in Brazil and have imaginatively captured a the vibe of 'Land Of Music' and you will too, especially if you were into his previous albums 'Da Cuckoo YaYa' (great title), 'Sounds From The Workshop' and 'Warm Nights'..

Artist: Reuben Vaun Smith 
Title: Land Of Music
Release date: 22th November, 2024
Label: Ubiquity Records
Cat. No: -
Format: Digital LINKS / Bandcamp