Disco Edits 188 Items

Andrés (aka DJ Dez) is back on David A-P’s Hot Pot Records with uptempo 7” flips, done only in the way Andrés can! “I Can’t Understand It” kicks off the release with plenty of drums and bubbly bass to keep the dance floor pumping. On the other side is “Loleatta Disco Flip”, a full on MPC chop with Dez’s chunky drum programming and just the right amount of Synare. We love a 7” that knocks like a 12”!

Local Talk ends 2019 with something special, a release by Antony Nicholson & Mark de Clive-Lowe.

Noted reggae vocalist Barry Biggs comes under the Emotional Rescue microscope here with celebrated LA digger Patrick Billard aka DJ Duckcomb remixing one of his cuts. First up is the original version of 'Illusion' which has big pianos over the clean digital dub. The soaring vocal is obscured by plenty of lush effects and melodies. After a version twists and contorts the original, the DJ Duckcomb Discomix slows things down and ups the dazzling disco vibes but keeps the dub dubby bottom end to ensure plenty of dance floor impact. This is a classy one as ever from this label.

A side has Donna Summer acapella over a classy smooth 60s Motown groove. Beyonce is looking crazy in the dancehall on top of a classic Kingston cut on the B side. Stamped 7"!

Straight Outta Belpaese, disco - exotica - balearic for the demanding digger.

Straight Outta…Belpaese, a label fast becoming a go-to for those curiously catchy, exotic edits. Maxing out that luggage allowance with Latin, Disco and Italo-funk rarities for the demanding digger… be quick - these edit EP’s are snap up on sight business!

Belpaese's exotic airways is ready and waiting once again! Globe-trotting treats from lands far away, unearthed and rejuvenated for a whole new audience.
Straight Outta Belpaese, MORE disco – exotica – balearic - Italo-funk for the demanding digger!

Straight Outta Belpaese, MORE disco – exotica – balearic - Italo-funk for the demanding digger!!!

The Belpaese speedboat swings back around, loaded up with four more special deliveries, marked ‘Open In Case Of Emergency’. A peaktime rescue package with all the disco, exotica and jazz funk goodness you need to juice up those livestreams.

Straight Outta Belpaese, More disco – exotica – balearic – Italo - funk for the demanding digger! When do Belpaese ever disappoint. A double header of hidden edit treasures, cut loud on either side of 12" for some much needed good vibrations.

Hey Joyce (BlackCash & Theo Edit) by Lou Courtney b/w Soupy (BlackCash & Theo Edit) by Maggie Thrett | Galaxy Sound Co. — Gsc45-36 If you know, you know. & I know many of you have been digging for the very rare donut “Hey Joyce” by Lou Courtney. Even if you first heard it back in the day via #CutChemist & #DJShadow, this gem has long been popular amongst #raregroove dancers & dusty-fingered hip-hop DJs/beat-makers. “Hey Joyce” is a rare 1967 single from soul man Lou Courtney. Featuring a rasping, impassioned lead vocal from Courtney, sweet female backing vocals & the kind of semi-stomping beat that's so beloved by Northern Soul heads. In 1991, Main Source sampled it on their track “He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)”. & thanks to the fine folks at @galaxy_sound_company you can cop it all for yourself.

On the flip, we have another lost funk jam, “Soupy” by Maggie Thrett, that has been sampled by #PrincePaul & #DeLaSoul for 1989’s “Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)”. Black Cash & Theo do the track right with a proper edit that'll put smiles on faces all across the dance floor. Like the A-side, “Soupy” is also a fave of Cut Chemist & DJ Shadow, as evidenced by their live sets & sample of it for their 2008 track “Fused Of Course”. As with all GSC45s, another true must-have treat & 45-crate essential.

Detroit native Blair French joins the RNT fam with a 4-tracker of burning summer edit heat! From the Brazilian boogie burner 'Cut The Crust', to the cruisy camp of 'Surrender', the 'welcoming' uptempo instrumental disco vibes of 'All Is Welcome', to the explosive and percussive 'Excuse Me', this record is a peak-time party from beginning to end.

MAY Day-captured Feat. Zara McFARLANE (restless Soul Mixes) (GU Meshup)" is Glenn UNDERGROUND's edit of a somewhat obscure 2009 digital-only release, featuring McFARLANE's repurposing of the melody from Rhythm IS Rhythm's "nude Photo" as a half sung, half scatted vocal line. Hand-stamped 1-sided white label. Limited so snatch ‘em up quick!

As no strangers to the West End Records back catalogue – both having taken on remix duties individually in the past – 2022 sees Michael Gray and Dr Packer combine to give two classics the Rework treatment. Brenda Taylor’s seminal “You Cant Have Your Cake And Eat It To” is finessed into a contemporary disco standard: Taylor’s voice still cutting through with plenty of soul while synth and pianos provide the groove. “Don’t Make Me Wait” cuts a slightly edgier tone, with acid-like bleeps and plenty of reverb making it a perfect counter track as part of this release.

Another set of essential Reworks from West End.

Disco Bits are back with another party time 45. Cannon & Mirrorball are in the edit suite once again re-touching and consensually grappling with funky old 70's grooves and late nite club accapellas to bring you the heat that your record box has been needing. Ain't no party like a Cannon & Mirrorball party, y'all. Get 'em while you can.

700 limited copies, hand numbered, vinyl only, mastered by DJ Steaw, Made in Europe

Casual Connection is back with another double dose of classic mashups over more recent instrumentals. Back-to-back club Bangers.

The boys from Munich are back on RNT with a 4-tracker of serious flavor! 'Express Lane' launches the 12” on the disco highway for a wild ride of cheeky vocals, horn stabs, and vocoded synths, then veers south for some North-African New Wave with 'Libyan Sun'.
The B side kicks off with the Afro-disco monster 'Don’t Oho', already a staple in RNT sets and then finishes with the minimalist electro-soul bounce of 'Emergency Loop'. Sure-shots, the lot of 'em!

Coeo have been travelling in Japan and discovered the magic of City Pop: That Japanese Disco movement of the 1980ies. Back then there were amazing dance tracks coming out of Japan. Some with Japanese lyrics others with American vocals. Often so perfectly played and recorded that it was hard to tell if the music came out of NYC basement studios or for real Asiatic studio musicians. Coeo found a lot of rare jams and did edits for their DJ sets. As at the Toy Tonics office everybody is always searching for the rare and unknown the crew was totally excited. And so the decision was made quickly.

Curlina series is back repaying the gesture of the first release from his esteemed locker. Digging in the depths, there’s a flavour for every occasion here that span the world over.

Curlina is back with three massive edits, ranging from slow Balearic till fast refined Disco: a must have in your record bag! limited copies, don't sleep!

Japanese re-editer Dai San has delivered two EPs for Gamm and on this, the first EP his b-boy and dance background shines through. The EP opens with an edit of Roy Ayers best jam ever (well, possibly) and is followed by a drum-fuelled b-boy edit of a rare French funk-jazz cut. Last but not least we end on a high with a classic dance jam for the jazz-funk-disco community.

How do you breathe new life into a treasured, classic track? Answer: let Danny Krivit loose on it! Who better to inaugurate our Mr Bongo Edit Series than one of the bosses of the art of the edit. More than just simple re-touches or loops to make the track easier to mix, Danny works his magic by employing all those years of studying and working with music as a remixer, producer and DJ. He has been honing his craft since the art form began and he seems to have a natural intuition for what works on the dancefloor. When we asked Danny if he would be interested in reworking some tracks from Mr Bongo's back catalogue we knew the edits would be special, but Danny has outdone himself with these beauties, and arguably they are more than just edits. By sheer chance, Danny had already worked on a rough personal mix of Sabu Martinez's 'Hotel Alyssa-Sousse, Tunisia’, a track taken from the treasured 'Afro Temple' album originally released in 1973. Danny just needed to freshen and tighten it up to a standard he was happy with, and the result is pure Latin fire. The Belgian / Dutch orchestra leader Nico Gomez's 'Lupita' from 1971 is an undisputed banger, this underground Latin-crossover favourite has been causing mayhem on dancefloors for years. Here Danny takes it into another sphere adding extra drama and build-ups, adding and overlaying fresh percussion which sounds like it could have been taken from lost outtakes. Even those who may have heard 'Lupita' countless times, are sure to be impressed by the new lease of life that Danny has breathed into it. 2 huge tracks and 2 killer edits from a master of the craft.

The ever-playful and seriously skilled mash-up and edit maestro The Reflex has been out in a class of one for many years. Few in his field managed to cook up the sort of delicious disco brilliance that he manages and this new 12" on the fledgling Discolidays isn't going to change that perception. 'Overture' (The Reflex Revision) is a glorious fusion of instrumental disco and withering sci-fi designs next to a catchy as hell vocal. On the flip, things head south with Latin melodies and percussion and glorious flute lines bring the joy to 'O Ba Ba' (The Reflex Revision).

SR10 is the brand new spin off label from Samosa Records concentrating on 2 choice cuts from some of the finest producers at the label one each side of a 10” vinyl. It also see’s Samosa announce an exciting collaboration with another of the finest labels out there Tropical Disco who will be handling the digital release for this one down the line.
Launching the brand new imprint it’s only fitting for the label bosses De Gama and Les Inferno to lead things out.
First up is De Gama’s Sometimes Sometimes which see’s him creating a much more reflective track than his previous powerful peak-time percussive club jams. Despite its ever so bluesy laid-back sentiments it’s no less a sublime outing. Velvety smooth the lead vocal is definitely one of those once heard never forgotten magical musical moments. It’s a track of simplicity, a smooth bassline, subtle guitar licks and the wonderful vocal performance. It’s an entrancing life affirming track which has all the hallmarks of a track which absolutely must be listened to again and again. And yeah, maybe just one more time!
Over on the flip Les Inferno takes us off towards classic Philly territory with an equally subtle but ever so funky slice of feel-good disco in ‘Yeah C’Mon’. Smooth percussion, an ever so danceable bassline, brilliantly performed yet subtle keys and another absolute monster vocal. And did we forget to mention the disco flute? Yeah Disco flute, does it get any better. We think not?
This is a 10” which is quite simply undeniable. You must have this in your collection right now because you will need to listen to it time and again. Samosa continues its quest to dominate the disco vinyl landscape with yet another ridiculously superb release.
What are you waiting for just order this and thank us later.

500 limited copies, hand numbered, vinyl only, mastered by DJ Steaw, Made in Europe

As the head of Berlin's eminently respected OYE Records, it's no surprise Markus "Delfonic" Lindner would come correct with the edit heat for his first outing on Razor-N-Tape.

Known for releases on Apron, Misterio and Stillove4Music, Devin Dare join RNT with a 4-tracker of straight dance floor heat. The production alias of NYC’s Duane Harriott and Shawn Marquand, Devin Dare produce disco edits with a driving, almost techno-like sensibility, and this 12” showcases their ability to coax every last drop of energy from a chopped and looped sample.
From the rolling thump of ‘Clash and Burn,’ to the percussive and bass-driven ‘Stop,’ the low-slung gospel organ groove of ‘Dust,’ to the explosive and exuberant ‘KOHO2’ this record pretty much defines what a rework can, and should be. In a word, PROPER!

STAR CREATURE's first single of 2017 starts with a hot 2 sider. 2 Slamming peak hour floor fillers. These lean more on the Chicago Boogie Vibes than his previous work which is why STAR CREATURE was quick to grab them. Modern RnB at it's finest. Live drums, bass, keys with excellent vocals.

RNT return with a 3-tracker from an alleged Brooklynite with a decidedly French flair for edit mastery! On the A side, Into the Grove flips Shepp Pettibone's classic production work on the pop queen into the ultimate panty-dropping dancefloor madness. On the flip side, Show You My Robe is mid-tempo feel good boogie grooves and smiles all around, followed by Opposite A Track, because a bit of cheek never hurt anyone, did it?

Thrice is nice for Dimitri the Brooklynite-By-Way-Of-Paris, who comes correct with his 3rd 3-packer of disco edit deelite for RNT! Filling up the A-side is KETTLE AMERICA, a cheeky bit of south-of-the border uptempo disco funk. I KNEAD YOU is a stomping and sermonizing version of a cherished classic, completely redone with a chorus of handclaps and gospel piano, and the record finishes with WITHOUT ROB for some re-touched dancefloor doo-wop gold!

Edits that are doing the do on various dance floors. Say no more. We love Gwen.

Free Soul 1969 The groove is heavy too ñ and a popular hip hop sample ñ but really itís all about Klemmerís blisteringly intense, stream of consciousness freak-out. Been sampled over 16x from INI to Ed O G & Da Bulldogs to Kurious, Akinyele, Dred Scott to name a few. Klemmer just wyles out on the sax keep that Psychedelic funk moving!! Up Above the Rock Edit 1968 You wonít find too many jazz songs that start with a drum break, but then this is probably one of the better jazz/soul hybrids Iíve heard in some time. Produced by Richard Evans this song is a perfect display of acoustic jazz funk with Ron Carter & Grady Tate filling out the Rhythm section. Dance Floor classic!!!

1982 the band Karat released their album "The Blue Planet". The one of the same name the single reached gold status (at that time) in East and West Germany and has just become a cult song in the former east of the country. 40 years later text and music have not lost their topicality. Reason enough for that Berliner, Oliver Marquardt aka Dj Jauche, with members of the band to put together and record the "Blue Planet" again. All traces were newly recorded, reconstructed and reassembled. Marquardt first reconstructed a version based on the original in order to to be able to produce more mixes based on this. So for the first time there is one new recording of the song, with Claudius Dreilich as the vocal part, which since many years the role of frontman and singer on "Karat", from his father, has taken over. "It was important to us the character of the Keeping the originals was one of the fundamental ideas behind the Reissue of the title."

Voilá: "1982 veröffentlichte die Band Karat ihr Album "Der blaue Planet". Die gleichnamige Singleauskopplung erreichte, (damals) in Ost- und Westdeutschland, Goldstatus und avancierte gerade im ehemaligen Osten des Landes zum Kultsong. 40 Jahre später haben Text und Musik nicht an Aktualität verloren. Grund genug für den Berliner, Oliver Marquardt aka Dj Jauche, sich mit Mitgliedern der Band zusammen zu setzen und den "Blauen Planeten" neu aufzunehmen. Alle Spuren wurden neu aufgenommen, rekonstruiert und neu zusammen gefügt. Marquardt rekonstruierte als Erstes, eine an das Original angelegte Version, um davon ausgehend weitere Mixe produzieren zu können. Zum ersten Mal gibt es somit eine neue Aufnahme des Songs, mit Claudius Dreilich als Gesangspart, welcher seit vielen Jahren die Rolle des Frontmann und Sängers bei "Karat", von seinem Vater, übernommen hat. "Wichtig war es uns den Charakter des Originals beizubehalten, dies war einer der grundlegenden Gedanken bei der Neuauflage des Titels."

Monstrous mid-tempo Disco groovings on this one, giving the Avergae White Band a run for their money. Doc Severinsen, the renowned Jazz hornsman dropping some tight ass Funk on this rare as hens teeth Epic white label promo. This is a fully legit reissue borne out of an Above Board / Sony music collaboration, repressed from the official sources. The original 1976 promo 12" had the same track on both sides as promos often did back then so we've decided to include a special version on the flip, a lovingly tweaked re-edit from the cult leader himself - DJ Harvey. Harv's edit has been around for a minute, but this version backing the OG 76 Disco mix makes this 12" a bonafide 'must grab' for all Disco enthusiasts

Two unreleased edits emerge from Mark E's Merc label starting the E-version series. Kahn turns a classic disco track into an expertly extended, peak-time puncher adding percussion and persistent loops. While Mingo stretches a drum laden ethnicity around its Techno foundations. Already being played by Gilles Peterson, Daniel Avery & Dixon!

Two more unreleased edits emerge from Mark E's Merc label E-Versions series. Magazine turns a classic Madge moment into an expertly extended, peak-time banger - cleverly weaving an altogether more psychedelic workout from those familiar ingredients. While XAM on the flip is a monumental & melodic dancer of the highest calibre. Merc to the future!

MERC return with the latest instalment in their celebrated E-Versions series.

No. 8 is classic Mark E business, proven king, as he is, of the 'slow-burner'

'Train Tunnel' is a beautifully unhurried deconstruction of a Jazz classic, upright bass, piano flourishes and horns picked fresh from the speakeasy and popped in the slow-cooker for a deeper, mesmerising flavour
On the flip 'Give It Time' is a glorious celestial and atmospheric workout, which - as the title would suggest - implores you to ignore the demands of accelerated culture and pace your journey to dancefloor nirvana accordingly.

Merc to the future !

Four slices of deep house with a distinctly laid back, R&B flavour to them. 'Brandii' kicks us off in suitably relaxed manner, gorgeous harmonies and female and male voices adding to the irresistible groove and subtle layer of strings. 'Black Sunshine' is faster but retains the light touch approach, whereas 'Chuckii' is built around a sturdier four-to-the-floor kick, although the vocal content is still silky smooth. Closing track 'No!' is woozier and more dreamlike, with almost p-funk synth lines, though the Earl's arrangement leaves the percussive undercarriage that carries the track plenty of room to thrive in too.

The word 'classic' gets thrown around a lot these days, often abused and attached to things that don't deserve the tag.

I think we can all agree that an outfit like Earth, Wind & Fire are truly deserving of such an accolade, since their first tentative steps in the early 1970's as an outfit the Chicago, IL pioneers have made themselves a force to be reckoned with and have sold over 90,000,000 units worldwide! Fusing together Jazz, Funk, Soul, African and Brazilian sounds EWF have been at the top of their game for decades, seeing them inducted into the legendary 'rock n roll hall of fame' at the turn of the millennium. Respect due. On this special, legit 12" reissue we are treated to 2 stellar reworkings by one of Disco and modern dance music's most respected names - Danny Krivit. Danny's tenure in dance music has almost been as long as EWF's themselves so it makes sense that he's on deck to breathe some dancefloor magic into their cult classics 'Brazilian Rhyme' and 'Runnin'. Both tracks are massive club anthems with them being generously sampled over the years and featuring in the playlists of too numerous to mention DJ's and selectors. Both of these amazing edits are extremely sought after and have been legally reissued by Above Board Distribution in conjunction with Danny Krivit and the legal rights holders - Sony Music Entertainment. This high quality repress features original Columbia white label Disco promo artwork and has been remastered from Sony's original sources by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.

First up, Eddie Logix continues his streak of dance floor bombs with Edits From Detroit Vol. 3, a two-tracker of low-slung midtempo groovers to nice up the dance. “boss” kicks off the release with some grass-fed free-range organic dubbed out sleaze. “fmpm” is on the flip side and ups the spaced-out cosmic vibes with plenty of post-disco dub. Hand-stamped with love by Eddie Logix and Peter Croce in Detroit, TIP!

Limited edition repress of only 99 colored vinyl! Featuring lost mixes of dance floor classics "movin ON" & "express" by Gino Dentie & THE Family! The B side goes into another world with a rare euro disco cuts such as "voodoo Man" by Biddu Orchestra & "i'm Gonna Dance" by Suna Yildizoglu.

Dive into the timeless groove of "Jibaro" by Elkin & Nelson, rejuvenated with an electrifying version and dub by the dynamic duo Daniele Baldelli & Dionigi. Known their partnership in crafting the legendary Cosmic Sound, Baldelli and Dionigi bring their signature magic to this Balearic classic.

Transport yourself to the iconic era of The Haçienda, as Baldelli's innovative approach to DJing and production infuses "Jibaro" with an irresistible late-night twist. Picture the indie rave vibe pulsating through the dance floor, as the duo's dubbed-out sound breathes new life into this track while retaining its Balearic essence.

As pioneer of the Italian disco scene, Baldelli alongside Dionigi continue to push boundaries with their eclectic, tribal aesthetic. From their own label Pedivelle Records to collaborations with Eskimo Recordings remixing renowned artists like Holger Czukay and Torch Song, their influence spans continents and genres.

Embrace the fusion of past and present as Daniele Baldelli & Dionigi's reimagination of "Jibaro" takes listeners on a journey through time and space. With its irresistible blend of nostalgia and innovation, this track is destined to captivate audiences on digital streaming platforms worldwide. Don't miss out on the cosmic experience – add "Jibaro" to your playlists today.

Marcel Vogel aka Em Yee joins the RNT roster with a 4-pack of unsurprisingly heavy edits. The Lumberjacks In Hell label boss takes us on a little trip through one of his own eclectic sets, starting with the oddball boogie of You Move Me and then moving on to the hands-in-the-air positivity of Spreading Energy.
On the flip it’s the up-tempo afro burner 'Don’t Be Sabi Say', with the 12” concluding on the whimsically catchy 'I Wish I Knew The Words'. Tried and tested and found true!

The always hard working Emotional Rescue now unveils the electronic disco project Exo Fender, helmed by esteemed New York producer Eric Calvi and featuring the legendary Steve D'Acquisto. The remastered songs 'Big Mood' and 'Music In My Mind' span two new EPs, with updated edited versions by NYC producer Justin Van Der Volgen. Calvi's journey from Paris to New York's music scene in the 1980s when he engineered hits for artists like Cameo and Africa Bambaataa, and laid the groundwork for Exo Fenders. Inspired by clubbing friendships, the project's infectious grooves and tongue-in-cheek nature gained club play and collector's acclaim, with Van Der Volgen's remix enhancing their timeless appeal for today's dancefloors.

This is the second of two releases from Emotional Rescue that looks to the music of the Eric Calvi who headed up the collective Exo Fender, a project that brought together a bunch of friends, producers, and studio amigos. This one is a live boogie jam 'Music In My Mind' with Brooklyn DJ and producer Steve D'Aquisto. He was a regal at The Loft and a friend of Arthur Russell so all that bears out in the music - a loose-limbed disco groove with languid percussion and big vocals. A Justin Van Der Volgen edit rounds out the 12".

One of Fake Blood’s most seminal hits, the 2009 nu-disco / electro powerhouse ‘I Think I Like It’, gets a much-deserved reissue for RSD 2023. This instantly recognizable, high energy dancefloor destroyer comes backed with Fake Blood’s debut single ‘Mars’, also reissued here for the first time since initial 2008 release. With copies of the original Fix Your Accent EP that ‘I Think I Like It’ was first housed on, having sold for over £100 on Discogs, it will be a welcome sight for many to see this available for the first time on red 7” vinyl nestled in a fresh picture sleeve.

In the Felbm project, Dutch multi-instrumentalist Eelco Topper steps away from his previous synthesiser-laden sounds as Falco Benz, towards a much looser, simpler and sketch-like approach. Picking up a number of acoustic instruments, he began experimenting with a Tascam 4-track tape recorder and allowed these sketches to flourish.
The result is Tape 1 and Tape 2, a two-part project stretching across fifteen tracks - encompassing fluttering piano melodies, subtle jazz drums, rumba rhythms and soothing ambience. The jazz element links back to Topper’s childhood. “I grew up playing drums, switched to playing piano at sixteen and in the meantime I produced hip-hop beats,” he recalls. “I went to study jazz piano at the Utrecht Conservatory, which I finished with pain and effort… I was interested more in electronic and present-day music.”
This mix of being rooted in traditional jazz composition whilst searching for something more contemporary is the perfect encapsulation of these recordings. Tape 1’s jazz roots are palpable and as things move into Tape 2, it takes on a neo-classical, psychedelic soundscape and cinematic quality.

Record Store Day 2021 release. As part of a 35 Year anniversary celebration of their debut album London are releasing the recent remixes by Dimitri From Paris and Cerrone of their huge hit “She Drives Me Crazy’ on Colored Vinyl exclusively for RSD. Including the classic track remastered plus legendary French DJ Cerrone takes the original to dancefloor. Dimitri’s giddy assault of ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ plunders sounds from pop, house, disco, and late-80s hip hop.

FrescoEdits is back with another 4-tracker of straight dance floor heat, including 2 disco re-edits, a loopy rework of an italian pop song, and a heavy-rolling instrumental cut with a monster bass sample from a funk track. Fresh juice for your hot summer!

FrescoEdits as usual give us huge re-edits from Italian and international scene. Digging in the depths, there’s a flavour for every occasion here that span the world over.

Footin’ It by George Benson b/w The Harlem Buck Strut by Les McCann | Galaxy Sound Co. — Gsc45-037 | Master grade edit kings & beat makers Black Cash & Theo AKA Thelonious Beats have a vast catalogue of essential sounds & much of it comes on their Galaxy Sound Co home label. We are now up to number 37, &, like its predecessors, is crate-essential heaters. Their latest donut is a remastered & limited 7" pressing of two glorious jazz-funk nuggets that any DJ worth their weight in vinyl will want in their crates.

Side A’s “Footin’ It” by #GeorgeBenson is a serious treat for me. It is taken from Benson’s 5th studio LP from 1968, “The Shape Of Things To Come”. It was his first album for A&M Records & his first album to be produced by Creed Taylor, who would remain his producer until 1976. The track features #jazz legends Stan Webb on flute & Herbie Hancock on piano. While I knew the track from my dad’s record collection, I lovingly am taken back to DJ Neil Armstrong who’s highly-coveted mixtape/CDR “2Original” mashed it & extended the break with Diamond D & The Psychotic Neurotics’ “Freestyle (Yo, That’s That Shit)” who sampled the track in 1992. Still grooves me to this day.

Side B’s “The Harlem Buck Strut” is taken from pianist Les McCann’s 1973 #jazzfunk LP “Layers”. The LP was a groundbreaking jazz-synth record that was unlike any other McCann had made. Aside from a 3-man percussion section & electric bassist Jimmy Rowser, the LP & track are entirely electronic, one of the first jazz albums with such an emphasis. The track is truly forward-looking & ahead of its time, & clearly why it resonated with so many artists as a source to sample. Heads will recall it being lifted for Pete Rock & C.L. (“The Main Ingredient” 1994) & Funkdoobiest (“Rock On” 1994). But the best, for me, was Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” & “Bullet Boy”.

Jacques Renault draws inspiration from the rich heritage of Latin Underground music, Renault embraces the vibrant rhythms, soulful melodies, and irresistible beats to create a captivating soundscape that bridges the gap between eras. He weaves together a collection of handpicked Latin Underground Classics, each chosen for its historical significance and cultural impact. With great respect for the original compositions, Renault breathes new life into these hidden gems, preserving their authenticity while crafting alluring edits that speak to contemporary audience

Samosa Records continue their hot streak with ‘The Difference EP’ - a superb four tracker from a producer who is all about the funk, Gledd. This wonderfully constructed EP kicks off with the first track on the A-side - ‘I Don’t Know’. From the get go, this is a slinky, catchy funky number. The warm, all consuming bass line jogs along, aided by subtle guitar riffs that light up the melody. The chugging train suddenly breaks for an outrageous blues vocal - deep growls and female backing singers take control before the track launches straight into the stratosphere. A guaranteed dance floor bomb. Next up on the A-side is ‘Amapola Sunrise’, a latin infused 125bpm slice of heaven. Gledd knows these rhythms inside out - and this hypnotic ‘love dance’ of a track proves it. You can only imagine the sunrises and sunsets this will provide the soundtrack to. It’s a deep, glorious journey into hedonism - let the lead guitar and sax take you by the hand to the rug-pull breakdown. Gledd at his incomparible best. Meanwhile, over on Side B, De Gama is setting out the party stall early with his ‘Re-Groove’ of Muni. When De Gama masters the grooves in the ‘Re’Groove’ workshop, the flames can be seen for miles. African horns, organ stabs and Mali-inspired guitar riffs combine with the superb vocals. It’s a tribal, ethereal and very spiritual funk dream, which is De Gama’s trademark. Closing off this excellent EP is B.2 - ‘Japan Lips’. In no time, we’re off around the seedy back street bars where gifted but washed up bass players hang out to find work. The bass line is as clean as a whistle as it kicks against the snares and cymbals of the beat, and the melody wraps around you instantly with rhythm guitar, jazz flute and breaks. Another mesmerising piece from a man who knows how to mesmerise. The perfect topper to this thoroughbred release. ‘The Difference EP’ is a welcome Samosa debut for Gledd and is sure to be a hit with lovers of the groove. This has to be in your collection. Ste Hendry [Black Light Disco]

Precious gems mined from a wall of vinyl. Cut, polished and mounted for maximum love.