Paraphrasing the Soul Sonic Force and sorting through today`s releases for tunes that could have graced Alfie & Leo`s Amnesia dance floor.

Two tracks of “Nuova” Neapolitan Boogie from the Early Sound Recordings family. Slow, synth-y, Funk masterpieces from that essential Nu Guinea long-player and Pascal`s blink-and-you-missed-it 45. Pascal the slightly more serene. Both paying homage to the Italian dons of Library and Film music. 

Also from Italy is Tony Espostio`s chugging RSD release, Dove C`e Luce, on Archeo Recordings. Archeo, in addition, finally gracing the world with that amazing Sth. Notional Yawn Yawn Yawn triple-pack. 

Another RSD renegade comes in the form of Talamanca System`s second rework of Tears For Fears. This one perhaps a tad tongue in cheek. From the 1989 piano breakdown, to the swapping of the loon bird “Balearic Trope” for a murder of crows. It`s still pretty hard to resist its Mr Fingers-esque Juno-6 bass-line.  

Les Crocodiles also get busy with the Juno-6 (or 60?), asking again the eternal question, Can You Feel It?, on their repressed La Nuit Des Tropiques on Pleasure Unit. Conceived on a Thai beach, and recorded the day Frankie Knuckles died. Keys cascade from any number of loved-up Italian House Classics. Loon birds, present and correct. Massive on a proper system. 

More House comes from Melbourne-based, Mousse, on his Bungalow Classics for Butter Sessions. Intentionally ruff and rude. Four shorts of stripped back-to-basics Jack, that alternate between Paranoid London-styled Acid, Tim Harper`sides for Relief, piano mellowness, and just plain Deep.  

Earthboogie mix up House and World Music on their Human Call LP, for Leng. Jonny Sender`s remixes of Takuya Nakamura`s Sun– forthcoming on Codek – being quite the musical doppelgänger for their Post-Punk influenced Afrocentric dance. Jonny`s Electro beats and synths in call-and-response with Nakamura-san`s horn. 

Made In Thailand provide another global collision. Copping the sitar riff from Blancmange`s `80s Top Ten hit, and taking Shiva dancing. Tokyo Matt submits a teaser from Disco Hamam 4. His Fist Full Of Dollars is Middle-Eastern Disco Rock via France via Japan. Flutes and zithers under Les Bains Douches` mirrorball. While Waxwood`s Kama, on Claremont 56 is a marching of metallic chimes. A mediterranean, or caribbean, of the mind. A hard earned holiday in the sun in sonic form. Reichian in its counterpoint. Poolside and sun lounger in its vibe. The evolving hang-drum solo part African kora, part Bibio`s Folk, set against arpeggiated electronics.  Fuga Ronto`s remix tunes down the shiny tones, into something subtlety, slightly, more organic. Adding vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar. Almost Country. On Futureboogie, Ponty Mython makes out with a marimba. The Russian`s Appreciate It While It Lasts was a tip from Mind Fair`s Rotation crew. Who, while readying for their annual garden party also turned me on to the Hawaiian Pop Tropics of Island Band`s Idle Hours. 

The next release on Mind Fair`s Rogue Cat Sounds will be Simmer by Birmingham`s Flamingo Flame. Which puts choir boy falsetto with sensual minimalism that recalls Brummie House legends Electribe 101, and would have been Top Of The Pops, if this were The Second Summer Of Love. 

More alternative Pop comes from Steve Hopkins` Martin Hannett-produced All Sorts Of Heroes. A rolling piano and FX workout on a Finders Keepers 7″. Most of the Pablo`s Eye retrospective, Spring Break, on Stroom, would be pigeon-holed Ambient, rather than Pop. Sampled chants and latin percussion. Like Kip Hanrahan pulling on Tom Waits` Troubles Braids, while a gypsy plays a sad violin. Voices stolen from a variety of nations, and subliminal rhythms of cymbals run backwards. Commenting on the divisions still present in the globalised world, in a manner similar to Roberto Musci and Giovanni Venosta. The Spanish whispers and muted trumpet of La Pedrera being a particular moment of standout beauty. Otis however, is a cute, Jazzy groove. Gigi Flag`s Nymphomaniac, lifted from Charles Bals magnifique, Club Meduse, is Afro / Cosmic so familiar that I`m wondering if it`s a cover. Answers on a picture postcard please.

As per the Balearic ideal, World Music proper comes from all four corners. Athens Of The North reissuing Brazilian, Helio Matheus` sought after debut long player. Mais Kriola backed by a funky, synthesised squelch. Fellow South American, Chancha Via Circuito, previewing his new album, Bienaventuranza, with the charango-charged Ilalo, on Wonderwheel. Woofer-shaking sub-bass-heavy Cumbia. With a sublime guest vocal from Mateo Kingman. Just off the coast of Mexico, Spacetalk and Sol Power Sound both plunder the musical heritage of the Antillean archipelago. The former with Eddy La Vinny`s Havan Hamac. A piece of downtempo Voodoo Wally Badarou, once again from “Comp Of The Year” contender, Club Meduse. The latter with the Tambours de Martinique E.P. Breakneck percussive tracks by Max Ransay and Eugene Mona. Tear-arse-ing across dance floors. For fans of Erick Cosaque, and Tumblack. Remixes come from the Sol Power All-Stars and Kiko Navarro. Both taming the tunes by harnessing them to a House 4 / 4. Also racing along, and also from Martinique, by way of the Ivory Coast, is Mac Gregor`s In Abidjan, on Hot Casa. Slapping basses and blasting brass.

Still in the Caribbean, Emotional Rescue and Jamwax take a Flight To Jamaica with The Crashers. A harmonica-blowing Disco travelogue produced by ex-Upsetter, Glen “Capo” Adams. 

Africa brings us an unknown, extended by Soft Rocks, for Black Rox. The organ-led Date With The Rain fusing the feel good factors of Hugh Masekela Pula Ea Na and Malcolm McLaren`s Double Dutch.

Track-list

Nu Guinea – Nuova Napoli – NG Records

Pascal – Scogliera – Periodica

Helio Matheus – Mais Kriola – Athens Of The North

Pablo`s Eye – Otis – Stroom

Gigi Flag – Nymphomaniac – Spacetalk

Tony Esposito – Dove C`e Luce – Archeo Recordings

Sth Notional – Yawn Yawn Yawn (Yabe`s Mix) – Archeo Recordings

Island Band – Idle Hours – Woorell Records

Chancha Via Circuito – Ilalo – Wonderwheel

Flamingo Flame – Simmer (Mind Fair 12” Mix) – Rogue Cat Sounds

Eddy La Vinny – Havan Hamac – Spacetalk

Steve Hopkins – All Sorts Of Heroes – Finders Keepers

Black Rox – Date With The Rain – Black Rox

Ponty Mython – Appreciate It While It Lasts – Futureboogie

Waxwood – Kama (Fuga Ronto Mix) – Claremont 56

Tears For Fears – Head Over Heels (Talamanca System Es Verde Mix)

Les Crocodiles – La Nuit Des Tropiques – Pleasure Unit

Mousse – Sex And Acid – Butter Sessions

Made In Thailand – Untitled – White

Takuya Nakamura – Sun (Jonny Sender Remix) – Codek

Max Ransay – Ti Kanno – Sol Power Sound

Mac Gregor – In Abidjan – Hot Casa

Crashers – Flight To Jamaica – Emotional Rescue

Earthboogie – Overground – Leng 

Tokyo Matt – Fist Full Of Dollars – Disco Hamam