Legendary Glasgow geezers, Harri and Max Raskin, launch their new project, Manakinz. Lex gets party-starting piano-tastic for Delusions Of Grandeur. Wolf Music collect the singles from Soul Purpose, the deeper offshoot of Clive Henry and Justin Drake’s big room banging Peace Division project. Felipe Gordon takes jazzy flight on Flutes Of Gold. Tom Lilly’s Bustin’ Loose jump aboard The Disco Express.  

Super selections and wonderful words by our favourite four-to-the-floor expert, The Insider. 

MANAKINZ / MODEL CITIZENZ / MODEL CITIZENZ

Glasgow duo, James ‘Harri’ Harrigan and Max Raskin,  aka Manakinz, have put together a new label, Model Citizenz. A legend on the city’s underground scene for the last 30 years, Harri needs no introduction. He’s more than earnt his stripes, sweating it out in the box at one of the world’s longest running residencies, Subculture, located at the Sub Club on Jamaica Street. Max sometimes goes by Affi Koman, and he started DJing in Glasgow’s basement clubs in around 2006. Holding a residency at the Liquid Lounge, he was also part of the infamous Sunday Circus for 9 fun-filled years. Gaining him a solid reputation among club goers as one of the city’s most innovative players. Manakinz started out as a laugh, just sending files to mates in the know, one of them being Andrew Weatherall, who picked up the blower and told Harri he thought they were onto something here.  Since then, the pair have been producing a cubic ton of music, which is all in the pipeline for this coming year. Watch out! Proving that they’re not show room dummies, they`ve put together one solid collection that ranges from heads down ALFOS chug, to dark n dubbed out disco, to the most ridiculously good basement tackle. It’s utter filth.  10/10

LEX / WITHOUT YOU / DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR 

Athens-based DJ and producer, Lex, brings his scorching mediterranean heat to Delusions this month with a new E.P., Without You.  Real name, Alex Andrikopoulos, Lex first rose to fame in his hometown when he ran the Radical Soundz record shop back in the 2000s. Since then he’s had releases on respected labels like Leng, King Street, Black Riot, and B2. Picking up an underground following, including the Balearic faithful, and comparisons to house music master, Ron Trent. The E.P. kicks from the off! The title track`s mesmerising, rolling beat is laced with acid, and will lock the dancers into its hypnotic groove. The warm and balmy Strip Town takes a more jazzy approach, while Purity gets back up on the hi energy party tip. Closing cut, No Time For Formalities, pulls out the stops, pianos, and an old school Chicago rhythm. 8/10

SOUL PURPOSE / SELECTED WORKS / WOLF MUSIC 

As Peace Division, Clive Henry and Justin Drake were among the most prolific, tribal house / techno producers in the UK. During the 1990s they released countless E.P.s on labels like Hooj, Junior London, NRK, and Low Pressing. The latter was venture run by Henry and Rocky, from X-Press 2. Clive had also been part of Flying Records, and as a DJ, at the helm of iconic London parties such as The Bone and Gosh. Peace Division morphed into Soul Purpose, whose releases shifted toward a more deep house sound, of rolling baselines, soulful elements and luscious chords. The Selected Works E.P. collects tracks from archival DATs, splendidly bringing them back to life. The end result is that the entire Soul Purpose catalogue is available, together, for the very first time. They might have been under the radar, but these tunes were well and truly rinsed by all the heads. 9/10

FELIPE GORDON / FLUTES OF GOLD / RAZOR-N-TAPE 

Everyone’s favourite Colombian, Felipe Gordon, is at it again on Flutes of Gold, out via Razor-N-Tape next month. This renaissance man can do no wrong. Felipe has been burning bright thes last 3 years, and it really is a joy to watch his star rise, and his incredible talent power its way through the electronic music scene. In line with his album, A Landscape Onomatopeya, for Shall Not Fade, his muscular releases on Heist, and his full-length set, Errare Humanum Est, that dropped last year, Flutes of Gold doesn’t` disappoint!  Here we see this fella fuse all the multi-coloured musical elements – house, jazz, soul, and Latin – that continue to inspire him. You can expect some deep house magic, and, of course, 24 carat flute on title track, while Beside Me features an almost Anthony and The Johnsons-esque vocal. Homage To Bossa lays down the law with its jazzy flourishes, blissful arrangement, and Latin carnival euphoria. The E.P. closes with a 303-fuelled surprise entitled Acid Party At Santa Barbara.  What a shindig that must have been. 10/1

BUSTIN’ LOOSE / THE LINK UP / THE DISCO EXPRESS

In the late 1970s when New York disco swept across the dancefloors of the world, and producers all around the globe began releasing their own take on the sound, I wonder if they ever thought that the “phenomenon” would go on inspiring people for a further 50 years. South London, DJ / producer, Tom Lilly aka Bustin’ Loose, started the label, The Disco Express, 5 years ago. TDE was actually a party first, one which hosted some impressive headliners, like Kon, Tiger & Woods, Jacques Renault and Greg Wilson, and now plays out in various different countries. As a mirror (ball) of the party ethos, the imprint has featured, and collaborated with, folks such as Dave Lee and the mighty John Morales, so the quality has been high! On The Link Up E.P., Tom takes us through four different shades of fresh disco, joining forces with Soundsmith, Pete Maxey, and Magnolia, plus vocalists Catalina, and Elliot Chapman – who sounds very Stee Downes. Including a timely tribute to the recently departed Marlena Shaw, this release would rock any discerning floor, and is sure to get dancers in a magnificent spin. 9/1