JKriv delivers a fine 45 of dope dubwise. Feel Fly soundtracks a blissed-out beach. Magic Words conjure a DJ Harvey favourite. Noema knocks up some knock-out Afro-funk. Yannick Roberts dives deep. Sven Hammond, Felix Dickinson and Disco Express all give the mirrorball a polish. Tom Noble gets retro on a future anthem.  

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

KINGS OF HIGH SPEED / FALSE START DUB / LEISURE GROUP RECORDINGS 

Back in the day, JKriv was part of Tortured Soul, alongside the late keyboard wizard, Ethan White. Kings Of High Speed is the result of one of the duo’s many studio jams that took place almost a decade ago. Refreshed and revived with some JKriv Space Echo magic, Eventide and Moog delays added, it’s out now on new label, Leisure Group Recordings. False Start Dub and High Speed Dubbin’ are a total surprise from the JKriv camp. Big bad basslines, authentic sounding dub, made with massive speakers in mind. On 7” black plastic.  9/10

FEEL FLY / SOLE / FLEXI CUTS 

Flexi Cuts brings more tasteful business this time from Feel Fly, the DJ, musician from Perugia who has been described by Running Back’s Gerd Jansen as a kingpin in the Italian underground scene. Real name Daniele Tomassini, Signore Fly has released on cult labels like International Feel, Prins Thomas’s Internasjonal, Bosconi, New Planetary Melodies and Hell Yeah. Co-founder of the party, Afro Templum,  his polished sonics are a blend of evocative and emotional atmospherics, bumpin’ house and cosmic disco. Euphoric, Balearic, powerful and liberating, Sole is a real summer anthem, laced with those dream house vibrations we all love. 9/10

MAGIC WORDS / WABI SOBA (JEX OPOLIS REMIX) / RAZOR-N-TAPE 

Wabi Soba is another belter from Razor-N-Tape, this time from new signing Magic Words. New York producers Peter Hargarten and Eli Cohen have created a track perfect summertime Balearic business for sunny afternoons poolside and euphoric festival vibes alike. Already in the hands of DJ Harvey, the title track is based around a dreamy loop and embellished with lashings of Spanish guitar. Toronto legend Jex Opolis lifts the record to a whole new level, preserving all of the delicate textures of the original while raising the tempo and giving it a spaced out club feel.  10/10

NOEMA & MAGIC JAMS REMIXES / AFRICAN SHAKETOWN

This is some straight up fire from Berlin edits label African Shaketown, (formerly known as African Shakedown). Label head Noema aka Magic Jams, real name David Benjamin, is no stranger to rocking a dancefloor, having held down a ten year residency at Wilde Renate. On this killer vinyl only E.P. he takes four obscure afrobeat treasures and treats them oh so right. On the A-side we have two funky disco weapons, played with a full band set-up. On the flip you’ll find a dynamite cosmic disco cut, with dazzling synths, delectable drums. 9/10

NAÏVE NEW BEATERS  / YE KOU SI KOU (YUKSEK REMIX) / UNIVERSAL

Naive New Beaters are the three-piece Parisian band who`ve had huge success in France. Their take on electro-pop blows away all clichés, and their sound blends rapid-fire rap, percussive beats, and a joie de vivre that needs to be bottled. Ahead of their forthcoming album FVTVRVM they release Ye Kou Si Kuo. The single features the Star Feminine Band; a ground-breaking ensemble of seven girls from North Benin whose joyful singing, Afropop sound and lyrics are simply amazing. The remix comes from NNB’s fellow countryman Yuksek, who turns up the heat turning the song into a tropical disco dancefloor smash. 8/10

VARIOUS ARTISTS / 75TH RELEASE SPECIAL /  THE DISCO EXPRESS

Making truly authentic sounding disco is the mission of The Disco Express. Headed up by London lad Tom Lilly, otherwise known as soulful producer Bustin’ Loose, starting out as a slick warehouse party, the label mirrors the shindig’s ethos; balloons, and happy vibes, a la David Mancuso’s legendary Loft. With a massive pat on the back in order, imprint has reached it’s 75^th release and celebrates in fine style, with a crystal blue vinyl press and four cuts of pure gold touched by some of the industries finest remixers (The Reflex, Dr Packer, Crazy P’s Hot Toddy, and the mighty John Morales). Well worth a whirl this record. 8/10

SVEN HAMMOND / IT’S ALRIGHT (FELIX DICKINSON REMIX) / MARMALADE RECORDS

Sven Hammond is a band out of The Netherlands whose life started 18 years ago. Frontman, Sven Figee, and the band have released six studio albums and five live albums and also earned themselves a massive live reputation. Their new album Cosmic Gold is set for release in 2025, but ahead of the much anticipated long player, the outfit have called on one of the UK’s finest disco exports, and staples of the UK’s underground dance scene, Felix Dickinson, to remix It’s Alright.  Co-founder of Ugly Music, Dickinson has put out records on seminal imprints like DFA, Rush Hour, Golf Channel. Currently blowing up the summer festival scene with performances at Glastonbury Block 9, Love International, and soon to be Houghton, he steps up for Marmalade Records to work his studio magic. Felix turns in nine minutes of some of the best acid disco I’ve heard in yonks! It’s just epic. 9/10

YANNICK ROBERTS / ALL FOR YOU / FREERANGE RECORDS

Yannick Roberts returns to Freerange Records for a second outing on the London label. Delivering four slabs of sexy house. It’s all killer absolutely no filler here. Yannick brings the deepness, but with an up-tempo drive. All tracks chug along beautifully, highlights include Grace which is a nicely weighted combination of soul and energy, with a slither of Crown Heights Affair, and All For You which will rock a party when played at the right moment. If I had to choose one track, though, it’s going to be the blissful deep house goodness of Amsterdam Nights. You need this. Every track really is a beast. 9/10

TOM NOBLE / TIMES ARE CHANGING / RAZOR-N-TAPE

Founder of the record label and shop, Superior Elevation, Tom Noble is a deep digger, collector and seller of some of the finest house and disco vinyl. His Times Are Changing is the lead single lifted from a highly anticipated album set to drop later this year. The album has taken around 15 years to put together,  and it blends all sorts of modern soul, with nods to Patrick Adams and the Mizell Brothers. The song is completely original, recorded with live instrumentation, and blessed with a remix by Aussie synth wizard, Harvey Sutherland. A simply outstanding release. 10/10