Henry and Reuben Smith celebrate the inspiring sounds of their childhoods as Sons Of Sevilla. My Friend Dario soundtracks an imaginary Sicilian holiday for Hell Yeah. Rayowa channels Roy Ayres on The Disco Express. Soul Clap and Khyenci amaze on their new single. Dexter relaunches Tom Trago’s Voyage Direct. Tom Noble teases with a second track from his highly anticipated forthcoming Razor-N-Tape long-player. 

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

SONS OF SEVILLA / LULLABIES FOR A WILDCAT / UBIQUITY RECORDS

Sons Of Sevilla are brothers Henry and Reuben Smith. Growing up in a public house in Yorkshire, their young ears were inspired by listening to their dad’s records. Absorbing a rich musical heritage, such as the sounds of JJ Cale. Recently relocated to Spain, their deep connection to the city of Seville started with childhood visits and has ultimately inspired their new project’s name.  

Their debut long-player, Lullabies For A Wildcat, is a collection of songs recorded at their family home during the summer of 2020. 1970s psychedelia, loads of guitar, and trippy vocals create a timeless, hedonistic atmosphere. The album may remind you of many things: `90s Manchester and the Stone Roses, sun-bleached shades of Southern California, and its laidback love of desert tunes, and tracks hidden on long-lost AOR records. It’s a striking debut for this promising young duo and they’re already hard at work on their second album while gearing up for a world tour.  

MY FRIEND DARIO / SENZA ESTATE / HELL YEAH

My Friend Dario is a generous soul, and this album is a welcome gift. The perfect soundtrack to a blissful summer. The Hell Yeah Records mainstay drops this incredible eight-tracker, making his customary stylistic clashes that shouldn’t work but do. Disco meets electro, breakbeat melds with acid, but overall, it’s a beautiful Balearic long player. Inspired by a dream holiday on the island of Sicily, highlights include the mesmerising title cut and the impeccably produced and deeply emotional What You Need. Lean back and soak up the heat of the sun as this shot of Mediterranean blue caresses your sandy toes. Senza Estate is simply sensational.

RAYOWA / IN THE SUNSHINE / THE DISCO EXPRESS

The Disco Express has been turning out quality original nu disco at a rapid rate, and for its seventy-sixty release, the label pitches it down with a late summer sensation that wears its Roy Ayres style inspo proudly on its sleeve. Rayowa aka Reece Balker delivers a stunning single that effortlessly blends elements of soul and funk, with a velvet smooth RnB vocal touch. Vibrant and nostalgic, made for lovers lounging in the park. The irresistible In The Sunshine is mellow, soothing, and pleasantly exhausting, fusing jazz, repetitive grooves with deep human sentiment. 

SOUL CLAP & KHYENCI / AMAZEMENT / SOUL CLAP RECORDS

Blending some top-tier house beats and a modern neo-soul vibe, Boston funk duo Soul Clap’s captivating new single Amazement features Bay Area singer / songwriter Khyenci. Soul Clap connected with this extraordinary talent at a writing camp held at Empire Records, and her voice truly shapes this late summer groover. Her poetic lyrics that exploring themes of self-acceptance and growth. Combined with Soul Clap’s warm and soulful production, this feels like an anthem we’ll be singing along to for a while.

DEXTER / IN YOUR EYES / VOYAGE DIRECT

Returning after a six-year hiatus, Tom Trago’s Voyage Direct. Fourteen years ago Dutch legend Dexter was responsible for the label’s first release, and Trago has invited the Klakson imprint co-founder back for the relaunch. Dexter heralds in the new era with In Your Eyes, a vivid, sensual, and intense mix of house and 21st-century boogie – with squelchy synth-bass, addictive beats, fluttering lead melodies, and cosmic electronics. Together with instrumental and edited versions, the package also includes the high-energy electrofunk bonus of World War III. 

TOM NOBLE / PLEASE TAKE ME THERE / RAZOR-N-TAPE

Legendary DJ, producer, and record trader, Tom Noble is renowned for his deep digging prowess. He now unveils a second single from the current incarnation of his House Of Spirits project. Previewing a highly anticipated collection – that has been 15 years in the making – forthcoming on Razor-N-Tape, Please Take Me There is a Brit-funk-inspired up-tempo heater with a joyous vocal hook. The all-original modern disco future classic benefits from a remix by hot Dutch duo Makèz, who deliver a deeper and sultry house trip, and Sizmo who heads straight to the beach with his Balearic Acapella Dub.