Chillum Balam`s tropical vibrations pop up on Partyfine. Joi N’Juno`s Afro-disco has Canopy cavorting. Vapor Caves break out the boogie on Star Creature. Arpy Brown beats the break-up blues for Future Disco. Goshawk enlists the very talented vocalists LYMA and Gary Blackman. Soul Of Hex take a moment away from hanging with Underground Resistance to deliver for Delusions Of Grandeur. Frits Wentink wows on Wolf Music. Tom Noble`s terrific House Of Spirits LP finally lands on Razor-N-Tape.

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

CHILAM BALAM / RITMOS PROFETICOS VOL 1 / PARTYFINE

Partyfine is the Reims-based label run by my favourite Frenchman Yuksek (that is except for Daniel Pommereulle in Le Collectionneuse – but I digress). With a hands-on approach, from track inception to mastering, the magic all happens out of his Northern France studio. Chilam Balam are the labels latest signing, a dynamic duo formed just this year, consisting of Léopold Collard and Bastien Francoulon. Their sound is a blend post-disco library music, vibrant Brazilian influences, and the new age disco of artists such as Todd Terje and Nu Genea. You can definitely hear a bit of both Herbie Hancock and Jorge Ben. Ritmos Profeticos Vol. 1 showcases the sublime talents of these two Parisian multi-instrumentalists who skilfully man bass and synths plus pluck guitars and the unique four-string Cavaquinho, as well as playing various elements of percussion. This all comes together to create a beautifully intricate musical tapestry. The warm, enveloping rhythms and tropical vibrations will invite you to sway and nod in the most relaxed and luxurious way. 9/10

JOI’N JUNO / SAMEMALA / CANOPY

Portuguese imprint Canopy is a label to keep your eyes and ears. Founded by New Zealander Emmanuel Dalton, Canopy resurrects dusty forgotten gems with a tropical flavour, while also releasing contemporary productions that lean in an afro disco direction. Joi N’Juno drops his debut album Samemala for them this month. Real name David Baluteau, Joi N’Juno is a producer, player of various musical instruments, and studio engineer who was once the lead singer of cult French “drum & bass-electro-punk” band, La Phaze. Samemala pulls influence from classic Nile Rogers disco and Nigerian afro funk. Punchy production, funky guitars, groovy basslines and infectious vocals combine to form an album so full of positive energy that it’ll fill a dancefloor with a crowd of happy smiling dancers in an instant.  8/10

THE VAPOR CAVES / SACRIFICE / STAR CREATURE

Undeniably one of my fave labels right now, Chicago’s Star Creature Universal Vibrations continues to pump out the goodness. This new offering presents Texas funk duo The Vapor Caves and their bonafide house anthem Sacrifice. Featuring Kam Franklin’s golden vocal, the original version is taken from a compilation put together by Project Traction, a non-profit whose goal is to close the gender gap in the music production world. That, however, also gets a set of out-of-this-planet remixes. Mofunk label boss XL Middleton kicks things off with a smooth AF boogie drop that pays perfect respect to the original. The Prince of Star Creature, Eli Hurwitz aka E.Live, then strips things back, adding more space and disco strings. Detroit luminary, Motor City native and former Slum Village DJ, Dez Andres, pulls out all the tricks from up his sleeve and makes fresh moves that are sure to get the floor popping. Solid gold grooves here from Star Creature. Slamming it down again! 10/10

ARPY BROWN / BUT I MISS YOU EVERYDAY / FUTURE DISCO

Arpy Brown, real name Robin Braum, and formerly known as Athlete Whippet, makes music that moves your feet move and has your soul skip as he explores the more playful side of house. His music is super shiny and joyful! Known for a signature style which fuses a multitude of genres to create modern hybrid jams, Arpy has released on notable labels such as Kitsune Musique, Rhythm Section International and Toy Tonics, and his time is spent between the clubland hotbed of Berlin and the musical Mecca of London. His latest offering But I Miss You Everyday is out mid-November on Future Disco. It opens with the lively and infectious indie dance anthem Close Enough. A collaboration with long time friend Aphty Khéa, this explores the deeper aspects of modern dance music. In contrast, the title track is an uplifting vocal number that defies its seemingly melancholy moniker, and instead radiates youthful exuberance . Finally, Thought You Never Would combines elements of indie and nu-disco, with retro vocals, paired with a production style that feels simply timeless. The E.P. is a whole vibe. 7/10

TOM NOBLE / HOUSE OF SPIRITS / RAZOR-N-TAPE

It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for this album by NYC legend, Tom Noble. From his early days in Milwaukee as part of a family business buying and selling records with his brother, to his Lotus Land reissue label and his bricks and mortar Williamsburg record spot, to his iconic Superior Elevation imprint, Tom Noble is a quality affair. The result of 15 years of fine crafting, Tom and  Razor-N-Tape will finally, proudly present House of Spirits to the world this month. There’s often a fine line between pastiche and homage when recreating past art. However, with this LP, Tom creates a love letter to the bygone days of disco that delivers on the promise of the project’s first two singles and then some. I’m currently obsessed with Diamond Eyes – a brilliant bit of blue-eyed soul with a strong Curtis Mayfield influence. The sum of years and years of passion and knowledge building the album is perfect addition to the canon of dynamite boogie and disco. 10/10

GOSHAWK FT. LYMA & GREG BLACKMAN / LOYALTY / LUMBERJACKS IN HELL

Marcel Vogel founded Amsterdam-based imprint Lumberjacks In Hell back in 2010. Since then, the label has earned itself a reputation for putting out hi-quality leftfield disco, always with a touch of soul. For the imprint`s 46th release, Matt Rivem aka Goshawk certainly sticks to that brief. Rivem is perhaps best known for being part of Rhythm Plate, and for his solo projects released on Atjazz, Situatism, Groovement Inc., and the acclaimed Hudd Traxx. His new E.P., titled Loyalty, features four cuts that seamlessly blend soulful boogie and deep house, creating a warm analog-driven captivating atmosphere. The A1 is a collaboration with local singer / songwriter LYMA, whose soulful voice combines with a Detroit-ish vibe, and a funky low-slung bassline. The flipside has UK vocal powerhouse Greg Blackman do his stuff over dynamic piano chops, resulting in an engaging and energetic groove. LYMA’s remix of 1 Up 1 Down  wraps up the E.P. on a sweet high note. 7/10

SOUL OF HEX / CONSTELLATION / DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR

Mexico`s Soul Of Hex are back on Delusions Of Grandeur with the Constellation E.P. Having recently released on Underground Resistance, and with an upcoming project on Kilometro 4.5 featuring Mad Mike Banks and Kuniyuki, it’s clear that Soul Of Hex are keeping great company. Face Down kicks things off with an electrifying cut characterised by a captivating electric bass line, deep dubby drums and effects. Next up is title track which ramps up the tempo with a soulful piano house anthem featuring vocals from Javonntte. Dimension Spell introduces a full-on funk vibe with heavy guitar riffs from More Lotion. Closing out this stellar release is Into The Night, a powerful piece that packs a rolling, minimal groove.  9/10

FRITS WENTINK / TOGETHER / WOLF MUSIC 

King of Swing, Frits Wentink, drops four underground gems on London label Wolf Music, that will definitely cause moments on dancefloors. I Want It All is the kind of track that if slotted into the right place at the right time will inject a whole new energy to a rave. Idle Dancer needs to be handled with care and finesse, it keeps things punchy throughout, and is both modern and completely timeless. About You is polished until it gleams and is meticulously mastered, while closing cut Ambassador is simply sublime. Wentink is a bonafide basement legend and this ain’t no token effort, this is a real house record! Ultimately, the Together E.P. doesn’t just revive a sound, it affirms its place in house music’s enduring history. Great tracks don’t fade. Neither does Frits Wentink. 10/10