Parkway Records have prepared a new Parkwerks EP. Volume III packs 4 fresh forays into dance floor filling, “Hard, Raw & Raunchy” dub. All the tracks reference / update disco, house and funk’s past. Shit, we all stand on the shoulders of giants. 

Trust, for example, throws dramatic synth shapes around electro / freestyle block-rocking beats and a badass Boyd Jarvis B-line. The track’s chopped up vocals recall Paul Simpson playing about with Adeva, while the echoed percussion is a nice nod to Larry Levan and his NYC Peech Boys. 

Runnin’s growling bass and hand clap-like snapping snares have it resembling an early `80s pre-Paisley Park Prince production. Something that the purple imp of the perverse might have put together to showcase a lingerie-clad protégée. Again, it’s a little “electro”, plus a bit P-Funky. Rick James would no doubt also claim that he was an influence. 

The rubbery, wobbly, Time Storm is tough drum-driven, but, due to its echoed keys, strangely hypnotic and dreamy. Got To Find is a brilliant collaboration with Californian Nicky Benedek. A lot less restrained than a solo Mark Seven  offering, a ton of detail is thrown in and out of this particular musical melting pot. The edited percussion – more Art Of Noise than Señor Seven’s usual Latin Rascals – features some very cool congas, bites of big / massive bongos and lashings of dominatrix whip crack effects. The bottom end pumps like classic Italo while spacey bleeps do battle with delicate, dancing notes as they all head toward a bubbling synth finale. 

Parkwerks III is due to hit shops later this week. The best place to currently listen and pre-order is Juno. Check the Parkway Records Instagram and Bandcamp for updates.