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

SPACE GRAPES / ANOTHER TASTE / ANOTHER TASTE II

They say that second albums are the hardest, but Another Taste‘s sophomore outing bucks that old mantra. Another Taste II fully embraces the warmth of live analogue recording across eight delicious morsels of boogie, funk and offbeat disco – steeped in authenticity but that feel fresh and spontaneous. The band’s collective chemistry is evident as they lock into grooves that shift effortlessly between tight rhythms and expansive melodic flourishes. Highlights like ‘Peace Call‘, featuring Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers, demonstrate the album’s communal spirit. ‘Blue Feather Movement‘ is joyous upbeat-soul and ‘Run Into Love‘ is timeless, low-slung instrumental disco gold. Gorgeous. 

BOOGIE ANGST / FOUK / SUNDAYS

Collaboration is handled with care here as lifelong pals Fouk shape each track around mutual feelings rather than forced fusion with various artists. ‘Sundays‘ captures the vibe of the lazy end of the week, with sun-kissed melodies and soariing vocals perfect for outdoor dancing. ‘Tune It Out’ settles into a steady mid-tempo groove, as its bass and guitar interplay tightly with the song, and sit naturally in the mix. Nothing pushes too hard, and that makes the vibes all the better. ‘Reverie’ lifts the mood and turns outwards with cosmic charm. Brighter keys bouncing over drums that have a more open swing. A refined EP that reflects rose-tinted afternoons catching rays and going with the flow. 

SOUL CLAP RECORDS / FSQ, MONIQUEA & XL MIDDLETON / FEELING WIDE

Scandi-disco don Prins Thomas seems like a perfect fit to remix XL Middleton‘s recent outing on Soul Clap, featuring his trusted vocalist Moniquea and NYC collective FSQ. Where the original was a warm strut down an LA street at sundown, Thomas’s Diskomiks brings out its cosmic charms with twinkling melodies and an expansive atmosphere. Something that’s suited to balmy nights under the stars. The Dubmix is slower and sweeter for truly horizontal moments, with a gentle sprinkle of disco dust and crystalline chords that fizz like sherbet on your tongue. A great collision of quite different musical worlds. 

PARTYFINE / OLD SEDAN / WITH LOVE MY DEAR

Bastien Francoulon is the Frenchman behind the new alias Old Sedan. This debut solo, however, outing betrays his many years in the game as part of The George Kaplan Conspiracy. Influences from house, synth-pop and disco all contour the six grooves, with opener ‘Honda CR 500‘ a heartfelt thump to get fists pumping and smiles widening. There’s a mix of introspection and quiet resolve on ‘All Night On My Own’. Funky bass licks keep ‘Union County‘ in constant ascent, while ‘Move Your Feet Like This‘ is off-grid, bass-driven wonkiness. ‘Let’s Call It A Warp‘ carries beautiful sadness in the forlorn chords and slick electro-tinged drum work. An accomplished outing from one to watch. 

RAZOR-N-TAPE / ALINE ROCHA & CAI CENCI / BERIMBAU

Aline Rocha is all set for another big summer, with several Glitterbox and Defected gigs in the diary. However, first comes this glorious EP, produced alongside newcomer and fellow Brazilian, Caio Cenci. The tunes are packed with South American heat and organic Latin percussion, but possess chunky, club-ready grooves that fuse disco and house into pure gold. ‘Berimbau‘ rides a throbbing low end with richly musical melodies and classy string stabs. ‘Miss The Water‘, then, dials up the temperature with a euphoric vocal, excitable horns and keys that cannot fail to get the dance floor boiling over. 

SHADOW PRESSINGS / L.D.F. FT. JAVONNTTE, TILMAN, BOHM, GARI ROMALIS / TRIBUTE TO THE LATIN POSSE

L.D.F. leans into the naturally knackered and frayed textures of his vintage machines on this new collaborative EP. Layers of dust and dirt age his drums to perfection, while the synths burn with a subtle but searing heat. Throwing things back to early Chicago house. ‘You & Me‘ is steamy and humid, a rigid groove with a heart-melting vocal. ‘Tribal Dance’ is more upright and propulsive, but for low-lit rooms. The Freaks’ and ‘In & Out’ shift between grit and depth. The latter drawing on Detroit, and swings seductively, without overstating it. ‘Light Speed’ closes as a pure analogue tool, with icy hi-hats cutting through foggy ambience. Emitting a shadowy menace and low-end drive that’s perfect for the back room. 

FREERANGE / JIMPSTER / BASSIC ROLLERS

Jimpster is one of those artists whose musical touch you can immediately recognise but rarely predict. His vast catalogue expands once more with a new outing on his own essential label that, we think, backs up our belief that he is still underrated. Where OG deep house, and much of what has come after, is often dusty, frayed and lo-fi, Jamie Odell brings real musicianship to his grooves. The delicate chords on ‘Out And About‘ and the wispy cosmic lines that swirl in the track’s background are proof. ‘Heads Down‘ has a musical bassline that deserves the prominence it gets in the mix, and ‘Crisp Pancakes‘ has shimmering synths bring an impressionistic touch to gently swung drums. ‘Far Side‘ is luscious and golden, where a feathery light blend of melodies and effortlessly smooth grooves combine to life-giving effect. 

DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR / DECLAN MCDERMOTT / WHY DON’T YOU BELIEVE ME?

After falling for the allure of late-night house, Declan McDermott has transitioned from producing others to making his own sounds. Here he taps into all his multi-instrumentalist skills, and vintage hardware collection, for a single that’s quiet but absorbing. Leggy drums and tumbling bass keep things deep, but interplay between more luminous melody and funky finger clicks stop things from being too heady. A smeared vocoder vocal brings a sadness that threatens but never quite takes hold. I:Cube reshapes the track into something more chopped and kinetic, while DJ Nature scuffs up the edges and adds on hazy chords. The closing cut ‘Yara-Kimba (Lindeman Island)’ offers a rubbery house workout. 

STAR CREATURE / FUGITIVE ARTIFACT / GET SOME REST

Fugitive Artifact might be based in Brooklyn, but this two-track for Star Creature suggests his musical head is rooted in Chicago. On Get Some Rest he rewires the city’s famous proto-house and early dark wave grooves into a low-key take on jack. The drum machines hiss and spit, the snares clatter and the rhythms are robust, while eerie chords suggest light way off in the distance. This is solid house with a pervasively menacing edge. ‘In Service To Jack‘ is another study in shadowy sounds and raw grooves that are perfectly undercooked: the melodies are ground out and the kicks sound like a marching army. Deliciously dark and real.

NDATL MUZIK / BEN HIXON / VISION

Texas DJ, musician and Dolfin label head Ben Hixon is not the sort of guy to chase anything, but with every new EP he drops, he gets closer to blowing up on a wider level. His smoky, low-key sound will speak to anyone who approaches the deeper side of Chicago and Detroit house, and it’s a perfect fit for Kai Alce‘s faultless NDATL Muzik. ‘Taping‘ is heavyweight and grainy, with a melancholic nag in its sparse chords. ‘Y Do U Get So Nervous‘ is raw, rickety and loopy like Omar-S, while ‘Area Code 336 Phone Ring‘ pairs a choice sample with relentless drum loops that lock you in the moment. Even heavier, darker, deepness, smoky late-night soul and dubbed-out dreaminess can be found on the flip. A magnificent EP.