A Pocket Sized Mixtape Vol. 10: The Boogie Back

'The Boogie Back' is Vol. 10 in the 'Pocket Sized Mixtape' series, and it sees the selection narrowed to some funk and soul-filled, disco-flavoured boogie bangers that always make me shake what my momma gave me. And then some.

You can listen AND download from SoundCloud or MixCloud. If you're interested in a playlist, I suggest you head towards MixCloud...

Enjoy. And watch this space for Vol. 11 dropping soon...

The Taste Of: Playlist 'In The Pocket with 90' Tue 9 Oct on Radio Ponsonby

Every Tuesday on 'In The Pocket with 90' I'll be laying down 'The Taste Of', a selection of music with a common thread running through. It could be locality, genre or label features, it might even be DJ-mixes or compilations; whatever it is, I'll be looking to give you a taste of my take on things.

This week, it's The Taste Of: Lazer Funk, Raw Disco and Cosmic Boogie.

Lalo Schifrin | Quiet Village
Bob James | Nightcrawlers
Pyramid Plus | Comin' At Ya
Deodato | Keep On Movin'
Plush | Free And Easy
Esther Williams | I'll Be Your Pleasure
The Fatback Band | Let The Drums Speak
Gonzalez | (I Want To Get) Closer To You
Lakeside | Fantastic Voyage
Jacqui & The Rumor | Just Don't Break-A-My Heart (inst.)
Linx | The Ice Is Melting
Side On | A Magic Version
Zalmac | What's In It For Me?
Sumy | Soul With Milk
Yo Yo Dance | Kabbala
Sylvester | I Need You (unreleased mix)
K.I.D. | Don't Stop
Atmosfear | Extra Special
MdCL Presents Sy Smith | Teena (Lovergirl Syberized)
Karlmarx Project | OSC

Review: Various Artists 'Private Wax'

Various Artists
PRIVATE WAX
Super Rare Boogie & Disco 
[BBE]

This is the kind of compilation which gets nerdy record loving guys of my ilk very hot under the collar indeed. Lovingly put together by a completely obsessed record collector who works in the renowned Reckless Records in London's Berwick Street, Private Wax is an excursion through some of the most excitingly raw and real disco and boogie tracks ever pressed. Not just any old pressings, mind, these fifteen tunes are by genuinely independent artists who had these songs privately pressed to vinyl; an obsessiveness only matched by the fellow who put this collection together. The man we should thank for tracking down (or stumbling upon) this super rare boogie and disco goes by the name Zaf (his Zafsmusic.com website is well worth a look for anyone searching for really, really rare vinyl records), and his taste is immaculate. It's difficult to single out songs from a compilation of such quality as this, but being that I'm writing on a blog, I feel I must: Party Track by Mr Fox takes a ride on a squiggly synth riff which winds its' way through Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up via The Gap Band; Chuck Strong frees up a cracking version of the Willie Hutch-penned, Gwen McRae-sung boogie classic Doin' It; and smooth-ass Chicagoans Yohon raise the temperature with Fly With Me, throwing the kitchen sink of disco elements - including laser sounds - at an effortless groove and Jackson 5-alike vocal performance. Flawlessly funky from top to bottom, this set is a sure-fire floor-filler at the most discerning of disco and boogie parties. Next time you're having one of those eparties, make sure you do two things: a) play this, and b) invite me please.

4 stars from 5

For an extra special 45min mix by DJ Chris Read, check this link. I recommend you do.

Review: Best Of Disco Demands

Various Artists
BEST OF DISCO DEMANDS
Compiled and Mixed by Al Kent
[BBE]

It's disco music, but not as some of you may know it: Best Of Disco Demands features all the rare disco music you could ever need - and I really do mean that, as it's an exhaustive, and at times exhausting collection. Thing is, while the full 5CD set (also available on vinyl!) is not really recommended for ingestion in a single setting, there can be little credible argument mounted against Best Of Disco Demands standing as the best disco music compilation of all time. Not for nothing is Al Kent (aka Scottish-born Ewan Kelly) revered as one of the most discerning disco selectors currently filling dance floors. Ripe old classics get the swerve as this spellbinding selection unfurls, encompassing a surprising breadth of disco sounds from African and Latin influences to house-styled four/four, from sweet soul and deep funk flavours to full-throttle, open-hi-hat floor-fillers. This is wall-to-wall quality disco music.

4 stars from 5

My review of Disco Love 2, also compiled by Al Kent, here

Live: Pork Meets Disco

Barrio and Old Mout Cider present
PORK MEETS DISCO
Free Entry / Kids Welcome / Courtyard Open
Pig On A Spit / DJs Spinning Proper Disco Music
Buy An Old Mout Cider and Eat For Free!
From 2pm Sunday 18 Dec
BARRIO
www.barrionz.com

Review: Crazy P 'When We On'

CRAZY P
When We On
[20/20 Vision]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. While that hoary old chestnut may be a tired cliche, Crazy P are anything but, despite having spent the last thirteen years and five albums mining similar-sounding ground. When We On won't surprise anyone either - though Crazy P are more reserved here than ever, with their slow-burning disco funk pop stripped right back to the essentials. At first listen this does make some of the tunes sound a little sparse, or even underdone, but chief songwriters and co-founders Jim Baron and Chris Todd understand the strength of a song lies in what is not played as much as what is - and that it usually takes more than one listen to get under your skin. And these do get under your skin. Frequently. As does frontwoman Danielle Moore, still one of the most compelling performers in dance music. Oh yeah, they still on, alright.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Check out previews of When We On here...