January: 6 disco releases you need to hear this month

Natasha Watts 'Street Life' (Midnight Riot)

Full disclosure: my own Midnight Riot label is putting out the second volume in its ‘Roller Boogie’ series, which features Odyssey, Ron Basejam, Rahaan, Suacy Lady, Judge Funk and many more partying like mad in boogie wonderland. But it’s everyone’s favourite diva, Miss Natasha Watts, who ends up stealing the thunder with this devastating take on the Crusaders & Randy Crawford anthem ‘Street Life’.

9/10

Mind Fair presents Sun People 'Sunset Over Santorini' (Kinfolk)

The Mind Fair boys are back and, once again, they’re ahead of the rest of the pack with a new release that can only really be described as Westworld disco. Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton have gone deep in the studio, bringing country funk, bluesy electronica, Afrocentric percussion, fingered guitars and ethereal vocals together to produce one of the finest Balearic builders we’ve heard in a long time. Put it this way: we’ll eat our sombrero if you don’t hear it in a Harvey beach set this summer.

8/10

Powerdance 'Powerdance' (Powerdance)

The Powerdance collective are about to blow your mind. This, their first release, is a total throwback to the best days of disco, a track that’s totally live with an infectious male vocal. To top that off the whole track is brimming with decadent influences, Tom Tom female vox inserts and dubbed-out Makosa horns. This one’s as warm and tasty as fresh buttered toast, and the perfect groove to keep you snug this winter.

10/10

Double Exposure 'Ten Percent' (Walter Gibbons edit) (BBE)

The much-missed master of the edit Walter Gibbons went full on with this take on Double Exposure’s ‘Ten Percent’, one of the best disco records ever made. It’s no exaggeration to say that, when it comes to strings and tings, Walter was the boss and this instrumental beast is no exception. Although he’s removed the vocals of Double Exposure Jimmy Williams, who passed away in October, you can’t help but listen to this without picturing the pair of them floating on a cloud together, shaking their hip-huggers and bellowing “Ten percent of something” at one another, knowing that some crazy disco crew is simultaneously doing just that on a loft-like dancefloor somewhere down below.

9/10

Marcel Vogel feat Mey 'Always Isn’t Only (Soulphiction remix) (Intimate Friends)

For this tight little remix package, Marcel brings in mates such as Soulphiction, Soul Clap, NY*AK and Simba. It’s an extremely versatile release in general, but it’s the super-deep rework from Soulphiction that jumps out most of all. The vibe of their ‘Always Isn’t Only’ mix bounces along with Mey’s vocals riding the groove, before the whole sonic soundscape starts to open out. It’s hard to classify it, but this is an excursion into Afro disco that should end up garnering lots of DJ love on the right dancefloors.

9/10

Eddie C 'Salve A Bahia' (Barefoot Beats)

With ‘Salve A Bahia’, Eddie C proves once again that he’s cutting it with the best, supplying yet another sharp edit that merges two opposing soundtracks. One is a rapid-fire arpeggiated electro number with 80s New York-style snares, the other a stripped-down Brazilian folk recording with a choir vocal and traditional rhythm elements. Add some proto house bass to the mix, and it’s straight off to a festa toda a noite in Salvador for you.

8/10