Amplified Orchestra – Space Lady EP (Amplified) US 12”
Nu-disco outfit Amplified Orchestra release two EPs simultaneously but it’s ‘Space Lady’ which deserves your full attention. Although I’m not convinced by the more electro orientated tracks it does contain ‘The Duke’, an amazing hypnotic groove packed with deep cosmic jazz-funk sensibilities.

www.myspace.com/amplifiedorchestra

Elitechnique – Fingerfood EP (Clone) Dutch 12”
More nu-disco delights this month with this 4 track EP from Elitechnique. ‘Vesta Vision’ is the standout and like Amplified Orchestra’s ‘The Duke’ is a spaced out plodding jazz-funk groover perfect for the terraces of Ibiza.

www.myspace.com/elitechnique
www.myspace.com/clonerecordings
www.clone.nl

Chalice Cooper – 2euroMan (Down The Bush) French 12”
Chalice Cooper is a new name to me and what a name it is too! On ‘2euroMan’ afro-beat and disco collide to create a devastating dance-floor bomb. With heavy percussion, blaring horns and squelchy keys this wouldn’t sound out of place on a 70s TV cop show.

 
www.myspace.com/chalicecooper
www.myspace.com/downthebushrecords

The Hi-Fly Orchestra – Violet [Remixes] (Ajabu!) Swedish 12”
‘Violet’ from the German jazz sextet’s ‘Samboogaloo’ album gets the remix treatment by Dusty (Jazz & Milk) plus a superb re-work by Povo who transform it into to a firing jazz-dance piece. Also included is an alternative take of ‘Samboogaloo’ and the previously unreleased ‘Lucky Cat’.

www.myspace.com/thehiflyorchestra
www.thehiflyorchestra.de
www.myspace.com/ajabumusic
www.ajabu.com

Guynamite – Guynamite EP (Mukatsuku) UK 12”
After providing one of the remixes of Hanna & Beatr8’s ‘Better Than Nothing’, Guynamite comes with his own 5 track EP for Nik Weston’s Mukatsuku label. ‘Those Eyes’ is a killer broken-soul excursion featuring the delectable vocals of Selina Campbell. Selina also appears on the blissful down-tempo jazzy cut ‘I’ll Be Gone’ and there’s also the rather tasty mid-paced soul shuffler ‘Take Your Time’ featuring Laila Cohen and Joseph Junior which is reminiscent of the recent tracks from Spengler.

www.myspace.com/guynamite
www.myspace.com/mukatsuku

The Bionics – Love Chains (Bocajito) UK 12”
The Bionics are Danielle Moore and Tim Davies of Crazy P and Ben Davis of Paper Records. ‘Love Chains’ is the first single to be taken from the group’s recently released debut album ‘Solid Silver’ and for me is the best track from that set. A deep mid-paced disco-house cut is what we have here which steadily builds introducing infectious Rhodes touches. The real bonus though is the Greg Wilson Version on the flip side which stretches it out to 10 minutes for maximum dance-floor appeal.

www.myspace.com/thebionicsuk
www.bocajito.com

The Nostalgia 77 Octet – Weapons Of Jazz Destruction (Tru Thoughts) UK CD/LP
Benedic Lamdin keeps the pressure on with yet another exquisite release under the guise of The Nostalgia 77 Octet. Again this is deep jazz of the highest order and features outstanding moments such as the funked up ‘Journey Home’, ‘Chola’, a stunning waltz and the modal ‘Stars’ fronted by vocalist Sophie Smith. Sophie also graces ‘One Step Out’ and ‘To Have Or To Be?’, two spiritual outings. Not to be overlooked though are the gentle meanderings of ‘Medusa’ and ‘When Love Is Strange’.

www.myspace.com/nostalgia77
www.nostalgia77.com
www.myspace.com/truthoughtsrecords
www.tru-thoughts.co.uk

Life Force – Fearless Warriors (Sonorama) German CD/LP
Originally released in very small quantities on the private Numu Numu label in 1981 ‘Fearless Warriors’ was the debut recording by Life Force, an Atlanta based group founded by Joe Jennings and Howard Nicholson. Thanks to Sonorama this spiritual jazz-fusion rarity now gets a welcome reissue. The set sits somewhere between Pharoah Sanders and Jeff Lorber’s early material and features the solid mid-tempo grooves ‘Wow’, ‘Sister Bea’ and the brilliant title track plus the bright and breezy ‘To Pharaoh With Love’, an awesome jazz dancer which should find favour at nights such as Messin’ Around and The Jazz Rooms.

www.myspace.com/sonoramarecords
www.sonorama.de

Various – Nueva Vision (Sonar Kollektiv) German CD
Compiled by Jazzanova and Erik Ott ‘Nueva Vision’ shines the spotlight on Cuba’s EGREM/Areito label between 1971 and 1989. Across 17 tracks it covers a variety of styles including jazz dance delights such as Chucho Valdes’ ‘Triton’ and ‘La Sombre’, the latter of which has an air of Bossa Tres’ ‘Imprevisto’ about it, mellow jazz-fusion with Emiliano Salvador’s ‘Angelica’ and Orchestra LA 440’s ‘Y No Me Ire’ and full on Jazz-funk in the shape of Ricardo Eddy Martinez y Expreso Ritmico’s ‘Mi Conga es laque es’. Psychedelic folk-funk is represented by Grupo Tema IV who serve up ‘Tema 4’ and ‘Yayabo’ and there’s also the superb 2-step soul cut ‘De tu amorme enamore’ from Yo, tu, el y ella. Also available is a 6 track 12” for the vinyl junkies.

www.myspace.com/sonarkollektiv
www.sonarkollektiv.com