Hey everyone - welcome back at the discotheque!
%20-%20Party%20Night%20%E5%A4%A9%E3%81%AE%E5%B7%9D-artwork.jpg)
Spring is now well and truly upon us - and alongside that, over the last fortnight there's been a huge number of killer releases from some of the blog's biggest talents - alongside a whole bunch of other great stuff - and if this is anything to go by, this summer is looking to be even more packed than last year - so buckle your seat-belts, because this is going to be a huge, huge post!
Without further ado - let's get started!
Oran Jusu - Let You Down
Released everywhere on Friday - the brand new single from the blog's resident Scotsman Oran Jusu is absolutely brilliant, and in my humble opinion - it's his best track to date. While he's mostly known in the scene for his bright, quirky future funk productions, this song takes a slightly different approach - rather, this is a shimmering piece of late night nu-disco built for those upcoming summer days with lots of groove, a plethora of original instrumentation which feels reminiscent of Skylar Spence's debut album Prom King and above all - it's extremely upbeat, fun and beautiful at many points, so if you're looking for something to dance to, something to listen to before going out, or something to bump when you're in need of a pickup - I'd go and grab this amazing track!
It's out everywhere now - but as usual, I'm going to link the Bandcamp below.
Passynth - Mina's Sounds of the Sea Tape Vol.2
Released through independent label Business Casual on April 3rd - the sophomore full-length from Texas based producer Passynth was one of the most anticipated releases of the year - and boy, did it deliver. After releasing his incredible future funk and garage led debut in January 2025 - he became known for his incredible ability to create rich, deep and shiny tracks that ooze with joy - and this record delivers more of the same, albeit with a little bit more versatility.
At heart, this album is a disco, future funk and house record, and it is absolutely gorgeous - it's got so much texture and depth - and overall, it's an extremely wild, fun and clean listening experience filled with so many different sounds and influences that it's bound to be a hit. The second volume opens with the amazing Mina's Joy and My Praise - which was initially covered on the blog back in August. I share the same opinion about it now - this track is absolutely awesome, and it's a brilliant piece of poppy future funk with clear nods to nu-disco. Following on from this, it only gets cooler - there's fast-paced city pop which is sprinkled with the sounds of late 90s video games and artists such as Pogo and Jeesh - there's the incredible Esperando Tu Cancion - which is a thumping slice of sample based house which feels reminiscent of the work of Moe Shop - and finally, the first half of the record closes out with a killer, yet slightly quirky collaboration with Strawberry Station.
The second half of this album is even more varied and interesting - while the majority of it is strongly disco influenced - and many of the smooth, polished sounds of the first half remain, there's excursions into trap, garage and general electronica - Adoration En Muestras opens the second half with its punchy, choppy production, which feels like a slight nod to Todd Edwards - and the album's closing tracks all capture the "cuteness" of Passynth's first record - yet all showcase different vibes entirely. Contigo Un Vida is a magical and joyous track filled with loads of light instrumentation, before switching into more sounds that remind me heavily of Moe Shop - Nina Especial is a spectacular track - mixing future funk with dubstep expertly - and finally, the album's closer is a simple vaporwave track that shines with the mood set by late night lo-fi producers such as Luxury Elite.
To sum it up - this record is one of the most impressive I've listened to this year. It's bursting with so many great sounds and ideas, none of which seem out of place - it's extremely unique and cohesive - and above all, this album makes me so, so happy - which, I think was the intended purpose!
You can grab Mina's Sounds of the Sea Tape now through Business Casual's Bandcamp digitally, or on limited edition CD - which doubles down as a collection, as the first volume is also included! (now that is what you call a deal...)
Louis La Roche - No One Really Cares
Anyone who's been keeping up in the scene lately will know that anticipation is running high for Louis La Roche's next full-length record The New Now, which is coming out in July - and last Friday, listeners were treated to another gorgeous single from the man himself - released through his label Ever After. As to be expected from one of the finest talents in the game - No One Really Cares is an absolutely stunning single which leans into many different genres - although many will categorize it as a shiny, nu disco outing, there's some obvious pop influences stuffed in there for good measure, too - and when combining these elements together, the result is mighty fine.
It's extremely smooth, ridiculously catchy and the production is of the highest quality - and to add, the vocal performance from Louis is stunning - making it a perfect track to play anywhere, at any particular time. To all of the radio DJs reading (not that there are likely many...) be sure to spice up your broadcasts with this future classic - this is the pop we need in 2026!
You can stream it everywhere now - the Bandcamp is linked below!
Mere Notilde - Down Bad (feat. FIBRE and Alex Graey)
Released through Montaime last Tuesday - the third single from Boston-based producer and DJ Mere Notilde's new album is, as to be expected - absolutely fantastic. While the first two singles from Soul Seek were super sweet future funk outings that sounded cute and effortlessly fun - this track takes on a slightly more refined and glitzy approach - sure, this track is still super exciting, upbeat, and awesome - but I'd say the main difference here is in genres - with Down Bad serving as a punchy disco cut that's built for grooving. Alongside Mere's incredible production - label-head FIBRE and Atlanta-based singer songwriter Alex Graey both do wonders on the vocals - their performances are loose, playful and infectious at many points - and if anything, they both make the song even more of an ear-worm than it already is!
To sum it up - this is definitely a single to spin until Mere's new album drops in early May - if these singles are anything to go by, it is shaping up to be a masterful record!
You can find Down Bad on Montaime's Bandcamp below!
Poetically - Turn Yourself To Gold
Building onto the topic of Montaime's excellent roster of artists - I wanted to shine a light on the incredible new single from one of blog house's most epic new talents - Denmark-based producer and instrumentalist Poetically. Turn Yourself To Gold is the direct opposite of what's been covered on today's post so far - with the sounds of smooth house and disco being swapped out for rough, uncompromising electro-house clearly influenced by the French wave in the late 2000s, with a bucket load of punk rock and metal influence to boot.
This track exemplifies everything great about the current revival of the indie sleaze scene - it's absolutely crazy, dark and ridiculously heavy - and I can guarantee you that if this dropped in the middle of 2008, it would have been a huge hit with MySpace users, other musicians and maybe a certain Parisian duo that made a "disco-opera" album titled after a Christian symbol - thanks to its choppy, slamming production, the sheer amount of attitude it gives off, and above all, how funky and disco-influenced it remains, despite the (very welcome) levels of distortion and reliance on heavy guitars (especially in the middle, the metal bit threw me off!)
Grab it from Bandcamp now - or go and check the absolutely killer music video!
Xedaro - Isn't That Right?
Released through Gliczide's hot new filter house label Flowerside on the first - Isn't That Right? is the debut EP from New Mexico based producer ZeroZed under his new alias Xedaro - and it is absolutely fantastic. As to be expected with releases on Flowerside - all of the tracks on this EP are effortlessly brilliant - they're club ready, super energetic and to add, they all have a distinct, low-fidelity charm, making this EP a fantastic throwback release for anyone who was around to experience the Parisian filter disco sound at its supposed prime.
It's not exactly a surprise that I really enjoy this collection of work - aside from the fact that I've been listening to house from this time period daily for a month, every track is incredibly funky, there's so many great hooks throughout, there's some excellent sampling techniques and in general - this EP feels super quirky, at times slightly strange and above all - it's full of warmth, deeper undertones and there's little moments for rest - so if you're a clubber, or a DJ - this is definitely an EP to bag just for the listening experience. While all of the tracks are great - my general picks would have to go to the opener "Rock With Me" - which feels like a long-lost Blackjack cut from 1999, and the tight, downtempo cut Will Glow - which is a super bad-ass track to stuff in there amongst all of the party-ready house!
You can grab the EP through Flowerside's Bandcamp.
DJ Chidow and Myujikku - French n' Funk EP
Released on April 7th independently - the brand new EP from everyone's favourite, funky Arizona-based producer DJ Chidow and their sidekick Myujikku - is super sweet, incredibly funky and very danceable - just as we all knew it would be. Recorded over several years - this EP consists of some rare gems, newer jams (such as the incredible Voyager remix they did, which was covered on the blog in March!) and unreleased cuts from the duo's legendary Bits and Pieces series - which was done in tribute to Daft Punk.
French n' Funk is an incredibly imaginative (and fun) body of work - there's several French house cuts, all of which are written and produced expertly, there's some sweet, glamorous nu-disco with buckets of early 80s synthesis and instrumentation - and finally, some downtempo work with Hatsune Miku to close - making this a very versatile record, which serves as a great companion on summer days or in your crate for DJing. While I think all of the tracks are absolutely fantastic, my picks would have to go to Music Sounds Better With a French Kiss - the epic, thumping rework of Stardust's seminal 1998 classic which feels reminiscent of Bob Sinclar's early sound in a way - the aforementioned Le Voyage, which still remains a flamboyant staple in my listening - and finally, Phunk X-Press, which is a buttery smooth nu disco / house jam that feels strongly influenced by the sounds of the early 80s disco era - with those such as The Limit, Kool And The Gang and Michael Jackson springing to my mind instantly upon my first listen!
You can bag this excellent EP from their Bandcamp now.
Cherokee - Imageries EP
When French producer Cherokee announced that he was dropping his next EP a few weeks ago, me, all of my friends and the nu disco scene went absolutely insane - and for good reason. It's known to many that whenever Cherokee releases anything new - it's worth listening to, and Imageries is no exception to this. Released last Friday - this EP has five sleek, yet breathtaking nu-disco and house tracks for eager fans to marvel over, and let me tell you, every single one is absolutely perfect - I haven't been this hooked on a release in forever.
At heart, this EP is textbook disco and house - it's extremely smooth, built for smashing out at clubs or at summer parties, and his signature sound shines through on every single track. What makes this particular release different - is that it sounds incredibly rich, warm and full-bodied - similar to that of the late 90s Parisian house movement, or even Louis La Roche's recent work, as exemplified above with his new single. The instrumentation is absolutely beautiful throughout - with lots of bright, pulsating synthesis, a welcome reliance on low-end and of course, some fantastic vocal work from Parisian singer Goto and one of South Korea's finest singers - June One, who has featured on several of Cherokee's best tracks. Furthermore, this EP is also surprisingly deep (and very snappy at times) - so the drums, and various other aspects of production sound incredibly crisp - complimenting the fantastic instrumentation with ease. If you want a record with loads of deep, soulful textures - I'll be pointing you here!
Although I love every single track on this EP - and it sure is hard to pick - my favourites include Imageries' opener, the hard hitting club weapon Cote d'Azur - which reminds me of Daft Punk in many ways, particularly during their Human After All era (but with more funk and house influences involved...) - the sparkly ear-worm Magique, which feels like if The Midnight took their synth-heavy sound and applied it to disco - and finally, the EP's closer, the amazing (and relentlessly happy) Is This Real, featuring June One's magnificent voice.
To sum it up - Imageries is absolutely brilliant, and a must-listen for all!
You can find it on all streaming services - however, I'm going to link the YouTube Music below!
BarbWalters - Baby
Released last Tuesday on his SoundCloud - the brand new single from Boston-based future funk legend BarbWalters is a glorious (and damn groovy) return to form for one of the most coveted talents in the game. Baby is bound to become a future classic - and when we look back on what this year has brought us - I'll be damned if I don't see this anywhere. It's a slice of classic future funk that sounds like it's straight from mid-2015 thanks to the heavy amount of compression (which makes it sound super, super lively, if you ask me!) the excellent sampling which feels reminiscent of AnTgry, Truman Truman or Pad Chennington in some way - and of course, the saturated, filtery quality it has - which, in itself is a nod to French touch, so it's another huge thumbs up from me - just as all of his recent work has gotten. Furthermore, this track has already gotten high praise from Versiple, Cherry Condos and Pina Cola - so don't just take my word for it!
Find it below!
%20-%20Party%20Night%20%E5%A4%A9%E3%81%AE%E5%B7%9D-artwork.jpg)
Party Night 天の川 - Sunshine (feat. blip_)
To end out this post - I wanted to shine a light on the epic new single from two of future funk's greatest modern purveyors who came together on April 2nd to release an absolutely insane track which mixes future funk and the early 2000s French house sound expertly. An epic, bold and insanely groovy single - Sunshine is set to become one of my personal favourites this month for a whole bunch of different reasons. For a start, it's incredibly lively (something that modern music needs a whole lot more...) - it's addictive from the get go thanks to various production elements (such as the killer bassline, which feels reminiscent of Patrick Alavi's early work!) - it incorporates a huge mix of styles - such as the punch of The Phantom's Revenge, the sampling of ID Chief and of course, their own - and above all, it's irresistibly funky - if you don't want to dance to this - I wouldn't know what else to suggest!
Find it below!
There you have it, everyone!
I hope you've enjoyed reading today's post - as always, be sure to support all of the artist featured today - make sure to follow the blog, and as always, keep enjoying your stay at the discotheque.
Comments
Post a Comment