Collection: Disco/Funk/Soul

Spaziale Recordings

Apparently DJ Harvey and Lovebirds have been hammering these "personal edits" from the Sirsounds crew in recent DJ sets. Listening to the clips, it's easy to work out why: they're a cut above the rest, edit-wise. There's a good variety of sounds and styles on show, from the stuttering drums, blissful guitars, dewy-eyed vocal snippets and rich boogie synths of "Love Me Right (Version)", to the eyes-closed synth solos and driving disco-funk grooves of quirky closing cut "What Does It Take". Our pick of the bunch though has to be the effortlessly eccentric Italian electro-funk insanity of "SASA", which sounds a little like it could be a lesser-known outing by Tullio De Piscopo (though don't quote us on that).

When it comes to hybrid blends of intoxicating world music sounds and contemporary dancefloor rhythms, few producers are quite as accomplished as Nicola Cruz. He's at it again on "Hybridism", the Equador-based Frenchman's first EP for Multi-Culti for almost three years. Opener "Aima" sets the tone, with Cruz wrapping lilting synth lines, weirdo electronics and chanted vocals around a bubbling electronic groove, while "Naeku" makes the most of echo-laden drums, what sounds like an African children's choir and faintly foreboding acid lines. "Drom Tradisie" is an exercise in trippy sounds and layered percussion, "Third Eye Dub" is a darker and moodier slab of techno-exotica and "Kawe's Dream" is a blissful blast of clarinet-sporting musical positivity.

Record Shack have unearthed another rare gem from the early 80s and worked hard to give it its first officially licensed 12" release. Before now, no one has quite known the proper title of these tracks as they were on white label only, but now that is cleared up once and for all. "Bad Guy Good Guy" opens with a killer bit of early '80s jazz funk with boogie bass vibes while the infectious guitars and summery leads also colour the flipside - "Synth Good Guy " is still as glorious and full of radiant sunshine as it was back when first put out.

Duca Bianco have been on a roll lately with their off-beat edits and versions, finding a unique niche in a saturated market by welcoming a bit more of that psych rock sound into their grooves. On this record it's DJ Si Si Si Gracias, who is happy slinging out loose and jangly funk that sounds like it's been picked up in 1980s New York lolling around outside The Mudd Club with one eye on Danceteria but definitely too freaky for Studio 54. "Gerry" is a special highlight - a slow and delirious groover with wild synths spilling all over the funk. If you want things really messy though, head straight for the dub chaos of "All The Feeling", where the percussion sounds like it's falling in on itself (in a good way).

Secretsundaze haven't been known for their re-edits much in the past, but that's about to change with this choice new 12". On one side, the label bosses James Priestley and Giles Smith take a tender touch to "Ghana Nila", a little-known spiritual originating in a Californian ashram. Ge-ology is ready to go on the flip, bringing his distinctive MPC funk to Herbie Mann's "Stomp Your Feet" and teasing even more juice out of this already abundant floor burner from the late '70s. From movement meditation to effervescent energy, this record has a spectrum of feelings covered in two edits that sound genuinely fresh and inspired. Played by

Galaxy Sound give this 1997 hip hop classic a new twist with some slick jazz stylings. Lil Kim's "Crush On You", is known by all but here it becomes something completely different: a forgotten jazz funk gem, colourful trumpet leads awash with lush drums and timeless soul. The flipside houses a re-edit of Jeff Lorber's "Rain Dance", which is in fact the original source of the samples on Lil Kim's track, and one that has been used on more than 20 other big time tunes. Here it's subtly tweaked but still remains a classic bit of jazz-flecked hip hop with some proper rude vocals.