Pop & Rock News

• Following on from the highly successful first two editions of
Dance Masters featuring the classics mixes from maestros
Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker, the spotlight turns to
another remix legend, John Luongo.

• Boston born, John is one of the truly legendary DJ's and
remixers of the Disco era. John got his break at Epic by
overdubbing percussion from salt shakers and spoons onto a
promo and then passing them back the tape. This resulted in
him being flown to New York, and put in a studio (of his
choice) to mix and produce Melba Moore`s “You Stepped
Into My Life”. From this point everything he touched was a
hit. He went onto remix Disco classics by Jackie Moore –
“This Time Baby”, Dan Hartman “Vertigo / Relight My Fire”
and Patti Labelle “Music Is My Way Of Life”.

• However, John was not afraid of remixing artists that didn’t
fit into the disco genre and this attitude is borne out by the
tracklisting of this compilation, on which Gladys Knight and
The Pips rub shoulders with Fine Young Cannibals and
Billy Idol, and Baltimora appears alongside Banararama
and Serge Ponsar.

• “…if you played this whole thing, just put it on and didn’t
tell anyone it was me, they’d say ‘boy, what a great group of
songs this is!’” - John Luongo

• This cut down 16 track essential edition in pressed on 140g
black vinyl and features foreword by Arthur Baker and an indepth essay written by Alexis Petridis (Rock and Pop
reviewer for The Guardian).

• All tracks remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound
Mastering

Repress!

Two of Jean Carn's seminal hits combined. 'Was That All It Was' is a big hitting disco exploration with hints of Jean's gospel choir background coming to the fore. The flip houses the classic 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head' - covered on many an occasion since it's release back in '78.

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Wolfsheim were a synthpop duo of Markus Reinhardt (music) and Peter Heppner (lyrics and vocals) from Hamburg, Germany founded in 1987. 1991 single “The Sparrow And The Nightingales” produced by Carlos Peron of Yello. Reinhardt says the lyrics were inspired by ‘onomatopoeic tension’.

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Chicago funk band Royal Flush release sonly one full length on their local Texas label Lucky and that was Hot Spot. They did so in 1980 before later reissuing it via GEC and although it isn't one of the most well known albums amongst funk heads, we think that is rather a crime because it is a top notch if not underrated album. It is couched in the traditions of the genre but with nods to styles like P-Funk. If you can find an OG copy you will have to shell out plenty of money and although this same label put out a CD version in 1994, it has not been reissued on vinyl before.

It's not because one might have worked with people like Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin and Rod Stewart throughout their career that Italo-Disco wouldn't get the best of your work. A great example of the Italian phenomenon's infectiously widespread grip is British rock keyboardist Brian Auger's path, when he found himself in a Milanese recording studio during the mid 80's and recorded his last known release in that decade. Powerfully fusing decades of rock and jazz education with the synthetic hysteria of the time (and culture), the result is a classic downtempo number that has found its way into some of our favorite DJ sets for a while now. Vocal and instrumental are featured on the A-side and in addition the B-side offers a new remix where things take somewhat of a catastrophic turn into what sounds like Brian getting on the wrong train to a K-hole, probably not for most dance floors. Meticulously remastered at manmade mastering in Berlin.

Dynamite cuts is proud to releases one of the all time b-boy breaks and club classic. KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND “Let it go” part one is an up-tempo groove loaded with killer horns and vocals. Not forgetting on the flip one of the best DJ drum sample tools of all time.
These amazing track0 are all MUST HAVE 45s Cuts! Loaded with classic B-Boy break, Loops and club dancers.

The groovier side of Iron Curtain is uncovered by Funk Embassy Records via the 11-track LP, out on 12" vinyl and CD. Recorded between 1974-1988, the compilers have unearthed funk, disco, soul, jazz, instrumentals, library music and covers from the Estonian Radio archives. This is the sound of ESSR (Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic) as heard at music halls, radio, TV shows and cafeterias along with underground parties and semilegal jazz clubs.

The selection ranges from folk-funk, psychedelic soul, dancefloor certified disco, Isaac Hayes reminiscent blues-funk, contemplative jazz-funk, Piero Umiliani-esque library music, funk-rock, in-your-face b-boy break to a flute-led master piece by Uno Naissoo – one of the founders of the Estonian jazz scene who organized the notorious Tallinn Jazz Festivals (1949-1967).

Some of the tracks have never been heard outside their initial recording, like the unreleased instrumental versions by the Estonian TV and Radio Estrada Orchestra "Kesköösamba" (1977); and "Mälestuste Teel" (1974, trnl. "On The Road of Memories"); a cover of Carita Holmström, "Näed vaid oma silmi" with the former Soviet child star Tiiu Varik belting her unique-timbred guts out. Other tracks are local classics, that have seen the light of day before, be it cassettes, compilation CDs or repressed vinyls.

Inspired by the resurgence of the spirit of Funk around the globe, the compilers have taken the intention to give a taste of Estonian music of the bygone Soviet era, during which the government attempted to control the artists and music being made. Nevertheless, a lot of influences made it through, as ESSR was the westernmost country in the Soviet Union. Since 1970s, Estonia's been a surprisingly fruitful ground for funk, soul, disco and jazz music. Just as well, contemporary acts like Misha Panfilov Sound Combo, Lexsoul Dancemachine and Estrada Orchestra have been well received in Europe and US. Archive findings by Frotee Records (e.g. Velly Joonas - Stopp Seisku Aeg), Peoples Potential Unlimited (e.g. Uku Kuut and Maryn releases) and Hyper Records (Collage represess) have met excited feedback. This LP serves as a worthy addition to introduce the small country's musical legacy.












j 10. Välgud Peeglis (Short Version) feat. Vanemõde - Tarmo & Toomas Urb

Featuring 17 chart-topping hits from the legendary band Earth Wind & Fire, this album is a must for any collector. Earth Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits is perhaps the best collection for both beginners and lifelong fans of the band. Featuring all the hits of the 100 million selling band, this album is bursting with groovy, funky, and soulful music.

With certified classics such as "September", "Let's Groove", "Boogie Wonderland", "After The Love Has Gone", "Fantasy" & "Shining Star", this is a must for anyone with a turntable.

Greatest Hits is available as a limited edition of 3000 individually numbered copies on flaming coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

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Presenting a collection of deep spatial gems mined from the ever impressive TK Disco vaults for your playback listening pleasure!

The TK Disco music empire has blessed our ears and minds with an endless stream of music since it's late 1960's inception. Countless soul and funk sides were produced, cut and released by label founder Henry Stone and his associates, in turn changing the face of contemporary black music in the USA and across the world forever. It is true that the TK story originated on America's 'Space Coast', the modern frontier of lunar exploration and galactic travel, the home of NASA and countless missions beyond the stars nestled on the East Coast of the United States.

'Moon Ride' - The compilation you hold in your hands, is merely one strand of the incredible music that was beamed out of Hialeah, FL over the decades. The focus on this collection is the idea of the 'cosmic' from the Disco era. These are records that emit a spacey vibe, either from their lyrical content or equally from their sonic qualities, imbibing synths and electronics to create otherworldly grooves. These records were big hits on underground music scenes such as Daniele Baldelli's cosmic movement in the 70's and 80's in Lake Garda, they were vehicles of escapism and hedonism on the discerning dancefloors of NYC in the hands of progressive DJs like David Mancuso and Nicky Siano and they were also essential building blocks in the creation of House and Techno music in the Midwestern cities of Chicago and Detroit, inspiring legendary artists such as Mr Fingers and Jeff Mills and countless others. An essential collection of music for listening, dancing, loving and travelling!

TK Disco's influence is still felt today and this carefully curated selection of tracks showcases some absolute classics, overlooked nuggets and rarities from the label's huge output. Mastered with love by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK. Brought to you by TK Disco / Henry Stone Music & Above Board Distribution 2021.

Time to Attack the Dancefloor once more as we supply some heavy Disco & House weaponry. Featuring the brand new remix of Opolopo's storming 'Stroke my Disco' by dutch funkateers Fouk who double down on the Piano and Clav workouts for the peak time. Exclusive new material from Wipe The Needle who's 'Skyscrapers' track is a modern Jazz-Funk masterpiece, heavy on the flute and soulful bass. On the flip Dave Lee takes it back to '97 with his rework of Backroom Productions 'Classic Vibe' which sees him flex his house-ier muscles, re-arranging the classic elements and adding extra keys to this much loved underground tune. Finishing off the EP is Dave's remix of nu-soul diva Raquel Rodriguez, where he crafts Raquel's dynamic vocal delivery over chunky Disco drumming & soulful synths before letting loose into Roy Ayers-esque vibes finale!

A classic amongst seasoned record collectors, “Blow Out” has not only been heard on some our most esteemed mixes by favorite diggers world-wide, but also would have been the soundtrack to beautiful sunset sets in Ibiza's most “Balearic” dancefloors during the second half of the 80's.

A poppy melody that catches the attention of even the less sober party enthusiast, mixed in with Dubby digi/stepper elements and playful yet somewhat sleepy vocals topped by Dire Straits style guitar smoothness. Highly appropriate for lower latitudes. Goes well with cocktails, not to be played bellow 23 degrees Celsius – cruise along.

Adinda Dwimadasari and Dea Barandana take you on another dancefloor oriented voyage (to the Moon?) of originally written and produced contemporary disco wellness. Precious Bloom continues to carve out a sound of their own with 4 beautifully executed tracks. A selection of hand picked instrumentalists in addition to Dea's multi-instrumental studio prowess, the scene is set for Adinda's vocals to unravel in dreamy cosmic nuances from mysterious soft spoken word style voices to romantically sung lyrics in astrophysics. Truly refreshing in today's dance floor sound dominated by synthetic/digital convenience. Recorded in Jakarta and mastered in Berlin.

Green Transparent Vinyl

Mother I’d Like To Funk are back with another sizzling hot re-issue, this time straight from Denmark. Danish pop group “Boulevard” released an obscure LP back in 1981, called “American Dream”.

This official re-issue features the street funk anthem “Ready For Your Love” on the A Side, with a special “Synthphonic” Dub version on the B Side (previously only available on the album)

This special 7’ version is guaranteed to light up any dance floor

New Parisian label, Disques Messager, presents its first release and not the least. As its name suggests, the label has a simple leitmotiv: to place itself among the best messengers for rarities and sought-after gems of the international rare groove. A mission which begins rather well, with the official reissue of these two stirring titles by Brazilian singer and composer Cristina Camargo.

Native of Rio De Janeiro, Cristina Camargo had quite a short career, releasing only 2 albums in 1980 and 1981, but still enough to collaborate with some of the best composers, musicians and producers at that time. Her first self-titled album was therefore produced by Robson Jorge & Lincoln Oliveti and recorded with some of the finest musicians.

“Moral Tem Hora” comes from this same LP and is a perfect example of the unique alchemy that emerged when the Disco and Boogie invaded the Brazilian music scene. A quite hard to find Boogie killer, composed by famous brothers, Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle.

On B side comes “Minas Do Rei Salomão”, a more chilled-out title extracted from Cristina’s 2nd album, Santa Maravilha. With its funky slapped bass, airy keyboards and the sweet vocals of Cristina, the song seems made to sip a nice cocktail at Ipanema.

Mildlife kündigen ihr drittes Album “Chorus” an, das auf Heavenly Recordings erscheinen wird.

Nach “Automatic” (2020) und “Phase” (2017) ist “Chorus” das optimistischste Album der Melbourner Band und ein klangliches Zeugnis für die besondere Verehrung der psychedelischen Klänge der 70er-Jahre. Taucht man tiefer in die sieben Songs ein, entdeckt man aber auch Elemente von polnischem Jazz, Italo-Disco-Parts und eine Prise zeitgenössischem Electro, die sich zu einem mitreißendem Mix zusammenfügen.

“Chorus is about a coming together of disparate elements. Not in some sort of utopian aesthetic where everything works perfectly, but in the natural flow and state of things”, erklärt Drummer Jim Rindfleish. “It’s about cosmic compatibility and chemistry: what makes things work?” Dabei wuchs offenbar auch das Vertrauen der Band in ihr gesangliches Können. Wo auf den vorangegangenen Alben fast ausschließlich Kevin McDowell die vorherrschende Stimme war, haben auf den neuen Songs alle Mitglieder Gesangsparts, in denen sie ihre ganz eigenen Visionen hervorheben.

Magic Wand welcomes Baz Bradley for a series of Special Editions that keep blissed-out late summer dancing sessions alive and possible even as days shorten and the sun fades away. He opens up with 'Soul Boys' (Acetate edit) which is an 80s disco jaunt with superb vocals and noodling funk rifts. 'Super Maxi' is a more stripped-back and aloof groove with sung-spoke vocals and hook melodies making for a weird yet wonderful vibe. 'Flight 207' (Gate One) is another slow-motion and dubbed-out disco funker then 'Burn The Candle' has a raw percussive twist.

Eurobeat / Italo Disco rarity from 1992 now available again as 12″ vinyl. Comes with Also Playable Mono and Longdrink remixes.

Als ELECTRIC CALLBOY in diesem Jahr ihr neues Album TEKKNO veröffentlichten, war nicht klar, welche Auswirkungen das Album haben würde.Ausverkaufte Konzerte, Abriss der größten europäischen Festivals und endlich Platz 1 in den offiziellen deutschen Charts. Die Band aus Castrop-Rauxel is begeistert eine unglaubliche Bandbreite an Menschen.Die TEKKNO Tour 2023 findet nun in Arenen statt und Electric Callboy sind bereit für den nächsten großen Schritt.Um dies gebührend zu feiern, wird es eine limitierte 'TEKKNO (Tour Edition)' geben, die neben dem regulären Album, 5 Live-Bonus Tracks enthält, die während der ausverkauften Europatour 2022 aufgenommen wurden. Erhältlich als Ltd. 180g. transp. light blue-lilac marbled Vinyl

Als ELECTRIC CALLBOY in diesem Jahr ihr neues Album TEKKNO veröffentlichten, war nicht klar, welche Auswirkungen das Album haben würde.Ausverkaufte Konzerte, Abriss der größten europäischen Festivals und endlich Platz 1 in den offiziellen deutschen Charts. Die Band aus Castrop-Rauxel is begeistert eine unglaubliche Bandbreite an Menschen.Die TEKKNO Tour 2023 findet nun in Arenen statt und Electric Callboy sind bereit für den nächsten großen Schritt.Um dies gebührend zu feiern, wird es eine limitierte 'TEKKNO (Tour Edition)' geben, die neben dem regulären Album, 5 Live-Bonus Tracks enthält, die während der ausverkauften Europatour 2022 aufgenommen wurden. Erhältlich als Ltd. 180g. transp. light blue-lilac marbled Vinyl

Precious gems mined from a wall of vinyl. Cut, polished, and mounted for maximum love.

Double vinyl with the best of the famous pop disco group of the 80s. Contains two bonus tracks.

Japanese re-editer Dai San has delivered two EPs for GAMM and on this, the first EP his b-boy and dance background shines through.

The EP opens with an edit of Roy Ayers best jam ever (well, possibly) and is followed by a drum-fuelled b-boy edit of a rare French funk-jazz cut.
Last but not least we end on a high with a classic dance jam for the jazz-funk-disco community.

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The German boogie compilation 'Boogie on the Mainline' presents a selection of 10 rare disco tracks from Germany plus one more tune from Austria, all of them, originally released between 1980 and 1987. Check!
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The fully licenced album contains little known tunes by groups like Imagination (which you can also see on the cover of the LP), Squish, Upstairs, The Poptown Syndicate and more. As the Boogie-ish post-disco side of German music history still basically remains undiscovered as of yet, 'Boogie On The Mainline' hopefully will shed some light again on 11 rare gems that were mainly published on small or private labels.

Funkyjaws Music launches a new edits series here with four absolute dons of the form on one vital 12". It's Lay Far that kicks off with 'Never Ever Edit' which is all horn-led excitement and upbeat disco claps and kicks before Admin's 'Moon Trippin' takes a more slow and soulful approach. When it comes to edits few are more essential than Chicago's Rahaan who kicks off the B-side with 'Gonna Get Ya', a leggy funk number infused with cosmic synth rays and warm piano chords. Delfonic shuts down with the loose percussive jumbles and jazzy vibes of 'Let's Dance The Spank'. A fine start to the series with volume two already in the works.

The Vinyl Only label rolls on towards its 20th release here with Mar De Novo serving up the irresistible Apericena EP. 'Quantity Check' is a low-slung funker with noodling baselines and nice loose percussive rhythms under some exotic vocals. 'Blue Eyes Clear' is a more lavish and downtempo number of chilling by the Med come sundown and then comes Ryu's Rub of 'Quantity Check' which is more funky and fat-bottomed. 'Nao Fazer Nado' rounds out an escapist EP with some dreamy melodic chill-out sounds that will have you gazing off to the stars.

Mitte der 1970er erlebten Diskotheken in Tokio und ganz Japan einen Boom, als die Disco-Welle aus den USA zu ihnen rüberschwappte. Bis in die frühen 1980er hinein wurde die Musik von erfahrenen Studiomusikern - und nicht per Computereinspielung - aufgenommen, was für einen soliden Sound auf dem Dancefloor sorgte. Disco-Musik lief auch in TV-Serien, Werbespots und Animes. Von Godiegos Monsterhit 'The Birth Of The Odyssey – Monkey Magic' bis zu Pink Parachutes obskurem (und ausgezeichnetem!) 'Disco Great Tokyo' erkundet diese Auswahl einige der besten Disco- & Boogie-Tracks, die Ende der 1970er/Anfang der 1980er auf dem legendären Nippon Columbia-Label veröffentlicht wurden.

ZYX Italo Disco : Flemming Dalum Remixes Vol. 2 shines due
to 8 remixes carefully selected by the Italo Disco legend from
Denmark.

The remixes of Flemming are outstanding thanks to a modern
and perfectly produced sound, but are still close enough to the
original to convey the typical 80s Italo Disco feeling.

Back In Stock!

Fully remastered reissue with replica artwork of this rare and raw ’83 disco bomb from Jackie Stoudemire & Al Stewart.
Original copies of the 12” release regularly fetch over £300 on the second hard market. Black 12" vinyl

Emotional Rescue's vital Konduko reissue series sadly comes to an end here with a look at the label's final years. In those days it moved away from reggae, disco and boogie towards an enduring electro sound that had a vast and lasting impact on the Miami scene.

The biggest tune from that time was when Noel Williams linked with local songwriter Lawrence Dermer aka Der Mer for the track reissued here. 'Fall Out' soon became a hit with its driving electro-funk rhythms. The original sits next to the later Fresh '86" mix as well as a NAD disco mix from Dan Tyler, best known as one of the Idjut Boys. It's an irresistible package of body-popping electro with hooks for days.

Ben Gomori & Josh Ludlow from Make a Dance/Pigeon give us some excellent dancefloor-friendly edits of everyone's favourite 80s synth duo!

VERY Limited copies.

Black 7" dinked centre hole vinyl. Fully remastered reissue with replica artwork of this super sought after slice of 1980’s disco, 'Rockin – Poppin Full Tilting' celebrating the 40th anniversary of it's original release.

A classic in it's own right, Midland brought it back to the forefront of people's minds, expertly sampling it in the 2016 summer anthem ‘Final Credits’, leaving many scrambling to find an original copy of the 7 inch. And with prices in excess of £125 it's high time an official reissue came around.

The influence that 80s gay nightlife had on electronic music, pop music in general and the evolution of clubbing for
subsequent generations is pretty much incalculable. In spite of the shadow of AIDs and reactionary political and media
forces both at home and in the USA, the period 1980 – 1990 bore witness to a dazzling explosion of dance music that
artfully drew a line from the peak of late-70s disco to the emergence of house and its 90s glory days. The art of the
12” single, the thrill of the remix, the rise of the superclub, the electronic spark of chart pop, the challenging of gender
barriers… all had their origin in the gay clubs. It’s not unreasonable to make the claim that by the end of the 80s,
virtually ALL chart pop music sounded like it had its origins on the dancefloors of Heaven nightclub!
Over 4LPs and 24 tracks, ‘Box Of Sin’ strives to tell the story of that decade, and to tease apart the strands of 80s gay
clubbing to show a period of unrivalled creativity and disco diversity. Via the box’s themed discs it shows how highenergy became house, how gender-bending synth bands took over the pop charts, how pop stars the whole world
over found a route to fame via the gay clubs, and how the era’s biggest producers aimed their masterworks purely at
the dancefloor. High energy, deep house, Eurobeat, synthpop, divas, acid house… all combine to paint a picture of a
rich and vibrant lifestyle. Along the way, ‘Box Of Sin’ unearths some overlooked gems rarely compiled today:
meanwhile some of the decade’s biggest names in club music gather to get into the picture – from Whitney Houston
to Dead Or Alive, Bananarama to Bronski Beat, Aretha Franklin to Inner City.
Based on the actual club charts at the time and with a stunning design package inspired by the small ads section of
80s gay press, ‘ Box Of Sin’ comes fully annotated and with an introduction by renowned gay author Paul Burston.
Throughout, it’s illustrated with photography documenting 80s gay clubbers in action, provided for Demon by The
Bishopsgate Institute, the UK’s LGBTQ+ archive. The project also resurrects the much-loved brand ‘Disco Discharge’, a
recognisable hallmark of quality among collectors and aficionados of club music heritage.

NOW Music is proud to present a new series of vinyl compilations, NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor. Each edition will feature an essential collection of tracks representing key genres from the incredible diversity that were all part of 1980s Dance music.

The first volume, across 30 tracks on 2-LPs, pressed on 1 Green and 1 Blue vinyl, presents the best in HI-NRG and POP.

Originating in U.S. gay clubs in the late 1970s and early 1980s, this up-tempo Disco, often with synth-driven electronic instrumentation and characterised by a pulsating rhythm and it’s unrelenting beat became hugely popular in the charts of the mid-80s. The then new production and writing team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, produced their first #1 - for Dead Or Alive with ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’, a huge hit for Hazell Dean with ‘Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)’, and crucially ‘You Think You’re A Man’ for Divine – which, courtesy of a truly fabulous ‘Top Of The Pops’ appearance, brought this underground genre in to the living-rooms of ‘80s Britain. DJ and producer Ian Levine created a huge anthem with Evelyn Thomas’ ‘High Energy’ and popularised hot U.S. club tracks through his Record Shack label, and Jimmy Somerville enjoyed massive chart success as part of Bronski Beat, who with Marc Almond covered ‘I Feel Love’, the 1977 Donna Summer classic, often cited as the influence and basis for ‘Hi-NRG’, and as the lead singer of The Communards, who had the best-selling single in 1986 with their energised cover of the Disco standard ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’.

Essential Hi-NRG club tracks are included from Barbara Pennington, Miquel Brown, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Established club hitmakers Boys Town Gang, Man 2 Man and The Weather Girls all enjoyed huge crossover chart hits. By the late ‘80s, Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced classics of the genre for Bananarama and Donna Summer, whilst using components of Hi-NRG to create pure Pop smashes for Kylie Minogue and Mel & Kim.

Hi-NRG influenced Pop consistently produced some of the decades’ biggest Dance tracks including ‘Relax’ from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Bananarama’s ‘Venus’, the sublime ‘Voyage Voyage’ from Desireless, London Boys’ ‘Requiem’, ‘Tell It To My Heart’ by Taylor Dayne, and Sinitta’s ‘So Macho’ – plus established artists enjoyed huge floor-filling hits including ‘Jump (For My Love)’ from The Pointer Sisters, Kim Wilde with ‘You Keep Me Hangin On’, and the incredible Pet Shop Boys produced ‘Losing My Mind’ by Liza Minnelli, whilst a fusion of styles created irrepressible Pop-Dance smashes from Malcolm McLaren, Laura Branigan, Sabrina and Maria Vidal.

The influence of Disco was pervasive across many genres during the 1980s – but Disco itself was far from over. It evolved throughout the decade, often in conjunction with other genres, in particular Electronic Dance Music. So stay tuned, as the next journey back to the 80s Dancefloor is all about DISCO & ELECTRO!

NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor: HI-NRG & POP (2-LP) - Released October 13th 2023.