June: 6 Disco releases you need to hear this month

A Hundred Birds 'Welcome To The Club' (BBE)

A Hundred Birds are a Japanese Disco Orchestra with a large, fluid membership led by conductor DJ Yoku. Their latest release finds them updating Blue Magic’s jazzy disco track ‘Welcome To The Club’ by adding flawless strings and vocals that could have been lifted straight out of Philadelphia, where the track was originally born. This is a high-energy classic that’s going to be destroying dancefloors on both the disco and jazz-dance scenes; BBE have got a guaranteed bag-filler for the heads with this release.

9/10

Uptown Funk Empire 'You Gotta Have Freedom (Patchworks remix)' (Lumberjacks From Hell)

Lumberjacks From Hell celebrates six years of killer releases with this supreme cover of Pharoah Sanders’ jazz anthem from Bruno ‘Patchworks’ Hovart, working under his Uptown Funk Empire alias. This mix locks into your ears from the word go, unleashing layers of musical delights throughout: it’s gloriously timeless and a perfect go-to tune for disco, house and jazz lovers.

8/10

Arsenii 'Fool Like A Child' (Razor N Tape)

Moscow’s Arsenii gets his blades out with some superb yet subtle slicing for a new EP on Razor-N-Tape. On ‘Fool Like A Child’, he digs hard and brings a disco-funk instrumental fit for a 70s love boat to the table. But unlike so many of the yacht rock edits of recent years that have seen us falling asleep and toppling overboard, this sexy little number has got more action going on than a Glen A Larson cop show.

8/10

Andre Espeut 'In Her Eyes (Ilija Rudman remix)' (Ism Records)

Nu-disco legend Ilija Rudman (pictured above) comes correct with some help from London-based vocalist Andre Espeut on this epic dancefloor killer. With impressively minimal direction, Rudman allows the vocals to work their magic: his mix is a real teaser that features all your classic modern production tricks and, just when the intensity is at a fever pitch, he drops a huge chorus full of keys and horns so uplifting that you won’t be able to resist.

9/10

YSE Saint Laur’ant 'Morning Star' (Editorial)

With a career spanning 18 years of DJing in clubs and 12 years of releasing music, YSE Saint Laur’ant has shown a consistent gift for choosing a unique array of samples to paint a picture. Returning to the Editorial label for his new ‘Cure For Gravity’ EP, ‘Morning Star’ is a burning disco jam with warm, slinky keys and vintage shuffling drums. There’s a funk-laden bass guitar, too, which provides the backbone of the track, before a wall of synths increase the intensity alongside some crooned male vocals. This should be a go-to choice for selectors, and it’ll be suitable fodder for warm-up sets and bedroom activities alike.

8/10

Ron Basejam feat Vern 'Time' (Future Boogie)

Crazy P’s Jim Baron lets his Ron Basejam alter ego loose on the super-boogie sound of ‘Time’. In true Basejam style, he works the track around a Prince-esque guitar hook that’s overlaid with obscure vocal samples – and then, just when you’re bopping away to the groove, he sets his funk phaser all the way up to 11 and drops some serious clavier action into the mix. A total party-rocker.

9/10