RAHAAN Vinyl & CDs

Review: You can always count on Z Records to bring a deep-digging, dedicated approach to anything they put out, and that goes double for their flawless Under The Influence series. The 10th volume in the series sees them inviting the incredible Chicago-born DJ Rahaan to select some seriously headsy cuts from his collection, carefully cleaned up, de-clicked and remastered for the best listening experience. Given the nature of the series, don't expect the usual suspects, and instead savour the discovery of some of Rahaan's most treasured cuts, presented here on a double LP comp brimming with discoid magic.

Review: Having released a swathe of killer re-edits by Rahaan, it's little surprise to find Hot Biscuit Recordings serving up his new original production, albeit on a new sub-label, Yellow Taxi Records. 'I Need You' was written by the track's featured artist, soulful vocalist Kihmy, and is presented in three contrasting forms. On the A-side, Rahaan explores the house side of his musical identity, first wrapping Kihmy's vocal, suspenseful keyboard melodies and gorgeous proto-house stabs around an addictive, effects-laden bassline and jacking drum machine beats on the '86 House Mix', before going darker and more psychedelic on the TB-303-powered 'Acid Mix'. As good as they are, the most joyous mix of all resides on side B: the 'Soul Mix', which offers a warmer, mid-tempo, disco-influenced interpretation full to bursting with luscious live instrumentation.

Review: Newcastle-based Hot Biscuit Recordings unleashes a new offshoot, Typewriter Record Pool, with main label regular Rahaan at the controls. A-side 'Wind' sees the Chicagoan digger, DJ and scalpel fiend take on Christopher Cross's 1980 classic 'Ride Like The Wind', the soft rock legend's dalliance with synth-sporting AOR disco, extending it in all the right places while giving the track a slightly more floor-focused spin. Over on the reverse, 'Baby Baby Please' sees Rahaan stick a Windy City disco rocket under Thelma Houston's frequently overlooked, Clavinet-heavy cover of Philadelphia International favourite 'Don't Leave Me This Way'. Wisely, Rahaan constructs the track as a colossal builder, making great use of the more improvised and expressive parts of Houston's breathlessly brilliant vocal.

Review: Under The Influence is Z Records' effort to document and preserve lost, forgotten soul-and-funk-feeding-into-house finds. Rahaan, from Chicago, here gets their attention and praise; a DJ and early progenitor of Chicago house, these tracks (unearthed from the vaults) are expensive and weighty forays through italo, disco and new wave, all carefully chosen by the man himself.

Review: 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.