Sare Havlicek – The Diamondback EP

Seems like ages since we heard from Sare, one of TIWWD's favourite purveyors of nu-disco grooves… but now here he comes again with a second single lifted from his sophomore album Escape Machine, which came out back in what we laughingly referred to as "the summer".

Diamondback Parts 1 and 2, from said album, are now cojoined as the lead single track here, and have lost none of their sophisticated, string-drenched appeal. "Big, Balearic, lavish, majestic… evening dress optional" is how my notes read for this one! Part 3 ups the tempo a notch and adds some Prince-ish geetars, while Part 4 edges even closer to a house tempo and rides a chunky walking bassline.

Gotta say I'm less into the down-pitched male vox on Part 5, while as for Pure Sin (Diamondback Part 6), which drops back down in tempo again and features a vocal from Lara Love… well, Mrs TIWWD heard it and said, "Are you listening to Kylie?" which tells you about all you need to know.

But no matter, cos Diamondback Parts 1 & 2 is just awesome – disco goodness for grown-ups – while Parts 3 and 4 will serve you well for taking the track to housier situations.

Out: This week

About: This comes as ever on the mighty Nang Records. Oh, and you can HEAR IT at Sare's own Soundcloud page.

The Heels Of Love – Flight 707

Nu-disco giants Nang come up with the goods once more, this time in the form of a new 12" from Italian duo The Heels Of Love, AKA Milan residents Michele Tessadri and Luca Saponaro.

This is by no means straight-up nu-disco though, sitting somewhere between the nu-disco camp and retrofied house, what with its mix of vintage analogue synths and soaring Balearic pianos. Remix-wise, Billy Bogus serves up a freaky-deaky cosmic disco pass, Jadoo ups the funk factor and Barking Dogs drag us to the deep house dancefloor… but none of the rerubs can compete, for this reviewer, with the sheer langorous luxuriance of Saponaro and Tessadri's original.

Out: This week

About: Here's where to find Nang online

ALBUM Sare Havlicek - Escape Machine

Been waiting a while for this! But here at last is the second album from Slovenia's master of all things Italo and nu-disco, Sare Havlicek, which follows on from his 2010 debut, also on Nang, Toscana Nights.

'Difficult second album syndrome' doesn't generally seem to affect electronic music producers as much as it does rock bands, for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, any artist's sophomore long-player IS usually a pretty good indicator of whether they're gonna be in this for the long haul, or whether their star is one that shone brightly but briefly. Thankfully on this evidence, we can officially file Sare in the former category.

What's perhaps the trickiest feat for a second-album producer to pull off is to ensure some sort of continuity with his/her/their debut, without merely repeating the same notes in a different order. And Havlicek has managed to do that admirably here, for while Escape Machine largely stays in nu-disco territory (thus ensuring continuity), it also sees him exploring a broader sound palette than before. Where Toscana Nights was pretty much all about the analogue Italo synths, this time out pianos, strings and other instruments have a bigger role to play. There are also a handful of guest vocals (from Mitja, and from Charlie Denholm of Molly Wagger)

Stylistically, Sare veers a little closer than previously towards house tempos/rhythms as well – see, for instance, Sense Station, a piano-led romp for sun-drenched Iberican afternoon sessions if ever I heard one. That said, if it's those glacial Italo analogue workouts you're after, there's still a few of those, too…

In fact, you could sum up Escape Machine by describing it as "like Toscana Nights, but more rounded". And as I loved Toscana Nights, you can imagine how I'm lovin' this.

Out: This week

About: Here's where Nang live online

Toomy Disco - Always Awake EP

Toomy Disco, I've only just found out, is a mere 22 years old. Which seems incredible, given the huge waves he's managed to make on the nu-disco scene over the past few years. Here he is again with another excellent offering, coming this time on that home of excellent nu-disco offerings, Nang Records.

Always Awake itself is a throbbing, Balearic-tinged affair, with analogue synth sounds and some phat bass giving the track a real sense of urgency. Life Care is in a similar vein overall but this time featuring some spaced-out geetars and even more sense of impending drama – The Time & Space Machine would be proud! – while finally White Clouds veers into Havlicek-esque Italo territory, but with those psychedelic guitars also in full effect.

So, typical Nang fare in a word… but then from my comments above, you can probably guess I'm not seeing that as a bad thing!

Out: This week

About: Here's where to find Nang Records online.

Proper Heat - Just A Little Bit

Nang are describing this one as 'disco house', but you could just as readily file it under 'nu-disco' and I don't think too many people would argue with you.

Well, the Original Mix you could anyway. The Club Mix is a little more overtly house-ified, with a distinct nod to 80s groove/boogie in some of the sounds used as well. The Joe Morris Remix then takes us on a slightly more laidback, headnoddin' kinda ride, while the Polar Rundfunk Remix is a slightly deeper take sitting on the deep house/nu-disco borders.

Nang seldom disappoint on the disco tip; this is no exception. I do wish they'd include the sleeve art in their promo downloads though, it'd make us poor bloggers' lives that much easier…

Out: This week

About: You surely where to find Nang Records online by now, so having given you the link just in case I'll move on to telling you that Proper Heat are the Lithuanian threesome of Martin Virgin, Saxtone and Karolis Ramoska. We're told to expect an album sometime this year and on this evidence, it'll be one to look out for.

ALBUM Lusty Zanzibar – Find A Way

Lusty Zanzibar is something of a Nang stalwart already, having appeared on several label comps and remixed numerous Nang artists… so where else to head with his debut full-length?

Opening with The Feeling, which was out as a single some months back, Find A Way sees this young UK producer finding his way along a musical path that takes in elements of nu-disco, house and Balearica, and blending all those elements together to come up with a distinctive shiny happy grown-up dance pop hybrid all of his own, with Muneerah's sweet female vocals (which appear on over half the tracks) helping to lend cohesion to the whole. As regards the question, 'is it any good or not?'… well yeah it's okay, actually, or I wouldn't be writing about it – it can sound a little sickly-sweet and cloying in places, at times, but that depends on your mood I think.

Definitely an album you'll want to pick your moment for, then. But there are enough gems here – disco instrumental Luminous Motion, Stonebridge-esque pop-house anthem Don't Stop On The Beat, the icy Detroit-isms of On Our Way To Bliss – to make this worth a punt all the same.

Out: This week

About: For more, see www.nangrecords.com

Sare Havlicek – Vibe On You

Well then… I said the other day that I've been getting less nu-disco through, and maybe a change really is in the wind, because here even TIWWD's favourite purveyor of retro Italo disco leaves the analogue synths alone for a mo' and turns his hand instead to what is essentially a slab of very polished, disco- and house-inspired pop in a vein that's not a million miles from Crazy P.

Mix-wise, the Single and Instrumental versions come on like a lost Patrice Rushen number given a (mild) house makeover. Sare's own 115 BPM Mix and Dub slow things down in a Nightdubbin' kinda way, while the Nothing You Can Do Mix keeps the tempo but goes even more to town on those 80s dub flavas. Steve Kotey & Manestar and Ilija Rudman, on their respective mixes, both flirt with Balearic disco-house vibes, while Drrtyhaze's remix introduces some nice squelchy Chi-town 303 bass.

But overall, the vibe is house-ified, disco-tastic pop done exceedingly well, proving this Slovenian producer is no one-pony.

Out: This week

About: Yep, this is another one from the mighty Nang stable…

Pharao Black Magic - Heliopolis EP

And the big, big monster tunes keep on coming! This is turning out to be a great week. This particular big, big monster tune comes courtesy of the Basel, Switzerland-based twosome of Nicholas Probst and Konrad Sigl. As Pharao Black Magic they've been Nang remix regulars for some time but here they show what they can do under their own steam, and boy is it good.

Although it's billed as an EP, what you actually get are three remixes of the one track, Eye Of Horus. Take your pick from the slo-mo, lo-slung disco of Coyote, the Italo/cosmic grooves of Brioski or – my fave – the all-out piano-tastic Balearic house/disco assault of the original.

Be warned: this record may make you leap around with your hands in the air. Hell, it may even induce E-rushes all by its own self, no Class A's required. Now THAT'S a good tune.

Out: This week

About: Seems like a while since I reviewed anything from the mighty Nang… not quite sure how that's happened TBH. Ruddy flippin' brilliant label. Click the link to find out more or visit our new Swiss chums online by clicking here.

Sare Havlicek feat Hannah Mancini - Pleasure Storm

It's no secret by now that I'm a big fan of Slovenian nu disco dude Sare Havlicek, so I'll keep it short and sweet on this one. Suffice to say that this cut from the excellent Toscana Nights album now gets a single release.

Pleasure Storm features Hannah Mancini on vocals, who also voiced previous single Dreams In Light, and indeed follows a similarly synth-y and string-dripping nu disco blueprint as that track. But Havlicek does this stuff so well you won't find me grumbling, and if anything Pleasure Storm is a touch funkier. Which is nice. There are five mixes on offer – they don't vary immensely TBH but it's retro, boogified action you're after you'll be more than happy.

Out: This week

About: This is on Nang, of course… label website (where you can HEAR THIS single) here. And if you want to check out more of Sare's stuff, hit up his Soundcloud page