Ma Spaventi makes a slick return to Slow Motion Records with the captivating ‘Tornerò’.

Descending arps trickle into ‘Tornerò’ from the get-go. Vocoded vocals flutter through the masterful mix, weaving into inviting synth swells. Defined drums are firmly felt across this record.

‘Non Ce L’Hai Solo Tu’ is a Detroit-infused, fierce floor filler. Layering vocoder motifs with crisp synth stabs make for many a euphoric payoff. The intelligent entwining of electro, early Detroit house and Ma Spaventi’s effortless earworms are plentiful. His gift for haunting, strong melodic intonation is prevalent in ‘Costa Brava.’ A grounded, growling bassline rasps throughout the track, reeling you further and further into this whirlpool of brilliance.

‘Tornerò Reprise’ closes this magnificent EP beautifully. Whispering vocal lines are hauntingly blended with synthesiser noise, keeping in line with the swells across the record and resolving the first edition of ‘Tornerò’ with a more acidic conclusion.

The revered Italian producer, mixing and mastering engineer makes his abundant sonic expertise clear in this enticing LP. Encapsulating his talents, ‘Tornerò’ transports you to Ma Spaventi’s unmatched state of flow. More

Ma Spaventi is a wonderfully versatile artist. Over his decade-long career, the Italian musician has turned his capable hand to everything from ambient to techno. Once again, he is expanding his sound palette and challenging expectations with Vicino Lontano.

Across eight tracks, an array of ideas and influences are explored with additional guitar work coming care of Odeon’s Michele Righini. The reflective hues of “Solitario” give way to the warming strings and peaceful brightness of “Crepuscolo.” Written and produced in Amsterdam between 2017 and 2019, beautiful memories of the past are the source of inspiration. Radiating Summer sunshine bathes “Bring Me Back” in a comforting glow, while “Velvet Lights” teases rhythm sections with thick bass lines and shimmering synth work. Moments of introspection arrive in the elegant gliding forms of “Bomber” and “Intermezzo.” The rumbling “End Line” finds harmony amongst a spread of styles, cascading chords and rich textures, all combining beautifully. A moon rise closes, the grand curtain falls on “Bidderosa”, calling time of this stunning collection. More

A year after his debut album "Viaggi", Amsterdam based italian Marco Antonio Spaventi is back with another fine full length statement. Entitled "Isola Sommersa" and landing on M>O>S Recordings, it follows up after many great EPs on the label over the last five years. Spaventi has a passion for old school house but always brings it up to date. Using hardware tools like a natural extension of his body, he cooks up rugged grooves, nostalgic moods and smoky atmospheres that cocoon you in sound of its own. As well as releasing on other labels like Slow Motion, Secretsundaze, Pizzico Records and Cos_Mos, he is also an acclaimed production wizard and runs his own professional studio. Long the way here, Spaventi dips his toes into various waters with equal success. There are spaced out and invitingly warm grooves such as the rubbery ‘Tape Noodles’, blissful ambient interludes like ‘Undisclosed’ and serene synth passages filled with retro future beauty such as the closer ‘Titanic Moments.’ Cuts like ‘Simple Mind’ prove this artist can conjure up genuine feelings of internal reflection as well as raw physical drum lines, and ‘Best Regards’ is a tantalisingly go slow bit of cosmic house that erupts into a fluid acid track. Though Chicago and Detroit are obvious reference points, Spaventi always develops his own ideas with a refreshing vibe. It makes for an album that is house at its heart, but also one that is ambitious, absorbing and widescreen in the way it is executed. More

Ahead of him releasing a full length album on MOS in 2016, key label artist MarcoAntonio Spaventi is teasing us with a three track Prelude EP. Spaventi hails from Italy, but is based in Amsterdam, and is someone who deals in misty, Chicago referencing house sounds that are loaded up with a real sense of analogue jack. As well as on MOS he releases on Slow Motion, Most Excellent NY and Pizzico Records, and in summer 2015 he put out a leftfield electro, Italo, soundtrack and disco full length, Viaggi, that showed he has great range in the studio. Here, though, he has his focus on the dance floor. ‘Missing Sunlight’ is rueful and tender, deep and absorbing with soft drums and molten synths soothing mind, body and soul. ‘Falla!’ is again perfectly smooth and serene, tunnelling deep into the universe on a rolling drum line and with gurgling machines bubbling away in the foreground. Finally, ‘Balla!’ ups the ante and is more driven, with acid lines freewheeling up and down as firmly planted kicks power the whole thing along. Full fat but still sprinkled with cosmic dust, it is a track that makes the wait for the album that bit more tantalising. More

Super strong M>O>S DEEP from this studio master! He's really killing it.... this one really shook the ADE crowd when Aroy Dee slammed it in his set there... Big ITALO style JAK trax...! TIP! More

The legendary edit king Mr. K is back with more of his trademark sonic treatments here, this time focussing on some lick funk sounds from the Motor City. His mid-tempo selections on this Detroit-themed 7" open-up with G.C. Cameron, a Motown mainstay with a wide vocal range as demonstrated on this classic rare groove cut, 'No Matter Where.' On the backside is more rare groove from Detroit but this time from the 80s and Candye Edwards's 'Time Is What You Need.' Edwards was part of the Detroit funk powerhouse One Way and through that got connected with songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin McCord. They cooked up real gold together on a solo debut album with this being the standout cut from it. Perfect for warm outdoor dancing. More

Most Excellent Unlimited has now been serving up these collaborations with master editor Danny Krivit for some time, but they never grow old. The New York-based Body and Soul mainstay this time looks to Euro-disco maestro Alec Constandinos to kick off with. 'Love & Kisses' was one of his earliest works and took up a whole side of vinyl but here becomes a more compact cut with funky vibes, bass breakdowns to die for and fine a cappella to close. The legendry Donna Summer's 'Heaven Knows' then gets the Mr K treatment on the flip and becomes a horn-led and ecstatic trip to the heavens that will leave dancefloors in raptures. More

The one and only Mr K sure does know how to cook up a masterful edit. Here he heads into gospel territory with the latest 7" in Most Excellent Unlimited's collaborations with him. Both of these tunes are appearing on 7" vinyl for the first time here and have long been staples of the sets of Danny Krivit. His 'Churchapella' edit of Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' is as holy and steamy as it gets with the whole thing sure to uplift and energise any crowd. On the backside is a superb edit of the Clark Sisters slinky rare groove gem 'Ha-Ya (Eternal Life).' It's a slightly slower tune but one that makes just as much of an impact. More

Legendary edit specialist and New York's Body & Soul party man Danny Krivit turns his hand to a famously spiritual house classic by Manchester band RSL that has more than a hint of gospel magic to it. Frankly that makes it perfect source material for the man and he doesn't disappoint: His work is subtle but classic, with some extra gorgeous vocal chants layered in over chunkier beats on the never before released a-side. The jazzy notes from the original and sprinkled percussion all remain next to mad drum fills. This 12" also features a 'Part 2' mix that unfolds in glorious fashion to a rapturous peak. More

5x7" box set + 2 slipmats!

The arrival of the Acapellas Anonymous series in the mid/late '80s was a massive gamechanger, giving immediate access to DJs and producers to hundreds of vocal samples that would have taken a fortune (and a lifetime) to collect. Edit king Mr K has rebuilt, remastered, and carefully portioned them onto a five disc set of 7-inch singles, "including all the classic vocal bits that became iconic samples," and more than a few new additions to bring things up to date. You'll know more than a few of these on first listen, others you may have never even realised were samples, but no-one will underestimate the power of a great vocal sample dropping in the right way in the right mix. An absolute essential. More

Danny Krivit aka Mr K, that veteran of the Roxy and Paradise Garage, turns his attention to the 80s for his latest Mr K edits aka brush ups for the sound systems of today. 'Pleasure Boys' by Visage epitomised the new wave crossover sound when was released in 1982, and Krivit would eschew the vocal, using two copies to concentrate on and extend the thunderous synth bass break in his sets instead. Here he recreates the trick - a bare bones riff that still sounds enormous on a club system.

For the flip, Krivit goes a little deeper with his edit of 'Emotional Disguise' by Peter Godwin again ditching the overwrought new wave vocal in favour of the atmospheric synth stylings of the instrumental, which he recalls being a big tune with hip-hop crowds at the Garage and Roxy alike. More

You know what you're getting with Mr K - "high-powered disco intensity" as he says himself, in this case in the form of two neglected cuts rescued and fully refurbished by the master. On the A-side comes the Dynamic Superiors' essential gay disco classic 'I Can't Stay Away (From Someone I Love)', boiled down to its most concentrated form, reshaped as a hard-charging, peak time disco climax with their proudly out singer Tony Washington - an influence on the soon-to-emerge Sylvester - setting the tone of pride and liberation.
Flip it over for the slap bass and brass of the frenetic 'Hit and Run', first released by the obscure Opus 7 in 1979 but overshadowed at the time by the slower, funkier 'Bustle'. Eliminating everything but the transcendent ride out, which is extended to a glorious eight minutes in order to fully enjoy its pumping bass and Philly-style group harmonies, Mr K ensures both sides of this are killer club weapons for the serious DJs and dancers alike. More

The inimitable Mr K lands once more on the Most Excellent Unltd label with more of his a-grade edits. He kicks off with a signature disc-funk sounds that could be from any ear in the last forty years. The bass licks really get you up on your toes as the dangling chords and leggy drums heighten the groove. A steamy female vocal then flips you out. On the backside is 'World Famous' which is a cut up groove with some great scratching, old school electro-boogie in the cords and a nice lush lead piano line that brings the joy. More

Mr. K (Danny Krivit) transports us to the golden era of David Mancuso 's New York Loft with two disparate but equally heavyweight classics from the Mancuso oeuvre mastered and cut loud, deep, and clear for club play. First up is an edit of a track that embodies the spirit of early '80s downtown NYC. Originally released in 1982, 'Konk Party' was Konk's calling card and first hit and represented their multicultural, no wave, hip-hop/disco hybrid perfectly, the opening sax riff itself a giving sly nod to Wild Sugar's breakbeat classic 'Bring It Here' that the Beastie Boys would later sample. It was considered such a Loft staple that the video was even filmed there, as well as being played widely across the influential clubs of the day. The easy-going groove, heavy percussion and low-slung bass, complimented by bilingual lyrics from Angel QuiNones, still sounds ready for action, especially In this new edit from Mr. K. On the flip, 'Hold On To Your Mind' was first released in 1970 by Northern Irish rock group Andwella, is a heavy, psychedelic tour de force. Mr. K outdoes himself with his new mix, a supercharged blend of extended percussion breaks absent on previous 7-inch mixes, plus driving vocals, and fuzz guitar. More

Mr K (Danny Krivit) is back once again with another vital selection of his edits. Edits By Mr K: It Should Have Been Me on Most Excellent Unltd kicks off with the title track. It is a lazy and heart wrenching soul jam with deep cut bass, guttural female vocals that are as raw as you can imagine and some lush strings. It's a great vision of a stone cold classic that will never fail in any setting to get tears going. On the flipside, 'Brand New Lover' picks up the pace with a silky disco-funk-soul groove to carry you into a lovely headspace. More

Any time the discerning ear of Danny Krivit turns to upper echelon artists like the two featured on this latest 12-inch single, you know you're in for a special treat, and that's exactly what we have here. First up is Stevie Wonder's timeless "If You Really Love Me," a song written in 1970 by newlyweds Stevie and Syreeta Wright and simply glowing with the warmth and soulfulness that surrounds the happiest of unions. Krivit in conjunction with Kei and Nagi of Dazzle Drums, & Me & the Gang, utilizes the entire original song structure, in the process lifting Syreeta's soaring backup vocals to the collaborative level they deserve, while underlaying the entire affair with Dazzle Drums' trademark percussion-heavy, four on the floor thump. The result is certainly one of the finest, most respectful efforts in a field of Stevie house remixes that has seen far too many limp entries over the years.

Filling the flip side is Mr. K's much-loved take on Chaka Khan's "I Know You, I Live You." Appearing in a rather murkily EQ-ed form in the early 2000's, this new issue wipes away the sonic sludge with a sparkling mastering job that reveals the full range of Mr. K's epic edit. With pieces seamlessly stitched together from the original song, the album-only reprise, and Tony Humphries' remix from the 1989 Life Is A Dance Chaka remix project, this rightfully celebrated mix can lay claim to being the definitive release of this undisputed classic. There are hardly better calls to the dancefloor than this, as partygoers at countless jams can attest. Most Excellent Unlimited and Mr. K are pleased to offer DJs and listeners the opportunity to send that call out themselves with this new release, exclusively for Record Store Day 2022. More

It was certainly unpredictable that a legendary jazz drummer would record one of spiritual disco's most revered songs twenty-three years into his career, but that's exactly what happened when Idris Muhammad laid down the epic "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" in 1977. Hailing from New Orleans, Muhammad always had more than a touch of funk to his rhythms, and by the late '70s his collaborations with master engineer Rudy Van Gelder on recordings for the CTI and Kudu labels had gelled perfectly with the reigning jazz-funk sound of the day. Arranger Dave Matthews (famously part of the James Brown stable) collaborated with lyricist and former Long Island record store clerk Tony Sarafino on writing the song, which on the original recording unfolds over a nearly 9-minute build. Appearing at the crest of the disco movement, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" was an immediate hit with David Mancuso and the attendees of his loft parties, quickly spreading to other venues and even making a small climb up the Billboard R&B charts. For this new issue on Most Excellent Unlimited, Danny Krivit, whose own career as a dancefloor orchestrator from the DJ booth has paralleled the timeframe of the song's existence, has replaced the original loose introduction with a mix-friendly steady groove that maintains the unstoppable pulse of the song while maintaining the cathartic mid-song break and giving the track potential for even more momentum.

Another percussionist is responsible for our flip side track, "Magic's in the Air." Vince Montana was not only an in-house arranger and producer for Philadelphia International and other Philly soul labels, but was an accomplished vibraphone player. His talents are on display and doubly emphasized by Mr. K in this overlooked cut from Ronnie Walker, a falsetto singer who draws a rather strong comparison to the best songs of fellow Philadelphians Blue Magic with this uptempo, subtly synthy 1975 track. Never having appeared on a 12-inch, and indeed never having appeared even on a full-length album, Krivit's edit is the first extended mix of "Magic's in the Air" to date. Alongside "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This," itself notoriously difficult to find in 12-inch form, this latest from MEU's long running series with Mr. K is a bonafide must-have for the discerning DJ. More

For this entry in the ever-expanding series from the master Danny Krivit, we turn to two productions from the legendary Lamont Dozier. Both songs are artfully rearranged by Mr. K and appear here on 12-inch vinyl for the first time. Margie Joseph was a powerful soul singer from the deep South who in her younger days was compared favorably to Aretha Franklin. But by the time of this recording in 1976, Joseph had moved on from the Southern soul sound and was looking for something new. She found it in collaboration with Lamont Dozier (who would actually go on to produce Aretha the following year). Dozier's song "Prophecy" was recorded at least three times, with Betty Everett doing it in '77 and Dozier himself using it as the title track for a planned 1975 solo album that was unfortunately never released. It's Margie Joseph's energetic version that made the song a proto-disco dance floor classic however, getting heavy spins on the U.K. modern soul scene and at the Houston St. incarnation of Nicky Siano's infamous 'Gallery'. "Prophecy" has also long been a Danny Krivit favorite, appearing on his 2001 compilation Grassroots. Mr. K turns in a new, definitive mix of the song, complete with a never heard before acapella intro and outro section. The writing on the wall says this one is still a winner! Going back just a couple years prior to "Prophecy" is our flip side, "I'm Just Being Myself." This time we have an even more high profile female singer who again was looking for a new sound. In the case of Dionne Warwick, she and her longtime collaborators Hal David and Burt Bacharach had split acrimoniously not long before, and her new label Warner Brothers, seeking a fresh twist for her voice, teamed her with the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team. Lamont Dozier and the Holland brothers were of course responsible for numerous Motown smashes, but by the early '70s Berry Gordy had moved operations west to L.A. and H-D-H struck out on their own, choosing to remain in Detroit. "I'm Just Being Myself" was recorded at the team's studio there, with a cast of Motown veterans fleshing out the magnificent Holland-Dozier composition. Mr. K's edit squeezes the most out of the underlying groove, avoiding the chorus in favor of prominent percussion, dramatic strings, and soaring flute. Warwick herself doesn't make an entrance until five minutes into this epic rearrangement, cooly riding the building instrumental tension. A long-time standard in Krivit's bag, this edit makes its full length appearance on wax for the first time. More

The new batch from the bottomless edit archives of Danny Krivit is an uptempo, guitar-heavy excursion into two cuts of danceable rock from opposite sides of a decade. The sound is crisply remastered for club play, and stretched over the breadth of a 12-inch single. Both of these tracks are appearing on the long-format player for the first time. More

Letta Mbulu was one of many South African artists to flee the country as Apartheid choked the nation, arriving in New York in 1965 and reconnecting there with fellow countryman Hugh Masekela. Masekela had already developed a relationship with producer Stewart Levine, and when the two formed their own label, Chisa, they quickly signed Mbulu. By 1970, Mbulu, Masekela, and Mbulu's husband Caiphus Semenya, a saxophonist in Hugh Masekela's Union of South Africa group, had all relocated to California. There they formed lasting relationships with members of the Crusaders, who had just dropped the "Jazz" from their name and begun releasing a cool hybrid of funk, soul and worldly jazz. When it was time for Letta to record her first album for Chisa, the Crusaders backed her in the studio with powerful horn arrangements by Masekela. "Mahlalela (Lazy Bones)" was written by Semenya and was released as a single, immediately finding a fan in the young Danny Krivit back in NYC, who included it in his very first DJ sets. "A truly stand-out funky African track," Danny describes it, pointing to the distinctive vocals and instantly immersive atmosphere that envelopes listeners from the first notes. As sought after as the original is, this superior remastered mix used for Danny's edit on this release has never appeared in the 7-inch format. With a wide stereo field and a crisp, powerful punch to the horns and drums, this release takes this already iconic cut to a new level.

Bandleader, vibraphonist and timbales player Louie Ramirez explicitly attempted to cross over in 1976 with his Different Shade of Black LP, covering big disco sensations "Do It Anyway You Wanna" and "Bad Luck." But the connoisseur's deep cut on the album was always "Barrio Nuevo," which took the creative approach of alternating smooth hustle sections with intense jazzy Latin jam breaks laced with timbales and electric piano and sounding almost like an East Coast version of Santana. The contrasts provided a cool listening experience, but tended to break the mood on the dancefloor. On this edit, DK leans hard into the Latin side of the tune and builds the dance floor energy with a rearrangement that is guaranteed to work up a sweat.

Loud and cut for the dancefloor on a small-hole 7-inch, it's another Mr. K sure shot! More

Danny Krivit's edit of Tony Orlando's "Don't Let Go" was released in Japan in 2012 and immediately became a sought-after, impossible to find rarity. Orlando's version of "Don't Let Go" was released at the height of the disco era, but the song itself was already a well-worn pop standard, having been covered by numerous artists before the pop singer tried his hand at it, switching things up with a percolating disco groove. "I never expected to rave about a Tony Orlando record," wrote Vince Aletti in his Record World column in June of 1978, "but this one's really terrific... My pick for a summer refresher." The Jimmy Simpson mix on the original 12-inch follows the vocals with a long instrumental section that teases the various elements provided by the Muscle Shoals band (guitar, vibes, strings, and above all a sinuous synth) back in over the relentless bass and drums. Danny's edit, which he's trimmed down for its debut on 7-inch, works with this instrumental break and more than lives up to Aletti's description as an addictive warm weather jam.

From the moody instrumental sound of "Don't Let Go" we move to the bright uptempo vocal track "I Fall In Love Everyday." In spite of the relative obscurity of this fabulous but lesser-known cut, it comes with a sparkling pedigree. "I Fall In Love Everyday" was written by Jay Graydon (whose credits also include "Turn Your Love Around" for George Benson and "Breakin' Away" for Al Jarreau), produced by Motown ace Mickey Stevenson (who wrote "Dancing In the Street") and arranged by David Foster, who was just making the transition from session keyboardist to the superstar songwriter/arranger he'd become. The backing track was first used for singer/TV personality Jaye P. Morgan's version of the song a year earlier, but you certainly can't blame the team for reusing the music when the band included studio heavyweights like Harvey Mason, Lee Ritenour, Ray Parker Jr., and Kenny Loggins. Danny's creative edit fashions a clean, DJ-friendly instrumental intro where none existed on the original, and gives new life to a track that's sure to bring some sunshine to dancefloors.

As always, these unique selections from Mr. K's personal stash are cut on a loud, club-ready 7-inch pressing. More

The latest from Mr. K and Most Excellent Unlimited pairs lowdown and stomping disco from an unlikely source with a funked-out floorfiller from some very familiar voices. Minnie Riperton's 1977 single "Stick Together" was an outlier in her catalog of smooth modern soul, an intentional nod in the direction of the prevailing disco sound. Co-written with Stevie Wonder, "Stick Together" in its original single release was divided into two parts, the first a fairly conventional uptempo cut with all the catchy qualities you'd expect from Stevie and the husband and wife team of Richard Rudolph and Minnie. It was the second half of the song that caught the ears of DJs who played for funkier dancefloors, however. Freddie Perren, a former member of Motown's legendary Corporation collective of songwriters and producers, and a man then red-hot off his success with Tavares' "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" and the Sylvers' "Boogie Fever," was on production duties, and the song clearly benefits from his disco-friendly touch. In Mr. K's epic edit we are treated to a lengthy exploration of the second part of "Stick Together," featuring keyboardist Sonny Burke (veteran of Marvin Gaye's band and fresh from playing on Candi Staton's disco smash "Young Hearts Run Free") working out an irresistible Jingo-esque piano part, Riperton's sensual ad-libs, and, as if that wasn't enough, a cameo appearance by Pam Grier on finger snaps! Krivit's 8-minute-plus edit passes way too quickly to get enough of the hypnotic groove - rewinds are called for! Our flip side, "Body Language," originated as an album cut on the Jackson Five's last album of original material for Motown, Moving Violation, recorded before Jermaine left to go solo and the remaining brothers joined Epic Records in a new incarnation as the Jacksons. For such an obvious heater it's puzzling why the label never released it as a single; but regardless of that apparent misstep, "Body Language" has long been a sure shot in many DJs' bags. With his new edit, Mr. K presents the track in its ultimate form, loud, remastered, stretched out and rippling with energy over a full six minutes. With an iconic bass line that just doesn't quit, and Michael and the boys in fine form, it's impossible to imagine a situation where this wouldn't set the room on fire. More

Tokyo tag-team Kei and Nagi Sugano, aka Dazzle Drums, have been responsible for secret weapons in the bags of some of the finest DJs since their debut in 2005. In addition to supporting Danny Krivit each time he plays in Tokyo, the duo periodically floats him exclusive edits to test out during his expansive sets. Two of these in particular have become regular features on M. K’s dance floors, and it is these prime choices that have been selected for the latest release on Most Excellent Unlimited. "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" takes the cinematic soul classic and toughens it up with a propulsive drum track and immaculate editing to extend and energize the already powerful tune. "Get Down Boy" is a relentlessly driving disco cut whose dramatic synth-and-string heavy instrumentation provides a plush bed for seductive female vocals before giving way to a tremendous bass break that is certain to leave dancers in a sweat. Reverently mastered and spread over a wide-grooved 12-inch single, it’s another MEU sure-shot.
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