2025 – A Year in Music

2025 was always going to special year for us, what with the arrival of of a lil’ creature named Cleo, bang on August bank holiday week-end – shockingly forcing me to miss carnival for only the second time in 24 years.  I shall make sure to remind her by taking the family to Channel One’s sweet spot every year 🔉 😊

And here’s me discovering what unconditional love is. Well hello late fatherhood 🥰

My oxytocin levels (and, incidentally, my life) would never be the same.

A couple of months before that we celebrated 20 years of Beauty & the Beat. That’s something like 200+ parties sealed and delivered by an ever evolving pool of kindred spirits and fellow music heads. Grassroots community bonds which have long come to define who we are. Over the years the rhizomes have been spreading: in the same way you can recognise and instantly bond with a Loft head wherever you are in the world, you can experience similar vibes and emotions (and dare I say ethos?) at sister parties from London Birmingham to Paris to Lisbon to Barcelona to Melbourne. Friends travelled across the ponds to ensure this landmark anniversary was nothing short of spectacular, with the party ending with (Johnny Clarke’s “Declaration of Rights“) and the rather unlikely sight of a 7-month pregnant Silvia standing atop a table as the lights came on, facing an ecstatic crowd (my parents including) and a rather upset bouncer. You can’t make this up.

Crazy to think it was only the previous week that I had a kind of full circle experience as the musical host of a revived Lucky Cloud’s June party.  In many ways it was a night I had dreamed of since I stepped into my very first Loft party some 25 years ago. I didn’t plan the set ahead of course, though I did think about it a lot, spending weeks ahead gathering all the records I always thought of as potential Loft records, alongside my favourite Loft classics. The party flowed like a dream, each record calling the next one and often two or three ahead, Silvia dancing all night with baby Cleo in the belly. 

The other notable event in 2025 came once again from the Patel brothers, who have expanded their nightlife empire a notch further by opening a 200 capacity club (Om) last July, taking the (6am) lease for the old 512 spot on Kingsland Road where we did a stint of BATB parties back in… 2006-7. They have modelled the venue on the well missed Plastic People: great sound, bare light, with DJs booked for a whole 8 hour set. No pop no style, all about the music. I had the privilege of playing a few times already and I can happily report that both sound and vibes have getting better and better with each party. The magic hours especially have been… magical (sic). I’ve always embraced these marathon sets as they give you time to stretch, set the tone and move in any directions, vibes and tempos. Keep the flow for a bit, break it down, surprise people with a left turn, etc. Very much looking forward to more of these in 2026.

                                                                                                          ☆:**:. ♪ .:**:.☆

For reasons mentioned above I spent very little time digging for new releases, less than I did for recyclable nappies, and considerably less than every year in the past 25 years, even though I was still quite active on the hunt for pre loved records which are new to me. Whatever this means I am not too sure, though I feel this could be a trend for the next foreseeable future. If anything this means that this year’s review will only cover the tiniest droplet amount of music in an ocean of new releases. With that warning in mind, I’ll give it a go anyway.

Best music podcast: Fela Kuti: Fear No Man by Jad Abumrad

Epic documentary podcast in 13 episodes which make for a fascinating journey into the making of Fela, from his political epiphany as a young student in L.A. via the Shrine years, the beatings, the Queens, the Black president ambitions, the less glorious abuse and his ultimate downfall and legacy. As good as it gets.

Best music (& politics) documentary: Soundtrack to a Coup d’État  by Johan Grimonprez

Deeply researched and incredibly well put together documentary by Johan Grimonprez which uses archival footage and jazz music to trace how the United States and Belgium orchestrated the coup against Patrice Lumumba, the first prime Minister of independent Congo (1960), while simultaneously showing how culture —particularly American jazz— was used as a propaganda tool during the Cold War. The tours of Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie thus become the ironic soundtrack to a political betrayal and a colonial crime. Listen to Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert talking about it in depth in the Love is the Message podcast.

Best music book: Neneh Cherry – “A Thousand Threads”

Fascinating (and often pretty dark) memoir from the “Buffalo Stance” singer, raised in a Swedish commune by her artist mother Moki and spiritual jazz guru/heroin addict step father Don Cherry before becoming the superstar that we all love. As one can imagine such a life was always going to be off the tracks, and she narrates it in a thoughtful, considered and deliberate way. Brutally honest too.

Best culture / politics / humour / whatever podcast: La Dernière (Radio Nova)

In a world in which the political slider is veering dangerously to the right and reactionary ideas are becoming the norm almost everywhere you look  (sticking to France, hello Riss, Sophia Haram, Louis Sarkozy, Pascal Praud, Bollore and co, not to mention Trump, Musk, Biel, Meloni, Kast etc), thank God for Matthieu Pigasse, Radio Nova and the weekly dose of medicinal laugh from the joyful team of Guillaume Meurice, Juliette Arnaud, Aymeric Lompret et Pierre-Emmanuel Barré. Not forgetting Thomas VDB of course. Think super sharp, objective (sic) and impartial (re sic) analysis of current events. A real life saver.

Talking of Trump and the rise of fascism, here’s one simple thing I’ve been banging on for years: boycott Spotify. Daniel Ek is a certified c**t who doesn’t care about music or paying artists but does using AI to generate fake music and release it under fake artists to fill up their playlists, who in 2025 invested €200 million into AI military defence company Helsing. If that wasn’t enough, maybe the fact that Spotify has been running immigration-enforcement ads between songs for users on the company’s free tier (yes that’s the dreaded ICE government militia who has been assaulting and killing protesters, kidnapping people off the street and breaking into homes without a warrant) will be?

Spotify kills music and supports fascism. The choice is fairly simple.

Talking about (real) music…

Best music (7″s, 12″s, LPs, reissues)

I’m realising I bought mostly 12″s last year (just a handful of LPs, comps and reissues) so I’ll just do one big recap for everything.

(As per tradition, in an order that could make sense as a DJ set)

• Humble B Flat – “Glistening” (Pond Life records)

Glistening into the night with this blissful track from 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯, hands down the album of the year for me, filled to the brim with deep, sunny, cosmic Afro Balearic grooves. So deep, so nice, so rich, so always on point. A huge release from this talented multi instrumentalist / producer, incidentally a good friend and long time batb alumni, who once did an impromptu piano solo at the end of a legendary Beija Flor party in Lisbon which left everyone absolutely speechless. Some things you never forget.

• Brigitte Fontaine & Areski – “Baby Boum Boum” (Kuruneko)

Forty five years later, the mythical original versions of the songs that made up the LP Les églantines sont peut-être formidables have finally been released (and approved by Brigitte Fontaine and Areski Belkacem themselves), under the title Baraka 1980. Like demo versions stripped to their bare backbones, they come out visceral with authenticity.

Je vais broyer tous ces bouchers
Qui se font bronzer la baudruche
Aux Bahamas avec mon blé
Pendant qu’j’balise dans les balluches

• Chiwoniso Maraire  – “Zvichapera” (Nyami Nyami records)

The reissue of the original song was already a blessing as it had become near impossible to find a copy of this majestic and deeply emotional piece of traditional Shona mbira by the late Zimbabwean singer, but the inclusion of a new cover by Vee Mukarati and Jacob Mafuleni makes this 12” a total must have. Recorded as a raw, live duet and captured in a single take, it sounds as if you’re in the studio with the musicians and is equally mesmerising as the original.

• DJ Himitsu  – “Kaminari” (SWIMS)

Afro balearic downbeat goodness a la Jon Hassell filled with obscure recordings and convoluted samples, from ex Faces Records Tokyo employee and often to be found behind the counter at VDS London DJ Himitsu. Taken from the really fresh sounding Exotic Animals LP. Shuffling and heady, cosmic and playful, a real treat. 

• Norberto De Nöah – “Mulata de waka na Gran Via (Rikala)” (Canela en Surco)

Hailing from Equatorial Guinea, Norberto de Nöah was apparently the first artist to record an African music record in Spain (in 1985). Three years later he released a fantastic EP as a solo artist,  Böhöbé Spirits Müsic, on which he sang and played all the instruments: a vast selection of organic instruments, a Yamaha RX-5 drum machine and a Roland D-50 synthesiser, as you can hear on the majestic Afro-cosmic number “Mulata de waka na Gran Via (Rikala)”. Big up Discos Paradiso’Canela En Surco for the stunning reissue.

•  Lexx – “Into the Stream” (iFeel}

As surprising as it seems, this is the first release on iFeel for Zurich’s Balearic royalty, which comes as naturally soothing and majestic as the turquoise waters of Cala Llenya.

• El Búho – La Cumbia del Cafe Martinez (Earthly Measures)

Deep and dreamy digital cumbia from Argentina’s El Búho, made as tribute to his wife. Part of a great EP 𝘊𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘴 released on UK’s Earthly Measures by an artist often associated with Chancha Via Circuito (a big favourite of mine). 

• Psychemagik – “Another Day In Paradise” (Undercover Lovers)

From one paradisiac island to another, toes still filled with white sand, sipping on a ti punch to the sounds of Luc Leandry’s cover of Phil Collins (secret weapon no more), as cleverly edited by Psychemagik. As always in the right place.

• Celia WA – “Rasanbleman” feat’ Roger Raspail (Heavenly Sweetness)

Modern broken gwoka groove for an invitation to get together from one of Guadeloupe’s rising soul sister, the flutist Celia WA, who released one of my favourites albums of the year with Fasadé .

• Mac & Party – “Harambe” (Susso Jazz Rework) (Afro7)

Lovely and hypnotic Afro dub rework of this 1963 Kenyan Afro-jazz cosmic classic by Susso (who released a great LP on Soundway in 2015), on a super limited lathe cut 7″ of 30 copies (!). 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘦 was a concept promoted in post independence Kenya under president Kenyatta urging communities to stick together to build the nation. Let’s unite!

• Mr Circle – Thi Nam (Outernational)

Heavy jazz dance tune as featured on this Brazilian inspired, German jazz fusion LP of the same name from 1981, aimed squarely at the feet throughout. Remastered at Abbey Road from the original tapes and reissued on the great Outernational label.

• Humble B Flat – “Dance in the Sun & in the Moonlight” (Pond Life records)

Second excerpt from the majestic LP 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘖𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 mentioned above (I could play each and every track in a set) and we are now dancing in astral lights on an infectious Afro-Balearic jazz dub tip. So good!

• Moodymann – “Black Mahogany” (Peacefrog)

Peacefrog did some superb represses of the first six Moodymann albums, from Silent Introduction to Black Mahogany II, and it’s a joy to finally own Black Mahogany on a heavy sounding triple LP package. KDJ’s summit imo and his most elusive until now. The song “Black Mahogany” and its genius Walter Murphy sample was a staple at Plastic People’s Balance and will forever remind me of losing my mind dancing to it in that room. Black Mahogany is a “proper” house album, one to listen from start to finish (not just a collection of tracks) and also features seminal tunes such as “Runaway” “I’m Doing Fine” or “Shades of Jae”. Top reissue of the year.

• Serge Papo ft. Etibar Asadli – “Crystal Clear” b/w “Zeva” (The Party records)

The legendary Serge Papo (aka the host behind one of Paris’ best secret parties) makes an impressive debut on wax with the help of Azerbaidjani jazz pianist Etibar Asadli. A rather unlikely pairing of Brazilian jazz samba to one side and a modern slice of psychedelic jazz funk on the flip, this double A side 12” is one of the best sounding records I bought this year (thanks to a home made diy mastering so I’m told). Unsurprisingly “Crystal Clear” is already a hit on NYC’s The Loft and London’s Beauty & the Beat dance-floors.

• Souleance – “Haloumi” feat Ozgûr (Heavenly Sweetness)

The party’s just started and we are now grooving to this Turkish Haloumi delight with Souleance on a fatty cosmic funk number.

• Skyrager – “Love is Good” (HITD records)

The magic touch of Psychemagik strikes again with this edit of an uplifting slice of Nigerian boogie. Perfect party starter.

• Nemessio – Hey Hey (Rocafort records)

Colombian disco 7” from 1979 à la Barrabas, as unearthed and reissued by Rocafort out of Switzerland. Also a great rework on the B side, but I prefer the original. Well nice.

• Nu Genea – “Scialà” (NG Records)

Big summer hit from the Neapolitan duo in true Nu Genea style, complete with a hilarious video to boot.

Che sarà sarà
Si sarà che forse sarà

• Daniel Monaco Band – “The Devil Left Dancing”

While his “Medicine” track (a huge favourite from 2023) still hasn’t left my record bag(s), the genial bass player Daniel Monaco has perhaps delivered the best EP of the year. All tracks are great (I think I’ve played them all at various times of the parties), between modern disco jams and cosmic Neapolitan funk, with a potential favourite being the Brazilian tinged “The Devil Left Dancing”.

• Samba De Matuto Leao Do Norte De Maragogi – “Nunca Me Faltou Sonora” (Kolago Kult Deep Samba mix) (Beauty & the Beat)

We released two 12″s on Beauty & the Beat’s label last year, and the first one by Kolago Kult included this bonkers psychedelic electro samba cut by Kolago Kult. So good I played it at peak time at Lucky Cloud in June.

• Manu Dibango feat King Sunny Ade – “Jingo” (Luke Una Machine in Outer Space edit) (Ė Soul Cultura)

Manu Dibango featuring King Sunning Ade on a cover of the Babaté Olatunji classic – what are the chances of a killer result (answers on a postcard)?  Although it doesn’t seem Luke Una has done much in terms of editing apart from slightly extending it, this is exactly what this Afro cosmic bijou of a tune needed. Right up my street and unsurprisingly one of my most played record of the year.

• Kolago Kult – “Blessing of Shango” (Beauty & the Beat)

Irresistible slice of Afro-Balearic techno, a rework of a mysterious (and mystical!) West African record which turned many a head wherever it was played.

• Djingo Typical Band – “Vini Ouais” (Art of Tones remix) (Heavenly Sweetness)

“Vini Ouais” is a killer kasékò tune (the name derived from “casser le corps” in French) from Guyane (French Guiana). A cousin to Guadeloupe’s gwoka and Martinique’s bélè it is both a rhythm and a dance and is usually played with three drums and a Ti-bwa . Released on a 7” in France in 1984, it has now been officially reissued by Heavenly Sweetness and remixed by Art of Tones (aka Lorca of Fcom fame) on a huge Afro house tip. Arguably not the most subtle remix but hugely efficient on the floor. Big record. 

• Topium – “Bo Bay Lanmen” (Aroop Roy remix) (Beauty & the Beat)

Here comes our second batb release of 2025, the third volume in the Excursions in Gwoka series which sees the batb debut of Aroop Roy who delivers a chuggy Afro balearic peak time beast of a tune, which I pretty much rinsed all year. Wait for the drop.

• Deodato – “Whistlebump” (Joe Claussell remix)

Only Joe Claussell could dare remixing such an already perfect tune and bona fide Loft classic, and he did so in incredible style as always, complete with synth overdubs and extended break. One of those rare records that were played at all three parties last year, Lucky Cloud, AOF and BATB. Thirteen minutes plus of pure groove. One for the dancers. 

• Patrick Gibin – Let It Go feat Kaidi Tatham The Joaquin’s Sacred Rhythm Music Dance Version)

Which leads us to yet another Joe Claussell production, a blissful jazzy house workout featuring no less than Kaidi Tatham on synths, the highlight of a great package of reworks for (record label cum pressing plant) Mother Tongue’s head honcho Patrick Gibin. Deep, musical and classy house music.

• Trinidadian Deep – Sonic Vibrations (Fatsouls)

Afro deep spiritual house heaven from a producer I always keep an ear out for, especially since his sublime “Native Revolution” from 2018, a tune I still play regularly. Pure bliss.

• Gene Tellem ft. Teddy Bryant – Phantom Vibrations (Alt mix) (Love Injection)

 More late night deep house bliss from this new to me Montréal producer, released on Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele’s always trusted Love Injection label. There’s also a great Kuniyuki remix on the flip. Of note, this is the only release on the list which I don’t own in its physical form, and this is the first time such a thing happens since I started compiling these yearly round-ups over ten years ago. With a baby in tow and limited space in the house, will I be going further into that direction in the coming years? I would assume so…

• Leonidas – “Spectral Portal” (Hobbes)

Potential highlight of an incredible release by long time friend and fellow cosmonaut Leonidas, who’s been on a creative roll lately. Unstoppable even (look out for future batb release – you read it here first). Think Mothership Connection meets Drexciya on a full on exploration into cosmic dancing, delving into some of Leonidas’ favourite extra-terrestrial, interstellar and sci-fi themes.

• Mighty Zaf & Linkwood – “Yokai” (‘80s)

Still hovering high and chasing stars in the cosmic plains with this HUGE edit of Jun Fukamachi’s “Perpetual (Movement)” from 1980, itself a rip on Alan Parsons Project “I Robot” (is it?). A cosmic dance of the highest order which as with the Whistlebump edit was played at all three parties. Great inspiration and a big coup for Zaf and Linkwood.

• Alex Kassian – “Trippy Gas” (Pinchy & Friends)

We’re now full on dancing with the stars with the cosmic krautrock inspired sounds of “Trippy Gas”, only the potential highlight of a superb EP for LA’s label Pinchy & Friends. The man in form (see further below).

• Muckers – “Bog No” (Circle Dance)

Late night mid tempo techno with flashes of psy trance for all the dmt cosmonauts still with us. Produced by one Matt Huxley, producer of the Love is the Message podcast, he he. 

• Yu Su – “Bonita” (Short Span)

One of my favourite producers of the last decade or so, here on what is probably her more dance-floor oriented 12” so far. Think warm and emotive shifting techno groove, perfect for a room like Om where (as if on cue) Yu Su plays now regularly, having relocated to London from Vancouver.

• Lady Blackbird VS Crooked Man – “Whatever His Name (Part 1)”

I’ve been a fan of both Lady Blackbird (her Black Acid Soul Lp from 2021 is a huge fave) and Crooked Man, but I never expected these two to be paired together. His remix of “Purify” has all the qualities of a big room Body & Soul anthem but my pick is probably this unlikely dub techno remix of the country soul number “Whatever His Name (Part 1)”. Well nice!

• Paul St. Hilaire & Gavsborg – “Confidential” (Kynant records)

Paul St. Hilaire aka Tikiman released a great collaborative album simply entitled Paul St. Hilaire w/ The Producers, which sounds gorgeous in a heavy double vinyl edition. Leaning  towards slightly darker electronics than usual, this was arguably not Cleo’s favourite album of the year, though the track “Confidential” which is the most classic Tikiman sounding of the LP was still one of the highlights of the year for me. The kind of track that matches perfectly with Om’s sound room for instance.

• So-Do – “Hashiru” (Time Capsule)

Bonkers post punk dub a la Dennis Bowell from mid 1980s Japan, taken from yet another well inspired reissue by Time Capsule. Kay Susuki himself chose to drop Get Away, another track from the same comp to start his set at All Our Friends back in March, which sounded equally bonkers.

• Quiet Village & Vanessa Daou – “Naked Hunger” (both mixes) (QV)

Back to earth with this dream collaboration between QV and Vanessa Daou. A blissful tune to dance to, altogether soulful, dubby, ethereal, musical and uber balearic. Played by DJ Alex at Lucky Cloud and by me everywhere else. Future classic no doubt. 

• George Benson “Love X Love” (NAD remix) (Musica De Baleares)

Super cool edit of the just-above-borderline Balearic soul funk ballad by the legendary Dan “Idut Boys” Tyler on a trademark echoey, dubbed out cosmic tip.

• Skyrager – “Love Affair”

Possibly my most played record of the year, which I did initially because its extended length allowed for a much needed spliffy / toilet break when doing a long set, but eventually I got totally addicted to its feel good, California style rolling groove and ended up playing it at every om party. It took me six month to track down what I then thought was the original  (Serge Ponsar’s “Out In The Night” thanks to my All Our Friends co-host Tim Lawrence who even added that it was a David Mancuso favourite – bingo!), only to find out shortly afterwards that this was actually an edit of a cover by one mysterious Joe Metal hailing from Argentina. Absolutely fascinating stuff. 

• Gulp – “Wildflower” (Richard Norris Remix) (E.L.K. Records)

In 2025 I went to Ibiza for the first time and absolutely loved it, in great parts thanks to Chris English’s food and beach recommendations. What with Silvia being 6 months + pregnant the vibe was more Virgin Mary at sunset than special K for breakfast, though that didn’t help us getting into Pike’s as we got refused entry (not laddy enough I suppose) by a seemingly barely legal door person. That’s a sign I thought, plus that’ll give me more time to finish devouring the fascinating and much recommended memoirs by Richard Norris’, “Strange Things Are Happening”. Already an avid follower on his ongoing “Music for Healing” ambient series, I also really enjoyed this unashamedly Balearic remix of Gulp’s “Wildflower”.

• Topium – “Bo Bay Lanmen” (Kay Suzuki remix)

Another year and another Afro cosmic Kay Suzuki masterpiece for BATB. A true labour of love which took over two years to be completed, with the legendary Prince Fatty stepping in for the final mix. A few years after that devastating dub remix of Gaoule Mizik on the first volume of the Excursion in Gwoka series, this new offering opens yet another (cosmic) direction in how gwoka music can expand and reach new scenes and generations. One for the 5am massive.

• Alex Kassian X Spooky – “Orange Coloured Liquid (Part I)” (Test Pressing)

A bit of a mini summer 25 anthem for me, a blissful mid tempo breakbeat remix of 1993’s Spooky’s psychedelic ambient house rave anthem. Sounding crisp and warm and oh so ecstatic making my love turn to (orange) liquid 🧡

• Bohdan – “Seven Winds” (Underwater Party Remix by Vague Imaginaires) (Special Species records)

Last relance with this hypnotic underwater techno number from a favourite producer of mine, Vague Imaginaires here on remix duties for Ukrainian artist Bohdan as part of his superb EP Originem (more below). Swimsuit and snorkel optionals.

• Leonidas & Hobbes – Bathing (Hobbes)

Lysergic after hours vibes from the celebrated duo, a track inspired by (and created directly after so I’m told) a Beauty & the Beat party at the bath house (sic) in Hackney Wick, London. Sounded insanely good at Rude Movement’s Garden Of Life party in the summer, on their extraordinary Klipsch Jubilee sound system.

• Cadejo – “Endless Moon” (P-Vine Records, Japan)

The party’s ending soon though we are somehow still travelling under the endless moon with this cosmic (dare I say prog?) rock beauty from Japan.  A very cinematic number, which I could imagine soundtracking a lost Americana film by Lynch or Wenders. Taken from Endless, a 70s style concept album declining variations around the idea of endlessness (Jungle, Wave, Dance, Dive, Night, Fever, Moon). The whole album is a rollercoaster of a journey, with production and sonics absolutely stunning – thank you Scott Pelloux for the tip!

• Bohdan – “Sunrise On The Seym “(Leftie Remix) (Special Species records)

The moon might be endless but somehow it is now sunrise and we are finding ourselves lying horizontally to the blissful sounds of this closing track of a superb EP already mentioned above, whose intent is to bring the listener to another world of fresh air, clean seas, and verdant expanses. Spot on.

  ☆:**:. ♪ .:**:.☆

Revivals 

(In no particular order)

• Gifrants – “Rara Mwe“

Not a revival as it’s a record I discovered last year (thank you Brandon Hocura from Seance Centre!). A totally unique and irresistible mix of electronics, cosmic synths and rara rhythms from Haiti, released in 1991 as a private press.

“Rara mwe. Chante bonè mwe, doulè mwe, kè-sere mwe, gason”

(My rara, sing my happiness, my pain, my heartache, man)

• Amadou Et Mariam – “Bara (Joaquin‘s Sacred Rhythm Dance)“

Joe Claussell is up there at the top of my favourite dance music producers. I must own 50+ of his records from the past three decades, and every year there’s a few more killers coming out, last year no exception. His legendary remix of Amadou & Mariam’s “Bara” from 2009 is bona fide BATB classic since day one, though last year I revived it a few times following Amadou Bagayoko’s passing, playing both at Lucky Cloud and BATB’s 20th. Absolute masterpiece.

• Ron Trent – “Magic Carnival”

A beast of a record, deep and raw and psychedelic and absolutely relentless, Afro tribal house at its finest. Released on Joe Claussell’s Sacred Medicine label, makes all the sense in the world (I love to mix it with Claussell’s own “Makussa – Medicine Man Drinking From The Well Of The Spirits“. Although this apparently came out in 2024, I wasn’t aware of it and didn’t buy it until some time last year. Sounded huge at Houghton and pretty much every party afterwards as I couldn’t stopped playing it for a while.

• Joey Negro – “Distorted Space Time” (Ron Trent remix)

One of deep house’s royalties  again, on a remix from 2018 which I only discovered randomly last year as I was looking for a clip of Joey Negro’s original (which I love and have played a lot since it came out). Turns out Ron Trent flipped the track into a whole other dimension, complete with walking bass, deep drums, funky groove and scat vocals from space. Loft material I would say.

• Benden – “Montbui“

I sang the praises of this record one it came out in 2022 and I can certify that it is still as secret weapon everywhere I play it. Sweet Apricots in Paris being an especially good example. Was played again on NYE too. 

• Guru – “Take A Look At Yourself”

 I bought the first Jazzmatazz LP when it came out and it has always stayed with me. A truly unique piece in history, the perfect blend of hip hop and jazz uniting legends from both camps. When Roy Ayers died I pulled out many of his productions to play a tribute at All Our Friends, and it was probably the first time I dropped “Take A Look At Yourself”. Thirty years later, what a tune.

• Angie Stone / D’Angelo

They had a long history (and a son) in common and they both tragically died months apart in 2025, way too young. Angie Stone’s Mahogany Soul is up there as one of the best neo soul LPs in history, alongside D’Angelo’s Voodoo. “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” is a huge classic which never sounded so poignant, and the same goes for “Left & Right” “Devil’s Pie”, “Untitled”, “Spanish Joint”, “Africa”.

Also “Water No Get Enemy”, the superb Fela cover by D’Angelo, Femi Kuti and Macy Gray, which I only discovered last year (thanks Irfan Rainy for the tip).

• Bonga – “Mulemba Xangola” (Feat Lura) (Lusafrica)

A song I “discovered” in the film Farewell Amor (about the diasporic life of an Angolan cab driver in New York) as it came back a few times during the movie to illustrate the common roots of the Angolan characters. As a long time fan of Bonga I had missed but I quickly found out that it came out on a CD only release on the album of the same name in 2000, and luckily had recently been reissued on a vinyl on a comp in 2024. I live for music like this.

• Beach Boys – “God Only Knows” 

Brian Wilson died not long after Scott Pelloux had showed me a clip of me playing “God Only Knows” on the last ever party at the New Empowering Church back in 2015 (a party for the ages which lasted until 3pm), and only a few days before I was due to host the main set at Lucky Cloud. I never heard David playing it but I would be really surprised if he didn’t – McCartney described it as “the greatest song ever written” after all. In any case I was determined to find a way to drop it. This could have been done rather naturally as the last track of the night but I had other plans (Sly Stone – “People Everyday”), so I eventually managed to sandwich it between Roberta Flack – “God Don’t Like Ugly” and Ashford & Simpson – “Babies” (FK mix). It was not obvious as a/ it’s not exactly a dance record, and b/ nobody expected it but it worked and I will forever treasure that moment.

On that note, yet another sad loss in the music community last year was that of Michael Cook (aka Count Cookula on the DJH forum), a man of refined tastes who had done a superb dub remix of “God Only Knows”.

• Beach Boys into Pixies

The following week it was BATB’s 20th anniversary, a night of all classics, and I ended up playing “Good Vibrations” (first time ever for me) into “Where is My Mind” (a BATB classic), a spur of the moment decision for a rather unexpected choice which I’m still happy about.

• House of House – The Rough Half (Don’t Stop) (Whatever We Want)

A huge record which I hadn’t revisited in a while. The A side is the one people usually go for (it really is devastating on the dance-floor), but to me it was always all about the B side, a huge mid tempo cosmic house beast of a tune which takes on a whole other dimension when dropped at the tail end of the party on a big sound system.

Don’t stop the pleasure… release the pressure.

Interestingly both sides were played by David Mancuso at Lucky Cloud when this came out (2009). Easily one of the top five 12”s of that decade imo 🔥

• The Unknown Cases – “Masimba Bele“

Off the back of Dr Rob review of Topium’s release on Ban Ban Ton Ton, which quoted “Masimba Bele” as one of its cousins, I pulled out the record from the shelves and couldn’t stop playing it for a few parties in row. Huge Afro cosmic Balearic tune right there, the very definition of.

• Dadou Pasquet & the Magnum Band – “Cherché La Vie”

Dadou Pasquet, who passed away last year, was one of the giants of 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴, a true legend who was the architect of the modern Haitian sound and transformed a musical genre, 𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘬, into a spiritual discipline with rhythmic elegance. This track from Dadou’s first LP as band leader, a perfect fusion of 𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘢 with 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 and 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘬 though with an inimitable Dadou Pasquet signature should really have been a hit on the Loft dance-floor (there I said it). Big at BATB 🔥

• Eddy Grant – “Wipe Mo Nfe E“

Off the Love LP from 1978, the whole A side, all 15 minutes of it. Bonkers jam on an Afro cosmic digi juju funk tip (sic), this really sounds like nothing else. Just when you thought you knew everything about Eddy Grant. As played by Victor Rosado at Lucky Cloud back in February. What a moment.

• The Stone Roses

The legendary Roses’ bass player Mani passed away in November, which had me rushing to dig out my favourite tracks of the iconic Manchester band, namely “I Am the Resurrection” and “Fools Gold’. There is no question that “I Am the Resurrection” is one of the most spectacular songs ever written, the perfect crossover between indie and rave culture. 

I am the resurrection and I am the life
I couldn’t ever bring myself to hate you as I’d like

The song is famous of course for its second part, a long, multi-part guitar solo, which starts off with some iconic bass runs from Mani (sampled to perfection a year later by MC Tunes Versus 808 State on “Tunes Splits The Atom (Zero Gravity Mix)” as Reni switches into the the Madchester beat and Squire piles licks and chords and notes and every other fucking thing he can think of while Mani and Reni keep up their relentless groove for over four minutes of pure instrumental gold. The 12’ version sounds immense though I tend to favour the Simon Harris remix (aka the Extended 16:9 Ratio Club Mix). Off that same treasured 12” features the lesser known Bottom Won Mix of “Fools Gold” by A Guy Called Gerald who strips the tune to its bare backbone and makes it a breaker’s paradise. The 12” of “Fools Gold” with features the original full version sounds also immense on a big sound system. It was such a pleasure to re listen to these tunes at the parties (NYE included). Indie dance at its very finest.

• Roberta Flack feat. Donny Hathaway – “Don’t Make Me Wait“

Forever a late night disco-soul anthem, rediscovered as Roberta Flack died last year. So good, so uplifting. Hands in the air material. This in turn made me revisit the unreleased Stevie Wonder version, the Reflex revision remix which came out in 2020. Almost as good. The flip side of course is “God Don’t Like Ugly”, a Mancuso favourite which I also love and played at Lucky Cloud’s June party. Double A side winner.

• Prince – “17 Days” (East Coast Love Affair remix)

Potentially the best Prince remix ever? Not an easy feat to remix the Purple One, especially with such a great song as 17 Days (the piano & microphone mix), but ECLA had done a stellar job with altogether delicate and subtle and bitter sweet but at the same time euphoric and relentless dance-floor monster. I bought it when it came out but hadn’t really listened to it properly. Then I pulled it out from the shelves and became obsessed by it for a while. So so good.

• The Grid – “Floatation”

Arguably Richard Norris and Dave Ball (RIP) finest and most loved record, a bona fide balearic classic, which I really enjoyed playing out on a few occasions in the magic hour of a few parties last year.

Till next time – love to the world.