MINT

The wonderful Black Ops sub label from the SLEAZYBEATS crew continues...For the 9th and penultimate release in the series, the Sleazy Beats gang welcomes Bristol's Admin (Future Boogie, Banoffee Pies) aboard the Black Ops ship, which ventures beyond the trusted beatdown waters the label has been sailing since its inception in 2012 in search of exciting new pastures.For his 'Super Lover EP', Admin commandeered an obscure record collection and cut up a cheeky trio of summery, sample-heavy disco delights that are rough around the edges but groovy like a drive-in movie.The Black Ops dudes decided to leave the crackle, hum and imperfections intact as an ode to good old-fashioned art of sampling, a tip of the hat to the format's charm ('life has surface noise mate') and a polite middle finger to the non-descript clinical compressed deep House that seems to be so in vogue now.As always, this is a limited, vinyl only release. It will not be repressed and will not be released digitally. Not now, not ever.

Taken from the 1972 LP of the same name, It’s Just Begun needs no introduction – classic funk, break beat, B-Boy banger which has been sampled to the high heavens and back but you never grow tired of it. Featured here is the LP version with intro. Whether you’re an old head looking for fresh new doubles to rock or a part of the new school of diggers you can’t go wrong with this 45 – the flipside contains the equally funky Troglodyte which was also a fave with the producers.

The latest reissue on the constantly on-point Athens of The North imprint comes from Brief Encounter, a North Caroline soul, disco and boogie outfit from North Carolina who released two albums between 1977 and '81. "We Want To Play For You" is taken from the latter, and offers a hazy, surprisingly sweet - if undeniably floor-friendly - take on the New York boogie sound of the period. With bold pianos, fuzzy vocals and occasional percussive breakdowns, it ticks all the right boxes. Flip to the B-side for "Sweet Tender Loving", a sumptuous, string-drenched disco-soul number that boasts a particularly impassioned vocal and a huggable, feel-good groove.