Give Me Disco – Vol 1 (Selected by DJ Kobayashi) by Jiri Jiri {Out Now}

For fans of: Nu Genea, Piero Umiliani, Banda Maje, Favorite Recordings

Mysterious disco outfit Jiri Jiri deliver an essential EP — four tracks of sublime, summery European cool hand-picked by Batov Records boss DJ Kobayashi for the label’s brand new and carefully curated ‘Give Me Disco’ 12” series, named after Raja Zahr’s disco classic.

Springing from the ranks of global grooves ensemble Muito Kaballa and psychedelic travellers YĪN YĪN, Jiri Jiri have honed their musical chops and crafted four Neapolitan funk and pan-European disco jams as hot as the Adriatic coastline.

The songs on ‘Give Me Disco – Vol. 1’ were born in Naples, where Jan Janzen studied Piano for a year and was accompanied by Niklas Mündemann for a while. The two were inspired by the intense pulse of the city and the distinctive sound of bands like Nu Genea.

The Neapolitan connection shines brightest on opener “Gino”. Gentle, breeze-like percussion interlocks with a gorgeous guitar line and a buttery bassline, laying the foundation for a seductive Neapolitan-style vocal. Flute and synth flourishes are the icing on the cake.

Things crank up a notch on “Senza Benza”. This uptempo, largely instrumental track fuses Afro disco rhythms with Azymuth-esque synths. The relentless groove hardly lets up, save for a brief, wordless vocal break.

Elsewhere, “L’amour” does what it says on the tin, expanding the palette from Neapolitan funk to include Anglo-French vocals that both lament and celebrate love’s ups and downs. Closer “Lummo Luvva” returns to instrumental territory with flair.

The ‘Give Me Disco – Vol. 1’ EP marks the beginning of two exciting new ventures — the emergence of Jiri Jiri, and inspired by their need for a home, the launch of Batov Records’ ‘Give Me Disco’ 12” series.