Disco Picnic, Vol. 1

Limited to just 300 copies, this three-track release is steeped in classic disco juice and stands as one of Picnic Records’ most satisfying curios. It is a compact, playful set that treats familiar material with reverence while happily bending it out of shape.

“Disco Ynferno” is not a straight cover of The Trammps’ classic, but it borrows just enough of the lyrics to lock into the spirit of the original. A driving deep house groove and insistent 909 drums push things forward, before a big, buzzy bassline, smooth breaks and nonchalant vocals arrive halfway through and click everything neatly into place. It feels effortless, like the track has always existed in this form.

Company B’s Hi-NRG anthem gets delightfully chuggified next. “Phasinated” is reimagined as a deep, funky 110bpm disco groover, with vocals from Aussie soul diva ‘Ofa Fotu cutting through the mix. Tropical percussion bubbles underneath a bouncy electro synth bass, giving the track a loose, sun-soaked feel that recalls the crooked, left-field disco lineage without ever sounding forced.

The standout, though, is “Dubbing Alive”, a tropical, dubbed-out take on one of the biggest disco tracks ever recorded. It settles into its groove patiently, washing the listener in familiar melodies while a strangely perfect honky bass nudges it along. It is the kind of track that works in almost any setting, whether you’re coming up, coming down, or easing into a Sunday session at the pub.

Short, sharp and full of joy, this release understands disco not as nostalgia, but as something elastic and alive.