If the "figures" in the title here sounds a bit familiar, it's because Figures was a great return to form for the legendary Aksak Maboul – a record that showed that their unusual mix of sounds and styles was alive and well into the 21st Century – used here as a platform for new creation by a hosts of artists and producers invited to the project by the group! These tracks aren't remixes, and are definitely "redrawn" in the spirit of the title – fresh music that moves between a variety of modes, but which often still retains the leaner feel of the group in their current incarnation. Titles on this second volume include "Un Caid (Hello Skinny rmx)", "Retour Chez A (Felix Kubin rmx)", "Fin (Stubbleman rmx)", "Anatomy Of A Dramuscule (Matias Aguayo interpretation)", "L'Adieu A L'Histoire (Tolouse Low Trax rmx)", and "Dramuscule (Ohh Luuu rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of rare 80s soul albums from the Windy City – presented here as a double-length collection, given that the groups were essentially the same act! First up is the debut of Maxx Traxx, an excellent 80s groove combo from Chicago – one of the city's last great indie acts in the years before the house generation – and an outfit who comes across with an incredibly tight sound that should have made them huge! The set cooks along in a really great way – bubbling with bass and keys like a BB&Q band album, but also sporting some really strong vocals from the group – coming together in great harmonies at surprising moments – which makes for a set that's a lot deeper than you might think at first. The ballads are as great as the groovers – and titles include "Time Has Come", "Tell Me", "You & I", "Let's Have A Party", "Don't Touch It", "To Be With You", and "Living Without You". Next is the album Reachin For It by Third Rail – a real lost group from the early 80s Chicago scene – but a great one! It's our guess that these guys never made it bigger because they were stuck on a tiny indie in the years after the big companies departed the Windy City – the sound is almost in the Omni mode, in that the group's a larger ensemble funk outfit, given an 80s groove spin, with some great post-Earth Wind & Fire styled instrumentation supporting the rhythms, and sweet compressed vocals that step out nicely. Titles include "Reachin For It", "If You Want It", "Just Had To Tell You", "Let Me Love You", and "Living Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

The folks at Numero bill this set as "the only boogie record you'll ever need to own" – and while we might take issue with that, as there's so many great boogie records out there in the world, we can say that the set features some great 80s-styled groovers from their never-ending vaults of music! The set ranges across different labels and scenes, to bring out the best of some overlooked gems that barely got any play back in the day, but have a style that's gained new appreciation for contemporary ears – a lean, post-disco groove that's got plenty of resonance with soulful styles of the 21st Century scene! Titles include "If You Love Me" by Stylle Band, "Let's Boogie Tonight" by Unit Three, "Quick" by Steven, "Lady Luck" by Duke D, "Contagious" by Ronnie Robbins, "You & Me" by Pete & Cheez, "Slippin In The Night" by Contrast, "Burning Up" by Donnell Pitman, and "Don't Touch It" by Maxx Traxx. LP, Vinyl record album

An entry in this excellent series that's very near and dear to our heart – as the cuts here were all chosen by Chicgao DJ Rahaan, who's got a mighty nice ear for a rare clubby groove! The collection explores territory that the previous volumes have hit, but with a special sound that's a nice change too – less of the standard disco or boogie, and some nicely unusual tracks that really change things up, and show just how much fresh creative energy was happening in the underground, way past the bigger labels of the time! Many of these cuts are completely new to our ears, which is really saying a lot in favor of the strength of the collection – and titles include "Ticket" by John Lamkin, "Wanna Get Down With You" by Jaze, "He Loves You" by Wings Of Light, "Let's Get It On" by Marini, "Come & Get It" by Santrax, "Shoot Me With Your Love" by Venus Dodson, "One Of These Days" by The 21st Century Singers, "For You" by Cherish, "Super Disco" by Frank Hatchett Dance Explosion, "Count Of Monte Thisgo" by Ship Of The Desert, "Back Fire" by Time Unlimited, "Juicy Fruit My Love" by Boobie Knight, "Go Down Moses" by Porno Disco, and "Catch Your Glow" by Cousin Ice with Zack Sanders. LP, Vinyl record album