Jiri Jiri - Give Me Disco - Vol 1 (Selected by DJ Kobayashi) [Batov Records]

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

Mysterious disco project Jiri Jiri delivers an essential EP: four sublime, sun-drenched tracks from the coolest of cool Europe, hand-selected by Batov Records boss DJ Kobayashi for the label’s new, carefully curated Give Me Disco 12” series, named after the classic Raja Zahr disco cut.

Emerging from the ranks of global groove collective Muito Kaballa and psychedelic travellers YĪN YĪN, Jiri Jiri has honed their musical craft and created four Neapolitan funk and pan-European disco jams as hot as the Adriatic coast.

The tracks on Give Me Disco - Vol. 1 were born in Naples, where Jan Janzen studied piano for a year, joined by Niklas Mündemann for a while. Both were inspired by the city’s intense pulse and the distinctive sound of bands like Nu Genea.

The Neapolitan connection shines through strongly in the opening track Gino. Gentle, breeze-like percussion intertwines with a beautiful guitar line and velvety bass, laying the foundation for a seductive Neapolitan-style vocal. The flute and synth touches are the icing on the cake.

The intensity ramps up with Senza Benza. This uptempo, mostly instrumental track fuses Afro-disco rhythms with Azymuth-style synthesizers. The relentless groove barely pauses, save for a brief wordless vocal interlude.

In L’amour, the track lives up to its name, expanding the palette from Neapolitan funk to include Anglo-French vocals that lament and celebrate the ups and downs of love. The closer, Lummo Luvva, returns to instrumental territory with style and flair.

The Give Me Disco - Vol. 1 EP marks the beginning of two exciting adventures: the emergence of Jiri Jiri and, driven by their need for a home, the launch of Batov Records’ Give Me Disco 12” series.