Everybody's Lover (Remixes)

When Psychemagik's Danny McLewin decided to launch Spacetalk Records, he didn't just want to reissue rare material. From the start, one of his stated aims was to deliver fresh new versions of obscure cuts from his record collection.

It's perhaps fitting, then, that the label's second 12" breathes new life into a suitably little-known gem: Avant Garde's 1982 Euro-boogie B-side, "Everybody's Lover".

The track was originally featured on the flip of the seven-piece Dutch outfit's second and final 7", "Walking Back To Happiness". It has been a feature of McLewin's DJ sets for years, inspiring countless track ID requests from excited clubbers.

Earlier this year, McLewin set out to track down the songwriter-turned-producer behind the record, Avant Garde mastermind Hans Van Hemert. Happily, the search was a fruitful one; not only did Van Hemert own the rights to the song, but he'd also kept hold of the tapes from the original recording sessions.

With the Dutchman's agreement, McLewin asked old friends Jaz and Party Dad, and label co-owner Paul 'Mudd' Murphy, to put their own spin on the super-smooth '82 original. Predictably, they've done a bang-up job.

On the A-side you'll find Jaz & Party Dad's version, which is little less than the extended 12" version that "Everybody's Lover" always deserved. Smooth, soulful and tactile, the duo's rework makes full use of the Dutch band's wonderful vocals, loved-up chords, sparkling synth flourishes and killer bassline, adding a touch of delay to the beats for added '80s boogie effect.

Murphy takes a different approach on the flip, drawing influence from the pioneering 1980s "proto-house" dubs of acclaimed New York producers Paul Simpson, Winston Jones, Boyd Jarvis and Timmy Regisford. Delay-laden guitar flashes and synthesizer flourishes echo in and out of the mix, whilst saucer-eyed pads rub shoulders with reverb-heavy beats and Avant Garde's rolling bassline. It's one of Murphy's most confident remixes of recent times, and makes a fitting partner to Jaz & Party Dad's vocal-heavy A-side interpretation.