Miche on his latest curatorial triumph

At just 24 years old in 2018, miche had already become been lead programmer for London audiophile venue Spiritland and co-founded reissue 7” label Discs of Fun & Love with co-owner and friend Frederika.  Holding down a show on Worldwide FM in 2022, he DJs regularly across the UK and Europe, specialising in long and expansive sets that showcase his passion for modern soul, private press disco, Brazilian MPB rarities, jazz dance and deep house.

Spending his teenage years playing in post-rock bands and being mentored in music production by Phil Brown (Talk Talk) and Flood (New Order, Depeche Mode), miche settled on a career as a DJ with dedication that has come to shape his work, flying the flag for a new generation of record-hungry selectors.

Having been brought on board by Mr Bongo to compile the first With Love compilation almost exactly a year ago, the label have just released a second collection of gems handpicked by miche.  We tracked down the man himself and asked him to talk us through his selectiion for With Love: Volume 2 Compiled By Miche

BILLY BOOMER – I LIKE WHAT SHE’S DOING

Kicking off Volume 2 we have Billy Boomer out of Chicago with a sweet love song. It’s a low-slung, synth-fuelled stepper that perfectly sets the tone for this next instalment in the series. The wonky, voicemail style spoken word throughout the tune is something I find super charming and is perfect for putting a smile on any dancer’s face. My search for Billy involved all sorts of social media digging, including phoning up a local chicken shop he had left a Facebook review of, but it was via Linkedin that we made the breakthrough (keeping it as professional as ever). Billy is still writing and performing from his home in Nevada.

P.J. CITY – STRAIGHT FORWARD (NON STOP)

One of the ultimate gospel-infused-disco meets soul tracks to come out of Chicago. I could even go so far as to say it is one of the best. I know that this one is taking up room in many people’s want lists, so here you go. I also know that the rumours of unreleased music from the band are true, so here’s hoping one day it will be available, but until then, we are proud to release this one. RIP to producer Walter Winfrey, I know your music is loved by the masses! 

MAXWELL – REALIZE

A hyper-rare, Pennsylvania funk bomb with a slight AOR twist. Recorded in 1981, this track is a non-stop hypnotic groove with great energy. For an original copy of this you’ll have to dig super deep in your pockets with copies selling for over £1500, so we are extremely grateful to Kathy and Jeff for letting us include this for you all to spin. 

CECIL LYDE – I’LL MAKE IT ON MY OWN

A short but sweet dancer from Cecil Lyde Holden out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally from the Evanston music scene, forming a band named “The Cavaliers” with relatives the Foster brothers, he went on to release with major labels and then on his own Alwest Records in Chicago. There is a real singalong vibe to this 1981 disco anthem. 

MIXED GENERATION ENTERPRIZE – TAKE TO THE SKY

Keeping the energy high, here we have one of the best modern soul tracks I’ve ever heard. I was informed by a friend that there were only ever 25 original copies in existence! We know this is a rarity and are delighted to make this Massachusetts modern soul spin available for you all to play and enjoy.

MARK MEADOWS – YOU AND ME

My search for Mark began like most others on these compilations, finding a wicked track on YouTube and discovering it’s way too pricey for the average 29 year old record collector. I found Mark through the phonebook and a quick Google search found this eerie but excellent news article that came out 18 months before I was born! 

This is such an inspirational story. Now, for the first time, Mark’s music is selling and streaming worldwide with him getting a proper royalty through this compilation.

ALICE COHEN & FUN CITY – SAVE THE BEST ‘TIL LAST

Another bit of radio comp gold, this time from Philadelphia’s WMMR and Alice Cohen with her band Fun City. This killer, AOR, folk-funk gem has one of the grooviest choruses around underpinned with a bassline that’s impossible not to dance on. It’s an affordable, overlooked record, which goes to show that the finds are still out there! Alice Cohen is still performing and we chat regularly. Her release on Philadelphia’s “WMMR Breakout” was her first ever.

BANDA 22 – A LUZ QUE BRILHA MEU VIVER

A gorgeous, self-released Brazilian beauty that was found in the depths of Rio De Janeiro and was a must-have for this compilation. The title translates to “The Light That Shines My Life”, a fittingly poetic title for a beautiful, love drenched Brazilian glide. Half of the band are still performing as session musicians across south and north America.

ZÉ DA LATA – MISTÉRIO BRILHANTE

Another killer private press Brazilian track. It’s funkier than Banda 22 and has a distinct sound straight out of ‘83. Finding Zé was another deep and tricky search, mainly due to my poor Portuguese and the time it takes to keep translating a conversation on Google. I found a couple of musicians under the same name and began trying to face match them with the photograph on the original record cover. After a few false leads, the first one I found had finally responded to me on Instagram. When he accepted me I could finally see a full size image of him, confirming he was the guy! We have become great friends since, mostly chatting through the universal language of emoji, but catch up from time to time.

ROGERS MITCHELL – DAME SOLAMENTE AMOR

This is a super difficult to find 7 inch only ever released in Chile, which started a big hunt across all the record stores in Chile to find copies and him. We ended up finding around four copies from over 40 stores, with no one knowing who this illustrious “Rogers Mitchell” is. Sang in English and sounding like a soul record from Detroit or Chicago, it was only when we found the LP that we discovered “Rogers” was short for “Rogelio”. Then the search for Rogelio Mitchell in Santiago and other Chilean cities still came up with nothing. I decided to visit the phonebook in the USA and discovered Rogelio now living in Las Vegas. Born in Panama, he recorded an album with a few singles in Chile and is now still active as a recording musician in Las Vegas.

THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT – THEN I REACH SATISFACTION 

An incredibly gorgeous modern soul spin that was first broken in the UK by Colin Curtis at the Blackpool Mecca. It seems this track becomes the topic of conversation most times Colin and I chat. A euphoric chorus, undeniable groove, incredible vocal harmonies, it sure sums up what the ‘With Love’ series is all about. 

BILLY BOOMER – YOU CAN’T HIDE

There was almost a ruckus amongst the team when choosing which Billy Boomer track to pick from his 7” on Blast Records, so why not select both! This naughty disco number has a totally addictive earworm of a chorus. 

FREEDOM – HIGH ON YOU

A stunning modern soul tune that was first shown to me a few years ago, and the line “She’s like water to a tree, honey to a bee” has become one of my favourite lines in any track. The band went on to some success with Malaco Records, but this is their first self-released track. Thanks to David Ripolles for the help. 

THE LOST FAMILY – BLOW MY MIND

This hot spin sung by John “Stormy” Colley was an instant purchase when Gary Johnson and I visited Bob Smith at Uptight Records. As soon as I heard those horns, I knew it would be tracked down and had to be included in volume 2. Stormy’s hit was named “The Devastator”, a favourite of the Numero Group crew, but his work with “The Lost Family” was the track that we searched down and licensed.

THE FAMILY TREE – AS

In my eyes this is how every party should end, with the great Stevie Wonder at his best. How about this funky gospel version of, in my eyes, the greatest song ever written, ‘As’. A legend in the Baltimore gospel scene, it’s a real treat to share some of Julius Brockington’s expertly led Family Tree band legacy here, fully licensed with love from his wife Jackie and daughter Tasha.

ROGERS MITCHELL – TE AMARE MAS ASI 

Another big Chilean monster from Rogers, this time off his even rarer self-titled album. Lo-fi on the touch, but sweet, soulful and slow.

To buy your copy of With Love: Volume 2 Compiled By Miche, click here