The resurgence of vinyl in recent years has been a wonderful thing for us DJs. Just when you thought you couldn't venture into a club without seeing an Apple logo staring down from the DJ booth, out of nowhere the ancient ways of the vinyl DJ have returned. So much so that a few years back you wouldn't have bet a thousand to one that 2016 would be the year of the 'vinyl only' night, but here we are. Having said that, such a resurgence requires a parallel rediscovery in music. And as much as I love the man, there's only so many times you can hear a James Brown 45 in a bar.

In steps Edinburgh based reissue label Athens of the North. Sticking mainly to the 7" format, they provide the vinyl community with stunning rare soul and disco reissues on what seems like a weekly basis. Owner and serial digger Euan Fryer seems to have an almost unlimited knowledge of rare and obscure soul treats, and puts them out to us in our favourite format. And it seems he has been a busy man, as this week sees a whopping 6 fresh releases, all of which hit the stores tomorrow. 

Our pick of the week is John Heartsman's 'Mr. Magic'. Undoubtably the prefect kind of funk groove, just dirty enough to keep you hooked while being crisp enough to bang in the speakers. I've had it on repeat pretty much ever since it came through the door this week and I can't imagine turning it off any time soon. In addition to this there's a 12 from the 'Fruit' LP, a lovely left field number by Felony Theft, trippy disco from Strange, some rock-drenched boogie by Flipside and the full 45 version of Jax Transit Authority's "Life is a Miracle'.

All this should be enough to keep our speakers bumping till the end of the year with ease, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were plenty more coming. Thank you Mr Fryer for keeping the funk alive! Keep doing what you're doing...

You can listen to them and grab your copies here.