A bridge from the past to the future, a tribute to a best mate, a kickass EP - Monkey Magic is all three

Chris Reed and Paul Radley formed Monkey Boots more than a decade ago to showcase a new sound, somewhere between their beloved deep house and the nascent nu-disco and edit scene.

Characterised by solid grooves, smooth builds, smart sampling and devastating hooks, Monkey Boots’ early releases were championed by the likes of Greg Wilson. It was Wilson who re-edited their breakthrough single Whitworth Strut, a musical love letter to the glory days of Manchester’s legendary Hacienda Club.

With new tracks underway, Paul died in 2022. Chris took a long time to figure out whether it was right to see their work through. After consulting - and securing the support of - Paul’s family, he decided it was.

This release captures some of their best work together (with a fresh twist) before that all-new material comes to Grass Green.

Monkey Magic contains their two most celebrated tracks, Whitworth Strut and Impossible Need, with a new edit of the former.

Whitworth Strut is a baggy broadside of loping conga beats, low-slung disco bass and reverb-drenched synths. It’s groovy, saucer-eyed fare that climaxes with a slowly-filtered anthemic riff.

Impossible Need mines an even more percussive vein, with a classic deep house bass sound (IYKYK) driving the bottom end and a plaintive yet powerful male vocal soaring above. Melodic and moody, this is maximum Monkey Boots.

The new take on Whitworth Strut (the 2025 Hour Party People Version) leads the EP and leans even further into its inspiration, with a sample that ageing Hacienda regulars and keen students of the “Madchester” scene alike will recognise immediately.

While primarily a re-edit, there are other pieces of fresh sonic trickery too: “Paul was a restless innovator,” says Chris. “He was always playing with new sounds, trying new ways of doing things. I felt I had to try adding some new bits to complement what was there because that’s what he would have done. I hope I’ve done him proud.”

Monkey Magic is the latest release from the Natural Rhythms family of labels, which also includes Electric Orange, Red Snapper and Black Sands. All take their names from Aotearoa-New Zealand's beautiful environment. In the case of Grass Green it’s the lush vegetation that covers much of the country.

Monkey Magic

Monkey Boots- Monkey Magic

Darren Clark-Suzy 128k Preview

Monkey Boots- Whitworth Strut-Greg Wilson Version (96 K preview) November 2013 Vinyl Release

Monkey Boots- Just here to raise ya-96k Preview

Monkey Boots @ Tiki Hut (4 Decks) November 2013-FREE DOWNLOAD*

GG10 - Step Into My Life/Minter 4 Tha Munter - Mono/Loco

This might be the first Grass Green release after a loooooong hiatus, but it’s business as usual for the New Zealand label that created quite a reputation last time round.

This new project from Chris Reed (Monkey Boots/Reed & Radley) kicks off with two storming cuts showcasing his enduring love for the building blocks of house - swing, groove and melody.

Lead track Step Into My Life is all aboard the disco train, powered by not one but two basslines - a rolling disco sample and a solid-as single-note acid hit. There’s extra impetus from cleverly programmed punches of guitar, heady horns and seductive strings, before a yearning vocal takes things to the next level. Deep and driving peaktime tackle.

Minter 4 Tha Munter’s different altogether, a sort-of “rave garage” sound influenced by the stab-heavy NY/NJ sounds of the early 1990s. This one’s built around an ascending piano line straddling a properly bouncing bassline. Vocal stabs increase the intensity before a hypnotic, sung refrain seals the deal.

Over two decades, Chris and long-time collaborator Paul Radley quietly built a well-regarded body of work, including releases on DiY Discs and pioneering New Zealand label Reliable Recordings. They were also key players in the creation of Grass Green. It’s good to have it back.

Step Into My Life Ep

Step Into My Life

Minter 4 Tha Munter

We've all had a sliding door moment - but how many have led to almost two decades of production and DJ brilliance?
Darren Clark's came as a teenager, when he went shopping for a keyboard with his Dad in Auckland, New Zealand.
Had they not wandered into the shop where Paul Radley was working, Clark might not have made the connection that kickstarted a lifelong love of deep house - and drove him to become a perfection-crazed studio scientist seeking the ultimate formula for smooth, deep, soulful grooves.
With Radley as mentor, Clark set about discovering the galaxy of star producers dominating the crates of discerning DJs in the early years of the 21st century.
Schooled up on the likes of Ron Trent, Charles Webster, Moodymann, Playin 4 the City and Franck Roger, Clark developed a distinctive style - on the decks and at the mixing desk.
His debut EP was on Omi Tutu, the New Jersey label run by Lou Gorbea and part of the legendary Louie Vega's family of imprints.
Back home, Clark was one of the foundation artists on Auckland's Grass Green Recordings and contributed multiple releases to fellow Kiwi label Them On The Hill.
He's continued to hone his style - and geek out over analogue gear - favouring sample-based work characterised by impeccable production and a very specific sense of space and sound.
Clark's DJ sets, meanwhile, have become refreshingly eclectic - with the ultra-underground house sounds that became his trademark at Auckland's respected Mum's The Word parties growing to include something of a Balearic flavour.

Future Bound Ep

At Peace

At Peace (Lush Dub)

Trinity Deep

Future Bound

Enchantment Ep

Brother

Enchantment

Late Nite Lovin

Monkey Boots-A Lullaby for Spiderman ( The Phantom Flan Finger Remix)

YEARNING FOR YOU (REED & RADLEY Dub)

"Give us the parts," said Reed & Radley.

"If you insist," replied Monkey Boots.

The result? A slightly straighter deep house builder which strips back the vocals and saves the loop till last.

"Nice one," said Monkey Boots.

"You're welcome," said Reed & Radley. "Can you pay us in HobNobs?"

Monkey Boots-Yearning For You- Reed Radley Dub 128k

YEARNING FOR YOU

A bit disco, a bit New York garage and a bit basementalism, Yearning For You is built around a dusty old keyboard loop and a two-note baseline.

Filtering brings the disco flavour, diva vocals and single-finger organ runs the garage groove and dubby, clubby stabs the shock of the new.

For the warm-up, rub-down or floors full of people who know you need to understand the past to embrace the future.

Monkey Boots-Yearning For You-128k

IMPOSSIBLE NEED

And lo, it came to pass that Monkey Boots were on holiday in Africa. While looking for a cup of tea in a dense forest they came across a clearing where a strange tribal ritual was taking place. There were drums, there was chanting, there were, bizarrely, analogue synthesizers. And there was stomping, oh so much stomping.

Watching secretly from a conveniently placed skip, day became night and the intensity grew. Overwhelmed, Monkey Boots nodded off. When they woke the next morning, they were alone, with almost no evidence of what they had seen or heard. Only the skip remained, and a reel-to-reel tape containing an acapella lament for lost love.

Back at Monkey Puzzle studios they were determined to create a track that captured something of that night. The result is Impossible Need, 500 seconds of pounding peak-time palaver uniting tribal drums, a bass-line bigger than Botswana, rich, textured synth stabs and those smooth, lovelorn, vocals.

It's big baby, out of Africa and out of its mind.

Monkey Boots-Impossible Need-128k

Chris Reed - Lounacy EP

Grass Green grooves into 2024 with a double dose of deep-house-meets-disco dynamite from label co-founder Chris Reed.

With Paul Radley, Chris created some of the most compelling club cuts to emerge from New Zealand over the past decade. Releases as Reed & Radley (house) and Monkey Boots (nu disco) topped sales charts on download sites around the world.

The Lounacy EP is his first solo outing under his own name in more than 30 years of releases. It was worth the wait.

Dancin’ and Spinnin’ is that rarest of beasts, a track built around filtered disco loops that prioritises credibility over cliche - even though it contains loads of sirens! 

A tribute to the power of the dancefloor, it’s underground and optimistic with an undercurrent of melancholy. Much like its creator.

With its burbling acid line, shimmering synth washes and FX-drenched vocals, Lounacy edges closer to a more traditional deep house vibe.

But it retains its disco roots thanks to rolling percussion and a low-slung bassline. Chuggy, punchy, lithe and loose it’s one that works on multiple types of floors. Get your jiggle on!

Lounacy

Chris Reed - Lounacy EP



Grass Green grooves into 2024 with a double dose of deep-house-meets-disco dynamite from label co-founder Chris Reed.

With Paul Radley, Chris created some of the most compelling club cuts to emerge from New Zealand over the past decade. Releases as Reed & Radley (house) and Monkey Boots (nu disco) topped sales charts on download sites around the world.

The Lounacy EP is his first solo outing under his own name in more than 30 years of releases. It was worth the wait.

Dancin’ and Spinnin’ is that rarest of beasts, a track built around filtered disco loops that prioritises credibility over cliche - even though it contains loads of sirens! 

A tribute to the power of the dancefloor, it’s underground and optimistic with an undercurrent of melancholy. Much like its creator.

With its burbling acid line, shimmering synth washes and FX-drenched vocals, Lounacy edges closer to a more traditional deep house vibe.

But it retains its disco roots thanks to rolling percussion and a low-slung bassline. Chuggy, punchy, lithe and loose it’s one that works on multiple types of floors. Get your jiggle on!

Dancin & Spinnin

Dancin and Spinnin

Homer is a Juno Download exclusive. A secret weapon in Chris’ DJ sets for more than a decade, it’s finally available as a free download to those who buy the full EP. This super-smooth deep house-flavoured take on a stone-cold disco classic is faithful to and respectful of the source material. Want a clue to the ID? Think epic Ancient Greek poetry rather than The Simpsons!

Buy on Juno

Chris Reed- Homer-Juno Exclusive

The first all-new Monkey Boots release since the death of founding member Paul Radley is a fitting celebration of their classic sound.

Co-founder Chris Reed has completed material the duo started working on in 2020, with the full support of Paul’s family.

All the key Monkey Boots elements are here: solid grooves, smooth builds, smart sampling and devastating hooks - this time filtered through a cosmic lens and bang-on for Balearic beach parties wherever you are.

Rice Action juxtaposes the solid and spacey - rolling percussion, tight live bass and punchy stabs setting the foundations for acidic synth lines, trippy widescreen FX and washes of woozy pads. The vocal earworm is the crowning glory of a bittersweet comeback five years in the making.

After enduring releases such as Whitworth Strut (later re-edited by Greg Wilson), Hold Back The Night (later remixed by Andy Hart) and the number one Impossible Need , Rice Action kickstarts a new chapter in the Monkey Boots story.

Rice Action

FIELDS OF MAY

Now hear this.

Deep and dark like a ninja in a mine. Skipping and swinging like a kangaroo at a playground.

Dubby NY grooves, a freaky filtered stab riff and an echoing exhortation to keep your ears open.

Listen to the rhythm: This is for the late, late, late show.

Reed & Radley-Fields of May-128k

Gimme Love

Gimme Love Feat. Bex Riley (Monkey Boots Mix)

Delve In The Dell

Track Title Artist
Treasure Every Sunset Mad Honey
Check It Out Leon Dahl
The Disco Scene Lake Shore Drive
Gimme Love Leon Dahl feat. Bex Riley
Steady On Now Al ''Man'' Muntzie & The Embraceables DJ Harvey's Gallery
Judge Not (Ray Mang Disco Mix) The Phenomenal Handclap Band
Under Pressure - Leon's Disco Mix Cuffy & Leon D feat. Anavo
Dance Tonight (Disco Dub) Sauce81
Marcy's Shaking Art Of Tones Rework
Cant Fake The Feeling (12" Instrumental Mix) Reel People, Navasha Daya
Not a Minute Too Late (Tom Noble Mix) United Spiritual Singers
All Good Things The Patchouli Brothers
Touch Down Jambonne
Is It All Over My Face Kon's Duet Mix Loose Joints
Don't Make Me Wait For The Doctor DJ Harvey's Gallery
I'm Gonna Dance Leon's '02 Blair St Rub Asha Puthli
Barbara's Disco Art Of Tones Rework
Delve In The Dell Leon Dahl
Caroline Breakdown Leon Dahl feat. Bex Riley
Looking For Patti Leon Dahl

Leon Dahl in the mix May 2024

The second coming of Monkey Boots continues with a sleek e-disco charger for dancers chasing thrills not frills.

Impossible Creed is grounded by a 1-2 punch of bottom end - a hypnotic slap disco loop riding a classic deep house bass sound (IYKYK).

String stabs and subtle filtering continue the disco theme but this is no retro release: The precision percussion, pin-sharp stabs, reverse FX and icy pads are ‘now’ AF. And the vocal hook (“I just want to believe”) is defiantly future-facing. There’s a moment after everything stops and the beats crash back with a vocal vamp when you’ll want to believe too.

Chris Reed and Paul Radley formed Monkey Boots more than a decade ago to showcase a new sound, somewhere between their beloved deep house and the nascent nu-disco and edit scene.

With new tracks underway, Paul passed away in 2022. Chris took a long time to figure out whether it was right to see their work through. After securing the support of Paul’s family, he decided it was.

Impossible Creed’s title (and a couple of elements) offer a deliberate nod to their earlier number one Impossible Need *. This is the third Monkey Boots release of 2025 following Monkey Magic, a celebration of some of their finest moments alongside a new version of breakthrough cut Whitworth Strut, and Rice Action, the first all-new track since Paul passed.

It's the latest release from the Natural Rhythms family of labels, which also includes Electric Orange, Red Snapper and Black Sands. All take their names from Aotearoa-New Zealand's beautiful environment. In the case of Grass Green it’s the lush vegetation that covers much of the country.

Impossible Creed

Chris Reed and Paul Radley formed Monkey Boots more than a decade ago to showcase a new sound, somewhere between their beloved deep house and the nascent nu-disco and edit scene.

Characterised by solid grooves, smooth builds, smart sampling and devastating hooks, Monkey Boots’ early releases were championed by the likes of Greg Wilson. It was Wilson who re-edited their breakthrough single Whitworth Strut, a musical love letter to the glory days of Manchester’s legendary Hacienda Club.

With new tracks underway, Paul died in 2022. Chris took a long time to figure out whether it was right to see their work through. After consulting - and securing the support of - Paul’s family, he decided it was.

This release captures some of their best work together (with a fresh twist) before that all-new material comes to Grass Green.

Monkey Magic contains their two most celebrated tracks, Whitworth Strut and Impossible Need, with a new edit of the former.

Whitworth Strut is a baggy broadside of loping conga beats, low-slung disco bass and reverb-drenched synths. It’s groovy, saucer-eyed fare that climaxes with a slowly-filtered anthemic riff.

Impossible Need mines an even more percussive vein, with a classic deep house bass sound (IYKYK) driving the bottom end and a plaintive yet powerful male vocal soaring above. Melodic and moody, this is maximum Monkey Boots.

The new take on Whitworth Strut (the 2025 Hour Party People Version) leads the EP and leans even further into its inspiration, with a sample that ageing Hacienda regulars and keen students of the “Madchester” scene alike will recognise immediately.

While primarily a re-edit, there are other pieces of fresh sonic trickery too: “Paul was a restless innovator,” says Chris. “He was always playing with new sounds, trying new ways of doing things. I felt I had to try adding some new bits to complement what was there because that’s what he would have done. I hope I’ve done him proud.”

Monkey Magic is the latest release from the Natural Rhythms family of labels, which also includes Electric Orange, Red Snapper and Black Sands. All take their names from Aotearoa-New Zealand's beautiful environment. In the case of Grass Green it’s the lush vegetation that covers much of the country.

Whitworth Strut-2025 Hour Party People Version

Whitworth Strut (2025 Hour Party People Version)

A selection of tracks released on Grass Green

Grass Green Mini Mix-Mixed by Chris Reed

Juno Download

Monkey Boots-Whitworth Strut  128k preview

Shallow Taxi Club-Melody of Creed (Monkey Boots Rework)
Warm like a good hug, the Monkey Boots mix of Melody of Creed is proper smile tackle. Lush pads, smooth washes and skittering bongos are layered over an old-school bassline before a dreamy, uplifting vocal leaves you feeling, well, a little better about the world. Smooth analog synth stabs lift things further before tricky vocal FX and a dubby acid line leave you snug as a club in a dub.
This will be available on the upcoming Shallow Taxi Club ep, Mark My Words on Juno Only

* Additional Mixiology and Mastering by Darren Clark

Shallow Taxi Club-Melody of Creed (Monkey Boots Rework)

We are based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Crossing the divide between Disco and Groove based Deep House . Lots of new and interesting tunes coming from us.

Grass Green

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