Pump up the jams: music for a summer feast

I make a lot of playlists for my restaurants Levan and Bar Levan, both in Peckham, on one of the world’s more famous streaming platforms. At last count, there were well over 100. Given that Levan takes its name from the legendary New York DJ and disco pioneer Larry Levan, it’s perhaps no surprise that the restaurant often hums along to one of my many “disco to boogie” playlists. Sitting somewhere between 105 and 125 beats per minute, disco occupies a sweet spot: energetic enough to lift the room, relaxed enough to let conversation flow, and joyful enough to make almost everyone smile.

Born out of liberation, self-expression and community, disco is packed with messages of love, resilience and togetherness. Its steady four-on-the-floor rhythm, funky basslines and infectious grooves carry a uniquely positive energy. It’s music that celebrates life.

And for us, disco isn’t just some convenient brand alignment. We genuinely love it. In all my years of playing records, I’ve never seen anyone look unhappy while eating, drinking or dancing to disco.

So when summer arrives, I lean heavily into a library of feel-good, sunshine-soaked playlists. The kind of records that can unite everyone at a barbecue, from your four-year-old niece to your octogenarian grandmother. The soundtrack to cold beers, smoky grills and long afternoons that stretch into warm evenings.

Here are a few of my perennial summer favourites:

The Joneses – Summer Groove

An absolute belter. Slinky bassline, funky guitars and soaring vocals. This is the sound of cracking open the first beer, firing up the BBQ and settling into the day.

Marcos Valle – Estrelar

The Brazilians know a thing or two about sunshine and good times. This track always transports me back to Leblon Beach in Rio: lethal margaritas, queijo coalho sizzling on portable grills and the Atlantic rolling in. Pure bliss.

Frisky – You’ve Got Me Dancing in My Sleep

Some songs take their time. This isn’t one of them. Immediate groove, immediate joy, immediate movement. Impossible to resist.

Sherman Hunter – Dance to Freedom

A record about the power of dance to lift spirits and free the soul. Timeless and endlessly uplifting.

The Fantastic Aleems & Leroy Burgess – Hooked on Your Love

A glorious slice of boogie from the great Leroy Burgess. Warm, infectious and completely devoted to the power of love.