Crazy P – the club-focused production outfit that first broke out of Nottingham in the late 1990s with singles on Manchester’s Paper Recordings, went onto sample Willy Wonka in There’s a Better Place in the early noughties, and has long since grown into the five-piece oozing with soulful disco and house sounds – is back.

When We On – their sixth studio album and the second to be released on Ralph Lawson’s 2020 Vision imprint following 2008’s Stop Space Return – showcases a more mature sound from the group; over 11 tracks we’re treated to uplifting dancefloor-aimed fare as well as deeper, atmospheric and mid-tempo tunes, all making When We On another triumph for the British group.

Chris Todd and Jim Baron have always been the brains trust behind Crazy P’s house and disco-based productions (both having released their own solo albums on OM Records and ISM in the period between Stop Space Return and When We On ), and the quality grooves, crisp beats and uplifting melodies on this new LP again reflect their enduring links with – and love of – the EDM scene.

It’s been vocalist and frontwoman Danielle Moore’s wonderful voice, however, that has fashioned the group into the soulful, accessible crowd favourites they are on stage, and who has been largely responsible for endearing the group to Australian crowds in particular over the years.

When We On again demonstrates her versatility, and while there’s a wealth of soulful, emotionally-charged lyrics and synth and piano-laden beats on this new release, Baron explains the writing and production process for this LP differed markedly from that of Stop Space Return, resulting in an album that is, in his words, “probably a bit more….grown up”.

“We wrote the majority of that as a band,” he explains of Stop Space Return. “For this, we decided to strip it back to me and Toddy writing with Danielle. We gave Danielle the Loop Station and she’s really taken to it. You can layer vocals, you can hear harmonies immediately, so she can jam along with us now. It shaped a lot of the vocal sound for the album.”

First single Open For Service [listen below] is already gaining widespread support, and the remix package which includes efforts from Todd and Baron’s studio alter-egos – Hot Toddy and Ron Basejam respectively – promises that Crazy P’s early fans, the ones who first got down to the likes of Summer Bummer in the late ‘90s, will again find something deeper and darker to make their bodies move.

Change is deep and funky, with Moore’s vocals layered over a fat bassline and energetic beat, while The Unbearable Lightness Of Being is a slower tempo, Moore’s vocal shining over layered production which demonstrates Todd and Baron’s versatility in the studio. Eruption, meanwhile, is classic Crazy P: a piano loop combines effortlessly with guitar and a walking bassline for what will surely be a summer favourite down these parts.

Track of the album, however, is Heartbreaker [listen below]. Largely instrumental apart from a sample and a few powerful lines from Moore (“You’re No Good!”), this is deepness with a guitar riff that will make the hairs on your neck stand to attention.

Towards the end, WeCanOnlyBeWhoWeAre sees Moore cooing over a low BPM and a funk-fuelled bassline before Future Beat rounds off the album, its urgent beat combining with acoustic guitar to build and build before climaxing with some synth stabs and….it’s over. Damn.

Fans of Crazy P will feel right at home here. Those who might not be familiar with the group, but who might have heard the likes of Lady T or The Time Is Right out on the town and wondered who this talented group was (or perhaps knew them vaguely when they were known as Crazy Penis), should pick this up. This hack has it on very good authority that the group are about to announce an Australian tour, too, so stay tuned.

When We On is out 14 October through 20/20 Vision & Balance Music. Distributed through EMI.