Review: The band 2000 Black, who include 4Hero icon Dego among their number, are masters of the broken beat scene, leaders amongst men who whether working alone or with others are always in top form. This two track outing kicks off with 'Soursop & Mango', a bristling, bustling mix of raw drums and bursts of cosmic synth energy that radiates soul, all with neat guitar riffs stitched into the mix. 'Straight Forward Side Steps' is a dusty jam with lovely scruffy claps and much more well defined synth lines adding colour and soul.
Review: 3 Men Gone Mad were an independent group formed in Blackburn and Darwen in the UK. They fused electronic sounds with rock and were prolific in the 1990s when they became cult favourites amongst those who know. You Try is a much sought-after collection that has been restored by Utopia Records many years after it made its way onto John Peel's 1991 Festive 50. He heard in it a mix of The Clash, Joy Division and Talking Heads and that still rings true. The main mix has a raw energy that captures the angst of Britain at the time - and still today, frankly. A spaced-out dub brings a fresh feeling of euphoria and an extended B-side mix draws out this record's undeniable pleasures.
Review: The Avidya label arrives with a bold new concept that sees it push itself to "step out of comfort zones to release a series of EPs of broad, challenging and deep music." The first affair is a fine one from four artists, the first of which is Lyon based procure A Strange Wedding from the Worst label. His slow trance locks you in and then Gothenburg trio Datasal come through with a prog rock and post funk and dance fusion. 84PC's contribution is peak time gold and Barcelona's Iro Aka arrive with another debut to round out this fine offering.
Review: New label Justracks kicks off with a literally and metaphorically heavyweight new disco 12" on 180g vinyl. As far as we know it's the first release from the mysterious A Thin Man but the beats are fat. 'Doogie Bown' gets you doing just that with a mix of chatty synth funk and hip-swinging disco grooves. 'W(h)ats On' is an old school funk and soul dancefloor heater then class oozes from the breezy and free-flowing grooves of 'Catch The Strings' which pair bustling beats with rich strings. Last of all is the tightly woven disco and persuasive funk of 'Bees'n'Flowers' with cosmic lines and heartfelt female coos. A fine debut.
Review: Addmoro were a lesser known Los Angeles-based disco outfit active throughout the late 70s and early 80s, and their sound was unique for its ahead-of-its-time weight and phonk, not to mention a difficult-to-match versatility, both traits evidenced by this Kalita reissue of the obscurity 'Rock & Roll Skate' here, first released on their very own Addmoro Records. The titular A-sider and 'Keep On Tryin' were released originally in 1985, with the former coming as a ploddy but groovy hard-hitter - which could've easily predicted the reams of modern-day producers who would the style on for size decades later (but not quite achieve it so well) - and the latter a surprise-taking curveball in a stumbly-funky, disco-electro mood.
Review: Audiosex and Hanoben stepped out together on Discos Capablanca back in 2018 with the on-point acidities of Phone Sex, and now they're teaming up once again for this killer clutch of edit tackle for the always interesting Duca Bianco label. Rather than the well-mined stocks of disco and funk that usually get dusted down by edit scavenegers, these two have turned to synth pop and German new wave sounds, coming up with four deep cover, deliciously dishevelled pieces which align perfectly with the brand of acidic club music they make themselves. 'Elvira's Katzenfisch' is a prime case in point - a broad, sweeping slice of synthwave which sounds like it might slide off the reel to reel at any moment, while 'Frank's Einsamkeit' swells into a searing 303 burner for the darkest dungeon dancefloors.
Review: A new collaboration of Philoxenia Records founders Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, Affekt Unit is informed by an aim to "spark new feelings on the dancefloor". The three track Discorgy EP celebrates their musical obsessions - Italo house, Frankfurt EBM-house and trance - with the result proving an electrifying crossover of these classic genres together with surprising new sounds. 'Oct-Opus' boasts a serious electro component, fused with progressive trance, UK bass, techno, transcendental rave and even a climactic outbreak of rave-era breaks. The title track 'Discorgy' draws from Euro dance and EBM, experimenting with a polyrhythmic bass line and bringing the kind of 'stadium house' that The KLF were always aiming for. Closing track 'Dreams Of Wrestlers' is cosmic house at its sweetest and beefiest, spruced here and there with Italo stabs and pianos, drum machine fills and some lovely subtle filtering. Not so much a case of something for everyone than everything from everyone, you might even say.
Review: London-based Italian David Agrella is the man behind the Agrellomatica Records label and now for its fifth release, he has tapped up some undeniably quality names to remix the title tune from his debut Modulo EP back in 2007. Baby Ford kicks off with a deliciously deep and dubbed-out minimal house roller that is detailed with wispy chords and eerie vocalisations. Agrella himself then flips it into a rubbery 909 workout with pops and bubbles next to the leggy drums. GNMR goes for a gritty, heads down and back room techno roller and to close, NDR brings a retro techno sound with molten acid lines. All in all a very useful outing.
Albert "Alchemist" Thompson - "Promise Land Version" (3:34)
Review: Albert "Alchemist" Thompson's Promise Land comes courtesy of Freestyle Records and has great appearances on the mic from reggae and dancehall greats Frankie Paul, Joseph Cotton, Prince Malachi and Anthony John. It has never before been released and has had a long maturation period over the last 30 years. Albert Thompson was chief engineer at I&I Sound Recording Studio once it left LA and head to Jamaica and he saw work with greats like Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer and Gregory Isaacs. He laid down these rhythms in 1991 during some downtime and then added the vocals 16 years later in London when working with talented local and touring Jamaican artists.
Review: His first full body of work since 2015's breath-taking album Perspectives, Anile returns to the top of the class with an A* quartet of smouldering workouts. "Your Way" tips a wry nod at Logistics' early work with its tubular bassline and hazy arpeggio, "Wish List" is all about the loose, relaxed drum groove while "Allergens" stacks up on some beautifully chewy reese gluten while "Velvet Glove" will flatten you with bass before picking you up with delicate soul pianos... Before flattening you again. Anile is in a league of his own.
Review: Apoena is the alias of Henrique Casanova, a DJ and producer from Brazil who heads up Allnite Music which presents his latest effort titled Oceanos Extintos. The mesmerising dub tech house of opener 'Eu Lembro' calls to mind classic Thibideau brothers, leading in to the frozen borders of the title track which will engulf you in its cavernous sound. Over on the flip, the steely and pummelling 'Trabalho Bracal' is by far the fiercest cut on offer, and the collaboration with Zenta Skai 'Fosseis' takes a u-turn on this trippy and contemplative electro jam.
Review: Hungarian-born, Dublin-based Phil Robertson has some pedigree but Arbilla is a new name he's operating under, and indeed there seems to be a slightly more musical, less relentless angle to his once defiantly minimal sound to go with the new moniker too. He provides three of the four tracks here, from the chunky and dramatic 'Stranger Things' and the breezy, spacious 'Fragrance' to the EP's glorious title track, with its Plaid-like syncopation and spiralling melodies. Mysterious techno 'supergroup' from Detroit, Scan 7 remix 'Virtual Reality' and they whip it into thunderclapping Underground Resistance shape. Greatness in evidence whichever way you turn.
Review: With releases already under their belt from Bilal and Deyayu and a split 12" from Alex Dima and Cristian Sarde, London's Oscuro is shaping up to be one of those destined to take up position towards the top of tech house shopping lists everywhere. That said, the four tracks from Arnic have a cheekier, mor sprightly vibe than a lot of tech-house, the likes of 'Night Children' and their tribute to the Glasgow clubbing institution that is the 'Sub Club' drawing on disco and early Chicago house influences, all within the economic and stripped down framework that put a big smile on a DJ's face when they're in the mix.
What’s Been Turning You On (System Olympia remix) (4:27)
What’s Been Turning You On (System Olympia instrumental) (4:07)
What’s Been Turning You On (ASHRR SOUNDSYSTEM version) (5:13)
What’s Been Turning You On (ASHRR SOUNDSYSTEM instrumental version) (5:12)
Review: Los Angeles-based ASHRR are back with a new cut which comes from their forthcoming Sunshine Low album which they have re-interpreted as their ASHRR Soundsystem alter ego, while System Olympia also steps up with a remix on this fine new package from 20/20 Vision. In the hands of the latter, 'What's Been Turning You' is a remix with plenty of hi-fidelity cosmic details over mid-tempo deep nu-disco drums. The version from ASHRR is a chugging and Italo-tinged classic with loose-limbed and jumbled drum funk and plenty of bright, shiny arps. A great collection then.
Review: Los Angeleno AshTreJinkins is up next for London/Tokyo joint venture NCS, who as some of you may know by now: only release in very limited runs: so get in quick! Named after the famed American soft drink that tastes like mouthwash, the Root Beer EP features four servings of lo-fi house which will certainly fit in with the status quo currently set by the likes of Lobster Theremin, E-Beamz et al. The tough and driving vintage techno of "Dead Or Wounded" kicks off the EP in good from, while "Frozen" with its hypnotic chord progression and jagged rhythm patterns create a unique groove that really gets off the grid. Finally, the tribal house tool "Adware Nigga" calls to mind Canadian Hayden Andre Brown's seminal jams from the early '90s, but backed by some L.I.E.S. style analogue techno grunt.
Review: French label D3 - which when pronounced in French sounds like their word for Detroit - is a decade old and celebrates the milestone with a special three-part EP series. As has always been the case over that 10 year period, the sounds it serves up are deep and housey. This various artists affair kicks off with AsTreJinkins' slow and propulsive 'Terror' before some nice airy and live sounding broken beats from New Digital Fidelity. Moroka picks up the pace with some hi-tek soul that sounds straight from the Motor City and Byron The Aquarius shows off his mastery of the keys again with a dreamy deep cut 'Tua Su Ra'. Nico Lahs shuts down with a heavyweight beatdown in the form of 'It's Spelled BARI.'
Review: Aubrey has always brought a detailed sense of sound design to his heavy techno. The Berlin-based artist does that again here on a first EP on his own Solid Groveos since 2016. Two tracks delve into his archives to come up with some rare and obscure jams from the 90s. One is 'Lose Yourself' - a bright and cosmic take on techno that prime-era Derrick May would be proud of then the other, 'Breaking Out', offers golden US-style house with nice frayed synths and smoky depths. Two new cuts are 'Chase Mind' - a cavernous and dubby, with whimsical pads and unrelenting bass locking you in a trance, then 'Mr Muscle', a twisted acid techno closer that completes a varied and vital EP.
Review: New label Autochrome kicks off with good intent - not only does this one come on nice heavyweight wax with a cheeky Homer Simpson logo, but the minimal tech beats are fresh indeed. 'Ritmatic' is all bubbly lines and underlapping bass, with gurgling synths making you move. 'Powermood' then gets more funky, with clipped bass vocals smeared into the arrangement to bring soul and dynamism. 'Mucanue' closes out with balmy cosmic pads swirling around clacking drums. A fine debut.
Review: Grand River's always-illuminating One Instrument label reawakens with a new album from Martin Sander and Michel Isorinne's Bandhagens Musikforening project. Having previously appeared on Northern Electronics and Semantica, now these two advanced synthesists place all their attention on a select few studio pieces to see how far they can take them. First up is the Roland System 100, which affords them plenty of tonal possibilities for the pulsing, kinetic 'Nedgravd I Naturen'. With the Yamaha DX-7 they create a towering ambient piece of FM synthesis, while the Roland SH-101 gets applied to a dense and detailed slice of obtuse leftfield techno. The Oberheim Matrix 6R becomes a vehicle for cinematic melancholy, and the Waldorf Microwave teases out an immersive swirl of ambience as you might well expect from the One Instrument series.
B-STOCK: Torn sleeve otherwise in excellent condition
Nedgravd I Naturen (Roland System 100)
Morklaggning (Yamaha DX-7)
Midnattsmanifest (Roland SH-101)
Cirkelskifte (Oberheim Matrix 6R)
Vitmossa (Waldorf Microwave)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Torn sleeve otherwise in excellent condition***
Grand River's always-illuminating One Instrument label reawakens with a new album from Martin Sander and Michel Isorinne's Bandhagens Musikforening project. Having previously appeared on Northern Electronics and Semantica, now these two advanced synthesists place all their attention on a select few studio pieces to see how far they can take them. First up is the Roland System 100, which affords them plenty of tonal possibilities for the pulsing, kinetic 'Nedgravd I Naturen'. With the Yamaha DX-7 they create a towering ambient piece of FM synthesis, while the Roland SH-101 gets applied to a dense and detailed slice of obtuse leftfield techno. The Oberheim Matrix 6R becomes a vehicle for cinematic melancholy, and the Waldorf Microwave teases out an immersive swirl of ambience as you might well expect from the One Instrument series.
Review: The always tasteful Half Baked crew looks to one of their own for this fresh slice of delicious minimal. Sam Bangura was a new young resident for the party back in 2018 and since then has really honed his own sound. It's laid bare here across four fine cuts, with opener 'Range Finder' serving up bristling drum machine grooves and cheeky basslines overlaid with cosmic chords. 'Axel's Limp' is a brilliantly vibrant melodic overload with scintillating drums and plenty of neon colours. 'Bugbear' gets more gritty with a standout bassline powering forwards rugged tech house and 'How Are U Feeling?' then gets spaced out and slick.
Review: Well Curated is a series of releases and parties that - in its own words - "reflects the ethnomusicology of the last 50 years of music" - and aims to reach into all genres, merging classic styles and breaking down barriers. Steve Spacek occupies the A-side with the breezy broken beat and soul-in-space of 'Alone In Da Sun', while Lukid's 'Hair Of The Dog' is a more intense counterpart, with wobbling sub-bass and swirling, surging atmospherics hovering above.
Review: B2 Recordings keeps it classy with another new deep house offering from label head Bengoa. It comes hot on the heels of his last outing here in December but this time all three tracks are straight-up solo cuts with no featured guests. 'Hustler's Convention' is an emotionally intense humid, steamy cut even though the grooves are warm and hypnotic. 'Apollo' has more raw percussion and scratchy drum textures overlaid with trippy vocals and last of all is 'Fanatic,' which pairs leggy bass and drums with more swirling vocal samples and interesting broken beat patterns. Another fine outing from Bengoa then.
Review: B2 Recordings rolls out more of its quality-assured deep house here with Label head Bengoa stepping up next for a new three-tracker that comes with featured guests Kristina Berger and Brothers' Vibe. 'Idyot' kicks off with deep and pulsing synths and clacking hits that bring an early Chicago vibe next to the libidinous and erotic vocals which really tease. 'Meet Me Halfway' sinks into a super silky groove that is deep as you like and driven by stylish drum hits under a muttered vocal. 'Come On Now' then sinks into a more acid-laced atmosphere with sustained chords keeping you on edge next to loose and jumbled percussion. It's a stylistically diverse EP, this one.
Review: B2 Recordings is a label run by Greek talent Bengoa as a platform to offer up his own diverse sounds. Here he serves up a new single featuring Pan that is sublime, seductive and deep. The vocals you will recognise from a classic pop hit but here they get all resung in an even more libidinous fashion. The drums roll, and the percussion is loose, and bright but soft chord stabs heighten the mood. Flip it over for an instrumental version of 'Thelxis' that is all about the late-night grooves. Two stylish sounds for romantic moments.
Review: The Moiss Music label seems to like to drop their EPs two at a time. They did it in February and they're doing it again in May. This eighth outing collects four more lively disco cuts, each with their own subtle influences. Berobreo's 'White Rabbit' for instance has funky undertones with loopy guitar riffs and nice breaks. The Magic Track's 'Jamming With Mom' meanwhile is more sensuous and deep, with late-night synth work and seductive vocals. Oldchap's 'I Want To Show You' has an expressive soul vocal with more low-slung grooves and Alexny's 'Not Bad' then gets quick, clipped and loopy for its lip-pouting disco thrills.
Review: Betty & The Code Red is a life and creative partnership between Benin-born Tunde Obazee and his girlfriend Betty. The pair grew up in Nigeria and would play all manner of instruments to entertain people at the local school before staying together as they went on to live in Italy and the US. Obazee performed at colleges and universities despite no formal training and eventually recorded a selection of tunes together including a small album on relatively new bits of gear like the Yamaha RX7. Especial has collated some of their best work across two new EPs, this being one of them.
Review: West End Records? What's that? This is Bitter End and you're in for some lush disco rhythms with this new badboy from the imprint's mysterious movers and shakers! "Echo Loves Narcissus (part 1)" dominates the A-side with a mighty, steel-cut groove that oozes a certain 90s nostalgia without sounding stale or overworked; the tune's punchy bass-weight and cosmic melodies make for the perfect combo. On the flip, "Get The Love" takes inspiration from the 80s EBM movement while still holding down a fine-ass house groove complete with sexy vocals and warehouse bleeps for all rave purposes...
Mortal Trance (Boo Williams Chicago Running remix) (7:54)
Mortal Trance (Ricardo Miranda Mortal Trance rerub) (6:28)
Review: "Mortal Trance" by Windy City legend Boo Williams was originally released on the Residual EP back in 2010 but gets some killer remixes now. They'd best be decent, because the original is a right classic! But rest assured, they do not disappoint. Local legend Jordan Fields' "Spacedub redit" doesn't deviate from the original too much thankfully. The man himself turns in the "Chicago Running Remix". We originally thought if it ain't broke, don't fix it but this version is pretty sweet, injecting a bit more energy and swing into it quite nicely. Finally the "Ricardo Miranda Mortal Trance rerub" sees another stalwart of the scene show off his vision of the track which applies more layers and complexity to it on this decent rendition.
Review: Casino Classix is one of several aliases for legendary minimal man Baby Ford. Here it is also the name of a four-track EP that finds the long time UK underground operative working alongside fellow British techno luminary Mark Broom on a quartet of devastating cuts. 'Ringer' opens up with some dark and nimble baselines darting about beneath a dense layer of percussion and FX. 'Hoppa' is then a more precise and minimalist cut with wonky bass snaking down low beneath the icy hi-hats and jumbled toms. There is a warm dub depth to 'Hot Pot' to kick off the flip and 'Beach Club' shuts down with a restless mix of synth daubs and deft percussion over an ice cold groove.
Review: Despite presumably being insanely busy A&Ring for all his many labels, which put out music at a high rate of release, Burnski does also still find time to make his own music. And it's top tackle too, whatever he tries, from garage to ambient. To kick off with here the Northern rock cooks up a super breezy and Balearic-tinged house tune that you can imagine playing at some vibey Ibiza sunset party. That's probably why he called it 'Summer 23' to be honest. On the flip, 'Afters' gets more chunky and tribal, with tight and pinging drums and that sort of wide-eyed, tongues-out energy that gets the freaks going.
Review: For "Spectres", a 6-track split release, Buttechno teams up with DJ Speedsick, a Chicago-based artist, famous for his raw and uncompromising approach to sound. Together they explore sonic and textural possibilities of the extreme forms of dancefloor music employing distinct ways of sound manipulation. Buttechno's side features highly saturated textures being torn out, dissected and sewed back together with a wicked use of spectral processing. On the other side, Dj Speedsick, known for reamping his material with guitar amplifiers and cabinets, puts out tracks that bear unique sonic qualities and transform the usual sense of space and distance. The underwordly sounds and high-speed beats presented on this split go beyond the common bounds of dancefloor music, exposing the spectres that dwell between the genres.
Review: Native Soul Recordings has been around a long old time in dance music terms and now it looks back over some of its finest works with this first in a new series of Best Of comps. Music writer Harold Heath is first up with 'Slipstream,' an effortless smooth late-night house cut with introspective chords and silky pads bringing real depth. The Candy Dealers get more lithe and elastic with the spraying bass and jumbled percussive house of 'Train Of Thought' and last of all, Asad Rizvi remixes Jevne's 'Moderize' with a funky little bassline and chord vamps that keep you on edge. A tasteful package of timeless house grooves.
Review: Aussie label Picnic defies the notion that 13 is unlucky with an irresistibly fun new 12" from Captn K. 'Get It On' is full flavour house music with squelchy cosmic bass, big hits and prickly percussion, but the icing on the cake is a well worked sample from the soul legend Marvin Gaye. Rather than sounding over familiar as can many samples, this one sounds fresh because of the dazzling action all around it. 'I Need Some Loving' is another colourful house tune that draws from the old school piano era and melts it with some cosmic vibrations and another Gaye sample, then 'It Will Take An Eternity To Break Us' closes out with lush future disco chords and start-eyed melodies over warm deep house beats.
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