The Way You Love Me (Dim TSOP version - Dimitri From Paris Glitterbox retouch) (8:14)
The Way You Love Me (Tom Moulton Philly Re-Grooved remix) (12:54)
Review: Some may argue that Dimitri From Paris and Tom Moulton have already provided the definitive remixes of Ron Hall, the Muthafunkaz and Marc Evans' 2006 gem "The Way You Love Me". This Glitterbox 12", which features alternative versions of those two legendary reworks, proves that they're wrong. Dimitri's "Glitterbox Retouch" of his Philadelphia International-inspired TSOP Version is a little more focused and tightly edited than its predecessor, but naturally incredibly similar. It's Moulton's "Philly Regrooved Mix", though, that's the real stunner. A near perfect example of Moulton's classic mixing skills, it sees the original disco mixer give space to each instrumental solo before unleashing the now oh-so-familiar vocal. The result is 13 minutes of unashamed disco bliss.
Review: MURO Select presents yet another crucial 7" for Fourth Wave Record Factory for anyone whose ears prick up when it comes to Far Eastern soul, city pop and jazz cause this one has two of Hamada Kingo's urban mellow gems. He was a key figure in 80s city pop and AOR and his iconic track 'Dream Is Alive' from the Earthian image album makes its vinyl debut and is full of The flip side features 'Yokaze,' another standout urban mellow tune that captures the smooth, soulful vibe of his work and is perfect for those close listen bar sessions or the gentle moments early in the evening.
Review: Frenchman Hemka makes a bold entrance on Mutual Rytm with this fierce solo 12" following her standout contribution to Federation Of Rytm III. She has established herself with a raw yet refined style on labels like Token and blends 90s grit with psychedelic textures and personal vocal touches in her work. This new EP delivers club-ready power across tracks like the tense, vocal-laced 'Abyss,' the propulsive 'Time,' and the haunting 'I Can't Shine.' With additional cuts like 'The Bad Place' and 'Unchanged' this is a fine window into Hemka's emotional depth and rhythmic command.
Review: Straight from Turin, Hey Cabrera! makes his Frank Music debut with The Moment-a high-energy Italo disco bomb packed with everything these sounds should be - juicy basslines, dreamy melodies, euphoric pianos, and catchy vocal chops. It's got that unmistakable made-in-Italy flair that hits just right. Label boss Johannes Albert jumps in with a hot club mix to kick off with, which takes the energy sky-high while the original is a disco stomper. Flip to the B-side and 'Exposed' brings more of that magic: vibrant vocals, punchy piano stabs and an 808-kissed remix from J.A. himself. Viva Italo!
Review: Hidden Sequence returns, this time to kick off a new label Magistrate, and hot on the heels of their quick-to-sell out 'Silent Roots' last year. This fresh EP seamlessly bridges classic 70s Jamaican dub with modern, bass-heavy and dubwise delights, starting with 'Isms & Schisms'. The horns are brilliantly inviting as are the low ends which have been well worked on a vast desk and come packed with echo and effects. 'Magistrates Dub' is an immediately infectious skank that shifts into a deep, dub-heavy exploration and unites past and present dub influences.
Review: The MC was one of a kind. His legend lives on through his work which here gets served up on new label Doom in instrumental form. 'Saffron' (MF instrumental) is a silky late-night sound with warm melancholic chords and subtle boom-bap beats. On the flip, things get more jazzy with the expressive trumpets and more raw broken beat patterns of 'Arrow Root' (MF instrumental). It's a timeless and sophisticated sound that will woo any listener into a calming mood and comes on a limited 7".
Review: Chicago native James "Soul" Holvay is a true soul survivor. Best known for penning the 1967 U.S. No.1 hit 'Kind of a Drag for The Buckinghams,' Holvay led The Mob before stepping away from music in the late 70s. But with the resurgence of retro soul, he made a stunning comeback in 2020 and was soon channelling the golden era sounds of Curtis Mayfield, Gene Chandler and Johnny Pate once more. His 2021 'Sweet Soul Song' EP earned critical acclaim, and now LRK Records drops two gems from his Working Man EP in the form of 'Love That Lady' and 'Don't Take Your Love', both pure vintage Chicago soul heaters.
Review: The Clergy Ten Year anniversary celebrations continue with a fourth special instalment of their various artists series. It's packed again with the sort of high-functioning techno that DJs always need to construct powerful sets, and that dancers will respond well to thanks to its detailing. Norbak opens with the moody minimalism of 'Sinto', Sciahri explore a more uptempo sound with grainy, gritty loops on 'Antartide' and Phara's 'Faint' gets more twisted with hellish effects and caustic textures all getting you on edge while the pummelling drums bounce out their muscular rhythm. These are evocative cuts for techno storytelling.
Review: The Positive Reaction label is looking to build bridges between North Africa and the rest of the world with the music that it puts out. It has roots in both Tunisia and Berlin and has a healthy respect for 90s electronic takes on electro, breakbeat, techno and trance, which all shine through this new six-track VA. OA gets underway with hard-nosed techno, H0ney serves up lashings of peak time energy and BENKHLIFA drills down into the darkness with a blistering baseline and white-knuckle techno intensity. Elsewhere, MZA's 'Thelea' brings more low-end dirt and DEV's 'Love Affairs' brings lush euphoria.
Review: What time is it? It's Skankoclock. The label is small but already well-formed and this sixth outing offers up a fresh roots reggae gem from Rapha Pico, whose 'Treat You Wrong' delivers rich vocal vibes over a heavyweight riddim. It is then Far East's smooth melodica version that take sober and lulls you into more deepness that mixes classic energy with modern warmth. Guru Pope and Handyman round out the lineup with deep instrumental contributions that add more layers of rich musicality, all of which gets pressed in a vibrant full-colour skanking sleeve for superb toots with soul, melody, and pure sound system flavours.
Gari Romalis - "Electronix (I'm Ya Dancer)" (7:31)
G Major - "Metro To Downtown" (6:27)
Chuck Daniels & Hazmat Live - "I Want You" (6:25)
Max Watts - "Velocity" (6:35)
Review: Norm Talley's Detroit label Upstairs Asylum comes through with another various artists gem here: Gari Romalis kick off with the sort of smoky house depths you always expect from this imprint. 'Electronix (I'm Ya Dancer)' is dubbed out but dynamic, then G Major's 'Metro To Downtown' brings an injection of soul warmth and percussive looseness. Chuck Daniels & Hazmat Live's 'I Want You' is a darker, more heads down affair with freaky vocals and digital synth patterns over gritty, US garage styled low ends. Max Watts then cuts loose with the undulating dub techno depths of 'Velocity' to round out a varied EP.
Review: Boston pair Soul Clap land on UK staple Crosstown rebels and bring their signature E-funk sound across a quarter of tunes that also draw on garage and deep house. 'Gone Stumblin' is effortlessly breezy with swirling, aloof vocals up top, a knotted bassline and dusty drums and percussion making a nice late-night vibe. The dub version is bigger, with twisted stabs and frazzled leads rewiring the energy and 'Unifying Force' is a swirling, gooey sound with an old school FM bassline and classic vocal sample bringing the heat. 'Gone Stumblin (bonus version)' is a second take on the original with some fun drum patterns and big raw snares to amp up the vibes.
Review: French label Cairo Xpress debuts with a first-ever vinyl outing and a fine one it is too, with six stylish house outings from an array of fresh talents. Wilt's 'Beoyon' has lovely gloppy drums and bass looping under harmonic chords - it's simple but effective. Hermit gets more full-bodied with his textured 'Who Dunnit' and DOTT strips it back to bumping drum track workouts on 'Twitching Softly.' There is more irresistible bounce to Lucho's 'Mesh', Artphorm layers in some old school pianos to 'Daown' and HATT D shuts down with maybe the best of the lot, 'Contrasts In Life,' which is a broken beat, analogue sound with celestial energy.
Review: LA based Black Market Dub like to rework great artists of decades gone by through a new sound system lens. This time it is the great 80s pop duo Hall & Oates who get the treatment with six of their most well-known tunes all reworked at slower tempos, with natty guitars, horns and rolling rhythms bring a new and sunny perspective. 'Private Eyes' in particular sounds superbly laid back and sun kissed for Balearic sessions and 'Maneater' also does the business with the original vocals soaring over lazy chords and amidst oodles of echo and reverb.
Review: Brooklyn guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson returns with About Ghosts, packed with eight new compositions performed by her sextet, Amaryllis. The group includes Patricia Brennan on vibraphone, Nick Dunston on bass, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Jacob Garchik on trombone and Adam O'Farrill on trumpet, with guest saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles. Produced by John Dieterich, the album blends layered horn arrangements and subtle synth textures, including a Pocket Piano gifted by a childhood friend. The record continues to explore plenty of evocative improvisational terrain that builds on her already acclaimed discography with layered melodies, weird non-guitar sounds and plenty of free-spirited exploration.
Review: Amsterdam-based record label and community Pintai returns with a deeply textured EP from local producer and live artist Hame, who's adept at blending emotional depth with dancefloor energy. Here he delivers a more club-focused offering packed with rich pads, driving grooves and warm low-end textures. The EP opens with the dreamy 'Dear Sammy' followed by the dub-inflected title track 'Set Me Free.' On the B-side, 'Love Touch' explores hazier, deeper terrain while 'Take Your Time' closes with swirling synths, organic percussion and a hypnotic arpeggiated bassline. It's a cohesive and atmospheric release designed for immersive dancefloor moments that once again shows Pintai is one to watch.
Review: Originally released in July 2008, Have Heart had already been peddling their unapologetically up front hardcore punk for a good six years by this point. What would be their final statement on the matter, disbanding 12 months or so later, Songs To Scream At The Sun would continue the focus on earnest messaging for the group, who were known for dealing with issues such as social ethics to inclusivity. Never really ones for compromise, while Have Heart continued in the positive hardcore vein here, it's also worth noting that at the time the sound itself was falling out of favour, but the Massachusetts troupe doubled down instrumentally, too. When many peers were desperately looking to dilute in the hopes of crossover success, this is how you bow out with style and dignity.
Old Man (Last Words & Lessons Learned) (II) (2:31)
Song Of Shame (1:27)
To Us Fools (2:47)
Something More Than Ink (3:03)
The Machinist (1:14)
Watch Me Rise (2:14)
Review: "The defining hardcore record of the century so far" said Las Vegas Weekly. While punknews.org commented on the "undeniably earnest lyrics and blistering, relentless pace." Make no mistake, Have Heart made a big impression in 2006 with The Things That Carry, their debut full length. Following on from two very well received EPs, the record cemented the band's status as leading lights in a nascent positive hardcore movement. Screaming out of the starting blocks, the music is angry but the messaging looks to celebrate ideas such as love, inclusivity, tolerance, difference and social consciousness. The group would only put out one more official LP after this one alongside a live album after they broke up, but their energy and ideas remain as relevant and vital today as they were back then.
Review: The Expanded Edition of Alan Howarth's They Live brings new life to the cult classic 1988 film's soundtrack. Howarth is well respected, not least for his collaborations with John Carpenter, and here captures the film's eerie tension and anti-consumerist themes with moody synths, bluesy motifs and minimalist sound design that is always hugely evocative. This expanded edition offers remastered audio and additional cues that heighten the mood and deepen the atmosphere. The music's hypnotic, slow-burning energy perfectly mirrors the paranoia and grit of the movie, so it's a landmark score in sci-fi and horror soundtracks.
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