BRIAN KAGE レコード& CD

Review: Brian Kage is a Detroit mainstay who finally serves up a long waited debut album here in the form of Timeless Times, which seamlessly fuses classic house rhythms with the distinctive flair of Motor City techno and features top guests like Jon Dixon, Ob Ignitt and Luke Hess. It is a large and bold work that encompasses 19 tracks across four slabs of wax on his own Michigander label. Along the way, there are plenty of club-ready cuts, as well as a range of emotional landscapes that blend ambient textures and nostalgic vignettes into something timeless and escapist. Without a doubt, this is Kage's most personal work to date and an unmissable journey through the current sound of his famous home city.

Review: Both a fan of the number and the machine, Michigander Music boss Brian Kage has always related eight to the paths we take in life - and being on the right one. For the label's eighth release, Kage pays homage to electronic music's futuristic past by bringing it up to speed with the present, including reimagining one of his own releases from when net labels were a thing.

Review: A White Bear's Heaven... Is A Black Bear's Hell is something of a departure from the smooth, deep and undulating sound we've come to expect from Omar-S's FXHE label. It signals experienced producer Brian Kage's first outing for four years. While that release for Beretta Red paid tribute to atmospheric techno, this outing is far more inspired by late '80s Chicago house and acid. The standout is undoubtedly "Shut Your Eyes", a co-production with Omar-S that wraps James Garcia's soulful, heartfelt vocals around classic synth-strings, tactile stabs and pared-down, '80s style drum machine hits. He switches off the lights and signals more of a heads-down mood on the First Choice-sampling "It's Not Over" - a thrillingly tactile, synth-laden jacker - while "Bear Gonna Getcha" sounds like a warehouse anthem in waiting.

Review: Six releases in and Michigander label head Brian Kage teams up with the legendary French Techno producer, Taho, aka David Jacopin. The electronic music world knows to put respect on the Motor City, but the "Detroit EP" represents a fusion, emphasizing l'accent aigu - not a typo or spec on your screen that needs cleaning. Between Kage and Taho, their production pedigree includes releases for labels like FXHE, Planet-E, Delsin, F.Comm, and more, so it's no surprise the pairing makes for a masterfully produced EP covering the spectrum of Detroit house and techno sounds, with an added deft touch from its French connection.