JULION DE'ANGELO レコード& CD

Review: Mother Tongue pushes on with more sounds from the constantly evolving creative mind of Julion De'Angelo. His vibe is soulful, modern yet proudly Black, and always has a big focus on the dumps. This debut for the label carries on that tradition with opener 'NOWnormal' built on a rugged rhythm and laden with percussion and off-grid chords. 'NotAnotherCafe!!' (with Deon Jamar - Turmeric Latte mix) has more sunny synths and a percolating low end reminiscent of Theo Parrish and 'MyzticBounz' rides roughshod on broken beats and busted synths that bring a raw sense of soul.

Review: Detroit's Julion De'Angelo takes control of his own fortunes with the launch of his own new label which takes its name from a street in North Carolina. Maybee Hill kicks off with an EP from the boss himself and one steep in plenty of 313 house signifiers - the fizzing synth work that speaks to the soul, the lo-fi drums that are so warm and inviting, the scruffy rhythms that are so compelling. That is certainly the case on opener 'Can't Go Askin' which is a controlled frenzy to get things going, then the slower, deeper, more rhythmically adventurous 'Reflecting Cancer Moon' is a rickety melange of loops, hand drums, pulsing bass and diffuse synth sounds that speaks to mind, body and soul.

Review: Japan's Freedom School Records has been home to legendary artists like Kaidi Tatham, Rick Wilhite, IG Culture, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Eric Lau, etc. For the fourth in the DJ Series of 12s, Freedom School welcomes Detroit's Julion De'Angelo. With previous releases on Meakusma, Tone Log & Sound Signature, Julion continues to cultivate his heavy sound rooted in the Black American experience. From funky bass lines, driving percussion & soaring strings, the depth of emotions can be heard throughout these pandemic perspectives.

Review: Last time we heard from Julion De'Angelo, the Detroit-based producer was sharing vinyl space with Thomas Xu on Sound Signature. This, then, is his debut solo EP, and rather good it is too. Deep and drowsy with loose, jazz-flecked house drums and skewed, hard-to-pigeonhole rhythms (see the bass-heavy shuffle of "Sizzlelean"), it should appeal to all those who dig the unique dancefloor visions of Kenny Dixon Jr and Theo Parrish. The standout is arguably A-side "Stand On Your Square (Part 1)", a hypnotic and decidedly dusty sounding workout rich in marimba style melodies and fusty drum machine beats. The broken, jazzy and ultra-deep "Stand On Your Square (Part 2 - Bird)" is also worth a listen, if only for the quality of the drowsy liquid bass and heady ambient chords.

Review: Alex Attias welcomes Michigan natives Julian De'Angelo and Specter from Chicago to Visions Recordings, with the long-serving Swiss producer promising "deep music to dance to". De'Angelo goes solo on A-side cut 'Tango', an excellent 11-minute workout rich in addictive piano refrains, heady synth-string stabs, deep sub-bass and loose, languid, ever-shifting drum machine beats. Specter joins the fun on similarly epic flip-side 'Drunken Noodles', with the pair jamming away on electric piano before introducing slipped hip-hop-goes-house machine drums, trippy electronics, spacey chords and warming bass. It's deep house, but not as we know it, and that's no bad thing.