MAN POWER レコード& CD

Review: Berlin's Geoff Kirkwood, also known simply and boldly as Man Power, is back on France's Correspondent imprint with a series of remixes; these tunes are versions of the best cuts from his self-titled album that dropped at the tail-end of 2015. Moscoman proceeds to transform "Beilsteiner" into a wonky, euphoric house tune fit for the more daring of dance floors, whereas Suede goes for a poppy kind of vibe on his 80s take of "Ten". On Side B, Jmii heads down into the sonic abyss with his beautiful reinterpretation of "Hunting Swan", and "Boys Beware" is morphed into a minimal, progressive house excursion by Pale Blue, with his Drum-A-Pella version.

Review: Mexico-based Geordie Man Power has been on the rise for some time, picking up plaudits for the quality of his releases on Throne of Blood, ESP Institute, Hivern Discs and Correspondant. Now, he's decided to go it alone, launching the MeMeMe label as a vehicle for his own productions. "Tachyon" is something of a sleazy, late night treat, with the British ex-pat concentrating the action around a deliciously dirty, mutant Italo arpeggio, nagging electronic loops, and punchy drum machine percussion. DJ Tennis takes the track in a different direction on the flip, smothering Man Power's sleazy groove in melodious marimba lines, drowsy chords and elastic electronics.

Review: From Newcastle to Berlin via Mexico, Man Power is a man on a mission to spread the gospel of house music and he makes quite the declaration on new edit label Stamp. On the A side he takes the razor to Alicia Myer's "I Want To Thank You" keeping that filter down low until he brings the power in with glorious fashion. On the flip "Ablett" sounds like classic DJ Gregory with its soulful broken beat supporting some gorgeous and emotive elements but we're still guessing who he edits on this one. Wicked stuff from this great edits imprint yet again following some nice ones by Swazyak and more.

Review: London based "Bad Passion Project", aka Chris Stoker (Ess O Ess) and Andy Bainbridge (Machete Savane), finally unveil their new record label, "Not An Animal Records".??For their first release, they present an EP from friend and frequent collaborator "Man Power" (Correspondant, Hivern Discs), featuring 2 original productions, as well as stellar remixes from "The Backwoods" aka DJ Kent (Force of Nature) & Ess O Ess.?

The first track on display is "Power Theme", a stomping and bouncing hybrid of Left-field Techno and Synth-Pop, which builds to a dramatic Italo tinged melodic climax.

Following this, the Ess O Ess remix, from Chris and Jamie Blanco, further stamps their distinctive sound, taking the track on a trip into organic techno territory.

With his second track, Le Clerc, Man Power presents yet another musical mongrel, this time with a blend of robotic, arpeggiated disco, meeting fuzzed-up and over-blown heavy rock pomp.

The Backwoods swaps the original's brashness of Le Clerc for lightness, depth and beauty, stripping the track back to its melodic components, adding percussive counter-melodies and underpinning everything with a hypnotic and pulsing house baseline.

Review: After a drop on Correspondant earlier in the year, Man power returns to Hivern Discs with another forthright selection of seductive, acid-inflected house music to get right under your skin. "Renamed" is loaded with mystery and romance, from the yearning piano lines to the haunting pad tones in the background, while the beat stays limber and detailed. "Taronja" takes a slightly different route but once again the intriguing mood remains, this time spelt out by a set of chiming tones that display some serious melodic prowess over a simmering slow house beat. "The Song With No Name" drifts out at the end of the record on a thoroughly downtempo tip, drifting in laconic vocal coos and light brushes of percussion.