Review: New label Taf Kif kicks off with this classy VA package from some cool cats who know how to lay down a slick groove or two. First up on this distinctly 80s-styled package is Axel Boman, who brings some of his signature sparkling melodies to a synth-pop indebted jam entitled 'Oasis'. Meanwhile Velmondo follows up with something a little more trippy and adventurous on 'Echo Welt', before MLiR inaugurates the B-side with the sultry tones of 'It's Baby Time'. Lusille completes the set with the hazy Afro house deviations of 'Une Longue Route', riding a swung groove that offers something different from the everyday cookie cutter house we know so well.
Review: Three years after launching as a digital-only imprint, Vinny Villbas's Badabing Diskos label finally makes it to wax. In keeping with the label's desire to promote homegrown talent - an approached pioneered by his old pal Prins Thomas via the long-running Full Pupp imprint - all three showcased cuts come from Oslo-based artists. The legacy of synth-heavy, off-kilter Norwegian 'space disco' can be heard across the EP, but especially on Jarle Brathen's 'No Restaurants', which conjures memories of Lindstrom and Todd Terje's work of the late 2000s and Vilbas's dreamier and more loved-up 'Just In Time'. Bolder, bigger and even more life-affirming thrills come to the fore on the flip, where label regular Sommerfeldt delivers the epic breakdowns, driving bass, restless cowbells, winding acid lines and shimmering synth chords of 'The Everlasting Frog'.
Review: Earlier this year, Latvian label Micronica Records made its debut on wax after years spent serving up digital-only delights. Here the Riga-based imprint delivers a second limited-edition vinyl sampler. Blurring the boundaries between deep house, minimal house and tech-house, all four cuts are well worth checking. Costin RP sets the tone with 'Kiss This', where sci-fi bleeps, modem noises and spacey synth sounds rise above a chunky, hypnotic tech-house groove, before Yansima delivers a tougher and more thickset tech-house workout in the shape of 'Jisula'. Venda's 'Underwater' is a deep, dubby, head-soothing minimal house box jam, while DIN & CKB's 'Duby' brilliantly blurs the boundaries between dub techno, ultra-deep house, and smooth European tech-house.
Review: Adam Collins has proven his mettle with his work for Omni A.M. and Euphoria Records but now he branches out once more with the new label Aquarius Rising. It kicks off with a four-track various artists EP of next-gen talents Cromie, Dylan Payne, Sasha Zlykh, and Collins himself. 'The Knuckle' opens up with a bouncy and dense house sound that's got a sweet garage shuffle to it. Volume Channel's 'Tony Jacal' is a stripped-back and minimal sound with dubby drums, Sasha Zlykh's contribution gets more raw and abstract with whirring machine sounds and Collins shuts down with 'Andrea 3' complete with warped vocal stabs and high-speed drum funk.
Mo'Funk - "Bring Together" (feat Roland Clark) (5:37)
Review: Robsoul Recordings has continue on the rich tradition of superb France deep hose for many years after the first wave of artists and labels came and went. This third edition of its Classic Sampler series is another joyous one that opens up with the jazzy loops and soul-drenched house grooves of Demuir's 'From Paris To Strasbourg'. Vincent Caira's 'Back Again' is more solid and raw but no less heartfelt then Mo'Funk & Roland Clark cut lose with an unabashed piano sound on 'Bring Together' that will get hands in the air. Three timeless tracks that really tap into the original spirit of house music.
Review: Ruvenzori makes the move to vinyl with four artists breaking new ground in the field of organic, spiritual house music. There's a Balearic tint to these harmonious jams, which melt into each other like one extended blend for the terraza of your dreams. 'Uluwatu' features Stan Tone and Izhevski collaborating on a swirling masterpiece with the steady tick of minimal tech house as an undercurrent for ascendant chimes, fluttering guitar licks and vocal murmurations. On 'Ayomi' Talemates joins the pair as they match emotive piano chords with sampled vocal loops, capturing an endearing, eyes-closed vibe in the process.
Review: Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, since 2012 and established by by Jonbjorn Finnbogason & Viktor Birgisson, Lagaffe Tales celebrates a decade in the game with this terrific various artists compilation. Label staple Felix Leifur serves up the slo-mo balearic bliss of 'Cohen Social Club', Moff & Tarkin get some emotive sunset breaks in effect on the mood music of 'Pure Fury' while Jonbjorn - on point as always - contributes the glassy-eyed electro cut 'We're Not Alone' and finally Viktor Birgiss delivers the deep and dubby afterhours cut 'Ad Handan'.
Elaine Mai, MuRli Vs Dave Spoon & Nick Reach Up - "Ready" (Mark Knight remix) (6:54)
CASSIMM - "Wanna Feel Something" (5:27)
Superchumbo & Victoria Wilson James - "Revolution" (Crusy remix) (6:07)
Arthur Baker & James Hurr - "Powder In The Nose" (5:12)
Review: Here's a heavyweight suite of club cuts from the Toolroom Trax stable, featuring a whole squad of names linking up for some big room belters that should go down very nicely indeed with any medium-to-megasized party experience. Mark Knight's extended mix of 'Ready' is a proper epic, not least when the 'Insomnia'-esque stabs kick in. CASSIMM's 'Wanna Feel Something' is a heads-down sexy workout, while Superchumbo and Victoria Wilson James get remixed by Crusy for an equally brooding, high-end production. James Hurr and Arthur Baker round things off with chunky monkey 'Powder In The Nose', which teases a whole lot and then delivers even more on the drop.
Review: The inimitable Santonio Echols/Next Generation have penned many a great soulful house hit and one of them is 'Bad For Me' which now arrives as a remix package on the NCM Label out of Detroit. First up is Eddie Fowlkes's dub which brings nice warm, smeared chords and allows the vocal to pop out of the mix and bring the sunshine. Ron Carroll's club mix has a little more direct energy in the drums, then the Emanuell Groove mix is a funky one with steamy sax notes up top and nice loose drums. Last of all, the Mannywya Deep dub mix slows things right down to a late-night crawl.
Review: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.
G-Connection - "Free Your Spirit" (Spirit mix) (6:12)
Snare Dream - "LaLaLa" (Deep Ambient) (5:26)
TiEs - "Trying To" (5:59)
Review: Rebirth invites us to go back, way back, to the Italian underground techno scene of the 90s with this new selection of alternate versions, unheard gems and certified classics. Oneiric & Vortex open up with a tune that brings to mind the warmth of Motor City techno on 'Oasi' before GNMR layer up supersized hi hats and seriously weighty beatdown drums, Populous offers the loopy melodic delight of 'Barragan' and G-Connection heads into the cosmos with the dreamy ambient of 'Free Your Spirit', a perfect mood build if ever we heard one. Two further gorgeously blissed-out post-rave comedown sounds close out this gem of an EP.
Review: Moxy Muzik's 'Moxy Editions' series of multi-artist EPs has long been a reliable source of quality underground house music, with the six previous instalments - all released between 2021 and 2023 - being packed to the rafters with high-grade material. There's plenty to set the pulse racing on volume seven too, starting with the driving, druggy and mind-altering peak-time excellence of Stacy Pullen's 'Nasty', a slamming concoction that makes great use of vocal samples lifted from a Prince-produced Vanity 6 classic. Label chief Darius Syrossian then delivers his interpretation of Audiojack's 'Get Down', reframing the track as a soul-fired slab of NYC tribal house of the sort that was once the preserve of Danny Tenaglia. Over on the reverse, Vincent Caira offers up the swinging deep house chunkiness of 'Position' and Buckley delivers the all-action, break-sporting rave hedonism of 'In 5D'.
Review: The No Fuss label has been busy of late and is now dropping the many fruits of their labours with several EPs landing in quick succession. The 13th outing is a various artists affair that features two cuts from Saison on the A-side, though it's a Ross Couch remix of 'The Riff' that opens up. It's feelgood house with nice dancing piano chords and a Balearic feel while 'Feel This' brings more summery chords and dusty drum loops for some open-air dancing fun. Vertigini then offers the 90s-tinged 'Box Of Pandora' and Mo'Cream closes out with the already classic 'I'm Sure.'
Review: Two years ago, Italy's Balearic Gabba Soundsystem switched from remixing and re-editing their favourite cuts to curating compilation style EPs of similarly minded fare. They're in that mode again here, presenting a trio of cuts that combine the saucer-eyed warmth and loved-up musicality of Balearic music culture with grooves and rhythms firmly focused on the dancefloor. They begin by showcasing Wallace's sublime remix of Sewell & The Gong's 'Better Worlds', a locked-in, hypnotising fusion of semi-organic deep house grooves, new age melodic motifs and the dreamiest of ambient chords. Over on the flip they dip into slo-mo Italo-disco/acid house fusion via SIRS fine revision of My Friend Dario's 'Tell Aro', before treating us to a Pedro Bertho remix of Verdo's 'Belvourdier' in which sparkling Balearic house piano riffs, undulating acid lines and mid-80s "chorus" synth sounds rise above a fluctuating synthesiser bassline and hustling beats.
Bessa Simmons - "Sii Nana" (JKriv Fit rework) (7:11)
Vincenzo - "Love Accurate" (6:54)
Ilija Rudman - "Discoteka Parmida" (5:25)
Yasmin - "Real High" (4:59)
Arnau Obiols - "Pagan Mambo" (5:04)
Review: On this sampler EP for the Razor N Tape label's latest Family Affair compilation, the Brooklyn based imprint showcases previously unheard cuts from a mixture of new artists and long-established names. In the latter camp you'll find long-serving deep house don Vincenzo, who delivers the gorgeous, tactile and loved-up deliciousness of 'Love Accurate', and Croatian nu-disco don Ilya Rudman (the acid-heavy dancefloor squelch of 'Discoteka Parmida'). Elsewhere, Yasmin impresses with the neo-soul/nu-disco fusion warmth of 'Real High', Arnau Obiols slams down the Fela-influenced Afrobeat excellence of 'Pagan Mambo', and label co-founder J Kriv turns Bessa Simons 'Si Naana' into an Afro-tinged analogue house treat
Review: T Jacques and Velvet Velour apparently made the opener on this new EP some time ago and thought it was lost. It has recently been rediscovered and we couldn't be happier: 'Hot Hands' is spaced out industrial cosmic tech with synth lines carving neat parabolas and crispy drums bringing the funk. Both artists then go it alone for one cut each: T Jacques's 'Deep Blue' is buffed up deep house with an electronic edge and whimsical synth motifs, then Velvet Velour's 'What U Like' has a playful and restless groove daubed with neon colours and sensuous vocal whispers.
Floyd Vader - "Smoke & Mirrors" (12' version) (8:59)
DJ Solid - "I Like To Kiss" (feat Sarah Lyons - Shukie & Never Warm Chills Remake) (8:52)
Mikekon - "It's Yours" (feat Novakane Omega - Mike Lost In The Rhythm Redub) (6:15)
Guerilla Science - "First Time" (Yes mix) (6:48)
Review: The first vinyl release to grace the freshly-decked halls of the newly minted Lost In The Rhythm label, the EP known by no name other than 'EP' is a promising debut sampler of a new curative effort and community-first initiative, helmed up by Rob Coley aka. RevolutionsLDN. With the express aim of blending the soulful, intestinal feelings of deep and Chicago house with its ancestral roots, the EP achieves a rawly hewn yet neatly knitted sound; one first laid down by Floyd Vader and DJ Solid on the A, the latter of whom especially dazzles with the saw-washed amapiano-ish melancholy of 'I Like To Kiss', whose machinic dunduns serve to taper off our inhibitions to a sunset vanishing point. The pace is lifted on the B-side's choice, Mikekon's 'It's Yours', which indulges a sparse Afro-driven palette, as we're treated to a suggestive, therapeutic monologue from vocalist Novakone Omega: "I'm giving you... *the*... license... to get you some... break you off some... take you some... come get it... it's here... it's waiting..."
Review: Ukrainian producer Vakula makes a swift return to the always reliable Phonogramme label from Paris with a superb follow-up to his recent Dinsync collaboration. Deep, nocturnally charged and gorgeously atmospheric, the EP opens with the brooding acid of 'Quantum Voyage', where foggy pads drift over bubbling 303 and jagged machine hits. 'Skys Whisper' blends emotive synth waves with growling bass and crisp drums, with its bittersweet topline gliding over sumptuous harmonics, while 'Sunny Konotop' maintains a similar trajectory, with misty-eyed synth work dancing over low-slung bass and swung beats. Magnificent work.
Review: Daniela La Luz is no stranger to Rawax's stable of labels - she's previously released on most of them at different points over the last decade- though Global Transformation marks the first time she's appeared on any of them as Vanilla. The Berlin-based artist sets her stall out with the raw, punchy and occasionally sparkling title track - all woozy keyboard riffs, weighty electro-meets-house beats, tipsy chords and heavy bass - before opting for a deep, druggy, acid-fired and percussively propulsive vibe on 'The Last Window of Time'. Elsewhere, 'Animal Queendom' sees her wrap echoing, dubbed-out and reverb-laden synth riffs around a tough and locked-in beat, while 'All Together' is built around the twin attractions of sturdy, slightly off-kilter machine drums and jazzy electric piano motifs.
Jennifer Pastoral (Love Injection Earthly mix) (7:15)
Jennifer Pastoral (Love Injection Celestial mix) (7:11)
Jennifer Pastoral (5:04)
Review: New York City's Jennifer Vanilla - aka. Jennifer Vanilla and Brian Abelson - offered a portal into a colourful world of innovative electronic sound with their 2022 debut album Castle In The Sky, traversing a new wave, post-punk, art pop, and experimental r&b aesthetic. Now Love Injection - the just as wonderful duo of Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele - team up for a booster jab to bolster Vanilla's original shot of liquid amour, also delivered via the medium of 12". Here the original track features in full naked glory on the B-side, while two live-giving remixes from Love Injection - 'Earthly' and 'Celestial' - appear on the A and B respectively. The former takes its time, through djembe and hopeful pad wash, to deliver a blissfully organic take on the original; the latter aims more squarely for the flickering stars, and is more immediate in feel. An overall exquisite, deep, spiritual house release, with an unusually soft and dubbed-out palette, reminiscent of the deeper ends of Y2K broken beat and wild, long-form nocturnal galas a-la Joaquin Claussell.
Review: Chris Stussy is very much one of the contemporary scene's most prominent producers. He has emerged from the Dutch underground to take the global circuit by storm as a DJ but also a studio slickster who fuses tech, minimal, house and breaks. His own label deals in just that and here it offers up a trio of trippy and future facing dance floor delights from Varhat. 'Nobody' is a turbocharged tech cut with freewheeling cosmic melodies and 'Mopho' takes a more deep and breezy approach while 'Breaking Out' (Paolo Rocco remix) is balmy and deft minimal lushness.
Review: Released on Cinthie's 803 Crystal Grooves sub-label, Collective Cuts, Valerio Vaudano's latest offering is an exploration of house music's classic influences, filtered through a contemporary lens. Vaudano's commitment to a hardware-based production process, utilising a 90s sampler, lends a distinct warmth and texture to the four tracks.The title track, 'Lose My Mind', immediately grabs attention with its crisp, saturated drums and crunchy stabs. The track builds dynamically, layering choppy vocal hooks and bright strings to create a compelling dancefloor experience. It's a track designed to move bodies with an energy that's both infectious and sophisticated. 'Sunday Remedy' takes a different approach, incorporating bumpy breaks and a weighty kick drum. The track's core lies in its clever amalgamation of vocal samples, which intertwine seamlessly with gritty bass stabs and classic piano chords. It encapsulates the essence of house music, blending raw energy with melodic sophistication. On the flip side, 'Down The Street' delves into deeper territory. Airy chords and breathy vocal chants create an atmospheric backdrop, while bouncy bass stabs and a reduced rhythm section add raw intensity. It's a track that's both introspective and groove-driven, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms. The EP concludes with 'Smooth As Butter', a clear nod to the Detroit house sound where shimmering keys, jazzy drums, and twinkling chime melodies create a lush and sophisticated sonic landscape. Low-pitched vocals add soulful depth, completing the track's near-five-minute journey. His skillful blending of 90s nostalgic melodies with Detroit, Chicago and Italo influences creates a sound that's both familiar and fresh - not to mention, highly playable.
Review: Southern Magic is a sub-label of Secret Society Chile, but there is nothing submissive about the sounds of this new various artists 12". Valerio Vaudano soundtracks the end of the party with a big house bouncer full of vamping chord energy and euphoric little vocal stabs that cannot fail to send people home happy. Luca Piermattei then welcomes you to the after party with scuffed up and frazzled deep house drums under mind melting synth modulations on 'Quilmes.' Flip it over for VICARI's fizzing but feel good tech house on 'Residual Bitterness' and Lootbeg's brilliantly futuristic 'Transitions,' which is alive with alien lifeforms and a crispy tech beat.
Review: Long-time quality deep house operator Andy Vaz has a classically inclined sound that is infused with his own European perspective. Never has that been more obvious than with this EP on I'm In Love which assembled some of his best work. A Collection Of Trax Vol 1 is a limited 12" that opens with 'Only', a lively rhythm with jazzy chords and smooth vocal hooks, while 'Balances' strips it back to deep, warm, diffuse basement house. 'Deutz Motorcity (From The D)' channels the best of the Motor City with its balmy pad work and 'Little Acid' brings some raw 303 lines to a twisted house sound for the freaky after-hours.
Review: Andy Vaz shares a fresh Detroit-flavoured deep house EP, fenced through one of many production studio complexes lying in the heart of Cologne, Germany. With slurred streetwise vocals sounding spreadeagled over modal chords and bodying beatwork, this one hits different. A rarefied soul vibe emerges especially on 'The New Germans', which fleshes an immensity of feeling out of a simple kicks n' claps mix alone and 'Hometown CGN' does similarly with its trombone-esque lead parp and brain-fogged puff-around synths.
Review: The staff at Paris record shop Yoyaku have scored something of a coup for their curated YYK No Label imprint, snaffling a collaborative cut from French house stalwart Ben Vedren and legendary Chicago producer Chez Damier. In its original A-side form, 'Majestic' is bold and beautiful, with heady synth stabs, melodic motifs and electronic flourishes riding a driving deep house groove and Ron Trent style Latin percussion. Over on the flip, they opt for a darker and more marauding, tech-tinged vibe on the similarly outstanding 'Club Mix', before rounding things off with the colourful, immersive and more light touch 'Dub Feel Mix'.
Music Is My Life (Masters At Work remix dub) (4:44)
Review: Louie Vega continues to offer up fresh remixes of tracks from his epic 2023 album Expansions In The NYC. The latest cut to get the rework treatment is Unlimited Touch hook-up 'Music Is My Life', a joyous and gently soulful fusion of disco instrumentation and house nous. There are two mixes from Vega and long-time studio partner Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez as Masters at Work: an A-side full-vocal remix that gently beefs up the house elements and adds some tasty Rhodes licks, and an EP-closing dub in which the storied duo reach for spacey synth sounds, rolling grooves and selected vocal snippets. To complete a strong package, British veteran Dave Lee doffs a cap to his popular 'Remixed with Love' series and re-imagines the track as a punchy disco-funk workout.
Review: The "fool's paradise" is a classic device, espoused by many a luminary from Milton to Dante, referring to a special kind of metaphysical plane reserved for those too foolhardy to reflect on their lived misdeeds in any of the main three afterlives: heaven, hell or purgatory. It stands to reason, then, that a small band of nu-disco and house proponents should name their label after it, not least for the stupefying power of disco, and/or the sense of having evaded our sins when compelled to dance! A spin-off of Toolroom, head soundsmith Mark Knight gathers four guardian expiators to lead us into the vainest of all discotheques - Joey Vegas, Tenacious, Sgt. Slick, and Tommy Glasses - for a lulling set of automotive power-disco dreams, in which many a familiar sample from our fleshly lives - from the 70s and 80s, to be exact - filter in and out.
Review: Vertigini's Thunder EP is an electrifying journey through 80s-inspired Italo house, disco and space funk, spiced with a touch of electro. Released on Bordello A Parigi, this EP perfectly captures the essence of Nu-Disco and Balearic House. Side-1 opens with 'Thunder,' a track brimming with futuristic Italo house vibes, melodic synths, and electro flair. 'Galaxy Funk' follows with great keys and a catchy acid line, making it an instant favourite. Side-2 shifts the mood with 'Final Space,' presenting more serious, French-sounding house elements that add depth to the EP. 'Space Trip' concludes the record on a high note, offering fun and melodic rhythms that encapsulate the playful spirit of space funk. Thunder EP is a vibrant, nostalgic, and innovative collection that will resonate with fans of disco and Nu-Disco. Looking for something unique? Check this out.
Tommy Vicari JNR - "What Kind Of Love Is This" (6:09)
Loopdeville - "Los Pollos Pos" (7:07)
Loopdeville - "Do You" (6:51)
Review: 'Celestial Dance' is Tommy Vicari Jnr and Loopdeville's latest, collaborative contribution to new label Foxtail. 'Go Again' and 'What Kind Of Love Is This' draw on the slung-down timbral strength of amapiano's log basses for reuse in crowd-busting house groovemanship: we hear giggly knock hits stiffening otherwise angelic house ambiences, making for staunch low-end scaffolds. Loopdeville's B-side is the real hoot, meanwhile, as crowd murmurs and restless rhythmic petri cultures heard to come to life across 'Los Pollos', before the r&b inflect 'Do You', which samples what sounds like Miguel, closes on a potent tearjerker.
Review: Since he made his vinyl debut two decades ago, Tommy Vicari Jnr has built up quite a catalogue - including EPs and singles on Robsoul, Cabinet Records and, most recently, Drifted Records. Here the Sheffield producer makes his bow on the fast-rising Rhythm By Nature imprint, kicking things off with the wonderfully titled 'Francis Bacon Sized Hangover' - a chunky, sub-heavy slab of slipped tech-house excellence with enough weird noises to delight even the most inebriated dancers. He slows things down on 'B Doll', a jazzy chunk of off-beat hypnotism blessed with LFO style bass and glassy-eyed chords, before opening side B with the light Red Rack'em influenced 'New Days'. To round things off, he drops the ultra-deep wonder of 'Vommer', a genuinely locked-in early morning treat.
Review: 'How Do You Do It?' We'd like to ask Victorious much of the same question, as his reissued four-track EP via Sex Tapes From Mars is a serious befuddler, leaving us with just that question at the tips of our lips. First released in 1997, this is a long-lost soulful vocal house seducer from the genre's golden era. The record became a quick cult favourite, and its status among heads has remained exalted to this day, going for obscene prices on the 'ogs (there should, of course, be more regulation). Victorious aka. Victor Davies hailed from Canada and had already released one other EP before this one, via the serendipitously named Sex Records. But 'Liquid Squid' is really the teuthid oozer of choice, its lustrously sweet vocals sounding as if they'd been sung in secret by an illegitimate lover and its various analogue knocks and hums working to splashy effect.
B-STOCK: Slight surface marks, record slightly warped
How Do You Do It? (4:14)
Living Without You (5:15)
All I Want To Do (5:53)
How Do You Do It? (The Poptastic mix) (6:29)
Everybody (4:51)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks, record slightly warped***
'How Do You Do It?' We'd like to ask Victorious much of the same question, as his reissued four-track EP via Sex Tapes From Mars is a serious befuddler, leaving us with just that question at the tips of our lips. First released in 1997, this is a long-lost soulful vocal house seducer from the genre's golden era. The record became a quick cult favourite, and its status among heads has remained exalted to this day, going for obscene prices on the 'ogs (there should, of course, be more regulation). Victorious aka. Victor Davies hailed from Canada and had already released one other EP before this one, via the serendipitously named Sex Records. But 'Liquid Squid' is really the teuthid oozer of choice, its lustrously sweet vocals sounding as if they'd been sung in secret by an illegitimate lover and its various analogue knocks and hums working to splashy effect.
Review: Viewfinder returns to Rescan Records with their third release on the label, a four-track journey through house and techno. The A-side offers two straight-up house cuts, 'Solace' and 'Let Go', featuring infectious grooves, sampled percussion, and catchy stabs. Flip the record over for a techno turn, with 'Roxtone' pushing the BPMs higher and delivering a high-energy workout. Mihail P closes out the release with 'Natural High', a hypnotic blend of breaks, bleeps, and ethereal pads. With its diverse range of sounds and infectious energy, this release is a must-have for any fan of quality electronic music.
Review: If you're on the look-out for suitably big, party-starting workouts that make liberal use of samples from classic cuts and slept-on disco gems, this five-track label sampler from Tasty Recordings is well worth checking. Vinny Terranova sets the tone with 'Let's Go People', a barnstorming funky house slammer that boasts samples aplenty from an Arrested Development classic, before Disko Junkie pitches up a Grover Washington Jr classic and turns it into a bumpin' disco-house number. Elsewhere, Discotron's 'De La Disco' is a nu-disco edit-not-edit of a 'daisy age' hip-hop classic, HP Vince's 'Oh My Love' is a disco-house take on Luther Vandross, and Fraser's 'Chicago 93' is a thickset disco-house slammer that uses the same disco samples as a famous funky house classic of the early 2000s.
The Vision - "Heaven" (feat Andreya Triana - Danny Krivit edit) (6:21)
The Dangerfeel Newbies - "What Am I Here For?" (original NDATL vocal - Danny Krivit edit) (8:45)
Review: Since the 1970s Danny Krivit has been a prolific re-editor. We're used to him cutting up classic cuts - think disco and soul, in particular - but he's never been afraid to turn his talents to contemporary cuts. That's what you get on this surprise Defected release. On the A-side he turns his attention to "Heaven", the killer gospel-inspired modern disco single from The Vision and Andreya Triana, turning in a version with plenty of drops, instrument solos and more emphasis on the righteous, life-affirming vocals. He's in a smoother mode on side B, extended and rearranging the rich and soulful dancefloor treat that is Kai Alce's Original NDATL vocal mix of The Dangerfeel Newbies' "What Am I Here For?" - a gem from 2016 that has previously been criminally overlooked.
Review: Vitess is at the heart of the Paris underground and is a thrilling live artists who brings a great sense of urgency to this new album on Rossi's burgeoning HOMEGROWN label. His brand of house is slick and sleek, futuristic in feel but also full of earworm melodies and fresh hooks. 'Blue Vision' is full of vamping chords and twitchy stabs that soon get the attention then 'Drive Me Crazy' brings some 80s-style chords and wriggling lead lines that are funky and playful and 'First Night' keeps the good vibes flowing with more surging, pixelated and sugary synth work. 'Jami Rocaille' and 'Big Sound' close out with more hooky pads and clean house drums.
Review: VITESS races out of the blocks with this new Dance Generation EP on Spain's Physical Education and it is another one that perfectly fuses the past with the future. The synths are sleek, comically minded affairs with hints of 90s prog to them the beats are well crafted and the vibes, especially on opener 'Dance Generation', are feel good but stylish. 'Love It' is a deep and dubby tech house roller with deft synth motifs and balmy pads. 'Fire Wire' then gets more edgy and uptempo with a tense bassline and 'Digital City' is one to zone out to with its mashed leads and sultry vocals all stitched into new age synths.
Review: Following some great releases by Madrid legend Casbah 73, Secret Rendezvous and Moods, Kraak & Smaak's Boogie Angst returns this week with a new one by German-born/Amsterdam-based Marcel Vogel. The Lumberjacks In Hell chief serves up five typically disco oriented cuts on Games Change; there's the boogie-down vibe of 'Head Back In The Game' featuring a smooth vocal, followed by the late night mood music of 'Keep On Stepping' (extended) featuring another brilliant vocal performance by talented singer Lyma. Over on the flip, they treat you to the low slung affair 'Funk Money' and truly the sensual number 'Popping My Cherry'.
Review: Detroit vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Javonntte is contracted by Marcel Vogel and Tim Jules for the smooth, disco-splashed house cut 'Just Because', now hearing a long-awaited 12" release on Lumberjacks In Hell, the clav-loving label named after the 2018 Vogel release of the same name. Known for his deep musicality and effortless brio, Javonntte's soulful touch now drops anchor on the original's groove, letting open the possibility for the three distinct remixes by Floyd Vader, Lyma and Stefan Ringer to follow. There come etched a future-leaning electro r&b cut, a Portlandian Yoruba house hitter, and a complementary post-boogie bust-up respectively.
La Kappa (Fabrizio Mammarella Italorama mix) (6:38)
Review: If you like the sound of a mystical fusion of ancient Japanese folklore and contemporary electronic music, this EP created by Italian producer Volantis and Japanese artist Hiroko is for you. Inspired by a psychedelic experience in Kobe, it blends hardware synthesis with haunting vocals to cook up otherworldly spiritual realms. The title track merges Hiroko's narration with Japanese train sounds while summoning ancient beings while Eden Burns' remix intensifies the ritualistic atmosphere. 'La Kappa' features Hiroko's playful vocals over dreamy sequences with Fabrizio Mammarella's Italorama Version adding a touch of Italo disco. The whole thing was co-produced with Niccolo Barozzi and bridges East and West seamlessly.
Review: The boutique label from Milan is back with a 6 tracker ep. Masterminds Volantis and Nicodemo present Spaziotempo EP, serving up 4 brand new tracks and asking two of most-in-demand producers out there to put their hands on, Bell Towers and Andras, the two hitmakers from Australia. This record dangerously contains "hands in the air" moments and blissful vibes.
Stinger Pinger (Markus Sommer's GaryAblett Double Drop remix) (5:46)
Review: Art Gang Records bursts onto the scene with Volen's Stinger Pinger EP, shows the LA-based producer's highly energetic and intergalactic sound. The three original tracks are excellent dancefloor numbers perfectly suited for the dark-lit rooms of underground clubs. 'Go' kicks things off with a great groove and techy atmosphere, offering a fun and futuristic dancefloor workout complete with infectious melodies. 'Last Tab' follows suit with its heavy acid house stomp, delivering a relentless assault on the senses. On Side-2, the title track 'Stinger Pinger' is successful with its deep rhythm machine programming, catchy hooks and jackin' beats, sure to keep the crowd moving till dawn. Markus Sommer's Gary Ablett Double Drop remix of 'Stinger Pinger' adds a groovy twist to the original, offering a fresh take that complements Volen's raw energy perfectly. Overall, some really strong dance tracks that are poised to win over techno and house crowds old and new.
Review: Aron Volta, one of the first in-house artists to release with PIV, returns to the label for the hotly-awaited 'Get On Down' EP. This track has been "doing damage" on dancefloors around the world for almost two years, proving that the various crowd-tests and gestation periods for certain styles are worth the sweat. Four dreamy, vocal-samply, chorussy, and piano-rinsed squeezers nail that fidgety deep house formula, with the title track articulating a strange excess of both calm and motive. The EP takes an impressively minimal turn come 'Airtight' - and though while work done might be diminished, energy is nonetheless well conserved.
Review: The Kreuzbergkillers label kicks off in fine form with a split release from Sven Von Thulen and Spencer Parker, backed up by a remix from the mighty Shed. 'Body Music', as the title would suggest, sees Von Thulen indulging in a vintage strain of machine music where techno and EBM cross over into fiercely potent, physical club music. Shed takes a surgical approach to the track and creates his own artfully sliced and squashed techno workout. On the flip, Parker creates a feverish mood with looped up samples, discordant low end and more jack than a whole season of 24. Look out for the dub if you want the pressure in a more heads down style.
Review: Prolific and long-serving Dutchman Orlando Voorn made his belated Heist Recordings debut last year with a collection made up of previously unheard old and new cuts. For this sequel, he's decided to present entirely fresh material, all of which was recorded last year. He begins with the colourful, deep and dreamy dancefloor wooziness of 'Soundsystem', where his eyes-closed, subtly soulful vocals catch the ear, before getting a bit cheeky on the piano-sporting, disco-tinged house stomp of 'High' (a tribute to the joys of jazz cigarette smoking, fact fans). Over on side B, 'Day By Day' is a warming, loose-limbed chunk of classic-sounding, U.S style deep house, while '909 (feat Emil and Boo Williams - OV Remix)' is a sweat-soaked, energy-packed jack-track.
Todd Terry - "Bounce To The Beat" (Orlando Voorn remix) (9:13)
Orlando Voorn - "Pulsor" (6:42)
Fix - "Flash" (5:43)
Fix - "Dope Computer" (Ken Ishii remix) (6:11)
Review: This new EP grey and black splattered 12" from Orlando Voorn features a real glut of goodness - there is the stone-cold classic 'Flash' under his Fix alias which is big, bouncy techno with wigged-out synths and plenty of playful energy. There is also the brand new title track 'Pulsor' which is a nice heady and deep cut with silky synth ripples and rubbery drums intertwining with one another perfectly. The two remixes included have never been available on vinyl before. The first is Orlando's chunky and funky techno rework of 'Boucle To The Beat', one of Toddy Terry's most recognisable early tracks. Then last of all is the colourful house sound of Ken Ishii's remix of 'Dope Computer'. It's a filter-heavy and loopy jam with prickly acid that will pump any party.
Todd Terry - "Bounce To The Beat" (Orlando Voorn remix) (9:13)
Orlando Voorn - "Pulsor" (6:41)
Fix - "Flash" (5:43)
Fix - "Dope Computer" (Ken Ishii remix) (6:11)
Review: A special, limited edition purple vinyl version of the new Pulsor EP from Orlando Voorn, with the undipsuted classic 'Flash' - utilising his Fix alias - up front, big, bouncy techno with wigged-out synths and plenty of playful energy. There's also the brand new title track 'Pulsor' a heady deep cut and two remixes making their debuts on vinyl here, namely Orlando's chunky techno reworking of 'Boucle To The Beat', one of Toddy Terry's most recognisable early tracks, and then the colourful house sound of Ken Ishii's remix of 'Dope Computer'.
Review: Trent Voyage and Elena Moroder started working together in 2022 and here make their debut on Quirk. It speaks to a duo who have a love of classic US house but have enough skill to bring their own style to it. Elena's dynamic, sensual vocals weave through lyrics about paradise, love and fantasy, with the opener 'Jamiro' a perfect deep house hymn with timeless vibes. 'Show Them' is a more minimal and late-night sound with a twitchy synth and moody vocals bringing more edginess. 'So Good' has a jacked up groove and another magnificent original vocal that harks back to the golden era. 'Cosmic Connection' repeats the trick with a rugged drum sound, then 'Cravings' is built on an electro rhythm with future synth sparks.
Review: Somewhere between a rolling terrace session and a very well-behaved afters, Aloque's second 12" offers a quietly confident take on modern club gear. The Valencia-based label launched with a bang last year i their debut sold out quickly i and now they return with four new tracks from co-founders Vsan & Jose Marti. If the first record introduced the label's sound, this one deepens it. 'Creilla' opens the A-side with a stripped, percussive groove that unfolds patiently, stitched together with dubby effects and subtle movement. It's restrained but functional i the sort of track you'll play more often than you think. 'You Will (Remaster)' leans into darker territory: heads-down and system-facing, with a weighty low end and just enough melodic tension to hold your focus. Over on the flip, 'Stabito' takes things into smokier, slower territory. Airy stabs drift in and out over a skeleton of drums, soft-edged but purposeful. 'Calibre (feat Badano)' closes with more urgency i a focused, dry pulse driving the most direct track on the record. With two sharp 12"s under their belt and a clear sonic identity forming, Aloque sit right at the centre of Valencia's shifting dance landscape i these records already feel built to move well beyond it.
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