Review: 'Departures' is one of the most renowned singles by the Japanese band Globe, originally released in 1996. The track achieved significant success and became the group's second number-one hit on Oricon's weekly chart and went on to sell a total of a rather astonishing, especially in comparison to these digital times, 2.2 million copies, making it one of Japan's best-selling singles. Now the tune gets reissued on 7" and is a raw, dense pop-rock tune that comes with a bonus cut on the flip.
Review: 'Suite For Chick' is a heartfelt tribute to the late jazz legend Chick Corea. This 12" was assembled to reimagine classics like 'City Gate, Rumble,' 'Time Track,' 'Hymn of the Heart' and Return to Forever's 'Romantic Warrior.' It finds Bangkok-based Maarten Goetheer collaborating with Thailand's jazz virtuoso Pong Nakornchai and blending Wurlitzer chords, Moog basslines, ARP leads and Rhodes phasings. Inspired by his jazz-pianist father, Maarten fuses classic jazz with modern genres like techno, cosmic disco and ambient for a fresh take on jazz fusion. These electrifying interpretations honour Corea's pioneering legacy in jazz and fusion from his groundbreaking work with Miles Davis to founding Return to Forever.
Review: After two decades entertaining dancers in Santiago, Chile, the Rock Tha House crew have decided to launch their own label. With local legend Camilo Gil and Mexico City-based Mario Flores at the helm, the imprint aims to showcase Chilean talent - though this compilation style debut EP features cuts from artists based all over the world. Nima Gorji sets the tone with 'Get Me Out Of Here', a hypnotic and mind-altering fusion of minimal house sparsity and deliciously psychedelic electronics, before Quenum delivers a typically Chilean blend of oddball house drums, weird noises and Villalobos style effects. Over on side B, Carlo Gambino's 'The Goddess' is a tech-tinged chunk of deep house haziness, while Mihai Popovicu's 'Nimph' is a classical-sounding chunk of ultra-spacey tech-house deepness.
Review: ?aru is a non-profit label from Romania that sits at the sharp edge of the minimal underground. This new double pack of striped back tech gems will see all proceeds donated to dog shelters and NGOs supporting stray pups. Sensek opens with a slithering and groaning groove, 'Machine Morality,' for shadowy afterparties and Gringow brings a haunting melody to 'Towards The Dark & Cold.' Broascka's 'Epitelius' is an abstract affair with microscopic details scattered over a deep, dubby grove and Dragomir closes with two cuts - 'Alone With You' is a woozy late-night roller and 'Illusions feat Adina Oros' is a blissed out downtempo sound for the post-club hours.
Review: Long-established Italian producer Nicola Conte started working with jazz trombobist Gianluca Petrella back in 2017. In the years since, they've released a string of singles that fuse contemporary house sounds with the rhythms and musical styles of Africa. Here they present their collaborative debut album, People Need People, an effortlessly soulful affair that draws deeply on the pair's joint love of deep jazz-funk (see 'Hold On To Your Dreams') and the funk-fuelled goodness of Afrobeat ('Nigeria'). Throw in versions of those previously released singles (think 'African Spirits' and 'New World Shuffle' for starters), and you've got a highly entertaining full of high-quality musicianship and plenty of life-affirming melodic motifs.
Review: Gemini's In Neutral has always been regarded as something of a second wave Chicago deep house classic; an album that was celebrated by the heads on its' initial release in 1997, but didn't have the wider impact it probably should have done. Since then, it's been tricky to find on vinyl - unless you're willing to pay inflated online prices, of course - so this licensed reissue from ChiWax is a welcome surprise. In Neutral remains arguably Gemini's best work, and mixes thumping, hypnotic, Detroit techno influenced deep house jams with a smattering of deeper, jazz-flecked downtempo excursions (see "Ahi"). The album also features a sterling chunk of early Chicago boompty in the shape of the superb "?".
Review: Future Electronics label head Gojnea76 is back with more of his avant-garde sounds in the form of this new double vinyl album. It is packed with dance floor potency and eight cuts of techno and acid dynamite starting with the sleek 'Mass Music'. 'Party Time' then brings some bumping house sounds with raw, slamming drums, 'Get Control' has well-swung kicks that punch like Mike Tyson under some woozy chords and acid stabs and 'Baby Pn' is another muscular mix of rock solid kicks, coarse percussive patterns and deft synths.
Review: South African producer and Atjazz label staple Jullian Gomes makes a move away from his regular home to drop this new album Bruno & The Birds on World Without End. It is an adventurous one that gets well beyond the dance floor and comes with plenty of meaningful melodic hooks and well-crafted songs. Guess help bring some fresh vocal charm to his pure beats and crystalline synths with 'How?' (feat Sabrina Chyld - edit) being a highlight. Future house, soulful house, pop house, call it what you will, this is a refreshingly new school take on the age-old sound and one that shows there is plenty of life in the form yet.
Review: Max Graef emerged with a dusty, lo-fi and lived-in house sound that soon made him a favourite amongst the underground heads of the early 2010s. In the years since he has dropped plenty of fine tunes and a great full-length and has seemingly been working on his skills and musicality because this new full-length is a real step up in quality. It comes as always on his home label Tartelet and mixes up some lush downtempo sounds with deep house bits, Balearic moments and plenty of soulful charm.
I See You Baby (feat Gramma Funk - GA25 mix) (4:31)
Song 4 Mutya (GA25 mix) (4:30)
Back To My Roots (feat Richie Havens - GA25 mix) (5:47)
Superstylin' (GA25 mix) (5:04)
If Everybody Looked The Same (GA25 mix) (3:40)
Purple Haze (GA25 mix) (5:38)
My Friend (GA25 mix) (4:43)
Chicago (GA25 mix) (6:23)
Easy (GA25 mix) (6:12)
Edge Hill (GA25 mix) (5:05)
Tthe Girls Say (GA25 mix) (4:15)
Get Down (GA25 mix) (4:28)
At The River (GA25 mix) (4:21)
Review: English duo Groove Armada is a towering presence over British and world dance music. They have served up countless global hits as well as more underground sounds, and recently their vast back catalogue is back in the spotlight as Late Night Tales have reissued three of their most superb compilations. Off the back of that, now comes this greatest hits album which is billed as GA25: All The Hits & More to mark their quarter of a century in the game. Some of the tunes on it have had a touch-up edit to bring them bang up to date and many of these are still much loved from party starters like 'Superstylin' to more downtempo delights like 'At The River.'
Review: Former Factory Floor flummoxer and drummer Gabe Gurnsey grabs us by the groin on this gargantuan groveller of an LP, 'Diablo', his new album. Blending influences from Detroit techno, minimal post-punk and krautrock, it's an impressive follow-up to Physical, his debut solo album for Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound. It hotly heats our hearing with high-octane hygge, and develops nicely out of his former one-off EPs and singles.
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