Review: Deeper shades of a finely sifted pedigree. Irish label Appian Sounds, helmed up by Al Blayney, champion only winnowed techno sounds, not threshed. A welcome international team huddle in, with these six artists from locales as far-flung as Amsterdam and Valencia contributing the likes of 'Tsuneo' and 'Persist'. The tunes verge melodic as they move through and beyond jankiness, distending die-cut acids and subtly synthetic humanisations, especially in the percussion department. 'Fuego' is the zen roshi's choice, its gaffered, glass-smithed pads topping off a naturalistic percussive surging forward, one best experienced with your eyes closed.
Review: Eclectic technoizer Basic Bastard locks arms with Detroiter Orlando Voorn, their dual sonic output being the new 'Drama' EP. The three-tracker is nothing short of a sonic adventure, spanning acid, to dub, to uncategorisable entrainments. Bastard's original 'Drama' nails the art of the acid loop, a tricky tactic that is much less masterable than one might think. Voorn remixes the track my miring its elements in a cruddy ambience, while also greedily occupying the entire B-side with the urban-hellish jazz-noise-house cut 'Survival'.
Review: Sundries' Disco Goodies series, which rounds up the best of the label's digital releases and presents them on multi-artist EPs, reaches its fourth instalment. It hits home hard from the start, where Berobreo's 'Soul Driven Dynamics' provides an attractive mix of 1970s orchestral soul samples and rubbery deep house beats. Experienced re-editor Oldchap brings the goods with a lightly tooled-up and beefed-up rework of an orchestra-sporting disco gem ('Coloridos'), before X Gets The Crest delivers a percussive, hot-stepping and filter-smothered re-wire of a much-loved Cymande classic ('Still Come Home'). Over on side B, Alexny's heavy disco-funk re-edit ('People Says') is joined by a hazy and horn-heavy revision courtesy of Sould Out ('City Gal') and the pitched-up disco loop-funk of 'Since You Came' by Workerz.
Review: The Moiss Music label seems to like to drop their EPs two at a time. They did it in February and they're doing it again in May. This eighth outing collects four more lively disco cuts, each with their own subtle influences. Berobreo's 'White Rabbit' for instance has funky undertones with loopy guitar riffs and nice breaks. The Magic Track's 'Jamming With Mom' meanwhile is more sensuous and deep, with late-night synth work and seductive vocals. Oldchap's 'I Want To Show You' has an expressive soul vocal with more low-slung grooves and Alexny's 'Not Bad' then gets quick, clipped and loopy for its lip-pouting disco thrills.
Review: Cult Edits are specialists in pushing a certain kind of heater, working in a mode landing something between edit and original. Six producers - Mario Bianco, Tomoo Hata, Roe Deers, Radial Gaze, A Tweed and Oltrefuturo - lay down a blend of sampledelic, ecstatic, multi-tempo'd tribal moods. Channelling everything from chic Tulum rituals to the brutalism of Eastern-European underground clubs, and rounded off by doses of Italian rasta and Japanese re-imagining of Hungarian folk song, all come to the label's exquisite brand of mandala-esque vinyl.
Review: The second various artists EP from the Merkwurdig label is another tasteful collection of up front sounds from a clutch of inquisitive underground names. Body opens up with some nice cosmic tech powered by rasping bass and reverberating synths. Nate SU's 'Neutrino' is a busy jam with hooky synths and splashy cymbals that takes on a twisted sense of cyborg funk. OBG very much smooths things out with the heady house roller that is 'With The Wave' and Fabiano Jose shuts down with the rock solid kick patterns and subtly rising joy of his diffuse piano chords on 'Discotale.'
Review: ***B-STOCK: Warped, otherwise plays fine***
The second various artists EP from the Merkwurdig label is another tasteful collection of up front sounds from a clutch of inquisitive underground names. Body opens up with some nice cosmic tech powered by rasping bass and reverberating synths. Nate SU's 'Neutrino' is a busy jam with hooky synths and splashy cymbals that takes on a twisted sense of cyborg funk. OBG very much smooths things out with the heady house roller that is 'With The Wave' and Fabiano Jose shuts down with the rock solid kick patterns and subtly rising joy of his diffuse piano chords on 'Discotale.'
Review: Needs' commendable charity drive continues to bring forth the goods, both in terms of good causes and world class club music. Rallying round in support of World Mental Health Day 2020, Shanti Celeste kicks the record off in style with the rapid fire, deep-diving workout 'Fantasma'. OCB keeps the pressure up with the psychotropic techno of 'RS3', while Michelle works up some delightfully freaky synths on playful jacker 'Aesthetic'. Bobby's 'Free Your Mind' is a 90s-tinged, full fat techno production indebted to Detroit, Peder Mannerfelt keeps things stripped and raw on 'Our Levels' and Yu Su weaves a beautiful tapestry of interweaving rhythms on 'Brittney'. Adam Pits' trippy techno sounds resplendent on 'Wind Tunnel' and DJ Sports completes the set with the inventive, dembow slanted funk of 'Needs Dub'.
Charlotte & Reinhard for WeCanDance - "To Be Free Again" (extended) (5:10)
Ollie Loudon - "LMT" (extended) (6:21)
Lily Ko - "Pure Rubber" (5:58)
Biancolato - "Resolution" (edit) (5:46)
Review: We're promised Mellow Magic and that's precisely what we get, across four tracks emerging from disparate corners of the globe but united in a common mission to provide beats that work on the more relaxed end of the dancefloor. Belgian duo Charlotte & Reinhard of Rheinzand fame kick things off with a slow motion Balearic version of a well known 80s MOR classic. Ollie Loudon's 'L.M.T.' finally makes it to vinyl after long being a secret weapon in Gratts' DJ sets, where handclaps and languid strumming meet a gentle but infectious groove. Flip it over for the more tracky affairs, as Japan's Lily Ko makes an impressive debut with 'Pure Rubber', an original mix of disco foundations and always snazzy but never showy 80s synth play. Melbourne's Biancolato finishes things off with understated deep house shuffling that adds just a touch jazzy keys and dreamy, wispy pads.
Review: Following on from his recent collaborative outing with Jonasclean, James Curd now finds himself working with the deep house legend and Yoruba master Osunlade on a new track for Get Physical. 'Chocolate Puddin'' is a joyous and organic cut with life-affirming vocals that borrow heavily from gospel while Afro-house synths and drums unfold below. Three remixes take it into different territory with Kai Alce offering his signature smoothness, a Yoruba Soul mix going big on the lush chords and FNX Omar getting tribal. All in all, it adds up to a varied package and another great outing for Curd.
Dave & Omar - "Starlight" (Grant Nelson extended mix) (6:16)
Chocolate Fudge Band - "Everything" (DJ Fudge extended mix) (6:57)
Dave & Maurissa - "Look At The Stars" (Dave's Starshine club mix) (7:48)
Opolopo - "Looking For You" (Peter's extended Organ) (6:02)
Review: Soul meets speed garage on this new V/A EP from Z Records, blurring the lines between the genres in just the way we like it. The opening track - Grant Nelson's mix of 'Starlight' by Dave & Omar - is a euphoric, piano-laced uplifter which both sonically and lyrically urges us to reach for the sky. That's followed by the DJ Fudge production 'Everything' by Chocolate Fudge Band, featuring lots of live instrumentation and a Curtis Mayfield style vocal, while over on the flip, 'Looking For You' proves to be a deep and bouncy cut filled with soulful Motown vocal chops and an organ workout worthy of any Sunday service, over a beautifully wonky house framework.
Review: Omar S treats us to a second release in the space of a week, with a much deserved reissue of some 1996 Roy Davis Jnr rawness across the A Side. The Stevie Wonder classic "All I Do" gets chopped up, laid over a killer Chi town beat filled with instantly gratifying raw drum edits and augmented by some evil bass thumps. Relentlessly brilliant and sounds just as fresh some 14 years on. Echoing a current trend this side plays outwards from the inside groove. On the flip Omar S teams up with DJ B Len D for the bongo heavy deep groove of "Da Teys" a track that's characterised by melodic keys which increase with curveball drama as the track progresses.
Review: After years spent serving up tasty, digital-only singles, Polish imprint That's Right Dawg Music finally makes its vinyl bow via a six-track mini-album featuring some of their most-checked catalogue cuts. Demarkus Lewis kicks things off via the carefully crafted disco-house release of 'TGIF', before Federfunk slams down the jazz-sampling peak-time punchiness of 'We Keep It Groovin' and Jazzmik offers up the funky deep house bounce of 'Get Him Outta Here'. Over on the reverse, Oggie B cannily combines mind-mangling electronic stabs, pumping beats and orgasmic vocal samples ('Steady Old Foot'), Makson makes great use of vintage rap and disco guitar samples on the energy-packed house thump of 'Last Man Standing', and Casserta and Jonny C join forces on the bass-heavy garage-house bump of 'Party #1'.
Review: TV Hill Records starts things off rough and curiosity-rousing, with a technical itch from OG AG (Andrew Grant) in collaboration with fellow producer Dimneonsum. A mid-paced deep techno calculator, 'What's Up Everybody' pares back any semblance of emotion for pure robotic urgency, with every sound moving in juddering clockwork lockstep in an abstracted world of pure, preservative mathematic topology. Opener 'San Fran' pits nervous FM loops against an equally anxious Shepard-tonal riser, while calmer moments such as the beatless 'Drakey' still disquiet with their eerie glassiness. One for the bleepy heads, the only humanistic element is the revelatory vocal sample on 'Found Out'.
Review: Eris Drew and Octo Octa are one of the hottest couples in dance music. They perfectly embody the modern way which is to make music that is diverse and inclusive, unafraid of wearing its heart on its sleeve and never too far away from damn good fun. Their transcendental ecstatic rave sounds have brought countless dance floors together all over the world, not least fabric. The London club's in house label return the favour by putting out this limited curacao coloured 12" with one track from each of the US artists. Drew's 'Day After A Night With U' opens up with real house warmth and Octo Octa's 'Stars & Water' on the flip is equally deep and delicious.
Review: It's time for all minimal fans to jump aboard the Leitmovtif train once more here with this decent split EP from En and Orbit. The latter invites us into his world first with 'Hey Tobit' which is nice and lively tech brought to life with scurrying synths, well-designed effects and a nice sense of colour. 'Niagara' then pairs delightfully cosmic-sounding melodic motifs with a glossy tech house kick. En's 'Laboratorium' keeps things classy with another forward-thinking mix of barmy astral synth designs and effective, stylish drum programming. Last of all, 'Dream About' gets a little trippy with its chilly cowbells, smeared pads and heady atmosphere.
Review: The undeniably wonderfully named Chippy Chasers label return with a neat selection of four very playable, friendly-on-the-ear cuts from four undeniably wonderful artists. Fedo's 'Tunisian Rex' leads the chage, with a solid house shuffle liberally peppered with nicely trippy effects and bonkers vocal snippets that give it heaps of personality. Andrey Djackonda & Ovil's 'Lui Lui' is a little more stripped down and a little more soulful, with an old jazz hand muttering atmosphercially on top. Legit Trip's 'Skripi Daddy' is the most loop-laden of the quartet, but its ebbing and flowing brass samples and high frequency tweaks keep it interesting, before Firesc's 'Left Or Right' closes things down with the kind of polyrhythmic funkiness and space jazz trimmings that made Cheap Records so essential back in the day. Well worth Chasing down.
Review: Aaron Siegel's Fit moniker links up with the considerable talents of Gunnar Wendel (better known as Kassem Mosse) for this killer two-tracker on FXHE, and even Omar S gets in on the action with some mixdown assistance. "Track 1" works around sizzling drums, emotive bass and a diverse spread of melodic sources for a simple and direct slice of analogue house. "Track 2" is a real carpet-burn of a track, taking the quality up to a new level with a gorgeous line in lead synths moulded into a thoroughly sexy concoction while the drums stay pert and primed for all manner of sultry floor action.
Review: Orlando Voorn and Blake Baxter deliver a powerhouse collaboration that channels the raw vitality of house music's formative years. Driven by a relentless bassline and crisp, propulsive rhythms, the production is both punchy and atmospheric, striking a balance between grit and groove. Baxter's unmistakable vocal style adds depth and urgency, weaving seamlessly into Voorn's dynamic arrangement. There's an immediacy to the track that feels alive, capturing the spirit of dancefloor culture while paying homage to the genre's roots. This is a meeting of two titans, where history and innovation collide with thrilling results.
Review: Following up last year's production with Baltimore techno legend Maurice Fulton on 'Jigoo', the next release on Gudu is the first of two songs by label boss Peggy Gou that she will release over the coming months. Her first single in over two years, it translates to 'Butterfly' and is another collaboration. This time with fellow Korean sensation OHHYUK who is the lead singer and guitarist in the band Hyukoh. 'Nabi' is a downtempo, pop-inflected number said to be inspired by '80s synth classics and '90s Korean songs that Gou's mother used to play at home during her childhood.
Groove Armada - "Get Down" (feat Stush & Red Rat - Mark Knight extended mix) (6:15)
Illyus & Barrientos - "When You Gonna" (extended mix) (5:41)
David Penn & Offiah - "Satisfied" (5:18)
Ben Remember - "Waiting 4 You" (extended mix) (5:16)
Review: Mark Knight's epic Toolroom label returns with a four-track sampler featuring plenty more big-room house excursions. First up, the boss himself offers up an extended mix of Groove Armada's legendary 'Get Down' which is full of rave stabs and big vocals. Illyus & Barrientos offer the synth laced and peak time sounds of 'When You Gonna' and David Penn & Offiah combine for the supersized piano house rollercoaster that is 'Satisfied' complete with big hooky vocals. Last of all comes Ben Remember's 'Waiting 4 You' (extended mix) which ducks and dices with some smart filters, chopped-up vocal stabs and raw percussive house energy.
Review: Second time around for Harlem Hustlers' surging disco-house anthem, which first appeared in stores way back in 2005. This time round, the Italian duo have reworked it considerably, placing underground boogie legend Orlando Johnson's lead vocal front and centre while opting for some more organic-sounding instrumentation (the original was more sample-heavy). On their '2023 Rework' they channel the sound of Groove Culture label bosses Mickey More and Andy Tee, wrapping Johnson's vocal, tidy horns, flanged guitars and classic-sounding piano riffs around a warming bass guitar part and crunchy house drums. It's a very classy and far more authentically 'disco'-sounding track than their 2005 original. Their flip-side 'Get On The Floor' mix, meanwhile, has a smoother, more synth-heavy disco-house sound, less vocal and even more of the excellent horn sounds.
Review: Dub techno don Luke Hess has been a mainstay of Omar S's FXHE label for as long as we, or anyone in fact, can remember. The Motor City talent dropped this particular EP, 'Dubout EP #3.13', back in 2011 but it now resurfaces and has aged to perfection with some extra touches from Smith himself. 'Narrow Road' is strident and direct dub techno with signature FXHE chords. 'Leads To Life' is more liquid and paired back with an undulating bassline and a cosmic feel to the swirling pads. 'Unity Excerpt' closes with more icy beats, hi-hats and skittish synths that snake throughout the mix.
Review: Luke Hess delivered a stunning, dub techno masterclass with this rather unexpected gem on the FXHE label back in 2017 with fellow Motor City great Omar S on production. The superb title track opens with shimmering dub chords and hypnotic rhythms that evolve slowly but powerfully. 'Renewal' offers a more direct approach by channelling the spirit of Brendon Moeller's Beat Pharmacy. On the flip, 'Sacred' strips things back with a staggered groove, airy pads and a one-note bassline circling deep into the night. Closing track 'Motor Dub' nods to Deepchord with its swirling delays and spacious, bass-heavy mix. For fans of Basic Channel and immersive, textured techno, this is irresistible.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
I Believe - "Master Spirit" (5:19)
Girls On Pills - "Vheladei" (Open Spaces Update) (4:44)
Steve Mantovani - "Doctor Of Dreams" (4:39)
Miki - "107" (Melly Melody version) (4:54)
Open Spaces - "A Beginning Of An Idea" (5:14)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Volume One of a label retrospective of pioneering early 90s Prog House label Interactive Test Compiled by Alex from Utopia Records and enigmatic Interactive Test founder Franco Falsini. Falsini, responsible for many of the underground classics on the label he founded in Florence in 1991 was first known for his 70s Italian Prog / Cosmic group Sensations Fix. A trailblazer who continued to push the boundaries of electronic music two decades later with Interactive Test, accompanied by the up-and-coming talents of Trance hero DJ Miki the Dolphin, his brother Riccardo and an host of cult Italian music producers. Here we start with 5 tracks from the archive, all highly collectable, remastered for DJs and psychedelic music enthusiastic alike from the best sources possible. Authentic and original dance sounds still hitting the spot in our times.
Review: Jooice, yet another sublabel of London-based proggy dance and electro label Lirica Archives, drop a swell new dark acid trance release collectively smithed by five sound-stokers: J6, Christian Sarde, Aline Umber, Krol and Otis. Each titans in their respective scenes (between which there is much crossover on this release), the overarching mood is one of renegade sci-fi escapism and revolution, with glitching, quivering robo-vocals and technic, sciencey sound-tunnellings aplenty.
Review: Four new prangers from France's BOOOoo! crew, startling our ears with audio-apparitions by ghosts of the resident French sceno-system: Jamahr, Mooglee, Jucid and Odeon. 'Black Loops' and 'Flex (Booty Mix)' invade elastic terrains of bass and flicky synth, churn them back through meshes of gradated beats and rond-squelching stab notes. 'The Question Is' eliminates much of the A-side's establishing layers and overdubs, harking rubbery and slip-tastic FX design, countered by the equally sticky 'Jimbeldance'.
Sam Divine - "Take My Hand" (feat Josh Barry) (5:57)
Oden & Fatzo X Camden Cox - "Lady Love" (4:55)
Review: Though mostly known for their colourful and soul-drenched house, Defected can also do more physical and tech-leaning sounds as exemplified on this new EP. It features a mix of new school tastemakers with Jansons opening up with the old school breaks and bars of 'Hypnotic' (feat Dope Earth Alien) then American star LP Giobbi layers up the freewheeling melodies and punchy drum loops on 'Giodisco.' Sam Divine gets for a deep and driving house sound on 'Take My Hand' (feat Josh Barry) and Oden & Fatzo X Camden Cox close things out with a more light and airy vocal sound on 'Lady Love.' Some useful variation here.
Review: Described as a release "made by wrong'uns, for wrong'uns", Wrong'uns 001 hears artists JoeJoeMojo, Oward, Rewi De Kooney and Mehlor join forces for some serious bassweight united. Exemplary 2-step, speed garage and bass compiled into a single EP for the modern zeitgeist, and packaged under the visage of a stoned, grilled bucket-hatter, the likes of 'Crackz' and 'Meet With The Devil' stick out like throbbing sub-bled ears, hardcore-continual conches for a next gen eager to prove their mettle.
Review: Spain's Esuoh White label kicks on here with a sixth outing that welcomes various talents to offer up their own deep house delights. Kid Mark kicks off with 'Need U' which is a big-hearted jam with full-throttle vocals and hefty house drums. Chris Fry & Owain 124 slip into a deeper vibe with the sunny loops of 'Together' and lush guitar trills. Ezequiel G channels the raw jack of early era-Chicago house with 'Soul Enough' then George Feely shuts down with the high energy and hard hitting house sounds of 'Groovin'' complete with an effortlessly uplifting and soulful filtered vocal.
Almost Death (Darren Allen Crimes Of The Future remix) (7:16)
Review: Wicked Bass welcome Lucretio & Omar Akhrif for its 20th release and a fittingly goto one it is too. 'Heartgirls' has a filthy groove with snappy hits and marching drum funk all run through with some wonky synth action. 'We Like Rain' is another full flavour and fleshy cut with rasping bass madness and militant drums. 'Almost Death' is another one with a stiff rhythm and slamming drums, this time with unsettling vocal stabs and wild acid lines. Darren Allen's Crimes Of The Future remix of the same tune is a melon twisting slice of dubbed out afterparty techno.
Review: Future Tones hear producers Luis Malon and Omar drop two utter floor-heaters respectively, not holding back for a second in their admission that these are 'Tracks From The Future'. Malon's 'Freeze' and 'Flesh Is Stronger' are surprisingly (at least for a pair of time-travelling tracks) humanistic statements, bringing belligerent bangout beats, rapturously Reesing rhapsodies and even G-funk whistles to a driving pair. Omar's flips are much more vintage, moving seemingly laterally in dimension rather than linearly in time, and finding solace in a more neo-retro-modern vision of the future; 'Niusing' especially entices with its cascader twinkles and sawwing bursts.
Sanderson Dear - "A Place For Totems" (extended version) (6:10)
Review: Sanderson Dear's Stasis Recordings released the original Time Capsule compilation in 2020 - a 20-track exploration of ten different ambient techno artists exploring two ideas each in compact form for a box set of 7"s. Now the label has revisited some of the project's standout moments and offered a chance to enjoy extended versions gathered on a single 12". From Maps Of Hyperspace shaping out atmospheric halls of synth work on 'Beta' to Glo Phase offering some gorgeous, sparkling grooves on 'Fire Flies', there's plenty of ground covered on this release. Of course the mighty John Beltran is a big drawer too, and his typically stellar 'The Descendent' doesn't disappoint in its full extended version.
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