Love On The Rocks レコード& CD

Review: Without attracting much hype, Das Komplex was responsible for some of the most enjoyable, dub-fuelled disco and Balearic releases of 2016. He's started 2017 in pretty confident fashion, too, delivering more fine fare via Father & Son Records & Tapes, People Must Jam and, now, Love On The Rocks. Interesting, this outing is a little bolder, woozier and weirder than some outings, though his love of reverb and delay remains a constant. "Szlugi" is an eccentric fusion of clattering drum machine percussion, trippy synthesizer motifs and lo-fi electronics, while "Polenz" effortlessly joins the dots between cosmic disco, jazz-funk and sample-heavy deep house. Best of all, though, is epic flipside "Flauta", a musically rich, Clavinet-heavy dub disco affair that rises and falls for 13 spellbinding minutes.

Review: Paramida's Love On The Rocks imprint got off to a flying start earlier this year with Flying Away From You, a sublime slab of south side Italian house from Massimiliano Pagliaria and it's now two for two from the fledgling label. Ess O Ess is the new production handle of London pair Jamie Blanco (of London Housing Trust repute) and Chris Stoker and their sole production here bodes well for any future manoeuvres. "Baboon" is tropical disco mixed with pagan house and feels like a certified summer jam. Flip the Baboon over and you get two supplementary remixes that add something different to the track, with Tiago pulling the cut back towards exotic disco and the Bad Passion crew turning in a delay heavy house dub with a bass line that will grip you from the very off.

Review: Having previously appeared on Voyeurhythm under his given name, Elliot Thomas has recently taken to using the Etbonz alias. This 12" for Love on the Rocks comes hot on the heels of a single-sided outing on the hyped Bahnsteig23 imprint. "My Kind of Future" is a pleasingly trippy, forthright affair, which builds from a swirling start into a muscular, Italo-disco inspired dancefloor smasher. Prins Thomas provides a trademark Diskomiks on the flip, pushing the track further towards rubbery dub disco territory. While still formidably dancefloor friendly, it boasts the Norwegian's usual trippy effects and trademark rhythmic swing.

Review: Brought to wider attention on a fine (Emotional) Especial record last year, Romanian duo Khidja return here with a equally interesting record for Love On The Rocks. Paramida's label dressed to impress in its first year of business thanks to records from Mass Pagliara, Ess O Ess, and Telephones and Khidja make worthy additions with Looki. The original version is as transcendental as anything Khidja have previously put their name to and it's complemented well by a trio of superb remixes from Lauer, Fantastic Man, and Africaine 808. Of this triplet, it's Phillip Lauer who shines the brightest on a remix that positively drips with emotion.

Review: Following up releases by Massimiliano Pagliara and Telephones, Berlin's Paramida continues on a winning streak with her Love On The Rocks imprint. This time recruiting Indonesian Jonatahn Kusuma (previously seen on labels like I'm A Cliche) who steps up with two killer tracks of the Balearic kind. "A Steins Way" features an infectious synth bass melody backed by emotive strings, FX of the spacey kind and white noise; all that you need! On the flip is "Underpass' with its low slung groove. A deep funky bassline and some spacey arpeggios are once again all you need to get any party started. Tip!

Review: Last time out, Longhair popped up on Claptrap with a fine EP that effortlessly joined the dots between turn-of-the-'90s dream house, breakbeat-driven deep house and colourful nu-disco. They've slightly switched focus on this Love On The Rocks label debut, adding big rays of sweltering Balearic sunshine to their usual warming and kaleidoscopic sound palette. In its original form, "The Forbidden Dance" brilliantly re-purposes the melody from a familiar old Mediterranean instrumental number (you'll recognise it when you hear it), re-playing it on sparkling synthesizer settings and layering it atop a tactile deep house groove awash with vibrant nu-disco sounds. Arguably even better is the almost beat-free flipside "Rhumba Mix", which reminded us of those bonus "ambient house" versions you used to get on Italian dream house EPs.

Review: Omer joins the Love On The Rocks family with a massive underground smash. There's the secret rework with its hands in the air hysteria that's clocked up more than a few plays in clubs from Robert Johnson to Panorama Bar. Finding just enough room for another huge jam to share on the same side, Omer moves effortlessly into late night melancholic territory with "High Hopes" leading in with snapping percussion before giving way to a fierce bassline, swirling layers of melody and synths that resonate with warmth and emotion. Rounding out proceedings is "Back and Forth" which pulses with electric energy; quickly pulling you into its distinctly neon/after dark atmospherics. With a foreboding hook that twists around itself amid spiralling tension and on into euphoria.

Review: Love On The Rocks is the new label from Paramida, the Berlin based DJ at Salon - Zur wilden Renate and host of the Paradisco night and who better to inaugurate it than Massimiliano Pagliara! The Lecce born Italian has plenty of form in the realm of disco-flecked house for the likes of Live at Robert Johnson, Rush Hour, Balihu, and Cocktail D'Amour and his discography is complemented well by Flying Away From You. Consisting of vocal and instrumental versions, all the classic Pagliara trademarks are on the former; a languid bassline, crisp drums, slow burning grooves and soothing vocal hooks. The star bursting instrumental is even more sumptuously hypnotic!

Review: It's been some two years since Paramida established Love On The Rocks. In that time, the label has put out some memorable material, including essential 12" singles from Telephones, Khidja and Fantastic Man. The time seems right, then, for Paramida to step up and deliver her first EP for the label. Tehran Bomb also marks the start of a new, occasional re-edit series. She begins with the intoxicating late night throb of "Beyond Katovl", where fluttering vocal samples and psychedelic electronics ride a bombastic, high-energy groove. It's a muscular affair, all told, but strangely intoxicating. Flipside "Ms Bombastic" sees Paramida reworking an early house workout, cleverly emphasizing the original track's surging percussion and killer bassline.

Review: Berlin-based Norwegian producer Henning Severud is in the midst of a fine run of releases as Telephones right now with his debut on Running Back proving to be one of the label's most loved platters in some time (this is no mean feat it should be said). His latest appearance is on Paramida's Love On The Rocks imprint, itself a label that cant help but impress so far this year and Lotusland makes for a fine addition. Telephones offers up Sunset and Sunrise versions of the track and both feature sumptuous usage of melodies and early '90s NYC flavour embellished with a hint of uplifting European euphoria. It's likely you'll be hearing both versions for as long as the sun keeps shining this summer and they are complemented by remixes from Discodromo and Gatto Fritto with the latter a quite mind bending Electro Boogie workout.