Music Is Love レコード& CD

Review: After overseeing releases from Mikki Funk, Jamie Trench, Jackmaster K and more that helped establish the Music Is Love label, boss man Oli Furness steps up to helm the eighth release. If you are familiar with Oli Furness' work you'll be happy with The Four 4 The Floor EP which takes a pleasingly direct route to the dancefloor. From the opening track "Over Jack" onwards, what really impresses you is how much fun with the samples Furness appears to be having and the way the kick drums and hi hats slalom around cuts like "Creeping In The Shadows" means you will have as much fun slamming them into your mix.

Review: Milton Keynes-based producer Liam Geddes powers through like a bass drum with this new EP for Oli Furness' Music Is Love label, and if you're looking for steady tech vibes then you've hit the spot right here. "Song For New" is a slick, well-oiled percussion monster with subtle waves of euphoria, followed by the more US-minded house slinger that is "Right Path". Over on the flip, "Pray To Watch" is deep, majestic and full of that late night flavour, leaving "So Many Needs" to conquer the floor with its addictive drum muscle that recalls classic hits by peeps like Terrence Parker. Yes, yes!

Review: Want keys? Want basslines? Want love-drenched vocals, skittering hi-hats and ride cymbal fills in your house music? Mikki Funk's debut on Music Is Love is the drug for you. The chords and bassline go toe-to-toe on the A1, "Out Of my Head", while filtered subbiness, beat down drums and effervescent chords control "Need No More". There's a definite soulful "Strings Of Life" element to "Our Love" which Esteban Adame dubs-down for a remix focused more on groove than euphoria.

Review: On his first outing for Music Is Love, French producer Mr KS invites us to Take A Trip through his Chicago house influences. There's a rolling warmth and Chez Damier-ish bounce to the lead cut, with spoken word vocals and a superb bassline riding a Swag style rhythm. "Groove On" treads a similar path, sounding like a contemporary tribute to early '90s Windy City deep house. Both tracks get the remix treatment, with Oli Furness providing a hypnotic, dub techno minded rework of "Take A Trip". Arguably even better is the Point G version of "Groove On", which turns the melodious original into a raw chunk of darkroom funk complete with subdued acid lines and clandestine chords.

Review: Dutch aficionados of classic bumping 90s house music New Jack City are on searing form with this new EP for Music Is Love. The EP kicks off on a stout deep tip with driving drums and simmering organ stabs, while the quintessential Chicago-style vocal guides you through the staccato funk. MIL's remix of "Back In The Dayz" opts for a more garage slant, nailing the perfect melodic DX7 bassline while the drums bump for joy in that most instinctive of ways. "Gimme The Chance" continues the shuffly goodness, while letting more chord dynamics steer the track in that sleek, late-in the-night vibe. It's "Golden Age" that makes the EP with its crisp edits from the Todd Edwards school of chopping over another ice-cold US garage groove.

Review: Roots for Bloom boss Jamie Trench continues his flirtation with the Music Is Love label, debuting fully with the Back Chat EP after first appearing alongside the likes of Jackmaster K. Liam Geddes and New Jack City on that Lovebox double pack. Given his prolific nature so far this year, you should have some idea of what to expect from the four tracks here, namely upfront house of the endlessly punchy variety that takes it's cues from the New Jersey sound of the early 90s. The title cut is the best showcase Trench's key playing talents so far whilst cuts like "Something Sexy" and "Autumn" are all about the drums!