Puzzlebox US レコード& CD

Review: One of the genre's funkiest groups, continuing where Cybotron, Model 500 and Drexciya left off and heading to a style all of their own, Aux 88 aka Tom Tom (Tommy Hamilton) and Keith Tucker (DJ name DJ K1) give two tracks from their classic 2009 album Mad Scientist an inaugural outing on vinyl, getting electro fans everywhere dribbling with instant Pavlovian desire in the process, no doubt. 'Voice Modulation' is slower, heavier and steadier, built around a shuddering b-line that anyone with a pulse will find hard to resist. 'Mad Scientist' the track, meanwhile, is faster and, with its vocoder-ed vocal delivery from Tucker, gives a good flavour of what makes the Michigan pair a vital live act as well as a legendary studio prospect.

Review: Keith Tucker aka DJ K-1 is back with more of his stripped-back electro magic, complete with trademark vocoder flair. His 'My Name Is DJ K-1' is a six-tracker EP that is reminiscent of his classic K-1 Agenda era on Direct Beat. The original mix here leans into Kraftwerk-style futurism while DMX Krew's remix adds a darker, sample-heavy twist full of Motor City-style techno and bass brilliance. The 'Beat Mix' is pure looped funk so is perfect for seamless blends while the 'Detroit Jit Mi' offers a full vocal rap with local flavor. The goodness keeps on coming with the 'SPOCK Mix' and its eerie, spacey strings, and the 'NAVI Mix' is a hypnotic bonus beat version soaked in synth puddles and absorbing rhythmic tension. Irresistible stuff.

Review: The Hubble EP was originally put out by Metroplex Social Club aka the super talented trio of Optic Nerve, Strand, Posatronix and Marty Bonds back in 2003 and it has since become a huge Detroit anthem, with iconic synths and strings. It is powered by a serious hard-assed kick drum and a lush bassline featuring three melodies at once. It's funky, groovy, and sure to fire up any dance floor whether indoors at night or outdoors in the open air, and now gets a welcome reissue that is "dedicated to Juan Atkins and the spirit of Metroplex Records". A real piece of classic Motor City magic.

Review: Optic Nerve's - or Keith Tucker's if you prefer - Fragments EP is the last of the year from the Puzzlebox label and is a lush and futuristic techno offering that lands on limited white vinyl. 'Linear Motion' is powered by a sleek and propulsive deep techno bassline with solid stabs and majestic arp sequences. 'Echoes' is just as dreamy in its melody but then becomes a hefty techno stomper and 'Metallics' brings rich bell sounds, peak time drums and real class to any DJ set. 'Sequence in Time' is the closer with its hyper speed, icy melodies and twisted synths all making for a scintillating sound.

Review: Classic Detroit for those that know: a repress on Puzzlebox here by the one-and-only Keith Tucker under the lesser known Optic Nerve alias. The third and final installment in 1995's Wave trilogy features the brooding Motor City futurism of "The Gateway" on the A side, which treads a similarly ghostly trail as fellow scene veteran Suburban Knight. Over on the flip, there's some majestic strings on the evocative deep cut "Light Span" followed by the funked-up hi-tech soul of "Nebula 7". Trilogy - Wave 3 was originally released on the seminal, 430 West affiliated label Direct Beat. Tip!!!