Watergate レコード& CD

Review: Watergate, the cult Berlin club known for its riverside location and legendary LED ceiling above the dancefloor, is also a reputable tech house label that deals in fresh names only. Here it is 8Kays that makes a debut with Falling Down, a selection of superb collaborations including 'Matematica' with Glowal which is tense and electric tech with indie vocals and with Juan Hansen he cooks up the medically hopeful 'Falling Down' which then gets two remixes. Colyn & Beswerda make it into a moody and deep groove, Chris Avantgarde brings some peak time prog energy and solo cut 'Lyra' has a warm, paddy broken beat to cruise on through the stars.

Review: Originally released back in 2009, Amsterdam scene stalwart Patrice Baumel's anthem "Roar" now gets a - pardon the pun - roaring main room rework (featuring one massive drop!) by Hamburg's favourite sons Adana Twins - hot off their latest Watergate Mix. This is the first EP stemming from the mix itself, and could easily be the standout track off the compilation. On the flip is the adrenalised and mesmerising dancefloor drama of "Aufstand Der Massen" which has already been in constant rotation with heavy hitters like Solomun and Tale Of Us.

Review: Kerri Chandler has history with Watergate, having previously contributed to their acclaimed mix series back in 2014. "Checkmate" is his first 12" for the imprint since, and sees him deliver a cheery chunk of synthesizer-heavy positivity that may remind some listeners of the more sparkling end of Italian dream house. Certainly, the baggy piano riffs and jaunty synth bassline reminded us of all-time classic "Sueno Latino", and "Checkmate" is no doubt capable of soliciting the same kind of boisterous response when dropped at the right time. Cinthie delivers the first remix, opting for a polished but groovy deep house interpretation, before Steve Rachmad places Chandler's bold piano riffs atop a crunchy techno rhythm track with predictably impressive results.

Review: Gorje Hewek excels at making majestically melodic music that combines rock-solid tech-house grooves with the kind of arrangements and sonic movements once associated with Bedrock-style progressive house. There are therefore few surprises on his second EP for Watergate, but plenty of gorgeous, life-affirming moments. Check first the shimmering, sun-bright wonder that is the life-affirming 'Earth', before getting your ears around the tactile, shuffling, and genuinely huggable loveliness of EP opener 'Altitude'. Elsewhere, 'Vida' sees him make use of a simply sublime (and utterly addictive) bassline along with his usual high-quality percussion and pads; 'Astro World' is a more trippy and sub-heavy tech-house cut; and 'Kaliedoscope' adds shimmering, trance style riffs to a rolling, locked-in house beat.

Review: Some classic cuts are so recognisable, perfectly formed and cannily structured that remixing them must be a total nightmare. Josh Wink's 'Higher State of Consciousness', a devilishly simple, ridiculously intense and pleasingly weighty gem that has been on almost constant rotation from the '90s, falls into that camp. Yet back in 2019, the Adana Twins delivered two revisions that successfully breathed new life into Wink's most celebrated tune. Now reissued, they remain fine reworks. Check first the A-side 'Remix 1', where the Watergate and Diynamic regulars play around with build-and-release dynamics, layering Wink's aggressive, instantly recognisable TB-303 lines over a slack-tuned, rolling electro beat. They opt for a four-to-the-floor, sub-heavy house flex on 'Remix Two', rolling out the mind-mangling acid motifs for a more hypnotic, locked-in feel.

Review: 20 years is a long time in clubland, but Watergate has embodied the age old phrase that time flies when you're having fun. The Berlin institution has represented a catchy end of the tech house sound throughout its tenure, both on the dancefloor and through its long-standing in-house label. Now they celebrate their big birthday with a cute compilation taking in such massive names as Henrik Schwarz, Sasha and Anja Schneider alongside the more niche names who made major breakthroughs thanks to the club's support. Pressed on three records and featuring a mammoth 18 tracks, there's a lot of bang for your buck if you can't get enough of that Watergate sound.

Review: Woo York hail from Ukraine and have been reinvigorating the European scene with their own fresh take on dark and emotive sounds. Here they land on the label arm of the iconic Berlin club Watergate with a pair of belters. 'Samum' kicks off with driving drums and shimmering synth work overlaid with a hypnotic lead synth. 'Prophet' then pulls off a similar trick with more deep and rubbery grooves overlaid with wispy cosmic leads. An 8Kays remix of 'Samum' is more textured and peak time and 'Echonomist' is a fizzing, dubby roller.