Review: Mystery label Digwah debuted in the summer, with a soul soaked trip into minimal techno territory that was supported by Ricardo Villalobos, amongst others. Like that 12", Something Else is a single-sided, hand-stamped affair, with no information given about the identity of the producer (or producers) involved. This cut retains the late night techno vibe of the original, but with percussion and whizzing electronic noises that recall classic tech-house from the likes of Swag, Rob Mello and David Duriez, rather than Berghain-friendly minimalism. The subtle, party-minded approach is confirmed by the use of cut-up vocal samples from Cuba Gooding Jr's "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend", which also featured on Nightmares On Wax's 1990 bleep techno anthem, "Aftermath".
Review: Since launching in 2006, the men or women of mystery behind the sneaky Digwah series have delivered a couple of sought-after, single-sided 12" singles that blend familiar samples with rock solid tech-house grooves. Predictably, this third volume in the series sticks closely to the blueprint, wrapping twinkling electric piano motifs and a restless, looped bassline around a rhythm track rich in jazzy hi-hats, snappy drum machine snares and tough, locked-in kick-drums. It's arguably closer to deep house than its predecessors, with the tactile and warming samples - lifted, it seems, from the late '60s West Coast rock record - helping to create a rolling, late night feel. The previous Digwah releases sold out quickly, so you'll have to act fast to secure a copy of this one.
Review: ** Camera's ready. Prepare for the Repress ** Curtis Jones is never one to rest on his laurels, as his staggering back catalogues as Green Velvet and Cajmere can attest but such is the force of his personality that a new release still feels like an event. "Bigger Than Prince" capitalises on Jones' knack for a vocal that lambasts the less earnest quirks of the dance music industry, while creating the hook to make the track a bomb in the same instance. Production-wise, there's a measured strut to the track with some choice growling bass synths and an underlying disco flavour that suits Jones just fine. On the remix front, Circus turn to The Martinez Brothers to hammer out a rolling, percussion focused version perfect for big room mixing, while Hot Since 82 turn out a similar line in boompty peak time damage.
Review: This is a cheeky single-sided affair that contains a gently tooled-up, rolling and rearranged version of a Marlena Shaw-sampling jazz-house classic that is rightly considered something of a dancefloor classic. The edit itself is undoubtedly rather good, subtly adding a little more bottom-end grunt whilst making a little more of the original's snaking sax parts, much-loved vocal sample and groovy jazz percussion. You can decide or not whether the re-edit was needed; certainly, the mystery re-editor has done a rather tidy job on the rework.
Review: The shadowy EEE series has already brought us tasty and much-played tech-house interpretations of a familiar jazz-house gem and a string-laden '80s synth-pop shuffler. Their third single-sided affair - as championed by Zip and Riccardo, no less - takes on a much-loved early noughties R&B classic, placing carefully selected and sequenced vocal snippets around a seriously snappy and sub-bass-heavy groove. Although tech-house in style - note the glitchy electronic noises and spacey effects fixed to the beats - the track's infectious rhythm track was clearly influenced by the current electro revival. This added swing and shoulder-swinging looseness, coupled with the familiarity of the vocal elements, makes EEE03 a guaranteed peak-time winner.
Review: Madonna, Depeche Mode and Kelis - what do East End Edits have in store for us next? This seventh instalment harks back to the charming deep jazzy house of their inaugural release - think of the legendary St. Germain and that should give you a fairly good idea. The track's smoky, late night jazz bar vibe is complemented by a rolling bass and swinging rhythms that should appeal to the likes of Rhadoo or Petre Inspirescu - legends of the Romanian scene who themselves have lent their deft hand to the French producer's work as remixers in the past, too.
Review: More from single-sided specialists EEE, a shadowy crew that specializes in sneaky contemporary club reworks of well-known tracks (many of which are, in their original form, about as dancefloor focused as your average miserable indie band or veteran cabaret crooner). What's on offer this time round is a heavily electronic tech-house groove - all Romanian style beats and bubbling, mind-altering synth notes - onto which is laid cut-up snippets from a famous old blues cut that's previously been sampled on a club cut to great effect. While the vocal does sit slightly awkwardly at times, there's no denying the heaviness or effectiveness of EEE's track. In other words, it's another winner from tech-house's most shadowy crew.
Review: Admittedly, we are always a bit excited when more cheeky bootleg remix action from East End Edits come in. Following up the groovy yet tough rolling tech house of EEE09 and its jazzy flourishes, the subsequent release is an edit of 'Fever' by Peggy Lee, and it's a pretty good one if we do say so ourselves. Deep, sensual and mysterious mood music that's perfect for the warm-up slot, it features a lurking Reese bassline beneath clipped rhythms to support the sensual vocal of the original, not to mention its sombre clarinet solo. Class!
Review: &Me and Black Coffee make for something of an Afro house dream team here. The latter has long been this sound's pin-up and has gone from playing in South African townships to producing with Beyonce and winning Grammy Awards over the last decade. Now deep in his latest Ibiza season, he unveils collaborative track 'The Rapture' (Pt III), a deep rolling cut with spine-tingling chords and a rich atmosphere. &ME then goes solo for 'LIFE', a shuffling percussive groove with spoken words and enchanting chords to make for a classy two-tracker.
Review: Detroit heavyweights Omar S and Theo Parrish link up for a one-track release that lives up to its bold title. 'The Grand Son Of Detroit Techno!' stretches over ten minutes of raw, hypnotic movementidusty drum programming, looped keys and a low-slung groove that simmers with intent. Omar S keeps the arrangement locked and heads-down, while Theo's unmistakable fingerprints surface in the swung percussion and deep jazz-inflected textures that evolve across the track's longform structure. It's a meeting of minds that feels completely unforced, rooted in lineage but defiantly forward-facing a release that speaks in fluent Motor City dialect without ever turning nostalgic. Unapologetically stripped, functional and soulful.
Review: It's that time again! East End Edits are back with another cheeky, pop-inflected minimal techno workout. As always, the remixer's identity is under tight wraps but as soon as that vocal drops you'll sure know who they borrowed the hook from. Booming, tough rolling UK tech house aimed squarely at the main room at peak time, the dense bass pulsations of the original compliment this version perfectly, alongside the gorgeous come hither vocal. Hand-stamped, one sided heavyweight 12" vinyl in limited copies.
Review: And so the Perlon Meditations continue... Late last year German producer Thomas Melchior made his first appearance on Perlon in some three years with the exquisite Meditations 1-3, which naturally channelled the iconic label's vibe perfectly. The first Perlon release of 2015 presents a further three Melchior produced Meditations, 4-6, with the opening track something of an understated epic. At 12 minutes long, "Meditation 4" demonstrates Melchior's craft for slowly building a groove, adding elements in a fashion that sounds subtle on headphones and deadly on a soundsystem. Face down, the 5th Meditation is an infectious little house groover, with hi hats and vocal samples jousting playfully whilst the closing track is a sub heavy number rich in vocal abstraction.
Review: Choosing favourites among the prodigious creative outpouring of Omar S isn't easy, but this one from 2009 is usually riding high on any list. 'Here With Me' is the one - a twitchy, futuristic house cut with detuned chords tumbling about the mix while a heart-aching vocal from Diviniti rings out with raw soul. Elsewhere is the raw minimalism of 'Three Blind Rats', the deep throb of 'Stop Running Around' and the forlorn synth work of 'Sign & Drive.' A timeless EP for sure.
Review: You can always rely on Dungeon Meat to kick out the jams and that is the case here with Julian Anthony next up to make a solid house statement. 'Dale Ale' kicks things off with a tumbling hook that sounds like someone whacking a giant metal drum, while 'Phantom Strike' brings shuffling garage energy to the beats. 'Radikal Forze' is one of those late-night jams with some mysterious pads leading you to mischief and last of all 'Z-Town' rides on rubbery kick drum loops with tripped-out pads. Heady and physical at the same time, all four of these are superb.
Review: Another single-sided sizzler from the Digwah camp, whose irregular tech-house reworks of well-loved old cuts are rarely less than excellent. This time round, they've turned their attention to a sprightly, memorable chunk of '80s soul - an American club cut of the period that has been re-edited numerous times by disco diggers. The Digwah version, though, is an almost complete overhaul; while snippets of the original version's vocals and guitars are present in the mix, they largely play second fiddle to chunky tech-house beats and a bold, huggable bassline that propels the revision forward towards peak-time dancefloors. It's decent and scintillating like most Digwah remixes.
Review: First of all, wow, how did this one already turn a quarter of a century old? It still sounds as wildly inventive now as it did back then and is fully deserving of this reissue. '808 The Bassqueen' is a truly mesmerising sonic journey that pushes the boundaries of electronic music with Villalobos's trademark blend of minimal techno and experimental soundscapes. He crafts a hypnotic and immersive mix of intricate rhythms, pulsating basslines, and deft synth textures that defy categorization and showcase Villalobos's mastery of groove and his ability to captivate listeners with subtle yet powerful sonic manipulations. This is the sound of a true visionary at work.
Review: Coming off a successful transatlantic exchange, Brian Kage and his Michigander label keep the momentum, and the collaborative spirit, moving with an EP that hits closer to home. For any Detroit artist, working with Delano Smith would be on the bucket list, as one of the city's original, more influential DJs - before the D developed any of its "waves" - who would come into his own as a producer later to, once again, help mold the Techno City's sound. Make no mistakes about it, this tastemaker had a ripple effect back before techno even had a name, when it was just "progressive" music and mixing. The thing is, the feeling of admiration and respect here is mutual, from the moment Smith first stumbled across one of Kage's records and had to know who was making these sounds. This meeting of the minds happened organically and timely, with Keep 'em Movin' as the result.
Review: Oh how we all miss Andrew Weatherall. Not only was he a masterful DJ who could lock you down for hours on end, but he was a producer who could bring his own brand of sleaze and filth to disco and techno. On top of that, he was always a voice of reason, of humour, of realism. Sad as his passing is, it's nice to hear from him again via this previously unreleased track on DISDAT. 'YW Eleven' is all distorted synths riffs alternated with beautiful chord progressions that make for another standout bit of apoco-disco. On the flip, Rhadoo reworks it into a superb bit of snaking and brain melting minimal tech house.
Natural Blues (Reinier Zonneveld Homage remix) (7:22)
Review: Spanish imprint Suara are a force to reckoned with at the moment and continue to bring the heat with his fine collection of remixes by US electronica icon Moby. Brazilian Victor Ruiz kicks off proceedings with his rendition of "Go" and he sure had his work cut our for him, trying his deft hand at such a defining rave classic: it's pretty good and gives a fresh perspective while staying true to the original. Also on the A side we've got French hero Oxia who stays on the same vibe as the original with his deep and emotive rendition of "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad". On the flip, the m_nus affiliated Julian Juweil delivers an absolutely stomping peak time weapon with his version of "Porcelain" which blows the bloody doors off as always. Reinier Zonneveld's homage to "Natural Blues" goes for some sunny uplifting deep house: Kater Blau style.
Review: Under the Melchior Productions name, German producer Thomas Melchior has committed some of his finest material to wax in the name of Zip and Markus Nikolai's seminal Perlon imprint. After an absence of some three years, Melchior's name is back on one of those distinctive Perlon 12"s with the first of two planned records under the Meditations banner. Don't get confused by the name though, the three "Meditations" are in no way meditative! Instead this is a record that finds Melchior fully channelling that classic Perlon vibe with the rowdy "Meditation 2" the pick of the bunch.
Review: Theo Parrish is one of those characters who manages to unite lovers of both house and techno, indeed producing offerings that seem to make the distinction utterly redundant. How does he doe it? Well, if this pair of new tracks are anything to go on, it's the simple trick of making tracks that combine the soufulness and rootsy earthiness of house with a trippy sense of the futuristic and psychedelic that elevates them out of the ordinary.
Take, for instance 'In Motion's simple piano stabs and the subsequent off kilter groove that builds up around them. Or, equally, the cheeky bass keyboard manoeuvres that form the backbone of 'Don't Play' featuring Ava, funky enough to be Stevie Wonder but then matched with caustic, scything hi-hats that have more than a hint of the surreal and robotic about them. Best of all, it doesn't feel like a compromise, it feels like a full on creation that acknowledges both traditions but refuses to follow either slavishly.
Review: If you dig tried and tested tech-house grooves fused with elements from classic cuts, there's a fair chance you've already snagged copies of numerous volumes in the popular East End Edits series. We'd suggest taking a listen to the clips of the imprint's latest single-sided missive, which not so subtly pitches up and beefs up one of the greatest summer sing-alongs of all time: Bill Withers' 'Lovely Day'. Built around a restless, non-stop house groove - all hissing cymbals, crunchy snares and locked-in kick-drums - the rework builds impressively after introducing the track's famous bassline before introducing the sweeping strings and Withers' iconic vocal. A simple idea executed impressively.
Review: American house don Delano Smith is one of the more low key artists from the mid west, but there is no real reason why he should be. He has a stripped back sound that is based on building the perfect loops and embellishing them with only the most subtle but subversive details. He follows that MO once more here on Mixmode Recordings. 'Twisted Dreams' is as stripped back as they come, but it still hooks you in for the ride. 'Anything' then gets a little more amped up, with bulky kick drums and mournful chords draped in from above. 'Constant' is full flavour, full bodied, rolling deep and dubby house par excellence.
Review: Amygdala, the forthcoming LP from DJ Koze holds the dual title of being one of this year's most keenly awaited long players as well as the album with the most bizarre cover art. Quite why the producer is riding a reindeer hasn't been made clear yet, but this two track 12" does clue us in to to the possibility the album will hold up to such high expectations. "La Duquesa" is one of the few tracks on Amygdala not to feature a collaborator and stripped bare of any outside distractions finds Koze on sublime form; equal parts tender, refined, casual, serious, deep and euphoric. When those strings hit is a joy to behold. In contrast "Burn With Me" is dark, druggy, delicious and decadent.
Review: It has been some years now since Nail came back from the wilderness after one of his early EPs was re-released by Fear of Flying. Since then he has turned out plenty of new material as well as digging deep into his vast and vital vaults to serve up the sort of lo-fi but kicking house sounds that made him and his Nottingham crew such a driving force back in the 90s. And that's what we get here on For Those That Knoe - no fewer than eight masterfully stripped-back cuts of deep house. Some are laced with dreamy melodies, some roll deep for days, some are raw and textured pumpers and some are jazzed-up bangers with charm to spare. Essential stuff.
Review: Toolroom has gone from underground house label to one of the UK's most successful and large scale dance brands. They keep on serving up the sort of hits that become big festival anthems and this is another one, with new school Chicago artist Gene Farris paired off with ATFC for big, rollicking piano house sounds on 'Spirit of House.' 'R U' then gets more tech edged and sweaty on a big synth loop and walls of drums, while 'Tech House Kinda Thing' is a supersized tune designed to do plenty of damage. There is real funk and soul in the cut up and filtered vocal loops of closer 'Not Enough.'
Review: The FUSE London crew are back everyone, look out! Bringing the sound of their legendary daytime raves to us again and getting straight down to business on Enzo Siragusa's third edition of 5 are label mainstays Rich NxT (with the rolling and adrenalised "Badass") and the always impressive OdD aka Damian Daley & Danny Dixon joined by newcomer Rossko (making his production debut) on the rolling hypnotism of "Jabba The Hut". On the flip is Moscow Records boss Archie Hamilton (another mainstay of the label) with the woozy and tripped out after hours deepness of "Cirrus" and the Deep End Soundsystem affiliated Sam Bellis with the gutsy acid driven "Solstrole".
Review: This is the third full-length album by veteran Swedish producer Ola Obergman who has been producing since the turn of the millennium on respected imprints such as Skam, Borft and Futhur Electronix. A heavy collection of 808-based fusion in classic Pariter style, Mirror Counterpart is a cohesive effort featuring some truly impressive productions; from the early proto-house sound of the title track, to the Detroit influenced hi-tech soul cuts on the second disc - 'Indeterminacy' and 'Stellar Triangulation' respectively - going into 4/4 robot funk on the second disc with 'Alice Matter' and 'Uncertiny Principle' being the highlights. Superb.
Review: After the adventures in Meditations from Thomas Melchior, Perlon's latest release of an impressive 2015 so far finds the label turn to a lesser known artist in Bihn. The production alias of Berlin based Germann Nguyen, BIHN emerged last year with a pair of low key 12"s as well as working with Onur Ozer as Treatment. What Nguyen lacks in profile he makes up for in punchy Perlon-worthy productions skills on the basis of his two tracks here with opener "Visio" a quite haunting cut where stripped back drum programming allows a neat bassline and detailed synth work to shine. Complementing this, it feels like "Ruski" is Nguyen letting his more urgent desires reign free and is likely to become a B side many selectors cherish.
Review: Having made his debut on Kompakt with "Out Of Time" earlier this year, the legendary Sasha now breaks the seal on another prominent German label: Watergate. Flexing his darker technoid muscles, both "Gameovr" and "Trigonometry" are proud late night stampers that twist, weave, spell-bind and hammer in equal measures. The latter is exceptionally spellbinding thanks to its epic 10+ minute weave. Remix-wise we're spoilt rotten as Cassy punctuates "Gameovr" with pile-driving beats and La Fleur refixes our focus on a warmer, housier side to "Trigonometry". Play again?
Review: The ever reliable East End Edits return with more anonymous white label minimal house shenanigans. On their eleventh edition in the series they have a surefire UK tech house number that rolls tough, is packed full of swing and with classic NYC house tropes all the way. A chord progression fuelled by glistening keys, bumping bass and familiar RnB vocals from the early 2000's that all come together for something pretty special. Again, it's anyone's guess who's responsible for this one, but the label is tight lipped as always - tip!
Review: Born less than an hour from Chicago but now based in Detroit, Rick Wade cut his DJ teeth in Michigan's Nectarine Ballroom in the 80s and early 90s, at the same time as a certain Jeff Mills was also making giant strides at the venue. Wade's sound is more rooted in deep house but, as this four tracker demonstrates, there's a cosmic spirituality and otherworldliness to his music that it shares with the best of UR and other notable Detroit greats. We kick off with 'Groove Tool', powered by a beautifully pliable, funky bassline and embellished with floating chords and subtle bell sounds way up in the high frequency range. 'Pimp Prophecy' boasts a little more disco swagger, with its niggling guitar riff and some excellent bongo bashing. 'Jazzy Tears' revolves around a sturdy kick and a processed, timestretched vocal refrain, played off against jazzy guitar chords and strings ascending to the heavens. 'Ooo Ahh' is probably the catchiest of the lot, with a shuffling beat undercarriage and an infectious hook, all wrapped up - as all four tracks are - in some understated but still lush musicality. 'Deep Incantations' indeed.
Review: We have seen some pretty inventive remixes and mashups on the new EEE imprint, but this could well be the most exciting yet. Once again it's another hand stamped one-sided vinyl on offer, featuring a groovy minimal/tech-house arrangement with vocal samples of one certain pop princess - namely one of her very famous hits of yesteryear. The artist behind it, as always, is being kept under wraps but there's no hiding the fact that this is some seriously heavyweight club ready business.
Kerri Chandler - "Who's Afraid Of The Dark" (8:10)
Josh Butler - "Sunday Club" (6:32)
Review: 'Organized Kaos' is a new series from Kerri Chandler's Kaoz Theory label that offers first vinyl outings for cuts from the imprint's vaults. For volume one, Chandler has selected missives initially released digitally in the middle of the last decade. First up is the legendary New Jersey producer's own 'Who's Afraid of the Dark', a typical late-night roller in which sci-fi synth stabs, pianos and his own hushed, spoken word snippets rise above detailed drums a dark, infectious analogue bassline. Turn to the flip for Josh Butler's 'Sunday Club', a subtly UK garage-influenced number that pairs crackling, swinging drums and deep sub bass with woozy deep house chords and mind-mangling, low-register analogue riffs.
Review: London-based label For Those That Knoe returns with a terrific release by underrated Slovenian producer Vid Vai. He's been slowly yet steadily honing his craft over the last 12 years with releases on respected labels such as Assemble Music, Tvir, Gilesku and Oskar Offermann's White to name but a few. Laminar Flow also happens to be his first full-length, taking in a wide variety of moods and grooves along the way. From the evocative and acid-laced flow of 'Incubation Theory', the sci-fi electro of 'Oort Cloud' to the sublime ambient offering 'Dusk By The Bay' and the saucer-eyed sunrise breaks of 'Shifting Sands' - the result is a timeless piece of liquid-smooth sonic art.
Review: Detroit veteran Delano Smith returns on his Mixmode imprint for more of his singular style of dubby bass-driven house, with a smattering of innate soulfulness. Three sturdy tracks are featured on the Beneath EP: from the haunting back room dub of 'This Music Here' which is absolutely geared for those heads-down moments, and more basement vibes abound as heard on the hypnotic locomotive stomp of 'The Gutter', while over on the flip things end on a slightly more optimistic note with the swing-fuelled deepness of 'Euphoric'.
Review: Rawax's Motor City Edition series is back with more tech from Detroit and this time it is Los Hermanos at the buttons. Gerald Mitchell opens up the 12" with 'Two Feet Up' which brings warm and soul-infused techno vibes and some lush strong stabs. 'Remember Detroit' is a just as deep cut with slick drums and sci-fi melodies rippling throughout the arrangement and then the flipside ups the energy levels with the more twitchy and synapse-firing 'Central Nervous Systems' complete with plenty of busy melodies. Things chill out a little for the closer, 'Path Of Tranquility', which showcases some lush melodies and serene synth strings.
Santonio Echols - "Piano In The Light" (Emanuell Echols mix)
Brian Kage - "This Saturday Night"
Ryan Sadorus - "Down Below"
Review: Upstairs Asylum is kicking off the year in some style with a couple of killer new EPs. This one is the first in what is presumably a new series to showcase the talents of the Motor City. Mike Clark & Marcus Harris get things underway with 'Hey' which has a subtly uplifting feel thanks to the bright, sustained chords and cuddly drums. Santonio Echols's 'Piano In The Light' (DJ Emanuell Echols mix) is laidback, playful deep house with magical chord work and Brian Kage brings his classy depths to the smooth grooves of 'This Saturday Night.' Ryan Sadorus brings things to a close with the smoky 'Down Below.'
Flare's Grip - Prism Remix (Herbert's Make It Right dub) (6:39)
Vol 03 - 02 (6:16)
Review: Remastered rarities by the late Susumu Yokota under his 246 and Prism monikers. Go Up was originally a defective release which has since been corrected and remastered and Vol 3 - 02 was not released. It also features a megamix of Ambient Love and Squeeze Up (which feature on Cosmic Soup 005) by Gene On Earth and a remix of Flare's Grip - Prism Remix by Matthew Herbert titled "Herbert's Make It Right Dub". Three legends on this EP. Superbly remastered and cut by Mike Grinser at Manmade in Berlin. Artwork by John Williams.
Review: Mr G is indeed a real-life G. The long-time underground servant is famous for crafting impossibly hypnotic house tracks that are deep, smoky and dusty. He mostly does so on his own label but also takes trips to some of the finest other imprints out there, and NDATL sure is one of those. He once again voyages into the depths here with opener 'One4Cath' setting a heady tone from the off as the razor-sharp hi-hats cut up the muted, mirky low ends. 'Twist' brings some euphoric vocal stabs that inject raw soul to the menacing grooves and 'We All Feel Something' brings some signature toms and congas to the mix as sultry vodkas this time bringing the human element. 'Dub In The System' is a final heads down, back room marcher for those who like it stripped back and raw.
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