Underground House Research Vol 2 vinyl

Frankfurt's retro house auteur Philip Lauer is an unstoppable force it seems. There is conclusive evidence of this from the results of Underground House Research Vol 2, his latest Tuff City Kids 12" alongside Gerd Janson. The first track sets the scene well: "Potion No 4" is a spooky cut reminiscent of late eighties Jamie Principle; not a bad thing! It's overall a darker vibe than usual from Lauer on this release which we find so curious, as the sombre and rusty groove of "TRUTHS" confirms. On the flip "Carden Eden" is funky and its infectious groove supported by analogue pan pipes in minor, is just plain wicked, but just wait until that vocal loop kicks in. Finally "RUTHS" is classic Tuff City Kids; uplifting hands in the air business; a forgotten house classic that sounds like it's recorded straight from the tape it was found on.