Review: Rush Hour did us plenty of favours this year but by far our most cherished was the reissue of James Mason's timeless, proto-house excursions on the infamous "Nightgruv" EP. There's really not much to be said about these peerless productions, the original mix is a stunning voyage through glimmering synths backed by a chugging beat groove, but the unreleased longer edit is the one - voyaging through those gorgeous drums and piano keys like there's no tomorrow! "I Want Your Love" is another masterpiece - slo-mo hip-hop beats mixed in with those killer funk bass lines and the infamous vocals taking you to another dimension.
Review: Berlin-based musician, producer, and DJ Alex Kassian is well known for his solo works but also his work as Opal Sunn. Here he leaves behind the gritty and sweaty dance floor and heads out into the sun. 'Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts Mix)' pairs live sounding drums and nice Balearic riffs with care-free feels that lift your spirits. The dance mix is more weight and propulsive and then 'Spirit Of Eden' again sets off through a clear blue sky, with twinkling chords and soft, pillowy drums. The Bill Laswell dub layers in the reverb and slows things down to a nice lazy tempo.
A Reference To E2-E4 By Manuel Gottsching (Mad Professor Qantas Crazy remix) (11:52)
Review: 'E2-E4' is of course a legendary bit of music written by a legendary composer. Here, Alex Kassian serves up his own extension version of it and takes us on a 12-minute electronic trip that will be perfect for the more adventurous DJs and dancers out there - not least in Ibiza this summer. Next to the escapist original is a flipside remix from the one and Mad Professor. He heads out on his own with plenty of mind-melting effects, dubby undercurrents and mesmeric leads that encourage minds to wander. A real pearler for the hotter months and beyond.
Review: Given the hype surrounding HNNY over the last few years - fuelled, primarily, by a string of celebrated singles on Puss, Local Talk, Let's Play House and YUMMY - it's somewhat surprising that Sunday marks his first foray into the album market. Wisely, the Swedish artist embraced the opportunity for eclecticism that the format provides, filling his debut full-length with a mix of tracks variously designed for sofa-bound listening and dancing in clubs. There's a jazz-flecked beauty to the crackly downtempo grooves offered up by the title track, while the dreamy, guitar-laced head-nodder "Sylvia" recalls the best of his Balearic-influenced work. It's these luscious moments, such as the twinkling ambience of closer "My Baby", that really resonate.
Review: Three is the long-awaited twelfth studio album by electronica titan Four Tet, following a long extended 'wildcard era' characterised by legal battles (well, one) and unlikely, curveball stints with fellow juggernauts Skrillex and Fred Again. But despite this judgment, Three hears Kieran Hebden return to his earliest forms, with the semi-eponymous 'Three Drums' recalling his earliest outcroppings emergent from his Fridge days, via slow, crisp breaks and serene string pads. 'Loved', similarly, evokes a 90s hip-hop, dare say Britcore fascination, melded with warmingly serene analogue pulsations, underlaid.
Review: Kai Alce on FXHE is a real coming together of two US powerhouses, and so it proved when this EP first landed back in 2010. It finds the Atlanta house mainstay in fine form on 'Dirty South Dirt'. It's a humid, stripped-back, dusty house cut with supple synth daubs adding warmth and soul. All these years on the track has lost none of its magic, and on the flipside is an 'Anticipation dub' which layers in some sensors vital whispers to the dubby, cuddly and deep house drums. These are two classy cuts.
Review: Over the years, Ron Trent has released some fine albums, all of which have subtly expanded on his trademark soul-flecked, percussion-rich deep house sound. On What Do The Stars Say To You, his first new full-length excursion in 11 years, the Chicago native has taken a different approach, utilising his occasional WARM alias on a stunning set that abandons dancefloor-pleasing in favour of immersive, evocative and ultra-deep blends of ambient, downtempo, jazz-funk and electronica. It's a genuinely brilliant album all told, with a string of impressive guest musicians - including Ivan Conti and Alex Malheiros of Azymuth, electric jazz pioneer Jean-Luc Ponty, psychedelic Balearic specialists Khrungbin and Italian ambient maestro Gigi Masin - all making brilliant contributions. In a word: exceptional!
Review: Following up last year's production with Baltimore techno legend Maurice Fulton on 'Jigoo', the next release on Gudu is the first of two songs by label boss Peggy Gou that she will release over the coming months. Her first single in over two years, it translates to 'Butterfly' and is another collaboration. This time with fellow Korean sensation OHHYUK who is the lead singer and guitarist in the band Hyukoh. 'Nabi' is a downtempo, pop-inflected number said to be inspired by '80s synth classics and '90s Korean songs that Gou's mother used to play at home during her childhood.
Review: Though 420 was originally recorded and released in April of 2020, Galcher Lustwerk's pandemic project is an exercise in counting and patience. Originally from a 16 track, 69 minute release only available for Bandcamp for $69 (or $4.20 per track), the 420 project brings us practically brand spanking new Galcher EP, just under a different name. Finally at an accessible price (and including signature Galcher vocals in a majority of the tracks to boot) this vinyl release hopes to bring more fans who missed the original release to the 420 club.
If There Is No Question (Soul Clap Wild But Not Crazy mix) (7:19)
Pelota (cut A Rug mix) (5:05)
Time (You & I) (Put A Smile On A DJ Face mix) (9:15)
Shida (Bella's Suite) (8:35)
So We Won't Forget (Mang Dynasty version) (6:29)
One To Remember (Forget Me Nots dub) (5:10)
Review: RECOMMENDED
The remix album is probably pretty hard to crack in terms of putting it together. On the one hand, you want a broad selection of producers to take the work and make it new again. But there's also a very real risk of winding up with a bunch of random tracks with no real coherent thread to ensure the LP is actually going to get enough people buying to warrant engineering, mastering, and pressing costs.
Khruangbin have certainly cracked it with these takes on tracks from their most recent and perhaps most lush long form outing to date. We have sophisticated micro house, percussive slo-mo disco, slick-to-the-touch downbeat grooves and surrealist pop, all of which work both individually and together, the result being a record that not only knows its own mind, it can easily convince others, too.
Meftah - "When The Sun Falls" (feat Mohammed Meftah) (7:16)
De'Sean Jones - "Psalm 23" (2:13)
Ian Fink - "Moonlight" (Duality/Detroit live version) (8:05)
KESSWA - "Chasing Delerium" (feat Nova Zaii) (3:33)
Specter - "The Upper Room" (10:23)
Raj Mahal - "Hudsons" (2:01)
Raybone Jones - "Green Funk" (6:09)
Whodat & Sophiyah E - "Don't Know" (5:25)
Howard Thomas - "Experiment 10" (4:33)
MBtheLight - "aGAIN" (T edit) (2:48)
Sterling Toles - "Janis" (4:05)
Review: Theo Parrish is a world-renowned name in the global Detroit house and techno game, and he's thrown a fascinating curveball as the latest entrant for the acclaimed DJ-Kicks series. Mr. Parrish has gone above and beyond the duties of most invitees - rather than just licensing tracks from his favourite artists and big-name-friends, he's asked his own community from Detroit to each produce their own mixable tracks, exclusively for the comp. What's more, these are hardly established names - they're organic connections to Parrish, not occupying the top layer of attention and recognition. Bits from H-Fusion, Jon Dixon, Donald Lee Roland II, Ian Fink and Raybone Jones all dominate this anarchic new deconstruction of the otherwise exclusivist mix series.
Review: Leftifled's Leftism remains one of the great dance music albums of all time. It came back in the 90s when no one was making full lengths that really made the most of the format: This is not a collection of club tracks but a musical voyage through dub, techno, bass and house that is meticulously designed and all-consuming once you turn it up nice and loud. In fact, it is best enjoyed in one sitting rather than in the modern playlist fashion with tracks broken up because that way the pressure is built and released, the moods ebb and flow and the music really makes an indelible impact.
Review: Larry Heard once said that he stumped upon his trademark dusty deep house sound rather by mistake - he was simply trying to recreate the instrumental disco of his childhood on the limited machinery he had available at the time. Either way, he went on to explore and exploit its most spiritual and spine-tinging aspects across a faultless discography that often looks to the cosmos for inspiration. That is true of this second volume of his Around The Sun album on his own Alleviated Records. It's another fine showcase of Chicago house, deep house, jazz and r&b that is utterly timeless.
Review: Given their shared musical heritage - both are members of the extended Firecracker Recordings crew - it's perhaps something of a surprise to find that Face The Facts marks the first serious collaboration between Linkwood and Gav 'Fudge Fingaz' Sutherland AKA Other Lands. It's less surprising that the album is really, really good. Touching on warming synth-boogie, head-nodding downtempo jams, mutant beatdown, Balearic beats, sunset-ready soundscapes and warming analogue deep house, the 13-track set is notable for the pair's extensive use of dusty old drum machines, tactile instrumentation (think smooth Rhodes solos, languid guitar solos and blissed-out synths) and Sutherland's hazy, sometimes seductive singing voice.
Review: Fred Again seems to be one of the most talked about artists of the year. Part of that centers around the astonishing Boiler Room set he served up, but also plenty of credit is due for the music he makes. A lot of that is summed up here on Actual Life 3, the third installment of his series after the previous two back in 2021 and recent collabs with the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Future. It shows off his mastery of a range of different sounds and scenes across 13 fun and fresh tunes that are backed with emotive beats and catchy hooks as well as some standout vocals.
Review: Detroit legend Norm Talley calling his new EP Deep Essentials suggests that, somehow, everything he makes isn't deep and essential. But it is. Anyway, here are five more perfectly designed grooves that sink you into a warm, smoky basement and keep you there. 'Holla-Day' has those trademark sharp hi hats and rolling drums, 'One Track Mind' has a hypnotic synth loop you hope never ends and 'Deeptroitsrumental' is a fantastically rickety drum workout that is primed for dance floor action. 'D-Toolz' rounds out with a sense of edginess, the promise of a big techno breakout that never comes but keeps you locked in hope.
Review: Charles Webster's 2020 album Decision Time, his first for decades, was widely praised for the depth, soulfulness and densely atmospheric of its hazy and tactile sound. Those with long memories pointed out that Webster has form in this regard, with the legendary British deep house producer taking a similar approach with his 2001 solo debut album, Born on the 24th July. That album was overlooked at the time, so it's fabulous to see it finally get reissued on vinyl. Shot through with woozy, soft-focus, ultra-deep soul, trip-hop and gorgeous downtempo beats, the set is not only immaculately produced and full of inventive instrumentation, but also boasts some seriously inspired guest vocals. It's genuinely an overlooked classic that deserves any belated attention it finally receives.
Review: Rabid Sweden are currently reissuing a number of The Knife's early records. Silent Shout is arguably the band's most famous. It was their second after the bubbly euro-dance delights of Deep Cuts and proved a marked change in sound and style. Gone were the bright arps, the happy-go lucky drums and upbeat dance songs, and instead came low slung bass, menacing and snaking guitar leads and tortured vocals. All these years later the album has stood the test of time and still very much stands out as a high point in the band's career. This special reissue comes on limited violet vinyl.
Review: A case of things turning full circle if ever there was one, as Rolo McGinty of The Woodentops fame - the indie stars who discovered raving and then featured on the very first Balearic Beats collection - teams up with Coyote for a one sided 12" for Is It Balearic. Well, if this isn't, then nothing is! The title should be a clue to its sentiments, paying homage to the laughing herb that is 'Marijuana' and in particular, partaking in its delights in the shade on a hot day. McGinty delivers a deep, resonant vocal and some very cool acoustic strumming, while the Coyote boys do the slow motion beat shuffling. Anthemic glory.
Jay Sound - "Reflections Of Love" (feat Josefine) (6:33)
Review: Fusion Sequence is a new offshoot from the Mellophonia label that kicks off with a heavyweight release both literally - its 180g vinyl - and metaphorically. It features seven different artists offering up one track each on what is a widescreen exploration of fresh deep house. They are A Vision of Panorama, Eternal Love, Pool Boy, Wolfey, Laseech, Larry Quest and Jay Sound and between them everything from cuddly depths to more moody late-night deepness is covered on an EP that brings plenty of new perspectives. A fine inaugural 12", then.
Review: House with an extra dose of crispy high-end from DJ Aakmael, who has haunted the saucier ends of the Chicago house scene since the mid 1990s. Aakmael is a mysterious entity, and can be ghost-spotted behind any solid pair of decks on a rainy night. 'Deep Cookie' harkens after a forgotten platonic form of house, in which East Asian synths and 808 claps collide compellingly. Meanwhile, '4ever' rounds off the B-side; it's a diggers' delight with a near-UK feel and mystical vocals and sax, recalling recent tunes this side of the pond by Ben Hauke.
Review: The by-now seminal Is It Balearic label welcomes long-time Balearic boss Max Essa for another superbly horizontal offering that will take you to the beach no matter where you are. He is a regular on this label who has been serving up top tunes and compiling superb collections like 2016's 10-Year Anniversary comp for ages, and the quality levels never dip. This fresh four-tracker traverses gently breaking synth waves, undulating dubby undercurrents and gloriously sun-kissed synth work all in a soothing and meditative style.
Review: Black Key return from a four year hiatus in style, with 4 sublime tracks from Australian ultra deep house don, Planisphere, aka David Swatten. Following an incredibly well received LP on reissue label, For Those That Knoe, Swatten returns here with more expansive, smokey and utterly consuming deep house cuts, stamped with his unique sound but offering a different flavour from his Definitive Transmission LP - one which immediately stands out from the crowd. Being only his third release in 20 years, there's an understandable sense of anticipation around Swatten's output. This release undoubtedly puts Black Key firmly back on the map, picking up their deserved reputation for releasing only the very best deep house, aimed well and truly at the heads.
Review: The Mysticisms label welcomes Coral D aka Duncan Stump for a debut outing here that marks the first new music to be part of the ongoing and most excellent Dubplate series. This artist has a long history of crafting "deep dub electronic swing" in his roles in Mock & Toof, FX Mchm and his 6000 Degrees project. This one finds him bringing some dub reggae influences as 'Dissolves' is built on a chugging rhythm with smeared chords. 'DR 55' is then a masterfully laidback digi-dub groove that warps space and time and so leaves you utterly hypnotised.
Review: By the time of their third studio album, English electronic pair Goldfrapp were already big news. Here they combined pop and electronic styles to critical effect, with a no 2 slot on the album charts coming in the first week of release. Lead single "Oh La La" went on to become the band';s biggest ever selling single and further singles "Number 1", "Ride a White Horse" and "Fly Me Away" also climbed high in the charts around the world. There's everything from in your face pop to glossy disco beats, glam style beats and lush synth ballads. Brash but beautiful, it's an English pop classic.
My Friend Dario - "Acid Mosquito In A Summer Night" (DJ Spun It's Rong remix) (9:21)
Review: Don't let the playful, tongue-in-cheek title put you off; this EP does not contain 'Balearic gabba', should such a thing exist, but rather a quartet of largely dancefloor focused remixes of delightful downtempo cuts from the Hell Yeah! Recordings catalogue. SIRS steps up first to deliver a chugging, Italo-disco-goes-Balearic re-make of Carmel 3000's 'Super Rapido', before we're treated to one of Calm's TB-303-laden 'mellow acid' dubs, this time of Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties' gorgeous, soft and sun-soaked 'Sometimes Remember'. Over on side B, Feel Fly delivers a soft-focus Balearic deep house take on Pedro Bertho and Mariana Gehring's 'Tornei', while DJ Spun's revision of My Friend Dario's 'Acid Mosquito in a Summer Night' is a twisted, genuinely psychedelic dub disco excursion.
Review: Jazz-wise deep house and downtempo producer Hanna has a string of fine albums to his name stretching back to the tail end of the '90s. Bless, though, is his first full-length since 2008, and sees the Cleveland, Ohio man transfer to Theo Parrish's legendary Sound Signature imprint. Each of the album's ten tracks comes dripping in hazy, late night soul, as Hanna smoothly shuffles between hazy nu-jazz explorations and various strains of sensual deep house. For the DJs there are plenty of floor-friendly moments, while the inclusion of a string of groovier downtempo workouts should please the home listening posse.
Review: Vancouver Dj/producer Yu Su has previously impressed via occasional contributions to the Mood Hut-affiliated Libra Mix series. This is the DJ/producer's debut solo release and boasts two high-grade cuts on one single-sided People's Potential Unlimited 12". Opener "Infi Love" is typical of the hazy, dusty and spacey Vancouver deep house sound - all soft focus intergalactic chords, vintage drum machine percussion, cut-up female vocal samples and undulating analogue bass. The jazziness continues on "Soon (MOA Mix)", where wonderfully hazy trumpet samples and horizontal chords trickle down over a bossa-inspired beat. As you might expect, it's seriously evocative and atmospheric.
Review: Shanti Radio has released some incredible music of late, much of it towards the more melodic, atmospheric and positive end of the tech-house spectrum. This four-tracker from MOS neatly fits into this narrative, offering up warming, dreamy and picturesque tracks that effortlessly blur the boundaries between deep house, tech-house and progressive flavours. Opener "Gerda Kay" simply swells with sun-kissed beauty and enveloping melodic intent, as bright lead lines and swirling pads tumble down over a tactile groove. The Afro-tinged "Jalebi" offers stirring strings, toasty chords and locked-in grooves, while "Kama" bubbles along on waves of toe-tapping percussion, choral samples and fluid piano motifs. Rounding things off is "Kauri", another immersive chunk of dancefloor hypnotism rich in positive chord progressions and heartwarming bass.
Review: B2 Recordings rolls out more of its quality-assured deep house here with Label head Bengoa stepping up next for a new three-tracker that comes with featured guests Kristina Berger and Brothers' Vibe. 'Idyot' kicks off with deep and pulsing synths and clacking hits that bring an early Chicago vibe next to the libidinous and erotic vocals which really tease. 'Meet Me Halfway' sinks into a super silky groove that is deep as you like and driven by stylish drum hits under a muttered vocal. 'Come On Now' then sinks into a more acid-laced atmosphere with sustained chords keeping you on edge next to loose and jumbled percussion. It's a stylistically diverse EP, this one.
Groove Armada - "Fly Me To The Moon" (Exclusive Cover version) (4:01)
BRS - "Lovin' Me" (Dubtribe mix) (8:04)
Good Together - "(We Can) Work It Out" (Underwater Trumpet mix) (8:15)
Tim Love Lee - "Java Jam" (5:52)
Open Door - "Breathe" (6:18)
Kleeer - "Tonight" (5:06)
Roy Ayers - "The Memory" (4:33)
Metro Area - "Miura" (6:44)
Kimbu Kimra - "Raise The Dead" (Love From San Francisco dub) (5:52)
Don Ray - "Standing In The Rain" (6:33)
Al Green - "Truth N' Time" (3:39)
Shuggie Otis - "Strawberry Letter 23" (3:57)
Mr Fingers - "Can You Feel It" (5:48)
Aretha Franklin - "Day Dreaming" (3:50)
Loose Ends - "Feel The Vibe" (4:16)
Sir Patrick Moore - "Peepshow" (part 1 - Exclusive Spoken Word) (5:03)
Review: Groove Armada proven so adept at putting totters intimate late nigh sound tracks that they have made not one, not two, but three different entires into this legendary and long running series. And each one has its own equally special vibe. This one finds the pairing digging into the new York disco of Metro Area, the funk of Roy Ayers, the classic house of Mr Fingers and the gorgeousness of Shuggie Otis. It's as good an after the afterparty mix as you could wish to hear so we're delighted it is being reissue.
Review: Neapolis is a brand new label that kick off with some brilliantly seductive Balearic sounds for the warmer days and nights that are fast approaching. The accompanying notes tell us that 'the intoxicating songs of the Sirens found in the bay of Napoli are irresistible to all' and these tunes are no different. 'Boulevard' kicks off with icy drums but balmy synths all rolling smoothly onward to some distant imagined horizon. Delicate vocals add the key hooks while a dubbed out version on the flip is more fleshy and heady.
Review: Greek DJ/producer Lex has been part of the scene in his home city of Athens since the dawn of the millennium, though it's only in the last few years that he's focused more on making music. The results of his efforts, which were previously showcased on 12" singles for Leng and Samosa Records, amongst others, have been quietly impressive. His debut album, Waving, continues in the same vein, utilising a pool of musician friends to craft cuts that blur the boundaries between sun-kissed, sofa-friendly Balearic warmth and subtly funk-fuelled, dub disco-framed dancefloor shufflers. The plentiful highlights include the stunning, tropical-tinged opener, 'Punta Allen', the organ-sporting vocal squelch-along 'Window Spells', acid-flecked nu-disco-meets-cosmic disco workout 'Silver Peace' and high-octane number 'Down My Soul'.
Call A Wave (Return To The Deep Ambient mix) (4:40)
Call A Wave (New Age mix) (3:41)
Review: Here comes a fresh 12" containing four remixes of the song 'Call A Wave' by Malcolm McLaren and The Bootzilla Orchestra. The original was released in 1989 as part of McLaren's album Waltz Darling, which was an early example of the 'collaborative studio album' popular at the time, and fused classical music with elements of then-contemporary dance music styles, such as his brand of downtempo-ish post-punk / industrial - a true McLaren mode. The newer remixes that feature here come from the likes of DFC and Mark Moore and William Orbit (responsible for the Orbital mix rather than the Hartnoll brothers) and are no less sludgey, Balearic and chuggy as the original loom-bird-laden track. Two new stripped-back versions also appear.
Review: One of the joys of Athens of the North's East Coast Love Affair project - an in-house band with a twist - is its' joyous musical eclecticism. Previously, they've delivered boogie, house, street soul, funk and disco. On this debut album, the collective spent some time in the studio with friend-of-the-family and Pikes Ibiza resident For Mankind (real name Russ Forman), and as a result the set has a dreamy, colourful and picturesque Balearic vibe. Of course, the influences are a bit wider than that - think dub, proto-house, ambient, Larry Hard-style deep house, Sun Ra and Brazilian music for starters - but that descriptor does neatly sum up what's on offer. Deep, evocative, pretty and impeccably produced, it's the most well-rounded and musically expansive East Coast Love Affair release to date.
Lost On A Path To Nowhere (Jazxing Pathfinder remix) (7:54)
No Way Home (6:18)
Space Crumbs Trail (5:13)
Review: Marius Circus is well known and loved for a signature analogue sound and once again that is laid out for us all to enjoy here on a new EP that comes with a remix from men of the moment Jazxing. First up is the deep, unhurried and dubbed out 'Lost On A Path To Nowhere,' a subtle late-night sound with wispy synths and a muted bassline that grows ever more prominent. The Jazxing Pathfinder remix is more tropical and steamy, and on the flip 'No Way Home' douses you in more blissed-out chords before the downbeat boogie of 'Space Crumbs Trail'. This is yet more essential summer goodness from Is It Balearic.
Spielplatz (Quiet Village instrumental mix) (13:58)
Spielplatz (Quiet Village Deep Space dub) (13:44)
Review: Matt Edwards and Joel Martin have done many fantastic remixes as Quiet Village, but little tops their 2007 'deep space' version of Mudd's 'Spielplatz'. Originally released on a relatively limited 12" by U.S label Rong Music, it reimagined the track as an epic slow-motion chugger that combined cosmic, spaced-out, turn-of-the-90s deep house synth sounds and metronomic dub disco bass with locked-in beats, echo-laden (sampled) spoken word vocals and all manner of intergalactic effects. This essential (and once again highly limited) reissue boasts the duo's famous - and deliciously epic - original 'Deep Space Dub' on side B, with the pair's vocal free (and previously unreleased) 'instrumental mix' on side A. A super-slow, ultra-deep house classic!
Review: French producer Jerome Barresi as Robert's Diary delivers a superb EP on Is It Balearic? Something a little different. Dinky Bird is delicate pianos and an atmospheric vocal sample subtle beats and melodies reminiscent of Eple and classic Moby. Legendary Norse God Bjorn Torske keeps the atmosphere and adds creates a more percussive 4/4 shuffler. Six O Six has the trademark vocal sample and piano but a more dance floor feel. KXP which sounds like it could a long lost Gene Love Jezebel B -side rounds things off.
Jerrald James feat Genevieve Marantette - "I Only Have Eyes For You"
Jerrald James - "Vanished"
Review: New from Sound Signature is "I Only Have Eyes For You", from the multi talented percussionist Jerrald James (aka Jerry The Cat). Jerry aptly demonstrates his own production prowess in covering the Flamingos' "I only Have Eyes For You". He smartly chose Genevieve Marantette to provide vocals on this piece, and she gives her best recorded performance to date.
Review: NT is Nail aka Neil Holliday, one half of Bent and a master of UK tech house. But here he shows a different side across six majestically Balearic groovers. That draw on everything he has done before to send you out to sea on gentle waves of shining synth goodness, downtempo bliss and dreamy, chubby, soft focus drums. 'Beside Boa Linn' is a soothing summer sound to kick off then 'Going Out To Feel It' is a spiritual house cut for sundown, and 'Don't Hide Away' is slow motion disco brilliance. The trip continues with the star-gazing 'Evening Fixture', Eddie C style guitar licks of 'Walk In Romance' and romantic lullaby 'Dreams On Hold.'
Review: The Analogue Attic microverse is defined by a unified commitment to the deepest ideas of where house music can head, and no one embodies that spirit better than Alex Albrecht. On this latest 12" he's heading into the velvet folds of low tempo chugger 'The Blacksmith' and downtempo dream state 'Coles Ridge' with elegiac piano sparkling atop fathoms-deep pads and the softest of percussion. This is house music as a vessel for pure relaxation and sentimental meditation, and across six tracks Albrecht offers up balm after balm to soundtrack oceanic realms of calm - a much needed tonic for the frenetic pace of modern life.
Review: London's All Day I Dream label is instantly recognisable for its use of clouds as its EP covers, a trend it has kept up since since its first release in 2011. This latest wispy six-track EP from Tim Green is a beautiful floater, very much unafraid of plunging its head into the deepest and most rapturous of clouds. Opener 'Water Steers' very much sounds like we're floating up to the pearly gates, with its stretched-out choir samples and voxy one-shots opening to a tricky single-key house track. From there, it's all blissful yet rave-worthy, with tech-trancers like 'Tears' and 'We've Been Here Before' not letting up from the crossrhythmic formula, but still laying down a slowly-revealed emotion.
Review: Scott Ferguson came to house and techno in one of its most fertile grounds - Detroit, in the mid 90s. Since then he has served up his own take on the timeless genres on a range of quality labels. Now he arrives on Chateau Chepere with four more of his stylish cuts. They are couched in deep house as always but with cues taken from future jazz, garage and plenty in between. These are real winter warmers that will seduce an early evening crowd or lock in a 5 am dance floor in equal measure.
Bass - The Final Frontier (David Holmes remix) (7:08)
Bass - The Final Frontier (3:23)
Demons Of Dance (6:02)
Mumbo Jumbo (3:44)
Review: Last year, Pamela Records launched with a fantastic EP of cosmic club music from the late, great Andrew Weatherall and his long-time production partner Nina Walsh. For release number two, they've turned to another long-serving London producer, former Aloof collaborator Jo Sims. Lead cut 'Bass - The Final Frontier' (track two on the A-side) is definitely one that Weatherall would have played: a psychedelic, mid-tempo chugger with trance-inducing electronics, twinkling synthesiser lead lines and a throbbing groove. David Holmes remixes, slowing it down further while adding undulating TB-303 'acid' lines and plenty of cinematic textures. Elsewhere, 'Demons of Dance' is a moody dark disco throb-job (Richard Sen would approve), while 'Mumbo Jumbo' is a deep Balearic breaks number tailor made for sunsets and sunrises.
Review: Some years back, Ben Norris AKA O'Flynn looked set for a major breakthrough, with his EPs on Blip Discs and Ninja Tune getting singled out for praise. Since then, his career has stalled, though we wouldn't be surprised if this impressive debut album propels him into the spotlight once more. It's a wonderfully fluid, evocative and enjoyable set that attractively sashays between languid ambience, Afro and Latin-influenced cut-up club cuts that cannily fuse disco, nu-disco and deep house, drum dubs and percussion jams, and off-kilter affairs that defy simplistic categorization. Highlights are plentiful throughout, from the dreamy dub disco flex of "Tru Dancing" and jazzy deep house warmth of "Painted Wolf", to the huggable dreaminess of two-step shuffler "Celestine" and the loved-up haziness of enveloping closing cut "Neptune".
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.