Review: Two underground artists with many years in the scene behind them in Darwin Chamber and DJ Spun come together for the second in their Episode series on Rong Music. Once again they dig into the sounds of their formative years while also looking to the future as they blend dub, trance and techno into lithe new forms. 'The Revolution' is a mid-tempo and atmospheric roller with hypnotic vocals, while 'The Playa' is a deft bit of electronic minimalism with a deep space feel and ticking 808 sounds. Things get more loose with the warped synths and dusty tech beats of 'Dysfunction' while 'Acid Tounge' closes with trippy designs, a skeletal rhythm and a sense of late-night melodic and afterparty mischief.
Review: Robert Dietz continues to impress with his latest EP, Rejuve-Nation, demonstrating his versatility and skill as a producer and DJ. The standout track, 'Crane Song,' explores proggy house territory with a sophisticated touch, offering two distinct mixes that captivate the listener with their intelligent arrangements. 'Deranged Self Therapy' takes a different turn, blending IDM with new wave drums and poignant synths, resulting in an excellent composition perfect for lovesick robots. 'Centro Di Gravita' builds upon the qualities of 'Crane Song' while infusing it with an acid lines to push boundaries and experiment with different sounds. Closing the EP, 'Any Plan(t)s This Weekend' provides a soothing ambient experience, like a confident sketch for the end of a beautiful summer. Rejuve-Nation offers a bouquet of bangers catering to various musical preferences.
Review: Nina Kraviz has approached her latest single 'Tarde' with cogent flair, issuing several vinyl remix sets to divvy up and complement a full ten-track digital compilation, made up of a star cast of remixes by major artists. On another 12", Kraviz shortens the full ten tracks to a short selection. The tense, and hummingly fun, original track 'Tarde', released earlier this year, is heard in full effect on this record's B-side, coming complemented by Melchior Productions' phattened 'Late Mix' in the vein of flickering tech house. The A-side is taken up meanwhile by veteran endurance DJ Ricardo Villalobos, whose version of 'Tarde' doesn't care a hoot about tardiness less than it does bask in it, slowly unveiling a clockwork mechanism of spitting schematic beats and tastefully placed vocal shouts from Nina's original acapella.
Review: The Model brings great form and function to this arresting new EP on long-running French label Partout. It kicks off with 'I Am Always On Your Mind' which has bright, glass melodies and snappy snares that very much get your attention while 'Crossover' is a more frazzled bit of synth-laden techno with sci-fi motifs and withering melodies. 'Six Days Of Heat' is a slower groove with another big focus on the melodies, this time they are rather eerie and unsettling. Last of all is 'Global' with its smeared pads and dusty drum work.
Review: Molen's 'Future Is Gone' delivers four standout techno tracks, bringing a futuristic energy to the dancefloor. Side-1 kicks off with the title song, driven by a pulsating bassline and a powerful groove, enhanced by spacey sound effects that add an extra dimension. Next up is 'Medano', a journey into a sci-fi world with an exciting acid line and a rhythm that builds in intensity, making it a true trip. On Side-2, 'Suggestion' keeps the momentum going with a killer beat that makes it another solid addition to the release. Finally, 'Basic Instinct' brings an 80s-inspired groove, blending new beat and electro influences for something fresh and unique. This EP from Special Bounce packs plenty of variety, perfect for fans of innovative techno who are looking to get lost in a futuristic vibe.
Review: Hot on the heels of its digital release comes the fifth top-up to Melody Of The Soul's repertoire. The actual melody of the soul has an infinite song, unending as the universal spirit that unites us all; any representations therein can only be incomplete and numbered, though this four-track home-in is more happy to revel in this limitation, and find a kind of ethereal beauty in the fact. This time focusing on the production efforts of Proff, his progressive number 'Three Sisters' takes centre stage (the album cover is its namesake) and fundamentally proffers a kind of May Day queenly house, with rounding, ascendant female vocals bounding about the mix like a circlet - or coven, even - of magical sisters incanting a rejuvenative dirge.
Review: By now already a cult favourite label, Banoffee Pies Originals is back with new beats from Planet Euphorique label boss D. Tiffany and multidisciplinary artist and Rinse FM resident Ciel working together as Psychedelic Budz. The Canadian duo delivers two off-kilter club tracks here with a guest appearance by Adam Pits under his Lil Mushroom alias. That's on the title cut 'Wonk Donk' and it features a supple and hyper-speed rhythm with dubby undercurrent and deft vocal smears next to acidic squiggles. The other cut 'Vokal Fry' is a percussive jumble with broken beats, watery effects, chopped-up vocals and a generally beguiling vibe.
Review: Given his profile and the fact that much of his music is released via the Diynamic Music imprint he co-founded way back in 2006, it's something of a surprise to see Solomun pop up on Running Back - a testament, perhaps, to his friendship with RB chief Gerd Janson. 'Can't Stop' is undoubtedly a peak-tine classic in the making - a breathless, non-stop sprint in which waves or raw electronic lead lines, TB-303 driven bass and tech-house flourishes ride a jacking house beat. It comes backed with more percussive, beefed-up 'Dub Mix' and bonus cut 'Follow The Disco Ball', a sparkling blend of stomping house, Eurodance style lead lines and pulsating Italo-disco bass.
Review: Riviera's early momentum continues here with a punchy four-tracker from six on-point artists. Lewis Taylor kicks off with 'Non Stop' which is a straight up and funky peak time then pumper with bright chords and plenty of fun in the atmosphere, Cult keeps the energy high with 'Total Kill' and X Coast & DJ RaDa then offer the acid-laced and turbocharged bass stomps of 'Come Together.' LIL NASSTY then flips the script with some sleazy trap beats with menacing bars and futuristic synth patterns on 'Get It Up So' and DJ Pacifier shuts down with some high-speed ghetto-tech in the form of the relentless 'Fried Again.'
Review: Moustache Records has long ploughed a synth-heavy, retro-futurist furrow in which 21st century producers showcase their love of muscular, body-shaking styles of the 1980s, most frequently Italo-disco and Hi-NRG. The playfully named Trending Topic fit neatly into this blueprint, with this debut EP framing them as lovers of Bobby Orlando style Hi-NRG, the camper end of Italo-disco and the formative years of Euro-dance. This approach is best exemplified by lead cut 'Terpentine', where colossal synth riffs and lead lines climb above a thickset sequenced bassline and snappy drum machine beats. That is given a slightly harder and more pulsating tweak courtesy of Machinegewhr, before our heroes return with two more tracks: the Hi-NRG-goes-trance style 'Our Adventure Begins' and the on-the-dancefloor-at-Heaven-in-1986 flex of 'Mowing The Lawn'.
Metal Master - "Spectrum" (Bart Skills & Weska Reinterpretation)
The Beauty And The Beast (Eric Prydz re-edit)
OFF - "Electrica Salsa" (feat Sven Vath - Roman Flugel remix)
Cala Llonga
Sounds Control Your Mind
Dein Schweiss
Robot (Kolsch remix)
L'Esperanza (Hardspace mix)
Privado
Mind Games (Roman Flugel remix)
Face It
Astral Pilot - "The Day After"
Review: Given that he's been active as a producer since the dawn of the 90s, it would be fair to say that Sven Vath is well worthy of an authoritative, expansive retrospective. That's certainly what we get here on this quadruple-vinyl mix of classic productions and fresh, eye-catching remixes. It's the latter that dominate the early stages of the collection - see Adam Port's hypnotic, didgeridoo-sporting revision of 'Ritual of Life', Speedy J's acid-fired stomp through 'Ballet-Fusion' - before Vath showcases some of his choice cuts. There's naturally to set the pulse racing, from the twisted, sub-heavy thump of 'Cala Llonga' and the tactile hypnotism of 'Sounds That Control Your Life', to the electroclash-meets-Kraftwerk flex of 'Dein Schweiss' and the ambient techno excellence of 'The Day After', a 21- minute epic from 1995 produced alongside Steffen Britzke as Astral Pilot.
Lykke Li - "No Rest For The Wicked" (Joris Voorn remix) (6:04)
The Roc Project - "Never" (feat Tina Arena - Filterheadz Luv Tina remix) (8:09)
Soul Syndicate - "Inside Of Me" (Steel Union remix) (5:35)
Ken Laszlo Vs Disco Dice - "Hey Hey Guy" (House dub) (6:02)
Icehouse - "Hey Little Girl" (Infusion remix) (4:48)
Review: A carefully curated selection of tracks that span multiple eras and styles, blending rare, hard-to-find cuts with contemporary classics, with elements of house, techno, trance, and electro and an emphasis on smooth grooves, punchy basslines and infectious melodies. There's an undeniable energy across the sampler, whether it's the driving beats of the club bangers or the deeper, more atmospheric moments that provide the perfect contrast. The mix of old-school influences and modern production techniques ensures that the music holds up on both the dancefloor and in vinyl collections. With standout tracks that cater to fans of both nostalgic sounds and current dance trends, this release will appeal to collectors and DJs alike, offering timeless classics that continue to find a home in today's sets.
Mathilde Nobel - "May + Be" (Oceanic remix) (5:12)
Mary Lake - "Evergloom" (5:14)
Gotu Jim - "De Last" (4:01)
Review: This is the final instalment of Nous Klaer Audio's beloved 3x12" compilation series and it's another classy outing that serves up a diverse range of sounds from deep, immersive rhythms to driving techno, rave-infused house and some in-between surprises. Curated by label-head Oberman, it features contributions from both established artists and fresh talent, including Megan Leber with the serene 'Tides', a textured remix from Pye Corner Audio, the lushness of Eversines's 'Rhapsodia' and more besides. It adds up a real trove of top tackle.
Kolsch - "All That Matters" (feat Troels Abrahamsen - Artbat remix)
D*Note - "Shed My Skin" (Pete Heller Stylus vocal mix)
CamelPhat & Elderbrook - "Cola"
Amber Broos - "Amok"
Dennis Ferrer - "Hey Hey" (Riva Starr Paradise Garage club mix)
Fiocco - "Afflitto"
Review: UNTZ Anthems is a wild ride through some of dance music's biggest dancefloor moments. There is absolutely no restriction in terms of genres, eras or artists which makes each one a real selection box of sound. This third volume for example takes in the timeless house classic 'Move Your Body' as reworked by Solar, but also the pop dance of Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding's 'Miracle' and jump up jungle of Sub Focus & Dimension's 'Desire.' CamelPhat & Elderbrook's GRAMMY-nominated 'Cola' brings a touch of house depth while Riva Starr's Paradise Garage club mix of 'Hey Hey' reworks the house anthem into something more strobe-lit and energetic.
Axel F - "Geronimo" (Special instrumental mix) (6:52)
Review: Continuing the research project started last year, Sound Metaphors, Transmigration, and historian Ray Castle present an in-depth analysis of the dancefloor scene in Goa during the 80s and early 90s, before trance became a mainstream genre. This tropical underground haven thrived on unique aesthetics, with dedicated collectors and DJs curating the finest "special goa music" from the era's emerging electronic tracks. This compilation features impactful new beat, proto-techno, early progressive, trance, industrial, EBM and house music tracks, accompanied by event photographs in a double LP gatefold with a poster and liner notes by Ray Castle. Re-mastered in Berlin, it's an essential addition to any record collection.
Review: Serbian-born, NYC-based DJ and producer X-Coast returns with a new set of high-energy tracks designed for big arenas and main stages. As shown when remixing Shygirl's '4eva 'and DJ Gigola's 'La Batteria', he blends house, techno, electro, drum & bass and trance on labels like Steel City Dance Discs, Higher Ground and Mama Told Ya. X-Coast's signature sound fuses 90s and 00s rave nostalgia with modern production here and results in the tribal-infused 'Neapolis', soaring trance of 'Desert Storm,' and diva house energy of 'Hold Me Baby'. They all make for a dynamic collection which shows off X-Coast's genre-spanning versatility.
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