SAKRO 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Bon Vivant is a freshly minted record label and party series from pals Andrade and Sakro. To kick things off, EP1 features two tracks each from the young producers. Their aim is apparently to release "timeless music", and there's something certainly ageless about Andrade's two contributions. Opener "Get Away From The Pressure" sounds like an unlikely hook-up between Paperclip People, Chez Damier and DJ Sneak, while the breezier - but similarly loopy - "In The Waiting Line" offers a European take on early 2000s Chicago deep house. Speaking of Chi-town, there's much swing and bump to Sakro's hazy and bass-heavy "You Are Gonna Die Anyway", while "Soulafly" adds a touch of sun-kissed humidity amidst the shuffling beats and jazzy keys.

Review: Since launching last year, Mexcian label Honne Music has so far offered up two multi-artist EPs packed with tidy tech-house and atmospheric minimal techno. The imprint's third outing explores similar sonic territory, showcasing tracks from a mixture of local and international artists. Old hand Lee Burton kicks things off via the intoxicating shuffle of "MAO" - all swirling sci-fi chords, minor key melodies and bubbly bass - before Niko Maxen delivers a fuzzier, slightly weirder take on intergalactic tech-house ("Homecoming"). Over on side B, Sarko emphasizes mind-mangling bass on the trippy tech-funk of "How Did I Get Here", while Moett C and Migueleto invite us to drift through deep space on the weightless, early morning warmth of EP highlight "Derriere".

Review: Sakro has long been turning out his expertly designed and highlight impactful minimal house and tech cuts, so it's about time we finally heard a full length from him. Psychophonies is the name of his debut and it arrives on his own label Bon Vivant with a signature palette of dark grooves and ghostly synth atmospheres. 'Unicos' soon draws you in with just that sort of vibe before the hurried drum funk of 'Loneliness' and freaky minimal-jazz-house stylings of 'Psychophony'. This is pure dancefloor music that is both perfectly functional but also full of delightful forms.

Review: Sakro has been delivering grade A minimal pumpers for some time now, appearing on labels as respected as Visionquest, Raum...musik, Karlovak and Pleasure Zone, and now he's landing on venerable London institution Half Baked with another salvo of upfront party delights. "Whispered Story" is infectious, funky and precision engineered for peak time action, while "Millions Of Stars" strips things back to a more mystical house shimmer adorned with gorgeous sweeps of pads. "Echoes" nudges things into woozy after hours territory with pitch-wobbling tones and a steady shuffling beat that will serve the minimal house crowd very well indeed.

Review: 2016 was a successful year for Sakro, who offered up some seriously good house music via releases on Houseworx and Bon Vivant. Here he helps Raum Musik celebrate a century of releases with another strong three-track missive. The title track - a brilliantly judged fusion of crunchy, swinging house drums, bustling bass and trippy electronics - has already caused something of a stir online, after being championed by Ricardo Villalobos over the last six months. Elsewhere, opener "Nyctophilia" is a smooth, bass-heavy deep house bumper blessed with ghostly chords and quirky spoken word samples, and "Life's Too Short" fixes swirling string samples to a typically groovy rhythm track.

Review: Sakro's sound has always been expertly designed a perfect blend of form and function. Now in collaboration with Max Jacobson the same can still be said on the evidence of this new three-track offering on Germany's constantly excellent Raw imprint. It kicks off with 'Walking Into Mirrors' which is a full-throttle tech house cut with nice rubbery kicks and busy melodic patterns swirling about the mix. 'Planet Arium' sinks into a deeper, more heady atmosphere with the kicks still driving but the synth work here is more muted and late night. 'Chapter 16 - Remember To Go Home' is an almost ten minute B-side trip to the stars.