Review: A² was the electro, breaks and tech house duo Andy Panayi and Alec Stone, and this outing on R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings is a four-track collection that comes years after the tragic passing of Panayi so serves as a poignant tribute from his close friends and family. Honouring Andy's legacy, the release captures the duo's innovative electronic spirit and is both a celebration of their work and a touching farewell. Musically 'Street Renegade' is a lithe breakbeat sound, 'Upton Park Breaks' is more dark and textured and 'Electro Boogie' is just that while 'Reckless' closes on a more spaced out and cosmic tip.
Review: Portland-based Aaron Carlson is AC$ and this is his third outing on the cult Sakskobing label. Once again he comes at house music from a unique vantage point and mixes up the rawness of Motor City hero Omar-S with the disco dalliances of Metro Area and the deep house of Berlin. His tunes are packed with character as well as funky drum patterns such as on the seductive lo-fi house of 'Patio Protocol'. 'No Jello' is a bumping Chicago house cut with nice frayed edges and 'The Big Black Slot' is cosmic tech house with soulful heart. EPs this fresh and classy don't come along often.
Review: Breakbeat means many different things to many different people but in the case of this new EP from Aggresivnes on Electroshock there is something of a turn of the millennium nu-breaks feel. Synths sounds like video game effects from a retro future world with crisp drum funk powering each track along. Spoken word samples, sirens, rave-ready piano stabs and warped leads all add extra personality to the playful beats. 'Popcorn' is our pick for the sheer neck-snapping crispness of the drums and hits.
Review: There sure is an appropriate sense of futurism in these new breakbeats from Ahu. Opener 'Jina' is run through with far-sighted chords that bring to mind the glowing metropolis of Ridley Scott's 'Bladerunner' - it even feels like there's rain falling in the tune as well as subtle celestial vocals and deep, driving bass. and spoken word samples to add that cinematic ambiance. 'Jina (Mahsa)' is soulful machine music - fans of the glorious 69 project of Carl Craig will doubtless dig it - and then 'Nika' rides on a much more rubbery and lovely, lumpy Herbert-esque beat with molten synth melodies and a darker energy. A stylish EP, no doubt.
Review: Cairo based producer Hassan Abou Alam joins the revered ranks of the Banoffee Pies label here as it clocks up the 20th release. It is a punchy techno offering that opens with the roaming, brain-numbing leads of 'Kesibt' (feat SHBL-LBSH). The bass comes heavy, the percussion is raw, the refracted vocal a great hook. 'Fasla' (feat SHBL-LBSH) is hyperdrive double-time techno with wobbly bottom ends, 'Mawkif' further plays with the rules with its hopping hits and driving bass and this more original and inventive of offerings closes with 'Hanshoof', a physical bit of percussive techno funk.
Toby Tobias - "Streets of Gold" (Alphonse remix) (5:12)
Pyramids Of Space - "Quantis" (5:20)
Dance - "Amber" (4:25)
Review: Voice Notes is a new imprint run by London underground veteran Toby Tobias with Alphonse. A five track various artist EP, Voice Notes 002 is a time-honoured memorial for its sister label London Housing Trust, that they shut down a few years ago after 10 releases. Featuring tracks by label boss Tobias who delivers some emotive electro on 'Streets Of Gold', his evil twin Alphonse on the UK flava of 'Rujac', plus introducing Dance with the dub techno deconstruction of 'Amber', Rodney Bennett with the classic Stateside deep house of 'Palm Sunday' and Pyramids of Space with the downbeat IDM journey 'Quantis'.
Altered Tapes - "Watch Out Now" (Hijackin' For beats remix) (4:03)
Double A - "Tell Me" (So Cold remix) (4:32)
Review: Heat Rock add yet another breaksy heater to their repertoire and, in so doing, welcome two wicked producers from across the pond into their roster; Altered Tapes from Chicago, and Double A from New Zealand. The former stalwart goes in on an infamous flute loop from The Beatnuts, working in phat kicks and sawn-off breakbeats for a pacier, dancier instrumental version. Double A backs this up on the B with, dedicating a prayer and an amen to the same Dirty South classic. A must-have DJ tool for the aspiring breaks-purveyor.
Review: Ilian Tape staple Andrea returns to the imprint, marking a big one for the Munich-based operation with a massive album by Skee Mask also this week. As always, UK and rave influences are abundant throughout the talented producer's work and this one is no exception. This EP is called Sktch and features the cavernous, glacial and downright knackered dub techno of 'Sarec', followed by the sinister subterranean breaks of Auxl and the meditative deep dubstep frequencies of 'Kjones' which sees him delve deeper into off kilter territory.
Review: British producer, party set designer and DJ Angel D'Lite is known for her sickly sweet and high energy mixes and solo work. An avid vinyl collector and happy hardcore indulger, '303 Dalmations' feels like biting into a sour sweet and the headrush from the sugar high thereafter. 'Just Trippin' and '7am' are evocative of the 90s records that D'Lite digs for in her local shops and collection and are bubbly dance tracks with classic breakbeats (Producers will recognise the opening amen break vocal sample on 'Liquid Skies' very well). The feel of the EP is a classic club experience, and you can't help but dance along and smile - as D'Lite says herself "Happy Hardcore is good for the soul".
Review: French finesse with German fusion... Willis Anne makes his Shall Not Fade debut with this killer 'Movement' EP. As with previous missives on his LAN imprint, the beats roam and romp freely between footwork, jungle and ghetto-tek with strong twangs of Detroit bringing it all together. Highlights include the wonderful layers of organs and vibrant chords of 'Direct Effect' and the fully-swung breakbeats and bellowing sub of 'Unison'. Get moving.
Heavy Water (D Tiff Floating To The Top mix) (7:18)
Diact (6:19)
Trouble Down Groove (6:45)
Review: The Cosmic Soup label did some mighty fine work in bringing Howard Dodd's work as Doc Bozique and Anoesis back into ear shot. Dodd released a fair clutch of wiggy, trance-inflected house and techno back in the wild old days of the mid-90s, and so it's no surprise to hear his music finding new relevance at a time when that sound is so warmly received on dancefloors all over the place. This release for German label Spray pulls together a few different bits from 1994, ranging from 'Heavy Water' and 'Diact' from The Anoesis EP to 'Trouble Down Groove' from Eight Day Music. Bringing the relevance with the current zeitgeist in no uncertain times, we're also treated to a remix courtesy of a scene leader in this field, D. Tiffany.
Review: Longtime drum & bass legend Aphrodite carved out his own path, helming up his very own Aphrodite Recordings almost from the word jump. The infamously groovy humanoid figure on the front cover of each release (a bit like the Moving Shadow logo, albeit more spiritual) sums up the mood of his releases: hardcore, ecstatic, demi-divine. On 'The Stonka' EP, the producer leans far more in the former territory, however, with 'Stonka' portraying a sub-heavy reversy-breaks cacophony and 'Break Of Day' laying down a ragga-sample-inflected mind-expander, not to mention a clever pun.
Review: It’s been nearly 2 years since the original of this was released and since that time Bronx vocalist Kool Keith has reappeared under his Dr. Octagon alias, prompting the people at Passenger to have this classic revisited and rewaxed. First up, Melbourne wonderkid Nick Thayer laces the track with a severe dose of electrofunk. Taking the track into a more spaced-out vibe and adding his in demand production skills, Nick hands in what many are claiming is his finest remix to date. As the man said when he handed the mix back "I could of just added a bassdrum and snare to Keith’s vocals and it would of sounded sick". Such is the global admiration of Keith Thornton, aka Kool Keith. Cyantific were next on Passenger’s list of drum and bass remixers who are cutting new ground in their genre. Still riding from the success of their debut longplayer on Hospital Records, ‘Ghettoblaster’, and with a cult classic under their belt (‘Don’t Follow’ featuring Diane Charlemagne), this duo is hotly tipped and heavily supported by London Electricity and High Contrast, two other producers who have previously remixed Aquasky!
Aquasky/The Drummatic Twins - "Bring It On Down" (Aquasky VIP mix)
Aquasky/The Ragga Twins - "Ready For This" (Baobinga mix)
Review: It was a year ago that the much anticipated Aquasky "Teamplayers" album was released and here is the final installment of remixed, revamped and rejigged tunes, released on the Passenger label.. 'Bring It On Down' features Aquasky loosening up the bassline of the original, slapping in a nasty new vocal and giving it a heavy electro funk work out. Also, Baobinga goes on a solo run with a party vibe meets dubstep feel.
Review: Arkajo's seld-titled label rolls out another sophisticated EP as it continues to stand itself apart in its early days. This one kicks off with 'Entwine' which showcases the artist's mastery of deep rhythms that seem to float above the dancefloor. The broken beats are lush and airy, the synths wispy, the vibes uplifting. A Polygonia remix brings a little extra weight to the low end but it remains just as classy. 'Signature' then has a more edgy feel with heavier hits, squelchy bass and a physical feel that is super irresistible. Last of all is the Konduku remix which takes things into tripped-out 5am territory.
Review: The basslines might be big, but Berlin collective Cheap Fast Worldwide are keeping budgets tight with their brand new vinyl concern. Already an established podcast mix series, now a fully-fledged label, this launch release lays down everything we need to know as we flip and fly between the flavours. Cats like Lou Raw lay down golden woozy UKG skippery, B is all about the lo-fi flavours and warm and warping house and Olli Oski and EE bring the EP to a wonderful psycho dub finale. What an entry EP.
Review: San Francisco-based Indian duo Baalti really do bring plenty of freshness to this, their third EP outing. They have said this is their most personal and authentic rase to date and it is about as kinetic and impact as house music gets, all infused with myriad samples from their own heritage. Those nostalgic South Asian flavours derived from classic Indian, Pakistani, and Bangaldeshi sounds are carefully sprinkled into percussive workouts, leftfield dancefloor rhythms and club-ready grooves. A perfect fusion of modern electronic music as traditional Asia sounds.
Review: There's an abundance of crafty, ear-snagging gear coming out on Telomere Plastic these days and the steady stream of VA releases are a handy window into some of the freshest operators in the more creative ends of minimal tech house. Baenglund is having a jolly time of it tweaking out the freaky synth riffs on 'Funk Inspector', while Aspetuck creates a teasing, strung-out after hours sound which tips towards electronica on 'As The Fog Rolls In'. Anderson brings a little trance influence to the crooked groove of 'Aquabound', and Watch Patrol softens the edges with an acidic bubblebath on 'Wandering In The Garden'.
Review: Mike Bandoni returns with Crate Breaks Vol 6, the latest installment in his renowned series. This record is a great tool for adventurous DJs, featuring eight drum fills perfect for slicing into mixes. Each side of the album offers a rich array of segments to elevate any set. Side-1 includes the breaks named 'Diggin In The Pit,' 'Dream State,' 'Hold Fire,' and 'Swing By,' while Side-2 boasts 'Love Scheme,' 'Space Kool Moon Dance,' 'Party,' and 'It's Still Good.' As you can see from the names, these are sure to get the party going. True to its Funk genre roots, this release from Drumstream is ideal for DJs seeking fresh, phat drum segments.
Review: Mike Bandoni's new outing on Village Live Records is a super good drum outing that has been doing the rounds amongst some top-tier funk DJs. Bandoni is a talented multi-instrumentalist and is also the former drummer for the Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band so knows his sound inside out. Opener 'Kool Trippin' is an uptempo classic with energy to get any floor going. On the flip is another bit of pure bait for B-boys and girls with irresistible funk breaks and catchy hooks. Both tracks are taken from 'Rhodium Breaks' and come in limited quantities.
Review: Doug Beck's sole EP, 'Lapse', is something of an obscurity: a four-tracker released back in 1996 that saw the largely unknown producer blur the boundaries between glassy-eyed progressive house, breaks, ambient house and more trance-inducing mid 90s dancefloor psychedelia. This surprise reissue on Party Tricks is well worth a listen, with our picks of a very strong bunch being the dense, melody-rich breakbeat house warmth of 'In The Tunnel', the tactile downtempo loveliness of the ambient-leaning 'Steam', and the quality prog house shuffle of title track 'Lapse'. 'Hello Kitty', a head-nodding chunk of trip-hop haziness, is also worth checking out.
Review: The Betonska label is on an ongoing mission to release and re-release hidden gems and wantless must owns from the past. This time it's D.Wave's unrelenting yet funky techno offering Biotone that gets pressed up. The title tune is pure, thrilling club music with high-speed Millsian techno vibes. 'Mellectro' plays with a broken rhythm and alien sound designs that are as good for brain as body and 'Oscilloclast' then dresses a perfectly fused jungle techno sound with warped video game pads and 'Paper Tigers' ends on an all-out peak time gem.
Review: Community minded eclecticists Neighbourhood continue their unifying work with the latest boundary-bender from label co-boss Birke TM. With each cut sitting in a different tempo territory, he paints a vivid picture. 'I Dream Of Jeannie' is a mid-paced 160 jungle breeze while 'Eden' is a classic atmospheric two-stepper that wouldn't have gone amiss on GLR back in the day. Flip for a tempo dip as both cuts on the B smoulder with slow beauty. 'Sanctuary' hits like a cosmic UR escapade while 'Never Lose Touch' bids us an emotional and heartfelt 150BPM farewell. Visionary.
Review: Legendary Bristol-based funk and breaks master Boca 45 is back with more of his battle-ready DJ tools. This 7" takes the form of a second volume of Tools on the Cold Beer Music label and it offers a brilliant brace of cut n' paste, surefire party starters and floor fillers. 'Kick That' has old school feels with classic piano chords from a certain Fatboy Slim tune that really will get the floor going mad. 'Unwind Your 909' taps into another iconic sample, this time from a sax, with break-neck breaks and plenty of chopped-up energy.
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