Review: New year, new label, and this one is out of Spain. Tiny kick off with an irresistible hand stamped and limited 12" from Ahmet Mecnun. The artist opens up with 'Jungle Park' which is a party starting and brilliantly filthy throwback jam that combines big drums, fat bass and reversed lines with prickly percussion. 'Act Of Darkness' brings some mutant acid lines and pulsing synths to a loose techno rhythm and 'Panic Mode' races ahead to the cosmos on surging cosmic lines and steely drum patter. 'Junglist' closes out with another ode to the old school.
Review: Alter Ego's world conquering "Why Not?!" is back, along with a typically brilliant Joakim remix to boot. Don't miss this Klang Electronik release.
Review: Party starting outfit Bizarre is back with another offering of leftfield club cuts. The A-side of this one has been carefully curated by founding members Felon5 & B.Love. Their cosmic house excursion starts with the playful robot funk of 'The Talkbox Track' and then takes in the silky space tech of 'M Is For Muff' which is effortlessly cool. Jhobei & Oliver R then step up with 'What's On Then' which is another mix of warped bass and neon synth lines over popping tech funk and then Love & Charleze conspire to send you home on a nice warm hearted disco tech vibe with their 'IC3D' featuring some super synth expressions.
Review: Ali Berger has long been known for crafting soulful, dynamic house music whether through his label Trackland or releases on Spectral Sound, Clave House, Firm Tracks, and FCR. He also performs solo or with Davis Galvin as Hits Only when his unique touch always remains evident. This new 12" features four tracks that blend uplifting and introspective house vibes and it oozes class. Opener 'Sun Rising On Harmony' boasts an infectious bass line and melody, while 'Inside,' offers a classic acid house feel. On the B-side, you have the lovely 'Thoughts Like Light Snow' which delivers an alluring electro twist, while 'Mint Leaf' closes with a rich bass line and intricate details.
Review: Brique and Babu step up for two tracks each on this nice and cosmic new tech house offering from the Quinoa Cuts label. Brique get first with a deft blend of silky synth designs and snappy tech house drums. It's both driving and physical but nice and heady at the same time. His 'Customer Service Meltdown' has more textural, fizzy synths snaking their way through the crispy tech beats, then Babu's 'Apollo' has an acid-laced sound and cyborg vocals piped in. Last of all is 'American War' with more tight, bobbing beats and electro-tinged rhythms.
Review: Sweat It Out Records kicks off their tasty Sweat Sampler series with their first volume, cutting niftily across four exceptionally sweaty bops, spanning tongue-in-cheek deep tech reworks and downtempo disco delights. First off is the dream team of Cid and Havoc & Lawn, whom together deliver a hilariously effective house version of America's 'A Horse With No Name'; this is shortly followed by Saturday Love, Kon and Furious's 'Come Out', a rejigged nu-disco samosa packed with some rare vocal spices; then there's 'Give It To Me' by Marco Lys and Ben Miller, a bass-driven bouncer unafraid of lasershot winddowns, injunctive vocals and risers; and finally, there's Set Mo's 'Could I Be', the anthem of the bunch, whose buildup and drop is alarming, affecting, cumulatively awe-striking.
Review: Dagobert & Kalson deliver the third instalment of their serial Stellar Mode project, which sticks out like a rogue planet amid a sea of drab and unremarkable stylistic orbiters. This four-track cosmic fulguration consists of two tracks by each artist, and is notable for its ultra-glossy action-packed ambient breaks content; they've just done something wonderfully extra to the sound here, treating each element like exoplanetary objects of study and refinement. As Kraftwerkish sequences and ambient soundscapes collide with planetary ring systems of bass and plucksynth, what's not to love here?
Review: Black Key recruit the consistently excellent Dan Piu for their nineteenth vinyl release, laying out three tracks of sophisticated deep house. Opener, "Venus Agenda" (which Piu claims is one of his all-time favourites), builds with reverb-soaked claps and the faintest hint of acid in the bass line, before skipping hi hats and lush pads move us in a deeper direction, soon making way for a haunting, yet beautiful lead - this one really is a thing of wonder. "Mother's Love" immediately heads in a different direction, with sublime keys and a subtle, yet highly effective bass line, and a sparsely used vocal sample heightening the mood when it appears. Finally, "Altarf" again takes us to new territory, with the opening, pacey 45 seconds quickly making way for dreamy pads and a perfectly crafted bassline, underpinned by a broken beat kick and expertly programmed hi hats. This package firmly shows why Piu is in such high demand with some of the best labels in the business.
My Favourite Stranger (Boris Brejcha remix) (7:10)
My Favourite Stranger (Ela Minus remix) (3:46)
My Favourite Stranger (Lond Island Sound remix) (4:48)
Review: Much loved doom monger emo kids Depeche Mode have always been ripe for remixing by new generations of electronic music artists and so it is that there 'My Favourite Stranger' gets a series of re-rubs here on Columbia. Tech house mainstay Boris Brejcha remixes first and elongates the grooves with mournful pads up top. The Ela Minus remix of the same tune brings some extra textured and darker moods and the best is saved till the last if you ask us. The Lond Island Sound remix is high speed and tinged with electro synth work as the moody vocals echo about the mix to trippy effect.
DJ Doggo - "In My House There Will Always Be House" (5:43)
DJ Doggo - "Let Me See You Dance" (5:14)
Review: There's lots of love about this bold and richly designed new EP on Welt Disco out of Portugal. Diogo kicks off with 'I Need U' which is all lithe synths and choppy drums under yelping vocals. Yakuza's 'Aileron' (part 2 - Diogo remix) is a kinetic workout that is overloaded with deft sounds and pinging bass that darts about the mix. The flipside is taken care of by DJ Doggo who offers two great cuts. 'In My House There Will Always Be House' is a vibe house cut with plenty of characterful samples and a sweet as you like bassline that pulls it onwards. 'Let Me See You Dance' has a filthy low end that is smeared, naughty and sure to get faces screwed up in mock disgust.
Review: The propulsive, tectonic Force of Electro is embodied in the eponymous moniker, returning for their its release since 1997 (notable indeed, that the multi-moniker artist should return to this one only now). Six masterclassics in the mode of acid electro beckon us into alternate frenzies, highlights among these experiences being the central banger 'Beyond After Dark' and the lesser-spottable ambi-acid closer, 'Beyond The Beats'.
Review: What the fuck is this? It's the new record from that well known and more than exceptional artist, Jochen Heib. His puristic, sexy-cool funk beats are pure acid - without the 303. Music that is analogue and old school in the best of ways. Heib plays with references to history without coming across as being retro.
Review: German producer Simon Hinter has been quiet for the last year. But now, 12 months after his last outing, the quietly assured artist is backed with three more of his raw, funky, filtered and chunky house grooves. They come after years of superb sounds on the likes of Tenth Circle, Suspected and Phil Holland and have previously been supported by DJs like Osunlade. 'Pushin On' takes that well known vocal sample and reworks it into a toughened house beat, 'Together' cuts loose on more disco-fried sounds and samples and 'Trashcamp' rounds out with a dusty, stripped back and dubbed house tune for cosy basements.
Review: New label Klopfgeist kicks off in fine style with some low down nasty tech house styles from Ivan Iacobucci and Stella Fiore. Raw, spooky synth wave is the guiding influence on 'Rock Da Foz', while 'Brigitte' has a dark side electro slant which should go down a storm with lovers of that ghostly old-skool sound. 'What Is Inside?' maintains the mood with more analogue synth tones from beyond the grave, tapping into a vibe as cheeky and playful as it is creepy. This sound is getting major traction right now and Iacobucci and Flore have absolutely nailed it.
Review: Irish man down under JJ Fortune has been setting out his stall over the past few years as an intriguing new talent in the minimal tech house scene thanks largely to his releases on his own Rizzwax label. Time & Space features another four fresh productions that fold all manner of influences into fresh and fruity party starters. You'll hear breakbeat, bass and garage influences creeping in around the insistent thrust of the 4/4, making for another sure shot for anyone who likes spicing up their session with minimal which looks beyond the limitations of the genre.
Review: After his debut release with remixes from Arpanet and Mr Oizo, Kavinsky is back! Killed in a car crash back in 1986, Kavinsky is now a zombie in need of revenge. This record, released on Record Makers, is the story of his first steps in the world of the living dead. Three powerful and original tracks and a Sebastian remix. A bloody good one too.
Review: It's 10 up for TVIR and to mark the occasion they have a fantastic five-track outing from Komponente. 'Gash' is a fizzing, dense and slow-motion cut with a grinding low end and some serious bounce in the drums and bass. It's both fun and menacing all at once and has real anthem potential once the vocals come in. 'Flowers' has a brighter melodic touch but also lashings of spiky acid and 'Sanctuary' is then a deft tech house workout with suspensory and angelic vocals. 'Mind Revolt' is an unhinged mix of ghoulish laughter and bright sine waves, then 'Veronika' shuts down with a meditative broken beat.
Review: US only 12" from LCD Soundsystem on DFA, featuring tracks which were only on limited UK 7"S and 12"S - including 'North American Scum' Oananisyic dub mix.
Paradise City Breakers - "The Butterfly Man" (6:42)
Review: A quirky new ambient electro follow-up to the 'Quadrifonia' V/A from Positive Not Happy, with wicked contributions from The Lumens, AT, Floog and Paradise City Breakers. From the jump, we're hit with bursty bright arps and hard-hitting kicks on 'Transformazione'; gurgling, bitcrushed, yoying groundswells on 'Ga Ga'; lo-fi ruminative movements verging on speed garage with 'Deviate'; and creative, dynamic future swellups on 'The Butterfly Man'. Mostly breezy, hardly cheesy.
Review: Antoni Maiovvi returns to Cosmic Club with an EP destined for classic status. Drawing from 15 years of experience, his fusion of disco, synth beats, and Italo influences shines. 'Lucidario' opens with Moroder-esque grandeur, cinematic and mesmerising. 'Cenotaph' echoes Legowelt's spirit, blending pop sensibilities with intrigue. 'Cyberia' closes the Side-1, mysterious and alluring. On the Side-2, 'Ghosted Again' ignites the dancefloor with dark Italo-disco energy, while 'Levitation Technique' explores ethereal realms. 'Today Is Yes' brings a satisfying conclusion to the album in an impressive way. Each track is a sonic journey, showing Maiovvi's diverse influences woven into a coherent whole. His work resonates alongside Gesloten Cirkel and Dopplereffekt, solidifying his future classic status.
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