(Emotional) Especial 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Especial welcomes one Alphonse to the label. A true missing in action, last seen by his crew dancing atop a bus, here literally forced him to give up the tape of Same For Me. A peane to his life? Possi bly. Mixing techno beats and (proto) rave breaks, all under his own unique and heartfelt message. Discovered on the outskirts of Letchlade, down the bottom of an abandoned traveller site in a delapidated caravan with just the clothes he was in, while clutching an armful of reel-to-reels masters, a pack of 20 B&H and 1 can of Strongbow, Alphonse's story is one of party obsessive gone AWOL. Mumbling periodically, words deciphered and names dropped. Frome, Stroud and whisper it, Castlemorton, led to rehabitlation, a bath, shave and slowly enticing is musical knowledge to share. With a few scraps appearing here and there, including a micro(dot) of disco editing knowhow given, here though he finally is able to share his experiences by looking back through making music of the future. Same For Me starts with Sterns intent, all hats, kick and fx to the max, a Fantazia of expression, before toms and 808 snap and the sermon begins. But wait, where is the bass? Boom! Subs squeeze ribs while flute lifts minds skywards. "A valuable tool in life. Concentrate on something makes you happy..." To bring this in to fold, the Junior family member is given the tapes to show what he can do. The most subtle start lulls you in to a sense of is that it? There must be more. Building. Building. Break and...hands to the sunrise. "...Thank you. Same For Me. Same For Me."

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Travelling both space and time with his constructions, Alphonse Rozel makes a welcome return on [Emotional] Especial after the Same For Me EP released last year. The incisive hit of the disco beat on "Smokey" is hard to ignore, while the booming toms and African chant lines feed into a perfect slice of dancefloor dynamite from an unspecified era. Meanwhile The Pilotwings take to the track with glee, whipping out some crisp breaks to drop over the proceedings in a pleasingly early '90s manner. "Glint AM" is quite the foil to the A side, leaning on some uplifting synth chords to provide the magic around the crafty drum programming.

Review: Kris Baha had a big year in 2019 with the release of his debut album on CockTail d'Amore and an EP on Pinkman, and now the Australian body music man in Berlin is back with a high-pressure heater for [Emotional] Especial. "Barely Alive" is the kind of sinewy proto-industrial cut that will appeal to fans of Ministry's earlier work, when the synths reigned supreme and there was pop to match the noir. Especial then call on a cast of remixers to interpret the track in different ways, from Timothy J Fairplay amping up the dystopian disco tropes to Das Ding creating a sleek electro-funk twist with the original's gothic undertones intact.

Review: The second release from the new "protoid" focussed Emotional Especial sees the welcome return of Baris K. The Turkish DJ and record digger is notable for many things (not least his BIS appearance that engendered an apoplectic response from Victor From Washington Heights) and his appearance on EE comes in the shape of "200" licensed from the killer Nation compilation The Modern Electronic Element Serie 2 released back in 2011. Romanian duo Kidja line the A Side with the rather poignant original whilst Weatherall and Fairplay don their Asphodells gear for two renditions on the flip

Review: Collaborations are often the fortune of timing. With Andy having moved on since closing the Dissident label to launching his Cave Paintings project to Tim's departure from Battant and striking out as Andrew Weatherall's engineer and soon to be co-member of The Asphodells, an alliance was born between the two to undertake a series of live jam sessions at each's respective studios. A love of new wave, new beat, UK Bleep and Detroit techno all feature in B-Ultras and the aptly titled, Neu Beat. Both cuts are heavily soaked in the pitch black, smoke machine funk and strob-laden fug of Andy's (and co-hort Joe Hart) infamous World Unknown dancefloor. Running at around 10 minutes the tracks are essentially an examination of acid house's ideals. Clattering hats, throbbing basslines, stabbing keys and doses of 303. Keeping it pretty simple but all about a pure groove on and on. Backing these up is a remix of B-Ultras from Jamie Paton that accentuates the groove and drags the acid deeper down to some B-boy Dub throwdown - with more to follow from all protagonists in 2014.

Review: After releases for Discos Capablanca and Moon Glyth, Minneapolis collective Food Pyramid align with Especial for a remix EP based around "Oh Mercy", a track from their 2012 album Mango Sunrise. Apparently a long term favourite of label boss Stuart Leath, the warped breakbeat jam-fusion of the original is ripe for reinvention and gets the remix treatment from Especial in-house team Apophenia, Inhalt and Jamie Paton. It's the full on italo pumper remix from San Francisco's Inhalt that really impresses too, with Especial right to compare it to Timmy Regisford classic remix of "Rules To Survive" by NOIA.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged, also the record has light surface marks/scratches, but otherwise in excellent working condition***


Kim Ann Foxman takes a break from her own Self:Timer label to pop up on [Emotional] Especial. Her track "Blood Moon" hinges around rolling breaks and a globular monosynth bassline, but it's Foxman's vocals that give the track an electric, mystical energy that will cast a spell over the dance. Roza Terenzi takes the original and jacks it up, sharpening the focus of the rhythm section without losing the crunchy breaks. Dawl and Sween channel some bleeps n' breaks vibes of their own with a version that keeps things darkside and wiggy for the old-skool crew. Rounding things off, Violet's remix emphasises the acid as it plunges into the depths of the dungeon in a hooky, hard-edged style.

Review: Phil Gerus is a rising talent that fits right into the (Emotional) Especial mould with his sharply realised 80s bombast and dynamic electro funk production style. Treating body-popping club tracks as a vessel for heartfelt expression, these tracks have it all from Linn Drum boogie to fully capable instrumental chops, all shot through with Gerus' choice new wave vocals. Lauer hops on board for a seductive remix of "Still Blind" that ups the sensual intensity of the track while keeping the club foremost in his mind, before Jamie Paton steps up on the flip with a couple of freakier turns that dub the original out into deadly, spooky jams for more adventurous party people to get loose to.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: From the label: Especial starts its 3rd set of releases welcoming Frankfurt's Hotel Lauer for an EP of unadulterated uplifting club music. A meeting at the Garden festival finale in idyllic Croatia last summer along the lines of 'I love your records' / 'I love your label' came to the instant conclusion to bring Team Lauer to Especial. Things starts with the most club friendly and definitely head-rushing track ever on Especial, in "Tamzarian". Acid, tick. 909, tick. Piano, tick. The sound of the summer encapsulating in 6 and half pulsating minutes. The pace continues on "Sanger". A tougher beast, with a nod to Especial homeboys Mr Fairplay and Mr Sen, this is no pastiche, but takes classic Lauer production of water-tight percussion, snapped hats, layered loops, drops and lifts and brings it all together for the personal favourite of the EP. "Perry Patch" brings the 303 to the fore, arpeggios underpin, while trademark cut-up vocal stabs create a melody to swirl in your subconscious for days. Like a song you feel you've always known but never heard. Finally, the electro inspired "Klutzny" rounds this off. Kraftwerk keys, 1981 golden years TOTPs on the mind.

Review: [Emotional] Especial call time on their first series of releases and do so in style, taking a detour to San Francisco for a 12" that features reworks of latter-day synth experimentalists Inhalt. The specific focus here is Occupations, last year's EP for the killer Dark Entries label which showed a distinct progression in the Inhalt sound to capture a contemporary take on synth wave/cold wave/dark wave (delete as appropriate). Simulacra features reworks from Emotional experts Timothy J Fairplay and 'Glasgow's answer to Dopplereffekt' Scott Fraser along with their close ally Black Merlin, whilst US duo Valis offer a Stateside interpretation. The result is a remix EP that celebrates the ideas of Especial: to take influences of 80s New Wave, Synth Pop, Electro, Proto-House and the occasional touch of Disco and mold them into an up-to-date vision that respects but runs parallel to the modern obsession with all things House and forges it's own way.

Review: It's been a hot minute since Timothy J. Fairplay slipped on his Junior Fairplay guise, but he's done just that for this bleep-tastic new 12" on (Emotional) Especial. "End Of Love" is unabashed in its embrace of early Yorkshire techno tones, making a fine job of resurrecting the bleep spectre and letting it shake up the dance once more. Roy Of The Ravers is a smart choice of remixer, and he brings an off-kilter acid rub to the table in his idiosyncratic, braindance-inflected style. The B-side is equal laden with purposefully dusty dance grooves transplanted from the late 80s / early 90s, with "Faxes From The Future" hitting a particularly sharp point in its lazy breakbeat roll and the clanging harmonies of the stabs.

Review: Stuart Leath flexes his contacts book with an all-star cast of producers and respected scalpel artists called on to rework cuts from the recent Never Seen The Dunes EP by Khidja. Any 12" featuring the collective talents of Discodromo, In Flagranti, Red Axes and Selvy on mixing desk duties should get you excited and this crew bring the disco heat. "Never Seen The Dunes" is given the Discodromo treatment, adding pulsating bass, driving arpeggio, all while allowing the bump of the original to keeping pushing things on. This is followed by In Flagranti's inspired 'Autobahn' retake of the deeper vibes of "Aura" which is apparently a huge favourite of the label. A matured cruiser that keeps the swing, it all leads to those strings and Eastern flavours gliding over for the perfect finale. Things head darker on the reverse, with Tel Aviv's shinning stars Red Axes, manning the controls for the scatter bounce of "Indecis" for the stand out remix. Twisted vocals, brooding FX and reversed guitar all atop a mesmeric kick, things just keeps going higher and higher. Finally "The Quiet Before The Red Stop" is tweaked by Selvy of The Very Polish Cut Outs and Transatlantyk fame, adding some club bump to Khidja's Balearic original.

Review: Odopt have been responsible for some serious, sinewy heaters on labels like Born Free, 777 and Discos Capablanca. That should give you some idea of the kind of sonic sphere they operate in - rugged hardware house with a wavey bite and a playful instinct. It makes total sense then to see them sidle up to [Emotional] Especial with this four-tracker of surefooted deviant dance. 'A14' opens up proceedings on an ominous bassline and plenty of mechanical grind, while 'Keylat' jacks things up a smidge while resolutely wallowing in the muck of Odopt's studio practices. 'Sample Commerce Shot' is the catchiest cut on the record, riding a slinky beat and featuring a powerful lead hook that sounds beamed in from somewhere in a distant galaxy. 'Holy Motor$' finishes the record off on another brooding, death disco groover, bringing things full circle with the nocturnal offerings of 'A14'.

Review: After a couple of releases for the label, including many notable remixes, plus an excellent recent 7" for Hoga Nord Rekords, Jamie returns to the warm glow of Especial for a collective vinyl only EP of 4 'unreleased' remixes brought together for limited release.

Opening is his dark, brooding rework of See You In The Dark from Sexy Merlin's 2012 release Heater. Taking the 2mins + plus original and feeding it through modular and space echo environs, this long form remix has been alighting dance floors whenever aired. Throbbing bass and phased, twisted vocals pull the track deeper, all with that neu-wave touch that has become Jamie's hallmark - whether sought or not!

Next Jamie turns to the Eastern melodies of Guy Schalom. The drummer and percussionist first came in to Paton's orbit via his partnership within Cage & Aviary and his remix here strips the original to his affinity with dub and bass. Horns rise and fall, driven by snare and dabuka in a unique reversion of a version in the truest (es)sense. Roots and vulture y'all.

The B-side heads back deep with his wonderful remix of Gatos Negros's Overdrive. Taken from the bands 7th Life album on Spain's Rotten City, the interplay with arpeggio, bass and vocals shows why Jamie has his own unique following.

Closing the EP sees a return to a relationship first seen via Cage & Aviary's remixes of Blancmange in 2014. A mutual admiration achieved, the band requested a special remix of their rerecorded 1982 classic Feel Me. Jamie rebuilds the track with a nod to it's past, his own sound and also, as a final homage to nights remembered at the Brixton HQ years of World Unknown, where the original was such a highlight. Here comes a love song...

Review: With the Bizarre Feeling EP laying the sound for the subsequent fist year of the label, it is right Jamie returns with EP#2 to move things forward with another twisted take on his unique mutoid-protoid-machine-funk-groove. Starting with Mad Obsession you would be forgiven for thinking you'll have Bizarre Feeling Part 2, with warped vocals - taken from late night, half asleep scribbled notes - and space echo haze, but let the percussion work-out trip you up and the stars in and before you know it things start going leftfild and then deeper with the Free Party Sound System bass line shuffl of Time Nearly Time. What he is on (about), no one knows. It is on the flp however that things take a darker turn. Beyond the confession booth, down sharp stairs and dripping ceiling to a red light lit room of latter day late night blues.

Review: Jamie Paton has been a regular fixture on [Emotional] Especial since the label first came to light, conjuring up a seductive blend of leftfield dance music with a broad range of influences. This time around he's turning out some of his remixes, leading in with the sweaty, dense throb of Sexy Merlin's "See You In The Dark". Guy Schlalom's "Habibi" by way of contrast becomes a lighter confection peppered with bubbly synth lines and an almost poppy persuasion. Blancmange's "Feel Me" has a more cosmic lilt in its voluminous tones, and "Overdrive" by Gatos Negros drifts out on an off-kilter kind of boogie for all manner of deviant dancers to get head-nodding to.

Review: [Emotional] Especial looks back at the first 9 releases since its inception to provide a
selection or "Eleccio" via a special dubbed out DJ meets studio mix from label stalwart
Jamie Paton. Ever since the first white labels appeared at the end of Summer 2013, [Emotional] Especial
has been busy putting out music that are their own warped take on club music. Mixing the
influences of dub, electro, disco, proto-house, house and techno, a sound appeared without any preordained plan. To celebrate the end of the first series of releases come EES10CD - a DJ meets studio
compilation mix created by label artist, remixer and even in-house designer, Jamie Paton. Freaturing tracks from every EP, including two unreleased remixes are the tight productions
of Richard Sen; the wiggle of Scott Fraser; deep, chugging Cage & Aviary dubs; the Eastern
influences of Baris K and newcomers Khidja; the quirky discoid wonk of Maurice & Charles and finally not forgetting of course, the stand out Timothy J Fairplay touches. Whether
alongside Mr Weatherall, Andy Blake or in solo remix mode, young "Junior"s skills (and name)
grows and grows.
All this is perfectly put together by Jamie Paton, the man who launched the label with his
Bizarre Feeling EP. As well as the inclusion of several unreleased cuts, Jamie has edited the
"selection", adding live studio dubbing, FX and the odd mega-mix to make it truly (E)special.

Review: Peter Riley's back story as Persian reaches back to the early 90s - his back catalogue of crucial, sought after deep house cuts is a must-grip for any serious digger of globetrotting grooves. [Emotional] Especial taps up this vaunted producer's archives to present two of the finest productions he's ever committed to wax. "Khaab" is a subtly bumping jam with gorgeous square wave bass, smoky pads and evocative vocal trysts. "Parvaaneh" is a spacier cut that puts the bass front and centre and does away with the drums, making for a powerful, atmospheric statement to create tension mid-set. Project Runaway remix "Khaab" in a respectful, immersive fashion, and Alphonse nudges "Parvaaneh" into a dense and chugging roller.

Review: Originally operating in the 80s industrial scene, Plus Instruments have recently found a new lease of life. (Emotional) Especial are just the kind of label to jump on such deviant club fare, and on this package "Love Is Enough" gets a variety of remixes that all embrace the groups seedy ambience. Richard Sen brings a muscular thrust to the track, while Khidja takes a more delicate approach. Luke Solomon meanwhile casts his years of experience in oddball house on his steady grooving version, and then Jamie Paton taps into the industrial vein to finish the package off in fine style.

Review: Previously spotted on Emotional [Especial] with the fantastic Love Is Enough 12", Plus Instruments get the remix treatment in a classic '80s style with the Dub Is Enough single. The producers tasked with delivering versions vary wildly, but they make for a strong combination. Jamie Paton's "Cloudy Dub-Out" is masterful, simmering the elements down to a sensual bassline and delicate ripples on top, while Luke Solomon brings his bumpy, off-kilter house style to the table. Khidja has a more dramatic, synth laden approach and Alphonse creates a dusty, funky roller out of that killer bassline groove.

Review: Hailing from Tel Aviv and featuring Antinote-affiliated Alek Lee, Project Runaway make good on their initial promise with a sterling club-ready record for [Emotional] Especial. "Met" is a perfect statement of intent - a dynamic peak time record with an urgent, insistent groove peppered with organic percussion, zippy FX and a freaky vocal to get overground and underground party people shaking unanimously. The dub on the flip takes things out to weirder territory for the freak-out crew, without losing sight of the necessary functionality of the track. This is as direct a hit as you could ever expect from [Emotional] Especial, but loaded with bags of personality to satisfy the more curious minds out there.

Review: Richard Sen's last outing on [Emotional] Especial - the bleep revival brilliance of "Songs of Pressure" - was something of a stone cold killer, so hopes are naturally high for this belated follow-up. The title track again digs deep for inspiration, doffing a cap to the starry futurism of Detroit, psychedelic acid and the drum-machine driven jack of early Chicago house. The flipside Dub of the same track takes it into uncharted territory, with hazy, drawn-out chords and post-production effects only serving to emphasize the heavy nature of Sen's vintage groove. Bonus "Shoc Horracore" explores similar territory, while offering a knowing wink towards obscure 1980s horror movie soundtracks and the bold synthesizer lines of Italo-disco.

Review: Richard Sen's last outing on [Emotional] Especial - the bleep revival brilliance of "Songs of Pressure" - was something of a stone cold killer, so hopes are naturally high for this belated follow-up. The title track again digs deep for inspiration, doffing a cap to the starry futurism of Detroit, psychedelic acid and the drum-machine driven jack of early Chicago house. The flipside Dub of the same track takes it into uncharted territory, with hazy, drawn-out chords and post-production effects only serving to emphasize the heavy nature of Sen's vintage groove. Bonus "Shoc Horracore" explores similar territory, while offering a knowing wink towards obscure 1980s horror movie soundtracks and the bold synthesizer lines of Italo-disco.

Review: The pairing of Jeffrey Sfire with Samuel Long (aka PC Music producer Sophie) produced some discoid synth-pop manna for the CockTail d'Amore label when it first appeared back in 2013. Now the duo have been handed over to [Emotional] Especial, who have tasked two choice remixers with turning out some fresh versions of the tracks from the original EP. Timothy J. Fairplay keeps the wave dark and cold on his remix of "Sfire 2", using noirish synth lines to interplay with Sfire's on-point vocal. Meanwhile Willie Burns ramps up the atmospherics with some heavyweight pads on his first remix of "Sfire 3" before turning the original into a cheeky peak time burner for his second.

Review: Emotional Especial and Cocktail d'Amore Music enter 'cahoot-mode' once again with a second round of Sfire remixes that take proceedings down a deeper, more stripped-back path courtesy of the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns. Two artists who need little introduction offer up two remixes each that take the unique original to new dance floor extremes. Timothy steps up first with his take on "Sfire 2" via differing vocal and instrumental versions. His trademark, echo laden rolling percussion and John Carpenter-style key lines take the original Synth-pop homage to the dark room. Adding Arps, a lifting, hedonistic breakdown and the scatter-stepper drums and claps found on the Instrumental version and this is pure COTF territory and the better for it. Mr Willie Burns meanwhile has long followed his own path for his take on "Sfire 3", offering one of his deepest remixes to date. Thudding kick, brooding pads and dark strings force the vocals to go down, way down for examination. The distorted vocals of Remix 1 are countered by Remix 2 letting the track shine via a seemingly endless 4/4 beat. Psychedelic, trance inducing, pulsating, this is an ever growing mind expanse.

Review: To accompany the upcoming second [Emotional] Especial compilation, this Sampler 12" again focuses on some unreleased gems, unheard versions and a special remix. We start with a remix from Khidja and their own take on the very special "Masimbabele". Upon hearing a Remix EP was in the works, the duo begged for a go and rightly so, as here is possibly the best remix, with a dubby groover. This is followed by an unreleased cut by another, but not forgotten, combo. While C&A are M.I.A, here then is an extended rework of a stand out pop-ode taken from their underrated Migration album. On the flip is new member, Alphonse, taking his proto-rave-poem deep in to the echo chamber to create a unique dub that is very much for the smokers. Finally, Khidja offer the 'original' version of "Looki". An ambient version appeared in early 2015, but here, finally, with kick, bass and some wiggle, is their balearic masterpiece. Gracias Discos Especials !!