Tevo Howard Recordings US 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: It's thanks to a raft of excellent recent releases across any number of labels that Tevo Howard should no longer be considered the "Unsung hero of Chicago House" as Rush Hour once described him. Those new to his expert take on Mid Western house sounds will undoubtedly missed the chance to indulge in some of his output on the now defunct Beautiful Granville label Howard once ran. Fear not however as the producer dips into the archives for this excellent eight track selection of either rare, unreleased or digital only tracks from the Beautiful Granville era on his recently established self titled label. A couple of tracks from the 2007 digi-LP Dreamer's Reason Cafe whilst the sublime "Frequent Digitals" from Howard's 2009 Everyday house Music EP is expanded to swamp the entirety of the C Side. You need this in your record box!

Review: Stepping out on his own label, Tevo Howard throws down his lively Chicago styles with aplomb across three tracks. The title track is a disco-fuelled groover that maximises on a powerful arpeggio bassline, working a little Italo magic in underneath the signature bongo beats. "Bossa House (Classic Mix)" is a cheekier affair, upping the tempo and the bongos while the dominant bassline takes a more sassy approach. "At All Pursuits (Full Edit)" maintains the pressure with a choppy demeanour to the drum programming and light touches of plastic piano, but all still delivered in that stripped back Howard style.

Review: Two of Chicago's finest musical assets collide on "One Tear". Boasting vocals from the legendary Robert Owens alongside the production skills of Tevo Howard, "One Tear's" original mix rides off a wiggly b-line with shimmering cymbals. Pushing ever forward as rippling percussion falls delightfully off the beat, Owens' story-telling verses are accompanied by sensual moans and groans. The dub mix throws down acidic synth beds, light echoing keys and layered vocals, while on the flipside you'll find two speeding club remixes that keep the track's vocal smoothness intact but pummel "One Tear" through an upped tempo with harsher kicks.

Review: Tevo Howard further strengthens his position atop the new school of Chicago House, unveiling the Polyrhythmic project with Kate Simko, and securing another fine moment for his self titled record label in the process. The Original Theme Track presents three distinct variations on the signature Polyrhythmic track, with house, vocal and electro mixes all present. Naturally the first mix is soaked with analogue warmth and complemented by playful vocal harmonies that grow throughout, whilst the short vocal version is primed for mixtape opening opportunities. After careful consideration however, the rattling utopian strains of the B Side hugging electro mix gets the nod in the Juno office, and this is hopefully the first of many Polyrhythmic releases!

Review: Tevo Howard's Tyrez moniker first debuted on Steffi's Dolly imprint as a way of showing the darker, more passionate sides of dance underneath the umbrella of Chicago house, and here he returns as Tyrez for another four tracks on his own label. The A-side features two mixes of "Moda"; the "High Fashion pop mix" is the kind of masterful key-drenched vintage house we've come to expect from the producer, while the "Underground Fashion house mix" opts for a more raw approach. The flip sees a turn into deep and hypnotic 2am techno territory, featuring "Obsessions (Plastic mix)" with its twisting, pulsing bass and syncopated beats, and "Relationship" with its stacked analogue arpeggios and defined 4/4 pulse.