Review: James Bangura steps into the ring with his new Shadow Boxing EP which is named in honour of his grandfather, Carroll Daniel Smith, who boxed for the US Army in WWII. It's a punchy take on tech house from the off, with 'Hazy Recall (Airdrop mix)''s off-grid beats swinging in from all directions with same the potency as a Mike Tyson uppercut. 'Drown It Out' has a garage swing to it as it slips and sides as fluidly as Mayweather's defence and 'Shadow Boxing' floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Last of all is 'Analyze, Socialize' which will have you on the ropes and sweating in no time.
Review: Casino Times is a London-based project of producers Joseph Spencer & Nicholas Church; a partnership that is rooted in house & techno since 2010. The duo have released on labels like Wolf Music, Mireia and their own Casino Edits. This one's courtesy of Swdens Omena imprint, the new label run by Tooli of Local Talk fame. A Change In Motion Part 2 sees the pair enter a new phase sonically, experimenting with the more experimental side of the spectrum. There's some punchy and futuristic electro to be heard on 'Ultra Synthetic' and 'Unfold', as well as sublime downbeat offerings like 'Tides' and 'Run Mods' and some swung-off kilter beats offered up on 'Something Else' (feat DUANE).
Mias Void - "We Used To Be Detroit" (Iron Curtis remix) (6:29)
Review: Following great releases on Dansu Discs, Carpet & Snares and Timeisnow, Italian DJ and producer Davide Piras aka DJ Chupacabra returns this week on the second part of Innsbruck-based label Mont Lake's five-year celebrations. His track on side A 'Growler' is a dusty and swing-fueled deep house jam that is as much off-kilter as it is absolutely infectious. Over on the flip, it's over to Mias Void - better known as Matthias Vogt - the veteran German producer who delivers another offbeat cut on the darkly emotive hi-tech soul of 'We Used To Be Detroit' receiving a remix by Berlin's Iron Curtis up next, injecting it with some mad breakbeats.
Review: Just as the year draws to an end, GTO launches itself into the world with a first release that is destined to get plenty of parties pumping. DJ Tommy Starck is the man in charge and he opens with big, filtered disco-house loops that pack an emotional punch. 'Disco' then hist harder than Deontay Wilder with its raw, slamming kicks and loopy synths echoing the early work of DJ Sneak. The flip side is given over then 'Yesterday,' a deeper cut with warm pads and muffled vocal cries that eventually get taken over by some wild sine waves.
Review: This new one by Ferro cycles through three rough and buzzing acid techno cuts, beginning with the jagged-fanged track 'Shoulder'; middling on the attention-grabbing and muddy 'Ay'; and ending on the gyratory palette-cleanser 'Wrong Chocolate'. Most evident is Ferro's ability to mire their music in garbly rhythms and off-kilter slop. The middle tune especially sounds like a mud-covered fish flopping around on an MPC's button bank. It's an impressive EP, sure to bring any given rave back down to Earth with its overall dirty realist sound.
Review: New Rominimal this week from a scene stalwart. George Gavanescu aka Floog delivers four solid grooves on the Just In EP, the third release on Sepp's exciting new Lied imprint. The title track is an enchanting journey into the hypnotic, followed by the groovy afterhours microhouse of 'Stop Start Funk'. Over on the flip, things remain on the lean and subtle tip on 'Get Serious' with its atonal blips and bleeps underpinned by clipped rhythms, and closes it out with the ethereal dreamscape of 'Stop Start Trance'.
Review: The inaugural reals on Word To The Wise from Mah'Mood sold out in quick time. It was a super way to kick off the label and now the second EP six or so months later is just as good. It's a deep house exploration from Sebastiao Loopes that opens with a languid groove and some freeform synth work. The energy is pent up and the bass bulbous. The grocers cut from from easy characterisation after that with the downbeat and stonier sounds of 'Clouds' and lurching beat structures of 'Dancehall Private Party' before closer 'Strictly Bouncin' rounds out on a lazy and swaggering groove that slowly lifts you off your feet.
Mikal Asher - "Red Gold & Green" (feat Gary Davis - Warehouse Preservation Society Full mix) (7:04)
Gary Davis - "Heartbeats" (Knoe1 Acidsoul mix) (6:26)
Gary Davis - "Skip & Scat" (Ellxandra mix) (6:06)
Review: This new 12" is a compendium piece to Chocolate Star's recent 7" release and it comes in the form of more glorious disco goodness from Gary Davis. It kicks off with Warehouse Preservation Society's Full Mix of 'Red Gold & Green' featuring Davis. It's a stomping disco viber with loose-limbed percussion and dubbed vocals. Dvais's 'Heartbeats' then gets flipped by Knoe1 into an Acidsoul mix that is laced up with grilling 303s under the happy, tooting disco arps and fresh vocals. Canada's Elxandra then reworks a lesser known Davis house cut 'Skip & Scat' into a driving bit of full flavour deepness. It's a limited press on these rare cuts so do not sleep.
Review: Last year Woody McBride's Minnesota label Sounds. reissued the Lovers EP, a 12" he originally released back in 1996 under his Modal alias. Now the remixes gets reissued to follow up, leading in with some Mariana trench depth charge gear from Roy Davis and DJ Skull. The Terry Mullan mix is a springy, 909 techno workout, while the Boom Box mix takes a lighter, drum machine jazz approach. There are so many old-school heroes involved here - Hyperactive, DJ Slip, Mystic Bill - but then what else would you expect from someone as invested in the scene and community as Woody McBride?
Review: Moogroove is the alias of Japanese house music producer Kenji Eto, who released this highly sought after gem originally back in 1994 on Mo Rhythm Records. Made famous by Motor City Drum Ensemble on his Fabric compilation where he used the track 'Dark Room', this is the EP's first reissue courtesy of Studio Mule featuring artwork from Lily Fei. Features the hypnotic back room dub of 'Moogroove' (part 2), the classic acid house sound of 'Out Of Control' and the deep, late-night mood music of 'Out Of Time'.
Review: Welcome to Large Hall, a brand-new label that kicks off with a trip to Garage Planet courtesy of NYE. This is a new artist on our radar but one who clearly has the skills to play the bills listening to this EP. 'Jack In' kicks off with a gritty, ghetto-fried sound that's powered by a dark bassline and 'Nightwerk' is similarly menacing despite its mid-tempo groove. The echoes of early and raw Chicago hose continue through 'Local 707' with its magnificent lead synth motif and 'Output Signal' then keeps it deep and dirty with stripped-back drums and perc. Last of all, 'Passer' explores more bright and heads up melodic territory with its own eerie energy.
Review: Neapolis is a brand new label that kick off with some brilliantly seductive Balearic sounds for the warmer days and nights that are fast approaching. The accompanying notes tell us that 'the intoxicating songs of the Sirens found in the bay of Napoli are irresistible to all' and these tunes are no different. 'Boulevard' kicks off with icy drums but balmy synths all rolling smoothly onward to some distant imagined horizon. Delicate vocals add the key hooks while a dubbed out version on the flip is more fleshy and heady.
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: The fledgling but already notable UFO Series now looks to Italian producer and prodigious underground innovator Riciar Ghir for a captivating journey through the more energetic house realms, all with an outer space feel. 'Niriba Shuttle' opens with tribal percussion and progressive synths that are coloured by subtle acid lines. 'Silenzio' is slow, heavy and persuasive with its old school piano acting lighting up your soul. There's a twisted tech funk to 'Platter Dreams' that makes it perfect for 2am cruising and 'Bad Egg' sets down with plenty of colour. These cuts will all work several different moments on the dance floor making it a hugely useful 12".
Review: Rubicon marks the first physical edition of Galcher Lustwerk's driving-themed alias, Road Hog. Collecting tracks from seven releases spanning from 2014 to 2021, Rubicon serves as the project's Greatest Hits (for now). Including tracks from the Cleveland-dedicated album 'Tour De Hog' as well as the sharp toothed 'Spares' and 'More Spares' the pithy 'Haul Ass' plus some cinematic favorites from 'DWB' and 'On The Lam'. Originally meant to be digital only and listened to while driving, demand for certain tunes to be pressed to vinyl has risen with each release. From the Road to the Club, Lustwerk's got you covered.
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: Brazilian minimal house experts Stekke are back with Cosmopolitan, which inaugurates new label Chez Panthere. Two typically understated afterhours minded cuts are featured on both sides. On the first is the paranoid, heads-down contemplation of 'Disco Jukebox' which is perfect for Sunday morning (no earlier than 9:00), while over on the flip we have another deep and hypnotic offering in the form of 'Mix-O-Lydian', with atonal sounds underpinned by clipped rhythms that's is the kind of tackle you'd expect Thomas Melchior or Rhadoo would drop on Monday morning.
Review:
For their second installment, the Chateau Chepere crew brings on board legendary producer Stephan Laubner under his STL moniker, with four time warping pieces of music. With his distinctive and intricate sonic palette, Laubner extracts from his hardware different musical colors and shapes to produce singular atmospheres. Opening up the EP is Fly Fly, an epic 11 min minimal house trip full of tension and excitement, followed by Eargrind, an eerie, laid back Detroit leaning ballad. On the flip is Light Up, a spaced out, playful and bittersweet number that will revitalize any hazy after-hours dancefloor. Closing up the EP is Unlike Dislike, a quirky, jacking and mischievous techno workout for the packed club. This diverse ep will pull the listeners and dancers into Laubner's multifaceted, low key but captivating universe.
Review: Temple Musiq kicks off with a new EP from label head Temple. The opener 'Who You Are' has already achieved anthem status thanks to getting plenty of plays during Temple's own sets while he has opened for the likes of Rick Wilhite, Osunlande and Trus'me. It's got a nice drum machine drive, subtle acid lines and hooky choruses. The Prins Thomas remix is as you would expect a little more suspensory and cosmic, while Temple's 'Wait For Love' brings you back down to the dancefloor with a taught, twisted, tech house rawness that is offset by a sultry sax line. 'The Tetrah' then winds down with more elastic and dubbed-out, slow-motion house sounds.
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