Review: Phil Mison, long revered for his chill-out sets and Balearic sensibility as a DJ, not to mention over two dozen releases under his belt, returns as Cantoma with a new single that perfectly captures the spirit of sunset listening. 'Light As Before' is a gentle and evocative piece built on Latin percussion, breezy guitar work and a standout horn section that lifts the track into a golden-hour daydream. It's the kind of track that feels tailor-made for a coastal terrace, a glass in hand and nowhere to be but the present. The B-side remix is a tasteful reimagining that dials down the horns and replaces them with soft flutes and delicate acoustic textures. This version leans deeper into the groove with a more introspective yet still melodic mood. It trades some of the exuberance for warmth and depth, making it an ideal complement to the original. Both sides highlight Mison's continued mastery of Balearic downtempo.
Emmaculate & DJ Spen - "Step Into A Black Whole" (13:38)
Emmaculate - "Boogie On Disco Woman" (6:41)
Review: Like a veteran striker in his final season, GAMM has really captured some top form on late and now drops a fire premiere from Chicago's Emmaculate and legendary Basement Boys producer DJ Spen. Opener 'Step Into A Black Whole' is a genre-hopping 11-minute journey that moves from deep house to a hip-hop breakdown featuring KRS-One before morphing into a jazzy Afrobeat stomper. First heard by GAMM contributor Coflo during a wild house set, the track blew the roof off and always will. On the B-side, 'Boogie On Disco Woman' delivers a gritty funk, disco and soul rework with raw drums, clavinets and soulful vocals. Two standouts.
Review: While the required mystery means that we can never be quite sure who is behind the Moxy Edits series and My Edits imprint, many are reportedly by the man behind the Moxy Music label, house hero Darius Syrossian. We suspect - though cannot confirm - that he's at the control on this latest instalment in the series, which feature two house reworks of classic cuts. On A-side 'In The Know', he delivers a killer slab of warehouse-ready hip-house, where a familiar, high-octane rap rides heavy-but-bouncy beats, an infectious bassline and occasional blasts of the infamous (and much-sampled) 'Apache' break. Over on side B, 'Square Hole' is a housed-up take on a Steely Dan classic previously sampled by De La Soul. Both cuts are bona fide party classics in the making.
Review: Scottish veteran Hifi Sean - once, in an ancient time, frontman of indie stars The Soup Dragons - doesn't really do half-measures. 'Waiting for the Sun' is his first 12" since rinsing out the Fire Island remix in 2021, and it lands somewhere between gospel house uplift and morning-after clarity. The original version doesn't hold back - full-bodied keys, layered vocals, and a central hook that sounds like it came to him mid-dog walk, which, in fairness, it did. It could have collapsed under its own optimism, but somehow doesn't. The acapella confirms just how tightly constructed the vocal work is - stacked, reverent, and stubbornly catchy. 'Sunset Dub' dials things down without losing shape, keeping the bassline intact while pulling most of the colour. 'Sunrise Reprise' nudges things into the kind of end-of-night territory where no one's really dancing anymore but still doesn't want to leave. Not a reinvention, but a sharp, self-contained reminder that Hifi Sean knows exactly what his lane is - and how to drive directly through it at golden hour.
Review: Medicine Music offer us a remedy, but not a cure, for a chronic ailment of ours: for some reason we simply cannot shake the compulsion to seek out disco edits in quadruply combined pill form. The second volume in Dr. Packer's own reworks series, this new'un follows the first edition released far back in 2017. 'Hint Of Love' and 'Watch Your Back' span nouveau riche falsettos and dirt-caked soul baritones respectively, proving the polyphonic potential of disco's voices despite the unknowability of the samples so sourced. 'Chesty Lady Of The West' is meanwhile the perkiest tune on the record, curling through a minimal, backwashy sound, where guitars soar gleefully in a surfy space above the 10th fret.
Review: By now, most dedicated househeads should known 2Fox and Laville's debut single, 'Elevation' - an effortlessly soulful chunk of lightly gospel-influenced deep house brilliance that has been bubbling away since the summer of 2024. The regular, full vocal versions were recently released on wax and now we get the alternative dubs. Masters at Work man and all-round NYC legend Louie Vega steps up first with a swirling, deep, hypnotic and extra-percussive take that makes good use of selected lead and backing vocal snippets, before label bosses Soul Clap slap down a deep, groovy, tech-tinged dub straight from the top drawer. Over on the reverse, we get a vocal-free 'Dub-strumental' of Vega's EP-leading take, as well as a more vocal heavy, gospel house style 'Zero Hour' dub by New York veteran Tommy Musto.
She's Mine (feat Isaac Delusion - extended) (4:57)
She's Mine (feat Isaac Delusion - extended dub) (5:58)
Deja Vous (feat Diogo Strausz) (6:31)
All Night (feat MILK - extended) (4:55)
Review: The easy-to-love disco deviant and French music producer and remixer Yuksek makes a triumphant return to the evergreen Razor-N-Tape here with three cuts of fresh, original groove goodness. 'She's Mine' opens with driving percussion and an Italo-style bassline that is going to ensure take off in any setting, not least cause it's elevated by lush piano chords and yearning vocals that recall indie disco's golden days. The title track was made in cahoots with Brazilian producer Diogo Strausz and adds tropical flair and vibrant groove, while 'All Night' closes the EP with a playful, French-touch-inspired vocal loop and lashings of persuasive energy. With crisp production and ear-catching hooks throughout, Deja Vous is the right amount of nostalgic fun and forward-thinking invention.
Review: Sofian label Soul Dynamite sling a skilful slice over our way, assuring us of the finely appraised editing work of Plovdiv producer Skill. Flat caps, ochre-rimmed glasses and dug crates seem to surround Skill like bees to honey, as the self-professed "pioneer in the purveyance of soulful, funky and jazzy hip-hop" makes evident his own expertise in a monosyllabic name. Two seconds in and we already know that 'Tribute To The Godfather' refers to none other than James Brown; we hear his many rhythm-perfect funk "huhs" striating the a fearsome breaks opener. We conclude on the sax-furloughed 'Danger', which steers hip-hoppier, and sacrifices the original vocals from Brown for an unknown sample source, though the King Of Soul's reign is not lost on it.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Few labels do minimal as well as Trelik and in terms of artists, Edward is also as good as they come right now. This perfect pairing opens up with the deeply alluring 'Time' with its woozy pads and smeared chords over warm and rubbery drums. It's a hypnagogic affair then 'Vacuum Tube' has a more menacing air thanks to the wispy and unsettling synth details and clunky hooks. 'Watch Out' brings a more spangled and rubbery rhythm that has colourful details peeling off the beats and last of all, 'Stream' ups the ante with some thudding deep house and widescreen ambient synth work.
Review: Geir Jenssen (Biosphere) marks his AD93 debut with The Way Of Time, wrapping elucted echo and looping synth drift around spoken fragments of Elizabeth Madox Roberts' great 1926 novel The Time Of Man. A Midwestern gothic literary staple, Roberts' novel is about the daughter of a Kentucky tenant farmer, and Jenssen's haunting use of Joan Lorring's voice from the 1951 radio play adaptation readapts his usual icy predilections for suitably huger desert horizons. Rather than treating the vocal as ornament, he folds it deep into the mix, letting it dissolve into the melodic architecture.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: As Soul Capsule, Baby Ford and Thomas Melchior made some of minimal techno's most accomplished records. It has been many years since they stopped turning out new material - sadly - but their archive tracks are still in hot demand and undeniably relevant. While 1999's 'Lady Science' might be their most famous offering, this EP from 2001 on Aspect Music is no less vital and it will currently cost you well over L250 on second-hand markets. It is Ford's Trelik label who reissues it here in all its glory: the entirety of the a-side is taken up with 'Law Of Grace,' a delightfully deep and breezy minimal dub house roller with pensive chords draped over the frictionless drums. 'Meltdown' has a more experimental feel with brushed metal drums beneath a wordless vocal musing. The cult 'Lady Science' (Tek Mix) is also inched with the whole package being remastered by D&M to make this one utterly essential.
Review: A reflective step sideways from the ever-restless Paul Weller, this new release finds the modfather reinterpreting the music that shaped him with measured reverence. Not just a covers project, but a kind of internal cartography-charting influences that feel intimate and formative. The standout 'Lawdy Rolla' is loose and lived-in, a bluesy drawl that lands somewhere between campfire spiritual and basement jam. On the flip, 'Pinball' is rendered with fragile grace, stripped of Pete Townshend's original angst and reimagined as something more quietly resigned. With guests including Noel Gallagher, Robert Plant and Seckou Keita, it's a record driven less by ego than memory. Produced with warmth by Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock, it's an understated, deeply felt offering from an artist still unafraid to look inward.
Review: SOULSIMMER & ALVARO is brand new duo about which we know very little other than they are selectors with many years of experience. They have been charged with serving up the debut 12" from new imprint RE-DISCO-VER and do so in a way that signifies it's going to be a label worth keeping an eye on. Drawing from years of spinning obscure gems at intimate private gatherings, the duo now channels their sensibilities into a love letter to dusty grooves and forgotten dancefloor magic that is newly reworked and reimagined. All four cuts tap into golden era disco with cosmic wandering synths and some lovely live drumming, synth solos and proper vocals that burn with great soul intensity.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: It's reissue time for one of the most in demand records from the Trelik catalogue, featuring Baby Ford and Thomas Melchior under their Sunpeople alias. The flip side's opening track 'Check Your Buddah' is probably the best known of the four tracks here, with its spacious echoes, mantra-like voices and heads down beats, but there's plenty to be said for the other three. 'Lovers Eyes' is an equally dubby techno affair, but pinned down by sturdy, infectious beats, 'Sungods Wedding' is blessed with churning, warm bass action and just a smidge of cowbell and 'Make It Right' is properly hypnotic 3am gear that's a dream to mix and draws in the listener with its imperceptible builds and three note bleep magic. Worship the Sun!
Review: German electronic nerd and tactile techno master Skee Mask returns to Ilian Tape, the label run by the Munich-based Zenker Brothers, with a fresh batch of his club-ready throbbers. 'TR Nautila' rides on uneven drum breaks with claps loud in there mix, until they aren't, and a stumbling bassline that underpins a morph into jungle-adjacent madness. 'Panic Button' has springy sounds and sludgy low ends, precision-tooled drums and a celestial backlight that pushes and pulls you emotionally. 'MD25' has an industrial clang and clatter that evokes being lost in a strobe-lit warehouse and 'LCC Rotation' is a freewheeling percussive gem with moody pads for all-out assault in the club.
Review: Back after a three-year break, NuNorthern Soul's Summer Selections 2025 marks the fifth instalment in the label's beloved Balearic series, which has evolved over the years as an alloying of Ibiza-ready sounds from beachfront occupiers new and old. Manu Archeo opens the set with a slomo rework of Nightdubbing's self-titled cut, while George Koutalieries follows with 'Seasons', a wordless guided medication set upon a golden-hour fade. Label newcomer James E Burton dials up the texture with roomy live drums and suitably blear-ic pads (there's still sleep in your eye). Then comes Visions Of Light, a new trio led by Simon Sheldon, offering dubby percussion and real bridge tremolo on 'The Mandela Vortex'. Finally, Roots Artefact lays down a thick dubbing in 'The Big Calm Dubwise', before French producer Jilo signs off with 'Shadow's Tango'.
Review: DJ Paul Sitter is the don of Rostov On Don, a Russian outfit dedicated to supreme, sweatily serious breaks-rap cutups. En large comes 'Cha Cha Cha', with its angular piano hits and wide-panned, cowbell-topped, break-your-back breaks. 'Tambotito' contrasts with an obscurer breakbeat with drum tails whizzing like firecrackers, not to mention a sample of an original Panamanian vocal line hailing from a recording of a song in the titular genre.
Review: James Shinra returns with Shinra Electro Company Vol. 1, a toughened new electro chapter in his far wider mecha-sonic portfolio. This one hears the UK producer add mass to the girders; lead track 'Poppin', with its strong-armed force majeure, is known to have already netted major support from Bicep during their Coachella 2024 set. Further to the release's scary goodness, Shinra balances razor-sharp drum programming, warped textures and low-end pressure on a carbide rotor's edge, with 'Turn It Up', 'Champagne' and 'Trippin' flashing the libertinous side of electro-hedonic pressure.
Review: You probably already know that Housey Doingz were a pivotal early house outfit from London. As part of its 20th-anniversary celebrations, Sushitech is back with a second instalment of remastered tracks and rare, previously unreleased material from their legendary Strange Weather DAT archives. This one kicks off with 1998's 'Belly Wobbler' which has been a cult classic ever since. Flip it over and you get treated to an unreleased mix of' Chess With Dwarves' which is another archetypal tech house sound with a sweet mix of driving drums and crispy snares but also plenty of machine warmth.
Review: Lars Fischer aka Klangkollektor, returns with a serene and introspective EP that deepens his exploration of dub-infused ambient music. Drawing from his usual analogue instruments and effects, Fischer crafts a soothing soundscape where live basslines provide a warm, womb-like vibe and gentle synths and piano improvisations evoke images of birdsong and mountain streams. Tracks like 'Ferry from Torkwrith' and 'Isle of Stonsey' offer meditative journeys that fuse elements of dub techno with melodic richness. Fischer's ability to create music that serves as a refuge from the chaotic world is what sets him apart and invites you to take a moment of peace and introspection in his company.
Review: Sheffield artist Commodo - long a mainstay of Deep Medi and Black Acre - hooks up with Turkish dubstep producer Gantz again here to explore heavy low-end percolations on Ilian Tape's revered ITX Series. 'Left Hand Path' has earth-shattering kicks and scraping hits that are coated in lo-fi and grain pads for ultimate subterranean menace. '89! Gloom' is a more nimble rhythm with a slippery lead line bringing extra movement as the low-end throb keeps you locked. 'Shake And Lurk' closes out with some brighter melodic intrigue to bring a ray of optimism to the glory but brilliant bass.
Review: The bond between Frankfurt and Leipzig emerges from their shared blend of tradition and modernity, each fostering exuberant cultural ecosystems. Frankfurt, Germany's financial heart, echoes with eclectic currents, contrasting its skyscrapers with local art scenes. It's here that not even noticed, a rising duo blending tranquil acid and breakbeat, began crafting their sound. This EP is a celebration of this, from the airy pads of 'Aerial' to the tough groove of 'Fidelity,' offering a mix of upbeat party tides and mellow vibes. It's music that feels right at home in Frankfurt's experimental spaces, with its easy-going acid and breakbeat tones striking a balance between warmth and innovation. Leipzig, with its rich classical roots and quieter charm, provides the perfect setting for a duo whose music embraces both reflective and energetic moods. Tracks like 'Voidness' and 'Affected' fit perfectly within the city's intimate spaces, where the music's restorative quality and weight come alive. Whether in Leipzig's clubs or Frankfurt's iconic venues, Not Even Noticed captures the pulse of modern German techno that offers both grounded and boundary-pushing sounds.
Review: From Papunya in Australia's Northern Territory, indiginous Luritja artist Keanu Nelson returns with a new two-track 7", produced in collaboration with Sydney's Yuta Matsumura. It's a continuation of their distinct blend of desert-rooted storytelling and homespun electronics. 'Place Where I Go' merges YouTube-era hip-hop with dubbed-out textures and plaintive piano, Nelson's voice diaristic and close. 'Kapi Ngalyananni', sung in Luritja, is a water song laced with clapsticks, parched melodica and ghostly pads. Shaped with minimal means, these tracks shimmer with spirit and quiet clarity, holding space for both the ancestral and the everyday.
Straight Forward (Gerd House mix part 1 & 2) (6:22)
Future Love (5:58)
Future Love (DJ Nature remix) (6:53)
Disco Funk (5:32)
Disco Funk (Aroop Roy Burning Vision) (6:53)
Review: American singer and songwriter veteran Erik Rico's back on Cosmocities Record with a new 12" that brings fresh life to forgotten funk and soul classics. He delivers typically vibrant, soulful covers of tracks from Matt Soulie's vinyl vault, including P.J. City's 'Straight Forward,' Franklyn's 'Future Love' and Star Lighters' "Disco Funk.' The EP also features standout remixes and Gerd's remix in particular is gold and infuses a Chicago house flavour, while the UK's former Wild Bunch man DJ Nature adds a synth-laced, bass-driven groove and Aroop Roy delivers a dancefloor-ready anthem. These are the sort of authentic, lovably rough-around-the-edges sounds that bring real heat to headier floors.
Review: Belgian innovator CJ Bolland returns with three razor-sharp cuts that land somewhere between classic acid, metallic electro and streamlined techno. 'High Voltage' does exactly what it says on the tin: a squelching, high-intensity opener that builds tension through blistering filters and raw drum programming. On the flip, 'Venusian Storm' dials into that eerie, dystopian sci-fi mood Bolland's long masteredithink stormy pads, electro bleeps and tightly coiled 808s. 'Waves Of Derbyshire' feels like the comedown transmission, all sweeping chords and subtly shifting groove layers that still throb with club intent. For anyone who rinsed 'Camargue' or 'The Prophet', this is a reminder of Bolland's timeless touchiupdated but unmistakably his. Peak-time tackle with brains.
Review: At A Glance Records is a sister label to Small Great Things and made a fine start to life with its first EP. This second one comes from Belgian producer UC Beatz who has proven himself adept at emotive textures and groove-driven disco-house. He shows that again with a deep, soulful offering with immersive storytelling as well as dance floor heft. There are loose limbed rhythms on 'Life Of A Painter', shiny disco loops on 'Life Of A Painter' and romantic vibes to the summery 'Luv Walkin''. 'Mimes' shuts down with some chunky drums, screwed synths and chopped vocals.
Murphy's Law, Sam Curran & Harry Unsworth - "Proper Whopper" (6:08)
Sidney Charles - "Disco Bumpin" (feat Aleya Mae) (6:51)
Nocapz - "Gettin' Heard" (6:28)
Review: Hot Creations gathers four peak-time weapons from across the label's recent catalogue, with an emphasis on upfront UK energy. Manchester's Goosey links with Dope Earth Alien on 'Funky Shit', a wobbly, sub-heavy club cut built around slick swung drums and warped vocal refrains. 'Proper Whopper' from Murphy's Law, Sam Curran and Harry Unsworth fires off booming low-end and pitch-bent sirens with the kind of swagger that suits high-tempo basements and outdoor stages alike. Sidney Charles offers a sleeker counterpoint on 'Disco Bumpin', layering Aleya Mae's melodic vocals over rubbery synths and crisp house drums. Rounding it out is Sao Paulo's nocapz, whose 'Gettin' Heard' throws down fast, bouncy percussion with ravey stabs and a locked-in low-end groove. All four are built to slam.
Review: Karol Mozgawa is the Polish talent known as Deas, and one of the most expressive voices in techno. For the first one, he hooks up with the legendary Chicagoan DJ Rush on 'Geeks On Hubbard'. It's a thrilling affair with toms fluttering over the loopy kicks, menacing spoken words and fizzy, dusty synth lines. 'Cabrio' brings more frosted textures and icy cold techno raucousness, and 'Track Zero' keeps barreling on with more immovable kicks and panel-beaten loops. 'Resistance' is the most minimal of the lot - an eerie brew with precision kicks and sheet metal snares blowing in a stiff breeze.
Leslie Lello - "R U Doing" (De Gama Re-Groove) (5:43)
Frank Virgilio - "Juice" (5:17)
Leslie Lello - "R U Doing" (4:47)
Dirtyelements & Drunkdrivers - "Hey You!" (De Gama Re-Groove) (6:02)
Javi Frias - "The Big Dance" (5:19)
Review: Samosa Records quickly follows up the first volume of its Earth, Wind & Funk series with another dynamic double-vinyl compilation that continues its established tradition of blending Afro, Latin and funk influences into infectious disco-house grooves. The EP picks a seriously punch with tracks like Leslie Lello's 'R U Doing' (De Gama Re-Groove), a bass-driven house anthem with soaring synths, Frank Virgilio's 'Juice,' a fusion of acid basslines, organ stabs and tribal vocals, and Javi Frias's 'The Big Dance,' which is an electrifying track with bongos, laser beams and a disco bassline that delivers exactly what its title promises.
Mad Deep (feat Juliet Mendoza - Jerome Sydenham remix) (6:11)
Sway (6:11)
Review: NYC DJ, studio engineer and all-round house head Ralph Session continues his fine form on a return to Quintessentials, having previously come up with the goods on the likes of Freerange and Exploited, among others, in his burgeoning but solid career to date. In keeping with previous efforts, he shows a deft touch when it comes to riding the four/four pulse here, kicking off with titular track 'Mad Deep'. Here, heavy Motor City chords power over tough drum rhythms, with moody strings and spoken word vocals adding to the tension. OG producer Jerome Sydenham steps up with an affectionate remix, with jaunty overdubs helping to subtly reframe the track while staying true to the floor-focused intention. Closing cut 'Sway' adds a touch of filtered funk, with phasing strings, determined chords and distant vocals combining over a pleasantly swung rhythm.
Review: Following the success of his 'City Smile' EP, Aleqs Notal is back with more ear-piquing goodness in the form of this latest boundary-pushing vision. The EP is said to be unified by a central theme of self-acceptance and covers plenty of ground, from the deep and meditative essence of Chicago-inspired 'Pain Of Truth' to the more loose 'Talk' Em Down' with its snaking bass and eerie chords. 'Crushin'' sits somewhere between the two, with analogue textures and a firmly rooted groove forming the foundation for percussive and synth layering. 'Instant' has brilliantly pinging 909s and humid chords. This is Aleqs Notal at his most expressive.
Review: Chicago-based DJ and producer Smith launches his new label, Smooth Edits, with a fiery 7" of house and disco-funk energy. Formerly behind Smooth Agent Records, Smith continues his legacy of groove-laden cuts with 'Dance On The Dub' and 'Good Beat 2025' on Side-A. The former is a party anthem steeped in Parliament-Funkadelic and Kool & The Gang flavors, featuring thick basslines, rhythmic handclaps and swirling synth textures. 'Good Beat 2025' turns up the funk with tight horn arrangements and irresistibly bouncy drum programming, ensuring dancefloor momentum. On the flip, 'Dance On The Funk (Full Disco Mix)' blends early house's stomping four-on-the-floor with silky disco elements. Crisp edits highlight the interplay between funky guitar riffs, swelling strings and a rolling bass groove, all driven by Chicago house's unmistakable energy. Smith's mastery of both classic and contemporary club sounds is on full display here to kick off the new label in style.
Review: Sushitech's celebration of the superb London tech house collective Housey Doingz continues as part of their own 20th anniversary year. This time they again dig into the archives to reissue a remastered version of 'Fonki' which is yet another hard-to-find Housey Doingz original that first came on Surreal. It's a perfectly dubbed-out sound with plump kicks and cavernous sub-bass but does not lack any bite and drive, which is why it is so loved by the heads. Flip it over for an ever more dubby dub version. Another vital pick-up for OG tech house fans.
Review: We're very much into this 10 x 10" series from Berlin-based label Sushitech as part of its celebrations of 20 years in the game. It is serving up carefully dug-out delights from the treasured vaults of vital London tech house outfit Housey Doingz, and next up is a long-lost and unreleased delight recorded with the legendary voice of house music, Robert Owens, originally recorded over two decades ago. They have aged well and 'Put It All Behind Me' is sure to become an instant new/old modern house classic. As well as the original which channels the vibes of New Day, a dub comes on the flip.
Review: This release, which is part of the label's 20th anniversary celebrations, marks a significant milestone for Sushitech, a long-established label that deals in quality dub, tech and deep house. It offers a special glimpse into Housey Doingz, a highly influential collective from the London scene who pioneered early underground sounds. The exclusive 10x10" series showcases remastered tracks and rare, previously unreleased material from their legendary Strange Weather DAT archives. The first instalment features a remastered version of the iconic 'Flying Saucer,' a tune that has been a staple at Fabric over the years, plus an unreleased dub version that has never been heard before. Crucial.
Review: Whenever DJ Dez Andres drops new heat, you have to tune in. The man is a beat-making machine, extraordinary DJ and avid record collector who distils all that house and hip-hop knowledge into his always stylish cuts. 'No 1' opens up this latest jam on GT Flips and has a boogie-fried lead synth line, deep drums and chopped vocals that amp up the party but also have plenty of heart to them. 'Doobie' is the flipside offering and it finds Andres sampling another 80s soul classic and reworking it over some of his textbook and textured drums that perfectly straddle the house and hip-hop divide.
Review: The late great Ron Hardy had as much influence on DJing and club culture as anyone before or since. It's not just what he played, but how he played it that set the standard from his legendary residency at the Music Box - not least the fact that he often had the highs squealing out of his system because they were the frequencies that had most impact on him while he was high on heroin. His productions all reflect his approach in the booth, and this latest collection of classics is back with rising disco, rawness, low-slung funk and high-speed, feel-good disco bliss.
Review: Glasgow's Domenic Cappello solicits universal applause with 'Galactic Praise', drawing deep from Detroit techno's heritage and a synthy Berlin schooled erudition. A longtime resident and booker at Sub Club alongside Harri, Cappello has refined a style balancing punchy rhythms, emotive melodies and rich atmospheres shaped by years in one of techno's most respected venues. 'Dat Thing' and 'Niamh's Song' contrast through whistling highs and spick electro-acid lows respectively; the title track, meanwhile, recalls space-decolonial maximalism of later Apollo releases, as if to portray the infinitude of a terraformed, cosmo-dromal house party.
Review: French-Moroccan producer Bidoben joins the Sublunar roster with six tracks of precision-tooled techno that strike a balance between hypnosis and intensity. 'Suspended Relief' opens with pounding low-end and swirling mids, laying down a floor-focused blueprint that's all control and momentum. '28-33' dials in a looping, restrained groove with subtle modulations, while 'Torment' pushes into more psychedelic terrain-acid-licked textures layered over a linear, uncoiling arrangement. On the flip, 'Unfair' hits hardest: peak-time pressure with no excess. 'Calx' trades impact for introspection, coiling inward with murky synthwork and tight, recursive rhythm. 'Snakeholes' brings it to a close with melodic shimmer and just a trace of nostalgia. It's a smart, tightly constructed EP that showcases Bidoben's ear for function, detail and emotional tone.
Como Como (feat Dreiser & Sexto Sentido - Theo Parrish remix) (8:00)
Review: Giles Peterson's agenda-setting Brownswood is back with another delve into the label's rich archives, and this time comes back with a bold reimagining of Mala's 'Como Como' featuring Dreiser & Sexto Sentido, which is taken from the landmark 2012 LP Mala in Cuba. This edition includes both the original track and a transformative remix by Detroit legend Theo Parrish, who brings his unmistakable touch in the form of raw grooves, layered percussion and a vast sense of space that is soulful in shamanic ways. The original is still in a class of one with its slow, heavy kicks and yearning vocals layered up with unsure, aching chords and a sprinkling of organic hits. A perfect mix of Cuban atmosphere and Mala bassweight.
Review: 'A Few & Far Between' is an ongoing, multi-part reissue series from the cultured folks at Sushitech as part of the label's 20th birthday celebrations. It features music by pioneering London tech house collective Housey Doingz which has been pulled from their archives and remastered for the occasion. his volume features the much sought-after and timeless 'Without You' which is a perfect example of how this outfit blended the soul of house with the drive of techno into something both physical yet emotive, all driven by 303 basslines. As well as the original, the B-side of this 10" features a nice warm and heady dub version.
DJ Snug - "The Predator" (Housey Doingz Shaken remix) (8:23)
Review: The fifth instalment of Sushitech's exclusive 10x10" series showcases archival and newly remastered tracks from the cult Housey Doingz, a London pair who did plenty to shape early UK tech house sounds. This one features their elusive remix of DJ Snug's 'The Predator' a track that has become incredibly rare and commands sky-high prices in the second-hand market. It's minimal tech but with maximal impact. On the reverse of this is a remastered dub version of 'Kitchen Spasm' which is another irresistible club cut and makes for the perfect acid double-header.
Now That You Are Gone (feat Christie Nelson) (5:39)
Now That You Are Gone (feat Christie Nelson - dub mix) (6:10)
Love Will (Vibrations mix) (6:20)
Love Will (Vibrations dub mix) (5:50)
Review: 'Vibrations' by Toronto house music producer Reagan Grey taps into the pulse of the early days of the Local Talk label, back when classic house and garage ran the Great British show. Made with Christie Nelson (Soul Candi) and Sean Jones, the record spins four deep, stand-ho hums round a well burnished loom of beats, as a deep, soulful house sound rings outl though Grey has toughened the edges out to suit less satiable systems, both social and sound. 'Love Will (Vibrations Mix)' is the rawest regent of the lot, its offbeat organs and plosive drum machines spitting out like unfiltered speech. A smart, instinctive grip on what makes the UK-and-beyond deep house sound tick.
Review: Disruptive Chicago house rule breaker and revered noise mangler Hieroglyphic Being aka Jamal Moss is back with more of his suitably entitled Weirdo Edits. The seventh volume dives headfirst into deranged disco territory and channels the frazzled, unpredictable energy of Ron Hardy's iconic Muzic Box tape edits across three heavily warped cuts built for dancefloor chaos. Moss leans into the lo-fi grit and psychedelic swirl he's known for on the hard-edge disco stomp of 'I'm Gonna Beat U This Way', then flips vintage grooves into a hypnotic, otherworldly club tool on 'Get Off Blast Off '. It's freaky, jacking, and unmistakably Jamal and then comes 'Clouds On The Rain.' off-kilter funk for heads who like their disco weird, raw, and full of soul.
Review: The mysterious Giralda returns with a new one on their own eponymous label. It's minimal in design but with maximal character and unusual influences. 'Passion' has bright disco colours and percussive energy, then 'No Respect' taps into 90s breakbeats and big piano celebrations with reverse stabs and even raga overtones. 'Hell Or Heaven (5.1 mix - Angel remix)' is another retro future sound with fat drums and sustained chords for the head. 'Feel The Groove' is a critter closer with more pianos, disco house drums, 80s keys and an unusual vibe that is login to level up any party.
Review: Sushitech is spending part of its 20th birthday year by shining a light on the superb early work of Housey Doingz. The London duo dropped plenty of tech house heat in the late 90s though plenty of their archives remain unreleased. The sixth instalment of the ten-part series features a freshly remastered version of the iconic house classic 'Lounge' which was originally released on Eukahouse 25 years ago. On the flip, 'DMT', a previously unreleased track from a long-forgotten studio session at Strange Weather, makes its debut. It's another fine addition to their already solid legacy.
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