Back Catalogue

Review: Orca Recordings' fifth releases sees Canadian producer XI return to the label's fold. "Immunity" sees the producer confidently experimenting with a slower tempo than we've previously seen him attempt, with a track that combines a house groove with a UK garage swing, combining lush auburn tones and sinister bass in a way similar to countryman Kevin McPhee. "Squeeze" on the other hand is a quicker affair, combining crackly drums, booming bass and airy melodies that recall the lighter end of the Berghain sound. On the strength of this release XI is heading for big things, and is certainly one to keep an eye on in 2012.

Review: Summer's coming and Manchester producer xxxy has decided to have it. Big time. An excellent and vital producer, who's been impressing hugely over the last year with mixes on Fortified Audio and Ten Thousand Yen, xxxy steps away from his more woozy bass mode on "Everything", which simply leaps out on first listen thanks to a Chicago-esque vocal chopped up anthemically yet tastefully over some hands-in-the-air Juno stabs and jacking drums. Trust us, this is going to be huge. Up next, "I Know This (Can't Be Love) is pretty essential too, thanks to an unlikely mix of acid basslines and pitched-up vocals. Hugely recommended all round.

Review: The near unstoppable run of xxxy continues with Kerpow on Irish label All City (responsible for that massive FaltyDL release this summer), complete with fantastically adorned, pop-art referencing sleeve. It's clear that his style has matured over his prolific run of productions; "Kerpow" is arguably one xxxy's most balanced productions to date, eschewing the day-glo garage of his recent tracks, and combining a pounding breakbeat and techno stabs with warm organ chords in just the right quantities. "Down Wit U" is a juke influenced cut, combining a relentless bass slam and restless 808 rhythms while the titular vocal sample adds a hook worthy of footwork contemporary Addison Groove.

Review: Ten Thousand Yen do it right again with the future flex of rising producer XXXY. "You Always Started" will bear obvious comparisons to early Joy Orbsion - before he went all house - but that's no bad thing as it's drenched in a soulful emotion that builds quite delightfully towards the hair raising crescendo. The guile with which XXXY teases out the vocal sample deserves a golf clap. Equally impressive is the psychedelic house thrust of "Ordinary Things", chopping up the vocal over a skipping deep bump, with a swathe of burning tripped out melodies the backdrop to purple synth flourishes and cheeky whoo samples. There's a simplicity to the production but it's overwhelmed by the thickness of sonic emotion XXXY achieves.

Review: As his previous releases have so thrillingly demonstrated, nu skool German revivalist Murphy Jax is more than adept at conjuring intoxicating blends of vintage Chicagoan jack and head-warping electronic disco. "Kevin Spacy", initially released on vinyl earlier this year, is a perfect example of this. Revolving around hard, sharp sequenced basslines, twisted arpeggios and lazy, star-gazing synth melodies, it offers the sort of balls-out, analogue-heavy take on space disco that was once the preserve of fellow Clone adventurer Legowelt. Orgue Electronique take the track back towards Chicago on two string-drenched, Larry Heard on valium reworks, whilst bonus cut "Smoodrama" offers a deeper take on early Chicago house.