Arttu At Juno Download

Review: 2011 was a great year for Arttu Snellman, with acclaimed releases dropping on both Royal Oak and Philpot. Here he starts 2012 with another couple of impressive tracks, this time for Gerd's 4Lux imprint. "Attic House" (chuckle) has a suitably retro feel, with treacle-thick bass, beats and synth motifs sparring with hissing, Detroit-influenced hi-hats and a classic vocal sample. "Soul Stream" is arguably even more impressive, a kind of tooled-up version of classic Mr Fingers with the addition of Burrell Brothers strings and melodies. Remix wise, Gerd's stripped-down version of "Attic House" is solid enough, but it's the two suitably old skool basement bumpers from Snuff Crew that most impress; the dub, in particular, is decidedly raw.

Review: Lisbon-based producer Arttu Sellman hasn't released all that many records, but those he has put out are rarely less than essential. This second two-tracker for Philpot is another case in point. Both the title track and flipside "Upwards" bear the aural hallmarks and raw drum machine sounds of early house and techno. While the latter is a driving fusion of drifting vocal samples, fuzzy beats and brain-melting acid bass, it still retains the analogue swing and evocative feel of the immaculate title track. While neither track could be described as revolutionary, both offer an attractive package of spellbinding grooves and intoxicating analogue riffs.

Review: Hitting a strong current of creativity with his relationship to Clone, Arttu is once again dishing out warm analogue goodness rooted in soul and grittiness, and it sure is purdy. "Tune In" is bolstered no end by the authoritative speech from Diamondancer, a righteous soul sister if ever there was one. Meanwhile the track itself rolls on a restrained kind of electro beat matched with soothing chords and smatterings of machine wobbles for decoration. It's simple and utterly devastating. The "Cellar" mix of "Move" on the flip is an instant ramp up in energy, hitting a fizzing and popping spring of old-school Chicago traits expressed in vital new ways, while the "Field" mix opens up the space without lessening the impact of the powerful drums.