Manare At Juno Download

Review: French imprint ClekClekBoom are really gathering steam this year, and follow up a blinding release from Bambounou with two stripped back rollers from Manare. "Quartz" is the perfect collision between UKF and the French take on African rhythms, with 808s that smack hard and bass frequencies begging to be played on a huge system. "Down To Dis" is similarly robust but is characterized by wonky melodies playing off against an insistent vocal sample - big tip on this one.

Review: An incredibly impressive selection of remixes on this fun and fruity single from French producer Manare. A relative newcomer, he's managed to capture the current trends for tropical, snare-led beats and jazzy samples perfectly on "Speakeasy" with its '30s, Cotton Club-style trumpets billowing over a perfectly balanced beat. The much-praised duo Renaissance Man work up a thrillingly intense and minimal beat that builds with filtered up shivers of the original's trumpets, joined in turn by choir samples at one point. As more and more is added to the mix, it becomes a jacking treat and one well worth checking out. Lorcan Mak uses the choir vocals as the main melody, albeit side-chained to within an inch of it life. DJ Beware & Motorpitch take things down on their mix, employing a deep house groove and peppering it with horn stabs as they build the vibe step by step. With another Manare original, the ferocious electro monster "Pirog" included as well as a Dubbel Dutch mix, this is a very classy, utterly cool EP that really represents the best of 2010.