Subb An At Juno Download

Review: Having celebrated five years in the game at the tail end of last year, Kev Griffiths' Tsuba label seems to be enjoying a new lease of life. This four-tracker from Brit tech-house veteran Subb-An is one of the label's most impresses releases for some time. The original version of "Off The Walls" is a touch chunkier than many previous Subb-An excursions, and benefits greatly from a combination of retro bottom-end (think Abe Duque) and all manner of cut-up vocal samples. Melon runs with the retro-house theme on his two tough, acid-tinged versions, which sound like classic Rob Mello 'No Ears' dubs after a skip-load of steroids. The Piano Mix, in particular, is a doozy.

Review: He may only be in his mid-20s, but Ashique Subhan's latest release makes him sound like he has been involved with house music for decades. Featuring Beckford on vocals, "Lover's Night" is a deep, resonating track in the classic Knuckles/Red Zone vein, at the heart of which there is a narrative about seduction. While Beckford's resonating tones dominate the original version, the dub version will be of more interest to DJs. There, Subb-An dispenses with the vocalist's services and the driving, dubby beats, jacking, swinging rhythm and spine-tingling house chords prevail. In a scene that centres on disposable music, "Lover's Night" is destined to endure for years to come.

Review: Drafting in the vocal talents of Footprintz and Seth Troxler for a pair of catchy floor-friendly numbers, Subb An makes his first appearance on Visionquest in what seems like an inevitable move after years of graft for the likes of Crosstown Rebels, Spectral Sound and 20:20 Vision. "Rain" is an emotive, floaty variation on electro given a synth-pop twist by Footprintz's Anglophile singing. Alongside Tom Trago, Subb An works a typically whacky turn from Troxler into a simmering house jam full of dubby chord echoes and submerged strings for maximum tension with little release. It's a sturdy release custom built for the modern house music fraternity.