Tad Wily At Juno Download

Review: Having hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Tad Wily, it sounds like Retrofit boss Jay Shepheard is trying to push deep house in a new direction. "Parallel Perc" provides a hint of where the duo is headed, with a groovy, low-slung bassline and dubbed out drums hinting at dance music's funk and disco heritage - connections that are reinforced thanks to the use of soaring, orchestral strings. "Haselnuss" has a similar set of influences, although the duo put a greater emphasis on a funk guitar riff and melancholy synth hooks while "A Sopot Connection" also doffs its cap to the 70s, with its prowling, predatory bassline sounding like a lost porn movie soundtrack, were it not for the accompanying juxtaposition of cool, icy synths. Finally, "TEC 1? also references the late 70s and early 80s, but rather than disco, focuses on the primal electro funk of Cameo to make its mark. Like the previous releases in this series, Retrofit #3 shows that with a little imagination and some good old-fashioned perspiration, house music can still sound exciting.

Review: Jay Shepheard's Retrofit imprint reaches its seventh release with this fine EP of old school sounds with an undeniably modern feel. "Hefty Done Me Right" begins proceedings with a house-disco hybrid sporting a particularly meaty analogue bassline, 80s electro vocal samples and shimmering pop synths, while "The Electric Model" marries a distinctly Kraftwerk-esque motorik vibe with Balearic disco sweeps and horns. Up next, "One Night In Puzon" opens with a tense rising string line, broken with a crystalline piano mosaic and deep squelching bass. Finally, TW closes proceedings with his own dub take on "Hefty Done Me Right", amping up the electro feel of the original with an MPC cut-up style reworking filled with heavy vocal samples and rolling piano stabs, transplanting the original from its Italian roots to 80s Harlem.

Review: Unsurprisingly Mullet Records are heavily influenced by dance music of the 1980s. However, despite the jokey logo, they're pretty serious about their synths! Recent tune "Garage Love" is remixed here by a host of electronic heroes and leading the way are Belgian duo Spirit Catcher who deliver a typically silky smooth electro-house workout guaranteed to get folk everywhere into the groove. Label boss Casio Social Club has a go too with his 'Time After Time' mix which nods to the often plundered, but never stale, classic Cyndi Lauper chord progression. Elijah Collins provides a vocoder-heavy electro-funk jam and Fishing Vest presents a cocktail-friendly Italo-pop version.

Review: Fresh from collaborating with Retrofit boss Jay Shepheard, Tad Wily returns to Mullet with more synth-heavy electrofunk bombs. "Go Ahead" sets the tone, fusing heavy synth basslines and vintage P-funk synths with just the right amount of new wave dubbiness and delightfully sparse production. "Garage Love" continues in a similar vein, throwing more vocals into the pot on a lowdown, late night synth jam. Mullet Regulars Casio Social Club offer up two remixes of "Go Ahead", with the sprightly, bouncy "Luvdub" just edging out their similarly New York-themed "Remix".