Apersonal Music At Juno Download

Review: This big disco release sees Portuguese duo Cisco Cisco return to Apersonal Music, complete with a remix from the legendary Greg Wilson. "Higher" is a slow moving number with a classic feel, but it's the jagged guitar samples that give the whole thing its jerky energy. The Greg Wilson version of "Higher" will go down well with many, taking the pushing the guitars to the back of the mix, and replacing their jumpy movement with some staccato rap samples, placed firmly in the foreground. It shouldn't work, but in Wilson's hands it does, adding an incredible new mood to the track. "Brothers in Arms" treads similarly deep ground with its cowbell led rhythm and snipped yet ecstatic vocal samples. This digital version also features a remix not on the vinyl pressing, which is perhaps the best track on the release. Kaspar & Vahagn remix "Brothers in Arms", adding a slightly techier element with a buzzing arpeggio running throughout and squelchy bassline that runs underneath layers of electrifying pads.

Review: The debut release by Portuguese producer Cisco Cisco, "If You Want Me" is a deliciously deep voyage through cosmic beats and honey-coated atmospherics. Coming in at a slowish, nu-disco tempo, it radiates Balearic goodness all the way, as does Jay Shepheard's slightly more tech-edged mix which works in some truly impressive and subtle filter breaks along with lovely bassy pads. With another CC newie, "Giro Disco", also included, this is an impressive debut all round.

Review: Here we have the second instalment of rarities from the vaults of Apersonal Music. Leading the way in this collection of 'ones that got away' is the loopy, sloppy-disco house of Igor Jadranin's "Countless Nights", the soundtrack to the messiest imaginary party ever. Next up, Michael Bow's 1980s Italo-disco hit "Love & Devotion", is slowed and warped (almost out of all recognition) into a mellow electro-boogie gem by Davide Franca. Lastly, Joseph Terruel ends things with the insistent, yet lazy, orchestrated funk of "Tryin To Be Me".

Review: James Teej's work hasn't ever really edged towards the funkier side of house music; however Fame on Apersonal Music sees the producer enter hitherto uncharted waters. An underlying funk rolls with immediate effect on both "Fame" and "City Celebrity", with the title track playing with synth snarls, groove ridden guitar licks and a wailing vocal; a belting summer hit if ever we heard one. Up next, the Cisco Cisco remix strips things back and focuses on a pushing key sequence and addictive rhythm section that moves things forward. Last but by no means least, "City Celebrity" sees a plucked bass guitar that swallows the bottom end and bounces perfectly against the electric keyboard arrangement up front. Solid release.

Review: Super-shimmering vibes from Lithuanian producer Basanov on this release: "More For Less" is a purring piece of disco that doesn't sound too far away from fellow Eastern European electro boogie peddler Illija Rudman. Coated with Canadian vocalist Jeremy Glenn's emphatic vocal, it's an instant soul smoocher. Remix-wise Mario provides his own more stripped back underground house twist, Pablo and Maurice serve up a subtle early Get Physical style Euro version and Michael J Collins presses the 'weird' button as we drift in a laidback Mushroom Jazz style groove. Beautiful.

Review: Having previously released a sole EP of warm, disco-flecked deep house, French producer Matthieu Cle gets to showcase a wider range of musical styles on this four-tracker. There are two original productions and two re-edits. Of the latter, his tweak of 80s soul smoocher "After Midnight" is probably the pick, though the straightforward rework of West Philips' "Sucker For A Pretty Face" will get a greater dancefloor reaction. Really, though, it's the original tracks that steal the show, with the super slo-mo "Black Mysteries" - like Matthew Kyle on smack - just edging out the chiming 80s goodness of "To Begin With". A mixed bag that's well worth a listen.

Review: Fledgling Barca based label Apersonal grace us with the digital version of their third release and the standard set by the inaugural Trujillo 12" featuring Mark E and Social Disco Club remixes is more than maintained here. Venturing across the Atlantic for the first time, the label has secured some blissful late night house movements from Michael J Collins - surely the most Balearic name on the circuit right now - who really impressed with his Ilija Rudman remix on Electric Minds earlier this summer. Driven by broken house rhythms and some neat Fulton style hand claps, "Nothing Wrong With Holding On" is a delightfully idiosyncratic departure from the normal nu-disco template. Heavily phased saxophone lines cross with looped vocal chants atop the warm electro bassline with a panache you'd expect from someone who has featured on Wolf & Lamb. Keeping things close Boston's greatest Soul Clap pop up with a remix that adds some urgency to the tempo but retains the off key rhythms. Sumptuous Detroit style pads drenched with emotion rise gradually through and there's a rather tasty percussion heavy breakdown midway through. A big tip!

Review: For their fourth release Apersonal return to South America for more glistening production bumps from the man known as Trujillo. There's an inherent warm late night sensation running through "Fruit Punch" which seems perfectly suited to the tropical climes of Caracas, Venezuela that Trujillo calls his home. A slinky transition from live bass and shimmering keys into the tight drums augmented by delay, intermittent cowbell and subaqueous pads lays down the foundation for the arrival of some delightfully MOR guitar work. Apersonal retain the high calibre of remixers that have distinguished their releases to date with "Fruit Punch" being treated to a tweak from Eddie C that retains the original feel but lays the emphasis on that sultry synth line and swerves the track in the direction of the dancefloor via an intricately layered house groove that occasionally drops into jacking bedlam. Toby Tobias was so enamoured with the track he submitted two mixes, with our favourite version ('V2') adding some throb to the bass and covering it in a gloriously reverberant sheen. To round matters off, Trujillo drops "Am I Looking Up To You", a delightfully dusty sojourn between edit and original production. Quality, as ever, from the Spanish imprint.

Review: This is something of a "bits and pieces" release from Apersonal, featuring as it does previously unreleased cuts from various label regulars. That said, the quality threshold remains impressively high. Venezuelan producer Trujillo continues his fine run of form with "Send Me Away". Easily the stand out, it moves from clav-heavy deep house head-nodder to disco acid wig-out, finally finishing as a disco-soul singalong. Ilya Decado's "Sweet, Sweet Moments" delivers some hustling disco/house fusion with just the right amount of hands-aloft build, before Pablo Sanchez rounds things off with the drifting Balearic disco shuffle of "Our Closing Circle".

Review: Having previously released six quietly confident releases from the likes of Volta Cab, Trujillo and James Teej, Spanish deep house/disco fusionists Apersonal Records gather together some of their favourite remixes on one extended digital EP. It's a good collection, casually flitting between solid rubs from label stalwarts and notable big name remixes. Of these, look out for Soul Clap's excellent version of Michael J Collins' "Nothing Wrong With Holding On" - a joyous fusion of dubwise bass, drifting sax and sugary-sweet melodic builds - and Mark E's Trujillo rework. This touchy-feely slo-mo builder is reminiscent of the Black Country producer's fine early work on Jigsaw.

Review: Relative newcomers Volta Cab are fast becoming a name to watch. Through a handful of releases - most notably for Solardisco - they've developed a uniquely attractive sound that sits somewhere between the higher echelons of nu-disco and old skool flavoured deep house. The four cuts here are among their best; the title track offers a synth-laden fusion of electrofunk, deep house and Balearica, while "Watch Your Back" comes on like a sumptuous take on classic house. "Ice", meanwhile, is melodic and electronic, while "Surfing On Delay" pairs piano house attitude with laidback groovery to great effect. Excellent stuff.