KMS At Juno Download

Review: New Jersey-born Brandon De Caro manages to fit a lot into his starkly minimal productions. With the driven feeling of a 3am dancefloor laying the backdrop for "Said & Done", his hypnotic rhythms create a feeling of hedonistic space and clarity. Rather than filling minimal house tunes with not much of anything like many of his peers, De Carlo satisfies his retro urges by mingling the sun-caught shimmer of Ibizan sunsets with his own dark techno influences to cement an intriguing signature sound. The infectious tabla groove of "Not With Standing" continues his exploration of mid-90s house, fixating on hands-in-the-air builds that pay off into crunchy monotone hooks. One for the aftershow.

Review: Chicago legend Chez Damier finally releases the infamous Untitled EP on digital format! This peach of a record is near impossible to find even on repress, and for good reason too. Every track is dripping with funked-out bass lines and savagely raw drum machine beats, formulas now emulated by many of the modern tech-house producers. "Chez A Untitled" kicks off with a gristly 909 thump and soon mutates into an irresistible groove made up of sharp, chopped up vocal samples and that famous Chicago-filtered bass line style; "Chez B Untitled" picks up the pace and packs another fist-full of Windy City madness with its bouncy chords and disco-inspired vibes. Finally, "Chez C Untitled" is a alternate mix of the B version, adding an extra set of muffled vocals and working those Damier beats even harder. Tip!

Review: No matter what one's opinion about the financial viability of running an independent label for a quarter of a century, there is no doubt that Kevin Saunderson's KMS label is enjoying a creative resurgence. "ROA" has the feeling of old school KMS material, its pulsing bass underscoring dusky melodies and a fragmented vocal loop. It conjures up a time when house, trance and techno were not seen as separate entities. By contrast, "The Flow" sounds very now; its beats are pristine yet driving, and its sampling of horn stabs and a funk guitar riff look back further into Detroit's musical heritage.

Review: Helping KMS to mark a quarter century in business is Rick Perez, who won an online remix competition, where Saunderson himself was the judge. Perez' version of "Roll On" is a fitting tribute to the KMS label, with a menacing bass building through the drummy track, eventually dominating the arrangement and relegating the sensuous chords and forceful drums to the background. Meanwhile, Kweku Saunderson himself remixes "Innuendo". It seems like the Saundersons can never resist the allure of a throbbing low end and once again it's the menacing sub bass that dominates, snaking through the dubby arrangement like an eel slipping through a swamp

Review: Third time around for Mateo & Matos' and Vincent Inc's deep house anthem, which first saw the light of day in 2010 on the latter's own Manuscript Records imprint. This time round, the classic-sounding deep house original - a great example of Mateo and Matos' shuffling US house style - is joined by a new remix from fellow deep house veteran Ian Pooley. His version is reminiscent of his classic work on NRK Music back in the early 2000s, delivering a shuffling groove, eyes-wide-shut melodies and just the right amount of early morning melancholy. As bumpin' as always, it delivers a sweet blast from the past that should appeal to all those who've been picking up those My Love is Underground reissues.

Review: For those who don't know, KMS is the long running record label of house and techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson. One of the most influential figures of all time in electronic music. While he had never left the scene, lately he has once again risen to prominence. Alongside his own amazing production he continues to uncover new talent and releases, the latest of which from Phil Agosta. 'Carousel' embodies much of what Kevin is about, deep, powerful, and groovy. This is techno meets progressive at its very best, and further great remixes come from Different World and Greg Row. Check this out, and get to know about KMS... the sound of real club music!!

Review: Kevin Saunderson's label has released so many classics that this compilation celebrating its quarter century is an embarrassment of riches. Classics provides an insight into Saunderson's diversity as a producer; from the classic late 80s/early 90s Detroit techno-house of "Rock to the Beat" and "The Groove That Won't Stop" through the pop techno of "Good Life" and the deeper, bass-heavy sound of his E-Dancer project, represented here by "World of Deep" and "Bassline", this is a well-rounded snapshot of Saunderson's best-known releases and projects. However, it also wins extra kudos for including some obscure gems like the classy, ominous vocal-led house of "Forces", reorded under the Essa guise.