MOS Holland At Juno Download

Review: D'Marc Cantu may have languished in the shadow of his more high-profile associates Traxx and James T. Cotton, but A New World, his second artist album in as many years shows that he should be viewed as being the master of his own destiny rather than an engaging sideshow. Indeed, one of the most noticeable aspects of A New World is the lack of Jakbeat, the primal interpretation of Chicago house that the Nation stable of artists have developed. When it does rear its grungy head, it does so in the most irresistibly creepy manner; "Green Bike Sea" starts with rolling snares and leads to a grainy bass and shaking percussion underpinning muffled vocals and bleeding acid lines. "Try Me" is meaner and yet more suggestive, with the scent of blood and sweat-caked bar counters rising over a red-lit, heaving bass. However, this is not an album about shebeens and one-night stands with random strangers, but rather a reflective, more introverted work. "Mobile Communication" sees heavy claps supporting bleeding, bleepy bass licks, but it's merely a prelude for "The First Planet". Inspired by Detroit techno, it's Cantu's piece de resistance: atmospheric synths arc slowly upwards, their acidic undercurrent like tail lights on a jumbo jet as they reach into the upper levels of the night sky, hopefully guiding Cantu towards greater recognition.

Review: US DJ/producer D'Marc Cantu continues the M

Review: Ike Release returns to Holland's MOS Deep under his own alias, and with it comes a gorgeous three-tracker filled with enough analogue grit to have you crunching away on those low-bit drum shots. "Cosmic Supreme" is so gritty in substance that it literally feels like house soundtrack to Blade Runner, bringing forth one monster of a bassline and some squelching, rave-fuelled synth jerks. "Spells" is similarly sublime, but this time uses acid as the main ingredient of the cocktail, while "Westview" takes care of the deepness, where its aqueous chords glide frantically across time and space only to leave one with a warm, longing feeling of more music from Ike. Recommended.

Review: After Hakim Murphy and Ike Release inaugurated the Innerspace Halflife project earlier this year with a sublime debut on the former's Machining Dreams imprint - they now grace Aroy Dee's ever excellent MOS Deep label with a further enthralling journey. Even if the aforementioned Cosmology EP passed you by, you should be familiar enough with the respective solo endeavours of both producers to be suitably excited by "Wind". You won't be disappointed either, with the track unfurling from its icy origins into a monstrous arrangement dominated by the fluctuating acid bassline and razor sharp hi-hats, while the soaring chords that intermittently spread expansively over proceedings add brief moments of Utopian calm amid the relentless jacking pressure. This is complemented by a solo Ike Release cut in the shape of "Phazzled" which adopts a more atmospheric tone as ever present clouds of analogue fx add a hazy sensation to the strident drum programming and woozy chord arrangements - quite aptly described by MOS Deep as "classicist house with a future perspective".

Review: The Aphrology EP marks a killer induction into the MOS Deep annals of excellence from Ksoul & Muteoscillator, the Italian duo who have impressed intermittently with their dense brand of techno for Uzuri and Kinda Soul Recordings (which is overseen by Ksoul himself). The two part "Criminology" opens proceedings face up, with the restrained acid leanings of the opening gambit slightly overwhelmed by the unrelenting modulated brutality of its subsequent partner. Face down and MOS Deep ringleader Aroy Dee sneaks in with his own edit of "Aphrology" before Ksoul and Muteoscillator can demonstrate the title track's prowess - it's Dee to a tee, taking the well judged house that swells with ever menacing machine squeals and adding his own subtle percussive embellishments.

Review: Having steadily emerged under the guidance of the Delsin family, Marco Antonio Spaventi looks set to whip a few heads around on the strength of this latest single for M>O>S. "The Jungle" is simply impossible to question, so powerful is the groove on the drums and the relentless bass arpeggio. Clearly powered by the right kind of gear, the end effect is one of John Carpenter crafting a boompty house cut and getting it right. "Insanity" heads into a noisy, staccato electro work-out shot through with the intensity of industrial, annihilating you in a completely different way to the A-side.

Review: Tales from the Night Sky (Part 1) sees Perseus Traxx continue to mine the acid house past of Chicago across four tracks. Unlike some of his less imaginative contemporaries however, this producer's productions gargle with a frenzied density that shows his own distinctive take on the period. Lead track "Gorgon" has an acid line to rival Laurent X's "Machines", but its main focus is the interplay between the distorted drums and the trance inducing melodies. Complementing this, "Poseidon's Monster" opts for a primitive jacking approach but the unexpected highlight is "Stranger Shores". Here Rogers explores a slower tempo and fashions delicate melodies that are in stark contrast to what precedes it.

Review: It's no wonder that MOS Deep has managed to build itself a serious reputation within the deeper side of the techno spectrum, with a family of artists that seem to mature with each release. The latest instalment comes from Dutch DJ and producer, R A G aka Aroy Dee who collaborated with Ma Spaventi on the previous MOS Deep cut. "Chunky analogue" is the best term to describe these three tracks and this is a further delight given the domination of plug-ins and software these days. Title track "Black Rain" begins with a warm and punchy kick-drum accompanied by a series of crunchy snares and hi-hats which flow in unison with a ghostly melody. The analogue mix on the flip side has an eye on the dance floor and allows the drum machine more space to play, but still manages to retain most of the mystique created on the A-Side. As if that wasn't enough, there is even an ambient mix for all those wishing to go that further step into the ether.