Thisisnotanexit At Juno Download

Review: Thisnotanexit Recordings waste little time - barely months after dropping a label retrospective in the glorious 2CD edition Manifesto#1, the imprint are back with a four track Summer Sampler giving eager listeners a glimpse at what the future holds. First up for the disco heads is Faze Action taking on Hatchback's 'Jetlag' and delivering a truly bouncy summer jam - best work from the Lee brothers in some time. Providing the requisite intrigue are Command V - consisting of band members from punk funk icons Bush Tetras and B52s - 'Hello' is their first (and aptly titled) appearance on TINAE and they get transformed into sultry low slung mutant disco by Moscow aka Matt Waites (watch out for future remixes of Command V from Optimo and Jacques Renault). TINAE acts Club Silenco and The Dark Esquire team up on 'You Got To Look' a jagged industrial post punk stomper. Last but by no means least is the superlative Urlaubshits Minimal Rave remix of Detachments' classic 'The Flowers That Fell' which veers off in a very Kompaktesque direction with stunning results.

Review: After one half of the legendary Optimo Dj's broke out with his side line in Betty Botox edits last year, now it's the turn of Jonnie Wilkes to try something solo. Named after a Russian sculptor, the collaboration between Wilkes and James Savage from Oscuro P has already yielded one 12", and this second gets two stunning remixes from a couple of top-name producers.

Wonderboy producer Joakim, who got global props after his mix of Dj Mehdi's Pocket Piano unleashes a beast with his version, an epic acid disco track that ebbs and flows to perfection over ten glorious minutes. It's hard to imagine something this deep and well crafted will be slept on and it could well turn out to be a bit of a classic over the next few months - it's that good.

Former DFA and UNKLE helmsman Tim Goldsworthy did an initial mix of Pictur under his alias The Loving Hand. It was a 6 part, 24 minute long mix that thankfully has been edited down by Naum Gabo for the single into two Dj-friendly excerpts. Even in it's edited state it retains the original's sense of odyssey, as Goldsworthy takes the listener on a real journey over the two tracks. Remixes this accomplished and sophisticated don't come around every day, so it's well worth picking these up sharpish.

Review: Parallels are a duo form Toronto, Canada that are rewriting modern takes on new wave and disco sounds. This release on Thisisnotanexit Records sees a re-recorded version of their single from last year added to a comprehensive remix package of the same tune.

The new album version of "Ultralight" manages to assign itself to an authentically retro sound without ever descending into cheap imitations or parody. It is a lavishly electronic track, driven by Italo arpeggios and layers of synth bass. The strong vocal performance from Holly Dodson adds yet more power to this shinning, retro stomper. A sure fire hit for any retro or disco lover, this track will also capture the imagination of any newbies who hear it on the dancefloor.

Fellow synth-obsessed pop proprietor, The Dark Esquire offers the first remix of "Ulralight." His inimitable deep, synthetic tastes take on the original offers a new direction from the album version. A fine to start the remix package before Detachment's futuristic, stripped down version takes hold. Missing the vocal, this ominous and brooding interpretation throbs along with some heavy bass. Club Silencio's dub infused disco remix closes the EP in style. Huge chords follow a trippy atmosphere in the massive final moments of the mix. Having built up to this moment throughout the whole EP, this mix does a fantastic job of finishing off the release with the kind of shinning, dancefloor disco that its previous tracks deserve.