Throne Of Blood US At Juno Download

Review: Making his second appearance on Throne Of Blood after last year's Inside Job, veteran producer Brendan Moeller returns as Beat Pharmacy for Tricks of the Trade. "Sometimes I'm Happy" is a laid back trip through trilling sounds, dubby piano chords and thick bass, while "Jive At Five" takes things up a notch with its twitchy synths and skipping beats. Analogues Anonymous takes things on more of a late night classic NYC deep house tip albeit with a considerable dose of dark atmospherics, while the largely beatless "Holy Stain" lightens the mood with its drifting chords and analogue chirps. Digital bonus "Magic & Luck" is probably the most floor-focused thing here, a stripped back tool filled with abstract tones and percolating textures.

Review: The not so mysterious Bohemian Groove debut fully on Throne Of Blood after hinting at their taste for psychedelic disco with a DJ Druzz vs. Omega Mus remix for the NYC imprint last year. On their original track "High Jinks" and its moodier counterpart "Low Jinks", broad brushstrokes of synth are the order of the day, letting the percussion shake seductively in the background while the melody intones an emotionally rich message of soul-replenishing dance music. Versatile Records main man Gilb'r brings a more dramatic, 70s library music vibe to bear on his "Hunting" remix of "High Jinks", while Portugese duo Photonz' delve into a nagging broken beat techno roller of magnificent proportions.

Review: Sean Johnston's Hardway Bros aligns on the Throne Of Blood label with some rare original produce in the shape of A/B Musique, a killer single brandishing some assistance from fellow Axis members Scott Fraser and Timothy J Fairplay. Eschewing the Balearic nature of previous Hardway Bros material, the title track is geared as homage to Belgian New Beat and hits the spot as soon as those hollow drums kick into gear. The aforementioned Mr Fairplay provides some punk funk swagger via intermittent guitar riffage and the vibe throughout is geared towards interplanetary love parties. On the virtual flip, "Shorty" feels a bit darker, with tough multi layered drum breaks and fuzzy edged arpeggiated bass lines gradually teasing out a seemingly never ending fluctuating precession of delay laden acid lines and swirling hypnotic vocal smudges. Scott Fraser turns in a murky basement remix of "Shorty" which is tinged with a machine made melancholia that tastes decidedly Detroitian.

Review: Despite the morbidity of it's name, Vosper & Bozzwell's "Music For The Lost And Dead" is a stepped-down, ice-cool electro/techno power ballad, complete with faltering vocals and even a tinge of disco rattling through the intro. Eskimo Twins enjoy their acid youth with viscous synths tipping the track into harder, darker territories where Jonny Cruz decides what's needed is low down dirty dubs and the type of club jangle you only get from hard liquor. Bringing the feel back to electro basics, Matt Walsh echoes 2006 in his hypnotic rendition and finally Fingerprince adds a depth and melancholy that only he could. An intriguing release from Throne Of Blood, definitely worth a look-in.