Uzuri Recordings At Juno Download

Review: David Moufang has long been electronic music's most underrated producers. Over the years, he's released on such acclaimed imprints as Warp, Philpot, Compost, Workshop, Modern Love and Shanti, run his own acclaimed label (Source Records, not to be confused with the French label of the same name) and happily skipped between raw techno, jackin' acid, minimal grooves and high grade deep house, never once putting a foot wrong. It's some record. The Hydrophonics EP sees him in typically fine form, laying down another intoxicating blend of deep house moods. As you'd perhaps expect from someone of Moufang's experience, all three tracks are immaculately produced, with sophisticated use of melody and little compromise to the rules of deep house fashion. Make no mistake, this is house music for the heads - and all the better for it.

Review: Although Chicago features in the release's title, it's fair to say that each producer delivers an individualistic take on US house music for London label Uzuri. At the deeper end of the spectrum sit Dublin's Slowburn and Chicago Skyway aka Sean Hernandez. The duo's "Meteor" is a raw house jam that ticks a lot of boxes: heavy beats that sail close to discordance? Check. Eerie synhs? Present and correct. Shaking, niggling percussion? "Meteor" has it in spades. Hernandez's "Resolution M" also confirms that he is a producer to watch, as shimmering, utopian synths and heavy claps is the most ethereal contribution to the EP. Indeed, "Resoultion M" provides some welcome respite: K Soul & Muteoscillator's "Take 1" features one of the toughest kick drums in house music underpinning an evil acid jam. However, the plaudit for intensity goes to Amsterdam-based duo Juju & Jordash. "Killing Raul With Acid" marks a departure for the duo, as its out of time percussion, noisy, dense drums and wildly distorted acid bleeps descend at times into a wall of noise. It sounds like the sonic interpretation of a nasty LSD trip, but this is a journey that you have to experience at least once.