Artist: The Phenomenal Handclap Band Title: Baby Label:Gomma Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: Digital Buy From:Juno Download
After dropping their sparkling debut album last year, the nine-piece funky behemoth known as The Phenomenal Handclap Band are back with new single “Baby”, as well as these exceptionally good remixes. Parisian electroclash survivors Black Strobe smooth out the rough edges of the organic-sounding original on their mix, reinventing the tune as a cosmic disco odyssey complete with lush layers of gliding synths.
Daniel Haaksman takes a different approach – adding a heavy dose of funky bounce to his mix via some Baltimore-flavoured drums and cleverly chopped horn stabs. There are big builds with white noise billowing all over the place that drop into a beat that has good times embedded in it’s DNA.
In short, it’s required listening. Clock Opera (aka producer Guy Connelly) is getting a lot of great press at the moment and his take on Baby will have you firmly in his fan club too. A truly mesmerising disco fantasy that keeps the clanking guitars and rocksteady drums intact, and then adds delicious side-chained synths that fit like a glove around the vocal. Like LCD’s “Something Great”, the fluttering keys ramp up the emotion no end.
Yet another unique reimagining of Baby comes from Italian remixer Rodion, who drops the bpm down slightly to a midtempo strut and puts the horns centre stage, turning it into almost a reggaeton styled beat. With so much variety on these mixes, there’s plenty to charm listeners across a wide variety of styles.
Andrade drops his first EP on Steve Bug’s Dessous imprint. Alongside “Face De Bouc,” we get two more original Andrade productions and a remix of the title track provided by fellow Frenchman, D’Julz. Since arriving on French label, Time Has Changed last year, Andrade has managed to build a fresh, deep sound of his own. This sound, as heard over EPs such as “Design Pattern,” “Fingers” and “Day of Defeat” on the aforementioned label has so impressed Dessous owner, Steve Bug that the German signed him up for two EPs on his own imprint.
“Face De Bouc” is the first of these, showcasing his deep and groovy, house sound that slots perfectly onto Dessous. The title track is a pumping take on disco house. The vocal stipulates “take a ride,” something that Andrade’s playfully funky bassline immediately does. Swinging beats join the mix before simple, more rumbling bass takes over and starts to drive the track. Using cosmic elements and some nifty horn parts, the track builds and builds as its funkiness comes back to life again.
D’Julz, who is seemingly the face of this EP, comes next with his trademark upfront and high quality take. Starting off in tougher tract, the remix remains grounded through some deft jazz-like percussion. With its dub influenced approach to house music, this remix displays all the quality and skill that has made D’Julz the in-demand artist he is now. Finishing with two more Andrade tracks, the Frenchman stakes his claim to be held in such regard. “Old Rules” is tight, funky sub bass working in perfect cohesion with classic house stabs whereas “Prototype” goes even deeper than the rest, complete with soft female vocal meanderings and solid pumping grooves.
This is Andrade showing just what he’s got for his first EP for Dessous, and as far as I can see – besides ample groove and funk, that also seems to be a whole lot of talent.
A review of Joker must, it would seem by the unwritten rules of music journalism, make mention of “purple wow” – the somewhat tongue-in-cheek groundbreaking sound he virtually single handedly created, and continues to propagate, alongside fellow Bristol 140bpm brethren, Guido and Gemmy (both hotly tipped for 2010, by the way).
This one-sided 12”, with an etching on the flip, and a VIP mix available on digital download, marks the fifth release on Joker’s very own Kapsize label. In terms of points of reference, we can’t ignore such seminal moments from his past as “Digidesign” (undisputed bass anthem of 2009 alongside Joy Orbison’s “Hyph Mngo”) and his collaborative work with Ginz, “Purple City”.
Leading on in this vein, “Tron” is another masterpiece to hang in Joker’s already ornately decorated wall of musical fame. Scintillating synth manipulation, ticking beats, screeching, glitched up melodic interplay and womping, heaving basslines predominate here. With either foot planted firmly in grime and dubstep, at its core “Tron” is a flagship tune for that iconic, synaesthetic manifestation of the elusive ‘Bristol Sound’ of the present day. As we said all along, you can always count on Joker to add some colour to the soundwaves.
Artist: Bonobo Title: Black Sands Label:Ninja Tune Genre: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz Format: 12″, CD, Digital Buy From: Juno Records (12″, CD), Juno Download
Black Sands, the eagerly anticipated fourth album from Simon Green AKA Bonobo, is no revolutionary change from his signature sound but does come with perhaps even more subtlety and complexity than his previous offerings. Having constantly instilled a degree of integrity and value back into chillout music following the influx of Cafe Del Mar and Coffeeshop compilations, Green once again displays a musicianship that sets him apart as a true artist and producer amongst a sea of downtempo and chillout DJs.
His undeniably clear understanding of composition and arrangement of live instruments has enabled Green to make an album that reaches out through diverse styles, taking influence and inspiration from wherever possible. On Black Sands, Green delves into electronic music and bass more than he did across Animal Magic, Dial “M” For Monkey or Days To Come but does so with enough subtlety and finesse to refrain from causing a radical shift in his product.
Tracks like “Kiara,” “We Could Forever” and “All In Forms” all utilise beats and bass in a more contemporary outlook than we are used to with Bonobo. Of course the instrumental feel is still there for all to see. Title track “Black Sands” takes this position for almost seven minutes of a horn infused waltz whereas “Kong” assumes the traditional soul-jazz Bonobo take and “Animals” lets delicate drum patterns guide us through pleasing tempo shifts. The instrumental vibe is highlighted further in the album’s approach to vocals. Unlike his last album, Days To Come which was littered with vocals, Black Sands houses only three tracks that contain vocals. The breathy vocals of Andreya Triana complete tracks like “Stay the Same” and “The Keeper” turning them in more traditional songs.
Black Sands is another lovingly crafted offering that uses orchestral arrangements but this time merged with more of a dance aesthetic. As he continues to make chillout more credible in his experimental way, it’s no wonder that Bonobo is one of the biggest artists to come from the excellent Ninja Tune.
It’s been eight years since Brooklyn duo Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani released their eponymous album as Metro Area. Drawing on R&B, disco, boogie, house and techno, it not only stood the test of time, but is now rated as one of the finest underground dance albums of all time. After a trip to London for the Red Bull Music Academy, Morgan spoke to Juno Plus editor Aaron Coultate about Metro Area’s new “bubblegum” sound, his own solo work and the era of disposable music.
Manuel Tur arrives on Delusions of Grandeur’s eighth release on top of a wave of recent productivity. He has been putting out his own singles on labels such as Pokerflat, Freerange, Mild Pitch and Drumpoet in addition to his work as one half of his Ribn project with partner Lagenberg, not to mention a plethora of remixes.
His latest solo effort, “Beasts and the Birds” lets his shimmering deep house lead the way over two original tracks and remix from Tim Toh. “Fianchetto” opens the release in a dark and spaced out mood. Ultra deep from start to finish, the tight percussion merges with warm, subby disco beats and echoing horns to make for disturbingly hypnotic listening. The breakdown reduces the tune to strange vocal parts and alien FX, creating a wonderfully spooky atmosphere that sounds even more massive on the big systems.
Developing the disco theme further, “Beast and the Birds” sounds like super contemporary disco, keeping the style of the sound but in a heavily looped fashion that draws on the attitude and characteristics of Detroit. The beat is the driving force here, but we also get some horns and guitar alongside tidy percussion as this deep track rolls along contentedly. Young German producer, Tim Toh is on had to finish the release with a remix of the title track. He stretches “Beasts and the Birds” out in a delightfully abstract nine minute journey. Heavily layered, the remix keeps the vibe of Manuel Tur’s offering, but twists it around new layers of sound.
This is raw house music from Manuel Tur here. Tapping into his deep, slightly edgy sound, “Beasts and the Birds” continues to show us that he knows how to create an atmosphere whilst exploring the deepest regions of house.
Artist: Childproof Man Title: Ritual Feeling Label: Spectral Sound Genre: Minimal House/Tech House Format: Digital Buy From:Juno Download
Spectral Sound, the dancefloor-centric offshoot of companion label Ghostly International is known for releasing leftfield, quirky sounding house and techno from heavyweights such as Audion, Osborne and Seth Troxler.
This “out there” tradition continues with the mysterious Childproof Man’s Ritual Feeling. According to the Ghostly/Spectral Sound website, a demo was sent to them via old school mail with no return address or information attached. The package consisted of two tracks totalling more than 30 minutes of pensive, moody journeys of total groove.
True to its name, title track, Ritual Feeling is a 17 minute steady floor filler with mantra-like vocal samples and a fat bass that just keeps plodding onward, upward and beyond. Play this and the dance floor will hypnotically be in the palm of your hand (plus, there’s plenty of time to mix in and out of the track)! Who’s Been Meaning To is a more subtle, yet equally stunning afffair filled with vocal snippets under an even-keeled thump that hauntingly breaks near the eight-and-a half minute mark gradually delving into deeper and darker terrain as you lose track of all time. Choice debut ep for Childproof Man- who the hell are you?!
Our latest dubstep podcast is online now, featuring the stripped down, techy and outright in-your-face tracks that have been doing the business on Juno Download this week.
The inimitable DJ Harvey has revealed he is working on a remix for rock/blues duo the Black Keys, and the second part of the Locussolus project is on the way.
Artist: Audion and Mike Parker Title: Document Part 2 Label: Spectral Sound Genre: Minimal/Tech House Format: 12″, Digital Buy From:Juno Records, Juno Download
Another solid sampler from Spectral’s soon to drop Document compilation. Quite a departure from the twisted house of Part 1, this instalment comprises a pair of full-on techno monsters.
Audion’s “Just Me” taps a similar vein to his recent Spectral output, with another relentlessly looping exercise in twisted groove. Carefully timed percussive drops form the body of the tracks, slowly piling into the seething mass of beats and effects. The best way to describe it would be like a deeply disturbing walk through a techno jungle; animalistic growls stir beneath the sequenced undergrowth, while a demented lead calls plaintively overhead. Fun stuff.
The second track comes courtesy of new Spectral signing Mike Parker, a visual artist with a penchant for pitch black techno. “Protolanguage” lives up to its name, taking techno to its most stripped down and primitive. An acid line writhes its way between the steady kick pattern, whilst ominous atmospherics pervade the lower frequencies. Already a favourite with Marcel Dettmann (arguably, the biggest name on the techno circuit at the moment), this is an effective tool for the darkest of dark rooms.
Artist: The Crystal Ark Title: The City Never Sleeps Label: DFA US Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: Digital Buy From: Juno Download
Following the awesome gothic techno thump of his Black Meteoric Star project last year, Gavin Russom returns from a five week stint travelling through Brazil full of inspiration and yet another alias in The Crystal Ark. Much like the title, the prodigious nature of Russom’s musical mind evidently has little time for human needs such as sleep.
“The City Never Sleeps” is a typically intricate production that adds and strips layers of percussion, pulsing basslines wiggling synths and some hypnotic vocals from Viva Ruiz over the space of 12 minutes with spell binding results.
Artist: Kerri Chandler Title: The Essentials (Nite Grooves) Label:NiteGrooves US Genre: Funky/Club House Format: Digital Buy From:Juno Download
Whether it’s deep, afro, or tech house it always sounds soulful when it comes to Mr. “Kaos 6:23”. The New Jersey native is responsible for producing countless classics such as “Atmosphere”, “Inspiration” with Arnold Jarvis, “Escravos de Jo” with Joe Claussell and “Get it Off” just to name a few. More recently with “Bar A Thym” and “Pong” he’s definitely attracted new ears to his broad spectrum of sound. Looking at the bulk and wide range of this gentleman’s work, it is safe to say that if you are a Kerri Chandler fan or just started listening to him, this is definitely for you.
The Essentials serves up a good handful of releases from legendary US Garage labels Nite Grooves and King Street Sounds. Other than ‘Bar A Thym”, there are other great deep Kerri tracks: “Harder Gets Harder” and “It’s You”. More uplifting, vocal tracks balance the pallette out with: “I Never Knew Her”, “The Sun’s Coming Up”, the gospel number “Hallelujah”, and then ending with the classic “Just Wanna Be With U (King Street Mentality Club)”
For me, Kerri Chandler was one of those names back then that really stuck out, flipping through stacks of vinyl in record stores back in college. He always had this warm soulful sound that was easily accessible. This release will be nostalgic to others, but will also provide a good intro to his work to newcomers. These days, other than his DJ sets around the globe, he’s still churning out so much dance music, evolving his sound all the time. Pretty impressive. Looks like this man won’t be slowing down one bit.
Kicking off with Wolf + Lamb label boss Zev’s “Forget The World”, Silicone Soul bring Juno Plus an eclectic Top Ten of their current favourite tracks. Having long been an integral part of the Soma Records family run by Slam, the Glaswegian duo have been running their own Darkroom Dubs label which they are about to release their second compilation from.
Finally it’s starting to feel like Spring at Juno Plus, with follow-ups on disco heavyweights like In Flagranti and podcasts with a selection of goodies in the Breakbeat and Minimal veins
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