SECURE SHOPPING
News has filtered through to Juno Plus that Gomma co founder Matias Modica has found time to add the finishing touches on the third Munk album The Bird & The Beat which will be released in February next year.
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It seems slightly odd that in a career that stretches back over 20 years, The Glimmers are only now making their debut proper on Gomma Recordings. In this time the Belgian duo annoyed The Rolling Stones, curated compilations for Eskimo and done mixes for Fabric and DJ Kicks, helped form electroclash and lived to tell the stories, remixed all and sundry and put out countless EPs and albums on their own Diskomo imprint and others.
So remix for Phenomenal Handclap Band aside, the duo of Mo and David make a belated appearance on Gomma with their new album Whomp That Sucker. One sitting with the nine tracks included is all you need to realise it’s been worth the wait. Recorded in conjunction with close pal Ray Mang, David & Mo Glimmers set the tone with the sprawling analogue bliss of opening track “U Rocked My World” with the low acid bass and thumping drums punctuated by a diva vocal refrain. Heavy arpeggios and inventively chaotic drum filters characterise the album’s title track, whilst the dominant bassline on “Beats In Space” are a hallmark of Ray Mang’s involvement. The accompanying press release from Gomma urges the listener to play this album loud and such advice should be followed as the raw sensation of tracks such as “Patty Cake Online” is best experienced when you can feel the sinewy bass throbbing away in your guts, your skull pounded by the turbo-charged percussion and your inner ear perplexed by the multi faceted analogue effects. Whomp That Sucker will remain an album of raw visceral unadulterated dance music which reaps rich rewards on the dancefloor for many years to come.
Tony Poland
Next in line to walk the Juno Plus featured chart tightrope is Italian producer Munk, aka Mathias Modica. The Gomma co-founder has been floating around the electro, disco and house scenes for nigh on a decade now, with his Munich-based imprint (co-run with Jonas Imbery) paying scant attention to trends, instead focusing on simply putting out nice music. Modica recently announced a new EP was on the way, entitled Mondo Vagabondo, following on from the recent La Musica 12″ which came replete with remixes from Azari & III, Tiago and Audiojack. Read on for some more Munk-y magic from our favourite Disco Clown.
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Vintage Italo disco’s greatest moments (and some of its lesser ones) have been covered across many a compilation and 12 inch in recent times. Gomma do the smart thing then and throw the focus on contemporary Italian producers with this compilation of exclusive new tracks curated by Munk aka Gomma founder Matias Modica. Any one with a passing interest in current disco tinged house music will be familiar with most of the names present, as the compilation kicks off with the brilliant “Red Onions” from Bottin. A shimmering fuzz of organ and thumping bass drum are soon engulfed by the sleaziest of basslines and shuffling percussion. The mid section point where synths pulse and kick drums begin to pierce make for one of Bottin’s most engaging productions.
Horse Meat Disco’s Severino follows and displays a hitherto unknown talent for crafting brilliant retro acid jack on “Bounce” which is matched in the high-energy stakes by Hard Ton’s collaboration with The Barking Dogs. Elsewhere Telespazio indulge in some vintage up tempo Italo flex on the splendid “Odeon” that contrasts nicely with the shuddering melancholics of Gomma newcomers Cecile. Rodion and newcomer Alan1 break up the instrumental monopoly with some much-needed vocal tracks whilst Italo space cadets Ajello impress the most with the brilliantly cavernous excursion into throbbing mutant disco that is “Crystal Babe”.
Tony Poland
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.
Review: Oliver Keens
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Artist: Golden Bug
Title: Flamingo
Label: Gomma Dance Tracks
Genre: Disco/Nu Disco
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Gomma boy Golden Bug is quite mysterious. He’s seemingly come from nowhere, yet he’s released an album, remixed some of the biggest names around, toured the world and smashed the tastemaker’s monthly charts – all the while maintaining a playful degree of mystique, beguiling you with genre flitting genius at every drop.
Like other notable bros on the good ship Gomma, Golden Bug is producing jams on the crunchy vocal-electro end of the disco stick. There’s wallowing grooves and vibes for those who enjoy shredding to repetitive vocal loops, but in equal proportion there’s stab-in-eye top lines and hectic electro drum kits. The word ‘quirky’ comes to mind, which is perhaps why he’s seemed to find a pleasant home away from home with several fun releases for the Bang Gang 12’s lads in Sydney.
Flamingo boasts rhythmic, steady guitars pushing through a disenchanted, screeching vocal. For remixes, this pack explores the two dimensions of sound that create the unique madness that is the Bug.
There’s the chaotic vocal-electro dynamics of In Flagranti, alongside an instrumental driven stroll from France’s Rove Dogs. Pete Herbert rides with a bouncy gait atop Golden Bug’s squelchy basslines. Herr Styler’s remix is interesting, EQ’d to thrill then jumping down on a funky piano break with barely time to shout ‘more cowbell’. But In Flagranti is the definite winner on this pack. Moody as you like with deceptively glitchy cuts on the lead hook.
Review: Duncan Byrne
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The latest in our series of exclusive mixes from the superb Gomma stable of artists comes from Spanish electro-tinged disco duo Golden Bug.
The latest exclusive Juno Plus mix from our disco chums at Gomma comes courtesy of the label’s newest signing, Mustang.
Just in time for Christmas…
We’ve got a lovely mix from Jonas Imbery (aka Telonius), one of the founders of Munich-based disco label Gomma (you may also know his work as one half of Munk).
The Telonius project allows Imbery to explore his musical roots, namely early house music from the 80s and 90s and the disco sound of the 70s.
Juno has teamed up with Munich label Gomma to bring you exclusive mixes from the imprint’s impressive stable.
Artist: Phenomenal Handclap Band
Title: 15 to 20
Label: Gomma
Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Brooklyn’s The Phenomenal Handclap Band, two DJ’s turned eight-piece instrumental space-disco experiment, have returned for the second time this year with a few friends.
Their self-titled debut’s highlight, “15 to 20”, featuring the vocals of Lady Tigra, has now been released as a single on Gomma Records alongside remixes by such noteworthy producers as David E. Sugar, Glimmers, Mansfield and Telonius.
This is vintage disco with an acid wash for indie dancefloors, and each producer features their own synthesized vision of the original without losing sight of or overcomplicating its intention.
By Nick Andrews
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Artist: Die Sterne
Title: Der Riss
Label: Gomma
Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Hamburg indie pop outfit Die Sterne return with a new three-track offering on hybrid disco label Gomma.
This latest EP, Der Riss, contains enough vamping vintage house keys and disco-pop delivery to become reminiscent of a lot of DFA’s early output, with Die Sterne coming across as an embryonic -and very Teutonic -LCD (Flüssigkristallanzeige Soundsystem anyone?), particularly on opening track “Deine Pinne” and “Neblige Lichter”.
The remaining track, “Nach Fest Kommt Lose”, has the most Gomma-like sound, with label-mate Headman providing an obvious touchstone for the slappy bass and funky drumming.
Lyrically, it’s difficult to fault, (because I don’t speak German) however vocalist Frank Spilker has a pleasant, if not slightly MOR delivery, which only helps the unintelligible words (at least for this uncultured reviewer) become another integral part of the overall sonic tapestry.
Review: Geoff Leopard
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