Edinburgh’s mysterious Firecracker imprint has built up quite a following since its inception in 2004, taking deep house music as the central sound but delving into influences as diverse as jazz, reggae, hip-hop and Detroit techno.
Featured DJ Chart: Linkwood & House of Traps (Best of 2009)
by Juno Plus on 22.12.2009 at 13:13pmReview: Layo & Bushwacka! – Deep South (Linkwood & House Of Traps remixes)
by Juno Plus on 08.12.2009 at 17:25pm
Artist: Layo & Bushwacka!
Title: Deep South
Label: Juno
Genre: Deep House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Layo & Bushwacka! comprise of Matthew ‘Bushwacka’ B, a former member of the infamous Rat Pack, and Layo Paskin, a North Londoner immersed in the acid house scene. They met through Mr C whilst Matthew was working at his studio, and by the mid 90s the two had started writing music together.
By 1999 they composed their debut album, Low Life, released on End Recordings. The album announced the arrival of the duo as a force in electronic music, with a record that brought together electro, house and breakbeat fused with blues, dub and downtempo; all underpinned and informed by their collective experience of underground culture.
One of the standout tracks of this was “Deep South”, with its Bessie Smith vocal sample, jazzy trumpet solo, luscious, techy instrumentation and irresistible dance groove.
On this release, the ever-mysterious Edinburgh crew Linkwood and House of Traps chip in with two remixes, picking up on Layo & Bushwacka’s early acid house influences and using a lot of tape and silver boxes to achieve an authentic-yet-contemporary Chicago sound.
Review: James Thomson
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Review: Linkwood & House of Traps, Fudge Fingas – EP 4
by Juno Plus on 02.12.2009 at 16:44pm
Artist: Linkwood/House of Traps/Fudge Fingas
Title: EP 4
Label: Firecracker
Genre: Deep House
Format: 10″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
It’s been a long time coming but Firecracker have finally unleashed the fourth volume in their EP series.
The Boutique Scottish imprint has built up quite a following since their inception in 2004, with their infrequent output from Linkwood, Fudge Fingas and House of Traps taking deep house music as the central sound but delving into influences as diverse as jazz, reggae, hip-hop and Detroit techno. The label’s distinctive artistic direction with limited runs of 10″ vinyl that combines bold fonts with comic book illustrations on a hand screen printed finish has helped secure Firecracker cult status amongst the vinyl fetish disco edit lovers.
Firecracker’s most celebrated son, Linkwood has already dropped a hugely impressive debut album this year (of course you know this already) and his two contributions to EP4 provide ample evidence of his production nous. “Barely Eagle”, his collaboration with label buddy House of Traps is a slo-mo disco burner that has already got fans in The Unabombers and Trevor Jackson and is likely to find itself as a set opener for many a mixtape.
“Who La La” is perhaps the highlight, a bouncey uptempo edit that reaches into 80s electro boogieland and has some sublime synthwork. Fudge Fingas provides a more downtempo excursion into Cosmic Soul on “Situation Diminished”.
This is an essential purchase for Firecracker obsessives and a very good place to start for those intrigued.
Review: Tony Poland
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Win signed Layo & Bushwacka! 12″s
by Juno Plus on 01.12.2009 at 17:33pm
We’ve got a rather special prize on offer here at Juno Plus: 10 test pressings of the new Layo & Bushwacka! remix 12″, signed by Layo & Bushwacka, Linkwood & House of Traps.
The remix package to the classic tune “Deep South” has already garnered some positive feedback from DJing cognoscenti including Ashley Beedle, Pete Herbert, The Revenge and Mark E.
It will be released on December 7 on 12” and CD via Juno Records. Digital copies will be available from Juno Download.
To enter, all you have to do is answer this simple question: Which infamous DJ collective was Matthew B with before he became one half of “Layo & Bushwacka!”?
Email your answer and postal address to: competitions@juno.co.uk
Winners will be notified by Monday, December 7.
New Layo & Bushwacka! remixes
by Juno Plus on 26.11.2009 at 13:39pm
Check out the exclusive new remixes to classic Layo & Bushwacka! tune “Deep South”, by Linkwood, House of Traps and Badboe.
They will be released on December 9 on 12” and CD via Juno Records. Digital copies will be available from Juno Download.
