Acuna - "Don't Need Your Love, Baby" - (5:12) 174 BPM
DJ Hybrid - "I Get Mash Up" - (4:52) 175 BPM
SR & Digbee - "Morning Strummer" - (4:26)
Ricky Force - "Setbacks" - (5:19) 170 BPM
Review: A truly delightful EP here from36 Hertz, "The Aztec Bass EP" celebrates a wealth of talent from the label, including such names as Acuna, DJ Hybrid, SR & Digbee and Ricky Force. Kicking things off with "Don't Need Your Love Baby" by Acuna and the spaced out intro switches into a synth driven, vocal hook and ensuing drop which is full of rattling metallic beats. DJ Hybrid's "I Get Mash Up" carries on with its bellowing bass and uplifting, polished vocal sections, before we move on to SR & Digbee's "Morning Strummer". Here things get a bit more rough and dirty on a Wilkinson-style tip before last but not least Ricky Force brings things to a close with the driving bass of "Setbacks".
Review: Any time that DJ Harvey gives us a sneak peek into the current contents of his record bag - sorry, USB stick - is a cause for celebration. As you can imagine, we're cock-a-hoop that he's decided to deliver a follow-up to his superb 2017 compilation "The Sound of Mercury Rising". As with its predecessor, volume two offers a giddy skip through chiming, synth-heavy original Balearic classics (Mandy Smith, Hugh Mane), weirdo European disco (Marta Acuna), evocative electronic soundscapes (System Olympia), blue-eyed synth-pop (Pamela Nivens), drum machine-powered Middle Eastern madness (Switchdance's sublime "Arabian Ride")and a swathe of tasty contemporary cuts (the jaunty jazz-funk of Midlife, Das Komplex's ace "Slap", Nu Guinea's splendid "Je Vulesse" and Peaking Lights remix of Land of Light being the highlights).
Review: This compilation arrives with a rich heritage of V Recordings compilations behind it, and Planet V has for a number of years been the flagship series for Bryan Gee's label. Edition four comes to a whopping 73 tracks and includes a mix as well, and all the familiar V faces are present, from Alibi to Paul t & Edward Oberon. All of the tunes have already seen the light of day in a previous form, and Disrupta and Duskee's 'Deep Thoughts' is one of the standouts, as Disrupta lays down a minimal yet funky beat for Duskee to rap lyrical over, something he does with serious presence. New gun SL8r makes several appearances, including on the excellent 'What U Need', which bounces along in a synthscape of serious depth and texture, its funky nodes nodding to the beat of a vintage blend. Crossover outfit Think Tonk also shine with 'Tom & Heavy', an offering unique in its stepping, breaksy percussion and one which oozes soulful class. There are dozens more to have a gander at, so take your pick.
