Filter
Played by: Honey Soundsystem
Played by: Bart&Baker
Various
Review: As its title suggests, the latest compilation on Bpitch gives vent to the label's deeper side. It begins with Chaim's "Rain", where jazzy textures bubble to the surface over dubby beats. The track has an ethereal, almost subdued feeling to it and is in stark contrast to the raucous minimalism that Bpitch is sometimes associated with. This understated approach isn't confined to Chaim's contribution however; even more dance floor tracks like the pumping bass of Cormac's "The Present" are teeming with emotive undercurrents and Kassem Mosse's version of Ellen Alien's "Our Utopie" sees a series of chiming bells prevail over a pumping groove.
Played by: Tulioxi
Played by: Kim Ann Foxman
Played by: Axer Rouf
Review: As well as being a vocalist for peerless disco outfit Hercules and Love Affair, Aerea Negrot has a great sideline in more tech and dub-influenced songwriting. Following on from last year's debut single "All I Wanna Do", BPitch Control drop her latest collection of songs this week and they're a revelation. "Miss You" sees Negrot feed her vocals through a vocoder and duet with herself over a slow and sultry waves of synth pads, while "Right Body Wrong Time" channels the golden age of Chicago with her commanding vocals dipping in and out of a minimal-jack beat. "Childhood" is equally fascinating, with Negrot's swooping vocalisms strongly recalling Liz Frazer of the Cocteau Twins mixed with Grace Jones.
Played by: Plain Pits
Various
Review: If two years ago you'd said to even the most open-minded BPitch Control fan that the diverse label would be putting out soulful torch songs in 2011, they would have questioned your sanity. However, that's exactly what's happened. On Werkschau, the latest compilation from Ellen Allien's Berlin imprint, the centrepiece is the smoky, seductive soul of Jahcoozi's "Day In, Day Out". It's not an aberration: the other highlights here are characterised by a focus on deeply personal contributions. Be it the muffled vocals on Chaim's dub techno, Sascha Funke's unforgettably melodic techno poem, "Hiddensee" or Kiki & Lenz and Zander VT's explorations of disco-fuelled, vocal-led house on "Morning Maniacs" and "Gotta Look Up To Get Down" respectively, every shared experience is worth its weight in gold.
