Review: Dustin Zahn's mix of "Kinda High Auf Und Ab" leads this release on Chris Liebing's imprint and it's a real techno treat. The vocals from the original are processed and looped stunningly over the top of a moody and hypnotic beat that maintains its momentum perfectly throughout the tune. Alex Bau's ?Arctica? is also included, and it's again made up of all the classic components - dark rumbling bass and ear-piercing hats that show no mercy.
Review: The eighth instalment of Cocoon's Dots And Pearls compilation series starts on a light note. JOSS' "Assessing" is a melodic techno track powered by cascading snares and swirling pads. In a similar style is Emanuel Satie's "When I First Met You (I Knew You Were The One)", where angelic voices and soaring strings make for an uplifting track. There's an edgier sensibility on Denis Horvat & Skarn's chugging "Triii", reflected also on Aocram & Ramsey Neville's acid-led "Brooklyn Structure".
The mood continues to darken with the EBM influences of Alex Bau's grinding "Antidot", while the ever-reliable Redshape resurfaces with the pulsating "Ghost Story". But it's only a temporary situation and Harald Bjork's "Aluco" rounds off the release with an ominous tranced-out track.
Review: We know Alex Bau, he's a familiar face, an artist who has been part of the modern house scene since the turn of the millennium and, importantly, one who has always managed to reinvent himself, and approach dance music through a fresh pair of lenses. This new release for Sven Vath's Cocoon imprint is the perfect example of this man's versatility and creativity behind the mixing desk; neither "Illuse" or "Etah" sound like they belong to particular sub-genres of house or techno, they're just great club tracks that have used different aspects of the past to arrive at something new. The former is a driving bullet of a techno tune, a missile with only the dance floor mind and a single bleep to carry it forwards, while the latter heads down a much darker, more intricate web of pseudo acid that'll blow the socks off just about any sort of dancer.
Review: It's that time again: Sven Vath's powerhouse Cocoon Recordings presents the next volume in its alphabetically themed series and brings out all the big guns in typical fashion. There are many highlights, but for our money we'd bet on fellow Frankfurt homeboys Einzelkind, Robin Schulz & Rhythm Factory who team up for the bouncy, late night tech house of "N.2guts", masked Berlin techno impresario Redshape on the brooding dark journey track 'The Choice", Glaswegian legend Alex Smoke with the funky microhouse jam "Porridge" and of course Ovum Recordings man/Philly's finest Josh Wink with the droning peak time acid trip "Buoyantly Grounded". It will take you ecstatic heights like he has done previously.
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