Review: Kings of Leeds and The White Isle alike are back on their notorious Gruuv imprint (where else?) and throwing down some of the most well executed and surefire tech house you'll ever hear. Starting out with the very sleek and dark slow burner "Manipulate" it then gets a remix by Systematic head honcho Marc Romboy, whose "Devilfish Attack" remix does exactly what it says on the tin: truly gutsy 303 business for freaks on this one. "Bonafide" is more for the daytime, this one is funky, summery and sexy and expect to be hearing a lot of this one too. The remix by Sante goes more for the classic 90's U.S. house vibe and a nice touch in all its dusty and shuffling glory.
Review: Leeds label 20/20 Vision may have risen to prominence with a deep, US house sound, but over the years that has evolved into something more stripped back and European. Local lads Audiojack are part of this shift and on Mouth, they show exactly why they have become one of the label's key acts. "Fluent" is based on insistent rhythms, repetitive, breathy vocal samples and ticking percussion that will insinuate itself into the listener's cranium. "Stutter" is based on a similar premise, the only difference is that this time the vocals are reduced down to grunts and murmurs as the pair fire off a tracky rhythm. The last track, "Vowels", features a French vocalist intoning words over hypnotic organ riffs, but has lost none of the out there appeal that the other tracks have in spades.
Review: Audiojack goes back to the old school for this release. "No Rest for the Wicked" may have the benefit of modern day production techniques, but at its heart is a timeless progressive house bassline and insistent piano keys that are reminiscent of "Plastic Dreams". HOSH's remix gives the keys that shimmering feeling that Derrick May's productions used to exude and Luna City Express's version opts for a more tribal take. However, it's Audiojack's own "Mind Games" that impresses most with its humming bass, 'life' vocal sample and emotive techno chords last heard on classic Inner City releases like "Good Life". Get into it!
Review: Given the 1990s style 20:20 Vision label artwork employed on this release, it would be safe to say that Audiojack have gained plenty of inspiration from the Leeds' imprint's now distant past. From start to finish, the Get Serious EP sounds like the sort of record that could have been made in the 1990s by the label's trio of founders - Huggy, Ralph Lawson and Carl Finlow. With clear influences from Prescription Records, early tech-house, bumpin' New York grooves and dubby Nottingham deep house, Audiojack have made an EP that sounds both curiously current and decidedly old. It certainly makes for an entertaining four-tracker.
James Rial & Richard Burkinshaw present 1.22 GB of deep grooving house samples including bouncy basslines, tight syncopated drum loops, funky melodic phrases, classic house vocals and more
Review: Mainstays of 20:20 Vision, Audiojack return with a full-bodied three tracker of tech house delights, starting with aplomb on the peak-time belter "No Equal Sides". There's a sugary-sweet melodic hook that rises and falls in the comparatively dark mix of raw drum hits and throbbing sub bass to create an alluring nocturnal blend which begs for you to raise your hands in appreciation. Changing shape as the track ploughs on, the brief moments of daylight make this an unstoppable club smasher. On "Tunnel Vision" the pair enlist Stee Downes for some assistance and opt for a more mellow, broken beat affair, while "In Principle" embraces that broken flavour further with another restrained but devoutly cheeky party juicer.
Review: DJ duo Audiojack return to their Gruuv label with a killer house release. The title track is a classic deep affair; based on a wiry but driving rhythm and rasping percussion, it features sensuous melodies and a ponderous, seductive female vocal. "On The Road" is closer in sound to classic 20/20 Vision, with the pair deploying a detuned riff and an organ sequence over a tough, driving rhythm. Reset Robot turns "Senses" into a deep techno track, with chiming chords and a linear groove underpinning the original version's vocal sample, while on the Dubspeeka version of the same track, a more understated, stripped back approach prevails.
Review: Audiojack continues his merciless house excursions with a hotly tipped remix EP by some of the finest tool-makers in the game. First up is France's mythical house don DJ W!ld with his raved-out version of "Scarlett Groove" - this one is some serious material thanks to its dusty percussion. Then David Mayer's take on "Luna" opts for a tribal touch, and "Psychonaut" itself is reworked by Brett Johnson into a bumping and bleepy house nugget with slice n' dice percussion flex. Essential DJ weapons.
Review: Leeds-based likely lads Audiojack have been in great form of late, with singles on Hot Creations and Crosstown Rebels introducing them to a new generation of DJs who may be unfamiliar with their earlier work on 20:20 Vision. "Spirit" is typically electronic, with much use of raw synths and crunchy drum hits, but also pleasingly tuneful thanks to rising and falling melody lines. The track's inherent cheerfulness and chiming synthesizer parts are emphasized further on Fort Romeau's stunning remix, which feels like one long sloppy French kiss under the influence of potent happy pills. To round things off, the Yorkshire duo gets back to basics on "Equilibrium", wrapping Red Zone style riffs and arpeggio melody lines around rolling deep house beats.
Review: Leeds legends Audiojack return to Josh Butler's ORIGINS RCRDS to deliver some riveting new material, after a slew of top releases for the likes of Crosstown Rebels, Hot Creations and Knee Deep In Sound over recent years - not to mention running their own well respected Gruuv label. They deliver two tracks, with "No More" kicking off proceedings with its soulful Detroit inspired vibe, not limited to an epic and emotive chord progression that has to be heard. This is followed up by the high-octane adrenaliser that is "On The Run". This proves that the duo are still true experts of rocking the main room at peak time - slinky and hypnotic UK tech-house at its best.
Review: Following impressive outings on Gruuv and Knee Deep in Sound, Leeds-based tech-house stalwarts Audiojack return to Crosstown Rebels for the first time since 2017. It's the long-serving production partnership's first release of the year and contains two typically on-point cuts. "Inside My Head" sees the duo doff a cap to fellow Leeds dance music royalty Nightmares on Wax via a heavyweight, bass-heavy peak-time workout that utilizes the same Cuba Gooding vocal sample as the veteran Warp act used on their 1990 cut "I'm For Real". As tribiutes go, it's rather good. There's a little more funk to the swinging tech-house/hip-house fusion of "Behind The Curtain", where rap samples and jammed-out electric piano lines ride a sweaty but rubbery groove.
Review: Next up on Hot Since 82's respected Knee Deep In Sound imprint are fellow Northerners and head honchos for an equally revered powerhouse: Gruuv. Audiojack serve up three tough rolling grooves for the main room, guaranteed to rock peak-time dance floors as far and wide as their hometown Leeds to their residency on The White Isle this Summer. From the slinky and atmospheric mood lighting of "First Flight" that's perfect to build the vibe in the main room earlier on, to the classic rave nostalgia of "Warehouse" featuring jacked diva vocals, hardcore style breakbeats and a few good ol' 'Mentasms' for added effect - no one does it quite like Audiojack. This is followed by a tremendous remix by scene heroes Pig & Dan, who give the track a darker, tunnelling and truly 'warehouse' style vibe that has earned them releases on top label Drumcode.
Review: Hot Creations are back everyone; look out! Continuing on with their modus operandi, it's business as always: punchy and summery tech house for hedonists. Who better to tap for such a track than Leeds via Ibiza troublemakers and Gruuv head honchos Audiojack, with a bit of help from Kevin Kanpp. "Vibrate" is a bit more restrained than their usual stuff but it's still a killer. Deep, druggy and funky for the warm up or post-peak time alike. There's a couple of remixes of said track by Berlin's ReYou and m_nus affiliate Barem; it's the latter's which stands out the most, keeping it in the trippy and warped after-hours tempo. Second original track "Random Matter" keeps things on the deeper spectrum, sounding like a mid-noughties Innervisions jam in a way. Nice one!
Review: 8 bit chief Nick Curly has taken two tracks from his back catalogue and tapped Leeds-based heroes Audiojack (Gruuv) to rework his 2016 song "The Voodoo" into a funked-up and rolling thriller aimed squarely at dancefloors on The White Isle. Curly has described the remix as 'perfect' - enough said! If that was not enough, Italian main room techno expert Marco Faraone gets tapped for some remix action too, and he sure does deliver the goods. Curly has known the Tuscan producer since the early days of Cecille and had wanted to reconnect with him for some time. The Uncage main man gets straight down to business on the steely and swing-fuelled remix on "No Takers" which was originally released by Curly in 2018 - and it's a right stomper!
