You Got Me Going Crazy (Berlin dub) - (7:23) 126 BPM
You Got Me Going Crazy - (7:07) 126 BPM
Review: By now Holic Trax is one of the most assured house labels of the day. As such it makes sense that they turn to another well regarded house producer in Brett Johnson for their next EP. Johnson is an American who has excelled at every dance style over the years. With a classical bent to his tunes, he likes bump and groove and always serves up no nonsense jams on labels like Classic, Housewax and Visionquest. Here he excels with three new tracks as well as one collaboration with tech house legend CPEN. Sumptuous "Slow Tide" is the slick opener and is the sort of soulful, expertly produced jam only a veteran could come up with. Smooth synths have a real sense of feeling, skipping drums bring the groove and a rich bassline recalls the work of Chi town great, Boo Williams. The delicious "Music" is then more direct and physical, with scratchy perc and epic drums punching out a busy pattern. Glass tinkles and smeared pads soften the edges of this deep but jacking track The standout "You Got Me Going Crazy (Berlin Dub)" then finds Brett teaming up with cult figure CPEN to excellent effect. It is a trippy and freaky late night tech cut with slinky lines, spooky vocals and real electronic funk in its bones. Sure to set ?floors on fire, it gets followed up by the joyous house skip, modern soul and bendy machine funk of "Don't Forget to Smile".
E Is For Edible (continuous DJ mix) - (58:56) 126 BPM
Review: Despite being just two years old, Nick Harris and Eats Everything's label has established itself as one of modern house music's most promising imprints. This collection, which features tracks from Edible's first ten releases, shows why. It begins with the jerky groove, prowling bass and vocal screeches of Lord Leopard's "Mark of Passion", while Lauren Lane's "Diary of a Madwoman" documents a darker, less party-focused take on Edible's rhythm-heavy, off-beat sound. Brett Johnson, whose work has undoubtedly inspired many of the artists on the label, makes an appearance with the driving, heads-down "Jack", while Rhythm Masters deliver a disco-heavy take on the sound with "Feel Your Love". All in all, this compilation is good enough to eat.
Review: Brett Johnson was always one of the most innovative house producers and this release for the re-launched Classic shows that he hasn't lost his signature sound. On the OG Demo mix of "Mr Johnson's Talk'n Now", he lays down a gritty, stripped back house groove, replete with lo fi blips and bursts of noise that accompany wired, weird vocal samples. The 'Luke's Video Games Rework' is just as off-beat, with the vocals deeper in the mix and a furious stab taking centre stage, while the 'BJ Revamp' remix swings back towards Johnson's wild, stripped back sound. Only on "Give It To Them" does he opt for a more conventional approach, with a disco stab riding the relentlessly jacking groove.
Review: Australia's Balance Music is known for its quality mixes by the very finest in the underground music circuit. With previous compilations by the likes of New York's Danny Tenaglia, Deetron and Funk D'Void, among others, this is as close to a Fabric mix as you can get without those shiny tin cases. Ex-minimal legend turned all-out techno queen Magda steps up for number 27 in the series, and it's nothing but vibes on this one. Amalgamating shreds of stripped back techno - Marcel Dettmann, DVS1, Samuli Kemppi - together with newer, more underground sounds from some of the most cutting-edge labels around - Marco Bernardi's Sandman project, TTT's Minor Science, XDB and Shackleton - the Minus legend shows why she's still one of the best in the game and a true expert at evolving her aesthetic. A great mix, dig in.
Review: Dallas producer Brett Johnson's output may have slowed down in the past few years, but this release for Get Physical shows that he hasn't lost his ability to craft jacking, stripped back house. "Do It Like This" is led by a powerful, pumping bass and features dissected vocal drops, before leading into a deranged, ravey breakdown. "Amnesia" shows another side to his production approach; a spaced out, beatsy affair, its eerie synth lines float into the ether like plumes of gray smoke. Best of all though is "Still Charged". It starts with a druggy vocal that asks the author about being 'back in the game' and whether still feels 'charged'? By way of supporting a positive response, Johnson delivers a jerky, insistent rhythm that never stops jacking.
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