Review: A veteran of the Italian house scene since the early 90s, Carmelo Carone has been A&R and label manager for the mighty Trax Records since 2015, in which guise he's brought us remixes and edits of classic cuts from the likes of Larry Heard, Frankie Knuckles and Todd Terry. Now his debut long-player has arrived, and as you'd expect, classic house influences abound, particularly those of Mr Fingers-style Chicago deepness and the Italian dreamhouse of the 90s. From the piano-sprinkled 'Way Out' to the more techno-leaning 'Yokota', via the sultry, garage-y vibes of 'Lost Sound' and the Eastern-tinged cosmic throb of 'All About Me', there's much to enjoy here.
Review: "Chicago" is a pure jacking house tune which features all the hallmarks of the Trax Records sound: the legendary Windy City label which founded the house and acid house legacy. Milanese legend Carmelo Carone fits with the unique sound of TRAX, which is said to have very much influenced over the years his artistic identity. The "UK mix" gets a bit darker and dubbier with those MK style keys atop, which are a great touch. There's also some fine remixes on offer, but for our money it's all about the tough, swing fuelled jack courtesy of the Hologram Hookers which is reminiscent of classic Armand Van Helden or Miky Talarico's slow burning cosmic disco rendition.
Review: Italian DJ/producer Carmelo Carone has been active on the Milan scene since the early '90s, though it took him until the tail end of the noughties to get into the studio. The people behind Chicago's re-born TRAX label clearly see something in him, though, and here give the veteran producer a deserved chance to shine. "Underground Spirit" is something of a deep and dreamy gem, with clear influences from vintage Larry Heard productions, early Chicago acid, and the spine-tingling loveliness of late '80s Italian house. "Bronx", meanwhile, doffs a cap to early-to-mid '90s New York house, with garage style organ stabs and reverb-laden vocals riding a smooth deep house groove.
Accepting Each Other (feat Yespiring - Carmelo Carone mix) - (8:14) 125 BPM
Review: This series of remixes and edits embraces the original spirit of acid house without sounding like a pastiche of the late 80s musical explosion. Spektro's remix of "Das Minimal Fonk" features abstract percussion and wired riffs underscored by dark claps, while Carone's own version of "Accepting Each Other" sees dreamy, crystalline synths combined with a visceral, grinding bass. The rest of the release doesn't boast the same level of mixing and matching, but it will score highly with DJs. In particular, the throbbing, brooding bass of "Halopolis" and Spektro's take on "Stellar Mission", which veers from minimal house into one of the wildest acid freakouts this side of DJ Pierre, are both sure to strike a chord.
Handuhas/Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer/Grzech Piotrowski/Azat Bikchurin/Marat Faizullin And Juliya Bahtieva - "One Apple For Five Men" (Zlat Deep Freq mix) - (5:50) 120 BPM
Abity - "Aeroplane" (dub mix) - (8:16) 118 BPM
Rubik - "Dub Roots" - (8:38) 120 BPM
Olaf Over - "Sympathica" - (7:04) 129 BPM
Hacker & Gariy - "Rock The Bass" - (8:01) 122 BPM
PaxDee And FonnikDeep - "It's My Party" (Caprivian dub) - (7:12) 120 BPM
