Review: Polish pair Catz 'N Dogz have mixed things up a lot over the last few years, expanding their musical repertoire to include nods to Balearica, nu-disco and synth-soul. Even so, they remain particularly good at delivering big, bold and breathless peak-time house anthems, as their latest release for Edible proves. 'First Night Out' is insanely heavy and driving, with mutilated trumpet sounds, raw electronic stabs and cut-up vocal snippets rising above a thunderous bassline and the most energetic house beat you're likely to hear all year. Eats Everything opts to build on this "Derrick Carter style 'boompty' house-on-steroids" feel on his remix, adding even wilder acid sounds, an even deeper bassline and some seriously mind-altering electronic motifs.
Review: Second time around for Catz 'N Dogz and Gerd Janson's first collaborative single, 'Modern Romance', a gloriously retro-futurist fusion of nu-disco, classic house and freestyle synth-pop that's here given a freshen up courtesy of three talented remixers. Dusky steps up first to deliver a pair of insanely sub-heavy revisions, both of which add rave style piano riffs, stirring chords and stabbing bass to a peak-time-ready breakbeat groove. Bella Boo takes an entirely different approach, opting for a mixture of shuffling house drums, chiming melodies, wavy electronics and delay-laden vocal snippets, while Ryan Elliot's remix and dub versions are muscular, classic-sounding affairs that reminded us of vintage David Morales Red Zone mixes of early '90s synth-pop hits. A terrific remix package all told.
Review: It's been over a year since their Ayu EP on Diynamic and now Catz 'n Dogz return with another infectious release. The title track is available in two versions, and despite its name, the "Existential Mix" is an infectious affair: based on a niggling groove, it features searing acid lines that accompany catchy vocal samples. On the "Reality Mix", the Polish pair opt for a more heads-down approach; utilising dense tribal drums and a pulsating bass, they still include the vocal samples. This combination makes for a tripped out but highly effective track that will rock late night dance floors.
Review: Gerd Janson is back on the Misfit Melodies imprint, an occasionally used subsidiary of Running Back, serving up a superb remix here of the track he created last year with PETS Recordings duo Catz 'N Dogz. The one of course is "Modern Romance" and reworked by 17 Steps head honchos Dusky. The main remix has an undeniable UK-style energy about it, capturing that ecstatic Second Summer of Love aesthetic from the late '80s. The rave under the M25 motorway, circa '88, continues on the stripped down Dub version, for all the DJs out there.
Review: Another outing for Norman and Dan's club monster from earlier in the year, this time complete with a remix from Poland's leading tech-house duo Catz N Dogz. Their re-rub is the most dramatic yet, and leans heavily towards the techno side of the tech-house equation: it opens with an insistent throbbing synth riff (think Moroder meets Jonny L's 'Ansaphone') that plays throughout, then tops it with a dramatic analogue lead line from the John Carpenter school of thought - as well, of course, as that distinctive "all the ladies in the house" vocal. Also included is the Original Mix, for anyone who didn't pick it up already.
Review: When lockdown hit earlier in the year, Catz 'N' Dogz were still basking in the positive feedback that greeted the release of their fourth studio album, "Friendship". With all of their gigs cancelled, they chose to use the quarantine period to record a follow-up. "Moments" is an intriguing proposition, not least because it deftly displays their growing musical dexterity. It features only a handful of dreamy, drowsy, dancefloor-focused cuts (see bluesy shuffler "Memories", the soulful and jazzy deep house workout "Time", and tech-tinged soundscape house closer "Tomorrow"), with the rest of the album mixing up dusty, trip-hop style beats, bittersweet downtempo grooves, slo-mo Balearic house and jazzy, hard-to-pigeonhole inspirations. As a result, it's their most mature and quietly impressive set to date.
Review: Catz 'n' Dogz are one of Poland's most prominent electronic music exports. Comprised of Grzegorz 'Greg' Demianczuk and Wojciech 'Voitek' Taranczuk, the now Berlin-based pair head up the esteemed PETS Recordings label, in addition to recent appearances for Poker Flat, Dirtybird and Superfriends. They present their first EP on Hamburg powerhouse Diynamic Music with two energetic tracks. "Ayu" is a bouncy, bass-driven and uplifting groove that's as tongue-in-cheek as you'd expect by the boys from Szczecin. This is followed by the entrancing and mysterious atmosphere of "Sunset" which just likes its namesake is a perfect soundtrack to a balmy and blissed-out summer evening.
Review: Pumping peak time club hits from Polish hit makers Catz 'n Dogz that proclaim 'I can do what I want with my body" and 'I'm a slut baby and there's nothing you can do about it'. Dirtybird delivers a sexually charged club hit loaded with an unapologetic monologue about sexual identity that sounds like it comes from a disgruntled Ru Paul, with a dub version that does away with any innuendo for a focus on the track's tribal percussion and pumping synth lines. No Apologies.
Review: It's been another great year for Catz 'N' Dogz's Pets Recordings imprint. If you missed any of the Polish imprint's many essential releases, fear not, as help is at hand via this top-notch round up of their biggest cuts of 2019. There are naturally plenty of contributions from the label's popular head honchos, with highlights including Andhim's evocative, acid-sporting vocal remix of "Would You Believe", a suspenseful contemporary dream house rework of "There" by Terr and a deliciously retro-futurist house take on "New Love" by Gerd Janson. Elsewhere, top picks include the warehouse-ready throb of Truncate's "Pressure", the pitched-down darkroom chug of "Rattlesnake" by Psychemagik and the drowsy deep house/UK garage fusion of Black Loops' "Keep A Secret".
Review: Amsterdam Dance Event holds a special place in the electronic music community's calendar, and it just wouldn't be the same without the Toolroom family putting on a very special showcase for the industry and punters alike. The Dutch capital's clubbing culture is one of the best in Europe and there's only one place to be this October. They join the fun once again this year and this are kicking off the week at Chicago Social Club for an opening to ADE like no other. In celebration, Mark Knight & Co. anticipate the event with this solid collection of sonic arsenal with highlights not limited to: label staple Weiss serving up classic vocal funky house on "Let Me Love You" (extended Club mix), legends Dirty Vegas getting remixed by CamelPhat on the extended remix of "Days Go By" (which reaches near acid moments), the ever impressive Alan Fitzpatrick providing austere peak time tackle on banger "The Approach" and rising stars like Jacky (with Example) on the wonky tech house of "Another 24" and label newcomer Maxinne dropping the riveting main room thriller "The Message" amongst many more. Comes with two continuous mixes: the first by Romanian upstarts Sllash & Doppe and the second by Swiss scene hero Mendo (Clarisse).
Review: It can be a tricky task keeping up with Pets Recordings jam-packed release schedule. That's why the imprint's "My Favourite Pets" compilation series, which gathers together brilliant bits from the catalogue you may have missed, is essential listening. Volume six is naturally full to bursting with tried-and-tested treats from Catz 'N' Dogz excellent imprint. Highlights are plentiful throughout, of course, but our favourites include Kassian's exclusive rework of recent Catz 'N' Dogs single "Wave" (a bumpin' chunk of peak-time brilliance), the exotic dancefloor hypnotism of Sei A's fine remix of "This Time" by Adam Port and Jennifer Touch, the low-slung sleaze of Jonathan Kaspar's "Cicatrice", the classic West Coast deep house bump of Beesmunt Soundsystem's "Searchin (Borrowed Identity Remix)" and the mid-tempo Balearic house beauty of Kamp's "Azure".
Review: Featuring the combined talents of guests Zensofly and Maxville, "Wave" was one of the undisputed highlights of Catz 'N' Dogz recent album "Friendship". Here it gets the single treatment, with the short and punchy original version (track four) being joined by the Polish pair's previously unheard "Club Mix". This is something of a sweaty beat, with sleazy vocals, percolating electronics and raw warehouse stabs leaping enthusiastically above a booming peak-time groove. Justin Martin delivers the headline-grabbing remix, wrapping a wonky and heavy bassline and mind-altering stabs around a swinging, garage-influenced groove, while Theus Mago cleverly re-imagines the cut as a throbbing slab of Italo-disco/hypnotic house fusion.
Review: Friendship is the fourth artist album by Pets Recordings owners Catz'n'Dogz. Written and produced in the Spanish countryside, it sees the duo push the boundaries of modern electronic music. "There" combines robust, steely drums and spiky rhythms with James Yuill's dreamy vocals, making for a refreshing take on deep vocal house, while on "Mind", Rosalie's high-pitched tones are set to a mesmerising harpsichord and shuffling drums. The duo explore their own unique take on r&b-inflected pop with the playful "Yi Fang" -which features Taco Hemingway on vocals - while they showcase their underground credentials with the deep, pulsating techno on "One Plus You". All of these elements make for the most well-rounded Catz'N' Dogz album to date.
Review: For as long as we can remember, Defected's annual Miami Music Week compilation has done a brilliant job showcasing tracks that we'll be dancing to a lot in the following weeks and months. Predictably, this year's volume is no different. There's the usual mixture of alternative remixes of familiar favourites from the previous 12 months (see David Penn's remix of Sophie Lloyd's gospel disco anthem "Calling Out" and I:Cube's brilliant revision of Peggy Gou's "It Makes You Forget"), previously released anthems (Horse Meat Disco and Amy Douglas's "Let's Go Dancing" and Ray Mang's delicious disco mix of Phenomenal Handclap Band's "Judge Not") and suitably big tunes that will soon become peak-time staples the world over (see the tracks by Bawrut, Low Steppa, Bsicits and Mighty Mouse).
