Review: Next up from the Robsoul Essential crew we take in this stunning new selection as they present the sixth edition of Smokers Delight. It's jam packed with goodies across the hip hop scale, from the smooth yet soulful approach of Ladybird & JFilt on 'All I Wanna Say', to the almost breakbeat drumwork of 'Nightlife' from DJ W!ld and choppy rap stylings of 'Players' from El Pres Beats. It's a fantastic compilation, bringing together a tonne of different futuristic styles, glued together by their emotional sound design. There are a couple of instant favourites for us, including the killer minimal disco link up of Phil Weeks, Joss Moog & Around7 on 'What Can I Do?', alongside the boombap inspired drum work and techy phone melodies of 'Warned Bros.' from Homequest. It's a great listen start to finish!
Review: This is the third 'best of' from Phil Weeks' Robsoul in just five months - the label celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2020 - but the quality standard remains high. Featuring several of Weeks' own productions alongside cuts from the likes of DJ W!LD, Jordan Peak and Chris Stussy, the album covers an impressive range of house ground, from filter disco (see, for instance, Weeks/Hector Moralez/Fries & Bridges collab 'Peep Game') to chunky, eyes-down 3am throbbers (Politics Of Dancing's 'Hi Soul') to Weeks & Kid Enigma's retro, electro-tinged 'Love Me Right'. As such, it's a package that warrants investigation by househeads of many persuasions.
Review: Politics Of Dancing continue their adventures in the studio with friends and kindred spirits, this time teaming up with two tech house titans that paved the way for the sound they're immersed in today. Fellow Parisian Chris Carrier sounds right at home sparring with S.M.A.L.L and Paco on "Track 1", where an irresistible bassline groove underpins some acid licks that burrow deep into the night time frame of mind. Nail is the other partner of choice, and the UK veteran helps whip up a crisp and chunky workout heavy on the drums - a serious DJ workout for those craving solid gear for their sets.
Review: French veteran Chris Carrier first released material on Adult Only way back in 2000, and has made regular appearances on the label ever since. Here, he delivers his 11th EP for the imprint, offering up a pair of impressive collaborations in his trademark hazy, intoxicated, tech-tinged deep house style. There's a toasty warmth and impressive swing to the bouncing Hector Moralez hook-up "Galactical Dance Mate", which makes great use of sampled clarinets, far-sighted chords and barely audible vocal samples. Djebali provides the obligatory remix, turning the original into a Rbsoul style tech-house roller. Arguably even better is Carrier and Djebali's "BattleStar", a formidably percussive sprint into heavily percussive late night tech-house territory.
Review: Cracking open a smooth bottle of 2017 with their 46th release, Chris Carrier's Adult Only continue to forge timeless paths in the house and techno hinterland. Spanish maverick Rhythm&Soul lives up to his name with two superb tracks of rolling house: "Take Off" has a samba-like bass groove that instantly conjures terrace memories while "Enhance" is a bumpier ride with shifty beats licking sideways when you least expect them in a way that's not dissimilar to Luke Solomon. Then you will get a graceful atmos-heavy deep tech cut from Ukrainian duo Belogurov & Orbit and a chug-happy acid funker from label bossman Carrier himself. Explicitly good.
Review: Something tells us that this compilation isn't about smoking mere tobacco. Perhaps it's the green-eyed bad boy on the cover brandishing a suspiciously plump 'roll up'. Or maybe it's simply because of the hazy, lazy and groovy 70s vibes contained within. Robsoul Essential has managed to overcome the munchies, get off the couch and actually find nine expert reworks of old disco joints. Highlights include the bleary eyed, organic hip-hop beats of "This Is What It Is" by Homequest, the deep, heady loops of "Six Flags" by Chris Carrier and the bonged-out neo-soul of "Mondae".
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