Review: Dam Swindle's Keep On Swindling series, which marks their tenth birthday, offers an enticing mix of remastered back catalogue favourites, obscurities, brand-new cuts and fresh remixes of classic tracks. This expansive second volume in the series is full-to-bursting with club-ready treats. Check first the gospel-influenced, handclap-heavy peak-time house stomp of 'Good Woman', before turning your attention to 'Call of the Wild', an often-overlooked collaboration with LA Afrobeat orchestra Jungle By Night that cannily combines the best of both artists' trademark sounds. Other highlights across the EP include the Dutch duo's percussion-rich tropical house takes on Gaoule Mizik's 'A La Tikni', Arp Frique's Afro-cosmic take on 'Yes, No, Maybe', and Lauryn Ash's tidy deep house flip of Lorenz Rhode hook-up 'High Life'.
Review: 2022 marks a decade since the birth of Dam Swindle (or as they were called back then, Detroit Swindle), so to celebrate the Dutch duo has decided to deliver a trilogy of EPs featuring a mix of remastered and remixed productions and previously unheard tracks. There's plenty to set the pulse racing on part one of three, from the pleasingly warming, loose and sun-kissed deep house vibes of brand-new opener 'Body Control', to the pair's own soul and R&B-flecked 2022 house mix of their vintage Mayer Hawthorne collaboration, '64 Ways'. Elsewhere, jazz starlet Emma Jean Thackray delivers an incredible, dancefloor-focused soul-jazz take on early DS single 'The Break Up', while 'All I Want' is a driving, tooled-up, riff-sporting 21st century take on mid-80s NYC proto-house with a 21st century twist.
Review: Soon Salsoul will release a series of EP's featuring fresh Dam Swindle remixes of classic disco cuts. Before that, the long-serving Dutch duo have decided to treat us to a new EP of their own. It's a predictably impressive affair, with title track 'The Wrap Around' layering evocative vocal samples, dreamy deep house chords and increasingly sleazy electronic motifs atop sweaty drums and a frankly filthy acid-style, analogue bassline. There's a more classic U.S deep house feel to woozy, bass-heavy and gently soul-flecked bonus cut 'The Pain Tomorrow', which comes accompanied by a terrific late-night rub - all tight and awkward loops, hypnotic beats and dirty analogue squelches - courtesy of Pattern Select.
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from Heist Recordings' annual Round Up releases - label artists remixing each other, basically - so we'll crack on and talk about the music on offer. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, with our picks including Alma Negra's deliciously percussive and groovy take on Scan 7's gospel-tinged Motor City gem 'All For Me', Scan 7's breezy, Latin-tinged Detroit house revision of Crackazat's 'Class One', Crackazat's Ethio-jazz-goes-sunshine house rework of Alma Negra's 'Dakar Disco', and Kassian's driving, warehouse-ready remix of Nebraska's 'Dip & Flip', which makes great use of thumping beats, undulating electronics and a seriously dirty analogue bassline. As the old saying goes, this seventh volume in The Round Up series really is "all killer, no filler".
Review: Late last year, Dutch duo Lars Dale and Maarten Smeets decided the time was right to ditch their Detroit Swindle moniker - chosen originally in tribute to Motor City dance music, but one that left them open to accusations of cultural appropriation - in favour of Dam Swindle. This three-tracker for Aus marks their first outing under the new alias and begins with one of their warmest and most ear-catching cuts to date: the Nikki O-voiced vocal deep house number 'Breathe', which boasts some brilliant live bass, twinkling Rhodes flourishes and atmospheric synth-strings. Title track 'Spice Run' is arguably even better thanks to bouncy, Afro-house style percussion, carnival-ready electric piano riffs and synthesized steel pan, while 'Get Together' is a drowsy and deep disco-house number laden with live instrumentation.
Review: As its' rather matter-or-fact title makes clear, this 15-track opus gathers together some of the finest remixes released on Dirt Crew Recordings to date. It's well worth a listen, featuring as it does an attractive mix of loopy, bass-heavy hedonism (Nachtbraker reworking The Revenge), sumptuous NYC deep house warmth (the legendary Kerri Chandler adding a chunky new spin to Dam Swindle's Mayer Hawthorne hook-up), analogue-rich hypnotism (Mark E re-imagining Chymera), rushing brilliance (Strip Steve flipping Lorenz Rhode), jazz-house-goes-hip-house (Fouk re-framing A Bunch of Guys) and much more besides. We're particularly fond of the remixes by Morning Factory, Art of Tones and Jesse Futerman, though the quality and variety is so good throughout that picking out highlights is genuinely difficult.
Review: We're not sure whether Detroit Swindle has previously released anything quite as driving and energetic as "Coffee In The Morning". Although the lead vocal from sometime Tartelet artist Jitwam is worthy of comment, it's the infectious and breathless music that sits beneath - a combination of a low-slung punk-funk bassline, sweaty house beats, addictive electric piano stabs and wild sax lines - that makes the track such a buzzing, caffeine-charged affair. The Dutch duo's accompanying vocal-free "Dub Mix" is rock solid, but it's Prins Thomas's 10-minute "Discomiks" - an ever-growing, pulsating fusion of dub disco sweatiness and jazz-house heaviness, with additional space disco electronics thrown in for good measure - that really sets the pulse racing. In a word: essential.
Review: As is now traditional, Heist Recordings has kick-started a new year by asking their artists to remix each other. Boss men Detroit Swindle set the tone with a gorgeously positive, synth-heavy remix of Fouk's "Need My Space" before Makez re-imagines Perdu's "Sacramento" as an acid bass-propelled bounce through melodious deep house pastures and Fouk adds a little loose-limbed swing and dirty bass pressure to Demuir's percussive and warming "The 3nity Returneth". Perdu reaches for the psychedelic acid lines and squelchy synth-bass on a Latin-tinged remake of Detroit Swindle's Lorenz Rhode collaboration "Music For Clubs", while Demuir beefs up Makez's breezy and melodious "Random Visits".
Review: Detroit Swindle is amongst the most reliable artists operating in the overgrown no-man's-land between house, disco and boogie. That much is confirmed by "The Life Behind Things", which marks their first outing on Heist since last year's "High Life" LP. Title track "The Life Behind Things" is positive, ear-pleasing and dancefloor friendly, with the experienced pair peppering bouncy beats and thickset synth bass with joyous organ riffs (reminiscent of those found on Timmy Thomas soul classic "Why Can't We Live Together"), wobbly acid lines, jaunty piano stabs and female vocal snippets. Lorenz Rhode collaboration "Music For Clubs" is arguably even more rush inducing in its retro-futurist piano house intent, while Isoul8's remix of the title track is a swirling, soulful and decidedly tactile chunk of deep house brilliance.
Review: There's plenty to set the pulse racing on this pleasingly varied collection of remixes of tracks from Detroit Swindle's 2018 album "High Life". Check first the Sterac Electronics revision of "Yes, No, Maybe", which brilliant re-casts the track as an authentic chunk of electrofunk-soul laden with jaunty synth bass, analogue synth stabs, swirling chords and the impeccable vocals of Tom Misch. Cinthie hits the spot with a pumping peak-time version of "Call of the Wild" rich in wild organ solos and mid-90s NYC house bass, while Jura Soundsystem's superb rework of "High Life" is a dubbed-out synth-boogie treat with added Balearic warmth. For those looking for deeper dancefloor pleasure, Matt Karmil's smooth and acid-flecked remix of "Ketama Gold" and Gail Romanis's version of "Ex Machine" should hit the spot.
Review: Given their fine track record and high profile nature, it's perhaps surprising that "Rhythm Girl Swing EP" marks Detroit Swindle's first appearance on Aus Music. Label boss man Will Saul has once again proven his A&R credentials by picking three suitably strong cuts from the experienced Dutch duo. They begin in fine fashion with "Wado Baya", a rubbery chunk of hot-stepping Afro-house where bleeping electronic melodies and glassy-eyed chords rise above a snappy-but-bouncy groove. "Rhythm Girl Swing" sounds like a slipped and slightly skewed take on hypnotic mid-90s house - all trippy riffs and slowly rising filtered motifs - while "Vibrations" sees them join the dots between warm and woozy early '90s deep house and organ-rich New Jersey flavours.
Review: Heist's annual "Round Up" release, in which label artists remix each other, is becoming something of a tradition. This fifth volume is, of course, every bit as essential as its predecessors. All six tracks hit the spot, though we're particularly enjoying the bumpin', bass-heavy and driving take on Hugo Mari's deep and bluesy "Change Ur Ways" by label chiefs Detroit Swindle, not to mention Adriyano's effortlessly celebratory and swinging revision of the Swindlers' own "Cut U Loose". Elsewhere, Hugo Mari brilliantly joins the dots between tribal house and tactile, loved-up grooves on a stellar rework of Alma Negra's "This Is The Place", while the Kassian revision of Pitto's "You Treat Me Like A Fool" sounds like a 21st century update of Todd Edwards' legendary remix of St Germain's "Alabama Blues".
Review: If your fame is built on delivering rock solid dancefloor cuts, should your subsequent albums stick to the same approach or mix it up a little? It's a conundrum that many artists have struggled with over the years. Smartly, Detroit Swindle has decided to hedge their bets with High Life following 2014's Boxed Out. As full length albums go, it's a bit of a peach, and sees the acclaimed Dutch duo flit between sensuous, home-listening fare, jaunty, instrumental-laden workouts (see the cheery, smoky pop-soul of Tom Misch hook-up "Yes, No, Maybe" and Afro-fired bounce of "Call of the Wild" featuring fellow Dutch combo Jungle By Night) and tried-and-tasty club tracks (Seven Davis Jr collaboration "Flavourism", the driving disco-house of "Freeqy Polly" and "Cut U Loose").
Review: "Flavourism", a sparkling chunk of deep house hedonism featuring the vocals and fluid synthesizer playing of Seven Davis Jr, was one of the standout tracks on Detroit Swindle's recently released debut album. Here it gets a deserved single release alongside a trio of new reworks. Two of these come from off-kilter deep house hero Pepe Bradock, whose Bittersweet Mix douses Davis Jr's vocals in trippy dub delay and wraps them round a loose, crunchy and surprisingly chunky beat pattern. The long-serving Parisian also delivers a suitably trippy acappella version (the Spookapella), while Justin Barera and Will Martin join forces for a revision that adds a little garage swing and sun-kissed chords to the Dutch duo's sublime original version.
Review: Predictably, the latest volume in Heist's Roundup series, in which label artists remix each other's tracks, is another must-heave collection of club cuts. Check, for example, Fouk's tasty interpretation of Nachtbraker's "Hamdi" - a glorious fusion of rubbery disco, sparkling electrofunk and percussion-laden deep house - the Afro-fired Alma Negra deep house remix of Nebraska's "Big Plate Chicken" and the toasty peak-time warmth of the latter's fine revision of Fouk's "With Lasers". Elsewhere, label bosses Detroit Swindle deliver a lusciously loved-up and melodious, peak-time take on Parker Madicine's "Heartbreaker" and Nachtbraker turns the Swindlers' "Can't Hold It" into a dub-fired chunk of hot-stepping deep house goodness.
Review: After an extended hiatus, Detroit Swindle returns to action for the first time since the autumn of 2016. Predictably, they're in fine form throughout. We're particularly enjoying title track "Can't Hold It", a bumping and energy-packed deep house cut smothered in swinging drum fills and what sound like jazz-funk instrumental samples. The warm, summery action continues on "Just Not Norma", a superior chunk of life-affirming disco-house deepness whose beats are pleasingly jazzy and dexterous. Arguably best of all, though, is the more heavily electronic "Tamarindus Hollandicus", where new age melodies and fizzing electronics weave in and out of a restless synth bassline and Italo-disco style percussion. Willie Burns' remix, a fusion of scattergun-techno attitude, proto house drum delays and swirling synths, is also superb.
Review: Heist Recordings brings down the curtain on another successful year with their now traditional Roundup release, an expansive EP featuring "family remixes" of material released over the previous 12 months. As usual, there's much to enjoy, from the cheery, disco-tinged goodtime bump of Detroit Swindle's rework of Obas Nenoor's "Wakee", to Frits Wentink's jazzy, lo-fi, swinging deep house remake of Detroit Swindle's "Future Imperfect". Other highlights include a skuzzy, acid-fired interpretation of Nebraska's "It Won't Be Long" by Nachtbraker, and Nebraska's sunny, jammed-out fix-up of Frits Wentink's "Rising Sun, Falling Coconut". Best of all, though, is Ouer's remix of Nachtbraker's "Pollo Con Pollo", which boasts twinkling electric piano solos riding a thrusting analogue bassline and breezy disco guitars.
Review: There's very little to fault about Detroit Swindle's latest EP, which comes backed with remixes from born-again glitch-house maestro Matthew Herbert. The latter delivers a pair of quirky but typically inspired remixes of lead cut "Circular City". Whereas the Swindlers' original is built around rising and falling synthesizer melodies lines, drowsy bass, restless stabs and wonky bass, Herbert's versions cannily create energy and action via wild electronics and low-slung analogue instrumentations. The instrumental is good, but it's the version he's done featuring vocalist Zilla that really stands out. Elsewhere, "Sugar Sugar" is a smile-inducing chunk of deep house positivity, while "Runningoutof" melds their usual melodious dancefloor funk with a dash of Italo-disco.
Review: Congratulations to Germany's Dirt Crew Recordings, which marks a century of releases with a celebratory volume of the popular Deep Love compilation series. As befits the momentous occasion, the 11 tracks on offer are all exclusive and previously unreleased. Predictably, there's plenty to enjoy, from the dusty, crackly deep house warmth of Felix Leifur's "Feels Like", and classic U.S garage swing of Ponty Mython's "New York, New York", to the sweet, jazz-flecked haziness of Harry Wolfman's "Rainbow Set", and Huerta's dreamy, glassy-eyed Balearic deep house cut, "Blvrd". Throw in fine contributions from big hitters Detroit Swindle, Nachtbraker and The Revenge, and you have an undeniably essential collection.
Review: Detroit Swindle's debut album, Boxed Out, confirmed Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets' position as one of the most talented deep house duos of recent years. Here, they take a back seat, as tracks from that album are handed over to a quartet of remixers. Perhaps the most ear-catching rub is MRSK's DJ Sneak style loop funk rub of "He's Just The Guy, You Know?", a whirlwind of tough, bumpin' drums and "Red Alert"-esque slap bass. There's plenty to enjoy elsewhere, too, from the warm chords and chunky grooves of Cuthead's take on "Me, Myself & You", to the soulful fluidity of Jimpster's immersive remix of "B.Y.O".
Review: Detroit Swindle have been showing distinct signs of musical development in recent times, filling their debut album Boxed Out with sensual but floor-friendly deep house shot through with classic American influences. 64 Ways, featuring the delicious vocals of Stones Throw-affiliated blue-eyed soul boy Mayer Hawthorne, is a perfect example. Here, the slinky original is joined by a slew of new remixes. The undoubted highlight is Kerri Chandler's vocal take, which ekes even more soul out of Hawthorne's vocal before charging off on a tough, chunky percussive tip. Elsewhere, the Amsterdam duo delivers a tasty piano-heavy late night Dub, before fellow Dutch producers Kraak & Smaak weigh in with a stab-happy retro-futurist late '80s Belgian house take.
Review: It's been a swift rise for Lars Dales & Maarten Smeets, the Amsterdam-based pair known as Detroit Swindle, since they first appeared together across a clutch of 12"s in 2012. Though Detroit Swindle have graced Tsuba, Heist, Freerange and Murmur over this period, it's Dirt Crew Recordings they are most closely associated with so it makes perfect sense for Dales and Smeets to issue their debut LP on the German label. Boxed Out features some thirteen tracks and features guest spots from Mayer Hawthorne and Sandra Amarie. The horizontal beatdown of "You, Me, Here, Now" and Quantic sampling "Thoughts Of She" are highlights.
Review: Dutch duo Detroit Swindle are set to release their hotly-anticipated debut album, Boxed Out, on Dirt Crew this March. This EP gives a taste of what's to come, offering three album tracks and a booming Laszlo Dancehall rework of the title track (think '90s Sound Factory-era NYC tribal stomp). There's naturally plenty to enjoy, from the retro-futurist garage keys and bumpin' grooves of "The Fat Rat", and the midtempo Balearic house sweetness of "Monkey Wrench" (think warm keys and swooshing electronics), to the hands-in-the-air, vests-off throb of "Huh, What!", the EP's most rush-inducing moment.
