Review: The latest instalment of Crosstown Rebels' long-running Get Lost series comes from odd German deep house/tech house fusionist Acid Pauli, a man who looks more like a hairy Open University geology lecturer than a top-flight DJ. Reflecting Pauli's own style, the compilation's 41 unmixed tracks touch on shuffling, eyes-closed deepness, tactile techno, dream house and tongue-in-cheek silliness (the brilliant space-pop of "In My Spaceship" by Jan Turkenburg. More impressively, there are a string of previously unseen exclusives, including excellent tracks from Nicolas Jaar, Nu and Acid Pauli himself.
Review: Given their usually prolific nature, it's something of a surprise to find that this is French trio DOP's first single release for two years. They seem to have mellowed with age, too, as "Close Up" is a breezy, nu-disco influenced chunk of strobelight deep house replete with a high-pitched electrofunk vocal and spine-tingling electronics aplenty. The remix package is predictably meaty, with Catz 'N' Dogz providing a particularly banging, floor-friendly remake - all distorted kicks, redlined cymbals and throbbing analogue bass. Amsterdam's San Proper delivers an extended 10-minute rework that sounds like Chicken Lips and Metro Area making analogue deep house, before Louisahhh closes proceedings with a deep and sensuous remake replete with her own stylish vocals.
Review: The dOP guys show their different sides on Your Sex. The title track is typical of their irreverent approach with a robust bassy techno rhythm underpinning a mock-serious man talking about 'your sex mix', while all the time the arrangement builds to an inevitable climax. Paul Ritch's remix serves to reinforce the tongue in cheek manliness of the title track, as jarring riffs build and build. However, there is also a serious side to dOP's music making and it's evident on "Half Naked". There, a more organic dub techno groove and understated acoustic guitar strumming provide the backdrop for a less assured, more fragile vocal and shows the Parisians at their most compelling.
Romano Alfieri - "Everybody Loves Fonzy" - (6:20) 125 BPM
DOP - "Be The Beat" (instrumental) - (7:47) 124 BPM
Romano Alfieri - "Mission To Juno" - (6:02) 124 BPM
Review: Muna Musik has been successful by offering EPs (and one double-CD compilation) that gather together high quality tracks from a variety of artists. This fourth label missive retains this approach, offering up no less than six solid club cuts. DOP serves up two mixes of the deliciously wonky and off-kilter late night house work out "Be The Beat" (one containing some quirky, soul-flecked vocals, and the other without), while Ezekiel impresses with the skewed, bass heavy tech-house/deep-house/hip-house fusion of "Save The Children". German veteran Timo Mass drops the throbbing, bass-heavy pulse of big room chugger "Heaven Is Hell", before Romano Alfieri delivers two EP highlights. There's the strutting, bassline-driven disco-house funk of "Everybody Loves Fonzi", and the warehouse-friendly stomp of "Mission to Juno".
