Review: A year or so back, the hinterland between Italo and prog was one of the busiest regions on the entire dance music map; lately the deluge of surging synths seems to have slowed down somewhat, but if that for you was a golden age then fear not because this EP from Bordello A Parigi, which packs four tracks from as many artists, should cater for your requirements nicely! Pete Beluga & Du Chatinier's 'Only Shine At Night' is the standout for yours truly, thanks to its authentically new wave-y kinda feel, while Some Chemistry's 'Euro Connector' gives things a slightly housier twist.
Review: A wide range of influences can be heard on this EP from Stockholm-based duo Elfenburg - from funk and disco to acid, prog and even a hint of breaks. 'Vasta La Hista' gets the ball rolling with a throbbing monster bassline and evolving pads redolent of Faze Action's classic 'In The Trees', before 'Acid Cocoon', another dark, pulsating affair, takes us closer to 80s coldwave territory. And that's before we come to the main event 'Elfenboogie' itself, which turns out to be a dark disco reversioning of Loni Clark's 'Love's Got Me (On A Trip So High)' that's then given an energetic, beefed-up makeover courtesy of Julian Sanza and Alvaro Cabana.
Review: Almost 18 months have passed since publicity-shy Swedish duo Elfenberg made their bow on Stil Vor Talent with the quietly impressive "Continents" EP. Here they offer up a sequel that's every bit as warm, fluid, percussive and mood enhancing as its predecessor. For proof, check the tribal-influenced hand percussion, tech-house grooves and swirling deep house sounds of "Rhythm In Between" and the off-kilter tech-house grandiosity of "Sao Tome". The pair's love of atmospheric chords, drawn-out build-ups and samples from African records is explored further on "Seven Summits", while opening cut "Mawenzi" is a superb slab of Afro-tech/deep house fusion laden with bubbly electronics and chanted vocals.
Review: Berlin's Stil Vor Talent are back with a split EP consisting of four spatial, tribal-infused original tracks with exotic names. Amsterdam based producer Lake Avalon is first up with the moody and melodic progressive house journey "Atlantis" followed by the dreamy and hypnotic dancefloor drama of "Celestia". The mysterious duo Elfenberg take care of the remainder of the EP, with the Afro influenced tribal house of "Kigelia" taking you deep into the esoteric, as does "Satao" however this one's on a more exotic tip, powered by elaborate string arrangements and traditional instrumentation.
Review: Conceived to celebrate twenty years of the SOS party, this release shows that the event's sound track is deeply eclectic. It moves in mood from Timboletti and Jpattersson's electronic minimal disco into the vaudeville samples on Be Svendsen's remix of Acid Pauli's "Requiem For A Loop", before Mollono Bass and Zigdan Aldi up the dance floor appeal with their atmospheric minimal tracks. Clearly unconcerned about fads or fashions, Jubilaums Compilation also dips its toes in old school techno thanks to Dole & Kom, and sees hard rock guitars mixed with groovy jazz-house on the Kombinat 100 remix of Tito & Tarantula's "After Dark". It goes some way to explaining why SOS has thrived for the past 20 years.
Review: Mysterious Swedish duo Elfenberg yield an eclectic mix of worldwide influences, all merged into three original tracks. They craft complex yet warm, organic electronic explorations on their Continents EP, starting with the Afro tinted journey that is "Cadenza" which features all the brooding hallmarks of the Stil Vor Talent sound, followed by the exotic dance floor drama of "Gaivota" with its immaculate instrumentation and clever use of field recordings throughout. Finally "Meskwaki" is said to be named after a Native American tribe and there certainly is something spiritual and esoteric about this evocative track. This is a great follow up to their debut on label boss Oliver Koletzki's recent Schneeweiss compilation mix
Review: Berlin native Oliver Koletzki has cited his hometown as a main point of reference and inspiration throughout his career. His last two albums are said to be 'wholehearted tributes' to the German capital and its importance in the current climate of electronic music. The label's aesthetic - right down to the cover art is testament to this - featuring photos of local landmarks and graffiti adorning his fair city. There are little to no corners in the city that haven't brought a spark of inspiration into the mix and the eighth instalment of the Schneeweiss (English translation 'white snow') compilation series, is said to be a tribute to the many aspects or 'particles' consolidated as a series of carefully curated tracks. There's so many highlights on here and we're only going to name a few, but they're not limited to: hometown hero and one time Terranova member Rampa's brooding dance floor drama on "Fluke", Frankey & Sandrino bridging the gap between tech-house and nu-disco ever so gracefully again on "Solaris", Cologne's finest Andhim lend their deft hand on a remix of Leipzig figurehead Matthias Tanzmann's "Coffee Clouds" and the man from Mannheim Ray Okpara who's still going: his track "Satin Curtain" getting a smooth remix by the legendary Kevin Yost.
