Review: As stated previously, Hamburg house hero Matthias Meyer presented the 20th edition of Berlin super club Watergate's acclaimed mix series and several exclusive tracks he premiered for the mix are now finally available individually. On the second volume he serves up "Turgoyakk" by Russian up and comer Gorje Hewek; a stunningly gorgeous deep house excursion with dark elements that has just the right amounts of suspense and drama to captivate the world's dancefloors at present. Next up Frenchman via Sydney via Berlin YokoO teams up with Retza on "Satori", which has a bit more energy and bump in its groove but still focuses on dreamy and mesmerising elements. That string section that comes in around the two minute mark is just brilliant.
Review: Izhevski (real name Dimitry Pushkarev) is a serial collaborator whose joint productions have so far appeared on Shanti Radio, All Day I Dream and Watergate Records. Here he adds another label to his CV - Ruvenzori - via a fine hook-up with another experienced producer, Tim Green. Opener 'Mongolian Warrior' is a refined, melodious and emotionally rich affair, with deep, starry synthesizer chords and a deep analogue bassline wrapping around a typically swinging beat that should appeal to both deep house and tech-house DJs. 'Beacon' employs a similar drum track, though this time Green and Izhevski have smothered it in looped piano stabs, twinkling background electronics and echoing, eyes-closed vocal samples. Blissful stuff all round.
Review: If it's emotive, melodious dance music you're after, All Day I Dream's twice-yearly 'sampler' compilations are hard to beat. 2021's edition of their Winter Sampler series is another cracker and offers an attractive mix of previously unheard treats from both established label regulars and relative newcomers. There's naturally plenty to set the pulse racing throughout, from the warming haziness and rising melodies of Somelee's 'Sansara' and the Isolee-influenced bubbliness of Mono Electric Orchestra's 'Antartica', to the glacial electronics, deep chords and shuffling grooves of 'Endora' by Slow Hearts. Additional highlights include the pitched-down chug of Qess's 'Sarraqa', the rushing bliss of Nopi's fittingly titled 'Unforgettable Dawn', and the twinkling lead lines and bass-heavy grooves of Paul Deep's 'Aeras'.
Review: Berlin institution Watergate Records celebrates its 10 year birthday, with this special 50 track anthology of their favourite records. Over the last decade, the imprint has set a standard for captivating electronic music from across the house and techno spectrum, successfully mirroring the club's booking policy. Now up to over 60 releases including a remix of the Josh Wink classic "Higher State Of Consciousness" by residents Adana Twins, and the 26th installment in their acclaimed mix series by Danish legends Whomadewho - this compilation presents some of its most memorable cuts since its inception in 2008. Highlights come from: label staple Mathias Meyer - the Hanseatic hero presenting several tracks including "Love Letters From Sicily" with Ryan Davis, local legends Tiefschwarz on "Fire It Out" feat. Ruede Hagelstein, resident La Fleur getting remixed by Detroit legend Kenny Larkin on "Nightflow" and rising duo Adriatique's 7am remix of "The Spirit" by the ever impressive Butch (featuring Hohberg) amony many others.
Review: It seems as if 15 years have just flown by since Berlin institution Watergate first opened their doors at the base of the famous Oberbaumbrucke, overlooking the River Spree and where long queues run down the street every weekend to get into one of the best clubs in the world. To celebrate their journey over the last decade and a half, they have put together a special anniversary release of 25 new, exclusive and formerly unreleased tracks. Residents of the superclub all appear, such as Hamburg native Matthias Meyer who teams up with Ryan Davis on the evocative "Hope", famed local duo Tiefschwarz deliver the slow burning and moody tech house of "Control", Sweden's La Fleur (of Power Plant fame) delivers the acidic bump and shuffle of "Femton" and former Stattbad resident and Beste Modus boss Cinthie gets deep on the classic house sound of "Hatschi Hatschi" which has a whole heap of swing to it!
Review: Reflective of the atmosphere that prevails at party organisers All Day I Dream's daytime events, this collection eschews mushy ambience and plodding deep house in favour of a more sophisticated, adventurous selection. Powel's "Hor" is all abstract percussion and soothing melodies, while Lauren Ritter's "Glass Hours" is a sublime deep techno groove, brittle, beautiful and reminiscent of artists like As One. Meanwhile, Bedouin's "Flight of Birds" sees the compilation veer into mystical territories with wonderfully evocative fiddle playing unraveling over a pulsing groove and bongo drums. On Summer Compilation, All Day I Dream show that down-tempo dance music need not be synonymous with birdsong and dull sax solos.
