Review: Following chart-topping mixes from Henry Saiz and Tim Green in 2023, Balance presents a new compilation curated by two masters of their craft: the great Dave Seaman and Quivver. Seamlessly blending style and substance, this release showcases their collaborative effort in reaching out to a diverse array of producer friends & associates - taking in exclusives, classics and fresh bangers from the likes of Robert Babicz, Underworld, Aikon and Timo Mass remixes - not mention the dudes themselves via five collaborative productions. Balance, keeping it tilt!
Review: Alex Niggeman has gone all-out on the 10th anniversary celebrations of his AEON label. Having already released countless special EPs featuring new tracks from core artists, he's now serving up a pair of releases featuring fresh reworks of classic cuts from the catalogue. There's much to admire on this second EP of two, starting with Running Back boss Gerd Janson's throbbing, Italo-meets-acid house style revision of Niggeman's own 'Just a Little', featuring bright, freestyle-esque synth lead lines and an atmospheric spoken word vocal by Jonny Cruz. Fedele delivers a dirty, hypnotic and warehouse-ready take on 'Serpentine' by Darlyn Vlys, before Aera steal the show with a tribal-tinged early morning tech-house revision of Musumeci & Aldebaran's 'Escape'. Dodi Palese's EP-ending, melody-rich rework of Jepe's 'Ginevra' is pretty darn tasty, too.
Review: Jepe's 'Chimera' EP on Isolate is like a musical chimera itself - a unique fusion of elements that defies categorization and takes you on a whimsical journey through the realms of electronic music. This release is a testament to Jepe's ability to craft intricate sonic landscapes that leave you both bewildered and enchanted. At the heart of this EP is 'Chimera,' a track that feels like a rollercoaster ride through a neon-lit labyrinth. Its assertive kick sets the tone for an electrifying experience, while the synth melody and arpeggiated lead dance like playful phantoms around you. 'Percolation' is the EP's analog marvel, a sonic potion brewed with a rolling, filtered baseline that bounces like a rubber ball on steroids. The addition of claps and vocal chops infuse a quirky and organic texture, making it feel like you've stumbled upon a funky laboratory experiment gone delightfully right. 'Monolith' is a nostalgic time capsule, a nod to '90s UK house with a twist of hip-house vibe that feels as fresh as it is reminiscent. It's like discovering a vintage arcade game in the digital age - a delightful blend of past and present.
Review: Joao 'Jepe' Silva drops a mesmerising EP for Surrealism. "Portraits" revolves around a loose rhythm, which provides the basis for soulful, haunting vocals. These elements make for a mournful, melancholic track. "Wutzsee" follows a similar rhythmic path but it sees Jepe fuse the backing track with hypnotic sound scapes and repetitive tones. "Shady Arcade" marks a departure in style as the focus is put on evocative melodies and a lopsided groove - like a lo-fi take on Italo Disco. Meanwhile, "Illusion" is the Berlin-based producer's version of techno: centred on a rumbling groove, its insistent bleeps and shimmering bass mean it stands head and shoulders above the usual techno releases.
Review: A Moodmusic mainstay since 2018, Berlin artist Jepe cements his run of singles for the label with a debut album, Midnight In Venus. Pushing a largely instrumental and Italo sound - bar the spaced out vocoder action on "Unpredictable Future" - Jepe surfs that fine line between lovely Italo classics and an edgier Detroit inspired electro sound. Throwing in dramatic elements of '80s new wave (next to new age inspirations), krautrock and classic drum machine music (post-punk style), Jepe's interstellar cause goes the distance. Bring the house down with tracks like "Night Cruise", "Unpredictable Future" and epic slow burner "U, Me Eternity" next to trippier tracks like "Arthur Nimmt Ein Heisses Bad (feat Quattrovalvole)" and badass rhythm session "Crossing Paths". Yello meets Charlie meets Clone Classic Cuts.
Review: In the depths of Melbourne's northside once laid a club called My Aeon and coincidence or not this is the type of soundtrack you'd expect to hear there...a futuristic selection of minimal, progressive techno and synth music appealing to the dancer. WIth a slight Italo feel permeating parts of the compilation, arpeggios, electro synths and EBM drums find their way into tracks like Alex Niggemann's "What Can Go Wrong?!" and Alan Dixon 'Love Attack' remix of Kimshies! Trippy tribal sessions are revealed in Ferrari's "Jungle Boogie" next to Rotterdam-style cosmic electro and space rock of Biesmans' "Dr. Electric" guitar. 2020 licks, best of!
Review: German label Jackoff reboot a series whose last volume dropped way back in 2014. It's an impressively varied set: Matthias Vogt serves up some electro-inspired prog on 'Love Plus One' (nothing to do with Haircut 100), Joal and Jepe flirt with both Detroit techno and Italo-disco, Jakobin pays homage to the hardcore/proto-jungle era with the aptly-titled 'Cold Breaks', DJ Rocca mashes up dub and rave on 'Como Esta', and Freestyle Man takes us into leftfield electro territory on closer 'Phobos Protectorate'. It would be a VERY open-minded DJ or dancefloor that'd love all six in equal measure, but conversely, the stylistic range on offer makes this worth checking for jocks of many persuasions.
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