Review: After a run of split releases - and collaborations - with his old pals (and fellow In Dust We Trust founders) Chaos in the CBD, Jon Sable has finally delivered a fresh solo EP. Somewhat predictably, it's really good, with title track 'Endorphin Loops' delivering a near perfect fusion of spacey Motor City techno electronics, rolling deep techno grooves, dubby bass and undulating acid lines. Sable then showcases his love of dub techno via the brilliant 'Sleep Suit', where echoing deep space synths seemingly drift above a dense, bongo-rich rhythm track and deep, sub-heavy bass, before closing out proceedings with the sunshine sparkle of two-step house jam 'Soft Focus'.
Review: As the title suggests, this multi-artist extravaganza from Wolf Music Recordings brings together fresh tracks from both label regulars and invited guests. Frequent contributor Medlar steps up first, wrapping late-90s garage organ sounds around a deep, sub-heavy bassline and locked-in house drums on 'Bandit', before Manuel Darquart joins the dots between contemporary deep house and turn of the 90s Italian dream house on 'Euphoria'. Jon Sable's 'Infinite Care' is a pleasingly spacey chunk of electro-tinged broken beat smothered in sunrise-ready deep house sonics, while Moon's 'Handmade', featuring Tabu, is a swinging, loose-limbed deep house workout full of soulful vocal snippets, squelchy synth-bass and eyes-closed chords.
Review: Fittingly, the first musical missive of 2021 from the In Dust We Trust label showcases the album's co-founders, Chaos in the CBD (New Zealand-born brothers Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales) and Jon Sable. The trio offer up two collaborative cuts, both of which give different spins on the fusion of dub techno and hypnotic deep house. There's opener 'Mahia Madness', a thickset, late-night number that's as dubby and hazy as any Deepchord record, and the gently picturesque, Sprinkles-esque 'To Puke Thunder'. The EP also boasts a solo track apiece, with Chaos in the CBD opting for non-stop, energy-packed deep techno hypnotism ('Coral Castle'), and Sable reaching for dreamy deep house chords and rubbery broken beats ('Ascension Island').
Review: London-based Kiwi Jon Sable returns to his own In Dust We Trust with three very fine deep house jams. 'All Night, All Right!' is aptly named, the kind of chuggy, eyes-down affair that works best circa 3am, when the club tourists have gone home and the real househeads settle in for the long haul. 'Shoplifters' has a similar sound palette but is a fair bit pacier, so would be good for building energy levels as peaktime looms, while the deeper, dubbier 'Shifting Sounds', with its lingering pads and echoing, disembodied vocal fragments, is probably one for the warm-up or post-club play.
Chaos In The CBD - "False Awakening" - (8:14) 126 BPM
Jon Sable - "Scumbag Unity" - (6:00) 125 BPM
Review: It's perhaps fitting that the second release on In Dust We Trust should come from the label's founders, Chaos In The CBD and fellow New Zealander Jon Sable. The latter chips in with "Scumbag Unity", an ultra-deep roller whose deep space chords, lilting sax licks and undulating jazz-house beats help create an intoxicating early morning mood. As befits their status as modern deep house heroes, Chaos in the CBD steals the show with "False Awakening", a similarly deep but slightly more driving chunk of dub house/deep house fusion full of layered tropical percussion, swirling pads and hypnotic loops.
Grey Paper Moon (Chaos In The CBD mix) - (7:56) 124 BPM
Review: Having kicked off 2017 with a fine EP from Mr Beatnick, Tief has turned to an old friend: exiled New Zealander John Sable, who made his debut on the imprint two years ago. Given his close friendship with fellow Kiwis Chaos In The CBD, it's no surprise to find that "Dolphin Hotel" is warm, rich and evocative - a grown up dose of deep house that wraps live instrumentation and heady electronics around a jazz-tinged deep house rhythm. "Gray Paper Moon" is, if anything, even jazzier, with fluid piano lines cascading down over a Nuyorican Soul style drum track. To round things off, Chaos in the CBD sprinkle a little magic dust over the track, turning it into a hypnotic chunk of rolling deep house loveliness.
Review: London club institution-turned-label Tief Music has been relatively quiet of late, with this debut EP from newcomer Jon Sable marking only their second release of 2015. It is, though, quietly impressive. He kicks things off with "Colourless", whose rolling, fizzing early '90s groove is smothered in evocative, "Pacific"-style chords, tropical textures and subtle, eyes-closed electronics. There's a jazzier, huskier feel to "Dust 2 Ashes", with spacey electronics, sumptuous keys and winding clarinet helping to create a vintage ambient house-goes-deep house feel. Mount Liberation Unlimited offer up an alternative version built around a chunkier, denser groove, and sun-kissed, Studio style guitar lines. It reminded us a little of System 7's 1990 debut album, which is no bad thing.
