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Kolter
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Review: From the Koltrax cave (somewhere in Cologne we imagine?) straight to the dancefloor, it's time for Johannes Kolter to embark on a new journey with his imprint's first installment, the 'Bust A Dream!' EP. It includes the highly awaited "Please Don't Call Me", an addictive jam which bridges the gap between minimal funk and old school techno motifs, while the deep swing of "Back In Town" provides ample mood music, the old school Stateside house vibes of "Bust A Beat" will get the hands in the air, and "Catch The Dream" serves up one more emotive affair for the late night.
Review: Johannes Kolter is Kolter and is also a producer who went under the name DJOKO. He's been busy this year with plenty of goodness dropping including an album and three EPs. Now comes another, again on his home label Pilot. It is inventive stuff that functions well on the floor as it straddles the worlds of breaks, house and plenty more. 'Got High Again' is lively and dynamic with its squealing leads and dusty breaks, then 'Weirdo' layers up leftfield melodies and blurts of playful synth modulation. 'Prospekt' is a wild fusion of rock riffs and high-speed funky breaks and 'Duck Concert' closes with hardcore drum breaks and soulful synths next to mad scratching.
Various
Review: Following his recently released Battle Of The Planets EP, Robert James' Body Movement label returns this week with an impressive various artists compilation, Week covering a wide spectrum of moods and grooves. Highlights on Body Movement Digital come from Dande on the classic house sounds of "Breath In The Good Sh1t", rising German Kolter getting some groovy swing business in effect on "Listen Up", Eren Arif from London tuning into some classic UK flava on "Bish Bash" and of course Harry Wills - who is no stranger to the label - bringing the true spirit of British tech house on "Caper" plus many more.
Review: The next edition in Berg Audio's esteemed Elements series sees one of the scene's finest, Roman Poncet aka Traumer, deliver an extended EP of cavernous grooves. Beginning with the glacial deep of "District", followed by the bass-driven tech house groove of "Frolic" which is something more familiar of the producer. There is also a collaboration with label regular Kolter on the off-kilter broken beat jam "Double Vision" and closing out the tremendous EP is the rolling back room dub of "No Time" which is perfect for those heads down moments on the dancefloor.
Played by: Juno Recommends Electro
Review: Johannes Kolter is Kolter, as well as being the artist formerly known as DJOKO, and here he follows up on his very recent Between Fragments album with a cheeky three tracker, once again for the Pilot label. This EP kicks off with 'Techno Life', which ironically is a breaks/electro hybrid affair with all the hallmarks you could ask for from vocoder vocals to electronic cowbells. 'Can't Stop Rocking' borrows some serious chunks from a very famous electro record made by one of jazz music's legends - that description must surely narrows it down - and adds some tempo and the occasional vocal hook. Then we see proceedings drawn to a close by 'Sorry You Had To Wait So Long', every bit as lively as the other two, spaciously produced and peppered with the subtlest of electro flourishes. All round good work, you have to agree.
Review: Berg Audio presents the third installment in Djoko's Endless Explorations series and it's an extended affair of seven quality tracks and a remix. The German producer obviously focuses on the dub techno side of things throughout the release; whether it's the cavernous and glacial groove of opener "Final Checkpoint" or the late night mood music of "Cellular", through to the acid-soaked tech house of "State Of Mind" and of course Youandewan's retro techno rework of "Heavn" - the Cologne-based producer certainly demonstrates a wide variety of moods and styles within the constraints of the subgenre.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: Well this one is fun. And fun, just about, in a good way rather than stupid silly un-cool and uncouth fun. Kolter's Breakarama EP kicks off with the title track which makes use of the melodic motif from TV's much loved animation Futurama. It is sure to get some super reactions in the club with its playfulness and charm. 'Ghost In The Breaks' is more serious, with a slick and futuristic feeling breaks vibe then 'Get Out James!' is another laugh that makes use of the iconic riff from James Bond over some sleazy and dark UKG. 'Horny Breakdancers' is an airy, uplifting one to close.
Played by: Juno Recommends Electro
Review: Johannes Kolter is Kolter, an artist formerly known as DJOKO, and now a hotly tipped breaks and garage head who has already got plenty of attention. Here though he makes a grand and widescreen statement with the first full length release on the Pilot label. It is a stylish and adventurous album with plenty of killer cuts from the downbeat hip hop opener to the deep house delights of 'Journey' via the elastic and energetic future house kicks of 'Roboflow.' Showcasing both a knack for well craft synths and expert drum programming precisions, this record plays out like a mini DJ set with all the twists and turns you need to keep you on your toes and fully engaged.
Review: Cologne's DJOKO has been exploring breakbeats and electro formations under the Kolter banner over the past couple of years, dropping some serious heat on Talman, Pilot and Body Movement. It's Pilot he returns to for this bang tidy two tracker of taut and crisp breaks which wouldn't sound out of place in a Plump DJs set circa 2005. 'Ying Yang' slips some vocodered spirituality in amongst a punchy beat and warm splashes of analogue synth work. The slightly saucier 'Drop De Tiddies' rides a break and works an old-skool hip hop sample before ripping into some chirpy lead lines, making for a fun and fruity dancefloor delight.
Played by: Juno Recommends Breakbeat
Review: DJOKO hops back into his Kolter guise after an excellent release on a split EP with Robert James for Body Movement. Now he gets his fourth appearance for Pilot, and he wastes no time in getting the party started with the wiggy breakbeat house trance trip of 'Seducer'. By way of contrast, 'Neintien Eyti' creates a uniquely bubbly kind of happy house with splashes of acid and breakbeat. 'Gifting' strips things back to a cool-headed garage shuffle, and then 'Closing Time' freaks the funk back in once more for some organ-led fun and games.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Played by: DJ Mau Mau
Review: Kolter serves up four grooves blending streamlined beats with cheeky funk swagger. Opener 'Do Not Resist' brings us breakbeat mischief and heaps of hip-hop attitude. 'April Funk' adds a few P Funk touches to a stripped down DJ track that's not exactly frills free but definitely shaped for action in the mix. There's more of an 80's synth flavour to 'Roboflow', although the more robotic tendencies are played off with funky keys, while 'Forest' takes a more chilled route to satisfaction, nodding at Kraftwerk's bittersweet melodies without overtly aping them.
Played by: DJ Mau Mau
Review: Earlier in the year, we heaped tons of praise on the booming, breakbeat-driven first EP from Pilot, which showcased a quartet of killer cuts from Johannes Kolter. He returns to action on this EP, offering up the funky, sample-heavy electro/breaks fusion of 'B2R' (think Layo & Bushwacka's classic material and you're close) and the more spacey, electro-focused bubbliness of 'Systematic'. While they're both very good, we'd argue that North Phase's two tracks are even better. Choose between the dubby and hypnotic breakbeat-house roll of 'Feel It', and 'Escape From Planet X', a deeper, more bass-heavy chunk of breakbeat pleasure that comes complete with fizzing electronic noises, deep bass and some suitably trippy synth sounds.
Review: Fresh from fine outings on Shall Not Fade, Berg Audio and Outright, Djoko pitches up on Up The Stuss with another rock-solid EP of club-ready cuts. The German rising star hits the ground running with 'My bad Your Fault', a fizzing fusion of crunchy tech-house beats, shuffling UKG swing, spacey chords and low-register organ stabs, riffs reminiscent ofJaydee classic 'Plastic Dreams'. He opts for a slightly tougher and wilder late-night tech-house sound on 'My Dog Never Barks, where bursts of melodious electronics leap above a locked-in groove, before joining the dots between hazy deep house and hypnotic tech-house on 'Uknown Territory'. To round off a fine EP he dons his alternative alias, KOLTER, and serves up some jazzy, tuneful and funky two-step business.
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House
Review: Fresh from delivering his first full EP for Shall Not Fade, the typically impressive Ventura, deep house rising star Johannes Kolter AKA DJOKO delivers a fine sequel to 2020's Berg Audio-released Endless Explorations EP. There's much to enjoy throughout, including a deep, chunky, spacey and hypnotic hook-up with Chris Stussy ('Constant Time') and a funk-fuelled intergalactic techno roller that Detroit legend Delano Smith later transforms into a wonderfully hypnotic, locked in late-night treat ('Light Way'). Elsewhere, 'Little Mice' is a sparkly and driving slab of Motor City sci-fi techno, 'Late For Dinner' is a melodic, analogue-rich number and 'Always Wondered' is tactile, rubbery and deliciously dreamy. In a word: superb!
Review: We've lost count of the number of EPs that Shall Not Fade has put out this year, but the Bristol-based label has genuinely yet to put a foot wrong in 2021. Predictably, the imprint's latest missive - a first label outing from German rising star DJOKO - is another must-check collection of cuts. He begins with the dreamy and bouncy brilliance of feelgood '90s deep house number 'Morning Wonders', before drawing further influence from shuffling US garage and glassy-eyed turn-of-the-90s Larry Heard productions on 'Ventura'. 'Sylvestre Alone' is disco-tinged sample house of the highest order, while 'Don't Compare Yourself' joins the dots between early UK progressive house and bumpin' US deep house. Also worth a listen is Leo Pol's bustling, UK garage-influenced interpretation of 'Morning Wonders'.
Played by: DJ Mau Mau
Review: Cologne's Johannes Kolter made his name as DJOKO, but his most recent outing under that alias for Talman Records also included a pair of tracks credited to Kolter. It's that artistic alias he's chosen to use on this single, which introduces the world to debutant imprint PILOT. It's an EP that's well worth checking out, not least for deliciously bass-heavy opener 'Went Too Far', a weighty, stab-happy and sample-heavy affair that recalls the occasional electro tracks made by early blepe & bass and hardcore producers. Garage-influenced breakbeat workout 'Get Into It' is another funk-fuelled treat, while jungle-influenced breaks shuffler 'Selectoor'[sic] is a bass-heavy beast. The German successfully rounds off a fine EP via 'Illumination', which reminded us a little of Orbital's most melodious early moments.
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House
Review: If trad-style deep house and US garage are what floats your boat then you need to pick up this EP from Djoko immediately, because lead track 'Hooked On You' is the absolute BOMB and, marrying New Jersey keys and male soul vox to an uptempo driving rhythm, is surely destined to be huge on soulful floors this summer. Elsewhere on the EP, there are more garage-y overtones on 'Facettes' while 'Bad To The Bone' and 'Jode Lade' operate in more straight-up deep house territory (but still in classic US-style mode), and the quality standard is impeccable throughout. Superb stuff.
Played by: Franky Rizardo
Various
Review: As the title suggests, the second volume in Tenor's "Deep Impressions" series is dedicated to the kind of deep and melodic house cuts that are as vivid and colourful as they are dancefloor-friendly. It's a bumper selection, too, with the lads and lasses at Tenor squeezing in 23 tracks from the label's growing roster of artists. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the bubbling, Innervisions-esque bliss of FreakMe's seductive vocal number "Float Away" and the warming, gently unfurling sunrise roll of The Tolsdoi and Andsan's "Masenada", to the spacey chug of Diesen's "How I Feel", the funk-fuelled stomp of Rich Vom Dorf's "The Sweetest Sin" and the trance-inspired, saucer-eyed vibes of "Putinci" by Circle of Life.
Various
