Review: It's been two years since the first installment of Hudd Traxx's Out Of Order series, which contained some fine material from previously unheard talents. This follow-up tweaks the formula slightly but retains the same high quality threshold. Experienced producer Julian Sanza predictably hits the spot with "Pata Negra", where Steve Hillage style guitars and ghostly chords ride a smooth-but-bumping deep house groove. The Joyfull Family [sic] raise the tempo significantly on the stripped-back but bombastic jam "I Gonna Love This", while Manooz wraps himself up a big duvet on the deep and soulful "Love The Underground". As if that wasn't enough, there's a bonus chunk of trippy deep house in the shape of Little Fritter's "Different Day".
Review: Tsuba bossman Kevin Griffiths has assembled an impressive quartet of talents on this fifth and final edition of the label's well-regarded Last of the Samurai series of EPs. Klasse chief Luca Lozano kicks things off with "Crucificks", a curious and slightly eccentric fusion of winding melodies and heavyweight 303 work that builds to a rough, acid-flecked climax. Cardiff-based Bristolian Owain K goes deep and techy on the basement-ready "Flush", which is reminiscent of his excellent work with Jamie Anderson for Dessous. Nil By Mouth go cowbell crazy on their swinging, loose-limbed tribute to wonky New York alt-disco, "Lumbar", before Little Fritter draws things to a close with the groovy and driving "Fifth Avenue Funk".
Review: This compilation spans a range of sounds, but is testament to the fact that despite its diversity, Affin has always been a byword for quality underground dance music. From the stepping, understated "Minus One" by Truncate to the woodwind-led house of "Stalking You" by James Hunter and the gorgeous, jazzy, filtered groove of Jamal Moulay's "Le Push", 100 does a lot to showcase the label's penchant for deep dance music. Joachim Spieth's "Sensual" boasts hypnotic Basic Channel-style chords, but the beats are tougher and denser. Reggy Van Oers's "Centipede" veers further down this chord-driven, dubby techno path and Affin also celebrates the harder end of techno with the utilitarian, Berghain-influenced linear sound of Chemie & Ian Kran's "Nucleated Thought".
