Review: Shall Not Fade rounds off its busiest year to date with a sixth anniversary compilation that's packed to the rafters with previously unreleased tracks from its now sizable family of artists. Also reflective of the sounds showcased by Shall Not Fade's various sub-labels and offshoots, the 24-track set confidently strides between deep two-step (Black Loops), saucer-eyed ambient jungle (Kessler), colourful deep house (Lis Sarocca), lo-fi jack tracks (Cinthie), loopy disco-house (Adelphi Music Factory), jazz-funk flavoured house warmth (Felipe Gordon), analogue-rich broken beat (Yosh), post-UKG heaviness (DJ Crisps), jaunty and jazzy 4/4 garage (DJ Swagger) and the kind of smile-inducing, huggable dancefloor goodness that defies simple categorization (Tilman and Phonk D).
Review: Berlin's Marc Brauner returns to Shall Not Fade, following up the impressive Rarities EP released back in March. The Houseum and Nostalgics main man serves up more old school style jams on the Patience EP. Opening cut "Your Heart" is absolutely infectious with its familiar groove reminiscent of late '90s classics by Robin S. or Nightcrawlers, then gives a respectful nod to the Motor City on the high tech jazz of "Optimist" (and similarly on the acid infused "Faster") before getting deep down and dirty on the late night mood music of "Be Patient". In addition to those, there's some of that classic Stateside bounce on the swing-fuelled closer "In Love".
Review: Marc Brauner is a German producer who's emerged onto the scene in the past few years with releases on Shall Not Fade and Redlight Music, among others. Here, the former bring us seven more of his productions on a varied EP that blends together flavas from US garage (check out 'Too Real'), first-gen Chi-town house 'Tool For Lovers') and more - the airy but insistent synths on 'I Know You Would', for instance, hint at drifty Balearic prog, while there's a dark, trip-hoppy undercurrent to the otherwise laidback and dreamy 'Tears Of The Fallen Angel'. Seven decent instrumental cuts, then, that'll work as set-builders for a variety of DJs.
