Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from Toolroom's "Poolside Ibiza" compilation strand, namely groovy nu-disco, house and laidback Balearic beats inspired by afternoons spent lounging by the water in stonking White Isle heat. Naturally, there are plenty of gems to be found amongst the 40 unmixed tunes selected by chosen DJs Moullinex and Xinobi, from their own collaborative post-punk/dub number "X Marks The Spot", to the slick '80s synth-pop dreaminess of Tensnake's fine remix of Xinobi's "Far Away Place" and the drowsy, Morricone-influenced soundscape weirdness of Simple Symmetry's remix of Moscoman's "I Ran". Throw in some seriously good cuts from Felipe Gordon, Donald Dust, Pin Up Club and Meera (whose carnival-ready boogie jam "Fine Without You" stands out), and you have a fine collection of summery cuts.
Review: Indie-disco-house hero Moscoman is back with Snake & Pygmy; the second release for his new Treisar imprint. Given the trend for melodramatic journey tracks as popularized by labels like Life & Death, the man from Tel Aviv delivers an interesting (piss) take on the sound with his rather dark dancefloor drama of "Snake In A Hat" although it could just be a strange coincidence. It's more like the oddball producer we know on the woozy and cosmic slow burner "Pirate Of The Lost Ark" up next; full of trippy arpeggios, woozy synth leads and what sound like some live drums: nice touch. Finally "Forget The Rest" goes for some nice Middle Eastern disco vibes that merge with house beats and ample use of the cowbell; never such a bad thing.
Review: James 'Fucking' Friedman reckons that in the three years since Moon Rock Volume 1 came out on his New York City based Throne Of Blood imprint, interest and attention in ambient and cosmic music has broadened and deepened. Well, hey that's a fair call and with Moon Rock Volume 4, the label is once again rounding up a shitload of weird-ass kosmische sounds. According to the label, the compilation was conceived in sides; six distinct sets of music that move through a range of styles and sounds, from chill ambient excursions to darker droning noise. Danny Passarella's imaginary soundtrack "Carousel Rising"is guided by a clever use of arpeggio, Tel Aviv indie dance hero Moscoman impresses as always with more cosmic weirdness on The Edge Of The Earth" while Versatile Records legend Gilb'r presents "Arpeggio Island"which doesn't need much explanation. London duo Vactrol Park impress as always with another deep vintage synth exploration on "Islands Of The Delta".
Review: If you're looking for anything termed under the umbrella of 'Balearic', then Canada's Multi Culti will deliver in fine style, and save you all the hassle of digging for lost B-sides from the 1980s and 1990s. It's a call to the Sun Gods this time with Sun Gaze II, a sublime collaborative EP from a bunch of new and exciting talent. Nicola Cruz opens the doors to heaven with the tribal-minded chugger that is "Pagano", followed by Moscoman's more house-leaning jingle on "Se Acabo". "Boom Boom Boom" by Sanga features Sheikh Djibouti on the vocals, offering a hazy wave of Hispanic rhyming, while "Shkarim Ba Afela" by 84PC is a tune that you could truly imagine being in a Cafe Del Mar mix by the likes of Jose Padilla - softly-spoken but nonetheless effective and sensual on the hips.
Review: Eskimo Recordings' colour-themed compilation series has thus far delivered enjoyable material in spades, with the first three albums providing a mix of sun-kissed nu-disco, woozy nu-Balearica, Italo-tinged chuggers, sumptuous syntyh-pop and atmospheric deep house. The Orange Collection, the fourth volume in the series, continues in this vein. Packed with colourful synths, tactile rhythms and vibrant vocals, highlights include the chiming nu-Balearic pop of This Soft Machine, the cheery Italo revivalism of Tarjei Nygard and Are Foss's "Flog", and the quirky Scandolearic deep house wooziness of Trulz & Robin's collaboration with fellow Norwegian Ost, "Find My Love".
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