Review: Hometaping Is Killing Music, the Scottish imprint devoted to the underground, is back this time with Italian young gun Nicholas on the Bonus Beats 1 EP. Things kick off with "Hot Nights" which offers as deadly a sample usage of Minnie Ripperton as the Linkwood classic "R.I.P.". Also on the A side is "Atmo" featuring Paul Cut; more deep and soulful funk grooves for fans of KDJ style jams. On the flip we've got the pumping percussive DJ tool "Together (Beats)" which is a welcome addition to any serious DJs arsenal and finally "Something To Believe" which gets back on the soul train in delightful '70s retrovert fashion.
Review: Analogue-loving deep house sort Nicholas Lammatteo re-ignites his working relationship with Gerd's 4 Lux label, a year on from the well regarded Love Someone 12". Like that track, the original version of "Catch The Sun" - featuring the evocative vocals of Madaffi Pierre - is warm, breezy, quietly soulful and hugely influenced by classic US garage. The alternate Deep Mix, though, sounds more like vintage Larry Heard - all ultra-deep pads, analogue bass and woozy electronics. Elsewhere, there's more bluesy deepness in the shape of "Stop (Playing With My Heart)", a dash of party-hearty, classic NYC goodness ("The Loft Party"), and a fabulous fusion of twinkling keys, sleazy sax samples and cymbal-heavy rhythms ("Blacker").
Review: While Italian producer Nicholas has always been obsessed with classic house - be it the piano-laden release of early '90s Italian productions or the New Jersey bump of later period Nu Groove - he's more than capable of producing deep house laden with soulful intensity. That's what's on offer across these four tracks, beginning with the heavy bass, dreamy chords and sensual vocal (provided by Shaun J Wright) of "Love Someone". The Italian wisely provides a darker, chunkier dub of the same track, before exploring acid and sprawling pianos on the deliciously effective "Message". Finally, "J.U.N.E" features an attractive blend of hazy freestyle vocals and cute Rhodes keys riding a fizzing, late '90s US deep house groove.
Review: By now, we should all be used to Italian producer Nicholas' particular brand of tactile retro-futurism. Pleasingly, this EP for 20:20 Vision flips the script a little, whilst retaining his usual vintage house influences. "Pressure", for example, replaces his usual piano stabs and early Nu Groove references with foreboding riffs and a little basement-bothering low-end boom. The woozy "Break Thru" layers drifting synths over clattering 909 percussion, while "Body Drum" is a sweaty throwback to Vasquez-era Sound Factory. "I Believe", meanwhile, stirs memories of early Danny Tenaglia productions - all long, sharp strings, delay-laden vocal samples, heavy bass and thumping drums.
Review: Nicholas Lammatteo's last outing on Home Taping is Killing Music, "Love Message", was arguably one of the label's strongest releases to date. This expansive EP picks up where that one left off, delivering his trademark blend of wide-eyed revivalism, smoky late night atmospherics and tracky, heads-down rhythms. "The Music Lives", with its strong chords, dense percussion and acid bassline, is probably the pick, and comes backed with two excellent beats tracks tailor-made for inventive DJs. The deeper, more obviously US garage influenced "Work This Out" delivers cute, unfussy thrills, while the delightful "Running Into Time" throws some vintage disco samples and jazz-funk keys into the mix for added feelgood factor.
Stronger (Quell A Little Rougher remix) - (6:23) 123 BPM
Stronger (alternative vocal mix) - (6:32) 123 BPM
Review: To put it bluntly there's two types of deep house - the boring, safe linear stuff and the stuff made by Nicholas. This young Italian has been reversing the negative image of his hometown Perugia for quite a few years now and it's all down to the deep but edgy productions that he comes up with. All three versions of "Stronger" are awesome: the original with its caressing dreamlike vintage New York vibes, the electro-bass bounce of the alternate vocal mix, the pumping muscle mary-isms of the Quell remix and our favourite, the seductively doomy dark dub. An essential release.
Review: We've previously described Nicholas as a purveyor of 'touchy-feely' deep house-influenced productions and edits. Here though he's exploring Italo-disco territory and the results depend on how you feel about Italo-disco really. Originally by The Funky Family, "Funky Is On" is a super-rare 1984 Italo masterpiece with arpeggiated basslines and a tremendous chorus that brims with palm tree ennui. Nicolas has decided to lose the chorus and expand the electro riffs instead so if you fancy a retro head-nodder and nothing more then this is for you. Bonus track "Slick Groove" is a less 80s, more organic disco jam.
Review: Italian producer Nicholas has a well established working relationships with Gerd's 4Lux imprint, gracing them with numerous 12"s and his Still Playing House LP in recent times. His return to the label sees a development in production, forgoing the reliance on vocal samples that have been a staple of his rise to prominence in favour of working with a vocalist. Stee Downes, said vocalist, will be familiar to anyone who keeps abreast of contemporary house, having worked with Lovebirds and MCDE previously. Both the original and NYC Club versions of their collaboration "Things Of The Past" are superbly crafted deep house movers, with the latter Jersey style bumper one for the Bicep fans. Check "Forever Feel It" too for some sublime funk sampling.
Review: Since he reworked big chunks of the Nu Groove catalogue for Needwant last year, Nicholas has shown signs of wanting to make his own intoxicating deep house influenced by the early '90s sound of New York. "Life Goes On" very much fits this remit, offering a heady blend of tactile deepness featuring samples from some familiar disco and soul favourites ("Rock Creek Park" being the most obvious source). "All I Can Give" sounds like a vintage New York-Chicago soundclash - all heavy analogue bass, trad garage chords and late night vocal snippets - while "Messed Up Generation" flits between spoken word iciness and Big Apple grooviness.
Review: Fresh from delivering an album's worth of Nu Groove remixes, Italian producer Nicholas pops up on Gerd's 4Lux Black imprint. The title track sets the tone for what follows, delivering a cockle-warming mix of old skool NYC house riffage, Italian house ambience and skippy, New Jersey garage percussion. If it was any more "classic", it would actually have been made 20 years ago. "Down To Nothing" and "Familiar Path" tread similar ground, offering wide-eyed, early 90s house for the permanently nostalgic. Hunee's remix of "Free To Be" offers a rougher, chunkier, late night take on the slick original, offering a delicious combination of rave riffage, acid bass and clattering 808 percussion.
Review: The House of Disco site launches its new label endeavour of the same name with an impeccable selection of cosmopolitan sounds from four of the contemporary disco scene's most valued selectors. The ubiquitous Nicholas kicks things off with the slinking "Talking About Love" which leans on a soul classic with aplomb, and it's matched by the most upwardly mobile number on this release from Australia's Francis Inferno Orchestra. "Sun Up" is driven by one of those incessantly energetic filtered cores and surrounded by a thumping groove and leaves you gasping for the moment the vocal hook and hats finally kick in. Up next everyone's favourite South American dwelling East European exponent of super slow disco does his thing on "Outstanding" whilst Psychemagik indulges in some carnival leaning house boom on "Carnaval De Transoco". A deft release that corners all aspects of the modern discoteria needs.
Review: It's good to see the Dikso label make an appearance on digital download. So far, they've impressed on vinyl with a series of killer 12" singles full of slinky, next-level disco/house edit fusions. This digital edition of the second Super Sound Single release features must-have cuts from Nicholas and Daniel Solar. The former's "Without You" is one of his best moments to date, offering a long but not so loopy midtempo disco-soul jam that's just made for summer. Solar's "Fake It", meanwhile, builds a killer disco/house groove around a spectacularly rubbery bassline and some slick jazz-funk guitars. Killer stuff.
Review: Italian duo Nicholas & Simoncino continue their ascent from limited white label edits to further recognition with this split release for the Quintessentials imprint. If you've kept an ear near their recent endeavours, you'll be smart to the decidedly old school 90s vocal house flex that runs deep through the four tracks here. Nicholas takes the lead with two tracks which commence with "Holdin On" - heavy on the resplendent piano vibes, with big ivory flourishes sweeping across the bumping rhythm before an almighty vocal comes swooping in with Queenish aplomb. "On The Streets" is just as accomplished, leaning on some annoyingly familiar source material and containing a killer gospel breakdown. In contrast to the NJ garage style of the A Side, Simoncino serves up a double helping of Muzic Box worthy warehouse jams, with proto drum machine rhythms, big melodic washes and heavy analogue bass movements pervading both "Unknown" and "All Night".
Review: Having impressed with a few sultry slo-mo re-edits and the odd well-received remix, Nicholas pops up on Gerd's 4Lux label with a five-track EP of head-nodding house grooves. While fans of his loopy, disco-centric vibe will still find plenty to entertain (not least the pleasingly snug "All I Need"), All Night Long should appeal to anyone who likes their house bumpin' and groovesome. The title track itself is arguably Nicholas's best yet, a kind of fusion of classic US garage and 90s New York deep house - all hip-wigglin' bass, expansive piano solos and bluesy vocal snippets. Label boss Gerd remixes, dusting down the 808s and 909s for a vintage jack attack.
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