Review: FUSE London sublabel Locus kicks off 2022 with a release by Frenchman Okain who drops his latest EP Daddy's Groove. A staple of Paris and Berlin's nightlife scenes, the Talman Records boss has also released on esteemed labels like Pleasure Zone, Eastenderz and Constant Sound. The release starts with the swingin' tech house groove of "Midnight Feed", followed by the minimal and afterhours minded "Tavie One Tooth" featuring some addictive '90s house keys, as well as the dubby and atmospheric mood of "Brother Jack" and the rolling boompty-funk of "Green Mouse".
Review: Since inaugurating their collaboration-focused P.O.D Cross label a couple of years back, production duo Politics of Dancing have showcased studio hook-ups with artists including Sebo K, D'Julz, Djebali, Cab Drivers and Crhis Carrier. They begin their latest two-track missive by joining forces with Talman Records founder Okain to deliver a boisterous, bass-heavy bounce through chunky drums, deep sub-bass, dubbed-out synthesizer motifs and drowsy aural textures. They're next joined by born collaborator Rowlanz, whose recent releases have all been in cahoots with like-minded producers. Their collaborative cut fuses the dreamy, ear-pleasing sonics of hazy deep house with the rolling, glitch-sporting grooves of quality tech-house. It's an undeniably alluring affair.
Review: Constant Sound continues to press ahead as one of the most productive entities in the minimal scene, and they're sounding as on-point as ever with this collaborative EP from Per Hammar and Okain. These two stripped back tech house champs bounce off each other perfectly, creating the kind of limber workouts that will sink under the skin of the after hours crowd with ease. Look out for closing track "Double Brew", which folds some gorgeous dub techno inflections into the mix with stunning results.
Review: The Nu Breed series was conceived back in the early 00s as a means of showcasing upcoming DJs of that era, such as Danny Howells and Lee Burridge. Now that the series has re-launched, the same concept applies and the latest DJ to feature is German spinner Oliver Schories. With a focus on deep, emotional house music, he weaves an intoxicating path that moves from the slurred vocals of Rico Puestel's "Volute" and the melancholic piano keys of Black Light Smoke's "Fire in My Head" into driving, techy tracks like Jamie Trench's "It Never Stops" and Oliver Deutschmann's hypnotic minimalism, "Control", before climaxing with Chateau Flight's sprawling remake of AtJazz's "It's Complete". Here's to the next generation of new breed DJs.
Review: Nic Fanciulli's Saved imprint is absolutely synonymous with sweaty peak-time super clubs on the island and what better way to celebrate this season than a collection of killer tracks courtesy of their artist roster. It's all sure-fire and anthemic hands in the air business, that'll have just as many ladies as there are blokes on the dancefloor. Some notable highlights being Noir's booming "Bodyback", the pre-peak time percussive funk of Sergio Fernandez' "Kuery" or Chico Secci's "Sooper Seven" and the absolute peak time banger that is "Sup" by Carl Bee that will have no doubt destroyed many a soundsystem this summer. Usual suspects such as James Organ, Okain and Julien Sandre appear also, making this release a worthy addition to any serious tech house DJs arsenal.
Review: Steve Lawler's label unleashes the second installment of its Warriors series. While the UK DJ is synonymous with his tribal house sound, there is enough variety on this compilation to keep the listener interested. Sante's "That Girl" revolves around heavy drums and a tripped out break down, while Davide Squillace & Guti's "The Other Side Of Hustler" pushes further in that direction, with spooky chants unfolding over a driving groove. Vocals also prevail on the compilation's other highlights: Philip Bader's "Crazy" sees pitched down vocals introduced over deep chords, while Bimas' excellent "Never Say Goodbye" fuses icy synths and a moody male vocal to create a sombre dance floor cut.
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