Review: Britain's premier acid house evangelists return, and his time they've got vocalist Joe Love in tow. 'Love One Self' is a taster for their forthcoming album, and if it's a clear indication of what to expect than we're in for a treat. While rooted in their usual machine-driven acid house sound, there's more of a mind-mangling EBM feel to proceedings, with Love seemingly growling into the abyss above more than faintly foreboding electronic motifs, fuzzy riffs, and a pulsating sequenced bassline. The superb 'Album Mix', which boasts a breakdown in which Love utters a particularly psychedelic sermon, comes backed with a handy instrumental take (and lots more ragged, brain-melting acid lines).
Review: Ahead of his forthcoming debut album - a set that is undeniably hotly anticipated - Josh Caffe returns to Phantasy Sound, with Fat White Family's Al White in tow. The result is 'Meine Lederjeans', a sub-heavy slab of atmospheric, synth-heavy, mid-tempo electro in which Caffe remains the central figure thanks to a half-spoken, half-sung vocal that's as Prince-esque as they come. A slamming club mix is provided by Caffe's old pals - and regular collaborators - Paranoid London, who brilliantly re-imagine the track as a frankly filthy, bass-heavy, drum machine driven chunk of wayward acid house hedonism. As with much of their work, it's breathlessly brilliant and guaranteed to raise the temperature out on the dancefloor.
Review: Spun Out is a London-based artist booking agency which has been run by Caroline Hayes for over 20 years, that looked after the life and times of the late great Andrew Weatherall alongside his partnership with Sean Johnston under their A Love From Outer Space moniker. More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music is a tribute to the 'Guv'nor' which showcases artists from the agency's roster. Timothy J.Fairplay serves up the chugging dark disco of "Reality Rules", Paranoid London deliver some strobed-out and proper old-school techno on "Spinning Out", go deep into the exotic on Mehmet Aslan's hazy "Shizowaves" and feel the neon-lit jack of Fantastic Twins's "Kali's Tongue Was A Weapon".
Review: Paranoid London met the larger than life DJ Bubbles at the Sunset Campout in California last year, after giving him a pair of socks to pad his bra out. They all decided that they should make a track together but right before it was meant to happen - Bubbles was murdered in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. To date the crime remains unsolved. They decided they had to make the track, taking some audio from his Facebook account then adding their usual repetitive drums and acid - the result is "The Boombox Affair". All profits from the record are going to two charities in San Fran that were close to Bubbles' heart. Finally, this record is a celebration of his life and the diversity of our culture, at a time when we all need reminding that dancing itself can be an act of subversion and revolution.