Review: Many happy returns to Silicone Soul's Darkroom Dubs label, which has now notched up two decades releasing music. To celebrate, they've put together this anniversary collection full to bursting not with classic cuts, but rather new and unheard music for those who like their dancefloor music dark and twisted. Fittingly, Silicone Soul kick things off with the chunky, squelchy bass-propelled early morning hedonism of 'Fahrenheit 625 (WRC Remix)', while low-slung, locked-in throb-jobs are provided by Theus Mago ('Intensify'), Undo (the acid-fired trip that is 'Vencejos') and Subcisco (the trippy, sub-heavy and wide-eyed 'Boiling Point'). There are quite a few tasty musical curveballs too, not least the Chicken Lips-on-acid flex of 'Lucky Luciano' by Am$trad Millionaire and the woozy electro-meets-EBM haziness of 'Always Almost' by Of Norway.
Review: TAU bosses Adana Twins have always used the label's annual Spektrum compilations to showcase the quality and variety of the imprint's output, with tracks coming from both established artists and new signings. They've stuck to the same principles on volume four in the series, resulting in another strong collection of guaranteed dancefloor hits and pleasant surprises. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the psychedelic, post-tech-house trip of AIKON's 'Magenta', the deep space electro shuffle of 'Forever Mornings' by Echnonomist, and the bouncy, acid house-goes-boompty sweatiness of SXF's 'Workshop 5', to the throbbing Itali-disco revivalism of GUMM's 'Heroes Call', the sleazy TB-303 insanity of Adana Twins' 'Feel The Acid', and the fuzzy, hypnotic Berlin house haziness of 'The Covenant' by Volar.
Loneliness, My Best Friend (feat Stefano Proietti) - (4:37) 125 BPM
Liturgia Finale - (7:50) 123 BPM
Review: Fresh from the release of the trippy, Italo-influenced strut of 'Photonico' on Buttress, Phunkadelic returns to regular home Multinote with a predictably strong four-tracker. First up is 'By The Power of Grayskull', the kind of raw, analogue-rich Italo-disco throb-job that Mumm-Ra the Ever Living would undoubtedly stick on the decks at one of his impromptu Lion-O bating rave-ups. 'Phunkasmagorico' is a delightfully mind-bending chunk of loose-limbed heaviness marked out by thrillingly psychedelic TB-303 acid lines and echoing percussion hits, while 'Loneliness Is My Best Friend', featuring Stephano Proietti is as heavy as it is squelchy. Finally, 'Liturgia Finale' is an atmospheric, slowly building chunk of dark nu-disco/tech-house fusion.
Review: Sicilian tech/progressive house imprint Engrave Ltd return with local duo Phunkadelica from Catania. From the moody and tunneling psychedelia of "Interspazio, the slinky and hypnotic deepness of "Microcosmo" (with its sublime use of melody and texture) and the evocative rework up next by dynamic Puglian duo Underspreche. The Optimo Trax affiliated live act deliver the goods - as always - on their rendition. "Macrocosmo" dives deep into the exotic on a psychedelic indie-dance number that will appeal to fans of Red Axes or the Multi Culti sound and finally Italian expat in Berlin Enzo Elia hammers the message home in epic fashion with his hi-tech soul rendition in the vein of the Innervisions/Exit Strategy sound.
Collapso (Man Power Italo Belgique remix) - (6:10) 113 BPM
Ipernova - (5:23) 116 BPM
Review: Here's an interesting melting pot of influences; Engrave Ltd is based in Sicily and the label's latest offering - by new act Phunkadelica - draws on Italo Disco and the country's lesser known wave/industrial heritage. The title track fuses tripped out acid lines with ebm bass and searing techno riffs to create a distinctive dance floor workout. "Collapso" sees this fledgling act combine grungy, Bunker electro with a throbbing, disco groove, while on "Ipernova", there are echoes of Italian horror movie soundtracks, played out against a melodic but moody rhythm track. Factor in Man Power's epic "Italo Belgique" take on "Collapso" and its clear that Engrave has one of 2017's most unusual releases on its hands.
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