Review: With so many producers involved in this release, it is surprising that "Morphism" manages to sound so cohesive and flow so seamlessly. Built on tough but heavy dubby beats, its deep, textured chords lend it an opaque, mysterious feeling. However, this is only a temporary state and soon enough, the four-man act drops in a resonating, plunging bass that cuts through the sonic ether. It acts a wake-up call from the surrounding musical fog, but it also gives the arrangement the dance floor muscle it needs. Dreamy but effective, this is exactly the kind of track that will make its way into Digweed's re-cord box.
Review: Progressive heads get stuck into this tasty treat, as for release number 21 on the wicked MicroCastle label they welcome back Cid Inc and for another double header EP following on from 'Our Benefactors' back in 2010. There is a real techno undercurrent to these, making the grooves impossible to stand still too and injecting energy and lift in to your sets at any time. The Original mix of Emotional Self is what's doing it most for us and will be hammered by everyone from Sasha to Zabelia, while the likes of Cattaneo are on the Microtrauma cut. On the flip 'Urban Biorhythm' is a little less dancefloor yet still with plenty going on to keep those late night smoke filled underground clubs bubbling.
Review: Pig & Dan have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Cocoon that stretches back over a decade. The pair's latest release on Sven Vath's imprint will not disappoint fans of their big room sound. First up it's the title track; over understated beats, they lay down a moody, pounding bass and niggling, metallic percussion before letting loose with a wild, system-levelling filter. "Lost Another Angel" isn't as visceral; based on a similar, rolling rhythm and featuring a menacing bass, this time it's all about the melancholic melodies, Weave their way up through the arrangement, it guarantees that the Spanish duo will find favour with trance DJs as well as techno selectors.
Review: Bedrock mainstay Vassiloudis dives deep into the Miami vibe with a selection of vibes that represent the best side of the mega music conference. Not the obvious 'hands in the air' peaktime anthems but the more mature, discerning backbeat of the event. Spanning from more chilled poolside party pieces to more full-bodied slabs of euphoria, highlights include Guy J's spellbinding "Twenty 11", the ocean-like synth washes of O'Donovan's rush-tastic "Crimson Flare", and the warm chords and tribal rhythm of Eagles & Butterflies "Pharoah". Not the most obvious Miami tracks, but that's exactly the point of this lush, well selected exercise.
Review: It's been ten years since Pig & Dan first set their stall out as purveyors of vaguely progressive tech-house. Since then, they've released just one album - Imagine on Cocoon back in 2007 - but impressed tech-house DJs and critics with a series of well-received singles. Here they celebrate 10 years in the game with a second album of original material, this time for Glaswegian techno and house stalwarts Soma. It's perhaps not an ideal match - Pig & Dan's shuffling, soft focus take on techno seems at odds with the label's fun time remit - but Decade is at least an impressive collection of club tracks. There are few surprises, but plenty of atmospheric, bubbling cuts to tickle the fancy of tech-minded DJs (see the excellent "Doing It For Yourself" and percussive "Natives").
Review: It's hard to believe that Sven Vath's empire has been in existence for 11 years, but what's easier to comprehend is the label's unerring knack of releasing killer club techno. This compilation gives some of Vath's favourite artists - like Roman Flugel and Steve Rachmad - as well as newbies like Patrick Kunkel, who also provides a DJ mix, a chance to rework the catalogue. From Visionquest's murky but driving take on Dinky's "Acid in My Fridge" through the abrasive, jacking Flugel remix of Martin Buttrich's "Hunter", Carlo Lio's tribal take on Dubfire vs Huntemann's "Diablo" and the fist-pumping, big room techno of Paul Ritch's interpretation of 2000 & One's "Tropical Melons", there can be no doubt about this compilation's dance floor credentials.
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