Review: It's the season for giving, so Hot Since 82 and Shadow Child have decided to exchange presents - or, more specically, remix each other's tracks. The result is a four-tracker that features two original tracks and two remixes. Hot Since 82's snappy, tech-meets-electro house jam "Knee Deep In Louise" gets given a right Royal boot up the backside by bass music fiends Shadow Child - think rave riffs, gut-twisting sub bass action and 2012's most omnipresent electronic music attraction, the pitched-down vocal sample. Meanwhile, Hot Since 82 turn Shadow Child's Hypercolour-ish garage/deep house assault, "So High", into a strobelight house anthem with woozy, pitched down R&B vocal samples and swinging drums aplenty.
Review: Bristol-based rising stars Jaymo and Andy George are regular collaborators. Here, they join forces again to launch Moda Music offshoot Moda Black with a compilation of previously unreleased material. For those interested in the new wave of British and European house, it should be an essential purchase. Some of the duo's own Bristol pals make an appearance, with strong contributions from Lukas (the darting "Best In Show") and Eats Everything & Idiotproof (an excellent, peaktime-friendly remix of The 2 Bears). Elsewhere, highlights include a grandiose new cut from the duo themselves, an organ-heavy garage-meets-cocaine house banger from Disclosure, and a cacophonous rinse-out from Hot Since 82.
Review: Since launching early last year, Jaymo and Andy George's Moda Black imprint has forged a reputation for delivering the sort of fluid, action-packed deep house that takes as much influence from synth-laden nu-disco as tech house, '90s garage and Visionquest-ish slickness. Here, the two bossmen curate a second label compilation featuring a mix of unreleased gems and recent hits. There's plenty to enjoy, from the classic late night wooziness of Eats Everything's "Jazz Hands" and Huxley's rolling, UKG-influenced "Diesel", to the Hot Creations-ish flex of Danny Daze/Maxxi Soundsystem collaboration "Karoline" and Medlar & Pedestrian's '90s US garage groover "TR Wilson".
Review: After revealing each exclusive track over the last month, Kry Wolf finally delivers his DNA collection. A way of showing his own roots and party passions while celebrating his peers and labelmates' finest studio creations, the mix is a great reflection of Wolf, his and Shadow Child's label and its talented roster. Highlights include Shadow Child and Friend Within's WOW-referencing "The Moon", Kry Wolf's percussion-pummelled twist on "Piano Weapon", Geoff K's floor-melting bass shaker "Dysturbed Trumpet" and NYTA's dangerously demonic vocal cut "The Call". Also included is Kry Wolf's mix that joins the dots between the many sonic shades. A great concept backed up by an immaculate collection; DNA is where it's at.
Review: Shadow Child aka Simon Neale returns with a bang to Hot Creations. The title track is a wild techy banger, peppered with the type of high-pitched squelches that Timo Maas used to specialise in during the early 90s. Underpinned by a tough but bouncy bass, it makes for a superb piece of party techno. On "Get Busy", Neale delivers a stripped back but equally effective track; powered by rolling snares and featuring an insistent vocal sample at its heart, once again, the use of surging bass is sure to keep dance floors busy. Mark Broom also weighs in with a remix of "DBG", turning it into a rolling, filter-heavy techno track that is infused with incessant disco stabs.
Review: London's Shadow Child presented his top track "Ooh Tune" for his esteemed Food Music imprint earlier in the year and here are the remixes. Rising star Danny Howard has been championed by the label and rest assured he does indeed appear. The Blackpool native gives the track a much needed tough rolling extended mix.
Mak & Pasteman deliver another extended mix, and this one was actually our pick of the bunch: their rendition delivering a totally bangin' acid techno perspective in early '90s fashion. Likewise, Dutch junglist Coco Bryce delivers another nostalgic homage - one for the rollers that had massive respect for the likes of Goldie or Alex Reece back in the day. Finally DJ Octopus from Venice hands in the Heavy Breathing extended mix. This guy has appeared previously on the likes of Hot Haus, Shall Not Fade, Muscle Records and Chiwax - so you know you are in good hands.
Review: So far, the majority of Simon Neale aka Shadow Child's releases have been on his own Food Music imprint, but Dance Trax is sure to raise his profile. Issued on the well-known Unknown to the Unknown label, it also sees Neale's creative focus shift to old school influences. "Renegade Stabz" is a stab-heavy break beat techno affair, while on "Nonsense", a similarly party-themed sound is audible, this time with a rolling groove replacing the crashing breaks. Atypically for Shadow Child, "Don't Lose It" sees him deliver a jacking, minimal techno workout, replete with firing percussion and analogue bleeps. Working under his Geeeman guise, Gert drops a storming minimal house take on "Lose It".
Review: Cymbal-heavy UK garage beats? Check! Sub-bothering bassline? Check! Dreamy, oddly pitched vocal sample? Check! Sweaty, wide-eyed late night vibe? Check! Result: "23" has all the right ingredients to impress bass music heads - and those into Hypercolour-ish deep house/bass music blends. It also comes backed with a couple of notable remixes, with bass veteran Zinc providing his own typically big VIP version. In truth, it's not that much different from the original, though Zinc's build-up extension, additional wobbly noises and bass EQ'ing work bring the most out of the near-anthemic original. Kry Wolf make the most of the original's dreamy samples and beef up the bottom-end wobble on their in-your-face remix.
Review: With dance music's annual Winter Music Conference in Miami fast approaching, Toolroom present a selection of tunes to impress the gathered industry boffins, clubbers and well-watered music journalists. Oh, and DJs who fancy getting the label's next "big tunes" well in advance of their regular release. At 47 tracks deep, with three DJ mixes thrown in for good measure, it's a bit of a beast, but there's more than enough to excite those who want fresh, recent and forthcoming bangers. All the big players are present - Deadmau5, Huxley, Maya Jane Coles, Duke Dumont, Mark Knight etc - as well as Toolroom favourites such as Hoxton Whores, Dirty South and Nicky Romero. Basically, if you're after big tunes to please big rooms, you should give it a whirl.
