Review: The latest instalment of Crosstown Rebels' long-running Get Lost series comes from odd German deep house/tech house fusionist Acid Pauli, a man who looks more like a hairy Open University geology lecturer than a top-flight DJ. Reflecting Pauli's own style, the compilation's 41 unmixed tracks touch on shuffling, eyes-closed deepness, tactile techno, dream house and tongue-in-cheek silliness (the brilliant space-pop of "In My Spaceship" by Jan Turkenburg. More impressively, there are a string of previously unseen exclusives, including excellent tracks from Nicolas Jaar, Nu and Acid Pauli himself.
Review: The rather gorgeous title track from "Alpe Lusia" by Diynamic staple Stimming's new LP gets the remix treatment. As you may know, the original is a beatless, cinematic and dare we say experimental kind of excursion so these dancefloor ready renditions sure do it justice. We particularly enjoyed the legendary Robag Wruhme's "Bodelshwing Sovar NB" which is as breathtakingly sublime and groovy as nearly everything else he lends his midas touch to. Acid Pauli & NU team up on their take, which is yet another smooth and dreamy groove with nice bell textures and sweet pads just made for drifting away at summer rooftop parties.
Review: Hamburg's Martin Stimming resurfaces with his first release in some two years, aligning with Koze's well respected Pampa Records for a two-track release that magnifies "the opposing sides of his studio psyche". Given Stimming has graced the likes of liebe*detail, Terminal M and Diynamic with his considered grasp of dancefloor dynamics, this Pampa debut is a smart move and shows he's lost none of his production panache despite the aforementioned absence. Lead track "China Tree" betrays a spikiness that will suit the dancefloor perfectly, with the primal bassline and raw, unpredictable drums really getting a grip on your attention. Those seeking some melodic sweetness from Stimming will be all over the B-side "Southern Sun" where Piper Davis's subtly affected vocals are woven into the very fabric of a woozy, kaleidoscopic production.
Review: Hart & Tief is a spin-off of DJ Koze's Pampa label. Translated as 'hard and deep', the imprint's aesthetic is audible on its third release, which sees Stimming opt for a more underground sound than usual. On "Frankfurt Main", the Diynamic producer drops cold techno chord stabs and the kind of rumbling, cavernous rhythm that you'd normally associate with producers like Mike Dehnert (interestingly, also a previous contributor to the label). On the flip side, veteran German producer Dave DK ventures even farther down the wormhole. Stripped of melodies, "Saida 222" centres on a rumbling, loosely arranged workout that keeps on grooving.
Review: It's been twenty years since Sven Vath's Cocoon operation set up in Ibiza; since then the label's annual alphabet-themed compilations have also come to define techno's stylistic twists and turns. According to S, 2019 clearly saw the re-emergence of trance in its various forms, from Love Over Entropy's wide-eyed abandon to Stimming's more musical approach - audible on "The Gift That Never Stops To Give". Musicality is also a common theme on the house and techno that features on Compilation S, with Emanuel Satie's "Planet XXX" resounding to melodic chord stabs and Giegling artist Edward's "End Days" favouring chattering samples and a soaring bass - inspired by E-Dancer with a modern, Teutonic twist.
Review: It's been a decade in the business for this Hamburg institution that's spawned many a summer anthem or outright hit during its existence. To celebrate the occasion, Diynamic have launched a killer compilation featuring all the usual suspects that have played a crucial role in the development of the label thus far and they're here to assure you they're more keen than ever. Highlights on 10 Years Diynamic are not limited to: Hanseatic homeboys Kollektiv Turmstrasse with their rather mid '90s electronica sounding "Jupiter Sunrise", label mainstay Stimming with the bittersweet symphony of "Hope & Ramati", label head honcho HOSH with some adrenalised peak time tech house on "The Drumpet Show" and Norwegians Ost & Kjex with their new track "Heatwave".
