Review: Over the course of the last decade, Swiss stalwart Deetron has been responsible for a string of impressive remixes. Happily, these - and many others you may have missed - have now been collected together on the decidedly epic Re-Creation: Remixes Compiled. As you'd expect, the 25-track set flits between full-throttle, peak-time friendly techno futurism, bustling deep house goodness and more downbeat explorations that defy his reputation as a maker of killer club cuts. Highlights include the loved-up synth breakdowns and jacking, Chicago-style groove of his Juan MacLean remix, a wonderfully retro-futurist take on George Fitzgerald's "Every Inch", a thrusting, stab-happy revision of Quarion and a lusciously jazzy take on Todd Terje's "Alfonso Muskedender". That said, on another day we could have listed another five or six highlights: it really is that good.
Jimpster - "Ceilings" (feat Laura Barrick) - (6:31) 124 BPM
Brian Ring - "Love Taken Over" - (7:21) 123 BPM
Clavis - "Cydalise" - (6:32) 123 BPM
Shur-i-kan - "Beach Life" - (5:59) 122 BPM
Review: Its 20 years of Jamie Odell aka Jimpster's revered deep house imprint and he's celebrating in great style with this 20 track compilation that demonstrates that business is as good as ever and they're testament to how much the label has remained relevant. The label head honcho himself appears of course; first with Luv Jam on the smooth and dubby "We Play Pads" and the sombre and emotive "Ceilings" featuring Laura Barrick. Other highlights include Bulgarian hardware maverick KiNK's "Roads", Detroit Swindle's fiercely bumpin' "Race Against The Machine" and Pittsburgh Track Authority's magnificent high tech soul jam "Oculus Sinister".
Review: Consistently strong purveyors of quality house music, Freerange are back with another of their colour-based compilations. The Makam remix of Attica kicks things off in style, as breezy drums bolster a Rhodes riff that sounds uncannily like the intro of Roy Ayres "We Live In Brooklyn Baby".
Mr Morning's Slave takes things a little deeper, using some expansive Techy pads to build a huge sound around some minimal Afro-beat drums.
Freerange head honcho Jimpster contributes a mix of Milton Jackson's The Rhythm Track and the effect is similarly deep and devastating.
Pezzner also gets the remix treatment, this time from Justin Martin, who peppers his slow-building Brooklyn New York with cut-up vocals and subtle, whisper quiet sirens.
There's so much quality on show here, it's hard to pick a favourite from the 12 tracks. Two standouts though are Nikola Gala's I Get U, which builds with a timeless female vocal loop, and then swaps it for percussion to set the groove off perfectly. And closing track I Wanna Love You by Elmar Schubert and Vincenzo also deserves checking out - a heart-stopping slow Balearic number with a cloying vocal and tons of warm synth tones. All in all, another quality comp from Freerange.
