Review: Vince Watson has commissioned a stellar line-up of producers to remix tracks from his DnA series. Carl Craig's take on "Holographic" bubbles with atmospheric synths, while fellow Motor City artist Jon Dixon drops a dubbed out take on "(Re)Evolution". Watson's "Second Wave" is the subject of a number of interpretations - Steve Rachmad drops a tough, linear version; John Beltran's 'Pan Am' take sees him inject the track with breathy synths and gentle back beats, while Stephan Lopkin's reshape echoes classic Detroit techno, led by a snaking bass and widescreen melodies. The fact that Watson has teased an electro remix of "Universal Language" from Claude Young and Shawn Rudiman's wide-eyed take on "Metamorphosis" make this collection all the more impressive.
Review: British techno veteran Vince Watson, a producer whose output is uniformly melodious and infused with Detroit style sci-fi intent, has decided to "re-sequence" is his 2019 album DnA. In practice, that means he's remixed - and in some cases, re-made - the entire set. This sampler is naturally packed with gorgeous, life-affirming treats, starting with the 'Decoded mix' of 'Universal Language', where shimmering synth sounds and effortlessly emotive chords ride a delicious analogue bassline and smooth, late '90s tech-house drums. 'First Wave (808 Mix)' brilliantly joins the dots between squelchy electro and Motor City techno futurism, while 'Fourth Wave (Deep Space Mix)' is a fittingly titled deep techno number that's almost breath-taking in its emotiveness.
Review: Soon the summer of 2021 will be all but a memory, but All Day I Dream are determined to keep it going just that bit longer via their latest Summer Sampler - a collection of warm and melodious club cuts tailor-made for humid evenings, crystal clear nights and sun-drenched afternoons. As you'd expect, there's plenty of musical highlights to be found across the hugely atmospheric and entertaining 12-track set, with our picks including the quietly ghostly chunkiness of Lost Desert, Simon Vuarambon and Hernandez's 'Moon By Day', the picturesque joyousness of 'Evergreen' by Pippi Ciez and the rolling, extra-percussive delight that is Max Degrassi's 'In The Light of Laughter'. We'd also recommend Madraas and Eduardo MacGregor's stunning 'Searching The Sun', as well as the melodic, far-sighted rush of Vince Watson's 'Quiriwana'.
Review: Analogue house and techno legend Vince Watson cuts and clears two new gems for his Everysoul label. This Make A Wish / Forever single follows last year's remix package that saw Joe Clausell, Steve Bug & Langenberg, Manoo and Osunlade remix two cuts from Watson's Via album (2018). In this case, the trance-like analogue warmth of "Make A Wish" stems directly from the same studio session as Watson's "Teardrops" that was released on Sacred Rhythm, while the Detroitisms and pure deep house feel of "Forever" was originally a studio jam that made it into Watson's live shows pre-covid. With lockdown now in place, and some time to polish things up, Watson delivers two fresh cuts of upbeat and jazzy house, funky 909 drums and classic acid basslines.
Review: It would make for some debate but this More Than Machine compilation by Tronic may well be the label's most impressive release to date. Bringing together an all star cast of legendary, respected and fresh talent indebted to the machinist sounds of electro, Tronic slips out a surreptitious release into 2021 real diggers will recognise. John Selway appears twice with "Highest Order" and the harder edged "Blink Of An Eye" with Christian Smith (who also delivers an italo inspired solo number in "Pressure Drop"). Vince Watson goes both aquatic and cosmic in "Cyclon" next to CJ Bolland's "The Demotic Script", Sterac Electronics' (aka Steve Rachmad) phase driven "Reinstated" and a far flung Zein Ferreira collaboration with The Advent! Fresher vibes still from the UK's Second Storey and new age techno soul vibes from Client_03's "Regression Container". Your secret stash.
Review: Legendary German imprint Poker Flat continues into 2021 with the latest in their B Sides compilation series. As it says on the tin, Chapter Six presents the best of their back catalogue between releases numbered 126 to 150 - which were around 2012 - 2013. Starting off with label boss Steve Bug's 'Tell Me Why" taken from his album Noir, Alex Niggemann's expressive piece of mood music entitled 'Tangram" (The Deep End) from back in 2013, the sexy late night shuffle of Mihai Popoviciu's "Here", Carlos Sanchez getting deep down and dirty on the afterhours bounce of "Conclution", Hamburg heroes Kollektiv Turmstrasse lending a typically emotive and bittersweet vibe to their rework of Daniel Dexter's "Birds" and who could forget the low slung swagger of "Facebook" by Diynamic chief HOSH.
Review: The Poker Flat filter sifts through its immense catalogue to pull up a fresh new 'best of' chapter. Tracks come Boris Dlugosch, Marco Resmann and Steve Bug to Vince Watson, TJ Kong and Alex Niggemann all deliver the goods, be burning italo basslines, techier dub techno and 80s synth to percussive melodies and other minimal actions. Simon Garcia goes deeper into tripper arpeggio mode with "Cavern" while the words of Theo Parrish feature in the Juno-106 house sounds of "Lectures". Get some extended minimal players from Mihai Popoviciu in "Call Me", with Detroit and Chichagoan sounds further permeating the compilation in "My Side". Dope.
Review: Two years on from the release of Vice Watson's eighth studio album, Via, some of the key cuts have been given the remix treatment. First up Joe Claussell gets his hands on 'Progress', re-framing the tech-soul treat and a rich, piano-laden whizz through spiritual deep house territory that rises, falls and rises again for 11 mesmerizing minutes. Osunlade offers an even brighter, breezier and more piano-laden take on the same track, before Steve Bug and Largenberg join the dots between smooth tech-house hypnotism and immersive deep house on a luscious interpretation of 'Via'. Finally, Manoo has his wicked way with 'Progress', delivering an awesomely emotive and life-affirming deep house re-wire that will almost certainly make the hairs on the back of your neck leap to attention.
Review: DnA (Deluxe Edition) is Vince Watson's most ambitious project to date. Comprising close to 20 tracks, it sees him give full vent to his vision for electronic music. Moving between atmospheric ambient pieces such as "Influences" and "(Re)Evolution (A Vision)" at one end of the spectrum and steely, techy dance floor tracks like "Immersion" and "Third Wave" at the other, the album also shows definitively, that when ti comes to deep house an techno, he has few rivals. Shining examples of this craft are audible in the form of the jazzy piano keys on "Affinity" and the soaring, string-led "Universal" and "Second Wave", which make for spellbinding, sublime techno tracks.
Review: Vince Watson has dedicated over twenty years to making his own unique take on musical Detroit techno - and the DnA series are among the most articulate expressions of this passion. This second EP is a taster for a full double album to be released later in 2019 - and based on this EP, it sounds like it will be worth waiting for. "Holographic" sees Watson drop an atmospheric building groove, like his own version of Carl Craig's circa Landcruising. "Immersion" is lighter and uplifting, taking its cue from the more melodic end of the UR canon, while "Hart - Soul" represents a more house-based interpretation, with the storied Scottish producer riding dreamy filtered melodies to the cosmos and back.
Review: Vince Watson returns after last year's Via album with this fine release. This four-tracker underlines the development of his music, which now sits somewhere between its deep techno origins and a more clubby tech-house style. This is audible on "First Wave", where he merges sensuous synths with a pulsating, quivering bass, while on "Second Wave", the airy strings that have long been Watson's stock in trade are fused with a throbbing low end and rickety drums. However, "Affinity" sees him head back down a deeper, more purist route, and is redolent of his work around Moments in Time. There's also diversity on offer, with the sensuous ambience of "Let Dreamers Dream (Daydream)" rounding off this excellent EP.
Review: The rise of the titans right here! The two biggest hi-tech soul merchants from the United Kingdom team up here on Spanish imprint Suara, for some epic and futurist dancefloor drama on "Rise". Strict rhythms accompany layer upon layer of warm emotive pads and soaring synth leads - as you'd expect from the duo. Their further homage to Detroit (via Glasgow and London) continues on second original offering "Variable Slope" which brings the funk with its bleepy bassline and killer groove for a life affirming dancefloor journey. There's a couple of killer remixes too. French sonic wizardry from the one and only Voiski: who leivers a scorching rendition, plus a lovely neon-lit classic house perspective from the controversial Marquis Hawkes . If that was not enough, a sombre, deep electro re-take on the aforementioned "Rise" by Leipzig's Lake People caters to a more downbeat moment.
Review: Sven Vath's Frankfurt based powerhouse Cocoon returns with two legends serving up some surefire anthems to close out this year with a big bang. Scottish hi-tech soul merchant Vince Watson appears first with the emotive and elevating "Speaker Freaker", which sees this veteran producer serve up something much more accessible than what fans would be used to, but fantastic all the same. Next up Frankfurter Frank Lorber appears and although usually more known for his tech house stylings, here he takes a cue from fellow homeboys Lauer and Gerd Janson on the retro feelgood vibes of "L'obscure Objet Du Desir".
Review: The Sub Club has played such an important role in the development of UK electronic music that it is surprising it took it so long to have a label arm. Still, Nautilus Rising is testament to being better late than never, and this inaugural release, an all-Scottish affair, covers the kind of soulful house and techno that the 'Subbie' has been long associated with. Alex Smoke's "Straits" revolves around loose tribal drums and ponderous synths, before veering off into an acid-heavy segue. Lord of the Isle's contribution follows a similar trajectory, albeit with a tapestry of brooding bass and synths underscoring the arrangement. Stephen Lopkin represents the new breed of Scottish producer and his "Farewell G41" is all crashing snares and 606 drums. Vince Watson, one of the artists who has been active since the club's inception, rounds out this excellent release with "Subculture Story", a spacey, string-laden affair, atmospheric and melodic, but underpinned by a strong kick.
![DnA [re]Sequenced](https://imagescdn.junodownload.com/150/CS5262705-02A.jpg)
![DnA [re]Sequenced Sampler](https://imagescdn.junodownload.com/150/CS5266579-02A.jpg)
