Review: This is not the first compilation to drop whose sole aim is to raise funds for NHS Chartities Together - R&S Records and Bass Agenda both delivered similarly epic sets - but "Care4Life" may well be the strongest and most diverse. As you'd expect, each one of the 45 tracks is previously unreleased, and the cast list reads like a who's who of dance music culture. Notable highlights include an ultra-deep, saucer-eyed number from Daniel Avery, an unheard rework of the Chemical Brothers' "Catch Me I'm Falling", a superb revision of Harvey's Locussolus project by Kiwi, Matthew Herbert in jazzy broken beat mode, a rare solo outing from Optimo's JD Twitch, a rip-roaring rave workout from Jas Shaw, and thumping peak-time bangers from Dusky, Eats Everything and Patrick Topping.
Review: Not content just releasing surefire grooves on Relief, Unknown To The Unknown, Edible and their highly popular W&O Street Tracks - British duo Waze & Odyssey get stuck straight in for their new effort on Hottrax. "Shape" will entrance you with its sublime melody, airy pads and steady rhythms on this evocative and highly engineered production. It offers up something a bit different from Jamie Jones' label of late - well known for its no nonsense tough rolling grooves of the darker variety. A remix comes from fellow Londoners No Rules (Tommy Boy/Future State) who deliver a swinging and tripped-out minimal house rendition that's perfect for the afterhours.
Review: London duo Waze & Odyssey have a long track record in delivering raucous, upbeat dance floor tracks, while their W&O Street Tracks label has put out killer EPs from like-minded producers, including Ejeca and Mella Dee. On this occasion, it's the turn of the label owners. There is no doubt that "All of Us" will burn up dance floors. Based on a phased, buzzing bass and skipping, insistent beats, dissected vocals and detuned riffs weave their way in and out of a massive break down. Equal parts electro house, grime and garage, this is a brash, brilliant release that consolidates Waze & Odyssey's reputation.
E Is For Edible (continuous DJ mix) - (58:56) 126 BPM
Review: Despite being just two years old, Nick Harris and Eats Everything's label has established itself as one of modern house music's most promising imprints. This collection, which features tracks from Edible's first ten releases, shows why. It begins with the jerky groove, prowling bass and vocal screeches of Lord Leopard's "Mark of Passion", while Lauren Lane's "Diary of a Madwoman" documents a darker, less party-focused take on Edible's rhythm-heavy, off-beat sound. Brett Johnson, whose work has undoubtedly inspired many of the artists on the label, makes an appearance with the driving, heads-down "Jack", while Rhythm Masters deliver a disco-heavy take on the sound with "Feel Your Love". All in all, this compilation is good enough to eat.
Review: British power duo Waze & Odyssey take a break from their always reliable W&O Street Tracks for an appearance on Edible; the Bristol based imprint by Eats Everything and Nick Harris and follows up great releases by Steve Mac and Robert Bruce aka Rhythm Masters and Merseyside's Mele.We've first got the bouncy and funked up tech house of "Down With Tha" where that very vocal loop is chopped up to perfection. Then we have got the deep and sexy tribal house groove of "Seizure" which will take you back to the turn of the millennium on this west coast style groove, that calls to mind the heyday of Hipp-E & Halo or Tyler Stadius.
Review: It's pretty damn clear that Waze & Odyssey are considered to be two of the best producers in the deep house game, not least by the impressive number of outing on all the best labels out there - 2020 Vision, Crosstown Rebels, Visionquest, you name it. In fact, it's easy to see why a tune like "Go Go Go" is picked up by Germany's Dirt Crew; its slick and effective groove is a wish-wash of deep and sensual vibes, powered forwards by a dusty percussion swing that must lock ever so tightly around just about any other track. "We Go Home", on the other hand, is quirkier, a little less smooth around the edges, but works perfectly well as a build-up track. Lovely.
Review: Waze & Odyssey have sustained an impressive dancefloor assault for quite some years now, delivering muscular blow after blow of perfectly honed house. Their latest right hook is "On The Downlow", a bobbing and weaving slice of low-slung thumping retro house. One spin of this and you'll be seeing stars!
Review: There's little doubt that Waze & Odyssey are great at producing "big" records. This latest outing on their Street Tracks imprint is another fine example. "Bounce" expertly combines nagging acid lines, warehouse-friendly vocal samples, extended breakdowns, a tactile, bass-heavy UK-tech groove, and an addictive main synthesizer hook that sounds like it was inspired by Ame's anthem-like 2011 remix of Osunlade's "Envision". It's a combination that sounds like it would cause commotion on a wide range of dancefloors, from sweaty ceallars and gargantuan warehouses, to White Isle terraces and rain-soaked British festivals. In other words, it's dynamite.
Ways Of The Underground (John Tejada remix) - (6:47) 125 BPM
Feel On Fire (Jacques Renault remix) - (6:41) 123 BPM
Ways Of The Underground (original mix) - (5:56) 125 BPM
Review: After a relatively quiet 2014, Waze & Odyssey return in dominant fashion with a beefy EP for their own W&O Street Tracks. Both of the original tracks included here - and particularly the piano-and-synth-laden main room monster "Feel On Fire" - are amongst their strongest for some time, and the remix package is dope too. John Tejada steps up first, turning the forthright "Ways of the Underground" into a melodious, shuffling deep house gem. Arguably even better is Jacques Renault's remix of "Feel On Fire", which adds a little vintage New York tribal bump whilst retaining the massive riffs and even larger breakdowns.
Review: Waze & Odyssey return to their label Street Tracks with a double A-Side Real Good Like / Everything (You're Made Of). The release comes with a remix of Real Good Like, and a Trikk re-dub. The EP has picked up early club support from the likes of Huxley, Jimpster, Severino, Skream, Duke Dumont, XXXY, Citizen, Adam Shelton, Maya Jane Coles & Kim Ann Foxman.
Review: The Sccucci Manucci label has done a fine job of handpicking artists on the rise for their releases to date, collaring the likes of Casino Times, Francis Inferno Orchestra and Toomydisco as well as the odd established name like Jacques Renault. The label's fourth release Forza Quattro is still grounded in the disco/house sensibility that has served them so well, though the presence of Waze & Oddysey demonstrates the Sccucci A & R team are willing to deviate. The elusive US pair are in the midst of a hot patch right now with releases already burning on Body Work and Southern Fried and plenty more due over the coming months, so their presence here is a real coup. "I Can't Hear You" sounds vaguely like a extra bouncy cover of the classic "RIP Groove" and definitely ranks alongside their output to date. The EP also has tempo traversing contributions from Fil Lavin, Sellouts and Deadly Sins, with the latter's slow and chuggy "Don't You Know" a particular highlight.
Review: Waze & Odyssey appear to be on a quest to rack up record number of label appearances in 2013 (keep up Ejeca!) and their latest release sees the pair descending on New York once more to helm the debut release on the LPH WHITE series. A further expansion of Jacques Renault and Nik Mercer's Lets Play House operation, LPH WHITE sees the label take its "cue from those mysterious, classic, unmarked dance records of years past." Unsurprisingly, Waze & Odyssey are in upfront mood on both original cuts here, though lead track "Feelin' You" demonstrates a new found percussive subtlety in amdist all the chopped vocals and dancefloor shredding chord stabs. A hint at the label's future is offered by a remix from London-by-way-of-Southern California up-and-comer Urulu who will be gracing the second WHITE EP with four original productions.
Review: Doorly steps up to compile Souther Fried's fourth instalment of the Southern Fried & Tested series. There's over forty-five tracks on here so it should keep you moving and warm for the entire duration of the summer, not to mention Doorly's ingenious mixing and mash-up style. The compilation also spans many different sub-genres of house, from booty, electro, tech and more dancehall-inspired tunes, creating one hell of a party and one beauty of an addition to Southern Fried's catalogue! Check the "Big Booya" acappella!
