Review: Fresh from delivering an EP of nostalgic 'Club Specials' on regular home Wolf Music Recordings, Frits Wentink returns to Clone's Royal Oak imprint for the first time since 2020. Title track 'Spiritual Basslines' - which is available in 'Club Mix' and 'Extended Mix' variations - follows a similar sonic template to the Amsterdam stalwart's most recent releases, adding classic deep house sounds to the kind of skippy, loose-limbed groove most often found on late '90s US garage releases. Highlights elsewhere across the EP include the vintage Nu Groove-influenced excellence of 'Eternity', the dub house meets-nu-disco shuffle of 'Golf Cart Joyride', and the deliciously deep, dusty and dubby shuffle of 'Olympiad'.
Review: Wallace's first outing on Rhythm Section International was genuinely brilliant, so hopes are naturally high for the rising star's sequel. Check first deep, dubby and driving title track 'Papertrip', where echoing, dub techno style motifs, restless piano riffs and infectious hand percussion hits rise above a kick-drum-driven beat and a jazzy bassline, before admiring the ragga vocal-sampling speed garage revivalism of 'BB' (note the nods to mid-90s MK and a genuinely weighty bassline). 'The Function' joins the dots between skippy US garage rhythms and ultra-deep, dubbed-out house, while 'Backwaters' adds sunrise-ready sounds and psychedelic electronics to another deep, skippy and sub-heavy house groove.
Review: Electronic music superstar Anyma (aka one half of Tale Of Us) unveils his highly anticipated sophomore album, Genesys Part II - which follows the success of his debut, Afterlife LP. Showcases Anyma's evolution as a melodic techno producer, the album features 21 tracks split into two distinct components. The first section chalks up a chunk of original compositions, including standout singles like "Pictures of You" and "Higher Power," along with collaborations with Chris Avantgarde, PARISI, Rebūke, and more. The second segment offers reimagined versions of tracks from both Genesys albums, featuring notable remixes by Eric Prydz, Adriatique, and Cassian. With its diverse range of sounds and collaborations, an impresisve and fully comprehensive second edition promises to be a pivotal moment in Anyma's career, dropping amidst the excitement of Miami Music Week 2024.
Review: Over the last few years, Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson has spent a fair amount of time mentoring Peacey, a young producer with oodles of talent. That much is proved by the rising star's expansive debut album, a superb 16-track set that combines sizzling colo cuts with a string of inspired collaborations. The Edinburgh-based artist sets his stall out via the luscious horn arrangements and immersive ambient electronics of 'Play It By Ear', before drifting between head-nodding R&B loveliness (Oveous hook-up 'Love In The Forest'), sensual and seductive, soul-flecked deep house ('Hold Me Back' with Clyde and Atjazz), mid-tempo boogie-soul ('Playground' with Rona Ray), dubby and dreamy downtempo grooves ('Last Night's Dream'), deep and techy, spoken word-sporting dancefloor workouts ('Culture Bandit' with Vanessa Hidary) and jazz-funk influenced excellence (LaRoye collab 'In The Distance').
Review: As is the case with previous EPs, the latest collaboration between Pfirter and Oliver Rosemann is named after a letter in the Greek alphabet. "Epsilon 1" is a dense track, with looped tones and relentless percussion unfolding over a jacking rhythm. The second "Epsilon" is more intense, as ominous waves build and build over resonating kicks. The release also features two stellar remixes. Lakej's take on "Epsilon 1" resounds to high-pitched percussive slivers and a hammering metallic rhythm. Meanwhile, seminal producer Sleeparchive turns "Epsilon 2" into a relentless Millsian workout, led by nickel plated kicks and foreboding, filtered drops.
Review: Six mixes to choose from of this team-up between veteran multi-instrumentalist and producer Michele Chiavarini and Atlanta, Georgia-based vocalist Carmichael Musiclover - though really there are only two that we need to talk about, the Original and the Sean McCabe Remix, each of which comes with a matching Radio Edit and Instrumental. In its Original form, 'Feet Don't Fail Me Now' sits somewhere on the cusp of contemporary soul/funk, soulful house and pop, while Sean McCabe's remix pushes the track firmly through the door marked 'soulful house'. Heavy rotation at the upcoming Southport Weekender guaranteed.
Review: Hardt Antoine, a London-based artist is a DJ, producer, and promoter of French and West Indian heritage is proud and pushin' through with his infusions of diverse and eclectic musical tastes. His recent releases on Cin Cin has already garnered significant attention, showcasing his talent and distinctive style, with this package for Reculture, My Love, dropping hard with some synth-house bangers and more - just take in "Dove" for starters. "Gimmie More" goes big on the vocal cut-up and stuttering groove, while its the lead cut "My Love" of course steals the show with its slamming percussion, deep bass, solid kick drums and anthemic atmospheres - expect this to be closing sets this summer to inspiring effect.
Review: Last time we heard from Toy Tonics boss Kapote (real name Matthias Modica), he was offering up a updated and reworked version of his 2019 debut album, What It Is. 'Electric Slide', his latest EP, showcases his first all-new original solo music for almost five years. Our pick of the bunch is energetic opener 'The Party', a percussion rich romp rich in heady party atmos, densely layered drums, addictive electric piano hooks and a propulsive bassline. Naturally, there's plenty to set the pulse racing elsewhere across the EP, from the subtly proto house-influenced, hands-in-the-air joy of 'The See Me' and the thickset deep disco house flex of 'The Come On', to the kaleidoscopic nu-disco elasticity of 'The Slide'.
Review: Last year, Istanbul producer Safak Oz Kutle - better known as Oceanvs Orientalis - made his bow on Crosstown Rebels via two collaborative singles. Here he delivers a third and final teaser for his forthcoming debut album, 'Neurality'. The track itself is typically hypnotic, densely layered and subtly psychedelic, with hand percussion, stretched-out hallucinatory chords, simple riffs and sparkling electronic motifs rising above a sequenced bassline and unfussy tech-house drums. Nick Curly provides the accompanying remix, re-framing the track as a darker and more bass-heavy slab of heady tech-house hypnotism with deliciously moody bass.
Review: Ed Upton has long been one of British dance music's most prolific producers, with his latest album on Hypercolour - the typically vibrant Spiral Dance - marking his 24th full-length excursion as DMX Krew since 1996. Its' 13 tracks are typically vivid, inventive and entertaining, with the Bedford-born producer rushing between intergalactic electro ('Always Hats'), sub-heavy UK techno futurism (the bleep-influenced 'Bathtime Bobby'), house-tempo dancefloor IDM ('Spiral Dance'), Spacetime Continuum style ambient techno (the chill-out room friendly 'Back To '92'), synth-laden analogue cheeriness ('Is This Normal'), heady beat-free soundscapes ('Hammer Slowly Forming'), early Autechre style electronica ('Ankle Grinder') and sweaty acid house ('FM Assembly').
Review: Oli Lazarus's Reel People Music drop the first volume in a new compilation series that will see the keys to the label's vaults handed over to a number of different remixers, with the intention of breathing new live into tracks that in some cases are nearly 20 years old. The man in the hot seat for this first installment is broken beat originator and Bugz co-founder Kaidi Tatham, who takes on tracks from/featuring the likes of Mica Paris, Atjazz, Sean Escoffery,Sebb Junior, Daz-I-Kue and of course Reel People themselves. Given the source material, it's no surprise that "smooth and soulful" is the mood du jour, generally: the beats never get TOO broken and self-indulgent jazzbo flourishes are kept to a minimum. File under 'baby-making music'.
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