Review: A year and several singles and after their debut album Future Forever, Swiss darksmith duo QZB return to Critical Music with yet another statement EP that covers the full sonic spectrum. Rolling deep with friends, the EP features friends and old collaborators such as Sydney Bryce (with the futuristic space soul 'Waste Your Kiss'), Freddy B (with the ominous creeper sweeper 'Cut Off The Top') and Blocksberg (on the emotional 3am work out 'Antidote'). Title track 'Kilowatt' the only track that doesn't feature a fellow collaborator... With a bassline that can melt bones and flatten your car, there's very little room for one. Powerful scenes.
Review: The tried and tested comboship of Chimpo and Sl8r returns to Philly Blunt with two juicy workouts. 'Jones' pays homage to many Welsh people and Quincy (RIP) with jazzy pads, a smooth roll and a sudden splurge into pure bassline filth. 'Respect' is more your classic ravey stepper thanks to a rising detuned synth hook and some tightly rolled drums. Precision.
Review: Killa P and Numa Crew unite for 'Killing Time' on Numa Recordings, a powerful blend of bass and lyrical intensity that showcases one of the potent duos to ever hit 140BPM based sound. Across 9 sizzling collaborations, we get to see both the enigmatic production mastery of Numa Crew on display, and of course the vocal wizardry of Killa P flowing strong and true. Across the more introspective sounds of 'Family' and rave-ready flavours of 'Jungle Leng' alongside Fleck, we get to see the full range of both these UK heavyweights, with our standouts from the release including the funky-infused drum work of 'Different Life' alongside Lady Lykez, next to the thumping sub rolls of 'Champion Sound' and the dubwise marches of 'Love Inna We Heart' alongside Long Range & Charlie P. Top work from two UK legends.
Review: Cutting through the haze of the dancefloor with a relentless Italo-infused energy, Black Hawks of Panama's "Wrapped" is a track that demands attention. Distilled from the fervid energy of the club scene, this captivating cut is a masterclass in minimalist yet captivating electronic composition. The ingredients are deceptively simple - a driving disco-tinged drum kit, the warm growl of an Alpha Juno bassline, and a soaring, anthemic vocal - but in the hands of Black Hawks of Panama, these elements coalesce into something truly intoxicating. The propulsive drum pattern acts as the central heartbeat, its crisp, staccato punches urging the listener ever forward. The bassline, meanwhile, pulses through the mix with a hypnotic, almost trancelike quality, underpinning the track's relentless forward momentum. But it's the vocal that truly elevates "Wrapped" into the realm of the sublime. Infused with a sense of yearning and ecstasy, the vocals soar majestically over the track's pulsing rhythm section, imbuing the whole with a sense of euphoric release. Psychedelic flourishes - shimmering guitar licks, prismatic synth tones - provide bursts of color, adding depth and complexity to the track's otherwise stripped-back aesthetic. In the hands of Black Hawks of Panama, the simple becomes the sublime.
Review: Nu-disco's premier scalpel-wielding wookee is back on Bandolier. He's brought with him a quartet of tried-and-tested revisions aimed fairly and squarely at disco dancefloors. The Star Wars-loving re-editor hits the ground running with 'To The Disco', a typically trippy and lightly dubbed-out chunk of peak-time disco excitement, before beefing up a Clavinet-heavy slab of disco-funk weightiness ('Gettin' Heavy'). His love of slowly unfurling, low-end-heavy peak-time disco comes to the fore on 'Rollin' Down Town', where harmonic vocalisations, tight acid lines and echoing vocal snippets catch the ear, while 'Play The Game' is a filter-smothered chunk of loopy disco-house suspense.
Review: Like label owner Laurent Garnier's DJing, the latest compilation on COD3 QR spans a range of styles. It encompasses sounds as diverse as the jazzy piano and gentle back beats of Carlos Nilmmns' "Just Another Day" and the intense white noise bursts and slamming techno of Manuel M's "Take". Other familiar, Garnier-approved styles also make the cut. There's the dramatic, soaring Detroit techno of Jim Rivers' "Canna" and Costello's "Dream Operator", while Alex Rotschild delivers sassy tech-house on "Cosmorak". Of course no release on the French DJ's imprint would be complete without a curveball; this time it comes in the form of Onur Ozman's moody vocal-led contribution, "If U Want".
Review: 'Blue Skies (Fouk Remix)' breathes new life into a soulful, jazz-infused original, presenting a collection that blends elegance with deep house grooves. The original mix of 'Blue Skies' is full of sweeping strings, tender piano, and subtle hints of jazz and house rhythms, creating a refined and unique experience. 'Darlin'' takes a similar soulful approach, adding a jazz swing and a light house groove that feels timeless yet fresh. 'Listen For A Heart Sound' introduces a funky edge with a jazzy guitar riff riding the beat, underpinned by light strings that evoke the late 60s and early 70s. Fouk's remix of 'Blue Skies' transforms it into an uplifting deep house jam while retaining its soulful core. The instrumental version isolates the groove, while the edit trims it down for a snappier, radio-friendly version. Each main track offers something distinct, making this release versatile and appealing for both introspective listening and dancefloor energy. The level of soul blending into these tracks is astounding!
Review: Steven Julien, the artist formerly known as Funkineven, has long been an incredible DJ whose club sets frequently join the dots between a dizzying array of interconnected sounds old and new while flitting between tempos and styles at will. Wisely, he's chosen that path on his DJ Kicks contribution, moving through ambient soul, synth soundscapes, bubbly synth soul (a superb DJ Eon workout), jazz-funk (Ryuichi Sakamoto, the RAH Band) and twisted synth-pop (his own remix of Dreamcastmoe and Shungu) before slowly raising the tempo and temperature via jazzy deep house (Chaos In The CBD), squelchy acid house/80s soul fusion (his 'Number'), garage (Todd Edwards), Detroit deepness (Kyle Hall), lo-fi acid (My Girlfriend) and fizzing P-funk (Mr Flash). An absolute masterclass in soul-fired eclecticism.
Review: iO's "Claire" is a testament to the power of genre-defying electronic music. Originally released in 1994, this track has aged gracefully, its unique blend of techno, trip-hop, and jazz still sounding fresh and innovative and was an underground staple, embraced by DJs across genres for its unique fusion of laid-back rhythm and sharp 909 beats. The 2024 reissue offers a chance to revisit this classic, with a tastefully remastered original version. The addition of three remixes by Pulsinger, Tunakan, and dub master Sam Irl further enriches the listening experience. These remixes pay homage to the original while exploring new sonic territories, showcasing the enduring influence of "Claire."For those familiar with "Claire," this reissue is a nostalgic return; for new listeners, it's a chance to experience a true classic that continues to resonate across decades.
Review: POW! Longstanding Sub-liminal soldier RV gets busy in the vaults and cooks up this exceptional range of memories and current smashers. 19 tracks in all, highlights include Pa's slug-liked battering ram 'Tripped Up', Prestige's absolutely nutty 'Computer Killer', the rolling dub breakdown and turbo-charged grot of Oz's 'Lion In The Jungle', Vital's hectic 'Doin Bits' and Tomoyoshi's slinky badman creeper 'Inner Mind'. And that's before we get to some of RV's own crucial contributions such as the immense 'Junamji' and the Metropolis sized slab of evil 'Target Practice' (with Raz). Real vibes.
Review: Genre-defining garage label Instinct is back with another one of its lip-curling, rip-snorting and floor-destroying EPs, this time from Bullet Tooth. All the old school signifiers you need are present and correct in the opening cut 'Don't Look Back' with its naughty bass, shuffling drum loops and chopped vocals. 'Can You Hear Me Call' is a more crisp and lithe, 2-step leaning jam with a wobbly low end and late night urban menace. Last but not least is the speed garage-inspired 'Next To U' with its pulsating bass and aching vocal hooks right up top. Brilliant tackle as ever.
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