Review: For his latest trick, spoonerism-loving rework maestro V (AKA sometime funk-breaks producer Valique) has decided to offer up a second selection of "Neo Blues" scalpel works. He begins by delivering a chunky, rolling revision of Ann Feebles' rock-tinged gospel-funk classic "Beware", before chugging his way through a pitched-down revision of a weighty T-Rex glam-rock classic ("Jewelry"). This is followed by EP highlight "Holis", an inspired - and suitably epic - "Afro-blues" revision of one of Nina Simone's greatest moments, and the low-slung voodoo-house hypnotism of "Mississippi Lullalby (V's Rendition)". To finish with a. flourish, the Vehicle main man then adds some elastic new drums to Otis Redding's version of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay".
Review: DJ Mark Brickman arrived in South Beach in late 2000 and has been gracing the ears of house music fans ever since. As a DJ, producer and the current head of Miami's RaMBunktious Records, this veteran of the underground house music scene shows no signs of slowing down - and this new one for Midnight Riot is testament to that. There's a very familiar hook on the funked-up boogie down antics of "A Fifth Of Disco", followed similarly by the sultry, vocal-driven groove of "My Spirit" which is very much reminiscent of a classic. Finally, get stoned into the groove with the low slung "Keep On" which is derived from another oldie - but a goody!
Donald's House - "Everything Is Fine" - (7:39) 127 BPM
Sedef Adasi - "Tender Trip" - (6:30) 130 BPM
Eliott Litrowski - "Spray" - (4:47) 130 BPM
Hammer & James Shinra - "Navigator" - (5:41) 126 BPM
Patrick Holland - "Doomer" - (7:08) 126 BPM
Review: Since 2006 Permanent Vacation has earned its reputation for releasing some of the best in contemporary house, electro, disco and leftfield music, showcased and celebrated most with their various artist compilations. As lockdown in some parts of the world begins to ease, maybe a sixth Permanent Vacation is in order, which this time introduces a fresh cast to the series with our ears drawn to the abstract dub, drum and rhythm tracks of Bawrut, and Cornelius Doctor & Tushen Rae in the tripped out "The Bukit Have Eyes". Smallville's main man in Paris Jacques Bon turns in a stair-sailing synth number of breezy, uplifting house in "Reverse Flight", with techier drums and club tracks coming from DJ Kuesse ("Tropicana Girl") and the au courant electro sounds of Eliott Litrowski's "Spray", and Sedef's Adasi's "Tender Trip" a highlight too.
Review: Despite hailing from the frozen wilds of Siberia, Sunner Soul has always offered up music - be it re-edits, unlicensed reworks or original productions - that tends towards the warm, sunny and summery. He's at it again here, heading up a shared EP with the mysterious Sunshine Disco Club (most likely another alias of the same producer) that bristles with smiling positivity from start to finish. Of his three cuts, we're particularly enjoying the life-affirming piano solos and jazzy good-time grooves of "Skyline Boulevard" and the heady disco release of "Insurance Policy", where effects-laden orchestration clusters around a fizzing, hot-to-trot groove. The Sunshine Disco Club then takes over with the sumptuous, soft-touch 80s soul/synth-wave goodness of "Space Jam", before skipping through piano-house/80s electrofunk fusion on the rather fine "System Mode".
Review: A few years back Leonidas DeeJay launched the Alien Disco Sugar project with a flurry of releases, many of which were roundly praised on these very pages. He's been rather quiet of late though, with this EP marking the Greek DJ/producer's first release under the alias for over two years. We'd recommend first checking the extended version of "Deepa Luv", which laces the powerful, diva style vocals from C+C Music Factory's "Pride (A Deeper Love)" atop a fresh house groove rich in memorable chords, clipped disco guitars and a smooth groove. The Chic-ish guitar riffs and sustained organ chords come to the fore on the "Deepa Dub" mix, while the "Radio Edit" is perfect for those who simply want a quick fix of goodtime grooves and sing-along vocals.
Review: When it comes to churning out sweat-soaked, rave-era revivalism, few producers are quite as adept as Chrissy, in part because he's genuinely studied the turn-of-the-90s styles he's emulating (and has the record collection to prove it). For proof, check the cut that kick-starts this EP, "Can't You Feel It". Built around bustling breakbeats, fizzing synth bass, simmering strings and sweaty female vocal samples, it's a thrill a minute ride - as is the stomping, acid-powered, bleep-laden track that follows it, "Depeche Moines". Soundbwoy Killah kick-starts the remix portion of the EP with a hybrid UK funky/UK garage revision of "Can't You Feel It" that boasts one of the weightiest sub-bass drops we've heard for yonks - seriously, it's massive - before Denham Audio re-casts "Depeche Moines" as a breakbeat hardcore-goes-tribal house smasher.
Review: During the ongoing global pandemic, many of us have been daydreaming about dancing the night away at clubs and festivals. When we are allowed to do this again, Fort Romeau's "Fantazia" could well be one of the tracks we here the most. Retro-futurist in tone, blessed with out of this world acid lines and the kind of hypnotic, looped riffs tailor-made to tease you towards euphoria, the track has all the makings of a care-free dancefloor anthem. In contrast, fiendishly fast techno workout "Neuromancer" is much more of a dark room-friendly, heads-down affair, while closing cut "Annadin" - a collaboration with progressive house era outfit Sunscreem - is a similarly stomping slab of late night delight rich in echoing piano stabs, razor-sharp riffs, twisted acid lines and booming bass.
Review: This is your 2020 edition of Toolroom House Party! Included in this red hot package are 20 brand new and exclusive cuts from the likes of: KC Lights who serves up the funked-up tribal groove of "You & Me", boss man Mark Knight once again heralding the return of good ol' fashioned funky house on "If It's Love" featuring Laura Davie & The Melody Men, legend Sharam Jey with Andruss & Bob Musella on the tough rolling tech funk of "Rise On My Soul" and man of the moment Shiba San getting deep down and dirty on "Runnin' Roll". Elsewhere, Saved head honcho Nic Fanciulli teams up with Black Circle on the spiritual afro house epic "Leap Of Faith", rising Berliners Mat.Joe give us the neon-lit energy of "Off Ma Mind" and you can bet that the ever reliable D. Ramirez makes a contribution (alongside label chief Knight) on the euphoric "Colombian Soul" which is remixed by label staples Sllash & Doppe. Plus, three super-hot DJ mixes from Dombresky, the aforementioned KC Lights & Ben Remember.
Review: As you'd perhaps expect from an act with multiple releases on Toy Tonics, Let's Play House and Razor 'N' Tape to their name, COEO's first outing on House of Disco is really rather good. The headline attraction is undoubtedly "Habibi Dub", a wonderfully cheery, melodic and up-tempo affair full of stylistic nods to 1980s Euro-disco and NYC freestyle (Fairlight stabs, bubbly Bobby Orlando bass, chiming synthesizer riffs, delay-laden drums etc). The package also contains two tasty remixes of the tune - a typically Balearic-minded, delay-laden piano-house take from Phillip Lauer and a more tropical-sounding Mix & Fairbanks take - while one of the two bonus cuts, "Joe Armstrong Theme", sounds like the kind of track you'd hear on the soundtrack to legendary 1980s TV series Miami Vice.
Review: Madrid man Manuela Costela has previously been praised for the variety and quality of his house and disco related productions, something that helps explain the inclusion of his tracks on an impressively wide variety of compilations. There's plenty of variety to be found within the three tracks on his latest EP for Rare Wiri too, with a pleasing reliance on weighty, low-slung bass guitar the only unifying feature. He sets the tone on opener "Mustang Lady", a hot-to-trot nu-disco number laden with spacey synth sounds, layered vocal snippets and insanely funky dub disco bass. Synths come to the fore further on the slap-bass propelled, acid-flecked nu-disco number "Circles", while closing cut "Mama Funk" is a jaunty, loop-heavy disco house affair whose most ear-catching feature is the extensive use of spring-fresh flute samples.
Andhim & Hogni - "Stay Close To Me" - (7:28) 120 BPM
Donner - (6:58) 122 BPM
German Winter - (7:02) 122 BPM
Beater - (4:05) 94 BPM
Review: The debut long-player from Cologne natives Simon Haehnel and Tobias Mueller, better known as Andhim, doubles as the soundtrack to their recent "on the road" documentary 'Miles To Go'. That's worth noting, because it's an album that's long on soundtrack-y, soundscape-y vibes, particularly in the first half - see, for instance, ambient interludes 'Ferne' and 'Pacific Park'. Later on, cuts like 'Huso', 'Stay Close To Me' and 'Donner' operate in more familiar melodic techno territory, while Roman Fl?gel's remix of 'Tosch' channels Kraftwerk, but an album packed full of club bangers this most certainly is not. Not that that's a problem!
Review: Since 2014, Frankfurt producer Shan has offered up regular missives on Running Back, with each successive EP exploring different sonic territory to its predecessor whilst retaining a strong retro-futurist feel. His latest offering is undeniably eclectic in its dancefloor-focused approach, with Shan variously turning his hand to percussion-heavy jack tracks (the sweat-soaked heaviness of "Schlagzeug"), Italo-disco/80s Euro-house fusion (opener "Stuck 4"), Bobby Orlando-style Hi-NRG ("Valentino"), mix 1980s Shep Pettibone dubs of synth-pop cuts (the rather brilliant "Holzboden") and stylish, synth-laden cosmic disco wildness (EP closing throb-job "Video 83"). As you'd expect, there's a stripped-back authenticity to the sound and production that captures the raw energy and feel of the vintage music that inspired him (albeit with the kind of low-end weight associated with heavily compressed 21st century dance music).
MYNC & Rhythm Masters - "I Feel Love" (feat Wynter Gordon - Illyus & Barrientos remix) - (7:26) 125 BPM
Davina Moss - "Tower" - (6:50) 124 BPM
Pierce Fulton - "Kuaga" - (5:30) 128 BPM
Matt Sassari - "Waitin'" (extended mix) - (6:10) 126 BPM
Review: It's that time again for Mark Brown and the gang's summer season on The White Isle. While the likelihood of said festivities eventuating this year may be a bit up in the air, you can rest assured that they'll have no qualms bringing the party direct to you - wherever you are! Ibiza 2020 features s whopping 40 tracks which will no doubt keep the party going well beyond the summer season, with highlights not limited to: label staple Matt Sassari with the ethereal stomper "Put A Record On", a certain David Morales golden oldie given a modern twist by the boss man on The Face Vs Mark Brown's "Needin' U" (Dimitri From Paris remix), a meeting of two great minds on Nile Rodgers vs Eats Everything's "Do What You Wanna Do" (Eats Everything Haus rework) and one of several appearances on here by the legend from down under Sneaky Sound System in the form of "Can't Help The Way That I Feel" (David Penn remix - extended mix). Elsewhere, industry titans such as Carl Cox, Paul Woolford, Green Velvet & Junior Sanchez receive some worthy remixes.
Review: Remastered and expanded edition of Derrick L. Carter's seminal 1994 album originally released on Chicago imprint Organico. Starting out with the smooth and ultra deep "Tripping Among The Stars (A Necessary Journey)" featuring Carter's brilliant vocals, the fierce acid techno of "Mars" reminiscent of his Tone Theory days, the funky liquid tech house of "Cruisin' With The Top Down (Lazy Sunday Edition)" which probably lay the foundations for the west coast sound which came soon later, or the funky soulful techno of "Cantina Benny's (Underground Extravaganza)" which honours more the sound of the neighbouring Motor City than his native Windy City. Comes with four bonus tracks not heard on the original. What a timeless piece of history this is.
Review: It may have an uninspired - if technically accurate - title, but this first solo outing from Jet Boot Jack is anything but mundane. For proof, check the rushing and rousing stomp of opener "Start It Off", which sticks a massive house-friendly boot up the backside of a camp and joyous peak-time disco stomper. Further evidence is provided via the filter-sporting, string-laden disco-house celebration that is "Jetstream" - all killer loops, breathy female vocal snippets, body-battering beats and heady orchestral sweeps - and the sweeter, beatdown-tempo shuffle of "The Disco Floor", which sounds like a rework of an unlikely disco record by a country music star (it may not be, but that's our take).
Review: The fifth volume in Peppermint Jam's popular "Allstars" EP series hits home hard from the start, as DJ Meme and Brazilian legend Marcos Valle join forces to re-imagine sweaty Azymuth classic "Jazz Carnival" as a driving chunk of celebratory house mayhem. Lovebirds is up next with "The Path 2011", a similarly percussive workout that makes great use of steel band melodies and warm, deep disco bass. Matthias "Matty" Helibronn then gives a Teddy Pendergrass classic the re-edit treatment (albeit with the addition of some tasty new drums and a few well-placed filter sweeps), while The Reflex steals the show with an organ-heavy multi-track remix of Mandrill's 1972 funk shuffler "Ape Is High" (here re-named "Ape's Back In Town").
Review: In aid of climate change and deforestation, Needs for a seventh time keeps its focus on the environment with all profits of this release donated to Cool Earth UK. Indeed this time the label calls upon the slamming grooves of Telephones in the atmospheric "Groundshaker / Lightbreaker " alongside some minimal space pong and 808s from Ciel. Lo-fi garage, amen breaks, cut up vocals and bassline grooves to boot in Elphino's "It's Hard To Say" with Al Wooton going all subterrain and urban dub on your ass with "Raphael". Keep it clean!
The Usual Suspects - "Nightstalkin'" - (9:20) 128 BPM
Grief - (8:39) 135 BPM
Makesome Breaksome - "The Vision" - (7:13) 126 BPM
Review: With four of Matthew Bushwacka's own productions and four from other people, 'Listen Up!' kind of blurs the lines between artist album and compilation, but we suggest you stop worrying what box to put it in and just do what the title says! Ranging from the retro rave energy of Plus's 'Untitled' to the late-night deep house goodness of Asad Rizvi's 'Dual' to Bushwacka's own heavy, almost EBM-ish 'Smashed', with 303 flecks scattered liberally throughout, what you have here are eight tracks that are built to move bodies on small-hours dancefloors while keeping the brain equally engaged.
Review: After releases on Phonica and Freerange, Chilean producer Massiande puts another uber-hip label notch on his production bedpost with a three-track, four-mix EP for Midnight Riot. The title track so convincingly works late 70s/early 80s tropes that only a distinctly 21st Century heft to the bottom end gives away its much more recent origins, while Moodena supplies a housier remix that tuffens up the beats while bringing the guitar to the fore. Elsewhere, 'The City' is all jazz piano licks and 3am deep house beats, while 'United We Funk' operates in more straight-up disco-house territory.
We'll Be Together (Moscoman remix) - (7:00) 123 BPM
We'll Be Together (Francesco Mami remix) - (6:55) 123 BPM
Review: Matthias Corsden AKA Ae:ther has flourished since joining Crosstown Rebels early last year. He won particularly praise for his debut album, "Me", which dropped back in November. "We'll Be Together" - a fine slab of sparse, spacey, minimalistic tech-house rich in eyes-closed vocals samples and starry electronics motifs - is the second single to be lifted from that set. It comes backed with fresh flipside "Blu Lagoon", an enjoyable exercise in chunky, deep-tech delight, plus two new remixes of "We'll Be Together". Moscoman hits all the right notes on his picturesque, melodious, analogue-rich revision - all grandiose deep space chords, starburst synths and chunky bass - while Francesco Mami's version is an altogether darker, tougher and more hypnotic take.
Review: During the 1990s, Chez Damier and Ron Trent's Prescription Records did more than any other label to define the sound of Chicago deep house. The label's reputation is such that it's still talked about in hushed tones, with lesser-known back catalogue nuggets remaining in-demand items with DJs and record collectors. This superb, double-disc compilation from Rush Hour tells the story of the label, gathering together both much-played underground anthems (Trent and Damier's "Morning Factory" and "The Choice", the proto-boompty-via-St Germain jazz-house of Angora's "Enchantment", and so on) and sought-after selections. Thrillingly, the collection also boasts a trio of previously unreleased Ron Trent cuts, all of which are superb.
Review: Four months after the release of his fine debut album "What It Is", Toy Tonics founder Matthias Modias AKA Kapote offers up fresh versions of two of the set's most potent tracks. Of most interest to many will be the included "big name" remixes of "Jaas Func Haus". Art of Tones does a bang-up job recasting the cut as a dusty chunk of rubbery jazz-house/deep house fusion, while the Sworn Virgins remix is a delay-laden late night analogue-house wiggler from the Ron Hardy school of Chicago sleaze. Best of all, though, is Rahaan's rework, which is a wonky mid-tempo fusion of acid-style electronics and spiraling disco bliss. Elsewhere, there's another chance to enjoy Modias' funk-fuelled disco workout "Delirio Italiano", as well as a stripped back, extra-percussive "Dub" mix.
Review: Two very well-known samples lie at the heart of this latest EP from Audaz boss Alkalino, which should help ensure maximum dancefloor appeal. 'Nightmare Walking' borrows the "I am a nightmare walking" line from Ice-T's 'Colors' (as famously used on Kid Unknown's rave-era Warp classic 'Nightmare') and places it atop a solid, rolling house backdrop. Or at least, Version 1 does: the accompanying Version 2 is a more bottom-heavy, instrumental pass and perhaps better suited to deeper floors. 'Gimme A Fat Beat' also harks back to the rave days with its cavernous bass and reedy organs, while lifting the titular vocal snip from Kraze's much-sampled 'The Party'.
Review: The term 'playa house' seems to have fallen out of favour but it's still as good a way as any to describe the sound that Lee Burridge's All Day I Dream have made their own: a blend of deep, tech and progressive house elements, with the emphasis on evolving, meandering tracks to get lost in rather than instant hi-octane thrills. And that's very much what's on offer here. 'Grizzly' itself, with its marimbas, vaguely menacing synth topline and almost operatic vocal from Josefina Barreix, is the most obvious attention-getter but elsewhere on the EP you'll find three more deep groovers built for inner reveries in outdoor spaces.
Two To The Power - "Noise & Music" (Archie Hamilton's Higher Repurpose mix) - (8:34) 127 BPM
10 Years Of Moscow (continuous mix) - (1:03:36) 127 BPM
Review: UK tech house hero Archie Hamilton celebrates a decade in the business for his beloved Moscow imprint. To celebrate this milestone, he's releasing a compilation featuring some of his favourite tracks from the last decade, where he looks through the back catalogue to bring you this timeless mix. Hamilton's own work is obviously pervasive, with highlights including the Inxec remix of "Two Time" that just so happened to be one of the imprint's very first releases, in addition to his collaboration with label staple Noha on "Lip Service" which gets an infectious rework by Romanian power duo SIT, and the ever reliable Samuel Andre Madsen giving "Informer" a typically swing-fuelled Reshape. Elsewhere, scene legends like Argy ("Siesta''), Shaun Reeves & Tuccillo ("Fill Calings") and GummiHz appear - the latter with his stellar remix of Keinton's "Strip Poker".
Review: Italian producer Da Lukas has released music on some significant and/or well-known labels in the past - think Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi, Strictly Rhythm and Re-Loved. He received plenty of praise too for his first appearance on Midnight Riot earlier in the year, and here returns to Yam Who's imprint with two more tooled-up peak-time workouts. Opener "Groove On" sees him successfully add bouncy but beefy beats, filter effects and various disco-house production techniques to Reuben Wilson funk classic "Got To Get Your Own". Meanwhile, "In A Disco" is little less than a celebratory disco-house romp built around the variously throbbing, life-affirming and over-the-top elements of a stone-cold disco classic.
