Review:
Feel Up marks the debut of Berlin-based producer Florian Andres, and it's a rather impressive first outing. There's something particularly enjoyable about the bumping drums, hypnotic loops, extended filter tricks and heavyweight bass of "Get Them Up", which sounds a little like Soundstream after a dose of herbal remedies. "Backl Down, Back Up" is suitably warm and fluid, with repetitive string and piano loops creating a positive mood, while opener "Feeling Up" - all dubby house rhythms and eyes-closed melodies - is the aural equivalent of a cooling breeze on a particularly sticky day.
Review:
Backwards EP is the first collaboration between Moodmusic head Sasse and Maurice Aymard. Backwards is a fresh take on house music with touches of disco, electronica and techno mixed in to the equation forming a beautiful mixture of forward thinking club music with a hands in the air factor. Athabasca forms a perfect companion to Backwards, taking a more disco approach to things and letting the steam build up before dropping into deep house territory. Remixed comes courtesy of Massimiliano Pagliara and Luvless.
Review:
Super-shimmering vibes from Lithuanian producer Basanov on this release: "More For Less" is a purring piece of disco that doesn't sound too far away from fellow Eastern European electro boogie peddler Illija Rudman. Coated with Canadian vocalist Jeremy Glenn's emphatic vocal, it's an instant soul smoocher. Remix-wise Mario provides his own more stripped back underground house twist, Pablo and Maurice serve up a subtle early Get Physical style Euro version and Michael J Collins presses the 'weird' button as we drift in a laidback Mushroom Jazz style groove. Beautiful.
Review:
This big disco release sees Portuguese duo Cisco Cisco return to Apersonal Music, complete with a remix from the legendary Greg Wilson. "Higher" is a slow moving number with a classic feel, but it's the jagged guitar samples that give the whole thing its jerky energy. The Greg Wilson version of "Higher" will go down well with many, taking the pushing the guitars to the back of the mix, and replacing their jumpy movement with some staccato rap samples, placed firmly in the foreground. It shouldn't work, but in Wilson's hands it does, adding an incredible new mood to the track. "Brothers in Arms" treads similarly deep ground with its cowbell led rhythm and snipped yet ecstatic vocal samples. This digital version also features a remix not on the vinyl pressing, which is perhaps the best track on the release. Kaspar & Vahagn remix "Brothers in Arms", adding a slightly techier element with a buzzing arpeggio running throughout and squelchy bassline that runs underneath layers of electrifying pads.
Review:
The debut release by Portuguese producer Cisco Cisco, "If You Want Me" is a deliciously deep voyage through cosmic beats and honey-coated atmospherics. Coming in at a slowish, nu-disco tempo, it radiates Balearic goodness all the way, as does Jay Shepheard's slightly more tech-edged mix which works in some truly impressive and subtle filter breaks along with lovely bassy pads. With another CC newie, "Giro Disco", also included, this is an impressive debut all round.
Review:
After an extended summer break, Apersonal Music returns to action via a first EP in five years from Cisco Cisco. It opens with the comforting shuffle of "Jazzy Days", where intricate electric piano lines, woozy chords and soulful vocal samples ride a near horizontal, slow-house groove. It's accompanied by a trademark Ron Basejam remix, which retains the rich, jazzy deep house feel of the original, whilst adding a little more disco swagger. Further disco and boogie influences can be heard on "Jazzy Nights", which is a flickering, synth-heavy deep house treat. Andre Vegas' smooth, sweet and sultry interpretation of that track rounds off a fine E.P.
Review:
Fledgling Barca based label Apersonal grace us with the digital version of their third release and the standard set by the inaugural Trujillo 12" featuring Mark E and Social Disco Club remixes is more than maintained here. Venturing across the Atlantic for the first time, the label has secured some blissful late night house movements from Michael J Collins - surely the most Balearic name on the circuit right now - who really impressed with his Ilija Rudman remix on Electric Minds earlier this summer. Driven by broken house rhythms and some neat Fulton style hand claps, "Nothing Wrong With Holding On" is a delightfully idiosyncratic departure from the normal nu-disco template. Heavily phased saxophone lines cross with looped vocal chants atop the warm electro bassline with a panache you'd expect from someone who has featured on Wolf & Lamb. Keeping things close Boston's greatest Soul Clap pop up with a remix that adds some urgency to the tempo but retains the off key rhythms. Sumptuous Detroit style pads drenched with emotion rise gradually through and there's a rather tasty percussion heavy breakdown midway through. A big tip!
Review:
Connor 'Debonair' Bevan burst onto the scene in 2012, delivering an impressive debut EP for Kolour Recordings, as well as tracks for split EPs from House of Disco, Editorial, Whiskey Disco and Much Love. Three years on, he returns with arguably his most polished set of tracks to date. Committed to a dreamy, atmospheric take on deep house, all four tracks bristle with tactile dancefloor intent. Arguably the most impressive cut is "Terra Firma", where Bevan smartly combines "Deep Burnt" style strings, bass-heavy grooves and yearning vocal samples, though the chunkier, retro-futurist bounce of "Real Talk" is not far behind. The twinkling electronics, tumbling pianos and enveloping grooves of "Afterglow" are pretty darn tasty, too.
Review:
After successfully releasing the debut of EGYPTIAN NIPPLES (duo act formed by Massimiliano Pagliara and Jules Etienne) with the 5 track EP "BACK BUT HALF" Apersonal Music now reveals the remix pack for the mini-album, commissioning 4 experienced producers seeking to maintain the high quality and old school vibe of the original tracks. German producer Lauer maintains the old school US vibe of "Back But Half", while Jay Shepheard gives a clubby dancefloor twist to the electro gem "Bottle Of Mine". Session Victim (Retreat / Delusions Of Grandeur) wisely understood the coastal vibe of the original EP (and album cover) by remixing "L.A. Melody" towards a Caribbean taste with a Berlin vibe. Last but not least, Luvless (Rose Records / Razor N Tape) takes "Weekend Lover" and transformes it into a dreamy sound blaster for that special moment in your DJ set. Someone said after party?
Review:
Danish deep house talent Paxton Fettel unleashes three disco-infused house cuts through disco specialists Apersonal Music. Fettel joins the family of the label's fine roster of retro-tone music makers backed up with a Jimpster remix. Always in the search of timeless music pieces the Spanish imprint sure found a fine exponent of their unique trippy melodic universe with Fettel's offer on this EP. "She's All Right", "Sundown, as the Beat Gently Skips" and "Tripped Out" make a solid statement of nu-disco editing in a house fashion, new to the artist but with a solid experience on the label's trajectory. To push the boundaries of Fettel's sound no other than high-fi music creator Jimpster to remix "She's All Right", opening a special space for the track on any dance floor filled with raving house lovers.
Review:
Here we have the second instalment of rarities from the vaults of Apersonal Music. Leading the way in this collection of 'ones that got away' is the loopy, sloppy-disco house of Igor Jadranin's "Countless Nights", the soundtrack to the messiest imaginary party ever. Next up, Michael Bow's 1980s Italo-disco hit "Love & Devotion", is slowed and warped (almost out of all recognition) into a mellow electro-boogie gem by Davide Franca. Lastly, Joseph Terruel ends things with the insistent, yet lazy, orchestrated funk of "Tryin To Be Me".
Review:
Here we have a real meeting of minds with Barcelona's Apersonal music recruiting nu-disco don JEEP aka Jules Etienne for their latest offering. "Luftbrucke" is a gloriously glossy slice of the kind of instrumental Italo-disco that boasts unmistakable waft of beach (Discodromo extends the dreaminess in his mix). "Palast Der Republick" introduces a few strokes of acid house as well floaty vocals to the JEEP formula, while Rotciv drops the acid and ups the house. Finally "Goldman Sachs Building" closes proceedings with a slo-mo end of summer lament, compete with depressed trumpet. Hot!
Review:
Jerome C, born and raised at Haifa City Port in Israel, is a declared fan of vintage gear; always looking to explore the special analog sound. He creates music with a sumptuous mixture of house, disco, funk, and hip-hop. Most house fans will know Jerome for his production partnership with Double Hill that saw them grace Soul Clap's Double Standard label with the excellent I Need Love EP a few years back. The Wind finds Mr C surface on Spanish label Apersonal Music with a trio of productions characterized by the analog raw gear sounds. "The Wind", "Keeping Funk Alive" and "You Better Think" are all deep house gems that roll over warm sonic waves and melodic bassline beats. Remixes come from Quarion and Toby Tobias, with the former adding some uplifting, melodic vibes to the title track, whilst the latter flushes "Keeping Funk Alive" with darker hues.
Review:
Following his recent strong turn on Cocktail D'Amore, Jules Etienne makes a trip back to Apersonal Music with more of that island groove for the smoothest slack-wearers in town. "Free As A Man" is a beautifully laid back but funky offering that speaks to all kinds of good times. Jex Opolis turns in a remix of the track that has a little more bite to suit the later demands of the dancefloor. "Don't Wanna Talk About It" sees Etienne linking up with Disco D and winding all kinds of slick strutting business into his sound, and then "Rhythm For The Garden" heads off into wonderful tribal percussion that serves as a handy tool for DJs who want to get some rich drum sounds into their set.
Review:
Strangely, there's very little information online about the identity of Kiss Me Again, Barcelona-based Apersonal Music's latest recruit. There is, though, much to admire about this debut EP. Opener "To The Music" is a warm and rich nu-disco shuffler blessed with deliciously evocative melodies and a decidedly toasty bassline, while the scattergun drum machine hits, pulsing bass, glistening guitars, and sparkling synths of "Good Vibes" offer a Balearic take on the proto-house sound. Best of all, though, is "Caprice", a bongo-laden stroll through slo-mo nu-Balearic territory that's worth the admission price alone.
Review:
Having previously released a sole EP of warm, disco-flecked deep house, French producer Matthieu Cle gets to showcase a wider range of musical styles on this four-tracker. There are two original productions and two re-edits. Of the latter, his tweak of 80s soul smoocher "After Midnight" is probably the pick, though the straightforward rework of West Philips' "Sucker For A Pretty Face" will get a greater dancefloor reaction. Really, though, it's the original tracks that steal the show, with the super slo-mo "Black Mysteries" - like Matthew Kyle on smack - just edging out the chiming 80s goodness of "To Begin With". A mixed bag that's well worth a listen.
Review:
We're not sure where they found the time, but Live At Robert Johnson's Massimiliano and Gui.Tar/The Hints' Etienne - both super prolific producers - have collided for a floor-stopping fivesome of deep Balearic workouts, all of which have been composed organically with real instruments, vintage analogue machines and no MIDI whatsoever. The result ranges from Quiet Village-meets-Arthur Russell glamour of "Back But Half" to the Footprintz-meets-Ayers vibery of "Weekend Lover". Deep, gossamer-smooth and warmer than a Spanish summer, let's hope they find time to continue developing this amusing titled project.
Review:
James Teej's work hasn't ever really edged towards the funkier side of house music; however Fame on Apersonal Music sees the producer enter hitherto uncharted waters. An underlying funk rolls with immediate effect on both "Fame" and "City Celebrity", with the title track playing with synth snarls, groove ridden guitar licks and a wailing vocal; a belting summer hit if ever we heard one. Up next, the Cisco Cisco remix strips things back and focuses on a pushing key sequence and addictive rhythm section that moves things forward. Last but by no means least, "City Celebrity" sees a plucked bass guitar that swallows the bottom end and bounces perfectly against the electric keyboard arrangement up front. Solid release.
Review:
For their fourth release Apersonal return to South America for more glistening production bumps from the man known as Trujillo. There's an inherent warm late night sensation running through "Fruit Punch" which seems perfectly suited to the tropical climes of Caracas, Venezuela that Trujillo calls his home. A slinky transition from live bass and shimmering keys into the tight drums augmented by delay, intermittent cowbell and subaqueous pads lays down the foundation for the arrival of some delightfully MOR guitar work. Apersonal retain the high calibre of remixers that have distinguished their releases to date with "Fruit Punch" being treated to a tweak from Eddie C that retains the original feel but lays the emphasis on that sultry synth line and swerves the track in the direction of the dancefloor via an intricately layered house groove that occasionally drops into jacking bedlam. Toby Tobias was so enamoured with the track he submitted two mixes, with our favourite version ('V2') adding some throb to the bass and covering it in a gloriously reverberant sheen. To round matters off, Trujillo drops "Am I Looking Up To You", a delightfully dusty sojourn between edit and original production. Quality, as ever, from the Spanish imprint.
Review:
It's been relatively quiet from Trujillo recently, but now the Venezuelan producer casts out a transmission from his Berlin base to let everyone know that all is well and we can get back to the business of smooth grooving. "Everytime I Think Of U" speaks to the Balearic tendencies embedded in the producer's aesthetic, with a reflective vocal swirling amidst dreamy guitar chops and swooping synth warbles of a strictly blissed out nature. Telephones does a sterling job of remixing the original version into a warm and funky deep house jam peppered with organic delights. Kiss Me Again comes back to Apersonal Music, with an Afro-house-disco remix of "Everytime I Think Of U".
Review:
This is something of a "bits and pieces" release from Apersonal, featuring as it does previously unreleased cuts from various label regulars. That said, the quality threshold remains impressively high. Venezuelan producer Trujillo continues his fine run of form with "Send Me Away". Easily the stand out, it moves from clav-heavy deep house head-nodder to disco acid wig-out, finally finishing as a disco-soul singalong. Ilya Decado's "Sweet, Sweet Moments" delivers some hustling disco/house fusion with just the right amount of hands-aloft build, before Pablo Sanchez rounds things off with the drifting Balearic disco shuffle of "Our Closing Circle".
Review:
It's a been year since Barcelona's Apersonal dropped the first volume of Coastal Soul, doesn't time fly when your having fun? Vol 2 marks their fourth anniversary and once again it's another continuous mix by label co-founder Andres Vegas. He doesn't disappoint either - further pursuing the sounds previously explored and adding to their repertoire too. Highlights include the sultry jack of "LA Melody (Session Victim mix)" by Egyptian Nipples, the deliciously warped electro-house-pop "More For The Less" by Mario Basanov and the slo-mo, fuzzy-sludge house of "Nothing Wrong With Holding On" by Michael J Collins.
Review:
Barcelona's Apersonal Music weren't joking when they christened their new rarities compilation Gems From The Vault: Gold Edition. This release is only set to confirm the reputation for quality, with not one duff track to be found. There's seven tracks in total that cover a wide range of ideas - all deep of course - including the bouncing satin-like electro-house of "Malta" by Moodmusic's Sasse, the better-than-lose-yourself-to-dance, funked up New Romantic-isms of "Discofix", the head-trip tech-house vibes of "Omar" by JEEP and the sublime haunted new beat of "Tellem" by Gota Rai & Snres Vegas. Gems indeed!
Review:
Having previously released six quietly confident releases from the likes of Volta Cab, Trujillo and James Teej, Spanish deep house/disco fusionists Apersonal Records gather together some of their favourite remixes on one extended digital EP. It's a good collection, casually flitting between solid rubs from label stalwarts and notable big name remixes. Of these, look out for Soul Clap's excellent version of Michael J Collins' "Nothing Wrong With Holding On" - a joyous fusion of dubwise bass, drifting sax and sugary-sweet melodic builds - and Mark E's Trujillo rework. This touchy-feely slo-mo builder is reminiscent of the Black Country producer's fine early work on Jigsaw.
Review:
While this release might not be the highest profile of disco compilations to land in recent times it does feature some great artists, namely the mighty Eddie C and Greta Cottage Workshop's Paxton Fettel. The former delivers a snare thwacking remix of Trujillo's "Fruit Punch" that's full of the Canadian's trademark use of singing guitars, while the latter, on the other hand, provides a class original that's filtered, lo-fi and full of loving melody. Other highlights include Mario Basanov's clubby remake of "Love Someone", and tougher, phased beats can be heard on Florian Anders "Back Down, Back Up". And for that extra bonus there's a DJ mix of all the tracks by Trujillo. Get. On. Board.
Review:
Barcelona's nu-disco label, Apersonal, are currently celebrating their third birthday, and to mark the occasion label co-founder Andres Vegas delivers this sizzling late summer mix. The label's vibe is all about deep, sunkissed Balearica that is explored to the nth degree over the space of (just over) and hour. It's a wondrous journey with select highlights including Jay Shepheard's mesmerising, early Beloved sounding "Here Comes", the hazy mid 80s digital soul of "After Midnight", the looped white heat funk of "Tryin To Be Me" and the Italo-disco/acid house hybrid "Bottle Of Mine" by Egyptian Nipples.
Review:
The Apersonal label are masters of jumping between house and disco - that's disco with a modern twist, of course - and their releases have come from a wide selection of European talent over the past few years. This time, the label have put together a compilation, one big release to showcase what they're all about. House master James Teej opens the festivities with the docile and ethereal dance gem that is "Light & Love", a gorgeous blend of sounds that's followed by even more chord-heavy madness with C-Rock, Sello and Leonid, among others. This is dance music for the coasts, a bundle of beautiful music to warm your soul.
Review:
Thanks to the slowly shifting warmth, gentle breeziness and sun-kissed appeal of the twelve tracks on Coastal Soul Volume 4, we now have a strong desire to kick off our shoes and flop down on the nearest sandy beach. You'll struggle to find a more languid and life-affirming chunk of jazz-funk/deep house/soul fusion than Jimpster's "Closer To You", while Kiss Me Again's gorgeous "Garden Waves" is arguably best enjoyed while sipping something boozy, cold and fruity. Highlights continue to come thick and fast throughout, from the subtly D-Train influenced throb of Jex Opolis's remix of Jules Etienne's "Free As A Man", to the lazy sunset warmth of Andras Fox's hybrid electronic/organic Balearic house take on Ponzu Island's "Super Koto".
Review:
Relative newcomers Volta Cab are fast becoming a name to watch. Through a handful of releases - most notably for Solardisco - they've developed a uniquely attractive sound that sits somewhere between the higher echelons of nu-disco and old skool flavoured deep house. The four cuts here are among their best; the title track offers a synth-laden fusion of electrofunk, deep house and Balearica, while "Watch Your Back" comes on like a sumptuous take on classic house. "Ice", meanwhile, is melodic and electronic, while "Surfing On Delay" pairs piano house attitude with laidback groovery to great effect. Excellent stuff.
Review:
A shining light on the East Midlands house scene with Rhythm Plate, YSE has been carving more of a solo niche of late. His thing is woozy and bassy off-kilter house, and on Never/Forever he does this particularly well. The title track is the most conventional on here: all deep and retro 90s house vibes and the dreamy and emotional gospel grooves of "The Sky Fell Out" is an EP highlight. Elsewhere "The Beautiful Dream" is a skippy bleep-fest and "What It Means To You" wraps things up with scattershot brittle beats and dubby rhythms.
