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Clone Royal Oak
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House
Review: There's only a certain level of "synthiness" that a deep house record can reach - after which it's not really deep house anymore, but something else. Here, though, Zopelar manages to push that particular envelope further than most: the first two tracks are very electronic-sounding but will definitely be most at home on deep house rather than progressive or techno floors. 'Miles Away' then takes us into more traditional deep house pastures with its organic bass and sax, before Zopelar throws us a curveball with the wonky, leftfield and vaguely disturbing 'Dark Places Where I Feel Safe'.
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ROYAL 057
04 Nov 24
Deep House
04 Nov 24
Deep House
Review: Throughout the last decade, Cork's John Daly put out a steady stream of releases, earning rave reviews in the process. He's been surprisingly quiet of late though, with this outing on Clone Royal Oak marking his first solo missive five years. 'I Get So High' sees the Irishman wrap extended sax solos around a tactile Italo-house bassline and a deliciously dreamy deep house groove, while the 'AM Mix' pushes the dewy-eyed female vocal and the deeper elements to the fore. 'Two Days', meanwhile, is a slower and even dreamier chunk of loved-up deep house nostalgia. Clone boss Serge and long-time pal Alden Tyrell push the tempo up a little and dial-up the early morning Rotterdam basement vibes on their superb accompanying remix.
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ROYAL 055
10 May 24
Deep House
10 May 24
Deep House
Review: Mr. Ho's "Freak Like U (Whip Mix)" - a remix that injects fresh energy into Masarima's already potent proto-house anthem "Freak Like U." This isn't your typical remix aiming for dancefloor dominance. Instead, Mr. Ho takes an "alternative route to Rimini," a playful nod to the Italian coastal town synonymous with infectious Italo-house sounds. The track retains the infectious energy of the original, but with a distinct acid house twist.
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ROYAL 048MRHO
26 Apr 24
Funky/Club House
26 Apr 24
Funky/Club House
Played by: RaOul (Swirl People), Kraak & Smaak, FINGERMAN, Carlos Nilmmns, Superbreak, Juno Recommends Deep House, Mike Riviera, Fred Everything, Yoshi Horino(UNKNOWN season), Dam Swindle, Andy Vann/Grass Green, Lone D, Max Sinàl, Mark van der Ree, Mike Nasty
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'.
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ROYAL 056
05 Apr 24
Deep House
05 Apr 24
Deep House
Review: Colombian house hero Felipe Gordon impressed (as usual) on his first outing on Clone's Royal Oak offshoot earlier in the year, so naturally hopes are high for this speedy sequel. Title track 'No Words' comes presented in three different forms: Gordon's ultra-deep, hypnotic original mix in which immersive pads and echoing organ snippets ride hushed machine drums and a raw TB-303 bassline, and two takes by Byron The Aquarius. The Atlanta producer first reaches for flutes, jammed-out boogie synths and looser house grooves on a fine 'Dub' mix, before presenting a shorter "remix" that gives more prominence to the wigged-out solos and fluttering flutes. 'Travel Through Your Mind', a more driving chunk of intergalactic deep house, completes a fine package.
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ROYAL 054
22 Dec 23
Deep House
22 Dec 23
Deep House
Review: Orlando Voorn has worn many hats over the years, but one of his standout projects is Basic Bastard. With its roots in deep US house, the project has always seen Voorn prioritise quality over quantity. In fact, this is only the project's twelfth release in 30 years. Needless to say, it's another unforgettable release. It features two versions of "Engine"; the original is a soulful, disco-tinged groove, while the 'Technosoul Dubmix' sees him venture down a more dubbed out path. "Rise" is also available in two versions; the 'Detroit Dub' revolves around a slamming, metallic rhythm. Meanwhile, on the 'New York' version, Voorn drops a chord-heavy, swaggering version that recalls DJ Duke at his deepest.
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ROYAL 053
23 Jun 23
Techno
23 Jun 23
Techno
Played by: Juno Recommends Electro
Review: The work of Mystic Jungle and Whodamanny, "Freak..." gets remixed by two iconic artists. First up is Egyptian Lover's version. The storied electro producer subtly adds in some nuances - rolling 808s and a pulsating bass - to give the original version an extra layer of funk. Luca Lozano's 'Breakbeat Guy' version follows a different approach. This time, the focus is on a rolling, break beat-led groove and spaced out, dubby elements. Lozano contributes a second remix, featuring Karlos Moran. The 'Tribal Workout dub' sees the duo go down a house route, but with a difference. Laced with acidic bleeps, cow whistles and tripped out vocal samples, these elements make for a fittingly celebratory version.
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ROYAL 048RE
26 May 23
Electro
26 May 23
Electro
Played by: Monkey Boots, PBR Streetgang, Pete Haigh, FINGERMAN, Superbreak, Juno Recommends Deep House, Andy Downtown Science, BRENDON P, Matt Brown (SanchoPanza), Spincycle
Review: Is there anything Felipe Gordon can't do? On his second Clone Royal Oak outing, Gordon eschews the acid flex of his previous EP for the Rotterdam imprint in favour of nods towards New Jersey garage and turn-of-the-90s NYC deep house. The headline attraction is 'For Martha', a bumpin' excursion rich in squelchy synth-bass, synthesiser horn sounds and deliciously dreamy chords. Kai Alce delivers two revisions: an even more old school-sounding revision blessed with his usual jazz-flecked instrumentation (the 'Remix') and an arguably even stronger 'ClubJazz' mix that could have come straight from Jovonn's archive of unreleased early '90s productions. Elsewhere, 'Waves' is a spacey, off-kilter, percussion-rich workout of the sort we'd usually associate with Ron Trent, and the hazy, all-action early morning delight that is 'The Beginning Of That Lonesome Road'.
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ROYAL 052
06 Mar 23
Deep House
06 Mar 23
Deep House
Played by: DJ M4SH, FINGERMAN, Superbreak, Kisk, Juno Recommends Deep House, Andy Downtown Science, BRENDON P, Andy Vann/Grass Green, LEGO EDIT, Gledd, Reed & Radley
Review: We've banged on about how much we enjoy Felipe Gordon's work before, noting that nearly everything he touches turns to musical gold. Predictably, his first outing on Clone's Royal Oak offshoot is superb, too. Opener 'Impresiones Acidas' is particularly impressive: a near-perfect fusion of hazy deep house, Tourist-era St Germain jazz-house and undulating, near psychedelic acid lines. It comes accompanied by a TB-303-free take, 'Impressiones' (where the original's luscious jazz guitar solos get more of an airing) and two bonus cuts: the sunshine-ready, jazzual deep house wonder of slowly shifting loop jam 'Can't You See' and the chunkier, piano-sporting deep house heaviness of 'Displacing Resolution'. In a word: impeccable!
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ROYAL 051
25 Nov 22
Deep House
25 Nov 22
Deep House
Review: Some 14 months after the original Double Man EP appeared in stores, Clone Royal Oak has delivered a fresh set of remixes. We get two revisions of the fantastic, Masters at Work-goes-spacey deep house title track: a sweatier, weightier and even more gorgeous Kink rework and a genuinely revelatory take from Ludwig A.F that sits somewhere between shoulder-swinging Chicagoan boompty, sci-fi techno and gritty lo-fi house. Jovonn delivers an ultra-deep and subtly shuffling re-wire of 'Trouble Man' (check the drowsy chords, spacey pads and loose-limbed drums), before Malin Genie re-frames the same track as a sub-heavy, Rhodes-sporting slab of UK garage/deep house fusion.
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ROYAL 0491
17 Dec 21
Deep House
17 Dec 21
Deep House
Review: Some six years after his first outing on the label, talented Ukranian producer Antenna returns to Clone's Royal Oak offshoot with more high-grade material. The Brussels-based producer sets his stall out with 'Timbales', a metronomic jack-track with added spacey synths and sampled percussion, before stripping things back further and reaching for deep sub-bass and the hypnotic late-night shuffle of 'MDF'. He doffs a cap to the hissing drum machine cymbals, sci-fi synths and squelchy bass of vintage Detroit techno on 'Bodya', whose stunning chords and sampled voices catch the ear, while 'Park Life' is an ultra-deep ambient house number that sounds like it was partly inspired by Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works volumes one and two.
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ROYAL 050
29 Oct 21
Deep House
29 Oct 21
Deep House
Played by: Marcel Vogel, Alkalino, Juno Recommends Deep House, Jesse Bru, Nachtbraker, Vhyce, OPOLOPO, Fouk
Review: If you're on the hunt for some unusual, off-kilter house with swing, weight and tons of fuzzy analogue sounds, we'd recommend checking this Clone Royal Oak outing from Frits Wentink. It opens with one of the most sub-heavy tracks we've heard in a while, the two-step garage-meets-leftfield-deep house insanity of 'Trouble Man'. While it derives its power from an incessantly stabbing bass motif and loose-limbed drums, the track also boasts plenty of madcap melodic motifs and oddball electronic flourishes. In comparison, bass-and-piano-heavy peak-time workout 'Friends' is positively straightforward, though those who follow Wentink's career will know it's anything but. As for closing cut 'Double Man', it's as dusty, percussion rich and weighty as they come, with the Dutchman's heavy sub-bass offset by sparkling synths.
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ROYAL 049
02 Oct 20
Deep House
02 Oct 20
Deep House
Review: Clone sub-label Royal Oak bring us some uptempo disco/proto-house vibes par excellence courtesy of Masarima, which is a new project from Dario di Pace, the Italian producer formerly known as Rio Padice. In its original Club Mix form, 'Freak Like You' rides a sparse electro beat with gloriously 80s synths, squelchy talkbox-like guitar and a proper little earworm of a female "a freak like me needs a freak like you" vocal, while the Remix is chunkier and more overtly house-ified. Definitely one for the dancers, with a Radio Edit and a useful Freakapella completing the package.
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ROYAL 048
28 Feb 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
28 Feb 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
Review: Expect only the most leftfield of deep house bizniss here from Dutch producer Frits Wentink (real name Steve Mensink). 'Filthboi69' rides a deep, Afro/tribal-tinged house rhythm with all manner of weird n' wobbly synth and organ sounds, creating an overall vibe that's one-part flotation tank to one-part lounge bar in outer space. 'Discosizer' is a more upbeat number with seriously wonked-out synths underpinned by a steady bass throb, 'Space Babe' sounds like The Clangers making dubbed-out house for those eyes-down, 4am moments and finally the glacial 'Stealth' marries 80s electro beats to delicate keys. Far out, man!
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ROYAL 047
05 Jul 19
Deep House
05 Jul 19
Deep House
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House
Review: DJ Fett Burger, AKA DJ Dog, is a Norwegian producer with several long-players under his belt, while DJ Speckgurtel is probably better known as Phillip Lauer, whose CV to date includes two albums for Running Back and one for Permanent Vacation. The pair first joined forces on 2013 EP 'Speckbass', and now they reunite to deliver an album that spans a range of house styles, from the 90s vibes of 'Harpo' and '6Drops (Piano Mix)' to the dreamy, stuttery 'Sunshine In The Limousine', via the prog-leaning title cut and downtempo closer 'Sonnen Ambiente'. Some of the tracks feel a little like extended sketches, but there's still much to enjoy here.
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ROYAL 046LP
31 May 19
Deep House
31 May 19
Deep House
Review: Look Like makes his debut on Clone Royal Oak with a fresh take on classic house music, where Italo, balearic, Chicago and Detroit's influences all merge into an exciting melting pot. With previous releases on DVS1's Mistress label, Drumpoet Community and Akoya Circles, this guy is all set to blow up in 2019 for sure. The Garden Of Eden EP features the rather 808 State sounding title track - and what a throwback that is! Experience the second summer of love all over again on "Do You Love Me" and feel the vibe of his emotive electro on "Nokia Nostalgia".
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ROYAL 045
12 Apr 19
Deep House
12 Apr 19
Deep House
Played by: Kraak & Smaak, Juno Recommends Deep House, KS French, 25 Places, VRRS, RADIO SLAVE, HalfDeadDave
Review: Clone Royal Oak's latest outing is a simple idea, beautifully executed. It sees a trio of experienced producers offering up scalpel style reworks of classic cuts from Jovonn's early '89s Goldtone Records stable. Ian Pooley steps up first, delivering a chunky revision of sought-after 1993 cut "Pianos of Gold" that builds energy via a stripped-back, bass-heavy section before unleashing Jovonn's superb organ riffs, glassy-eyed deep house chords and sweaty vocal cut-ups. Next, DJ Deep delivers a snappy and perfectly pitched rearrangement of vibraphone-laden 1992 cut "Show U Love", before Detroit legend Mike Huckaby gets to work on Jovonn's 1991 debut "Be Free", brilliantly utilizing the breezy and soulful vocal on a version that subtly enhances the producer's classic New Jersey deep house original.
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ROYAL 044
30 Sep 18
Deep House
30 Sep 18
Deep House
Review: Clone Royal Oak's 43rd edition delivers fresh new cuts by a newcomer from the Dutch west coast, featuring warm and woolly vintage synth sounds that create futuristic vibes. Dark old school techno in the vein of Suburban Knight or Orlando Voorn. From the cracking, lo-fi groove of "Masterlight" with its classic sci-fi overtones, through to second offering "Modular Flute" which is the winner here. It is a groove oriented jam with lush FM synth tones and the boom and bounce of classic Roland drum machines.
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ROYAL 043
16 Jul 18
Minimal/Tech House
16 Jul 18
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Following up that great first volume, Amsterdam legend Gerd fired up the legendary Yamaha DX100 synth again and delivers a bunch of timeless perspectives of classic techno sounds on Planet F.M.D.X. The synth was a staple of the first wave Detroit sound, and this is a respectful tribute to that if we've ever heard it. From emotive hi-tech soul of "Black Moon Voyage" and its unashamed nod to the sounds of Transmat, the intergalactic funk of "Lost Android" complete with reversed beats for nostalgic effect, and the hi-tech jazz of "Chord Orbit" which will have all fans of early Underground Resistance and Strobe rejoicing.
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ROYAL 042
29 Jun 18
Minimal/Tech House
29 Jun 18
Minimal/Tech House
Review: It's strange to think that this is Mark Du Mosch's debut release on Clone, given that he's from the Netherlands. On UM-ing, he shows why he is such a vital addition to the Rotterdam label's roster. "Heat It Up" is a chugging, chord-heavy groover, while on "Adrift", he goes for a similar approach - the only difference is that the organ-playing is replaced with tripped out tones and shiny synths. The title track ushers in a change of tone, with its moody bass and layered percussive volleys recalling the menacing swagger of early Force Inc, while closing track "Firefly" moves the mood dial back towards happiness with its surging, melodic chords.
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ROYAL 040
22 Dec 17
Techno
22 Dec 17
Techno
Played by: Alkalino
Review: Under the Tee Mango alias, Millionhands chief Tom Mangan has been tearing it up of late. Here he debuts on Clone Royal Oak following fine outings on Aus Music, Royal Oak and, of course, Millionhands. He hits the ground running with opener "Confused", an attractive mixture of woozy deep house chords, lo-fi machine drums and dazzling, starburst style synths, before reaching for the cowbells on trippy deep house jack-track "Going Wrong". Turn to the virtual flipside for the extended build-ups, psychedelic synthesizer cycles and Motor City influences of "Via Carlos" and the ultra-positive brilliance of "Losing Control", where a soulful vocal sample is worked hard over a slick and spacey deep house groove.
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ROYAL 038
15 Dec 17
Deep House
15 Dec 17
Deep House
Review: With renewed interest in early '90s Italian dream house, it's perhaps unsurprising that Clone's Royal Oak imprint has decided to release a swathe of previously unheard tracks from key (sorry) collective Key Tronics Ensemble. It's a predictably warm, rich and loved-up collection, beginning with the saucer-eyed dream house goodness of "Calypso in My House", a notably different version of the track that later became all-time-classic "Calypso of House". "Move in that Demo" is a smiling chunk of New Jersey garage/Italo-house fusion, while "Something in my Groove" sounds like an unlikely collaboration between Larry Heard and Morenas. Best of all though is "Travelling", a rush-inducing chunk of dream house bliss that's amongst the best the genre has to offer.
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ROYAL 036
03 Jul 17
Deep House
03 Jul 17
Deep House
Played by: SHINEDOE, Goshawk/Rhythm Plate, Thatmanmonkz (Shadeleaf Music), Domshe, Brett Johnson, Trevor Benz, Ben Pearce, VRRS, Meggy
Review: Hot on the heels of his debut EP for Clone Royal Oak - the jaunty, swinging deep house shuffler that is "Valentine's Groove" - KiNK returns to the Dutch imprint. It sees label mainstays Serge and Alden Tyrell join forces to deliver a scorching rework of the previously unheard "Beats". As you might expect from the basement-loving duo, it packs a serious punch, thanks in no small part to their surging drum machine rhythms and expert use of build-and-release arrangement. The experienced pair are masters of creating and retaining energy, and their percussion sounds are always as jacking as they come. In other words, it's another club slammer.
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ROYAL 321
10 Mar 17
Techno
10 Mar 17
Techno
Played by: Ross Couch, The Babel Orchestra, Kraak & Smaak, Snacks, ActRaiser, Alkalino, Juno Recommends Deep House, Richard Rossa, TROBAR, PBR STREETGANG, DJ ROCCA, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Askell (BORG LTD), Resident Advisor, Tomasz Guiddo, Sumerian, Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings), Young Pulse, Larse
Review: While his live appearances are placing him on the radar of ever more enlightened house heads the world over, Kink is showing no signs of slacking on the production front either. The clue is in his name, and as ever there are plenty of subtly shimmying tricks in the Bulgarian mastermind's grooves to keep the stiffest of dancers shaking on the off-beat. "Valentine's Groove" is a masterclass in jazz-inflected deep house, all fuzzy chord stabs and badass bass for the funkiest shape flingers. "Strings" meanwhile reaches for a more emotive feeling, lashing on the Detroit romanticism to a wonderfully bombastic end.
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ROYAL 32
15 Jul 16
Deep House
15 Jul 16
Deep House
Review: Dutch Veteran Gerd's career stretches back an impressive 22 years. Planet F.D.M.X Pt 1 sees him return to Clone's retro-futurist Royal Oak offshoot for the first time in five years. Interestingly, opener "Planet F.D.M.X (909)" doffs a cap to early Warp "bleep and bass" releases, while also paying tribute to the spacey techno sounds of Detroit. There's a slightly more Larry Heard feel to the accompanying "707" mix of the same track, with deliciously deep chords and bright stabs accompanying a "Can You Feel It" style groove. On the flip, he's in full on space mode on the wonderfully attractive and rubbery "Visitors", while "The Cube" bounces along on a wave of vintage acid style refrains, jackin' beats and dreamy, drawn-out chords.
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ROYAL 34
08 Jul 16
Deep House
08 Jul 16
Deep House
Review: Having previously impressed with a trickle of fine EPs for L.I.E.S and Exotic Dance Records, man of mystery Person of Interest pops up on the ever-reliable Clone Royal Oak. Lead cut "NOYFB" is an intriguing proposition, fusing as it does the rhythmic swing of UK garage, the spacey futurism of classic Detroit techno, and the loved-up ethos of early US deep house. The latter two influences shine through on the alternative "Straight To Tape" version, while "Pareidolia" mixes jaunty analogue electronics with the low-end throb more readily associated with British-made house and techno. A fine EP comes to a close with "Carmen", a particularly woozy, cymbal-heavy late night excursion.
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ROYAL 31
04 Jul 16
Deep House
04 Jul 16
Deep House
Review: Few producers have been on quite as intensive a journey as Alexey "Nocow" Nikitin over the last five years. His prolific output contains all manner of weird and wonderful treats, with releases touching on wonky dubstep, experimental electronics, frazzled bass music and, more recently, throbbing techno. On the Letit EP, which marks his debut for Clone's ever-reliable Royal Oak offshoot, the Russian producer delivers a quartet of bubbling, melodious, analogue-rich deep house workouts. All four tracks are hugely entertaining, positive and quietly boisterous, with the tracky, slightly tribal "Wrong Silence" and glacial, off-kilter "I Don't Really Wanna Lose You" being our picks of a satisfyingly strong bunch.
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ROYAL 30
30 May 16
Techno
30 May 16
Techno
Review: A little over a year ago, Sabre brought their brand of jaunty electronic melodies and loose machine grooves to Clone Royal Oak for the first time. Here, three tracks from that EP get the remix treatment. Gifted and Blessed steps up first, serving up a pleasingly loved-up version of "Vigilante" full of rubbery synth bass, snappy snares and dreamy, stretched-out chords. MdM handles "Ghetto Prophet", making much of the Portuguese duo's swooping strings and moody chords, before veteran Dutch twosome Clone turn in a tactile techno re-make of "Cascavel Breeze". Finally, Aera delivers a jumpy, ultra-positive version of "Ghetto Prophet" that sits somewhere between classic Detroit techno and vintage US deep house.
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ROYAL 271
02 May 16
Deep House
02 May 16
Deep House
Review: Rotterdam-based Ukranian Antenna is the next producer to step up on Clone's Royal Oak offshoot. The Pinkman regular is in fine form, laying down a quartet of cuts that blend a range of classic house and Detroit techno influences in attractive, dancefloor-friendly ways. While the title track's fusion of British 'intelligent techno' and vintage Detroit sounds is undeniably impressive, it's the undulating acid lines, spacey tunefulness and distorted beats of "Happy Dance" that hit home hardest. That said, opener "Lake of X" - a Larry heard style chunk of spine-tingling analogue deep house - and the similarly intoxicating "Atomic" are also superb.
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ROYAL 028
19 Oct 15
Deep House
19 Oct 15
Deep House
Review: Maybe it's something to do with Sabre' Portuguese background, but whatever the explanation, this latest release is full of breathy, sun-kissed melodies and ramshackle grooves. It starts with "Cascavel Breeze", where woozy, psychedelic chords unravel over broken down drums and a beat-down rhythm. "Vigilante" is based on the same template, but on this occasion it sees Sabre conjure up jazzy keys and loose drums, against which there is some nonsensical but hugely enjoyable vocal wittering. "Ghetto Prophet" is the main dance floor track and features a searing bass fused with dreamy melodies, but the standout track is "Streets Of Love - Blaze". It sees Sabre lay down a hypnotic deep techno pulse to which he adds freeform synth lines and cosmic pan pipes.
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ROYAL 27
09 Mar 15
Techno
09 Mar 15
Techno
Review: Finnish producer Arttu Snellman makes a welcome return to Clone's Royal Oak series with the wonderfully named Evvy Steps 12". Those elder selectors out there who lived through the West London broken beat scene and have the record collection to prove it should certainly check this one! Whether it's by design or default, there is a certain bruk heavy charm reminiscent of Dego, Domu et al in their pomp deployed by Snellman here, with the title track really setting the tone. Heavily swung, with killer bassline squiggles, "Evvy Steps" is topped off with a dusty finish and is the kind of track that will work in many different sets. And the two alternative tracks are just as rowdy!
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ROYAL 26
02 Feb 15
Deep House
02 Feb 15
Deep House
Played by: Shadow Dancer, Alkalino, Juno Recommends Deep House, Monkey Boots, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, NYMA, Cowboy Rhythmbox, KARISMA
Review: It's been nearly 20 months since Raphael Ripperton last donned the Headless Ghost guise for Clone's Royal Oak offshoot. While that release, the Frontend EP, was an exploration of hissing analogue deep house peppered with sly acid house references, Swept Illusions is an altogether more polished proposition. That's not meant as a criticism; if anything, the fizzing, Latin-influenced rhythms, twinkling electronics and sun-soaked pianos that dominate "Swept Illusions" are far more memorable. The remixes come from Genius of Time under their solo aliases. Dorisburg's 808 Dance Mix is a thrilling amalgamation of dense, tribal-influenced percussion, tough 808 drums and occasional foreboding electronic stabs. Arkajo takes a different approach, layering Balearic-friendly fiddles, pads and melodies atop a shuffling, low-slung groove.
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ROYAL 21
01 Dec 14
Deep House
01 Dec 14
Deep House
Review: Despite previously contributing tracks to split EPs from 3024 and Turbo, Rapt marks Brain Wong's debut solo EP under the Gingy moniker. The title track is particularly delicious, with Starving Yet Full's soulful vocals riding a bustling, two-step influenced rhythm and raw, distorted, acid house style drum machine hits. It's a deliciously inventive production, all told, which pushes soulful house in a genuinely new direction. Instrumental flipside "VSCUS" is an altogether different beast, with ragged electronics riding a simple groove, enveloping strings and picturesque memories. A strong package is completed by a stomping dub of the title track from Clone regulars Serge & Tyrell, which turn the original into a surging, organ-heavy chunk of Sneak style, bass-heavy loop funk.
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ROYAL 24
29 Sep 14
Funky/Club House
29 Sep 14
Funky/Club House
Played by: Mike O'Mara, Alkalino, Roberto Rodriguez (Manolo), Juno Recommends Deep House, Kiri, Trujillo, Adam Moss, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Resident Advisor, Pusic records, Heidi, Reed & Radley, Timo Maas, Kiwi, Lehar, Maximiljan (Moon Harbour)
Review: Originally debuting on Well Rounded Records' Housing Project sub-label in 2012, Leon Vynehall has since become one of the UK's most in-demand of the new wave of young house producers. He's released subsequent records for George Fitzgerald's ManMakeMusic and Will Saul's Aus, and most recently an album on Martyn's 3024. Vynehall is now in cruise control and he lays back on Clone's Royal Oak with what will prove to be a favourite with DJs this summer. "Butterflies" is this record's piano-driven house jam, but really it's all about "This Is The Place", a loved up peach of a production with the strength to appease the underground and crossover into the mainstream.
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ROYAL 23
07 Jul 14
Deep House
07 Jul 14
Deep House
Played by: DJ Sneak, Juno Recommends Deep House, Tonbe, Todd Terry, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, DJ P-SOL, Sean Roman, Henry Street Music
Review: While he may be a stone-cold legend, much of Todd Terry's recent work has been a little disappointing, to say the least. It's great to report, then, that he's back to his mesmerising best on this surprise release for Clone Royal Oak. While the picturesque, funk-fuelled "Rock That" - this booming, disco-fuelled bottom-end, Balearic keys and warm horns - is impressive, it's lead cut "Tonight" that hits home hardest. Boasting swinging, loose-limbed house beats, bouncy analogue bass and some superb hip-house era stabs and vocal cuts, it feels like a long-lost late '80s Terry classic given a warehouse party makeover. It's certainly worth the admission price on its own.
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ROYAL 18
05 May 14
Deep House
05 May 14
Deep House
Review: It's probably fair to say that Arttu has enjoyed a mixed career to date, flitting between deep house and jacking analogue grooves with varying degrees of success. This four-track EP for Clone's ever-reliable Royal Oak offshoot, though, is one of his strongest releases to date. Both "UFO Funkin" and "Passing Out Privileges" rock hard, with warped analogue electronics and ragged 303 acid lines riding hissing, distorted, cymbal-heavy drum machine grooves. There's a chest-puffing intensity and wonky swing to both, with Detroit native Jerry The Cat providing a suitably rambling vocal on "Passing Out Privileges". Two extra-robust instrumentals complete a strong package.
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ROYAL 20
02 Dec 13
Deep House
02 Dec 13
Deep House
Review: The Modular RZ EP is an excellent rough edged material from Naples pair Rio Padice and Massimo De Lena, founders of the Early Sound Recordings label and well acclimatised to working together as part of The Early Sounds Collective with fellow Neapolitan Leskin. The three tracks here are a perfect fit for Clone's irregular Royal Oak series, nudging themselves nicely in the fuzzy grey zone between house and techno and focusing on a tooly approach that keeps the beats straight whilst they work through a raft of bleep laden, analogue movements. The title track has immediate qualities that will appeal to many, but the rugged charms of "The Octave Lord Of Ring Mode" really stand out for us, with dirt encrusted bassline and semi malfunctioning fx lending the production just the right dash of wrongness.
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ROYAL 17
17 Jun 13
Deep House
17 Jun 13
Deep House
Played by: Nickelson, Shadow Dancer, Alkalino, Roberto Rodriguez (Manolo), Nick Curly, Juno Recommends Deep House, Marcus Marr, Society, DJ T, Deetron, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Resident Advisor, Michel De Hey, Two Charming Men, Ben Pearce
Review: Ripperton dons his Headless Ghost alias for three tracks of what he describes as "intuitive house". By this he presumably means that he made the tracks intuitively, laying them down quickly, using a mix of analogue and digital gear. Certainly, there's a freshness and fluidity to "Basik Fire", a basement-friendly fusion of hypnotic acid revivalism and intergalactic, Italo-influenced riffery. The fuzzier "SP3" - all vintage synth strings, drum machine rhythms and wonky melodies - is decidedly warmer and deeper (despite the ghostly melodies that pop up in the second half of the track), while "Yeeaahhhh" does a fine job mixing up crystalline synth appregios and cranky analogue piano house. Impressive stuff, all told.
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ROYAL 16
08 Apr 13
Deep House
08 Apr 13
Deep House
Played by: Adam B (Homegrown Music), Chris Coco, SW, Dan Mela, Alkalino, Dairmount (Room With A View), Juno Recommends Funky House, Round Table Knights, Numoment, Bodhi
Review: Randee Jean sees the very exciting prospect of Chicken Lips' Dean Meredith and Andrew Meecham on Clone's Royal Oak imprint, albeit under the new Randee Jean moniker. Given that the name sounds like a long-forgotten New York house producer, it's not surprising "You Got It" provides as glorious a pastiche of Paradise Garage-era house as you'd expect, with a strong vocal, jazzy Rhodes and tumbling percussive swing. As ever with Clone, the remix choices prove inspired; Arttu puts his own tweaks on the track to give it a heavier, leaden stomp and thick soupy bass lifted up with its flute melody. Dexter and Awanto3 also team up to deliver two further mixes, one dubbed out funky roller with a spring in its step, and the other with a surprising ghetto flavour. As ever with Clone Royal Oak this is about 100% better than almost all other house records out there, and comes highly recommended!
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ROYAL 14
11 Mar 13
Funky/Club House
11 Mar 13
Funky/Club House
Review: Hitting a strong current of creativity with his relationship to Clone, Arttu is once again dishing out warm analogue goodness rooted in soul and grittiness, and it sure is purdy. "Tune In" is bolstered no end by the authoritative speech from Diamondancer, a righteous soul sister if ever there was one. Meanwhile the track itself rolls on a restrained kind of electro beat matched with soothing chords and smatterings of machine wobbles for decoration. It's simple and utterly devastating. The "Cellar" mix of "Move" on the flip is an instant ramp up in energy, hitting a fizzing and popping spring of old-school Chicago traits expressed in vital new ways, while the "Field" mix opens up the space without lessening the impact of the powerful drums.
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ROYAL 015
11 Dec 12
Deep House
11 Dec 12
Deep House
Review: Last seen dropping the humongous Klinsfrar Melodies on Creme Org back in 2010, Glaswegian producer Marco Bernardi makes a triumphant return on Clone's Royal Oak initiative with The Burning Love Ensemble, a 12" replete with three potent examples of drenching simple, raw drum machine rhythms with endless layers of emotional melodies. The contemplatively titled "Days Gone By" infers what is to unfold as the track's ruff edged drum groove is driven ever backwards in the mix by layer upon layer of intricate sonic detail which is finely poised at the point of full meltdown. The title track seems like a more streamlined affair initially, all melodic elements aimed squarely for the stars before Bernardi lets loose with a thick square analogue bass tone and the drums start to go mental. Finally, "La Montagne De Reves" delves swiftly into immersive dream like territory, dragging you down willingly!
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ROYAL 12
10 Jul 12
Deep House
10 Jul 12
Deep House
Arttu feat Jerry The Cat
Review: Dexter and A Made Up Sound get the Clone call to mess with the material from Arttu's great debut on the Royal Oak label, and naturally the results are a must have. In their original form both "Nuclear Funk" and "Get Up Off It" were the improvised results of a studio session between the 4Lux artist and Detroit vocalist Jerry The Cat. It's a bit of a genius stroke from Clone to enlist two well respected audio technicians like Dexter and Dave Huisman to bend them further out of shape, with the latter's take on "Nuclear Funk" a particular demented delight. Operating under his alias A Made Up Sound, this remix typically smudges the boundaries between genre and rhythm to suit his own needs, reworking the synths to sound like a faltering dot matrix printer over incessantly stumbling drums. Dexter indulges his love of 303 patterns on a remix of "Get Up Off It" that stays closer to the original's origins and makes for a nice contrast to the preceding onslaught.
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ROYAL11R
14 Jun 12
Techno
14 Jun 12
Techno
Arttu feat Jerry The Cat
Played by: Adam B (Homegrown Music), Shadow Dancer, Henri Kohn, Alkalino, Juno Recommends Deep House, DIONIGI, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Tom Trago
Review: Sometime Philpot and 4lux artist Arttu arises on the Clone imprint for the first time - and the results are just as good as the Rotterdam label's preceding output this year. Presented as the results of some spontaneous studio jams with Detroit artist Jerry The Cat, there's an undeniable sense of fun to both tracks here. Lead track "Nuclear Funk" is loose limbed analogue house at its finest, with rough hewn drums and a delightfully elastic bassline soon joined by Jerry's inimitable improvised refrain and lolloping percussive textures. "Get Up Off It" is altogether more scattergun, with gleefully disjointed drum machine rhythms raining down on the gloopy analogue bass line before a heavily delayed Jerry The Cat comes to the fore.
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ROYAL 11
09 Dec 11
Deep House
09 Dec 11
Deep House
Played by: Owain Kimber (Owain K), ARSENII, Ralf Gum, Maurício u m, Kisk, Chris Coco, The Warm Signal, Mike O'Mara, Paul Deighton, Saison, Freddy Love, Fred Everything, Monkey Boots, Deetron, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Distortion, Droog, William WiLD (MindReaders)
Review: With Larry Heard and Deetron on the remix, you'd be hard pressed to find fault with this superb remix package. Heard is typically at his melodic, soulful best, offering up two epic reworks that wrap heart-aching piano figures, jazz organs, acid tweaks and darting synths around a faultlessly deep groove. While his instrumental version is good, it's the full vocal version that really hits the spot. Deetron, meanwhile, ups the tempo and the percussive pressure on a pair of chiming, stargazing versions that just ooze Detroit techno flavour. This is perhaps most successful on the Dub, which gets just the right balance between build, melody and straightforward dancefloor oomph.
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ROYAL 10R
21 Nov 11
Deep House
21 Nov 11
Deep House
Review: Gerd continues to dig into his archive of previously unfinished material for the esteemed Clone imprint, returning to their fun house Royal Oak offshoot with the quite superb "Palm Leaves". What begins with a nice dusty house groove bursts into life when the superb vocal talents of Mr Oliver Day Soul rise to the surface on top of some driving chords and glistening textures. These elements combine adroitly and then Gerd throws in this thick gloopy square analogue bassline which lends the track a really winning je ne sais quoi. A stripped down mix from Clone boss Serge in cahoots with Mr Alden Tyrell occupies the flip, bringing the analogue throb to the fore whilst subjecting the rest to some cavernous filtration.
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ROYAL 10
11 Oct 11
Deep House
11 Oct 11
Deep House
