Review: Absent for a long time on Defected's roster, ATFC's Aydin is back finally with the disco-main room stomp of "Dazzle". Fusing some chopped, orchestral disco hits to a driving tech beat is a masterstroke, but it just gets better and better as he slyly loops parts from the sequence until they engulf the entire mix and rise to a huge, delirious climax. Backing "Dazzle" up is the samba-house of "Can You Feel It" which keeps the bass low and moody while cowbells and Latin percussion hits rattle away gloriously to keep things driving along nicely. Good to see a long-term funky-house don back on great form.
Review: American house/garage legend Benji Candelario returns with his new single "Higher" (Benji Candelario Thump Mix), a deep and slinky tech house number with a truly bumping bass, euphoric arpeggios and head rush inducing atmospherics. All off course optimised for maximum dancefloor drama. To top it all off, it also features some awe inspiring vocal work by Arnold Jarvis and Nina Lares. Expect to hear this detonating a dancefloor near you soon. To quote his bio "Candelarios signature soulful house/garage/tech sound is the embodiment of his Manhattan upbringing during the culturally vibrant late 70s and 80s" in addition to cutting his teeth at the legendary Shakedown Studios. We're glad to see the return of such a legend.
Review: Further proof of the rude health of South Africa's house scene arrives in the form of a fine EP from Black Motion. The title track is something of a softly spun gem, with gentle acoustic guitars, fluid pianos, rich horns and emotion-rich soul vocals (provided by fellow South African Xoli M) clustering around organic sounding house percussion. It has the feel of a summer anthem in waiting. DJ Spen joins forces with Michele Chiavarini to provide vocal and dub remixes, both of which smartly emphasize the original's pianos and strings while adding chunky new beats. The result is a pair of revisions that drag the track further towards classic house territory. The EP also includes a neat bonus cut in the shape of Miss P collaboration "It's You", a track that's every bit as soulful, breezy and sumptuous as "Rainbow".
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