Review: Enigmatic German producer Claptone released the album Fanstat in mid 2018 to much fanfare. A perfect accompaniment, music-wise, to his highly lauded Masquerade series of events, it featured an all star cast in guest roles such as Kele Okereke, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Zola Blood, Nathan Nicholson, Blaenavon, Jones, and Matt Simons. Featured on the third volume of remixes here is an absolutely massive rework by Amsterdam scene hero Patrice Baumel of "La Esperanza". Featuring the vocals of Austra's Katie Stelmanis, this adrenalised and glassy-eyed expression in dancefloor drama is going to be one you'll be hearing on dancefloors well into 2019. If that was not enough, there is also an extended mix of "Good Sense" featuring American singer/songwriter Joan As Policewoman - which also gets a funked-up and rolling groove makeover for the main room courtesy of Simion (Defected/Snatch!)
Deflect The Light (feat The Flaming Lips) - (6:07) 132 BPM
Position - (6:18) 121 BPM
Radiart - (6:57) 126 BPM
Deeper In A Sky (feat Harkin) - (4:41) 120 BPM
GlAwwer - (7:54) 120 BPM
Trust Me (feat Vincent Neff) - (4:31) 128 BPM
Everyone Is Falling - (2:56) 116 BPM
Radio Decay - (6:33) 138 BPM
Erase The Tapes (feat John Grant) - (4:54) 132 BPM
Review: Since leaping to more electronic ground with 2015's 'Dilate', Vessels' futuristic latest offering 'The Great Distraction' sees them plotting a course through neon-lit, industrial flecked music with its feet firmly in both post-rock and IDM, ambitiously drawing from and blending elements of the two. Highlight single 'Radiart' burns slowly, stacking up pulsating and hypnotic layers akin to Immunity era Jon Hopkins. Other tracks, such as opener 'Mobilise' and 'Position' take a more intense and polyrhythmic approach, repurposing their previous math-rock work. The production goes from feeling cavernous to incredibly close, and these deft shifts in space succeed in highlighting the build-ups and the peaks that punctuate the album. Though Vessels' sound may have changed lanes, this is an engrossing and panoramic album by a band not content with resting on their laurels.
Review: Claptone's latest single, the infectious and hypnotic groove "The Drums" (Din Daa Daa) Ft. George Kranz has gone on to become something of a dancefloor sensation across the globe since first emerging as the ubiquitous anthem at this year's Miami Music Week. Now Spanish house titan Dennis Cruz, exploding UK talent Latmun and BBC R1 favourite Friend Within deliver three peak time remixes to continue the story deep into the summer. The original started life as a Claptone club tool, a voodoo spell road-tested and refined in clubs all over the world on his never-ending tour. Claptone took inspiration from the post-punk melting pot of early 80's NYC when he connected with the pioneering George Kranz who originally made the drums dance over 30 years ago. The result is a meeting of minds and rhythms, pure gold in the hands of headline DJs.
