Dirtybird has been dropping basslines and creating smiles on the dancefloor since 2005 and Barclay Crenshaw (aka Claude VonStroke) has A&R'd some of the most influential house music producers in the world. A shortlist includes Justin Martin, Catz ‘N Dogz, Julio Bashmore, Riva Starr, Breach, Shiba San, Eats Everything, J Phlip, Style Of Eye, Kill Frenzy and many more, most of whom had their very first records on Dirtybird and even created their artist names for the label. Today, Dirtybird has offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles and has expanded into events and tour production. As it grows, the brand continues to expand beyond music into merchandising, licensing and artist management.
Review: Dirtybird on point as always drops a Brazilian inspired VA, lifting something out of the waters that are undoubtedly brewing in the South Americas. All four signings here hail from Brazil in Borgez, LET BR, rafaLOO, and VIRKING - each bringing their unique sound to the table with an electrifying punch. Get your dose of 2000s tech house bangers from "Millions" while there some more percussion-laden beats in "Catch Ya" with that wicked clap. "BANTO" slams the hardest with its rude beat and bassline combi next to some techy, shufflers in "Muy Bien". Druuuugs.
Review: "I decided to go for it and make a track just for Halloween based on the concept that a guy takes drugs and cannot figure out if he is in reality or a horror film," writes Claude VonStroke. He talking about this latest three track for October 31st - one original and two remixes. It's Halloween! A minimal tech house banger do doubt with a pitched vocal that's either addicted to crack or blood - we don't know - Steve Darko adds a layer of percussive groove and acid to his remix. For that extra dose, Mike Kerrigan turns up the synths in his remake that teeters on becoming electro while maintaining the stripped back groove of the original. Who got da creeps.
Review: Nestled inside the Dirtybird aviary for some time now, Cour T. officially takes flight with Brain Deals, the artist's debut album. Full of vibrant, colourful patterns, amusing vocal samples and playful synth accents, the album's dips through a flurry of interlocking club genres. All enthused with that trippy Dirtybird sound, Brain Deals bangs - be it bumping basslines ("Queenlove") to classic 2010s tech house-isms in "Madrugadao"- the album traverses the gamut of Americana dance music, dipping into acid techno with "Eraser" alongside other wicked mid-west influences. Who's Afraid Of Detroit
Review: Arnold & Lane make fine, bass-heavy house music, so it's no surprise to see them releasing on Dirtybird. The title track is tailor made for the label. Centred on a rolling groove and insistent metallic percussion, this combination acts as the basis for the duo to weave in catchy vocal samples. The label has also provided a dub version of "Buck"; unlike most dubs, it does include a filtered snippet of the original vocal, tantalisingly woven into the chugging, drum-heavy groove. "Werkem" is a stripped back affair. Centred on a rolling groove and a woozy bass, it makes for another dance floor primed Dirtybird track.
Review: Body Ocean (Box Of Cats/Insomnia Records) are two friends from opposite ends of the globe: Jeremy from New Zealand and Nik from the Netherlands. Their new effort "Dotted Line" is the latest minimal and deep tech track released on the mighty west coast label Dirtybird. It has a dark and hypnotic vibe and features a catchy vocal hook, a bouncy bassline and a crisp drum groove. The EP also features "Yes" which has a similar style but with a more energetic and upbeat feel.
Review: For their latest remix compilation, Californian label Dirtybird has selected some of its standout tracks over the years that have left a special mark, tapping some of the scene's finest for their reinterpretations. Highlights include Innervisions co-head Dixon's moody, tension-filled dub mix of "Urban Animal", Chi-town legend DJ Sneak bringing his unique brand of boompty-funk to a rework of label boss Claude Vonstroke's classic "Deep Throat", as well as veteran Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero's dancefloor drama version of Scavazza's "Shake Your Hearts" and label staple J.Phlip's version of Luca Lozano's "Berlinetta" among many others.
Review: It's Dirtybird's favourite time of year when their annual flagship event returns for another weekend long campout. As always, they have a brand new soundtrack for the 2022 edition featuring 10 new jams from a wide range of artists on the label. Berlin-based Kevin Knapp kicks things off with the druggy afterhours bounce of "Dope Kid Central", label staple Justin Jay teams up with Lindsay Lohand on the lo-slung and bass-driven groove of "Want", while legend Mark Farina teams up with Homero Espinosa on the emotive 303 acid of "Falling Forward" and 2phargon serves up the wonky dancefloor drama of "Petrol" among many more.
Review: Freaks & Beaks was Claude Von Stroke's last artist album, released in autumn 2020 at a time when the world was grappling with the impact of the pandemic. Now, two years later, with clubs and festivals re-opened, Dirtybird drops dance floor-primed remixes of tracks from the long player. The VNSSA remix of "These Notes In This Order" is a tough, pulsating slice of techno, while in contrast, for the reshape of "Youngblood", Rodriguez Jr. drops a stripped back, bleep-heavy workout. Nikki Nair has shot to prominence over the past few years, and this version of "Flubblebudd" shows why - based on a frequency shifting sub-bass, it's a distinctive electro track. Frankie also delivers a fine, off beat minimal take on "Frankie Goes To Bollywood".
Review: Dirtybird showcase their deeper side on a new 14-track complation featuring some of the label's best loved artists (Claude VonStroke, Julio Bashmore, Sascho Robotti, Pezzner) alongside a host of more up-and-coming names. There's quite a variety of sounds on offer here, with cuts ranging from the dreamy, bassy minimalism of opener "Aundy" to the pop leanings of Scavazza's "Shake Your Hearts". The best bits, though, come largely from the deepest end of the spectrum: Tom Flynn's Amp Fiddler collab "The Future" is a late-night, jazzy delight while Dernis and Robot Love bring us a couple of proper deep house bullets.
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