Eskimo Recordings is a label based in Ghent, Belgium, and was founded in 2000. Eskimo has always approached the divide between electronic and indie music with a reckless abandon that suggests that there is no divide at all. A mix of Indie Dance / House / Cosmic & Balearic Disco / Nu Disco and more.
The label grew out of the eclectic parties that took place during the late nineties in the Eskimo Fabriek in Ghent. These underground parties got famous for mixing synthpop, new wave, acid house, funk and rock ‘n’ roll into a new and fresh sound, setting new standards for the Belgian club culture. International as well as local talented DJs such as Mo & Benoelie (later to be The Glimmers) and The Flying Dewale Brothers (later to become 2 Many DJs) were usual guests at the turntables. As the Eskimo Fabriek needed refurbishment at the turn of the century, the Eskimo parties moved on to the Culture Club, and the temporary Belmondo concept at the S.M.A.K museum.
However, the vibe of these parties kept going through a new label that was founded in 2000 by Stefaan Vandenberghe and Dirk De Ruyck: Eskimo Recordings. From the very start, timeless quality and originality were the key values upon which the label was based. Old and new music were carefully combined into a fancy fresh sound, with the releases bringing a wide array of mix compilations by established selectors and original music signed to Eskimo. Since 2012, the label is run by Stefaan Vandenberghe and Nadiem Shah, aka Captain E. The very same year 'Eskimonde', a luxurious 5CD box set, was released to celebrate the first decade. Over the years there have been landmark releases from Aeroplane, The Glimmers, Optimo, Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas, Freeform Five, Satin Jackets, NTEIBINT, Psychemagik, Transistorcake, Aili and many more.
In 2013, Eskimo Recordings launched a new concept: The Colour Collections. These collections contain each a set of carefully selected songs that were all produced exclusively for this concept. Recent 'diggers' compilations were curated by musical authorities such as Prins Thomas, Psychemagik, Bill Brewster and Curses. Eskimo has helped break many of the names that have gone on to become electronic music’s best regarded performers, and holds a unique stake within the indie dance world.
Review: To kick-start their 2018 release programme, long-serving Belgian nu-disco imprint Eskimo has turned to an old friend: George "NTEIBNT" Bakalalos. While this appears to be his first single in some time, he's previously released a wealth of material on the label, often in cahoots with this single's guest vocalist, Stella. Her distinctive vocals take pride of place on "A State Nearby", a cheery chunk of gently bouncy nu-disco goodness rich in throbbing, Italo-disco style arpeggio bass, tactile piano riffs (think St Etienne's cover of Neil Young's "Only Love With Break Your Heart") and dreamy chords. Bakalakos opts for a warmer and groovier feel on bonus cut "I Do", creating feel-good vibes via the use of crunchy disco guitars, Balearic synthesizer motifs and dreamy vocal snippets.
Review: French duo Tepat Huleux and Giac Di Falco aka You Man make their debut on legendary Belgian label Eskimo Recordings, with the stunning four track 'Altered States' EP. With releases on labels such as Tronik Youth's NEIN as well as Alpage, and their stunning live shows with hypnotic visuals, You Man have firmly established themselves on the underground disco scene. From the druggy afterhours nu-disco sleaze of the title track, to the exotic indie dance excursion "NonSense" reminiscent of Moscoman or Red Axes, and ending with the neon-lit thriller "Mind Ballad".
Review: Stockholm's Ivan Berggren AKA Paresse, who cites his influences as "dub, Balearic house, Italo disco and electronica", teams up with Uruguay's genre-hopping Lila Tirando A Violeta on this new cut for Eskimo Recordings. In its Original form, 'Anima' is a sleazy, pulsating midtempo groover that comes on like the missing link between Balearica and Belgian new beat, with a nice acid-y squelch to the b-line and a growling, spoken one-line vocal. Lila Tirando A Violeta's remix strips it down and weirds it out for those small-hours moments on floors that like things a little more experimental.
Review: Given that Du Tonc is a collaboration between former "next big thing" Mighty Mouse and vocalist Matt Van Schie, it's perhaps unsurprising that their Eskimo Recordings debut, Every Song, shot to the top of the Hype Machine chart. This speedy follow-up - presumably another trailer for a forthcoming debut full-length - looks set to go the same way. Breezy, melodious and evocative, with a killer, radio-friendly vocal, the duo successfully forges an indie-rock sensibility and radio-friendly nous with the laidback breeziness of Balearic nu-disco. The results are predictably enjoyable, and just as suitable for home listening as sun-kissed outdoor parties.
Atella - "In The Days Of The Green" (45P mix) - (7:55) 111 BPM
Review: Bergen-based twosome Atella has previously been praised for delivering music that draws inspiration from fellow Northern Norwegian artists of old, most notably Erot and Royksopp. We can certainly here some of the latter in the bubbly Scandolearic/synth-pop fusion of "Anyone Out There?", where Cal's breezy vocals wrap themselves around a throbbing, arpeggio bassline and glistening synthesizer melodies. There's a slightly more cosmic, but no less cheery, feel to the EP's other track, "In The Days of the Green (45P Mix)", which boasts extended synthesizer melodies rising above a dreamy nu-disco backing track. Quietly impressive stuff, all told.
Review: After taking time out to contribute tracks to a handful of popular compilations released on the Partyfine label, Lille-based duo You Man returns to Eskimo Recordings with their first full EP in nearly three years. The headline-grabbing highlight is title track 'As Above So Below (Xcuses)', a moody and clandestine affair in which Harold's effects-laden vocals rise above dark chords, a throbbing arpeggio-driven synth bassline, wayward electronics and jazzy beats. That said, there's much to admire elsewhere across the EP, from the mid-tempo, organ bassline-driven chug of 'Third Eye', to the hypnotising nu-disco shuffle of 'Somethin' Higher' and the sweaty, breakbeat-driven thrills of mind-mangling closing cut 'Temple of Boom'.
Review: Blende is slowly becoming one of Eskimo's "go-to" artists. "Back To Summertime" is the cheery nu-disco/synth-pop fusionist's fourth single for the Belgian label since 2012. The track itself is something of a jaunty, synth-heavy summer shuffler, with Mattie Safer's attractive vocals rising above a bouncy, P-funk influenced backing track laden with kaleidoscopic melody lines. Arguably even better is the remix by This Soft Machine, which recasts the track as a rubbery chunk of sumptuous disco house complete with razor-sharp strings and life-affirming slap bass. To complete a rock solid package, Cavego weighs in with two reworks; a revivalist electrofunk "Extended Remix" and an "After Dinner" remix that re-wires the track as a blissful chunk of live-sounding Balearic disco.
Review: Bergen boys Atella (Johannes Hallanger and Magnus Lauritzen) have previously been compared to fellow city dwellers Royksopp and Erot. On this latest outing for Eskimo Recordings, it's easy to see why. While dreamy, downtempo opener "Ascension" and equally horizontal closer "Transition" are far more ambient in tone than those celebrated artists, you'll still hear cheery synthesizer motifs and a glassy-eyed sense of mid-winter positivity. The EP's two other tracks, "Alive" and "Nothing", do sound more like vintage Telle Records gems, albeit with the kind of sparkling electronic polish you'd expect from Eskimo-released nu-disco cuts. The duo's vocals (see "Nothing" for a standout example) are very Royksopp, too.
Review: There's something about house legend Robert Owens' voice that makes you want to hug random strangers, often while spontaneously bursting into tears of joy. It goes without saying that his vocals on "Brighter Day" - the second single from London duo Horixon - turn the track from a solid slice of warm, Balearic deep house into a touchy-feely masterpiece. They arguably sound even better layered over rolling military percussion and long, drawn out chords on Hotflush regular Locked Groove's excellent remix (for the record, the same producer's "Marching Trumpets Dub" is also pretty darn tasty). Another vocalist, the "enigmatic" Jacques Teal (whose voice sounds eerily similar to Alexis from Hot Chip), features on the deeper, bittersweet "Great Things", which is a near perfect chunk of Balearic synth-pop.
Review: Ilya Santana uses complex structures and enchanted melodies in his music in an attempt to uncover hidden emotions. Having previously remixed The Human League, The Phenomenal Handclap Band and Lindstrom, Santana's first release for Eskimo is "Burning Jupiter," a spaced out, disco tinged piece of electronic. The singles precedes his debut artist album, out later this year.
Review: Over the last couple of years, Belgium's Eskimo Recordings has done a particularly good job in showcasing artists that effortlessly fuse elements of synth-pop, nu-disco and deep house. Greece-born NTEIBINT (and, yes, it's meant to be capitalized) has been one of their most successful signings in that regard. Having scored a dancefloor hit over the summer with "The Owner", he's joined forces with vocalist Rush Midnight for the Andras & Oscar style bittersweet Balearic pop workout "By Your Side". It's heart aching, evocative and hugely attractive. Flipside "A Baby For My Bass" doesn't quite live up to these impressively high standards, but is a perfectly enjoyable chunk of cheery nu-disco full of attractive electronic melodies and rubbery grooves.
Review: We wouldn't call this a reinvention, but "Close To Me" is certainly a little different to the atmospheric deep house with which Monte made his name. He has been working as a mixer and studio engineer for Purple Disco Machine, though, so perhaps it's unsurprising that "Close To Me" is an '80s boogie-inspired chunk of nu-disco perfection. Featuring lengthy breakdowns and some seriously "hands-aloft" build-ups, the track sees him wrap attractive, sing-along vocals, Chic style guitars and sparkling electronics around a bouncy, thickset synth bassline and mid-'80s machine drums. It's utterly joyous, as is the arguably superior, largely vocal-free accompanying Dub Mix.
Review: You'll know Belgium's Eskimo label better than you think. The imprint rose to fame thanks to the many productions of Italian nu-disco sensation Aeroplane, back in the late 00s, and they've never ceased to release quality electronic music from all corners of the spectrum. Newcomers Atella X Froder land this time, with the two collaborating on the slow, peaceful waves of "Closer To Life", a tune that sits somewhere on the halfway line between house and downtempo. Atella, alone, delivers another mix of the same tune, and this one is perhaps even deeper, a little smoother and probably more on the sort of balearic tip that you've been digging in those dusty L1 bins for. Just go digital with it.
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