Review: Berlin-based Canadian Sheldon Thompson's fifth album as Sid Le Rock reflects on the ethos of his over 15-year long music career. On Scenic Route, it's clear that albums are the producer/ /live act/vocalist's preferred form of expression. The title refers to taking the long way: embracing experiences and humility, and continuing forth along a road less traveled - rather than seeking instant gratification and shortcuts in life. Featuring a variety of moods and grooves: from the mesmerising electronica of opener "Drummer Girl, the neon-lit indie dance of "Hiraeth", the ethereal deep house of "Fukitall" (that's perfect for drifting) through to the hypnotic dancefloor drama of "Kismet" and the haunting stalker vibe of "Slowpoke".
Review: Having spent much of his recent career delivering well-received material on My Favourite Robot, Canadian producer Sid Le Rock (AKA Pan/Tone, born Sidney Thompson) pops up on Hafendisko. He kicks things off with the deliciously spooky and quietly foreboding "High & Low", where trippy guitar lines, intergalactic electronics and freestyle vocal snippets cluster around loose and bouncy nu-disco drums. There's more warped nu-disco psychedelia to be enjoyed in the shape of "Judas Beast", whose macabre mood is intensified via the inclusion of ghostly chords and tumbling minimal wave melodies. Closer "Mosquito" is an altogether jauntier proposition, despite the inclusion of some melancholic pads, with Thompson focusing the action around a fuzzy analogue style bass, robotic electronics and jacking drums.
Review: Jordan Lieb's Black Light Smoke project first appeared on Hafendisko back in 2011, before joining forces with Scissor & Thread for a string of notable releases. Fire In My Head is the producer's first EP for four years. There's a pleasingly dusty, analogue rich feel about all of the tracks, with the dirty house rhythms, bold pianos and woozy vocals of "Fire In My Head" just shading the deeper and woozier "Signals" in the 'best track' stakes. Pleasingly, Lieb has chosen to include instrumental Dub remixes of each of the tracks. We're particularly enjoying the acid-era dreaminess of the "Fire In My Heart" revision - the extended breakdown is particularly spine tingling - but all three are rather good.
Review: Former Deso and Eskimo artist Brynjolfur is one of Hafendisko's most productive artists. This is his fourth release for the label to date, and gleefully combines elements of tactile deep house, sparkling nu-disco, synth-boogie and even vintage UK hardcore. He begins with the throbbing, floor-ready "Technoir", where bouncy synth-bass and slick house beats combine well with manipulated vocal stabs, sustained chords and prog house era melodies. "IO" follows a similar musical trajectory, with bold melodies, cowbell-driven disco-house percussion, and the kind of cascading riffs more associated with the early trance movement. Those old school influences are emphasized further on Foot's bouncy, breakbeat-driven, acid-laden remix.
Review: As the title makes clear, this expansive E.P features reworks of Ebb's recent Alive EP, a fine collection of Balearic pop and sun-kissed indie-rock cuts. Most of the versions here barely resemble the source material, though that's not meant as a criticism. The Carreno is LB version of "Silence" borders on exquisite, with the producer turning in an engaging but largely horizontal soundscape, while Panthera Krause's two contrasting versions of "Time" (one informed by experimental D&B, the other gentle techno) are both hugely impressive. For those looking for club-ready reworks, Julius Steinhoff's mixes should be your first point of call. His 'Dub', where EBB's glistening guitars are underpinned by a tactile deep house groove and dreamy chords, is particularly good.
Review: Since debuting on Days of Being Wild back in the autumn of 2012, Carreno Is LB has delivered impressively off-kilter EPs for such acclaimed labels as Correspondant, Ite,s & Things, and My Favourite Robot. Preface is the Spanish producer's first outing on Hafendisko, and begins with the quietly spacey, deep and undulating beauty of "Aesthetic Reflection". Elsewhere, he continues the intergalactic, synth-heavy approach on the fizzing, alien deep house hypnotism of "Fabric Of Space", before reaching for the bold melodies, looped motifs and shaker-heavy groove of closer "Woman, Dress, Dance". He also finds space for a hazy riff on the early deep house works of Floating Points (the hushed melodies and undulating synth bass of "Gets Into Your Eyes").
Review: In previous years, Kasper Bjarrke has focused on delivering atmospheric music that can variously be described as woozy, Balearic and intoxicating. In 2016, he's upped his game, moving further towards the dancefloor in a bid to incite saucer-eyed glee amongst dancers. Intriguingly, his original instrumental of "Cloud 9" is a spacey affair, with star-kissed chords and dreamy pads riding a snappy, 808-electro rhythm. Gerd Janson provides the headline remix, fusing Bjarrke's deliciously intergalactic chords with bubbling acid lines, spiraling electronic top lines, and punchy, drum machine-driven house rhythms. It's really rather good, as you'd expect, lifting the package into "must-have" territory.
Review: Hamburg Elektronisch is the ultimate ode to the German harbour city's rich musical scene and heritage. A massive compilation comprised of a whopping thirty tracks by the city's legends (Boris Dlugosch, Lawrence, DJ Koze) and young guns (Tilman Tausendfreund, Joney, RSS Disco) alike. There's just so much great music on here but for our money, our picks are Christopher Rau with his sensual and ultra deep "RG En El Casa", Dial affiliate RVDS with the sexy late night groove of "Catwalk", local heroes Smallpeople on "Cricket Orchestra" (ultra deep, this one!) and the undisputed master of the dark journey track Oliver Huntemann with his comeback track "Kiez" that shows us that long before Tale Of Us or Mind Against: it was all about this guy!
Review: Hamburg deep house institution taps four of the Harbour City's finest for a few luscious auditory journeys. First up, the legendary Oliver Huntemann: the man who alongside Stephan Bodzin created some of the very first dark journey tracks is back doing what he does best on "Kiez" while local trio (featuring Jacob Seidnsticker) Wareika deliver the drifting and tripped out atmospheric ride that is "Teufelsbrack". Carsten Meyer aka Erobique delivers the raw analogue machine workout "Teknomusi" which truly defies categorisation and local hero Remute serves us with "Summer Slump" which keeps on with the tough and gritty analogue vibes: a driving, funky and truly wacky techno jam that's worthy of a listen!
Review: Hafendisko reign from Hamburg; the name translating to 'Harbour City'. There's no doubt that this youthful energy and enthusiasm is what drives the label and its roster of emerging artists. It's more of the same quality modern deep house here on offer here from HOLTOUG, he's actually from Copenhagen and delivers some delightfully dreamy deep house with gorgeous vocals that fans of the poppier output of Kompakt will just adore. Acid Pauli delivers a brilliant remix of said track on the more proggy tip and keeps the vocals, utilising them well. For something a bit dirtier, "Yannick's Loveshuffle Mix" uses a sick and wobbly bassline and sombre strings taking things on a much darker journey.
Review: Neville Attree is something of a production veteran, having started his career back in the mid 1990s. He seemed to disappear completely for a while, before resurfacing last year as one half of Hafendisko-signed duo Faded Ranger. Here he returns to the German imprint with one clear purpose: to deliver new remixes of vintage label material. Here, we get a trio of remixes, plus accompanying instrumental versions. He starts in confident mood, adding a little vintage breakbeat shuffle and spacey synths to Reptile Youth's "Speeddance", before reshaping Human Woman's "Delusional" into an impressive chunk of woozy downbeat pop. Finally, he heads towards the dancefloor with his arms aloft, re-casting "Hey" by Darkness Falls as a bouncy, tech-tinged house gem.
Review: Yanick Labbe's path to success takes another step forwards thanks to this latest EP for the fledgeling Hafendisko label, this being Part 1 of a forthcoming mini-series. There's an original version of "All Of It", which features Forrest on the vocals and one hell of a deep house groove for the liate night car drive, a minimal techno remix from the ever-impressive Borrowed Identity, and another glitch house version by Filburt...a totally different beast by all accounts. The stepping beats and broken patters of "Du!" ties things off in fine style and oil Labbe's muscles for the next instalment of the series.
Review: After recently notching up three years in the business, HFN Music offshoot Hafendisko is in a suitably celebratory mood. So much so, in fact, that they've put together this first compilation, featuring a mix of previously released cuts (see Ewan Pearson's epic, Italo-influenced electro-disco remix of Kaspar Bjorke's "Apart") and brand new jams. Highlights are pleasingly plentiful, and include the moody, low-slung deep house jazz of Simon Hinter's "Easyweezy", the picturesque beauty of Yannick Labbe's immaculate "Sugar Coated Insult", and the bouncy, beatbox electro-with-a-twist brilliance of Jimmy Edgar's synth-laden rework of Tiger Fingers' "Little Drummer Girl".
Review: After recently notching up three years in the business, HFN Music offshoot Hafendisko is in celebratory mood. So much so they've put together this first split EP - trailed as a "mini compilation" - featuring a trio of new cuts and another chance to savour Ewan Pearson's epic, Italo-influenced electro-disco reinterpretation of Kaspar Bjorke's "Apart". Of the new material it's Snacks' deep and rolling, warm and soul-flecked house jam "Easy" that stands out. That said, there's something deliciously sweet about the lolloping synth bass, cut-up vocals and drowsy chords of Unkwon's "Everything", while Deo & Z-Man's "Penelope" is a breezy, bongo-laden delight.
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