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Innervisions
Review: Skatman is Aziz Haddad, chief at Skatcity Records and with previous releases on TAU, Sum Over Histories and Cognitive Prophecy. His latest comes via the ever reliable Innervsions imprint titled "Oldskool", a slinky and trance-inducing journey geared for those heads down moments on the dancefloor. This is backed by the more fierce sounding "I Used To" (Hiphop Rewarp) which unlike its name is not an urban beat jam, but rather a moody dub techno-like workout with a cavernous aesthetic and the inclusion of rap vocals.
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Review: Dixon & Ame's esteemed Innervisons imprint returns with its annual round up of the very best in advanced house and emotive techno on the 15th edition in its Secret Weapons series. They have once again done a fine job of curation, with all artists representing its distinct sonic aesthetic, with highlights coming from: Chloe Caillet on the deep and introspective electro cut "Moonwalk", rising Israeli Tal Fussmann really nails the label's futuristic vibe on the suspenseful "Persona" and esteemed Dutch duo Glowal give you another taste of their intelligent indie-dance sound on "Figures". Elsewhere, the ever impressive Floyd Lavine takes a more experimental path on his hi-tech cut "Blackalicious" (feat Wayne Snow) and Spanish producer EdOne delivers the mandatory serving of dancefloor drama on the sublime "Mjolnar".
Review: Trikk's debut album comes courtesy of Innervisions and was produced in label co-head Ame's 'hardware wonderland'. Partly descending from the club-focused tackle with which the Portuguese artist has made his name, Fauna & Flora also incorporates art-rock, punk and post-punk to expand on his electronic foundations. He worked with an array of collaborators as well, including Swiss DJ and musician Jimi Jules ("Absolute Body Control") and Brazilian visual artist Gabriel Massan ("Mata Mata") and Feon on "Ouro" (Love Trippin) - seeing him step outside of his comfort zone.
Played by: Juno Recommends Disco
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: Having spent four years establishing his reputation via releases on Afterlife, Still Vor Talent, Kompakt, MoBlack and, most recently, Innervisions, Daniel Tagliaferri is finally ready to deliver his debut album, 'Feelin'. It's an immersive and atmospheric affair all told, with the Milanese producer regularly reaching for warped, wobbling electronic riffs, heady chords, weighty basslines, sampled snippets of R&B vocals and rhythms that variously doff a cap to tech-house, deep house, broken beat and electronics. Our picks of the plentiful highlights include the enveloping brilliance of 'Do It My Way', the glassy-eyed brilliance of 'Feelin' (where old school vocal samples and sustained organ chords catch the ear), the acid-heavy minimalism of 'What I Do', the sub-heavy broken house sleaziness of 'Steps' and the soulful electro shuffle of 'I Know What You Want'.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Played by: DJ Lukas
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Played by: CHEWY RUBS
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Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: For the 13th time, Dixon has delved into the "unreleased gems" folder on his USB stick and chosen some Secret Weapons to share with Innervisions' fanatical followers. It's a bumper selection this time round too, with no less than 13 previously unheard club workouts to enjoy. The plentiful highlights include, but are no way limited to, the bleeping, electro-clash-goes-tech-house throb of 'Heart Transplant' by David Kochs, the warming wonder that is Woo York's 'Bohemia' (which sounds like Moby's classic remix of Pet Shop Boys 'Miserablism' re-imagined for the Innervisions generation), the hushed late-night sleaze of 'Ruby' by Jonathan Kaspar, and the trance-inducing, big-room ready bustle of Dominik Markz's 'Object in the Mirror'
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: "Ham The Monkey" is German producer Jimi Jules' third EP for Innversions, following up 2019's "Fool" and "Karma Baby". A concept EP, Jules tributes the music here to Ham the Astrochimp, a chimpanzee and the first hominid launched into space. In 1961, Ham flew aboard the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission, part of the U.S. space program's Project Mercury. From the evocative feelings of opening cut "Don't Take It Personally" which is very much in the Innervisions aesthetic, late night mood music is catered for with the sensual deep house of "Grumpy Monkey" while the seething energy of closing track "Tinnitus" is the typical style of dancefloor drama you've come to expect from Ame & Dixon's label.
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: Petros Manganaris is one in a clutch of artists pushing their way to the top through the Innervisions label, with his Echonomist project highlighted in recent times next to the likes of Nandu, Mike Steva and Aera. Having released the six-track Virtuality EP to acclaim last year the Greek artist swiftly backs it up with Night Versions. With emphasis on the techno and synth pop inspired "Our Last Night" (with additional Radio Edit) it brings with it a sound that combines contemporary German pop held together by indie and electro - thik Digitalism. On the flip you'll find "Different Versions Of Your Love" that sees a jungle rhythm set to progressive sounds of trance, new wave and UK bass.
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Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: As Innervisions looks forward to its 100th release in 2021, its new 'Limbo' various artists compilation marks a change within the label, club culture and the music industry at large, signifying how it will continue to evolve and adapt. Featuring ascending Bavarian Innellea on the evocative breaks of "The Invention Of Flying", Danish dancefloor drama expert Denis Horvat in fine form as always on "Unikum", Lake People, the alias of prolific Leipzig-based producer Martin Enke, with a typically ethereal outing titled "Divergence" and the ever reliable Aera with the serene futurist electro beats of "Shallows". To quote label boss Dixon regarding the release: 'The world is in limbo and going through a transition. So is Innervisions, building a bridge between how we have done things in the past, and how we want to do things in the future'.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: After an appearance on the label's Secret Weapons Part 12 compilation, Danish producer Rasmus Vincentz Jensen aka DJ Nandu returns to Innervisions to present his proper debut in the form of 'Forever In Our Favor' - an entire EP of melodious techno and house. From the eloquent bliss of the ttile track with its incredible attention to details, things take a slightly darker turn on the future deepness of "Distorted Balance" and closing it out with the glassy-eyed and bittersweet mood music of "February Silver Lining". Following up some other great releases of late on Scat City and Connected - DJ Nandu surely is one to watch in 2021.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: The veteran of challenging, cross-genre experimentation and collaboration, Innervisions staple Henrik Schwarz returns to the Berlin-based imprint. The 'Together' EP heralds the third decade of the millennium and a collaboration with SelamX studio. Features the high tech soul epic "Come Together" with its life-affirming chord progression and stunning operatic vocals that are altogether geared for some glassy-eyed and bittersweet moments on the dancefloor, followed by the uplifting deep house of "Omnibus" that's awash in a stunning tapestry of lush melodies and glistening pads. Another terrific effort by a true master.
Review: From his longtime association with Osunlade's Yoruba Records imprint, Melbourne, Australia based DJ/producer Mike Steva delivers yet more of his spiritual, world music inspired grooves for deep house institution Innervisions with 'The Sound Of The Sun' EP. From the soulful and meditative opening track "Dawn Of A New Day", to the mesmerising and heads-down vibe of "The Sound Of The Sun" to the utterly hypnotic polyrhythms and vocal mantras on the elevating energy of "Baba Himalaya" - feel the vibe on this collection of arcane delights.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: Petros Manganaris aka Echonomist follows his recent contribution to Dixon's Transmoderna compilation with this distinctive and varied debut for Innervisions. The title track resounds to the electronic bass sound of Italo, while at the other end of the spectrum, Manganaris conjures up a bleak-synth led electro arrangement in the shape of "Planeless Sky". In between these two extremes, there are rough, glitchy house tracks like "Belfast Sun" and "Portamento", while on "MS20101", he takes influence from Carl Craig to deliver a synth-heavy techno track that is underpinned by his rough, fragmented rhythms. Changing approach once again, "Daydreaming" features mournful synths and a disco groove.
Review: Aleph music chief Ralf Schmidt aka Aera is back on the esteemed Innervisions imprint with the Prana EP, which is imbued with the instincts of a storyteller across six sonically different yet interconnected micro-worlds. From the dreamy and sublime vibes of "Way Out" where tech house and 8-bit elements collide, to moments of cleverly crafted and emotive futurism that we've come to know and love from the German producer - which can he heard on riveting journeys like "Turning Machine" and "Little Smasher". It wouldn't be an Innervisions record without a bit blissed-out and melodic deep house, would it? "Brackets" has you covered on that front.
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Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: Henrik Schwarz, the veteran of challenging cross-genre experimentation and collaboration, returns to the Innervisions imprint. With his first EP for 2020, he heralds the third decade of the millennium and their collaboration with SelamX studio across two powerfully emotive tracks. From the life-affirming epic "Together" and its dramatic choral refrain and elevating chord progressions which are all geared for some perfect dancefloor drama. Second offering "Omnibus" shows more restraint but it's equally as evocative, once again demonstrating the German producer's talent for soulful hi-tech sounds.
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Review: Second time around for South Sudanese musician and political activist Emmanual Jal's "Kuar" single, which first landed on Innervisions a decade ago. That time, there was a lot of heat around Henrik Schwarz's headline-grabbing remix, which re-imagined Jal's traditional Sudanese track as a tech-tinged chunk of Afro-house brilliance rich in bold bass, trippy electronics, layered percussion and rave-ready late night riffs. That fine rework is given another airing here alongside a previously unheard Schwarz mix subtitled "Don't Let Your Vote Be Fake Newsed". This revision strips out much of Jal's vocal, instead offering a pumped up, riff-heavy variation on Schwarz's original remix.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: With his strong penchant for emotive and euphoric dancefloor narratives as heard on Exit Strategy, Afterlife and Aeon - it was only a matter of time until Denis Horvat's sound became appreciated by Berlin imprint Innervisions. Since appearing on the label's Secret Weapons compilations a couple of times in the past, the rising Dane now makes his debut proper for the label - for the third and final installment of this trio of EPs. From the reflective mood music of opener "Tajna", to the soulful and evocative dancefloor drama of "Fragmental" or the moody futurist groove of "Pure Distance" - hammering the message home with that bit of power.
Review: The ever reliable Frank Beckers and Sandrino Tittel (better known as Frankey & Sandrino to their Mums) return to Innervisions with with yet more of their epic dancefloor narratives - and taking up where they left off on 2017's Wega EP. From the emotive and melodic techno soul of "Mercury" to the deep sonar transmissions of "Gamma Ray" that will hypnotise the listener into submission with its complex arpeggiations this is some of the pair's finest work. Finally making way for "Zeta" to complete the package: a slow motion expression in minimalism that features classical musical motifs with linear synth sequences that were reminiscent of Robert Hood's earlier work.
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: Innervisions head honchos Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann (aka Ame) released their ambient/Balearic styled opus 'Dream House' much year to much acclaim. And after two volumes of terrific remixes by some of the scene's top names in house and techno - we now have the third terrific instalment. Features Wiedemann's cohort in side project The Howling Ry 'X' Cuming - who delivers a rework of "No War" which gets into moody and atmospheric territory, "Gerne" feat. Berlin post punk legend Gudrun Gut gets a typically tripped-out and hypnotic perspective by Frankfurt veteran Roman Fluegel, and Irish deep house hero Mano Le Tough goes for yet more evocative dancefloor narratives on the sublime vocal led pop-inflected cut "Oldorado".
Review: This second remix package of tracks from Ame's Dream House long player features dance floor remixes to suit a range of moods. At one end, there's the atmospheric Fango take on "No War", where the original version's woozy chants and dreamy synths are underpinned by rolling back beats. At the other end, there's Marcel Dettmann's version of "Hellikonia", which sees the Berghain resident drops a steely, metallic rhythm that gradually spirals into a heady climax. By contrast, Dettmann's take on "Gerne" is less dance floor focused; a breathy, down tempo number its moody electronic undercurrents effortlessly accompany the original track's mysterious vocals.
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: Dream House was released last year by acclaimed German duo Kristian Beyer & Martin Wiedermann aka Ame to much acclaim. The splendid tracks that comprised this evocative home listening journey are now remixed by some of the scene's top names and aimed squarely at the main room dancefloor. On Part I, we have Berlin-based artist (and Keinemusik main man) Rampa take "No War" deep into the exotic, in dreamy and majestic fashion, while Diynamic chief Solumun delivers two versions of "The Line" - Frank's Vote being a vibrant neon-lit perspective with an '80s influence, while Kristian's Vote has a more ethereal deep house vibe full of sweeping layers of arpeggio.
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: Toto Chiavetta returns to Innervisions after last years' Harmony Somewhere with another cosmic 12-inch. The title track revolves around a low-slung tribal groove that builds to the sound of an atmospheric synth and a frazzled bass. It's a potent combination that sounds like a halfway house between DJ Harvey and Giallo Disco. "This Does Not Happen Where The Sun Rises" is even more off centre and sees the Italian producer deliver a dubbed out groove that resounds to slightly ominous vocal samples. "Metrica" is more frazzled as Toto picks up the pace to deliver a cavernous but grinding groove. However, it's only a temporary divergence as "Dedication to all the Mothers and their Moons" revolves around Middle Eastern percussion and hypnotic North African vocal samples.
Review: Berlin-based DJ/producer Gregor Sutterlin aka Rampa heads up the Keinemusik imprint, alongside local veterans Adam Port and &ME - an ever reliable outlet for deep, sensual and emotive tech-house. This style of aesthetic makes him no stranger then to revered local imprint Innervisions, who first welcomed him into the fold back in 2017 on his Hall Of Violence EP and his latest offering for Dixon and Co. features just as much dancefloor drama as heard on the gripping futurist epic "They Live". Heartfelt and glassy-eyed moments in the middle of the dancefloor are well catered for on the powerful "Tell Me Are We" featuring the unmistakable vocals of Whomadewho's Tomas Hoffding, and ending with the hypnotic Afro infused minimal of "Lavender Boogie"
Review: Jimi Jules has released material on Watergate and Defected, but his debut EP on Innervisions sounds removed from those labels. There's the buzzing, frazzled electro of "End of the World", while on the title track, he slips into deep, dubbed out techno. Clearly, Jules is a master of re-invention and on "We Out Here" and "Future Is Now", the Swiss producer veers into the kind of twitchy, stripped back house sound that Innervisions is more synonymous with. However, this is not a typical release, and "Last Muuh Before Paradise", with its live bass, sonorous brass and micro beats is an unusual foray into left field house.
Review: Los Angeles-based Brit Chris Barratt returns to Innervisions, after appearing on their X compilation a little while back, in addition to appearances on Bedrock and Sapiens. Imitations Of Life is most likely named after his solo imprint Art Imitating Life, and much like that - the tracks here are in the same kind of vein. From the melodic dancefloor drama of ,,Sketch 7", the soaring synth leads taking centre stage on the evocative "Sketch 17" or the glassy-eyed and heartfelt style of deep house that is a perfect fit for Ame and Dixon's imprint on "Sketch 1".
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Review: Well it is that time again: revered Berlin imprint Innervisions presents the 11th installment in the acclaimed Secret Weapons series, and as always does exactly what it says on the tin. Expect the very best in emotive house and melodic techno as curated by Ame and Dixon - who stated quite succinctly themselves as "to create vivid moments, be it after hours or peak-time.' Highlights coming courtesy of rising Spaniard Pablo Fierra on the folk-inflected/sunkissed vibe of "Tel Aviv To Casablanca", the return or veteran British producer Thomas Gandey (Cagedbaby) who teams up with Santiago Garcia on the spooky dancefloor drama of "On Two Strangers", Israel's Yotam Avni who continues his impressive run of tracks into 2019 on the utterly hypnotic "Regis Is For Regisford" while label staple Denis Horvat gets into some properly futuristic groove action with "Vetiver".
Review: Released on Belgian institution R&S Records back in 2016, Alex Smoke's album Love Over Will signalled a new phase of deep artistry for the stalwart Scottish producer. Two years on we get treated to a couple more special remixes (a first volume was released a couple of years ago) courtesy of Dixon & Ame's Innervisions out of Berlin. Italian power duo Tale Of Us deliver another awe-inspiring expression of dancefloor drama with their spellbinding rendition of "Fall Out", while similarly Maeve co-head Mano Le Tough brings on the sonic theatrics and narratives with his rendition of "Dust" - a deep and druggy techno journey into the later hours.
Review: Although there's always been some subtle variety within Innervisions' output, Dixon and Ame's imprint has become known for a particular type of grandiose, tech-tinged house. Props to them, then, for releasing this EP of arpeggio-driven, 1980s style Italo-disco created by contemporary Italian producers. Muscemi and Phunkadelica kick things off, first layering exotic Middle Eastern synthesizer melodies over druggy arpeggio lines on "Babilonia", before slowing the tempo a little via the ghostly tunefulness, robotic vocals and chugging bottom-end of "Velluto Blue". Stereocalypse then takes over, serving up two more killer cuts: the long, bold chords, slap bass and rush-inducing melodies of "Lone Solo Drummer", and the Rimini '84 pomp of the arguably superior "The Cunning Man".
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech
Review: The title of Ame's debut album could sum up their entire output to date, and in many ways, Dream House is the ultimate statement from the German duo. However, it is not solely focused on the kind of lush, tranced out melodies that they made their name with on "Rej", but it does features collaborations from Gudrun Gut, Roedelius and Planningtorock. It also moves from the hypnotic chants of "The Line" - a track penned with Herbert - into the hollowed-out break beats of "Deadlocked", the Roedelius collaboration, and into more reduced grooves like "Queen of Toys". On "Gerne", Gut delivers a breathy, sensual vocal over a grinding rhythm, which is far removed from those breathy grooves that Ame first rose to prominence with. However, echoes of this hypnotic aesthetic is never too far away, audible on the droning, Dinosaur L-style guitars of "Positivland".
