Review: 'Heat' is the kind of track that was just made for the dancefloor, as the track plays you can almost picture it in its perfect setting, 4am, a small club, nearly completely dark with just the occasional flash of light, the odd call of elation from the crowd. The gently pounding beat sends you into a euphoric trance, extenuating every note of the jazzy piano as it dances along the track. 'Artificial Intelligence' is harder and more harrowing than its neighboring track, there's white noise and slow builds, adorned with sci-fi effects and elements.
It Wasn't Meant To Be (And.Id Rave Nostalgia remix) - (6:41) 127 BPM
It Wasn't Meant To Be (And.Id Warehouse dub) - (6:34) 127 BPM
Review: Following recent outings on Anjunadeep and Last Night On Earth, Theo Kottis returns to Moda Black, the label on which he made his name. "It Wasn't Meant To Be", which features a trio of spine-tingling breakdowns, sees the Edinburgh-based producer effortlessly joining the dots between dreamy deep house and slicker, tech-tinged flavours. The latter influence comes to the fore on "Running Nowhere", where drifting chords and chiming melody lines snake their way around a shuffling, tech-house groove. The E.P also boasts a pair of fine remixes from Mobilee man And.Id. There's a chunky, low-slung, mind-altering "Rave Nostalgia" mix - complete with rush-inducing piano breakdown - and a pulsating, no-holds-barred "Acid Dub".
Review: The deadly pair that is Walker & Royce touch down on Moda Black with some of their signature house licks after releases on Crosstown Rebels and Glasgow Underground, among other choice stables. "My Dream" is a mid-tempo licker boasting a minimalistic framework thanks to its bleeps and clicks, intricate vocal chops and rickety percussion. "Fur" is also fervently stripped and diced but the beat is bumpier, a touch more jacking and primely cut for peak time body jerking. Little killers, the pair.
Review: Belfast's Gerry McCartney enjoyed a productive 2013, delivering a slew of hyped house releases on Loft Records, 2020 Vision, W&O Street Tracks and Delayed Audio. Here he pops up on the similarly well-regarded Moda Black, delivering a pair of certified late night bangers. "What You Think" combines bold, bumpin' beats with swirling sampled strings, choice vocal samples and just the subtlest hint of disco flavour. Arguably even stronger is "Alone", a thick, murky but rush-inducing trip into late '80s, early '90s territory - think "Good Life" meets New York basement house, circa 1992, and you're close. David Jach remixes "Alone", turning the original into a swinging chunk of late night bass-house goodness.
Review: Having previously appeared on Grizzly with the decidedly tough and breathless "Work That", Odysseus pops up on Jaymo and Andy George's Moda Black imprint with three tracks of sultry, late night house. "Hit It Again" kicks off proceedings by offering bold, grandiose electronic chords, cut-up vocal samples, garage-influenced drums and more drops than your average game of rugby in the middle of winter. The loose and languid "Over You" - all military drums, hypnotic stabs and spinetingling chords - offers a deeper alternative, while the brilliantly titled "Drug Fool" is six minutes of revivalist '90s Belgian techno disguised as 21st century rave. Which, in our book at least, is a very good thing.
Review: Moda Black present their first release from Celsius and it's nothing but old school house vibes o' clock. "Thought As Much" takes off where Disclosure left us with a timeless house groove that teeters politely into the realms of garage thanks to a Todd Edwards style chopped up vocal. "Relax Your Mind" conjures up memories of the mid 90s too, but does so with a more of a sprightly, almost trance-like arpeggio. A very strong label debut.
Review: Glaswegian producers Mia Dora are the latest combo to be signed to Jaymo and Andy George's hyped Moda Black imprint. This first EP showcases their trademark style, a woozy mix of thickset tech-house low-end, woozy deep house synths and R&B vocal cut-ups. The moody "The Awesome Sauce" sets the tone, coming on like a future anthem for those who like their beats crunchy and their grooves smooth. "Occam's Razor" sounds like a sweaty hoe-down between Waze & Odyssey and Eats Everything, while "Mantis" sees them flexing their rave muscles with a thoroughly debaunched rinse-out. "Half A Devil", meanwhile, is woozy, leftfield and altogether slightly odd - but rather fine with it.
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