Review: As ever with Numbers, we embrace a wide collection of sounds and influences in this latest full length album project they have unveiled from Complete Walkthru entitled 'Scrolls', featuring 11 saucy original creations. From the more contemporary rhythmic ideas of 'Believe I Can Do This' and 'Lean In' to the soundscape lead themes of 'Leavin' Church Early', this one is dripping in colourful delights, oozing class from start to finish. For us there are a few clear highlights, with the soulful harmonics of 'Cardio' being an immediate standout, alongside the rolling drums of 'Getting Ridiculous' and stunning synthy landscapes of 'Just Like We Like It'.
Review: We were very excited to get involved with this one as Numbers bring together this top draw seven track masterclass from Perko, showcasing just how versatile he can be as a producer. We explore the weird and wonderful throughout, with tracks such as a 'Water Memory', 'Polly' and 'Grace' giving us epicly soundscaped backdrops, whilst 'Rounded' and 'What Otters' provide us with a more rhythmic base, still being packed full of harmonic energy. The subtle 4x4
drum beats of 'Songbirds' then gives us a very unique sense of urgency, with the creamy arpeggiators of 'Sky Host' soothing us over. Very creative stuff indeed!
Review: Bryan Kessler has already released on labels like Get Physical, but this outing for Numbers really sees him prove his worth as a techno producer. The emphasis here is on grimy warehouse techno; it starts with the woozy chords and insistent stabs of "Super Boo" before heading into a scuzzy direction on "Hi How Are You", where dollops of dirty bass and some crowd whoops prevail. Air raid sirens, train shrieks and tough drums come together to create a killer title track and it's only on the final track "Power Flower'' - where Kessler rattles snares over a toy-town synth - that some sense of melody appears.
Review: Former Optimo [Espacio] studio collaborator Dave Clark has impressed since re-launching his little-known '90s production alias, Sparky, for Numbers. His 2013 doublepack, Portland, has been remixed multiple times, while his recent Tapes release for Rubadub - based on rediscovered recordings from 1994 - has been getting plenty of heat. Here he delivers two new tracks, beginning with the sprightly, synthesizer-heavy Italo-disco-meets-Detroit techno workout "Signals". Full of shimmering synth lines, bubbling bottom end and attractive melodic hooks, it's arguably his most accessible track to date. Then "Tigress", an aggressive, distorted and altogether more robust dancefloor shuffler seemingly influenced by both classic loop techno and '80s industrial funk.
Review: Given their previously proclaimed love of ghetto house and its' various similarly minded offshoots, its little surprise to find Glasgow's Numbers crew putting out a "greatest hits" EP from long-serving Chicago producer (and former Dance Mania regular) DJ Deeon. The four cuts that make up Deeon Doez Deeon are not necessarily meant to be his finest moments - though they are all killer - but instead represent the Numbers' crew's favourites. There's plenty to get excited about, from the organ craziness, bumpin' beats and classic disco vocals of "2 Be Free" and blistering "House-O-Matic", to the classic, cut-up vocals and stuttering, ghetto rhythms of "Freak Like Me" (first released way back in 1996).
Review: Whereas Redinho's early work was marked by an ability to work quickly while fusing grime, hip-hop, dubstep and wonk-hop influences, this debut album - some three years in the making - is a much more vibrant, considered and kaleidoscopic affair. Using the distinctive, Rustie-influenced pulse of Glaswegian beat science as his canvas, Redinho paints colourful aural images that doff an oversized snapback to '80s boogie, early electro and intergalactic electronica. That means vivid synthesizers, skittering rhythms, blissful melodies and lashings of unmistakeable talkbox vocals. The results are surprisingly soulful and always enticing, making Redinho a particularly assured and impressive full-length debut.
Review: While by no means as prolific in their output as last year, the quality of Numbers releases this year has remained a constant. Here the Glasgow operation reissues what they describe as "a secret weapon and personal favourite" in "Multi Ordinal Tracking Unit" from late 90s techno outfit Unspecified Enemies. The lengths the label have gone to in order to secure this reissue makes us think Jackmaster and co. set up Numbers with the specific intention of one day having the release in their discography. Made with the most basic of equipment in a North East London bedroom by the duo of Simon Whalley and Louis Digital, "Multi Ordinal Tracking Unit" was subsequently embraced by everyone from Underground Resistance to Surgeon. Crucially, Rubadub's Club 69 resident Martin McKay also caned it and ingrained it in the young memories of the Numbers troupe. Fully remastered by original cutting engineer, Christoph Grote-Beverborg at Dubplates & Mastering, the track retains all it's hard edged funk today and comes backed with a "City Of Quartz" remix from Louis Digital himself. The digital version includes two further gems, both originally produced for Digital's City Of Quartz label, but unreleased until now - "Bellona: Do I Mind Dying", a piece of razor-edged techno cut through with dystopian pads, and "Insurgency Soul", a piece of precise, clean breakbeat house reminiscent of Mark Fell's recent experiments in the genre.
Review: Glaswegian imprint Numbers maintain the release pressure that's built up a head of dizzying steam in 2011 with their 20th drop being a label debut from Randomer. The Norf Londoner's musical path began with jungle and that's more than apparent on the title track "Real Talk" which will get a certain SoYoer called Blawan worried about his status as the best drum programmer in town. It's the sort of disjointed, thumping house track that provides immediate gratification, especially when the sub destroying bass purge comes through. "Lime Pie" is equally thrilling, gradually aligning into a ruffed up 303 flex and concrete thick drums, whilst "Stalker" throws pots and pans into the rhythmic equation with neck snapping results. Possibly our favourite NMBRS drop to date.
Review: The latest release from the Glaswegian imprint adds a further sheen of excellence in a year where Numbers has really knuckled down and concentrated on a schedule of multi faceted releases. Such has been the demand for Mosca's debut on the Numbers imprint, the London based producer cheekily took to touting advance DJ copies of Do Me Wrong via Facebook. Both tracks here are fully poised for the floor, priming a throwback Bassline / UK G swing dipped in a nowness from Mosca that's been evident on drops for Night Slugs and Fat City. Unusually, it's the B Side that's garnered the most attention, which is odd as "Done Me Wrong" is excellent, reigning in vintage female hollerations over clipping rhythms, swamping basslines and parping synths that pay homage to the classic "RIP Groove". Flipside, the more celebrated "Bax" is a dual assault on your senses, murky sub bass jabbing at your ribs, whilst the sweet cooing vocals whisper sweet nothings in your ears. All this is underpinned by a skipping mid 90s flex heavy on the neon stabs that has warehouse jam written all over it.
Review: Ill Blu's debut for Numbers kicks off with the much talked about eponymous track of the EP. "Meltdown" acts as the perfect entree, with a reverberating vocal sample and a similar synth/bassline sound to Redlight's tune "Stupid". It makes for a compelling listen with plenty of dancefloor driven panache and synth flourishes colouring it along the way. "Overdose", up next, is more comparable to the aforementioned "Bellion" than any of the rest, building from a sparse intro with echoing cooing and tripping, crispy beats, into a more bleepy, high pitched main tune, masterfully counteracted by throbbing low end b-line action and jungle style chirrups. "Chelt" brings the EP to a close, with a more tech-ed up approach, accelerating into the drop with a clamour of jingling SFX, rumbling atmospherics and quirky, bubbling synths. Dreamy rippling waves drive things forward, underpinned by a thunderous b-line, making this another late night party starter and one to add to the record box if UK funky is your thing.
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