Review: Mike Brillstein aka Thee Mike B, has been known in the LA club scene since the late 90s, and over a decade later is still recognized. Having worked with names like Switch, Diplo, and Oliver, it's no surprise that Mike has a deep understanding of house and the underground. The recent success of his work with Play It Down boss Jesse Rose on "Shuffle The Paper" and "Good Wife" solidified Mike's place in the underground house world, and with that, Brillstein was born. "Yo Miss Baby" is a funky and lo-slung cut with dancefloor dynamics equally suited to the warm up slot or the afterhours alike. Its sexy and sultry deep house that's the order of the day (or night!) next on the wicked groover "Thanks Doc" complimented by trippy disco sirens and bleeps and blips.
Review: LA house veteran Mike Brillstein (aka Thee Mike B) has achieved a lot, including working with Diplo and Switch, and here is his latest offering, R U There Gawd EP on the Play It Down label. The main track here is "Gawd's Love", nearly six minutes of slow and snappy tech house. Expects a slow build from almost DJ tool territory to a funky sparse jam with laconic vocal samples. Eli Escobar ups the energy for a soulful and accelerated disco rework and there's also a hazy dub mix included too.
Review: When not dividing his time between L.A., Berlin and London, Jesse Rose can be found helming the quality-orientated house label, Play It Down. The lastest in the Labelmates series, Untouchable Funk EP sees Canada's Demuir and the mighty DJ Sneak thrash it out over three distinct jams. First up, "Music's Underground" is loopy seven-minute pounder that just fizzles with machine gun snares and choppy rhythms. Elsewhere "Open Minds" is a camp funky house slammer that lends a nod to 80s classic White Horse. Lastly the title track features dreamy 70s samples, rolling garage beats and sunkissed chimes abound.
Review: UK house hero Jesse Rose has since relocated to the sunny shores of Los Angeles where he runs his two respected labels Made To Play and of course Play It Down; which he's named this very EP after. Rose was instrumental alongside Dave 'Switch' Taylor for pioneering the early noughties fidget house sound and those quirky sensibilities still live on in his current productions: such as on the stuttered, swinging and sample heavy jack of "Carnival". The deep and rolling liquid funk groove of "Warning" goes for a more hypnotic vibe while finally "Titti" gets all lush and dreamy on you with its swirling Rhodes keys and soothing strings contrasting a dusty and dishevelled beat: but just wait until that wonky bassline comes in!
