Review:
Young producer Armless Kid was one of the underground deep house success stories of 2017. While he's not yet quite as well known as some of his fellow new wave French deep house contemporaries, he already has releases on Classic, Hustler Trax and Fina White to his name. There's naturally plenty of fine fare to be found on this Rekids label debut, from the bumpin', jazz-wise stomp of opener "Troisieme Act" and the slick, ultra-deep warmth of glassy-eyed highlight "Jojo On The Moon", to the far-sighted Motor City techno/crunchy deep house fusion of "Air" and retro-futurist breeze that is lovable, stab-heavy closer "This Generation". If that lot's not enough to excite you (and, let's face it, it should be), then take a listen to the jazzy, 144BPM madness of the suitably bonkers "Abdos Fessier".
Review:
B.A.D.S. or Berlin Amateur Dramatics Society to give it its full name, is a collaboration be-tween Spencer Parker and Homopatik organiser and resident DJ Mr Ties. 'Hous-O-Matik Hom-O-Patik' was created especially for use at the infamous Berlin party, and now this remix package sees the pair share it with the rest of the world. The F Montefiori version squalling sax fused with doubled up drum patterns for a rough take on New York house. Spencer Par-ker's versions are more functional and streamlined, with the Work Them boss dropping tracky, tough house rhythms - in particular, the 'dub' version, with its relentless kicks and crashing cymbals, is nothing short of devastating.
Review:
UK tech-house pioneers Rekids have truly given us a lot over the last ten years. From Radio Slave's own music, to Mr G, Spencer Parker, and even Nina Kraviz, they've always kept up with the times and molded their sound to new and exciting shapes. This time it's newcomer BADS who comes through with the latest anthem, a driving house banger entitled "HOUSE-O-MATIK HOM-O-PATIK", and while it's furious kick drum steals the show for much of the duration of the track, things get freaky when the DJ Deeon-style vocals drop on us like a load of grenades. You also get a pure beat version, and an accappella if you're feeling adventurous with those vocals.
Review:
"Good Luck" was originally released back in 2004 and was used that year as the theme tune for the BBC's Euro championships coverage. Now it gets the remix treatment from the prolific Butch. The first take sees the German producer focus on the infectious chant and Lisa Kekaula's vocals that are at the heart of the original and use as a back drop a solid, steely rhythm. On the dub version, deep chords and crisp percussion are brought to the fore, with the vocal reduced to a looped snippet, while the 'Drum Tool' version goes a few steps farther. Focusing on grainy kicks, Butch drops a filtered, rolling workout.
Review:
Recorded by DAP aka Daniel Poli, Andrea Mazzini and Philippos Nikiforakis back in 2004, Brush Your Lips has aged well. Featuring house head Lance De Sardi on vocals, it harks back to a time before minimal and fidget went their separate ways. It has a tracky, relentless feeling, imbued with the rawness of Chicago, the precision of digital production and best of all, De Sardi's risque vocals. "Little Deeper" follows a similar trajectory, albeit with a vocal snippet and a more rolling groove, while "Manipulation" is harder and more upfront, its powerful bottom end propelling snares to their inevitable, irresistible climaxes. The Jamaican vocal-sampling "If you Were Liquid" recalls the tripped out tech-house of Grant Dell and Terry Francis.
Review:
It's hard to believe that this is DJ Deep's debut on Rekids as the French spinner has been such an integral part of that grey area where house and techno coalesce for a number of decades. In any event, it sounds like he is making up for lost time; working together with Traumer, the owner of the Gettraum label, he delivers the monumental title track. In its La Deep version, the stepping rhythm supports a screeching diva vocal, while the La Slave version strips the arrangement back to focus in jittery drums and rolling percussion. Finally, there's straighter La Spicy take, which has a straight groove and the dense, tracts of percussion that one has come to expect from Rekids.
Review:
DJ Spider has been an integral part of New York's techno scene for years, but only in recent times has he made an impression on this side of the Atlantic. Spider's association with labels this side of the Atlantic continues with Ninja Drive-By, his debut release on Rekids. Over four tracks, he manages to cover a range of moods. From the grubby, swinging broken beats of "Dirt Nap" to the atmospheric "TMC" and the jittery percussion and jazzy tones of "Montag", there is a lot to keep the listener engaged. Spider even succeeds in uniting dense, grubby drums and outer space melodies on "Planetary DisFunkshun", making for a heads down journey to the heart of left of centre techno.
Review:
Dustin Zahn has been flying the flag for uncompromising techno for the past 20 years, so it is somewhat surprising to see him appear on Rekids. The title track is typical Zahn: cruising along at 130bpm, it sees him marry tough drums with a repetitive riff. "Decorum", which is of a similar tempo, resounds to churning chords and pile-driving percussion. Meanwhile on "Nameless Midnight", the US producer pushes the tempo up further, but adds some extra intrigue with an instinct vocal loop playing out over a wiry rhythm and mysterious bass tones. Rounding off what is an unusual but welcome release for Matt Edwards label is "Subtle Flex", a chord-heavy affair that features a more stepping rhythm than the preceding tracks.
Review:
Matt Edwards's label makes another smart signing with this release from Nikos Galatsopoulos. The same kind of driving throb that Edwards made his name with as Radioslave is audible here on "Dope Beat" - with beefy drums and a simple but effective filter keeping the arrangement dynamic and dancefloor friendly. A similarly utilitarian approach is evident on "Tunnel Vision", but in that instance the sounds are more techno-focused and the repetition centres on a deep chord build that breaks down and restarts. However, the most memorable moments here are "Hi Fly" and the title track. Underscored by infectiously catchy, summery disco filters, the former will garner all the radio play while the latter's Ian Pooley-like groove will rule in techno and house clubs alike.
Review:
This newie from Berlin-based production combo Liviu Groza and Kennedy Smith was recently referred to online as "DJ tool house". It's an odd but kinda apt description. It's in many ways typical of the style that Rekids boss Matt "Radio Slave" Edwards has made his own - druggy, tracky, intoxicating and bristling with strange noises, dubbed-out pianos and razor-sharp snares. It sounds like it was tailor-made for after-parties and afternoon-after-parties. Amir Alexander remixes, delivering a deeper, drifting take full of bubbly bass, hissing cymbals and crunchy analogue percussion. It's a quality alternative to the out-there original.
Review:
The run of remixes from Nina Kraviz' self-titled album continues unabated, and this time, following sterling efforts from Urban Tribe, Steve Rachmad, KiNK and Marcellus Pittman, it's the turn of DVS1 to step up. On the menu are two opposing reworks of "Best Friend", which expand on the original's whispering vocals with an original contribution by Naughty Wood; the "Forever mix", which fills out the spacious, improvisational original with rigid, dubby organ stabs, firming up the kick for a more dancefloor friendly effect, and the "Dub test" version, which brings the lead in slowly over a gaseous swirl of minimal percussion and billowing bass. The inclusion of Kraviz's seriously weird original rounds things out nicely.
Review:
For this latest Mr Jones EP by Nina Kraviz, she withdraws any sentiments of ghetto house heard on last year's debut album and turns in something house and techno inspired for Rekids. Her sultry, accented vocals still play a large role in her music however, best heard in the dark house of "Desire", the first track of this double EP. "Mr Jones" begins much the same was as "Desire", but when the beat does drop, it's not as tough, but twice as haunting - complementing the EPs cover art. Kraviz teams up with Luke Hess for the Detroit techno drum track that is "Remember", while "Black White" offers the some respite from the previous productions gloominess with something more festive and tropical. From here Kraviz provides some classic, minimal, and percussive deep house in "So Wrong", which leads perfectly into the club drumming of "Sheer". A superb follow up by Kraviz.
Review:
Siberian singer/producer Nina Kraviz has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last few years, thanks in no small part to a killer debut 12" (2009's "Pain In The Ass"). Here she drops her long-promised debut album for Matt 'Radioslave' Edwards' Rekids imprint, a collection of unusual deep house, downtempo and leftfield pop cuts with her own unique twist. It's a decidedly atmospheric and forward-thinking collection that mixes her fragile vocals and off-kilter production with live instrumentation and decidedly bass-heavy grooves. It's a wickedly original formula, capable of delivering haunting songs ("Fire", Hard Ton collab "Walking In The Night"), fuzzy floorfillers ("Ghetto Kraviz") and spooky downbeat grooves ("The Needle"). Highly recommended.
Review:
Russian producer Nina Kraviz gets remixed in three radically different ways. KiNK's take on "Love or Go" is a mellow affair, with dubby drums mixed with a resonating bass and a warm acid bleed leading into a sensuous breakdown. By contrast, Steve Rachmad puts the focus on the dance floor for his reshape. The Dutchman's 'Jack' version is powered by heavy drums and Kraviz' vocal contribution sounds like it has been taken over by a montone robot as an atmospheric filter pushes it into an epic breakdown. Rachmad's 'Scorp' version is far heavier and more stipped back, with tearing acid lines unravelling over metallic beats and the robot reduced to intoning what sounds like 'techno, techno, techno'.
Review:
Nick Lapien has received acclaim for his exploration of the outer limits of electronic music with his ebm/post-punk influenced Metropolis project. Therefore, A Change feels like an appropriate title for his latest release under his own name. Like his club-based records on DVS1's label, it sees the Dutch producer tailor his sound for Rekids. The title track is a heads-down, rolling affair, led by a surging bass and the occasional chord stab. "As It Is" explores the grey area between tough NY house and techno tools so beloved of Rekids with a female vocal sample and a mysterious organ playing out over dense drums. The final track, "Vexed" is more laid back, but even amid its reflective synths there's a niggling bass.
Review:
Having surfaced last year with the Another Dub On Earth single for Black Catalogue, Mandingo returns to the fray with a release on Rekids that's sure to place him further on the radar. Parallel Universe plays on the titular theme to deliver three very different versions of a track, with the first being a perfectly simmering, seductive deep house cut laced with edgy string stabs and a warming bassline. "Universe II" gets a twitchier type of groove going, turning the tune into an off-kilter alien gurgle with plenty of funk to back it up. Then the track opens right up on "Universe III" with a light, skipping broken beat, content to drift away in jazzed-out bliss.
Review:
Monty Luke dons his Mandingo alias once again for Rekids. Parallel Universe was released in 2015, where the track "Universe II" originally appeared. It now gets a couple of sweet remixes by two right legends. First up is Germany's undisputed king of hypnotic minimal house: Thomas Melchior, who puts a spell on you as always with his trance inducing rendition. Then, if that was not enough, the godfather of deep house himself Larry Heard steps up to the challenge. His version sounds more similar to the original but even more party loving with its rolling, funky bassline and added swing and shuffle for good measure.
Review:
"Way" is Faraone's second EP for Rekids this year, but prior to this, he had already built up a distinguished catalogue for labels like Drumcode, Ovum and Moon Harbour. It's not hard to understand the attraction of this record to Rekids. The title track marries the pumping Radioslave approach to techno with jacking Chicago beats, stuttering vocals and tales of music industry hubris. Aside from the a cappella, Rekids has commissioned Addison Groove to deliver a high-paced, footwork takes on the Italian producer's original version. If that's too frenetic, then the dub acid rework, with its tough kicks, searing acid line and filtered vocal snatches, will appeal for those who like it tracky.
Review:
Rightly or wrongly, Markus Suckut has been to date associated with a particularly bleak strain on post-Sandwell techno. That association looks set to disappear thanks to this new release on Radioslave's label. Indeed, it would be difficult to think of a more dissimilar track to that contemporary sound than "Untitled 1". Over rolling break beats and a menacing bass, Suckut unleashes a gloomy filter that sounds like there is indeed a ghost trapped in his machines. "Untitled 2" marks a return of some form, but the focus stays on industrial-strength drums and clanging, metallic percussion. Finally, "Untitled 3" concludes Suckut's reinvention, with a raw rhythm and jagged percussion complementing deeper, more atmospheric soundscapes.
Review:
Markus Suckut clearly knows how to make throbbing, no-nonsense club cuts. His second EP for Rekids begins with a chunk of sweaty, muscular techno, where a restless, warehouse-ready riff rides a formidable rhythm track built around pulverizing kick-drums, crunchy shares, and relentless hi-hats. In essence, it's the sort of funk-fuelled techno stomper that doesn't strive too hard to impress, but does anyway. His modifies this approach a little with "Zero Nine Six", utilizing a looped synthesized sax loop to add additional funkiness to a denser groove in which his crispy snare hits take a much more prominent role. Like "10 Y", it sounds phenomenally large over club sound systems.
