Rekids: A Forceful and Lasting Imprint in Techno.
ailing from the UK, Rekids isn't your average electronic label. Founded in 2006 by the collaborative minds of James Masters and Matt Edwards (aka Radio Slave), Rekids has carved a unique path in the scene within a short time.
Renowned for its cutting-edge sounds, the label champions electronic music that thrives both on and off the dance floor. They consistently push boundaries, releasing innovative tracks that resonate with listeners even in a relaxed setting.
Over the years, Rekids has become a breeding ground for some of techno's most exciting new voices. Artists like Lucy, Raxon, and SHDW & Obscure Shape all found a platform for their early works on the label. Rekids also wasn't afraid to collaborate with techno veterans, with releases from the likes of Robert Hood and Surgeon adding a touch of experience to the label's roster.
Over the years, Rekids has released a string of critically acclaimed records, solidifying its position as a leading force in techno. The label continues to push boundaries and discover new artists, ensuring its place at the forefront of the genre's evolution.
Review: 2024 was always going to be a year of surprises, and the latest release on Rekids is testament to that. Man Power hooks up with the Paris-based Louisahhh for an unexpected anthem in waiting. The title track is an expansive deep house track. At its heart is a pulsating bass combined with Louisahhh's freeform narrative about the state of the world. As befits such a modern classic, Rekids has commissioned Deetron to deliver three remixes. The dub version is a joyous UR-style deep techno version, while the main version follows a similar trajectory, powered by thunder claps and outer space tones. Keeping the audience guessing, Deetron also delivers a 'Drum & Bass' version that focuses on high-paced techno, while the 'Bleep Tool' ends the release to the sound of glistening tonal bliss.
Review: Monty Luke's Nightdubbing project on Rekids was designed to showcase the Black Catalogue boss's deep love of dub-infused house and techno. This 13-track album combines previously unheard cuts with nine tracks previously showcased across a pair of EPs of the same name. It's a fantastic set all told, with highlights including the smacked-out electro-dub headiness of opener '40 Acres and a Terrabyte', the extra-percussive deep dub-house hypnotism of 'Bob Molly', the after-hours friendly minimalism of 'Star Storms', the Detroit-goes-dub techno pulse of 'New World/Old Future', the classic dub techno warmth of 'Dark Paradise', and the dub-wise deep house dreaminess of 'Avantgarde Dancehall'. Throw in a handful of tidy ambient and digital dub tracks, and you have a genuinely superb long-player.
Review: Monty Luke's follow up to his latest REkids release arrives via Nightdubbing and in the form first of all as "Supernova" - a deep blend of spacey textures with retro vocal samples. "Starstorms" delves further into the cosmic unknown with driving bass rhythms and raw pads, while "New World / Old Future" showcases Luke's mastery of scratch-like drums and intricate melodies. "Avantgarde Dancehall" adds a psychedelic twist with wonky sonics, while "Travelling 'Round The Sun'" closes the release with dub-rooted drums and spoken word poetry. Dope. Drawing from his Detroit roots, Luke's futuristic soundscapes continue to captivate, pushing boundaries into mainstream techno and cultural storytelling at its finest.
Review: Hilit Kolet makes her debut on Rekids with Hot Mess! Featuring remixes from the legendary Mike Dunn, it follows her own versions of Terry Farley & Wade Teo's "Why We Dance". It's her first EP for Radio Slave's label and the title track is a driving anthem that expertly blends marching rhythms with iconic house vocals, heightened in the 'Even Hotter Mix' which as its namesake suggests, spices up the intensity. Moving on, Chicago house maestro Mike Dunn infuses some stylish flair into his take, slowing down the groove, crafting an infectious bassline, and honouring the original's captivating vocals with warehouse style. Boom.
Review: Superpitcher and Idjut Boys bring their distinct remixing prowess to Radio Slave's Wake Up from earlier this year. The original, a spoken word slow-burner by Matt Edwards, delved into the house and disco roots of the the famous slave. Superpitcher's remix transforms the track into an acid-infused journey, with vocal samples reverberating through cavernous, dubbed-out soundscapes, while Idjut Boys elevate the original's hypnotic atmosphere, cranking up the flange while preserving its grungy bassline and reducing the vocal to a haunting whisper. Wake Up - time to put on a little make up.
Review: Fresh from joining forces with Butch for the Defected-released, Marvin Gaye-sampling joy of 'I Want You', Nic Fanciulli goes solo via a belated Rekids label debut. He hits the ground running with the chunky, bass-heavy, techno tempo disco-house rush of 'On My Mind', where the long-serving producer makes great use of some sweet (and well-known) vocals, expertly placed filter trickery and sampled orchestral builds. In contrast, 'U Gotta' is a more hypnotic, bass-heavy affair that builds slowly and subtly via looped riffs, sustained one-note string sounds, and echo-laden female vocal snippets. A locked-in, basement-ready groover for the early morning heads-down crew.
Review: Radio Slave's streak of impressive singles on Rekids continues with the dreamy, Balearic-infused future hit: "Amnesia." A collaboration with Southern Fried Records legend, Cagedbaby, the track weaves an euphoric blend of cascading drum breaks and deeply alluring vocals with a nostalgic overload of searing synths and heart swelling pads. As synthesising some kind of Faithless, Robert Miles, DJ Koze and Groove Armada mega hit with that intangible feeling of bliss and euphoria - it's the melancholia here that's most overt. It's hard to imagine this not self-combusting dancers in closing sets at Ibiza this year.
Review: Rekids continues to offer up new remixes of Nina Kraviz's eponymous 2012 debut album. Here, they revisit 'Taxi Talk' - a quirky, dusty and evocative slab of off-kilter deep house with typically evocative spoken word vocals by the popular Russian DJ/producer. This time round, Kraviz's drowsy, radio-friendly original is twisted into new shapes by David Lohlein and Sterac Electronics (AKA Dutch techno/electro veteran Steve Rachmad). Lohlein steps up first, turning the track into a ghetto-tech influenced slab of all-action techno sleaze, before Rachmad revisits his 1980s electro roots with a version that sits somewhere between drum machine driven new wave synth-pop, electrofunk and the nostalgic productions of Dam Funk. It's a fantastic re-make all told.
Review: Just over two decades ago, Matthew Edwards launched his Radio Slave project via some much hyped (but unofficial) remixes of Kylie classic 'Can't Get You Out of My Head'. In tribute, and to mark the project's 20th birthday, he's decided to re-make the track with fresh vocals by American vocalist Michael Love Michael. It's a genuine treat, with all four mixes hitting the spot. The opening 'Club Mix' joins the dots between locked-in house and revivalist Italo-disco (with a few audible nods to dreamy deep house thrown in), while the 'Maxxi version' drags the track further towards early '80s Italo-disco territory. The extended 'Chant Mix' strips back the vocals and ups the low-end weight, while the near nine-minute 'Maxxi instrumental' is a dark, woozy, Giorgio Moroder-inspired throb-job.
Review: Given the depth and quality of his discography, it's no surprise that Eddie Fowlkes' first outing for Radio Slave's Rekids imprint, March 2023's Forever EP, was an action-packed, on-point treat. The legendary Detroit producer has long specialised in warehouse-ready workouts that channel the spirit of Motor City techno while sitting closer stylistically to house. He's on that tip again on this superb sequel, confidently striding between stomping, Carnival-ready techno with a subtle Afro-house twist (the percussive and addictive 'Bahama Man'), stab-happy, trumpet-sporting, peak-time house pressure (the superb 'Follow Me'), chunky and dreamy deep house hypnotism ('Chi 2022') and rubbery, sub-heavy, loose-limbed house hedonism ('Cube').
Review: Oliver Dollar, a Berlin-based artist who first appeared on Rekids as a remixer in 2012, has returned to Radio Slave's label with his 'Strings for Life' EP. The EP's title track begins with rich and stirring strings that add soul to the track. The song is warm, euphoric, and built on a rocksteady disco groove, making it both familiar and classic. 'School Daze' is a loopy track with funky bass, jazzy chords, and timeless house drums topped off with a retro vocal sample. The EP's final track, 'Sophisticated Funk,' features an epic, emotive beatdown, and Dollar doubles down on the disco. Oliver Dollar brings a very different sound to Rekids with this EP, which is full of joyous and lush tunes.
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