Review: In 2015 DJ Harvey made his hugely anticipated return to Ibiza and made Pikes the home for his Mercury Rising debut, a concept inspired by the beauty of the real Ibiza, the incredible history of the hotel (aka The Chelsea of Ibiza) and a genuine love for music. This Balearic spirit perfectly and poetically encapsulated by DJ Harvey has seen Mercury Rising widely recognised as the most special night to embrace the island in over a decade. The next step in the story sees him launch Pikes Records - the first record label founded by Pikes owners and Ibiza Rocks co-founders Andy McKay and Dawn Hindle. From his own Locussolus project's slow burner "Next To You" (Marcy Rising edit), to fellow London disco heroes Idjut Boys who serve up "One For Kenny" where they get really deep. There's also party favourite Gatto Fritto with "Invisible College" and Eric 'Dr. Dunks' Duncan, on form as always, with Chris Munoz on the scorcher "Zona De Perigo".
Review: The new I:Cube album is a rapid-fire collection of tracks woven together (there's a clue in that title you know) which takes the manner of a live set. The idea is essentially to bring the dance music album back to its raison d'etre, the dancefloor. To keep things interesting, the tracks are whipped through with a wonderful irreverence, as cheeky radio interludes and impulsive switch-ups keep things from staying too formulaic. Rather than some vision of a smooth, linear DJ set, this album instead takes the stance of creating pleasure through disorientation. Mr Chaix is a master of alluring grooves, and he uses that gift to really mess with your head when he changes tack, as between the edgy bleeps of "Y.O.U.R.O.C.K." and the light-hearted disco stomper "Get The Fever". Those surprise moves keep you engaged through all 23 tracks of this joyous beast. Chaix's lack of pretension is one of his greatest strengths; the I:Cube way is a direct and satisfying one. At no point is it cheesy or hackneyed, but it never tries to be too clever for its own good. With a live feel to match that immediacy, the "M" Megamix is a triumphant statement of what a dance music album should feel like. It might not be a comprehensive answer, but it certainly puts paid to all those "collection of singles" efforts out there.
Review: Copenhagen's Music For Dreams returns with the next installment in their acclaimed Sunset Sessions compilation series. Expertly curated by label chief Kenneth Bager, Sunset Sessions 10 features top-shelf balearic material from both established and up-and-coming artists. Highlights come from Troels Hammer on the glassy-eyed and bittersweet sunset vibes of "Infinita" (feat Clara Valente), The Swan, The Lake & Rosebud get seriously lo-slung on the poolside antics of "Respect The Vibe", Bager and Anders Ponsaing take you on a breezy, sax-fuelled night drive down the coast on "Greece 2000" (feat Claus Hojensgard) and the ever reliable Gerd Janson delivers a typically neon-lit disco anthem with his remix of The New Age Orchestra's "Let's Dream Together".
Review: Joe Mount of lovable scuzz pop outfit Metronomy mans the latest volume in the long running Late Night Tales, a series who always seem to get the best results out of an unexpected cast of participants (Belle & Sebastien, MGMT, Trentemoeller and Midlake being recent inductees) It's hard not to get sucked in from the sugar sweet opening of Outkast's "Prototype", which is the first of several tracks that demonstrates Mount has a penchant for slow bumping R n B and outsider hiphop with Tweet, Sa Ra and a Dr Octagon classic also appearing. A typically far reaching approach to genres applies here with the cosmic jazz of Chic Corea happily mingling with Autechre and Two Lone Swordsmen and American synth oddities Geneva Jacuzzi and Appaloosa mingling for attention with The Alan Parsons Project and Herman Dune. The de-rigueur cover version arrives with a Metronomy rendition of Jean-Michel Jarre's"Hypnose" whilst Paul Morley ends the selection with a spoken word piece.
Review: Top-level disco/house fusionists and Groove Culture Records chiefs Micky More and Andy Tee have been let loose in the Z Records archive. The result is a fine compilation that combines some of their favourites from the long-serving label's catalogue with a sextet of remixes the duo has prepared specially for the collection. If you've been following their work, you'll know exactly what to expect, namely peak-time ready, soul-fired cuts that combine authentic disco instrumentation (horns, strings, guitars, bass etc) with rolling house beats and plenty of life-affirming vocals. Highlights are naturally plentiful, with their trio of Sunburst Band remixes, Masters At Work's classic, Nuyorican Soul style remix of The Blackbyrds' 'Mysterious Vibes' and Frankie Knuckles (RIP) and Eric Kupper's 'Directors Cut' mix of Sunburst Band's 'The Secret Life of Us' all standing out.
Review: Sometimes it pays to be a label boss, like for example here, on this latest Bomb Strikes comp where head honcho Mooqee has decided to hand himself the reigns. Manning the decks for nearly an hour, he whips up a frenzy of party breaks delirium over the course of 24 tracks. The tracks are supplied individually too, with highlights including the tropical trap-house of "Ladies Look Pretty" by Basement Freaks, the furious electro-bass mash-up "Get Got (VIP mix)" by Nick Thayer & A Skillz and the strompingly retro electro-funk of "How We Do This" by Tom Booze.
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from Toolroom's "Poolside Ibiza" compilation strand, namely groovy nu-disco, house and laidback Balearic beats inspired by afternoons spent lounging by the water in stonking White Isle heat. Naturally, there are plenty of gems to be found amongst the 40 unmixed tunes selected by chosen DJs Moullinex and Xinobi, from their own collaborative post-punk/dub number "X Marks The Spot", to the slick '80s synth-pop dreaminess of Tensnake's fine remix of Xinobi's "Far Away Place" and the drowsy, Morricone-influenced soundscape weirdness of Simple Symmetry's remix of Moscoman's "I Ran". Throw in some seriously good cuts from Felipe Gordon, Donald Dust, Pin Up Club and Meera (whose carnival-ready boogie jam "Fine Without You" stands out), and you have a fine collection of summery cuts.
Review: For disco heads, this Odyssey remix set should be an exciting prospect. Admittedly, the tracks being remixed are their 2011 re-recordings (originally seen on last summer's Legacy album) rather than the 70s and 80s originals, but don't let that put you off - especially as some of the reworks are superb. There's plenty of delightfully floor-friendly fodder on show, from Ray Mang's guitar-flecked re-invention of "Use It Up & Wear It Out" and Flash Atkins' Shaft-goes-dub-disco take on "Don't Tell Me Tell Her" to the everything-but-the-kitchen sink antics of Faze Action and DJD. While not every mix hits the spot, there's more than enough to warrant further investigation.
Review: Nouveau Balearic peddlers The Project Club are back for a split EP with Twisted Tongue in order to prolong the summer vibes...and we're not complaining! First up, the former deliver their trademark 'dreamy guitar' and soothing beats while enlisting the emotive vocals of Johanna Lee. Twisted Tongue's "Jammin For Sojka" follows with arpeggiated bleeps, an electro-house bassline, North African-style percussion and self-empowering lyrics. Both acts collide too on Project Club's soulful and sublime remix of "The Full Sentence". Chillout never sounded so good!
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