Review: Amazingly, it's been some 12 years since the release of Give It Up, arguably Crazy P's first major dancefloor hit (certainly their most accessible and radio-friendly single of the period). Here, the original 2002 remixes single - featuring versions from LAID, Faze Action and Reset - gets re-mastered and reissued. Interestingly, the throbbing deep house-disco take from LAID is featured here in its vocal form (the original 12" boasted just the instrumental). The standout is arguably Faze Action's revivalist disco interpretation, which boasts a seriously heavy synth bassline and dubbed-out drum machine handclaps in addition to Crazy P's original instrumentation. The Reset version, meanwhile, has a surprisingly warm and organic feel that makes it particularly attractive.
Review: Flinty Badman and Deman Rockers' historical compendium hits second volume stage with an equally firing collection of reversions, remasters and stone cold classics produced and remixed by the likes of long-term production partners Aquasky, Rico Tubbs and 601. From the sinewy acid wriggles of "Loko" to the rampant rips and tears of "Soundbwoy Killa" to the tech-drenched dancehall stamps of "Raggatron", this is an irrefutable lesson in UK bass culture from electronic music's most versatile and distinctive MCs. Step out!
Review: If you're looking for a quick snapshot of where house music is at in 2022 then you could do a lot worse than pick up this latest Toolroom compilation. With 50 full-length cuts to choose from, plus two 75-minute DJ mixes, you're certainly getting plenty of bang for your buck, and with the likes of Ilyus & Barrientos, Leftwing:Kody, Shadow Child, Hannah Wants, Franky Rizardo, Mason Maynard and Huxley all represented, you get a good chance to catch up with what some of today's biggest stars have been up to lately, as well as checking out fresh cuts from veterans like ATFC, Wally Lopez, Nic Fanciulli and of course label boss Mark Knight himself.
Review: Armada Music continues to celebrate its 20th birthday with a series of suitably upbeat compilations. This one focuses on house music, offering up a swathe of genuinely seminal club cuts, crossover hits and feel-good festival anthems. It's a peak-time party starter pack that pits genuine old school anthems (Joe Smooth's 'Promised Land', Inner City's 'Good Life', Reese's 'Just Another Chance', the chunky extended dub of Chez Damier's 'Can You Feel It'), mid-90s Euro-house (Rene Et Gaston's luscious 'Valle de Larmes'), hands-aloft early 2000s gospel house (Praise Cats righteous 'Shined On Me', speed garage (Sol Brothers' 'Turn Me Out'), thumping filter-house (Phats and Small's once ubiquitous 'Turn Around' and Funk Deluxe's infamous Bob Marley remix), spicy Latin house (Afro Medusa) and a dash of piano-powered Detroit house (MK in his early '90s, pre-garage pomp).
Review: It's that time of year again, when the industry's finest head en masse to one of the biggest events in global dance music - WMC. As always, the Toolroom family will be a known presence throughout the week-long festivities, and here's a sneak preview of the future classics they'll be dropping at this year's parties in The Magic City. Label chief Mark Knight naturally kicks things off (in collaboration with Mason) on the sweltering funky house of "Givin' Up", label stalwart Maxinne teams up with Chicago veteran Gene Farris on the deep tribal workout "Our House", the ascendant Carly Wilford & Anelisa Lamola keep on with the uplifting vocal house energy on "We Rise" while the always impressive GotSome teams up with Kokiri for the Inner City-inspired "Big Time Love" (feat Tasty Lopez) plus the welcome addition of Kittball Records boss Juliet Sikora with Tini Gessler on the high tech minimal of "Tidy Up" among many others. Comes with two continuous mixes to boot.
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