Review: Earlier in the year, A-Trak paid tribute to old-school house and rave-era breakbeat hardcore via the 10 Seconds Volume 1 EP. The Canadian turntablist-turned-big room headliner opts for a similarly retro-futurist vibe on this sequel, first opting for a bouncy, loose-limbed and warming, Chicago "boompty" kind of sound on 'Keep On' before charging away on a surging, filter-sporting French Touch tip (think compressed, chopped and looped disco-house) on 'Maximum'. Arguably more potent - and certainly less in-your-face - is 'Limbo', where acid bass, bleeping melodies, spacey electronics and snappy drums catch the ear, wile 'Cortez' sounds like vintage, late '90s Caassius with added jazzy samples.
Review: A-Trak has been on a run of collaborations of late, delivering bold, energetic, club-ready cuts with everyone from Todd Terry and Baauer, to Friend Within and Jamie Lidell. In fact, this four-tracker marks the long-serving Canadian producer's first solo single in six years. It's a typically funky, driving, weighty and peak-time-ready selection, with A-Trak first offering up a mutated riff on the heavily cut-up, disco-bass-driven insanity that many associate with the late '90s French Touch sound ('Split'), before dropping a more filter-heavy, sample-rich take on disco-house ('Bubble Guts'). His ability to create killer grooves out of savagely cut-up stabs, samples and beats comes to the fore on techno-funk stomper 'Sling Shot', while closing cut 'Be Bop' sits somewhere between the synth-laden goodness of Metro Area and dreamy deep house.
Review: The second age of DJ Zinc's heroic career continues. Having been a pivotal figure in the rise of D&B around the world, his conversion to slower house/bass/breaks tempos has served him just as well as both a DJ and producer, as evidenced by this new collab with superstar electro-turntablist A Trak for this release on Fools Gold. With faint touches of his seminal "128 Trek" drum pattern on "Stingray", Zinc and A Trak steer this new banger through some sub-aquatic bleeps and sirens while Benga steps up with a trademark dread 'n' half-step beauty that nicely vamps around the original.
Review: Zinc and A-Trak's transatlantic collabo connection picks up where "Stingray" left us with this firing piece of no-nonsense euphoric grit. Natalie Storm's vocals hog most of the spotlight. A dancehall diva with crisp delivery and just a smidgeon of raunchy undertone, she drives the floor into oblivion as the levels peak beneath. Remix-wise it's satisfaction central as we're smashed to pieces by Shadow Child (woozy breakbeats with a heavy dose of sub), Dismantle (boshing, full-paced electro stomp) and JWLS (D&B/half-step madness).
Review: A series packed full of greatest hits and near misses from the Toolroom family, 'Best Of Toolroom' remains as a yearly highlight and essential listening for house music lovers across the globe.The 2021 edition features the uplifting house anthem by label chief Mark Knight & Beverley Knight "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (feat London Community Gospel Choir), label staples such as Maxinne & Lauren L'aimant getting slinky and hypnotic on the vocal cut "Tell Me Something", as well as GotSome & George Kwali's sensually deep groove "In The Dark" (one of ther year's biggest tracks) in addition to hot Romanian duo Sllash & Doppe's well received "Off My Mind".
Review: A must have for DJs looking to get the sound of Toolroom into their mixes, House Party Vol. 6 is full of the freshest new music from some of the hottest acts right now, Boasting a huge a total of 70 tracks plus three album guest mixes by label staples Sllash & Doppe, Jaded, Paige and Nihil Young. Highlights come from: KC Lights & Leo Stannard who serve up some super soulful vocal deep house on "Cold Light", Danny Howard teams up with Eli & Fur on the glassy eyed and bittersweet euphoria of "Next To Me", the return of legend Hatiras (with Vincent Caira) on the low slung and jazzy joint "It's All Right", as well as Chicago stalwart Anthony Attalla nailing that rolling main room tech house vibe on "Don't Stop" and some slinky and hypnotic progressive house from Rauschaus and Peer Kusiv on "Mesopotamia".
