Review: Expect fun and frolics by the bucket load in this six-track EP from Jamaican dancehall outfit The Party Squad. Kicking off the EP with "Go Down Low", it's all pitched up, chopped up chipmunk lyrics and Major Lazer style swinging beats. "Badman" sees the introduction of Alvaro with catchy vocal hook, chirpy synths and bleepy melodies a-plenty, whilst "Gunshot" injects a dose of humour with chopped up, distorted vocal and insistent, pattering beats. "Lighterman" pairs ominous bass with lush, reggae vocals and ups the energy with massive builds and powerful bass thuggery. "Pullup 2012 (with Punish)" is classic carnival material, whilst "Soundboi Ya Dead" ends the EP on a triumphant note.
Review: Ninja Tune have assembled a truly exceptional line-up of producers for this full remix album of Bonobo's Black Sands, with exclusives from Duke Dumont, FaltyDL, Machinedrum, Mark Pritchard, Cosmin TRG and Floating Points all shining very bright indeed. With such a stellar cast, highlights abound: Banks' adds a glacial chill to the Andreya Triana-vocalled "The Keeper", Cosmin TRG works "Kiara" into a bubbly and gut-wrenching Detroit fantasy while Floating Points lends a deep, jazz-step vibe to "Eyesdown". In contrast, and in full on hazy-juke mode (ahead of his forthcoming Planet Mu collaborations with Om Unit), Machinedrum kills it with his own steroid-popping mix of "Eyesdown", while Duke Dumont rounds off the album with the exquisite beatless time stretch of "Black Sands". Highly recommended.
Review: That one of this year's best techno albums has been made by a Dutch dubstep artist and is issued on a label owned by an LA hip-hop figure says a lot about the increasingly blurred boundaries within which it operates. Ironically, the backbone for Ghost People is the purist-influenced Berghain sound that has dominated techno production in recent years. In fairness to Martyn, he makes no secret of this, even going as far to equating his European DJ dates to sonic fact-finding missions that informed the album's direction. However, it would be a mistake to assume that Ghost People is merely a replica of unflinching Berlin techno. Instead, Martyn uses it as a backdrop to tease out a range of directions. The title track contains references to the heady rush of rave, while "Twice As" revisits the Dutch producer's love of Detroit techno as sonic blips and spine-tingling melodies are married to more garage-style shuffling beats - perhaps the track's title is a nod to the London 2-step institution. On "Popgun", the producer briefly revisits lurching dubstep territories and there's even a tribute of sorts to Vangelis on the glistening synths of "Bauplan". That Ghost People covers so much ground while remaining close to the filtered rumble of tracks like "Horror Vacui" is an impressive testament to Martyn's supernatural production powers.
Review: After the rip-roaring success of Ghost People, Martyn continues his relationship with Brainfeeder by issuing forth a new track. "Hello Darkness" is burdened with a whopping great synth line and a ruff rhythmic undercurrent, making it both emotional and primal in the same beat. When the heavy drama of the lead synth falls away the track really comes into its own, letting the bassline dread seep out in all its glory. L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok opt for a stark, strange take on "Bauplan" in the remix department, while Redshape bolts some uncharacteristic clattering breaks onto his version of "We Are You In The Future". Awesome.
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