Review: Hard Times taps Alex Arnout's Black Logic for a release that feels like a natural extension of the label's deep house legacy. Having spent his formative years on Hard Times the club's dancefloor, Arnout channels that history into four tracks that blend jazz-flecked grooves with rich, soulful textures. The opener is a crisp, funk-laced roller, its bassline locked into a groove that nods to the genre's 90s heyday. 'Back 2 Where We Were' takes a more introspective turn, its warm melodies and fluid percussion creating a late-night haze. 'Blackman' sees Beckford deliver a stirring vocal, weaving conscious lyricism into intricate instrumentation, while 'Jazz Mess' closes the set with free-flowing drums and improvisational energy.
Review: B From E is a Danish artist who has a trio of new EPs all coming on the French label Happiness Therapy. The concept is to explore spirituality while paying homage to the transformative power of dancing. 'Sa?s?ra Cycles' soon showcases his exceptional artistic and technical skill as it weaves through an ethereal dream house, uplifting garage and piano house and hypnotic neo-trance while highlighting his remarkable versatility. 'Diamonds' is a catchy and rubbery tech opener with Balearic chords and 'Mushrooms' has a more dubby and driving low end with lovely synth arcs way up in the heavens. These are some of the freshest cuts we've heard in a minute.
Review: Danish artists B From E lands on the increasingly impressive French label Happiness Therapy with a trio of new EPS that delve into spirituality and pay home to the transformative power of dancing. 'Siphonophore' gets underway with a trance-laced melodic edge and high-speed drums then hypnotic neo-trance layers wash over you on the speedy 'Storm' and 'Dreams Of Sasabone' taps in the hard house revival with bouncy but funky kicks and glowing neon pads. 'Love & Joy '97 has an old-school feel with euro dance beats and warped basslines and 'Planet Love' completes the trip with a blend of psychedelic synth colours, filtered vocals and optimism in the uplifting grooves.
Review: B.Love is next up on Leeds legend Ralph Lawson's 20/20 label having come to his attention on Record Store Day 2024 with his Music Dance Experience EP and then later that day when playing as a resident at the Bizarre Trax party Lawson was en route to play. Here he showcases his electro sound across four cuts starting with 'Rhythm Freq', a celestial and disco-tinged sound. 'Movement Feeling' is a party starting cut with old school style and plenty of percussive lushness, then 'Soda Junior' brings louche, low-slung disco funk before 'Bisous' shuts down with more cosmic playfulness and vibrant synth colours.
Review: Plenty of neologistic fun can be had with the work "break", but we must admit that "breakflow" is a new one on us. Lisboa produtor b0n impresses such sonic and titular genii with a new, green-goo-hued four-track EP on Portgal's fantastical Magic Carpet label, spanning clean future progressive and garage-acid tempos. The title track and 'Sasha Palomal' only tease the unortho-breaks with tricky garage beats and straighter but admittedly still formative breaksteps; it's only by the point of the B-siders 'Positive Morph' and 'Fractures' that any such fluvial breakbeat is properly put back together and course-corrected. Be warned, the latter track moves through the nicely rare variants of freestyle and "electrance"; careful not to dance yourself to breakdown.
A Soft Mist Production - "Upside Down Rainbows" (5:01)
Dr Sud - "Zaffiro" (Jazz cut) (3:59)
DatSIM - "Influx" (4:40)
The Rabbit Hole - "Tail Groove" (4:27)
Review: No matter your particular preference in the deep house world, this various artists' outing from Q1E2 Recordings is sure to have something for you. Mike Riveria & Marco Ohboy, for example, tap into an early sound on 'Euphoria' with its big, brash piano stabs and whistles, while A Soft Mist Production keeps it all cuddly and deep with languid chords draped over gentle drums on 'Upside Down Rainbows.' DatSIM brings in some space-tech vibes for a deft rhythm and neon infused sound on 'Influx' and The Rabbit Hole's 'Tail Groove' has a mad double bass sound jumping about beneath frantic jungle breaks.
Review: Cosmic master and eclectic DJ trendsetter Daniele Baldelli is back with more Cosmic Voodoo in the form of this new series of releases alongside Mattia Dalara. 'Saturn Express' gets underway with a typically diverse set of influences from psych rock guitar to disco drums and cosmic exploration. 'Countless Sigga' is a playful sound with 80s synth seances looked over drums with a hint of Afro charm and fat disco basslines. Last of all is the wonderful 'Silverado Trail' with its hypotonic lead, crunchy and chuggy ALFOS style drums and percolating arps which shine as bright as the sun.
Review: LEGRAM VG & Rubber Ducky Records have come together for this playful Game of Tunes series, and the third entry in it offers four more wafty tech house delights. Baldov's 'Dance Connection' is a balmy and breezy opener with some warm synth injections to soften the rickety tech beats. Sif B's 'Small World' is a bubbly cut with sci-fi motifs and Buenaguas's 'Music Or Noise?' Marries distant cosmic pads with sparky synth sequences that make for some nice colourful combinations. Alich's 'The Evidence' is the best of the lot - a pent-up, garage-tinged kicker with ass-wiggling beats and acid prickles. Pure heat.
Review: Bamma Gamma returns with a sizzling slab of funk in the form of 'Omelette' via Detroit's renowned Funk Night Records. This one is a digger's dream, raw, gritty instrumental funk with break-heavy drums, tight guitar licks and basslines so greasy they practically drip off the record. True to Funk Night's underground sound, Omelette is unapologetically retro and authentic and serves up irresistible dancefloor heat that feels like a lost '70s cut that has been newly rediscovered. For DJs looking to inject some analogue soul into their sets, it's a no-brainer.
Review: Deeper shades of a finely sifted pedigree. Irish label Appian Sounds, helmed up by Al Blayney, champion only winnowed techno sounds, not threshed. A welcome international team huddle in, with these six artists from locales as far-flung as Amsterdam and Valencia contributing the likes of 'Tsuneo' and 'Persist'. The tunes verge melodic as they move through and beyond jankiness, distending die-cut acids and subtly synthetic humanisations, especially in the percussion department. 'Fuego' is the zen roshi's choice, its gaffered, glass-smithed pads topping off a naturalistic percussive surging forward, one best experienced with your eyes closed.
Don't Make Me Fall In Love (Timmy Regisford vocal mix) (9:16)
Don't Make Me Fall In Love (Timmy Regisford instrumental mix) (5:46)
Don't Make Me Fall In Love (Timmy Regisford Gerd Janson Bass Beat edit) (4:16)
Review: Timmy Regisford's remix of Basic Black's 'Don't Make Me Fall In Love' squarely pegs the former's vision in dance music: a fusion of uptempo soul with clear lyrical locutions and sharp grooves. As vice president and A&R at Motown, Regisford played a crucial role in the success of Basic Black's 1990 debut album, a hallmark of the new jack swing era. In his rework, the iconic DJ and co-founder of Club Shelter reimagines the track through an unmistakable New York dance lens, preserving it in the oral traditions of soul and bassy, ballroom house. Formerly a rare white label, this remix was originally exclusive to New York's DJing elite, and never officially released as a single until now. Restored from a DAT tape in Tony Humphries' archive, this rewrap includes a never-before-heard instrumental version and a bass-and-beats-only edit, cryopreserving Regisford's jackin', frosty touch.
Originally released in 2023, old friends Basic Rhythm and Tim Reaper collide for this double A delight. Both artists take a side... Basic Rhythm strips things right back to its gurgling basics with just a gritty bassline and spaced out percussion on 'Gargantua' before Tim comes in and adds a whole swathe of breaks and energy for a more beefed up version. 'Selectors Convention' takes over the B; a big trippy wormhole that devours everything in its path, it's a full-on psychedelic jungle trip... That gets even more delightful with the VIP. What a reissue.
Review: Spanish musician Bass Lee comes through with a dynamic rockers-style instrumental on his latest 7" release, 'Enlightenment.' The single has a killer groove and smooth dub vibes and comes from Lee's upcoming album, which, on this evidence, is going to be a vital pick up when it drops. The single was recorded and mixed by Roberto Sanchez at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio and he does a fine job of fusing deep, roots-inspired rhythms with rich melodic elements that cut through nicely. The band's stellar lineup includes Sanchez on drums, percussion and piano, with Lee providing bass and lead strings, while additional contributions come from Reuben Telford on strings and clavinet, and Saioa Jorrin on alto sax.
Review: Planet Rhythm bring a high-energy, percussion-driven EP from this hot new Brazilian producer. Side-1 launches with 'Latin Hot Sauce', a tribal-infused, mysterious techno cut that rides on rolling drums and deep, hypnotic grooves. 'Small Talk' follows with relentless, loopy energyidriving, hard-hitting and built for peak-time chaos. On Side-2, 'Locking Collar' dives into darker territory with subterranean bass and pounding beats, creating some heady atmosphere. Closing things out, 'Overcharged' brings a playful, high-voltage energy, balancing intensity with a sense of movement that keeps dancefloors locked in. A dynamic ride through modern techno's heavier side, built for DJs who thrive on pushing momentum forward.
Review: Leeds-based label Turnend Tapes showcase the wide and very assured skills of Malmo man Martin Abrahamsson aka Bauri across a choice selection of five tracks from the more thoughtful and atmospheric end of the techno scale. That's not to say there aren't grooves aplenty going on. Opening track 'Zoom0036' has some irresistibly shiny, downbeat electro moves, offset by a touch of Autechre-like ghostliness. 'Jody' comes on like Drexciya at their perkiest, with a soupcon of Air Liquide's cheeky phasing, while 'Sunrise (take 2)' has the majesty and simplicity of Aphex's first 'Ambient Works'. Flip it over for 'Easter Sunday', where streamlined polymetric machine funk and solar flare arpeggios do a merry dance, before 'Feeling Reprise' finishes things off with spiralling half-speed beats and yet more melodic grandeur rising out of the mix. Abrahamsson has a long, impressive pedigree with more alter egos than you've had hot dinners, but this is up there with his most original and confident efforts. It's a Flow-brainer.
Review: On March 31, 1964, The Beatles recorded seven songs for the BBC's Saturday Club. Three of them were covers of American rock 'n' roll and country songs. The final segment aired on the BBC's General Overseas Service and earlier that day, the band filmed a live performance at the Scala Theatre in Kings Cross for their upcoming film, A Hard Day's Night. This EP includes 'The Hippy Hippy Shake', recorded for Saturday Club and originally broadcast on February 15, as well as the catchy 'Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby' and 'Long Tall Sally'. The band's tight musicianship can be heard throughout this record, which serves as a great example of The Beatles' dynamic early sound during their rise to global fame.
Review: Rinse France branches out with a brand new label of its own and who better to inaugurate it than Paris-based Beatrice M. The producer makes a knowing nod to dubstep's golden era on this debut with the first version of 'Magic.' It is built on steppy rhythms with seriously wobbling basslines that are all-consuming. Glitchy effects and shimmering synths finish it in style and leave you dreaming of dubstep dances gone by. The B-side is a Techno Mix that reimagines the original with a driving four-on-the-floor rhythm and plenty of richly atmospheric pads.
Review: Norm Talley's Upstairs Asylum label approaches its 20th outing with more of that low-key, high-quality house tackle it has long been associated with. Black Eyes is behind the beats and opens up with the nice and lazy, low slung grooves of 'Gerry The Fish Whisperer' then 'Valley Of Sharks' gets more raw and percussive with its energy. 'Soul Fish' lands on heavy, knackered sounding kicks with soft shakers along for the ride and 'The People Want Hydro' closes down with heady pads swirls and wispy motifs that occupy mind and body as one.
Review: If you like your jazz mystical and spaced out then you're on the right page with this one. The Blackhole label returns with a sixth self-titled offering that is buy on sight. 'More Love Songs' has whimsical leads disappearing off into the cosmic ether over mic jazz-funk drums with some breezy vocals finishing it in style. 'Searching The Circle' then take off on another carefree and breezy groove with far-sighted melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies that melt you to your core. Beautiful stuff.
Review: A relentless techno workout from a veteran American producer with deep ties to both commercial music and underground dance culture. Across five tracks, the artist distills decades of dance music history into high-powered club weapons designed to shake any sound system. 'New York Is Dead' kicks things off with a raw, crunchy groove, its distorted percussion and searing synth stabs embodying the city's chaotic energy. 'Black Hole At The Disco' takes a futuristic disco turn, weaving shimmering melodies through a heavy, hypnotic bassline. 'Last Song Before Sunrise' taps into electroclash nostalgia, its rapid-fire beats and sharp synths evoking neon-lit hedonism. On the Side-B, 'Break Your Back' delivers a punishing mix of acid-laced bass and brutal drum programming, an industrial-tinged club destroyer. Closing track 'Mind Control' leans into retro techno aesthetics, its hypnotic synthwork nodding to 90s warehouse rave euphoria. Heavy, propulsive and fiercely dancefloor-driven, this is a techno monster ready to turn heads at every listen.
Review: Second time around for Italian producer Black Loops' deep house tribute to his beloved Rome, which has become an in-demand and hard to find record since it first dropped on Freerange back in 2018. It's certainly one of the prolific producer's strongest releases, flexing a dusty, groovy at times pleasingly hypnotic take on late-night deep house. Check first title track '7 Hills', where jazzy Rhodes motifs, drifting chords and echoing jazz guitar notes ride a thickset groove, before admiring Mad Rey's chunkier, loopy and more locked-in peak-time interpretation. Over on side B, 'King Paul' is an even deeper and dreamier excursion in warm, bass-heavy dancefloor deepness, while 'Linda 38' offers an enticing blend of futurist electronics, jazzy keys, toasty chords and deep, analogue-rich bass.
Review: Prolific Italian producer Black Loops continues his explorations of deep, groove-led house with the Experience EP. The release serves as a teaser for his forthcoming debut album, both of which arrive courtesy of the always on-point Freerange, and its label boss Jimpster kicks things off here with a rolling, Italo-tinged dub of Electrical, blending modular synth lines with dubbed-out vocals. Black Loops then flips the same track into a funk-fuelled workout, layering guitar licks and a weighty Moog bassline. On the reverse, Experience channels early 90s house with a sultry, Vogue-era feel, while Black Loops' Dancefloor Dub strips it back to a punchy, minimal groove built for late-night floors. Rounding things out is Inmasoul, a jazzy, deep house gem not found on the album.
Review: Blackwater Holylight sacrifice their latest EP 'If You Only Knew' to the Suicide Squeeze gods, providing an intermezzo of cosmos and sludge. A chthonic dark psych explosion if we've ever heard one, we hear metal, shoegaze, and psychedelia culminate to an iconoclastic crunch point, as strange auraic statues of Cthulhu shatter before our eyes, evoking the god beast in actuality, not just representation. Lead track 'Wandering Lost' hears the band tear up constellate skies, as producer Sonni DiPerri shapes the track's many shifting structural tides, evoking the many emotional turmoils and stretching-thins of life; Sunny Faris (vocals, guitar, bass) further emphasises its point, that is, to embrace the inequitable unknown.
Review: .5 Borough Breaks are back with another essential slice of 90s hip-hop nostalgia. Their latest 7" revives a 1995 Hot 97 favourite-a gritty, golden-era banger that once ruled the NYC airwaves. Handily pressed for both DJs and collectors, Blahzay Blahzay's 'Danger' captures the raw energy of East Coast rap at its peak. As always with this label, the flip side features the original sample source: a soulful gem 'Rockin Chair' from recently departed legend Gwen McCrae whose legacy shaped generations of soul fans and hip-hop heads. As such, this 7" combines deep digging with authentic hip-hop flair and pays tribute to both the beatmakers and the soul pioneers who inspired them. Essential wax.
Review: The Blassics is a creative crew from Scandinavia featuring the likes of Hanna Lotti, Joona Venalainen, Juha Sarkkola, Ville-Pekka Jarvinen and several more musicians. They have turned out several brilliant instrumental albums over the last decade and show their chops again ion this new 7" via Funk Night. 'Addis Hop (part 1)' collides funk, jazz, spy theme soundtracks and hip-hop into a storytelling sound with a driving bassline and shimmering chords and keys. It comes in two parts, and both are effortlessly evocative and mesmerising.
Review: There are tens of members of The Blassics crew from Scandinavia, including Joona Venalainen, Juha Sarkkola, Ville-Pekka Jarvinen and several more, and they are expert genre-fusionists who draw on funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and more to cook up their brilliant instrumental sounds. They have been doing it for more than a decade and have plenty of great albums to their name. Here they return to Funk Night with another red-hot 45 rpm. 'Fishing Break (45 mix)' is powered by raw drum breaks with brassy horns and cowbells for company, then 'Nokova' slows things down and allows a more sultry trumpet to take the lead. 'Lunki Mood' slows it down even further for late-night and loved-up jazz-funk introspection.
West London label Slip 'N' Slide continues to refresh the classics, as Seth Troxler and Franck Roger deliver remixes of the 1997 Blaze favourite 'Lovelee Dae'. An artist who needs little introduction, Seth Troxler's name is synonymous with American house and techno of the last two decades, with his formative years in Detroit shaping his sound before moving to the techno capital of the world Berlin. His ventures as a label boss, and club owner of Night Tales, further cemented the talent as an underground hero, and he now joins the likes of Carl Craig, Roman Flugel, and Isolee in giving 'Lovelee Dae' an expertly crafted remix, building from minimal grooves to a grand and immersive wash of sound. Also stepping up on remix duties comes Parisian producer, crate digger and label boss of Real Tone Records, Franck Roger, adding his signature beat focussed approach to the iconic track.
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