Review: The Mysticisms label welcomes Coral D aka Duncan Stump for a debut outing here that marks the first new music to be part of the ongoing and most excellent Dubplate series. This artist has a long history of crafting "deep dub electronic swing" in his roles in Mock & Toof, FX Mchm and his 6000 Degrees project. This one finds him bringing some dub reggae influences as 'Dissolves' is built on a chugging rhythm with smeared chords. 'DR 55' is then a masterfully laidback digi-dub groove that warps space and time and so leaves you utterly hypnotised.
Review: Record Store Day 2020 has seemingly gone on forever this year, but that is no bad thing. The latest treasure it is seeing up is this reissue of Corporation Of One's 'So Where Are You' from all the way back in 1989. 'The Real Life' is a seamless fusion of electro, house and something else entirely with its iconic Queen sample smudged and smeared over a tripped out club beat and mad melodic phrases. The title track is a perfect deep, lo-fi and early deep house classic with spine tinging vocals then a Hashish dub gets all new age and nimble on its feet. These are old school sounds but they are still brilliant.
Review: Get ready to groove hard to the re-release of the '88 rave house anthem 'The Real Life,' featuring a perfectly crafted Oppy Mix sampling Queen, Simple Minds, Prince, and Scarface. Previously, used copies fetched up to L50, with scarcity on the market. This official remastered edition is a much-anticipated treat for fans that won't bust the bank. Paired with it is the collectable house-garage crossover gem 'So Where Are You,' showcasing Kevin Williams' raw vocal talent over a robust house beat. This release includes both the Hashish Dub and Vocal Mix, so offers a diverse slab of wax for the real heads.
Review: Notorious internet motormouth Thomas Cox dropped the first EP on his own new QED label back in 2020, but only now is the vinyl arriving with us. It was worth the wait, however, because as much as it would be fun to find the sort of faults in his music that he does in everyone else's, these are three raw as you like tracks that go direct to the soul. Detroit influences of course loom large throughout, with each cut layering up dirt and grime, dusty drums and rusty synths to hypnotic effect. The standout might be the unresolved loops and cosmic-gaze of 'Starry Ave,' but any of these will make an impact on the right dance floor.
Review: Steve Crawford was born in Detroit but is based in Phoenix, though his Motor City DNA still shines through as he lands on Norm Talley's Upstairs Asylum. 'Arctic Vibration' is a joyous deep house sound with drums that rock back and forth on their heels, big camp claps and effortlessly cool chords that are warm and breezy. It's perfect for early doors warm-ups or sunrise moments of magic. The one and only soulful house great Osunlade then offers up a Yoruba Soul mix that is sympathetic to the original but with some extra melodies layered in and wordless vocals for a more club-ready feel.
Reggie Dokes & Steve Crawford - "Fear Of Failure" (4:46)
Martin Prather - "Until" (6:32)
Steve Crawford - "Let You Go" (feat Tony B) (6:13)
Steve Crawford - "Love Is Here" (feat Anthony Poteat) (7:01)
Martin Prather - "Passed Up" (6:45)
Reggie Dokes - "Not Ready" (4:54)
Review: Motor City label Upstairs Asylum celebrates its roots in 313 with this new Dance Detroit EP featuring a wealth of American house innovators. First up, Reggie Dokes and Steve Crawford join forces on 'Fear Of Failure', a house track steeped in Detroit soul. Marvin Prather's 'Until' follows on with his stylish and soul-drenched grooves. Steve Crawford then goes it alone and turns up the drums on his potent 'Let You Go' (feat Tony B) and then get deeply emotional on 'Love Is Here' this time with help from featured artist Anthony Poteat. Prather and then label regular and Atlanta man Reggie Dokes closes down with his 'Not Ready.'
Review: It's always a good day when the Blahh label rises up from the streets to drop a new bit of true school garage. This is a various artists release which brings together core label members Beforethebeatsbreak, Ronaldo and Crazy Bank, who have all served up their own solo EPs before now. It's the latter who kicks off with the tightly coiled bump n grind of 'So Good' before Ronaldo gets your feet moving on 'Get My 319', another dry, clipped garage shuffler with pent up energy to spare. There are good time piano-led vibes to Beforethebeatsbreak's B1 then 'Why You Wanna' from Crazy Bank is defined by its pitched up vocal sound.
Review: Adam Collins has proven his mettle with his work for Omni A.M. and Euphoria Records but now he branches out once more with the new label Aquarius Rising. It kicks off with a four-track various artists EP of next-gen talents Cromie, Dylan Payne, Sasha Zlykh, and Collins himself. 'The Knuckle' opens up with a bouncy and dense house sound that's got a sweet garage shuffle to it. Volume Channel's 'Tony Jacal' is a stripped-back and minimal sound with dubby drums, Sasha Zlykh's contribution gets more raw and abstract with whirring machine sounds and Collins shuts down with 'Andrea 3' complete with warped vocal stabs and high-speed drum funk.
Review: Nutria Sounds is a new sub-label of Kai Alce's rightly revered deep house stable, NDATL Muzik, and it's back with 002 here with an EP by rising Toronto producer Marcelo Cruz, who delivers spiritually rich, dancefloor-ready grooves. 'Mi Espiritu (feat Jaidene Veda)' opens with haunting vocals layered over emotive percussion and bubbly drums, then 'Ceremonia' follows with Carlito Brigante's expressive piano dancing atop hypnotic rhythms that bring to mind sacred rituals. Closing track 'Deeper Dreams' dives into raw, underground territory with cuddly bass and stripped-back drums. It's a tasteful one from Nutria Sounds, which seems set to become a crucial new outlet for organic, soulful dance gems.
Review: Bradley Zero's ever hard to pin down but always excellent Rhythm Section International comes through with some deep house excellence here. Far from standard sounds, though, these tunes are infused with all manner of mystic referees. 'Individuality Riddim' is tinny and percussive, empty yet compelling. 'Subtropique' pairs aquatic sound design with shimmering rhythms that seem to owe a debt to djembe rhythms while 'What Now' is astral house with cosmic vibes to spare. There are also two darker, more percussive tunes to close out this fantastically expressive and adventurous EP.
Review: Ecuadorian maestro Nicolas Cruz is back on Rhythm Seciton to follow up his last EP Subtropique which proved a big hit. "I'm always trying to re-interpret this Afro-Caribbean feeling, and trying to figure out how I could humanize this through the machines," he says of his approach and it certain is the case here. He mixes up some worlds rhythms with twitchy techno drums and electronic synths to make for something totally new on all of the tracks. The heavy, skipping kicks of 'Residual Heat' is a real favourite while 'Self Oscillation' is a catering percussive jam to pack the floor. Another great outing.
Review: CRYME launches his new label SEVEN with a head-turning and ear-pleasing debut single 'Hold On', accompanied by four standout remixes. SEVEN is a queer and FLINTA*-leaning imprint dedicated to uplifting, genre-blending house and techno and it kicks off with CRYME's hypnotic original which is driven by pulsing bass and echoing vocals. Berlin house Queen Cinthie brings a soulful house spin with airy strings and bouncy grooves, while Obscure Shape delivers a darker, techno-driven rework. Lydia Eisenblatter adds a rave-tinged breakbeat flair, and VOLPE closes with a dreamy dub-techno version. 'Hold On' perfectly embodies SEVEN's mission to showcase unexpected sounds, fierce energy and dancefloor joy.
Review: The SEVEN7 late makes its bow here with the sort of house jam that is going to win it plenty of fans from the off. The original comes from Cryme but is offered up here as a series of remixes. The first lady of the Berlin house scene Cinthie opens up with her signature sense of cool grooves and soulful pads, then the Obscure Shape remix ups the ante with more slamming drums and techno forcefulness. There is a distinctive old school feel to Lydia Eisenblatter's remix as she brings raw breakbeats and super sized hi-hats. Volpe brings some dubby low ends to close.
James Curd & Jonasclean - "Mullen It Over" (Fred P Reinterpretation) (8:43)
James Curd & Jonasclean - "Mullen It Over" (Marcel Vogal remix) (7:08)
James Curd - "Mullen It Over" (3:38)
James Curd - "Tried For Love" (feat Robert Owens) (3:39)
Review: The Pronto (house) label races onward and upwards with a sixth release that is here to get the floor bumping. It's a collaborative affair from James Curd & Jonasclean who race out of the blocks with the fat and heavy stomper 'Mullen It Over' which has snaking leads and rushy-feels. Would it surprise you to learn that the Fred P Reinterpretation is deep, heady and spiritual? Marcel Vogal remixes too, though with a more upbeat feel and lush summery chords. Curd also provides a solo prison of the same track that piles up the chords and a 'Tried For Love' (feat Robert Owens) is classic vocal Chicago house.
Review: Toy Tonic always deliver interesting, functional, emotional house music and here comes another such serving from the so-far so-excellent Cody Currie. The opener is as deep and jazzy as they come, with rich chords and twinkling pads all floating way above a nice warm bassline. 'LS Anthem' plays with broken beats and warped chords that are woozy and rich as a spoken word sample brings a sense of cool. 'When The Time Is Right' then keeps up the magical Rhodes work and a soulful, shuffling groove before 'M9' picks up the pace a little without loosing any of the heart and version of 'Moves' closes in steamy fashion.
Review: Frankfurt's Chiwax welcomes Italian veteran Stefano Curti aka basiC realitieS to the label. A great artist who has been delivering timeless music since the early '90s under other aliases such as Bio Muse, Running Man and Moody Boyz Vibraphone Productions. Four cuts are featured on the Integrated Love Signals EP: the sublime and Balearic tinged deep house of 'Clouds 2020' and the hypnotising journey of 'Reflections' on the first side. The B-side cuts channel classic Chicago; the emotive 'Bubbly Devil' being very much reminiscent of Larry Heard while the rough and ready jack of 'Multiverse Journey' calls to mind Trax Records.
Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca - "Days Of A Better Paradise" (5:57)
Saucy Lady - "Passport To My Love" (5:52)
Misiu - "Love Me Do" (5:59)
Clive From Accounts - "It's Not That I Don't Care" (5:16)
Review: JKriv & Co. at Razor N Tape serve up possibly their biggest release yet, if this one is anything to go by. The first edition in the label's brand spanking new Family Affair series features the pairing of legends Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca on 'Days Of A Better Paradise' kicking off the A side, before Saucy Lady's late night boogie-down biz on 'Passport To My Love'. Flip over and you're treated to a seriously lo-slung cosmic disco dub on Misiu's 'Love Me Do' and finally Clive From Accounts tells it straight up on the acid jazz joint 'It's Not That I Don't Care'.
Para Siempre (feat Florencia - Italo Balearic vocal mix) (7:32)
Para Siempre (feat Florencia - Elements Of Trance) (5:42)
Para Siempre (Italo Balearic instrumental mix) (7:31)
Review: Fett Burger and Cato Canari, a Norwegian DJ and producer based in Tokyo, have teamed up to brilliantly Balearic effect here on this new outing on the cult Sex Tags UFO label. They offer up three different versions of 'Para Siempre' that are all suited to sunset sessions on the beach. The tune features Florencia and first comes as an Italo Balearic vocal mix which is doused in lush synths and has steady bass rumbles below the rich chords. The Elements Of Trance mix is perfect for when things head indoors to the club with its weighty low-end thud then the most trippy and loved-up version comes at the end.
Review: Reissue label Mint Condition has done it again with another carefully dug-out treat from the house vaults. This one is from the underrated Charles Webster in his DJ Profile guise originally put out back in 1997. 'Prove It' sounds as good today as ever - it is house with ought edges and dusty drums overlaid with an aching vocal sample and muted chord work that fills your heart with soul. Flip it over and you get something bigger and more raw but with just as many feels. 'Realization' has ragged acid lines and skipping drums while pixelated melodic rain rises and falls. It's a classic many will recognise without ever having known what it is.
Review: New Rominimal this week from homegrown imprint Orizont which presents its sophomore release and it's another finely curated various artists affair. On the first side you've got Dragusanu serving up some hypnotic microhouse on 'Asa Dar' followed by Calinie who nails that main room tech house sound on 'Substante'. Over on the flip, Andrei Voica keeps it rolling on the ethereal groove of 'Colors' before the handover to 'Cata' for the morning set with the deepy emotive dub of 'Morning Dew'. Tip!
Review: Samosa Records returns with Afrikano Vol. 3 which is a lovely Afro-themed, genre-blending EP featuring four standout tracks from trusted artists. Kicking things off is Vincent Galgo's 'African Rebel,' a 125bpm fusion of horns, driving rhythms, and Afro-pop bass. Frank Virgilio follows with 'Mistress,' a jazz-infused mid-tempo groover, packed with guitar riffs, organ stabs, and hypnotic bongos. Newcomer Casper Leo delivers 'Tom Tom,' a tribal delight featuring Kora guitar and melodic Marimba. Closing the EP is Lego Edit's 'El Safari,' a sultry Afrobeat banger that grabs hold and doesn't let go.
Review: Welcome to Open Space Club Tools Volume 1, a new series of 12 inch records for DJs from the Open Space label. They pull together some low key, highly skilled DJs to cook up some jacking house beats and rugged rhythms that are proudly analogue and rough around the edges. There's an old school vibe to 'Word Problems' that takes you right back to Chicago in the late 80s. Benedek layers up the kicks, rickety rhythms and rattling cow bells into another muscular groove and elsewhere there is glistening melodic tackle from Liluzu, bristling drum work from Calvin and a weirdo collection of odd-ball sounds and samples nailed to a punchy rhythm by Glue Boy.
Review: After two decades entertaining dancers in Santiago, Chile, the Rock Tha House crew have decided to launch their own label. With local legend Camilo Gil and Mexico City-based Mario Flores at the helm, the imprint aims to showcase Chilean talent - though this compilation style debut EP features cuts from artists based all over the world. Nima Gorji sets the tone with 'Get Me Out Of Here', a hypnotic and mind-altering fusion of minimal house sparsity and deliciously psychedelic electronics, before Quenum delivers a typically Chilean blend of oddball house drums, weird noises and Villalobos style effects. Over on side B, Carlo Gambino's 'The Goddess' is a tech-tinged chunk of deep house haziness, while Mihai Popovicu's 'Nimph' is a classical-sounding chunk of ultra-spacey tech-house deepness.
Review: DJ and producer Gratts returns to his own imprint with the third instalment of the "Balearic but bumpin'" trilogy. Here, the Belgian puts forward a captivating piece of organic, Body & Soul NY inspired deep house, assisted by Cata Mansikka-aho on vocals. As always, an instrumental is provided for maximum nightclub daydreaming. On the flipside, British duo Faze Action up the energy levels with an equally musical disco version that hits in all the right spots. Artwork once again by Mads Cooke.
Review: That man Glenn Underground is back with more of his masterful melodic house workouts as GU aka CVO. 'Jack & The Madman' goes super deep with moody drums wired up with burrowing, melancholic synths and time-keeping hi-hats. 'Nutso Jack' lands with some tribal drum heft and a melange of percussive details and wispy synths while 'Acid Disco (Supadisco)' is a woozy ste night exploration of jazzy keys and solar pads with soft cid lines weaving their way in and out of the beats. It's timeless and fresh once again from this Chicago mainstay.
Review: As Toolroom only puts out a small percentage of their releases on vinyl, those given the wax treatment tend to be anthems in waiting. Martin Ikin's 'You', featuring some seriously loved-up, glassy-eyed lead vocals from Chenai, certainly sounds like a future classic. Shamelessly positive and life-affirming, 'You' is a turn-of-the-90s style piano house workout with added 21st century weight, a few disco-house style filters and a raw, stabbing bassline. The cheery vocal version (side A) comes back by a quite different Dub mix. This opts for a darker, chunkier big room sound - all wobbly riffs, pulsing electronic noises, cut up vocal snippets and mind-mangling motifs - that should delight all those who love Toolroom's trademark sound.
Review: Mole Music branches out for the first time to vinyl here and shows it has a great wealth of talent to call on with a various artists' EP that is presumably the start of a new series. Holy Guacamole Vol 1 kicks off with JHNS keeping it deep and lively with 'Nevermind' while Steve End and Colau hook up for 'Back Spin' and lay down some magnificent drum loops that are silky and infectious. El Funkador's 'Shame' brings some 90s New York vibes with lovely snare sounds and warm bursts of chords. On the flipside, Alben & Laje & Errat, Hot DLVRY and Craftsmanship all cook up more fresh fusions of old and new school house.
Review: Chicago's Tied label rolls out a 17th release as good as all the previous ones, this time with a four-track various artists EP that showcases emerging talents from deep, spacey electronic realms. Just_Me's 'Laser Brane' launches the journey with electro-funk propulsion, while Lumieux's 'In Your Space... It's Me In Space' drifts into cosmic grooves and ambient textures. On the B-side, Constratti's meticulously crafted 'Bind' delivers intricate synth delays and solid rhythms that capture the feeling of interstellar motion. Label head Max Jacobson and 97 Till close with 'Orion,' a break-infused and celestial house cut built for late-night floors.
Review: Many years after the first instalment we are now treated to a second volume of the Culross Close project from K15, a one time Wild Oats graduate, artist, DJ, producer and deep thinker who mixes up house, hip hop and jazz. He assumes his usual alias for the opener 'Pulse' which dances on dusty drums with nagging melodies in the middle and plenty of swing. On the flip he becomes Culross Close for 'Dawn' which his less club ready and more expressive, with heart melting pianos and a real jumble of drums and perc that is brilliantly loose.
Review: A top value for money opportunity here, as Moiss Music deliver the latest in their sweet and sticky Jam series of various artist 12" line ups, bringing you no less than six bubbling, vivacious disco triumphs from six artists. Khemir's 'Disco Bandit' kicks off proceedings, a production that sounds like it was made by a band of around 45 musicians, a proper cavalcade of strings, brass, brazen disco thump and beautifully bold vocals. Wurzelholz's 'Prince' goes for a bit more economy but with a slinky funk bassline like that - not to mention the occasional exclamation from the purple overlord himself - it's equally devastating in dancefloor terms. Among the other highlights, 'Golden' by I Gemin has the feel of a lost Daft Punk flip tune and Cosmocomics' 'Glamorous Garcon', boasting 70s-style synth bubbles that are as cute as they are retro. Tasty as ever.
Mark Knight & Armand Van Helden - "Don't Abuse It" (extended) (5:47)
Cloud One - "Disco Juice" (Fabrikate rework) (4:47)
Full Intention - "Sky;s The Limit" (6:37)
Ewan McVicar - "Plain Outta Luck" (5:59)
Review: KooKoo offers up a sampler of what it is all about here and it spans some big-name house talents and equally big tunes. Mark Knight & Armand Van Helden open up with 'Don't Abuse It' (extended) which is a full-throttle house sound with diva vocals and plenty of raw fills. Cloud One's 'Disco Juice' (Fabrikate rework) brings some 70s disco energy to modern production and Full Intention's 'Sky's The Limit' is a celebratory house cut with loose grooves and freewheeling pads. Last of all is the party-starting disco house pumper 'Plain Outta Luck' from Ewan McVicar.
Boris Dlugosch, Marc Romboy & CAR - "Survivor" (6:19)
Boris Dlugosch, Marc Romboy & CAR - "Survivor" (Johannes Albert remix) (6:02)
Review: Germany's always club-ready label Frank Music is back with another beefy 12" that finds mainstays and newcomers unite in fine fashion. Johannes Albert and Lauer open up with a trio of collaborations that go from full throttle, chord led house on 'Based on Boss' to the deeper grooves of 'Four 44' and far sighted, soul drenched tech of 'Posh-O-Rama'. Boris Dlugosch, Marc Romboy & CAR step up on the B-side with the woozy and hypnotic 'Survivor' which also gets remixed by Johannes Albert into something more raw. Useful grooves for sure.
Review: West Yorkshire's finest house label Hudd Trax - named after Huddersfield, of course - kicks out more essential and timeless jams here with Eddie Leader at the helm. Kids in The Streets feature on this package which includes a single and several different versions. The original form of 'Pressure' is a lovely deep house groove with warming chord vamps and smoky vocals. There's a subtle skip to the drums that really locks you in, then comes an Instrumental Mix that makes more of the starry synth work. The dub has fatter, heavier low ends and a 90s New York vibe, then a Dubstrumental closes out another tidy package.
Review: The artwork for this new 12" from the System 108 label is eccentric enough to make you want to check out the music even if you don't know the artists. It's the sort of cover that suggests the music will be left of centre and quirky and that it is. 'Sao Januario' is a deep and lazy groove with sunny chords and jazzy keys that take you to the global south. 'Sunny Villa On A Distant Planet' is a twisted disco cut with house leaning drums and big cowbells under intergalactic synth lines. 'Rolando Nascer Do Sol' then rides a crisp electro breakout to keep you on your toes and 'OWL WCS' slows down for a cuddly back-to-mine style closer.
Review: Mental health charity label Serenity keeps it sophisticated with its sixth outing and once again donates all proceeds to charity this time Young Minds. It is underground house mainstay and DiY Discs legend Nail who steps up first with a much more breezy and balmy sound than you would expect but it sure is lush. 'Pad On' slips into his more usual and driving house sound but with swirling pads up top for summery refinement. Trixie, Connor Male & Thoma Bulwer then get deep and late night with their punchy 'Impromptune' while Trixie's solo cut 'restless sculptures' is a jacked-up and percussive number that leans into techno.
Review: FaF's Marseille-based label Durite has assembled another Various Artists compilation full of global soundscapes inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms on one side, while the other blends psychedelic Japanese and Chinese samples into trippy, atmospheric cuts. Italian producer Nativo balances deep house and electro with worldly flair, French artist Pagenty keeps ting dubby and slow with snaking leads and hiccuping drums. Fellow Frenchman Blinkduus Dischetto sparkles with raspy synth leads and celestial keys and Crane De Poule then serves up 'Lucky,' the clear EP highlight with its hurried Eastern Melodie and vocal samples over a clipped and tight tech beat.
Review: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.
Review: Four years on from the release of the label's second missive, a rather good joint EP from Camili Gil and Rodrigo Valdivia, Spanish imprint W3ird Ltd is finally ready to drop its' third release. It comes courtesy of collaboration-loving duo ONE+1 and newcomer Cheku Garcia. Unusually, the pair's two original tracks are nestled on side B. 'La 1' is immersive, deep and surprisingly loose-limbed, with the resulting blend of machine drums, squelchy bass, chiming melodies and atmospheric chords sat somewhere between deep house and tech-house, while 'La 2' is deeper, jazzier and lightly dubbed-out - think Smallville releases and you're close. Both tracks are presented in remixed form on side A, with Steve O'Sullivan's hybrid deep house/acid house re-wire of 'La 2' being followed by Maher Daniel's glitchy and fuzzy tech-house take on 'La 1'.
Pete Moss & Colette - "Higher" (Saison remix) (5:32)
DirtyTwo - "Rymden" (5:12)
Review: There is a wealth of No Fuss releases all dropping this year and number 12 is a tasteful house four-tracker from various quality artists. Saison's 'Suffer' is up first as a remix from Fouk, and it is a lovely, jazzy, laidback and heartfelt sound with an infectious skip in the drums. The original is just as infused with dusty soul and warming chords and on the flip Saison remixes Pete Moss & Colette's 'Higher' 'into carefree grooves with more noodling melodies and DirtyTwo then keeps the grooves flowing with 'Rymden,' which exudes summery excellence.
Review: Tropical Disco racks up its 25th release and the quality just keeps on getting better. On this must have four-tracker, you've got label chief Sartorial kicking off the A-side with low slung heater 'Hootin N Tootin' followed by the sweltering Latin drum workout of Musta's 'El Matador'. Over on the flip, feel the late night mood music of Corrado Alunni's 'Funk Decision' (dub mix) and finally the mandatory boogie-down vibes come courtesy of Fun Kool on 'Low Toe'.
Review: Konfus Records continues its impressive early work with a fourth vinyl edition that sees them welcoming Matthias Schildger to the family. Together with Rupert Hartick, he cooks up the powerful Dudes EP which offers a nice blend of tracks that explore different moods and grooves. Schildger appears under two of his well-known aliases - MS and CNTRL - first with the bubbly and deep minimal loops of 'Lose Control' and then with the airy, subtly uplifting and high-speed smoothness of the dubby 'Tranceparents'. For his part, Hartick offers two nice and punchy kicks for when the floor needs a jolt.
Review: There was a time when Atlantic was one of the foremost house labels in the game, and that was back in the 1990s when artists like Kerri Chandler were defining the deep New Jersey sound. If you didn't know, Three Generations is actually one of his aliases - one that only ever spawned one tune, and this is it, featuring Chevell. It's an absolute classic of the time with the garage swing, the emotive vocals and the silky synths over a nice taught bassline as well as the sound of a needle scratching across the track which was to convey the pain Kerri was feeling at the time after the murder of his then-girlfriend. A true bit of house history.
Review: Moodena and Sartorial's Tropical Disco is now into its 24th release and they haven't let up on the quality grooves. On the first side you've got Toscana who takes you poolside on the lo-slung deep disco of 'The Girl With The Red Hair', followed by the dusty and hypnotic late night loops of Toby O'Connor's 'Cave Of Gold' featuring a seriously sexy sax solo. Over on the flip, it's all about Neapolitan favourite Frank Virgilio, who serves up some lovely sunset mood music on 'What We Love'.
Review: Mark Night's label is one of the UK's biggest when it comes to main room house sounds. This sampler shows exactly what it is all about as we head into the madness of the Miami Music Week and then Ibiza soon after. Twolate opens up with 'Baila' which has tribal drums and percusison that stomp with real heaviness under wild vocals. CASSIMM & Gene Farris combine then for the maximal monster that is 'Party People' with all its sweeping synth filters and James Haskell's' 'Check It Out' is a funky groove that ducks and dives under stuff chords. Last of all is Danny Rhys with the hooky andoopy joys of 'Sibali.'
Review: Marco Calderoni seems to have released just one thing and that was his How to Use The World Volume 2 EP back in 1991. Sound Metaphors Records has now remastered it and recompiled it for this all new pressing which sends you deep into his mix of ambient, house and Balearic across six sublime cuts. '7 Heavens' is the glistening opener with nice deep analogue beats, and 'Exploring The Unknown' carries on the same vibe before 'How 2 Use The Sky' is like a perfect post rave comedown. The second half is another scintillating mix of silvery, shiny synth lines and dusty analogue drums that sounds like little else before or since.
Review: Volume 4 of the Make Up series is another doozy and this one brings together accomplished house heads Camille, Chez Damier, and Nico Lahs in a celebration of underground disco classic "through the lens of 60's and 70's underground comix." Similar to these rebellious reads, the tracks on this release carved their niche with purists seeking distinct and thrilling sounds. Across the double album, Camille's contributions include Mystic Pleasure's 'Back Door (Getting Down)' and Cold Fire's 'Badder Than Bad' which both bring soulful melodies and infectious rhythms, Chez Damier adds Fascination's 'Shine My Love' and Bileo's 'You Can Win' with shimmering vocals and funky basslines and together, they make for an exhilarating mix of disco brilliance.
Don Carlos - "Purple Day" (Don Carlos edit) (8:26)
Deep Aural Penetration - "Let Your Body Be Free" (Don Carlos edit - club Xero mix) (4:43)
Be Noir - "It's Gonna Be Alright" (Don Carlos edit - Don Carlos Rimini 4.00 Am mix) (6:38)
Deep Aural Penetration - "All I Want To Do" (Don Carlos edit - Josh Wink HERE mix) (5:28)
Love Nation - "Everything 4 U" (Don Carlos edit - remix) (5:54)
More Heavy Soul - "Magic Tonight" (Don Carlos edit - Irregular dub) (6:45)
Outdance - "Pump The Jumping" (Don Carlos edit - Sexy No dirty mix) (5:51)
FITZ - "The Reigh Forest (Fitzcarraldo)" (Don Carlos edit) (5:58)
Review: Don Carlos will always be best known as the legendary Italian producer behind the enduring Balearic and Italo/dream house classic 'Alone' which was, rather impressively, his first ever release. Here we get to hear some of his favourite tunes on another vital volume of this series from his longtime home label Irma Records. All the tracks on this essential double pack have been re-edited by Don Carlos himself, especially for this occasion with highlights from the likes of Deep Aural Penetration, Love Nation and Outdance.
Review: L.I.E.S man Tom Carruthers is back on his home label with a new double LP, Downtown Rhythms, that predictably pushes boundaries with a sound rooted in late 80s-early 90s New York House. Carruthers reimagines heavy-duty samples throughout here as he crafts tracks that echo the vibes of Todd Terry and Bones SP-1200. This 12-track collection blends funky, deep, and introspective elements and is rather suited for summer whether blasting from your car stereo or filling the club. True to old-school production, it features additional work from Risk Management's Benedek and Lipelis on some of the jams.
Review: Natal Zaks is Central and he is on a mission. He has got two albums dropping in summer 2002 and this is the second from the Danish powerhouse. He has perfected a refined, dynamic depth house sound and seems able to tweak the template endlessly here. Each cut has rooted drums and warm atmospheres with different melodic motifs and wispy synth designs tasing each one into a range for different moods. Things started dub and heads down then pick up with the brighter surfaces of 'Motta'. After ambient moments come 5am afters tunes like the zoned out 'Kkmo.' A fantastic effort, then.
Review: The sublime music of Kaoro Inoue is the subject of this essential new compilation on Mysticisms. Inoue describes himself as an "extreme music lover" and has been for more than 30 years. His Chari Chari alias is all about self-expression and the music here has previously only been available digitally. It fuses ambient, house and techno soundscapes across four sides of vinyl with a deeply spiritual outlook and soul-soothing sound. Organic percussion, traditional instruments and new age moods all colour the deeply enticing grooves.
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