Review: Dan Piu is a master of minimal sounds whether leaning more towards house or techno. For this latest one on Birds out of Chile, he opens up with some nice balmy pads and hip-swinging claps under tiny 80s keyboards. It's whimsical and dreamy then 'Late Night Beef' picks up things a little with some more driven drums but plenty of celestial synths and 'Ganas De Verte (feat Natalia)' is another balmy and spaced-out minimal house sound for hi-fidelity systems. 'Kammgarn' shuts down with the most direct sound of the lot and some nice dub undercurrents.
Review: Midge Thompson branches out with his own new label, Dance Protocol, named after his latest alias. He has made some killer jams before as TMS but now steps things up with a quartet of sounds that delicate baleen minimal, dub, tech and garage. 'Under The Bridge' is a blend of warbling synth lines and airy pads that keeps you afloat in a world of gooey sound. 'Inbound' has a little more kick to it and slows things down so the drum sounds and synths really shine, then 'Up North Down South' gets more raw and punchy with some swirling synths softening the razor sharp drums. 'Full Fat' is another mysterious and intriguing late night tech sound full of class.
Review: Italian Dandolo makes a bold solo debut, taking us on an adventurous sonic journey from the Adriatic coast to the distant shores of Thailand. The track pulses with the vibrant energy of Italo Disco, blending infectious melodies with rich, tropical rhythms. There's a sense of escapism here, capturing the allure of a sun-soaked escape, while the production stays firmly rooted in the glistening sounds of the 1980s. On the flip side, Cosmo Dance delivers a remix that is pure dancefloor gold. The dub version leans into Eastern-inspired motifs, nodding to the golden age of Italo Disco with its deep basslines and shimmering synths. It's a track designed to move bodies and keep the energy high, elevating the original's already infectious vibe. This release is a fantastic chapter in Dandolo's evolution and showcases Mirella Records' dedication to preserving the essence of classic Italo while bringing fresh energy to the scene.
Review: Dandy was the alias of choice of Italian singer Alessandre Persone, who collaborated with a string of producers to craft Hi-NRG and 'Eurobeat'-powered synth-pop hits between 1987-91. 'For Your Heart' dates from 1989. Rooted in the kind of sing-along, Hi-NRG pop pioneered by Bobby Orlando but developed commercially by Stock, Aitiken and Waterman, the song is a genuine earworm and comes complete with weighty, arpeggio-driven bass, echoing drum fills and classic Italo-disco style stabs. The killer version is the EP leading, extended 'Mix version', though plenty will also reach for the jaunty and heavy instrumental take. The short bonus 'MYOM version' is a DJ tool that cycles through various riffs and echoing vocal snippets.
Review: Dangerous Goods bring fresh energy to I Travel to You with 'Wish,' reshaping a 2001 r&b track through the lens of street soul. The A-side thrives on a punchy bassline, crisp 808 drums, and a newly recorded vocal, giving it a sleek, modern flair. For the Deepest Dub mix, the track slows down, cut to tape and drenched in the bass-heavy influence of late 80s and early 90s breaks. It's a dual homage, blending nostalgic grooves with bold, contemporary production.
Review: .German low end collective Bass Come Save Me unleash a new 45 with a strong Portland portrait as Boomarm's Gulls makes their debut on the label with a warm beat that will keep the chills at bay this winter. Add Jamaica's Wayne Daniel on the vocals and another Portland native Madgesdiq on the conscious bars and there's a vibe that sits somewhere between Roots Manuva, YT and Wyclef. Yeah it's that toasty. Stay blessy.
Catch Me When I'm Falling (feat La Donna Wells) (4:04)
In My Mind (3:05)
Review: Derwin Daniels, an accomplished soprano saxophonist and composer, crafted this smooth r&b 45 back in 1989. Featuring the powerhouse vocals of the late La Donna Wells, who delivers a performance on par with Mary J Blige, this gem pre-dates "What's The 411" by three years. The track oozes slick, deep r&b vibes that are soulful enough to fit seamlessly into modern soul and disco sets. On the flip side, Daniels treats listeners to some jazzy brilliance, showcasing his versatility as a musician. An essential find.
Review: Marking Indica Dubs' 100th release in serious style, 'When Jah Come' by Danman takes the form of a powerful tribute to the late Jah Shaka, whose influence shaped generations of dub and roots sounds and musicians. This long-anticipated dubplate was famously championed by Shaka himself and comes laden with deep, earth-shattering basslines, spiritual vocals that touch your inner psyche and militant rhythms with unmistakable reverence. It is a celebration and a memorial that honours Shaka's legacy while showcasing Danman's ever-commanding voice and Indica Dubs' unrivalled production strength.
Review: Four unreleased tracks from 1997 come back to the surface, recasting the luminant talents of Danny C and Mike Pears in a more contemporary light. Alleged to have been preserved on DAT for the last 27 years, there is still a consistent, clean quality to these four bits. Opener 'Blueprint' and its successor 'Dubwise' establish a utilitarian futuristic sound, betraying something of the now less popular sound that bridged jungle to techstep. The vibe on the former track lays down a mechanistic yet jazzy feel, with its semitonic Rhodes chords contrasting well to the track's outlying machinic qualities. 'Looking To The Future' and 'Groove Creator' similarly portray two death-driven, repetitious images of an automatic future.
Review: Originally featured on the soundtrack to The Hangover II (of all movies), 'Black Hell' from Misfits mastermind and all round evil Elvis curmudgeon Glenn Danzig finally comes to vinyl for its first time ever in both 12" format and in the form of this limited orange splattered 7" (just in time for spooky season). Featuring 'Thirteen' on the flipside (originally appearing on Danzig 6:66 Satans Child whilst made abundantly more popular by Johnny Cash's cover version), this is a perfect little slice of sultry, macabre wax to get the Halloween ghouls doing their best hoedown.
Review: Dark Vektor's 'Universos Infinitos' was first released a couple of years ago via HC, and the label have now resolved to reissue the record, by popular demand, on vinyl. Privileging a full-throttle, cosmic electro sound - one that makes full use of the digital medium's spectral potential, yet still echoes something of the imperfect medium that is space-time - 'Universos Infinitos' invites us to consider the vast expanse of the cosmos through a chrome-tinted radio telescope. From the off, of the title track, we hear analogous readings of vocoded pulsars and sidereal stabs, both of which are received loudly and clearly by our technilicious giant satellite dish. 'Darkness Around Me' is more an intermittent sound-source, perhaps signalling the cosmic presence of a partially botched nova - or even a Dyson sphere - through its equally ecstatic square waves and washout vocals from singer Marinetta. The Lost Boys deliver a rogue and vampiric schranz version on the B, shortly followed by an even archer footwork remix from our newest favourite outer-space visitor, Kaxtelian.
Review: The world of dark disco tech is vast and so covers plenty of niches and nuances with artists all over the world adding their voice to the conversation. Spanish label Waste Editions offers up four more to the mix here with another well-assembled VA. Dark Vektor's 'Amb La Mirada Ens Menjarem' begins with some synth sounds that evoke a horror scene over snappy drums and sleazy guitar riffs. Synth Alien's 'Replica Cosmica' gets a little more loose but still comes with evocative vocal samples and a characterful world of synth sounds, some that fart, some that gurgle, some that amuse. Imiafan's 'Stupaj (Keen K RMX)' is another prying, loopy sound brought to life with myriad effects, textures and vocal snippets and Wardum shuts down with 'Wrambling' which has grinding bass and scuttling effects topped with occult vocals.
Review: Spanish tastemakers Microm Records celebrates a decade of innovation in electro sound by bringing unreleased tracks from the past to vinyl alongside a selection of fresh current works. This project aims to honour the label's achievements while bridging the gap between its past and present and does so in style while also resurrecting hidden gems and encapsulating the evolution of its sound. From the dark, corrugated funk of Dark Vektor's 'Des Control' via MEKA's enthralling, vocal-laced workout 'If Electro' via Negocius Man's 'The Launcher', this is a superb electro collection.
Review: Previously flexing on Wheel & Deal and Artikal, London new-gen 140 talent Darkai now lands on another one of the most respected labels in the dubstep multiverse - Deep Medi. Like all the best 12"s it's a game of two halves as he serves up the rough and the smooth. 'Break Room' is a grizzly, distorted, contemporary hot mess as crushed up drums decay in spirals all around. Meanwhile on the B 'Ogun' goes for much more of a timeless dungeon bound groaner. Booming echoes and snake-like bass, slithering upside your chops. Mood, tension and dynamics all in full effect. High grade.
Review: Darwin Chamber and DJ Spun unite for a bold four-tracker here that draws on all their decades of experience to push the boundaries of trance and techno. This self-titled release is nostalgic without sacrificing innovation and opens with 'Find The Missing Letter,' a dub-tinged techno builder with hypnotic synths. 'Digits' follows with relentless beats and dark, robotic energy. The sultry 'Do It All Night' anchors the EP with a seductive groove, while 'Ants' closes with mid-tempo warmth and acidic undertones. Combining Darwin Chamber's engineering expertise and DJ Spun's club culture mastery, this one is perfectly pitched for dancefloor mayhem.
Review: Two underground artists with many years in the scene behind them in Darwin Chamber and DJ Spun come together for the second in their Episode series on Rong Music. Once again they dig into the sounds of their formative years while also looking to the future as they blend dub, trance and techno into lithe new forms. 'The Revolution' is a mid-tempo and atmospheric roller with hypnotic vocals, while 'The Playa' is a deft bit of electronic minimalism with a deep space feel and ticking 808 sounds. Things get more loose with the warped synths and dusty tech beats of 'Dysfunction' while 'Acid Tounge' closes with trippy designs, a skeletal rhythm and a sense of late-night melodic and afterparty mischief.
Review: Mr Bongo restock a brilliant 7" in their signature Brazil 45s series. The nineteenth to grace it, this blue-starred slice of small wax shone a light on Wilson das Neves' brilliant cover of Average White Band's 'Pick Up The Pieces' on the A, as well as a Mr Bongo fave on the B, Som Tres' potent samba-funk overflow 'Tanga'. The former flexes the historic muscles of a mythic Brazilian percussionist and vibesman, lending fidgety soft feels to AWB's already lull-lifting concoction; then 'Tanga' contrasts to this sense of measuredness with pure animal verve, as Tres' calls out to his bandmates commandingly amid whirlwinds of piano and drums.
Review: Pampa is a label that operates in its own unique niche, left of centre and rich in defence to house, pop, minimal and hip-hop. Dave DK is a similarly inventive and singular producer so they are a match made in heaven. This new EP opens with the humid house sounds of 'Herzen Auf' which is run through with diffuse chords and dreamy vocal sounds full of soul. 'Ross 308' then gets more percussive and tribal with a jumbled groove that is marbled with psyched-out vocals. The best of the lot is deep house closer 'Don't Eat The Homies' with its wispy pads and elegant, feelgood chords.
Review: Uppers & Downers tap the raw, yet-to-be fully processed talents of Yerevan's Dave N.A., for a stunningly angelic nu-breaks come jungle come acid outing. Having co-founded his local Armenian ABC Community DJ collective, Dave N.A. attests his non-applicability to the normal, formal rules of dance music, declaring himself diplomatically immune to boring tempi, drab beats or morose melodies. Instead, the likes of 'Radiance', 'XL', and 'AIR' subject us to some of the most riveting soundscapes and shellages imaginable, drawing on a frenetic confluence of rave and hard bass traditional sonics.
Review: This newly formed and already brilliant label is back with more previously unreleased instrumentals that bring a different twist and dancefloor edge to classic sounds from the rock and indie world. First up we get a subtle edit of 'Sound and Vision' which has a nice fat and funky bassline bouncing beneath the splashy drums as nice acoustic guitar melodies ring out next to glistening retro-future pads. It's a cosmic trip that oozes soul then things slow down on the flip with 'Young Americans'. This one is a nice go-slow instrumental with funky and expressive horn work taking the lead over the fat-bottomed drums and bass.
Review: Marie Davidson's latest single 'Y.A.A.M.' is a poignant critique of power dynamics in the music industry - favouring authenticity and passion in a world that thrives on branding and transactional relationships - out of which the Canadian artist finds fuel to fan the driving flames of existential industrial electro-techno. The track opens with a juddering, in-between-4x4-and-2-step electro beat, which lasts for over a minute before Davidson takes up the mic: "do you follow me?". What ensues is an imperfect list of music industry quibbles, which flow over the monstrously huge backing - "entrepreneurs, influencers, producers, managers / nothing for you and me" - in stark but gallows-comedic contrast to the plea to relocate our arses to the dancefloor. In Davidson's own words, the track was inspired by a haughty, lecturing email from a music industry insider: "I took the opportunity to write down how I felt about the words," she recalls, "and the overall tone of arrogance of what I had just been sent quickly, I found myself having a bit too much fun."
Review: Canadian DJ and producer Marie Davidson returns with her latest single 'Contrarian', a collaboration with Pierre Guerineau and Soulwax, released via the DEEWEE label. Featuring a fierce blend of raw electronics, 'Contrarian' stands out as one of Davidson's strongest club tracks to date. Earlier this year, Davidson made her debut on the iconic DEEWEE imprint with her track 'Y.A.A.M. (Your Asses Are Mine)', reuniting with Soulwax, who had previously remixed her acclaimed anthem 'Work It'. This release continues to showcase her forward-thinking approach to electronic music production.
Review: Reviewing Roy Davis Jr.'s impressive and deep catalogue, picking and choosing a few to represent him on a 'Classics Remastered' EP must be an impossible choice. With over 35 years of brilliant, genre defining music, we can't imagine how difficult this task must have been. Who hasn't heard 'RU Ready' on the dancefloor before?! Also included is the long version of 'Save Your Life' which has been a late-night jam choice for countless DJs. We're really excited to see the 1996-edit of 'Heart Attack' made the final track list also - this tech house masterpiece has killed dancefloors the world over. Hopefully there'll be more classics of Roy Davis Jr coming after this one - for now, pick these remastered gems up now.
Review: In 1977 in Portland, writer Ron Stassens assembled members of Pleasure and Transport around Slickaphonic frontman Milton Davis and the result was an album's worth of amazingly soulful disco-funk, re-released in July 2023 under the Albina Music Trust label... However, here for the first time ever, on Soul7/Jazzman records' picture sleeved 7" 45, Milton Davis returns home in this most apt of formats, on only 500 numbered copies with the stand out 'Headed For The Disco'. A gorgeously sweet solid gold soul track that ventures into jazz funk at the beautifully timed electric guitar and organ breaks where the 'get down' is inevitable but satisfyingly returns to the repetitive refrains of the melody. Joyously extending what disco truly means, be that a hustle or a step back, here the breadth of this uplifting genre is celebrated, concluding in a lush decrescendo 'aaaahhhh...'. Add this to the more mid-tempo classically soulful smoochy B-side 'All I Want To Do' and you won't want to hang around, as Soul 7/Jazzman singles whilst applauding rarer grooves notoriously become collectables in themselves.
Review: Ronnie Davis' 'No Man Is Free' is a powerful roots reggae anthem that has everything a good tune needs to in order to make an impact on the head, heart and heel, namely soulful melodies with conscious lyrics. Released in the 1970s, the track addresses themes of oppression, inequality and the quest for freedom and reflects the socio-political struggles of the time. Davis' deep, resonant vocals ride atop a rich rhythmic backing which is typical of the era's classic reggae sound. Known for his work with The Itals and as a solo artist, Davis delivers a message of unity and resistance here that reminds us that true freedom is a shared human right, not just an individual pursuit.
Review: American house don Roy Davis Jnr is inseparable from his cult classic 'Gabriel' with Peven Everett but also has many other delightful deep house cuts in his discography. His Black Excellence EP is one of them. It came digitally in 2022 on the P'oe Records label and now gets pressed up to wax for the imprint's first foray into this medium. It features the single 'Hidden Hebrew' which is a percussive deep house sound with soothing piano chords and plenty of drum fills and splashy cymbals. There are two different remixes of it as well as his own RDJ version of 'Summer La Costa' which is a more humid and horn-laced jam with a soulful topline. Last of all is a Mourad Remix packed with wet hand claps and chopped-up loops and violin.
Review: It would be fair to say that Roy Davis Jr and Peven Everett's "Gabriel" (originally written "Gabrielle" on early pressings) has become a timeless dance music classic - a track that both soulful house and UK garage DJs reach for in times of trouble. Should it not be in your collection already (and it should be), Large Music has decided to re-master and re-press the original 1996 12". It does, of course, contain the now ubiquitous "Live Garage" version - the groovy two-step, trumpet-laden mix that became popular with early UK garage DJs - plus a trio of lesser-known remixes. The Tambourine Dub, in particular, is something of a tough, warehouse-friendly deep house treat.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.