Review: There's lots to get your teeth stuck into on this new and blistering collection of electro from Adepta Editions. And don't let the title fool you - it's not all accessible summer festival fare, in fact none of it is. It is all head down and serious tackle. 7053M4R14's '4 N3W HUM4N' is a driving, dark, visceral sound with raw breakbeats powering through the cosmos. Rec_Overflow offers a moment to catch your breath with some slower, dubby rhythms on 'Pocket Dial' and Pauk explores twitchy future synths capes and post-human transmissions on 'Shiawasena Fukushu'. Promising/Youngster shuts down with a sense of optimism and hope with the airy melodies and slithering electro drum patterns of 'Arbey.'
Nathan Haines - "U See That" (feat Vanessa Freeman & Marcus Begg - Atjazz Love Soul mix) (5:12)
The Realm x Atjazz x Kelli Sae - "On The Road" (vocal mix) (7:58)
Review: Back ion 2021, the relaunched Foliage Records imprint offered up a killer mix from NYC house legends Mood II Swing, the must-check Deep Rooted. Soon, the revitalised label will release a sequel, with long-serving British deep house don Atjazz at the helm. This sampler EP boasts six of the highlights from that set - all remixed and reworked by Atjazz himself. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the tense, slowly building deep-tech shuffle of Halo''s 'Glorty (Atjazz Galaxy Art Remix)'and the sun-splashed 6am bounce of Atjazz's remix of Dominique Fils-Aime's gorgeous 'Sun Rise', to the dreamy dancefloor wooziness of Ralf GUM's 'AWA' (re-imagined by Atjazz as an Osunlade-esque spiritual house workout) and the jazzy, bass-guitar-propelled broken house excellence of 'On The Road (Vocal Mix)', a three-way collab between Atjazz, Kelli Sae and The Realm.
Review: Makin Moves pull another funny on us; their multi-volume exclusives series is called "Unreleased", despite each release in the series, by taut definition, constituting a release. But to call a track "unreleased", when it decidedly now isn't, does, we admit, help mythologise it to the extent that it makes it more desirable; the proviso here being, of course, that the tracks in this series are relegated to vinyl first, with no promises made as to a potential future digitisation. So do New Yorker Conway Kasey and fellow artist Johnny Melek deck out the final-vinyl front side with 'Jazz Fest' and 'Myrrr', the latter especially thrilling us with a formant-shifted Juliet Mendosa on vocals. On the other hand, Reggie Steele and David Harness enter into a nice remix interplay with 'Vulnerable', piggybacking on the original 2024 release's establishing anodynes.
Joseph Cotton & Earl Heptones - "Misty Morning" (4:00)
Room In The Sky All Stars - "Smoking Horn" (feat Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton) (4:21)
Review: The latest from the Joe Gibbs label features a powerful roots rockers reinterpretation of The Sensations' classic rocksteady tune 'Everyday Is Like a Holiday.' The new version from Ruddy Thomas brings a different kind of energy while honouring the soulful essence of the original. It's packed with plenty of mad mixing desk effects and endless echo while warm vocals and deep basslines lock in a steady, hypnotic rhythm. On the B-side, Joe Gibbs & The Professionals deliver 'Holiday Style' which has happy horns and melodies that sparkle in the hot summer sun. Real roots authenticity and dub mastery make this another vital 7".
Review: Cyclic and Random combine their creative forces on what is a deeply atmospheric new EP of club-ready techno for Notta. 'I Am Happy, As Am I' gets underway with celestial synths up top and more rugged rhythms down low while the mid-section is defined by sustained drones.'Speak Dirty' sinks it grainy, smoky dub techno territory and if it rolled for days you wouldn't mind such is its depth. 'DddSP' keeps things airy with more optimistic chords floating over another set of grainy dub drums with tons of reverb. A Tm Shuffle dub shuts down with a more upright groove that hints at something playful is to come.
Review: Caleto Records's eighth outing takes the form of this various artists compilation featuring exclusively Polish producers. The Etat Cru duo of Olszewski and Pawlescu kick off with the wire and sinewy synths and tech house pomp of 'Jasmina' then Jerry M offers two cuts. 'Gutek' is a nice spaced-out tech cruiser with flashy astral pads and 'Gondin' rides on well-designed breakbeats with an old-school bassline. Robsessive's 'Look After You' is a deeper, dubber, grittier cut for late-night vibes and SIM ON's 'Brudas' is all glitchy and dystopian urban landscaping. Poland sure has plenty of talent based on this EP.
Zopelar - "Move This Way" (feat Antonio Dal Bo) (6:28)
Retromigration - "Fret" (6:15)
Cem Mo - "Rushmore" (5:41)
Monty DJ - "Sat15" (5:25)
Review: To keep it in the family is to imply things stay pure and untainted, but the irony with the Keep It In The Family 12" series is that every record sounds raw and unsheltered. So, although 'Feel' and 'Move This Way' cycle through unperturbed and dreamatic sounds, their finish is rough, suggesting a well-wrought processing chain, the music having seen through many a prodigal battle. Retromigration's 'Fret' and Cem Mo's 'Rushmore' continue the mood of vintage deep raspiness, with one-up arpeggios closing out the final track with special glee.
Review: London label Fourier Transform welcome back Rekab (James Baker) and label debuter Mre for 'Ace High'. 'Armadillos' rolls up its chassis for a serious exercise in minimal weight, reconstituting tuned percussions as it trundles along, while Rekab's 'Always Having Fun' posits an ideal life-mode: a steady, direct current of enjoyment, set to hedonically calculated beats. 'Climbing High' rebates the percussions for a subtle lark's ascent in deep acid, while 'Ace' complementarily descends across cross-rhythmic breaks and harmonies.
Review: As you can tell from the title of this ongoing series, System Error likes to serve up only 100% party bombs. The third volume lives up to that once more with Parchi Pubblici kicking off with the acid-laced bumps of 'Perfect Vacuum2Disco' complete with zippy synths and snappy percussion. Lanzieri's 'Twisted Tango' hits just as hard with an electro-techno fusion that rides on psychedelic synth loops with jacked-up drums. Raku's 'Valle Dei Templi' has a more pared-back sound with a menacing and rubbery low end and creeping synths that keep you on edge. Phill Prince's 'Indigo' shuts down with something tripped out and retro with 90s techno vibes colouring the drums.
Review: Milo Raad is back on Rotterdam's finest, Mord Records, with a fine follow-up to his last outing, the 'Blood Pressure' EP. This one opens at pace with 'Bushido' and its rushes of synth and hi hats, which sweep you off your feet in an instant. 'Flash Point' has a more stripped-back sound with a hypnotic meld of drums and kicks that makes for perfect 5am escapism. The deep techno of 'Yawara' is run through with eerie, searching synths that describe a desolate urban scene and 'Detour' is a final assault on both head and heel with its unrelenting drum pressure.
Review: Chicago has had a strong re-edit culture since the days when Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles were defining house music culture in the mid 1980s. Rahaan, who has been one of the more storied members of the global re-edit scene for the last two decades, is undisputedly the Windy City's current scalpel-edit king - as his ongoing series of reworks on Hot Biscuit Recordings emphatically proves. Here he adds two more fine revisions to his bulging discography. A-side 'For Dancing & Singing' sees the veteran DJ/producer apply his Midas touch to a vintage 60s funk jam, making most of the sampler-ready breaks and groove, while flip side 'The Galaxy' - our pick of the pair - is a soaring and spacey 70s disco workout piled high with percussion, jaunty piano motifs and suitably intergalactic synth sounds.
Review: Rahaan is an absolute don when it comes to disco done right and with genuine soul. He's been rolling it out in original and edit form for many years and none of it ever goes out of date. Here he presents Gregory Carmouche & Cherelle Cherisoul Sullivan on the second release on the Yellow Taxi label. 'It Is What It Is' is a lovely loose jam with noodling chord work, rolling drums and magnificent vocals that bring plenty of sunshine next to playful whistles. Those vocals are more centred on the B-side opener while an instrumental remixes peels them away entirely.
Rainbow Team - "Bite The Apple" (Da Lukas remix extended) (6:56)
Michael Baker - "Don't You Want My Lovin'" (Massimo Berardi Re Work) (5:28)
Say When! - "Save Me" (Souls Groove Revibe mix) (4:31)
Ma Gi C - "Shampoo" (Black Truffle instrumental edit) (7:14)
Review: Reborn Italo-disco label Fulltime Production's ongoing remix series, in which contemporary producers tackle gems from the vaults, reaches its tenth instalment. Da Lukas steps up first, re-imagining Rainbow Team's lightly funk-fuelled, string-laden 1982 disco jam 'Bite The Apple' as an action-packed disco-house anthem, before long-serving Italian producer Massimo Beradi turns Michael Baker's 1983 workout 'Don't You Want My Loving' into a hybrid boogie-soul/deep house treat. Over on side B, Souls Groove successfully 're-vibe' Say When's 'Save Me', an early house era European synth-pop anthem (and yes, you'll know it), while GAMM regular Black Truffle's take on Ma Gi C's 'Shampoo' is a gritty disco-funk delight.
Review: Two years on from his first M.A.D Edits EP, 'Rakim Redun Volume 1', Karim Sanchez once more dons the Rakim Under alias for round two. As with its predecessor, the four-track EP sees him breathe new life into lesser-known cuts from the past while adding his own samples and nostalgic musical elements. Clips of opener 'Transfer 91' were not available at the time of reviewing (too hot to handle, we assume), so we'll start with 'Gulf of Space', which sounds like a take on a turn-of-the-90s, bleep-era electro-meets-house jam underpinned by deep, heavy bass and peppered with spacey synths and sampled spoken word vocals. 'Wonderbean' is a more rubbery, elastic and energetic affair - all restless, jazzy bass, post-electro breaks and mangled vocal snippets, while 'Ko-Ko' is a tweak of what sounds like a proto-bleep electro workout.
Review: Intime Anthem is a new label that makes a suitable impressive debut here with a various artists offering that explores a leftfield disco sound. Ramozel's 'Nomentum' has deadpan indie vocals and stark mechanical drums with cold wave synths. Parker Bjoske wars monads with twisted synth modulations and slow, purposeful kicks on 'Tempo.' Naimer then switches the mood with a more playful and 80s-inspired sound, bright retro synths and euro-dance grooves on 'Wildejoe.' There is a supple acid-laced majesty to Ivaj Odnode's closer 'Atillol,' which makes this as vital as it as varied.
Review: London underground night train riders Deadbeat Records prioritise techno-breaks handmade for late night and early morning dancefloors, times when both the best and worst comes emerges from each of us. Their inaugural Deadbeat Breaks compilation hears six out of ten full digital curations brought to a shadowy, space-invaded black vinyl truncation, with modern talking synth vomits from Olly Rant, booty bass hups from Hunter Starkings, hackney parroting hurtles from Rnbws, and a closing breakstep broil from Hooverian Blur.
Review: Rats On Acid's Triple A debut 'Burn Out' hears the occasional ear-amazer emit an ecstatic edict in acid hardcore, teasing out a sad but true fact of the post-industrial, post-post-modern condition: burnout. Ah, yes burnout. That tired old, laborious effect of overwork and overshot ambition. How do we combat burnout? First of all, redirect our energies to skanking anodes of acid hardcore, not overtime at work. The EP's title track is mad fun, bringing acrimonious acids and aerodrome reverbs, while 'On The Jazz' restricts the mix-space to a narrow shaft, up which a determined, high-impedant melodic current climbs. 'Turn The Page' ends on a strangely excited, cacophonous stasis; we're amazed this one was made recently, as it has a real convincing 90s energy to it.
Review: Malvern's Rave 2 The Grave are a dedicated rave cultural node, committing their entire artistic output to nostalgic remakes of fave rave brainwaves. Adding to their many from-scratch taxidermies - including FSOL's 'Papua New Guinea', Liquid's 'Liquid Is Liquid', 808 State's 'Pacific State' and Outlander's 'Vamp' - they now take up 'Take Me Up' by Soundsource (1991), whose floor-al transmission made it through to being sampled by Rhythm On The Loose on 'Break Of Dawn'; both became fast-track underground hits back then and the rework is just as cracking. On the B is an equally respectful replica of 'Injected With A Poison' by Praga Khan (1992), steering the mood logarithmic, wooping, psychedelic.
Review: Break The House, the turbo-charged offshoot of Rave 2 The Grave, reworks two stone-cold anthems into modern rave weapons. Cell Out's take on 'Where Love Lives' strips things down to bare percussion and weighty low-end before the original's euphoric vocal and piano hook come surging back in full force. Meanwhile, teaming up with Sleeper Cell, they flip 'Good Life' into a break-laced juggernaut, distorting the bass and stretching the groove into something rougher and sweatier while keeping the heart of the classic intact. A high-energy, no-nonsense update built for the peak-time rush.
Lou Rawls - "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" (Kenny Summit, Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper's Brawls Deep unreleased remix)
Kenny Summit, Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper - "Loving You" (feat Yasmeen)
Review: This special 12" sampler, part of the forthcoming compilation, taps into the timeless spirit of the Paradise Garage with two unreleased collaborations that showcase the late Frankie Knuckles' legacy. On the A-side, the final production from Knuckles, alongside Kenny Summit and Eric Kupper, delivers a soulful, uplifting remix of Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine." It's pure house brilliance that captures the essence of the Garage sound. On the flip, the trio reunites for "Loving You," a Motown-inspired anthem featuring Yasmeen's powerful vocals. These tracks, which have been staple spins for DJs like Cajmere and Sonny Fodera, form part of a larger collection that celebrates house music's rich history, with remixes of iconic tracks. The cover art, designed by Alexander Juhasz, adds an extra layer of cultural significance to this must-have release.
Review: Spanish producer Rayko has been a key figure in the disco scene since 2008, the point at which he launched the influential Rare Wiri label. His fastidious DJ sets hear him blend underground disco, boogie, funk, and electronica, and surely foregrounded his Vadillo Vice series, where Wiri outpours his rarer, outer-there sonic shinies. 'Towers', 'Cosmic Boy' and 'Napole' all command the subtle sensibility of disco edits, but these are actually originals through and through, making impressive use of what sound like sampled vocals and homegrown syntheses.
Review: Rayonas is both an artist and a record label founded in 2021 that has dealt in some smart underground house sounds. This new one from the imprint begins a sub-series called Speedy House that is about, well, speedy. 'Things As They Are' pairs pensive ambient piano and a recognisable melodic motif with thumping and driving drums. It works well, frankly. 'Liquid' is another chunky, pacey house thumper with 'Labas Rytas ' then veering more into uptempo, funky techno that never quits. 'Laser Tag' has a loopy, underlapping bassline and gloppy pads and 'Dreaming' shuts down with a richer array of non-melodic colours for peak time trips.
Review: Italian artist Recut is back with a new four-track outing that comes steeped in the lovably mad energy of acid, the enduring rawness of the Chicago underground and the drum sounds of New York. He has been active since the 90s so has a great through-line to these foundational styles but makes them his own here. Interestingly he started producing with turntables and mixers after being inspired by DMC champion so brings a real live feel to his sounds. 'Narcotic Tango' is a full-throttle pumper, 'Acid Street' layers undulating 303 lines into silky and elastic drums and 'Jack O Acid' gets more intense and in your face. 'Feel The Heat' shuts down with some trippy synth colours.
Review: After a lengthy hiatus, Spanish label theBasement Discos returns with a collection that fuses the essence of 90s house with contemporary flair. Rekun opens with 'Party Jean', a playful track driven by infectious rhythm. DJ Merci's 'Smack That' builds momentum with its punchy bass and relentless groove. Mindchime's 'Changes' shifts into deeper territory, offering intricate layers and subtle energy. Deepmore's 'All Night Long' closes with an unyielding, hypnotic drive that'll keep feet moving long into the night. A handy blend of old and new, proving theBasement Discos' unwavering influence in today's vinyl scene.
Review: Details - for now, anyway - about Respite remain shrouded in mystery, but this is the second release on their own label. It's a quietly profound exploration of minimal to kick off with as 'Track 1' layers up subterranean kicks with wispy melodic curlicues that get you in a dream state. 'Track 2' flips the script with bulky kicks that are in your face and softened by more swirling ambient pads. 'Track 3' is pure late night sub submersion coated in vocals crackle, dust and static that feels somehow intense despite being such a sparse sound. 'Track 4' allows some more light-emitting and radiant synths to cut through the murky atmospheres and it has a moving, uplifting effect.
Review: On the debut release for their newly minted label, Manchester's Response and Buda make a bold statement with this EP. 'Evolutions' opens, delivering an immediate rush that churns up dark rave stabs and pounding percussion, invoking memories of the early 90s Jungle scene. Yet, there's a modern sharpness in the track's evolving structure, making it feel fresh without losing the classic vibe. 'Fintons Dub' adds a layer of atmosphere, with its subdued bass and cinematic samples adding depth. Double 0's remix of 'Fintons Dub' hits like a freight train, its forceful bass and raw breaks cutting through the mix. Rounding out the EP, 'Acid Vein' slows things down with acid house influences, merging acid squelches with a deeper, more contemplative breakbeat rhythm that adds tension to the release.
Review: Since donning the Rhythm of Paradise alias in 2010, in the process helping fellow Bari resident Cosmic Garden to launch the Cosmic Rhythm imprint, Michele Lamacchia has delivered a warm, deep and colourful take on house music indebted to Italian greats of the past. That saucer-eyed, sunrise-ready tactility is naturally evident on 'Afterlife', the chunky but deliciously dreamy opening track from Lamacchia's new EP for Housewax, and the huggable, analogue bass-propelled headiness of the more intergalactic-sounding (but no less kaleidoscopic) 'Aural Spiral'. The storied producer recalls the piano-rich, White Isle-friendly end of the Italo-house spectrum on the gorgeous 'Drive Me', while the 'Spritual Emphaasi Restless' mix of 'Afterlife' is ultra-deep, woozy, jazz-flecked and Ron Trent-esque.
Review: Riccardo's a master of dance floor grooves that blend minimal, techno and electro into always fresh sounding new worlds. This latest release arrives on El Milagro Records and has a distinct edge and introspective moods that adds up to a reflective journey of depth and drive. 'H Dimension' is a speedy space-tech sound with nostalgic synth work and evocative mid-to-high frequencies echoing the spirit of '80s melodies. 'Hologram' is wrapped in a mysterious, emotive atmosphere with smart synth sequences and snappy low ends and 'Die Ritme Vertel' is a mechanical rhythm with blurts of synth, neon colours and freeform drums. 'Cosmodanza' shuts down with soft acid lines lacing up a more dreamy groove.
Review: BeAvantGarde Records have been away for a while but now makes an always-welcome return with the underground favourite that is Riccardo. He does his usual do of serving up four tracks of spaced-out invention. 'In Space' opens up with nice warped bass and insistent synth stabs with jacked-up drums and perc. 'Frequency' then has a more bright and cosmic sense of mood as the drums slow down and lull you into their hypnotic patterns. There is plenty of snap and crispy bass to 'Timeout' with its searching lead synths and gritty baseline while last of all is 'Kalapas' which cuts are loose and has ragged rhythms and textures for a more arresting vibe.
Review: Rick 8 is the techno alias of Italy's Riccardo Falsini, and here he revives the pioneering spirit of his iconic Interactive Test label with this early gem, which offers an essential slice of trance, techno and progressive house history. Known for reshaping genre boundaries, the label was a beacon of innovation, as this EP shows. Each track is a potent club tool, designed for transcendental dancefloor moments and sonic ascension from the chunky tribalism of 'Hypernotes Velocity' to the standout remix of 'C'Mon' by Sound Metaphors affiliate Trent, who injects progressive firepower. 'Born To Sinthetize' is a deeper, spiritual sound with flashy synth work married to loose drum loops.
Review: Detroit-raised, London-based Demi Riquisimo assembles a dynamic mix of label favourites and fresh talent on Love State, the 22nd release from his Semi Delicious imprint. This six-track V/A hears offerings from Demi himself alongside Clint, Swoose, Lulah Francs, Dukwa, Anastasia Zem & Asa Tate, blending club modernity with classic analogue dance influences, sampling every sonic cate from Italo to tech house. Best among the bunch has to be Swoose's 'Re/Vision' and Anastasia Zems' 'Eternal Beauty', which bring together wasted electro, Italian new beat and trance for well-measured tinctures of dreaminess.
Review: Motion Potion Records returns with a second release from the Australian label founded by Jono Xidias, Mehmet Alpdogan, and ritmiq. This collaborative project sees ritmiq teaming up with Lewba and Louis for the 'Signals' EP, a heady exploration of spacey club sounds. Standout track 'Transmitting From Space' (with Lewba) glides through cosmic synths, subtle breaks and hypnotic melodies so is sure to become a certified late-night burner. On the A-side, Louis and ritmiq deliver 'Interplanetary Prisoner' and 'Parallax,' which are both rich in mood and groove. ritmiq's solo cut 'Nebularae' closes the EP with high energy and dancefloor heat. Signals is a stylish, cosmic journey worth taking.
Vicino O' Mare (The Shapeshifters Piano Bump extended remix) (6:00)
Vicino O' Mare (Louie Vega extended remix) (6:14)
Vicino O' Mare (Louie Vega dub remix vinyl edit) (6:16)
Review: Summer may still be some way off, but it's a fair bet that Riva Starr's latest single on his own Snatch Raw imprint will feature prominent in festival sets and at open-air dances. In its EP-opening 'extended vinyl mix' form, 'Vicino O Mare' is a chunky, disco-fied house jam rich in rubbery bass guitar, warming Rhodes riffs, reverb-laden male vocal samples, swirling synths and just the right amount of disco-house style filter trickery. Fittingly, disco-house veterans Shapeshifters deliver the first remix, cannily adding hands-aloft piano stabs to the Californian producer's infectious disco-house groove. Louie Vega takes over on the flip, first delivering a joyous, samba-soaked Latin house 'extended mix' before stripping his rework back to the heavy tribal drums on the excellent 'dub remix vinyl edit'.
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