430 West Vinilo y CD

Review: Fresh from exploring the more downtempo side of their musical inspirations on Contemplate (a mini-album credited to Octave One presents Never on Sunday), the Burden brothers return to the dancefloor with their first full-throttle techno release of 2022. A-side 'The Blue Drift' is faintly foreboding, with typically intergalactic lead lines rising above a moody, sci-fi-fired Motor City techno groove. While it very much sounds like an Octave One release - with low-end weight to match - it's arguably more atmospheric and clandestine-sounding than much of their most celebrated material. They continue with this vibe on the more dense and percussive flipside cut 'It-Just-Is', a sweat-soaked affair full of metallic-sounding percussion hits, echoing melodic refrains and breathless sub-bass.

Review: Those Burden Brothers are back at it again, and you can bet the result will be stellar as per usual. For their long running and respected 430 West imprint, Octave One presents the next edition of Locus Of Control. The name is a psychological concept that refers to how strongly people believe they have control over the situations and experiences that affect their lives. Volume Three features 'Shameless', an adrenalised and hypnotic expression in proper Motor City themed hi-tech soul. Over on the flip, things take a moodier turn on the seething main room techno-funk of 'School Of The Seven Bells'.

Review: The mighty Burden Brothers return with some killer remixes of material from their back catalogue, which is always welcome to our ears. Taken from 2015's Burn It Down LP, 'Believer' was a smooth serving of mood music; its ultra deep and emotive groove complimented Ann Saunderson's gorgeous vocal and here we are treated to an extended mix (and dub) on the A side. On the flip, there's more of their idiosyncratic style of 'hi-tech soul' to be enjoyed on a rework of 'Whatever She Wants' (feat Random Noise Generation) which is more uptempo than the original, plus another handy dub version to follow.

Review: When it comes to purist Motor City Futurism, few can match the Burden Brothers' Octave One outfit. They seem to have been artistically rejuvenated in recent times, with Love By Machine - their sixth full-length in total - appearing little more than 12 months after their superb Burn It Down album. Over the course of nine hugely entertaining tracks, they successfully wring every last bit of soul from their machines, pairing traditional Detroit techno sounds - fizzing hi-hats, Model 500 style bass, bold synthesizer melodies, and nods to both electro and Italo-disco - with drum hits, pianos and other subtle touches borrowed from house. The result is another rich, melodious and far-sighted collection.

Review: The dynamic duo Octave One starts off 2024 with a new EP that features new versions of two of their own classics and a brand new song. 'Price We Pay' has two remixes featured here, with the both being massive main stage crowd pleasers. 'Mirror Image' is a slick downtempo track that shows the pair's creativity for making great dance music. Last, the new version of 'A Better Tomorrow' is updated to be more futuristic and spacey. Messages From The Mothership Volume 1 are a great sign of things to come as Octave One explores more of their long and impressive discography.