Cecille Germany Vinilo y CD

Review: Andrew Azara makes an electrifying return to Cecille with his 'Cosmic Girl' EP, delivering five exceptional originals alluding to French house, disco edits and minimal techno. Hailing from Dublin and now thriving in Barcelona, Azara has majored in force since 2019, with audiences across Europe and South America, and former releases on Djebali. 'Cosmic Girl' opens the EP with pounding drums, dubby stabs, and hypnotic, fluttering textures, setting the stage for an intermediary shuffle, 'Mattika', in turn bringing headier blends of organic percussion and transitional "whoops". 'The Jam' strips things back to a minimal, raw groove, while 'Obsession' closes with a bass-heavy, swung garage house extension. You won't find the digital bonus, 'Doing It,' here, but we can also vouch for its mesmerising hold over us dance-zombies.

Review: German-Turkish producer Butch is a machine. He has put out hundreds of tunes over the last decade-plus, most of them more than useful club fare that gets played far and wide. Every so often he also serves up a real classic - and that was the case with 'No Worries' which brings brilliantly loopy drums, classic disco vocal samples and just feel-good grooves that inject a bit of vitality into any set. It now gets a subtle 2022 update and reissue on the original label Cecile with a Toman remix on the flip.

Review: Representing the newer generation of the Mannheim sound, esteemed DJ/producer Fabian Winkels makes a worthy addition to legendary local label Cecille with the Sober Up EP. Fabe's particular brand of minimal house is on display once again, yet more optmised for main room dancefloors this time around. We particularly enjoyed the trippy and swing-fueled minimal funk of opening cut 'Solid & Straight', as well as the rolling, vocal-led tech house of 'At The Bar' or 'Frozen Cake' which are sure to rock dancefloors on The White Isle as much as they will in Berlin, while the deep and emotive B-side cut is aimed squarely at the afterhours dancefloor.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped***


'Sissy' means scaredy-cat, coward, or chicken, but Italian DJ and producer Leon fully reclaims the term on his latest EP for Cecille here. Channelling raw garage house, hip house and early vogueish city-bustle moods, listening to 'Sissy' is like casting one's ears partially back in time, but not fully forgetting the sound of the contemporary dance music world either. This is a neat, albeit headsier follow-up for any fans of Leon's earlier hit 'Rain In Rio'.

Review: Sidney Charles prides himself on making chunky house music that is raw but underpinned by a slick sense of swing. His Heavy House Society label is where most of it arrives but now he takes a detour to Nick Curly's long-running Cecille. 'Sonar Plexus' is irresistible European house music with razor sharp hi-hats, synth curlicues to soften the edges and precise drum work. 'Universal Highway' has a retro 90s feel - a sense of rushing endorphins and bobbing drum breaks that get hands in the air and 'Fearless' then gets liquid and funky with its effervescing rhythms and tumbling synth sequences. 'Turnover' closes out with a soulful US house feel and completes one of Charles's best-ever EPs.

Review: Nick Curly's Cecille label has been a foundational outlet for European house for what feels like decades now. It has evolved through a number of sub-styles but never strayed too far from solid tech house and that is where Boman finds himself with this Dolce Dar Ninety EP. 'Courtyard' is loopy and swirly and one to get the vibes going, while 'De Bongo Man' is a more playful and percussive groove. 'Dolce Far Niente' kicks like a mule with turbocharged techno stabs and 'Good Old Sunny Day' shuts down with big synth smears and bold downstrokes that make for quite the upbeat house banger.