Crosstown Rebels Vinilo y CD

Review: 'Together Alone' is the latest flagship emoter from Pale Blue, a recent Crosstown Rebels signee and musical duo comprising Elizabeth Wight and Mike Simonetti. Wight's vocals on this neat slice of gut-wrenching wax glide across the mix in an honest fashion, recalling the muted serenity of trip-hop legends like Martina Topley-Bird or Tracey Thorn, but set to a minimal techno backing. Kolsch backs up the B with the 'I Have You' remix, which eschews the vocals for glitzing builds and a groovier bassline.

Review: Here's something fresh on Crosstown Rebels from Made By Pete, making a welcome return on Damian Lazarus' label with another striking vocal house track. This time it's Zoe Kypri leading the way on 'Horizon Red', instilling the track with a poignant, soulful power which brings out the natural patter of hand drums and melancholic piano in Pete's production. If you want to zero in on the track, 'Pete's Dub' is on hand to take the mood even deeper, while Lazarus lends a re-shape on the B-side which weaves its own mystical magic.

Review: Many congratulations to Crosstown Rebels, a pioneering tech-house and big room dance music imprint that this year celebrates its 20th birthday. To mark the occasion, founder and creative force Damian Lazarus has dipped into the archives and come up with a collection of rarities and previously unheard remixes. Starting with his own Jem Cooke collaboration 'Into The Sun', an atmospheric, deep tech-house excursion smothered in twinkling pianos and trance-inducing electronics, Lazarus offers up an enticing mix of chunky goodness (Art Department remixing Jamie Jones), percussion-rich after-hours wonkiness (Dennis Cruz reworked Pier Bucci), pulsating neo-trance (Audiojack re-imagined by Michael Mayer), tech-tinged deep house hypnotism (Black Coffee tweaking Made By Pete vs Zoe Kypri) and saucer-eyed Ibiza anthems (Maceo Plex).

Review: Electronic duo Pale Blue releases their highly anticipated second album 'Maria' on Crosstown Rebels. With eight captivating tracks, the long-player takes listeners on an immersive electronic journey. Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better) and Elizabeth Wight (Silver Hands) formed the outfit in 2015, gaining acclaim with their debut album. It showcases Wight's personal experiences and thoughts through her lyrics, accompanied by techno-infused melodies that lean towards rock influences. From dreamlike melodies to haunting productions, the album seamlessly blends electronica with pop touches.

Review: 2023 has already seen the mighty Red Axes bringing their distinctive chugged-up, freaked-out style to Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound, but now they're following up with this epic slice of deep immersion for Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels. 'Relax Shiva' is steeped in finely-balanced trance touches which err towards genuine meditation than the slightly more obvious ends of the genre. It's a smouldering, slow-burn affair, but then what else would you expect from the Tel Aviv duo? When you get to the flip, Parisian legend DJ Gregory is on hand to thread his own set of psychoactive drums in around the Axes' sonic elements, creating a different kind of vessel for dancefloor escapism of the most spiritual nature.

Review: Polish mainstays Catz 'N Dogz have always brought some chatter to their music - whether that's a smart hip-hop sample or twisted sense of rhythm. They tap into sweaty backroom club sounds for this new one on the evergreen Crosstown Rebels as 'Can't Stand' is a heads-down pumper with a steamy, libidinous female vocal that's nicely filtered over thudding kicks. You can always rely on German Robag Wruhme to take things into weird and wonderful territory and that's what he does with Flodder Bukk Rehand, a darker and more menacing rework with fizzing synths and more attitude in the vocals. 'Wake Up' rounds out with a fractured vocal fragment and rousing synth lines.

Review: If you ever doubted that Crosstown Rebels put out a genuine eclectic range of underground electronic sounds than check this one out - Lunar Disco bring some sleazy indie disco vibes to this one. 'Devil's Hand' has filthy bass and bumping drums with steamy vocals from singer-songwriter Kate Elsworth. DJ and composer Nicolas Blistene is behind the beats and a host of remixers add their own spin. The standout is from Swiss-Chilean master Luciano who does his textbook string and percussive thing. AudioFly's Anthony Middleton remixes with a more late night tech feel.

Review: Damian Lazarus's Crosstown Rebels continues to serve up top tech tools for jobbing DJs with a new one from Ben Sterling. It's very nearly the label's 300th release and one that does damage from the off: 'Don't Truss' (feat Caitlyn Scarlett) may or may not be referring to one of the shortest-ever prime ministerial chapters in this country's rich history, but what it does do is lock you into the steamy and sweaty drum funk and melt your heart with its superbly angelic vocal. On the flip is 'Bring Me To The Surface' which is a more wonky workout with whirring machines, beeps and squeaks over a punchy tech beat.

Review: Tibi Dabo unveils his long-awaited full-length 'Vista' on Crosstown Rebels, with the kaleidoscopic nine-track album showcasing his diverse and rich sound-palette, centring on a chillout, colourful minimal house mood recalling the likes of Herbert or Eliphino. Born in Barcelona but steadily working his way into a Europe-wide infamy, Dabo has slowly grown in stature to become a Crosstown Rebels favourite, further bolstered on this dreamy eight-tracker which demonstrates a particular knack for making minimal and deep house sound personal and homely, not just 'deep'. Elegant and diffuse, bouncy and serene, this isn't an album you'll want to miss if you've a keen ear for detail.

Notes: ""20 years ago, I dreamed a dream of creating a family of like-minded, crazy individuals from all corners of the planet. That dream was Crosstown Rebels. Over these years, I have forged beautiful friendships, discovered very talented artists and tried my best to help, advise and support some of the most colourful characters in dance music. It's been 20 years of madness, magic and music. Now it's been distilled into our own book to mark this milestone. I'm honestly surprised at how much I remembered!" - Damian Lazarus

For 20 years Crosstown Rebels has forged a path as one of the world's leading electronic music labels.

Established in 2003, Damian Lazarus' label manifesto has not changed. Discovering and nurturing new talent has always been the beating heart of the label, with a mission to soundtrack the future of the dancefloor and beyond. Introducing the world to the likes of Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex and Art Department was just the beginning. Today the roster is gloriously international, showcasing the truly global scene that Crosstown has shaped over the years.

Of course, there's the parties too. The early Slash & Burn and Rebel Rave parties paved the way for Damian to create two of the world's most cherished experiences, Get Lost and Day Zero, and in turn setting a benchmark for electronic music events worldwide.

Now the Crosstown Rebels story is told in a new 240 page book. 20 years of madness, magic and music. Starting right back before the beginning and taking us through to the present day, acclaimed electronic music writer Joe Muggs dives into the label's history, interviewing Damian at length and revealing Crosstown's story as never told before. The book brings together countless unseen photographs and artwork taken from the last two decades. It tells the story of how the dance underground battled and triumphed. This is a unique publication, not only for fans of Crosstown Rebels and Damian Lazarus, but also for anyone with an interest in independent label culture and the evolution of dance music over the last 20 years.

- Deluxe 240 page book
- Limited edition with only 400 copies on public sale
- De-bossed hardback cover, printed on FSC certified papers, with alternating paper stocks, book ribbon and G.F. Smith endpapers
- Foreword by Pete Tong MBE
- Comprehensive label discography
- Printed in the UK by PurePrint, the first CarbonNeutral printer in the world

Review: Harry Romero returns to Crosstown Rebels as he links with vocalist Shyam P for 'Mind Games'. With a catalogue as rich as any and continuing at the top of his game two decades after his emergence within New York's fabled nightlife scene, Romero continues to serve up his own take of Latin-inspired and percussive-driven house music via a long list of the industry's leading imprints. Crafting a slick and heady groove before launching into a hypnotic haze accenting by a bubbling bassline, 'Mind Games' is an infectious and vibrant house cut as Shyam P's alluring vocals take hold amongst emotive builds and breaks. 'Mira', after, is a classic Romero offering as the focus shifts to crisp organic percussion arrangements, carnival-esque whistles and hooky Latin vocals for a bustling terrace number, before 'Analog Bugz' takes cues from its title as crisp drum shots and sharp stabs unite to create a no-nonsense builder made for the main room.

Review: Crosstown Rebels is by now one of the wise old head of the electronic underground. Damian Lazarus has steered it through many hype sounds but always managed to keep it on point. Making sure that is the case again here are Oceanvs Orientalis and Tooker who combine for 'Il Lupo.' It's a slow motion and subversive dub house sound warped synths and ghoulish vocals panning about the mix. On the flip, Acid Pauli remixes with his signature sense of deft sound design and trippy melodic overtones.

Review: The long-running and always quietly assured Crosstown Rebels kicks off yet another new year with some deep offerings from Oceanvs Orientalis featuring Idil Mese. 'Heart Pieces' is a delightful coming together of organic trumpets and loose percussion with a languid house groove, funky little riffs and heavenly vocal coos. The Mustafa Ismaeel remix brings some grit to proceedings for more of a club-ready sound and then Ibiza-based Leeds man Nightmares On Wax offers his typically laidback and sun-kissed take on things with a deep one to start and a dubby once to finish.

Review: Designed with a dual purpose - setting the label's agenda for the year ahead and introducing new signings - Crosstown Rebels' SPIRITS series has long been a must-check source of dependable tech-house tracks. Naturally, there's plenty of highlights to be found across this sixth annual edition. Our current favourites including the throbbing, percussion-rich, big room tech-house excellence of 'The Vision' by Cameron Jack; the acid-fired heaviness of Lauren Lane's 'Fair Game', with its wobbly sub-bass and echoing Latin drum hits; the crackling, mind-mangling tech-house psychedelia of 'So Deep' by Cristina Lazic and Leia Contois; and the fiendishly bass-heavy tribal-tech wonder that is Inigo Vontier's accurately titled 'That Trippy Sound'.

Review: Damian Lazarus's Crosstown Rebels label has ridden out many different waves of popular sounds and always remained relevant. Right now it looks to Made By Pete for a new 12" that has a gritty, low slung and sleazy tech house vibe. 'Fires' has menacing basslines and steamy vocalisations that make for an unsettling mood. UK tech house titan Bushwacka! then remixes with his signature sense of drive thou with slithy more deep and pensive pads than usual. A dub mix is also included as is a rework from Victor Calderone & Mykol that is full of late night mischief.

Review: The left of centre musical universe of Crosstown Rebels ushers in this lively new EP from Oceanvs Orientalis. 'Neutrality' features on the A-side and is a spiritual fusion of steely tech house beats and spine tingling chords, angelic distant vocals and lots of loose percussion all with a slightly psychedelic feel. On the flip is a Nick Curly remix which pairs whitings back and settles the beats into one of his signature tech house frameworks with hooky little pads and late night allure. Good stuff.

Review: New to Crosstown Rebels' 12"s encampment is producer HoneyLuv, who impresses on her debut release for the Damian Lazarus-run label with the fresh heat that is 'Right Spot'. Corralling remixes from Dennis Ferrer and Byron The Aquarius, HoneyLuv's palette is watery, polyrhythmic, hip-housey and fast-moving, channelling every smart move from transitional 'wubs' to tambaleironautic drum progressions, which back up the beats firmly, and move so fast that they could probably snap an ossified hipbone if played back loud enough. The track's central vocal is also an original vocal, pleading with the listener that they meet HoneyLuv at the correct rendezvous, aka. the 'spot', in order to catch the right rave-wave.

Review: Crosstown Rebels continues its spell of dance albums releases with a fresh one from Oceanvs Orientalis (Safak Oz Kutle), Portrait Of The Obscure. After three superb singles on the label over the past four months, this nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Istanbul-based talent's rich, globally-infused, captivating sound. As if to bottle the essence of the awe of travel, either everyday-real or astral - and the personal developments and realizations that come of it - onto a single record, Portrait Of The Obscure skirts the possible limits of progressive dance, fleshing out a talent for layering that we'd wager many artists only ten years or so ago would've thought impossible. Just listen to the hullabaloo that is 'Neutrality'; despite the name, it's hardly neutral at all, coming as an immense positivisation of moving parts and godlike sonic entities, which sound to dance around a central kick axis, one that we're surprised Oceanvs was still able to fit into the mix.