Crosstown Rebels Vinilo y CD

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: The Crosstown label is now one of the elder statesmen in the scene but it still manages to serve up surprises. This new EP from Davi falls into that category as it explores dark, heads-down house and tech for the dead of night. 'Nosferatu' is heavy with the same sense of doom that you might be filled with should you meet the vampire from which the track takes its name. 'Mirage' is awash with pixelated cosmic melodies that light up the skies above a rolling house beat. With this EP Davi makes another good impression.

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: 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: By his previously prolific standards, Disco Halal founder Chen Moscovici AKA Moscoman has been rather quiet of late, choosing to release low-key digital singles on his own label. Here he breaks cover and returns to wax after two years away. Title track 'Adventura' is as atmospheric, off-kilter and druggy as you'd expect, with minor-key melodies, trippy electronics, buzzing effects and psychedelic guitar flourishes riding a chugging, arpeggio-driven groove. Over on the flip he joins forces with Zoot Woman on the pleasingly wayward, new wave-goes-indie dance creepiness of 'Reinvention', which rising star Alan Dixon then turns into a sparkling slab of dark nu-disco with added loose-limbed drums.

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: 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 Pale Blue project brings together Italians Do It Better's Mike Simonetti and Silver Hands' Elizabeth Wright, and the pair have done a fine job thus far exploring a club-ready kind of pop noir. On this single, the original version of 'No More Words' is present in its moody, subtly acidic form, Wright's coquettish vocal sitting atop the warm analogue backdrop oh-so comfortably. DJ Tennis steps up with a remix which edges a little more tech house bite into the rhythm section, and then on the B-side Perel offers up two much wilder versions which nod to Italo and industrial as much as anything contemporary.

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: 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: 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.