Future Times US Vinilo y CD

Review: Yes Son! The debut Beautiful Swimmers album finally arrives on compact disc! For those cultured ears familiar with the smattering of Beautiful Swimmers cuts that have surfaced since Ari Goldman and Max D joined forces, the tone of Son will be no surprise. Nine new tracks feature here along with the previously issued "Swimmers Groove" and "Big Coast" as Beautiful Swimmers gleefully run the gamut of their collective influences. Elements Chicago jack and proto-house, to hip-hop, disco, boogie, dub, '80s afro grooves and new age ambience are all apparent here and it's one of those LPs where every cut is suitable for one particular moment of a night's dancefloor activities.

Review: Aphelia's Theme marks the much delayed Future Times debut of rising talent Huerco S, and is one of a number of releases from the DC based label that have been dogged by pressing plant issues. Earmarked for a Future Times transmission before releases on Wicked Bass, Opal Tapes and most recently Anthony Naples' fledgling Proibito label arrived, Huerco S' arrival on the label now possibly works out best for all given his current status. Three tracks deep, the 12? will be familiar to anyone that's taken in a set from messrs Morelli, Dunbar or Beatnick lately and offers yet more evidence of Huerco S' uniquely woozy take on house; the title track is a hypnotic mid-tempo jam overlaid with crisp hi-hats, while "Ausschachtung" takes a considerably more abstract approach. "Cercy" is the winner though, pairing grubby mechanical rhythms with a fuzzy wash of wavering synths and a vivid arpeggio.

Review: Not content with providing us with the tune of summer 14 - the Mood Hut released "Something (On My Mind)" - Jack Jutson has only gone and done it again on his Future Times debut. "Thirstin" is every bit as likeable as its' esteemed predecessor, delivering a subtly sun-kissed blend of loose, delay-laden deep house percussion, rich Rhodes chords and yearning vocals. Truly, it's magical - the kind of warm, evocative fare that will still be getting rotations decades from now. Flipside "Atmosphere", an instrumental cut built around jazzy drums, live disco bass and brilliant eyes-closed piano solos, is almost as good. Clearly, the Pender Street Steppers man is one serious talent.

Review: ** Full Vibe Repress ** Sometimes a record comes along that perfectly captures the mood and sound of a particular corner of the music world. This double pack compilation from DC imprint Future Times is most certainly one of those releases, joining the dots on an international network of underground house artists spanning both coasts of the US and mainland Europe. New York imprint L.I.E.S. feature heavily with Steve Moore and his namesake Summers both contributing tracks - Summers also appears as Confused House - along with label overseer Ron Morelli under his L.I.E.S. moniker. The latter's "Comeback Dust" - originally out on the excellent Echovolt imprint - is given a stripped down rework from Maximillion Dunbar for the opening track. Whilst there is plenty of raw warehouse business here, Vibe 2 includes tracks that aren't afraid to deviate away from this towards carefree experimentalism, see for example the hi nrg camp bump of Alexis Le Tan's "Marathon Man" and the almost horizontal sprawl of "Volatile Memory" from Steve Moore. Highly recommended.

Review: Boost is Future Times boss man Andrew Field-Pickering's third solo album under his familiar Max D alias and the seven tracks stand up as a fine example of the musical freedom currently running through the DC-based artist's veins. Like us, you've probably played the crushing, freeform 808 cruncher "Rhythm Operator" to death on the FT SoundCloud but we are happy to report the other six tracks are just as daring! As impressive as previous long players for RAMP and RVNG were, Boost feels bolder, a fuller expression of Field-Pickering's undoubted musical talent and less beholden to any particular dancefloor trope. Mood Hutter Jack J, Jordan GCZ, Motion Graphics and Benedek all contribute to Boost, but what really shines through is Max D's beaming smile behind those drum machines. Ps we hope this album is named after our favourite chocolate bars!

Review: This has been a long time coming! Steve Moore's Zen Spiders 12" for Future Times was first announced for release nearly twelve months ago, however in this period the DC label have encountered all manner of pressing plant issues that have played havoc with their release schedules. Such delays are no doubt frustrating in the extreme for the label and artist, though some solace can be found in the timeless, luxurious quality of both tracks from Moore here. Lead track "Zen Spiders" is a typical Moore production, commencing with a wondrous cinematic bed of synth textures upon which a sleepy bassline and crunchy percussion emerge to nudge the track forth across it's seven minutes. On the flip "Lwaxana" pairs a supple arpeggiated bassline with taut motorik drums with this dual rigidity offset by the vast swathes of synths that will you into a state of opiated calm.

Review: Bumping ghetto house with a strong twang of mid 90s rawness, POI hits hard once again with this grainy roller. Drenched in dense pads, cries and chimes but arranged with more than enough space and pace for the industrial strength b-boy breakbeats to cut through, this can crossover into any set from any direction. Highly limited, too.

Review: The latest loved-up blast of electronic colour from the Future Times camp comes from Repententes 2008, the anything-goes alias of producer Gabriel Guerra. This debut album no doubt fits neatly in the kaleidoscopic, synth-heavy FT catalogue, while at the same time offering a range of tracks united by the quirkiness of their approach. Listen carefully and you'll hear the influence of 1980s video game soundtracks, Brazilian jazz-fusion, hook-driven electronic pop and new age Japanese ambient music played at the wrong speed. It's incredibly difficult to pin down - Guerra is not one to settle on one style, groove or idea for too long - but also hugely enjoyable. It may take a few listens to really sink in, but it's more than worth the effort.

Review: Mysterious Canadian dub abstractionists Seekersinternational will always keep you guessing - such is their provocative charm whether stirring up trouble on Bokeh Versions, Boomarm Nation or ICS Library. Now they make a welcome surprise drop on Max D's Future Times label, and sound right at home amongst the label's penchant for bizarro genre-agnostic mutations. There's soul, audacious sound design and luscious synths aplenty - all hallmarks of other FT releases. Of course there's a strong bedrock of Jamaican music culture informing everything, but once again the crew have delivered something distinct from their previous work. No one does it quite like Seekers, not even Seekers themselves.

Review: Future Times, proud owners of one of the internet's most beautifully garish websites, come through with two bottom heavy etho house jams dipped in pure visceral wonderment from Brooklyn producer Slava. "Dreaming Tigers" lays some phased chanting over lilting guitars and Balearic keys which should sound at odds with the rugged bassline and thumping proto house beat but fits perfectly for something you'd hear in the early hours of a Mr Saturday Night warehouse rave. Turn over for the future jazz funk techno mindf*ck mutation of "World Of Spirits", which is the sort of track you'd imagine Arthur Russell making if he was alive and well today.

Review: The last "Untitled" Future Times white label release arrived in 2012, a record that we now know, thanks to the eagle-eyed searchers of Discogs, featured a Hunee edit of "Re-Mida" by Don Carlos. We don't know what kind of material features on this new "Untitled" release from the label, but the bumping hip house rhythm and vocal combo and lush '80s analogue bassline suggests some kind of vintage material has gone under the knife to create this track. Regardless, this one-sided 12" is another essential cut from the DC-based operation.