Lumberjacks In Hell

Review: Swiss trio Alma Negra have been on an unstoppable march in recent years, bringing their extensive knowledge of African and Latin music to contemporary productions in a circular fashion that exists beautifully out of time. That all the music on Sedowa is hand-played is testament to the natural flow of this infectious, instinctive dance music, leading in with the sprightly funk of "Sedowa" before easing into the transcendental stomp of "Sueno Latino." "Oya" is no slouch on the B2 either, bringing a heavier disco-funk groove to the record that will suit more house-inclined DJs without compromising on the organic rattle and clatter that makes Alma Negra such a stand out crew.

Review: Founder of White Rabbit Records and one of the hippest swingers in the Southern reaches of Italy, Giovanni Damico has more than proved himself in the field of boogie infused, disco flavoured house music. Following plentiful appearances on labels like Black Key, Movida, Geography and Bitter Moon, Damico returns to Lumberjacks In Hell with a serious serving of sultry grooves for discerning diggers to get all moist over. "Essential" keeps things hyped up and just a little feverish, with a distinctly funky stew of guitar chops, bugged out flute, Rhodes flares and more besides. "Look At You (Sugar Bomb)" is a deeper affair revolving around a particular looped up lick, and then "Drums & Keys" shifts the focus out into accomplished broken beat territory that confirms Damico's skill and adaptability across a range of styles.

Review: Koenig Saatgut supposedly appears for the first time in 15 years with this rough and ready piano house/breakbeat roller. "The Spirit" is an unabashedly big track, using a catchy 90s piano lick and sticking a brash boom bap beat underneath it. "Your Houze" is actually the smart pick here though, bringing a modernist approach to vintage, sample heavy house music. There's a whiff of French touch about this one, but mixed up with a ravey attitude that guarantees these tracks will be setting off more than a few dances.

Review: Edit king Rahaan makes a connection with the ever-prolific Lumberjacks In Hell, and he's sounding feisty on growling lead track "Move Out Of The Way". Dirty, distorted drums and simmering acid gurgles make for a perfect seedy dancefloor lube, setting the scene for the more forthright jack beat styles of "Super Transfer". Keeping the fuzzed out Chicago styles at the forefront, "Blue Line" swoops in at the end like some long lost Trax off-cut with all the grit and guts you would expect from the earliest days of pure, electronic house music.

Review: Marcel Vogel's Lumberjacks In Hell label shows no signs of slowing as it ramps up a killer new salvo from debutant artist C Scott. "Climb On" is an uptempo workout to capture the absolute peak of the party in the funkiest of ways, while "Hands Free" provides an apt alternative with its slow, organ-led whimsy. Disco remains the backbone of the sound here, whatever tempo the track rolls at and wherever it may head. "Stuttering" demonstrates this perfectly with its heavily treated, head-spinning FX still capturing that classic good-time mood, while "At Ease" finishes on a life-affirming canter of Rhodes led celebration.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: The unstoppable march of Dan Shake continues apace as he storms Lumberjacks HQ with some of that refined sample-a-delic house music that is fast making him a marquee booking for those who want their party started right. He sounds right at home on "Magic Marcel", throwing down an addictive bass hook and looping up the woozy romanticism of classic disco and filter house into a thoroughly potent brew. "The Bee Won" takes a more urgent approach, reaching towards a kind of jazz funk energy with some tumbling percussion shaken into the mix for good measure. Taking a cooler approach to round the record off, "Wake, Bake & Shake" lets the funk take centre stage and leaves the samples plain as day for that breezy Sunday afternoon feeling.

Review: Philpot Records maestro Soulphiction may not have appeared on Lumberjacks In Hell before, but he's cited as a big influence on the label, and here the Stuttgart-based artist gets four chances to unfurl his deft instinct for dusty, soul and funk-infused house music. "Stick Up" gets the MPC grooves and twisting bass licks rolling beautifully, while "B3B4URD1" injects a little Afro-flavoured funk into the mix with another addictive low end flex. "Acid Test" pours a little more jack into the pot without losing that crooked Soulphiction flavour, and then "Dirty Hot" does a mean job of teaching all newcomers how to really do an edit.

Review: Marcel Vogel's latest on Lumberjacks In Hell welcomes the mighty leftfield NYC MC Sensational to flow over his learned disco house grooves. Sensational sounds right at home on "If You Like," and Vogel gives him a slightly freaked groove to riff on that works just fine. "Brown Curls" taps up Khalil Anthony, one of the finest UK house vocalists in operation right now, and Patchworks remixes it into a dreamy disco funk jam for the boogie brothers and sisters to shake it to. Alma Negra gets busy with "If You Like," creating a tumbling Afro-centric re-rub par excellence, and then Tim Jules comes on board with an instrumental version that nudges into tightly wound funk territory.

Review: The unstoppable Vogel machine is back on Lumberjacks with another serving of soul-soaked house goodness to warm the cockles as we step into Spring. This time around he's called on one of the great house vocalists of our times, Khalil Anthony, to lay down a vocal on "Brown Curls" that melts over Vogel's peppy, organic production. Nebraska bring a deeper, chunkier flavour to the track with their remix, and the results are just as captivating. Anthony's also on hand to croon over "You Are A Star", an equally simmering jam with more of that dusty house pressure from the deep end of the pool, while "Those Moments" finishes the record off on a funky, instrumental tip.

Review: On the latest Lumberjacks missive Marcel Vogel invites one of the strongest house vocalists of modern times, Khalil Anthony, to lend his distinctive croon to a loose-limbed slice of low-riding funk. "Dance The Blues Away" is a gutsy, full-bodied production that shows off Vogel's instrumental skills at their strongest, and Anthony's vocal rolls on in the many-layered mix perfectly. BB Boogie injects a little disco stomp to the track for the first remix on the 12", while Julien Dyne gets to turn out a remix and a dub. Both Dyne's efforts tap into a Detroit house feeling, all dusty sample loops and a laid back, smoky mood. It's a record made up of killer soul-soaked house music from start to finish.