Pager Vinilo y CD

Review: Thilo Dietrich hails from Kaub in Germany's West-Rhine region and appears for the third instalment on Pager entitled The Saga Of Bennos T.S. For the Offenbach/Frankfurt based record label run by Markus Sommer & Phil Evans. On the first side "Caria Marey" is bleepy tech house that rolls deep while "The Great Sventon (Bob Harley Road mix)" is glitchy minimal funk that's perfect for paranoid afterhours gatherings and reminiscent of early Minibar releases. Finally on the flip we've got "Kabusawki" which is definitely the most advanced and well executed production. The trippy and bumpin' groove on this is absolutely wicked and is a must for fans of quirky grooves like that of Perlon or Boogizm.

Review: For their latest release, Pager Records chiefs Markus Sommer and Phil Evans have turned to fellow Offenbach resident Robin Stern. "Not A Space Themed EP" is a rather good debut, with Stern brilliantly combining warm, funk-fuelled basslines with drowsy deep house chords and a variety of high quality tech-house trademarks. Check, for example, the darting jazz-funk bass, smooth beats, jammed-out synth solos and computer beeps of closer "F_cked", the driving tech-house funk of chunky opener "Notitle" and the swinging, breakbeat-powered deep house/tech-house fusion of "Post Ronaldo".

Review: Phil Evans and Markus Sommer's Pager label does a fine job of reimagining playful and curious old school techno through a modern lens. The 12"s are often sold out in quick time and this time they look to the talents of Porco Rosso, who doesn't release often, but makes quality moves when he does. 'Render' is a wonky, fun filled tune awash with natty melodies. 'Keine Worries In Den Hollies' dials back a little, but still excels at harmonic hits and neon synths. 'Outfits4' offers amore thoughtful house vibe that is gentle and comforting before the crisp 90s tech of 'Luc Luc Coconut' layers up farting bass and snappy stars to seductive effect.

Review: Outside of Berlin and Hamburg, Frankfurt's suburban town of Offenbach seems to be producing the largest volume of quality house and techno producers. Names like DJ Slyngshot, DJ Neewt or Florian Kupfer have all come from there, and it's thanks to local talent such as them that Robert Johnson is still waving the flag high for German dance music. Another Offenbach native, Tom Ries, is quickly making a name for himself, and this new EP on Offebach's own Pager label is even more proof of the mini-scene that has come out of this area of Germany. "619" is a fine, dreamy slice of Detroit electro, "Tomorrowman" meanders its woozy synths and staggered beats over a strangely UK sort of vibe, while "Cooler Zwanni" offers up some old-school dub-house, and "Central Kids" goes from Detroit to Berlin in electro aesthetic. Large.

Review: Cristian Sarde has snuck out some seriously classy club records in the past few years, landing on labels like Outcast Planet and Oscuro London while exploring his own twist on the minimal electro template. Now he's on Pager with four fresh drops that should get people's ears snagging in the dance without needing to revert to excessive force. 'Liquid Sword' is a sprightly joint marked out by nimble lead lines, while 'Disco7' gets into a seriously sexy groove that should sink comfortably into an after hours session. 'Basic Rising' is a steady trucking fusion of crisp electro, warm deep house and wiggy trance, and 'Light Eyes' rounds the record off in a fluid swirl of melodious goodness.

Review: Phil Evans and Markus Sommer's Pager label is back with more quirky retro techno representative of the Offenbach sound of now - this time served up by Shampoo Douglas. Comprised of Italian brothers Ruben and Alex, these two are said to be on a mission from the distant planet Kepler 66 - and they've made it clear on the "Polypako EP". Highlights include the bumpin' and glitched out minimal funk as heard on A side cuts "Alpha Clan" and "Shumizum" which are perfect for busting out on the afterhours dancefloor, and the spaced out breaks action of "Pako (feat Goiz)" on the flip.

Review: Pager headhoncho and master of leisure Markus Sommer comes back on his own imprint with a warm and punchy 4 tracker sliding in smooth like silky houseslippers. Put out your fav sunchair and soke up that garden party vibe from front to back!

Review: Sweely has been hugely impressive of late. The artist has really broken through in quick time with a house sound that is futuristic and full of great synth raft. Here we get a more classic take on the genre on 'Time For Freakness' with some warm old school soul and muttered vocals next to squelchy pads. 'Move For Me' is as catchy as a cold with its clipped beats and withering sci-fi keys next to a sultry vocal and three flip side cuts explore boogie-tastic Dam Funk style house beats on 'Digital Lust', skittish rhythms on 'Jazz Painter' and pumping deep tech on 'The Music Sounds Good'. Another standout.

Review: There's something particularly addictive about "Black Gum", the title track from Tiago Walter's latest rock solid EP. It's something of a winner, all told, with Walter wrapping a heavy, darting analogue bassline and skipping beats in spacey, ricocheting synth riffs and far-sighted electronics. There's plenty to enjoy elsewhere, too, with the futurist deep house bounce of "Don't Steal My Liquor" and stomping "Cocos Karma" - all vintage Micro-house riffs, jaunty motifs and sturdy bottom end - both hitting the spot in Walter's hybrid, funk-fuelled tech-house style. Closer "Com Truise", which contains a few more nods towards '80s synth-funk amongst the swirling synthesizers and bouncy beats, is also rather good.

Review: The fifth missive from the Pager camp is something of an all-star affair, with a quartet of producers contributing a track each. First to showcase his wares is hard-working Uruguayan Z@p, whose "Sleepbox" wraps ghostly melodies and watery electronics around a rock solid, locked-in groove. Relative newcomer Philipp Boss impresses with the bold synth-bass, ocean-deep chords and fizzing riffs of "Spire Solaris", before Monte Carlo Rally Sport brilliantly joins the dots between jazz-house, broken beat and melodious Italian dream house on the hot-stepping "Testarossa". Luca Bazooka draws the curtain down on a pleasingly varied EP via the funk-fuelled breakbeats, sun-kissed guitar riffs and dusty bass of "Braik".