Pets Recordings Germany Vinilo y CD

Review: Madrid-based Italian Bawrut follows up a run of great tracks on top labels such as Midnight Themes, Ransom Note and Multi Culti with this absolutely kickin' new release for Berlin based PETS Recordings. Across the Jomo EP's four tracks, take a deep trip aboard the acid express on the woozy "Desert Island", get into the dusty shenanigans of "Piano & Piano" and one for the late night antics - enjoy the psychedelic madness of "Your Job Is My Job".

Review: Berlin based Polish duo Catz 'n Dogz have seen their Pets Recordings imprint rise steadily in popularity in only a few years. For the next release they've drafted in Dutch duo Beesumt Soundsystem to deliver more sure-fire tech house. First up is "Searchin'", a production characterised by a killer resonating bassline grooving along with a tight rhythm, but just wait until those dark strings come in for the breakdown! On the flip we have "Ominous" which takes things deeper with its crusty beat beneath a razor sharp arpeggio which evolves beautifully, building to a crescendo. Finally the Borrowed Identity remix of "Searchin'" keeps it deep with this lush and dreamy remix with its soaring pads, funky bassline and the just the right amount of shuffle in its rhythm.

Review: According to Catz 'N' Dogs, their new album "Friendship" was inspired by the role friends, collaborators and partners have played in their runaway success. There's certainly a warm, fuzzy and loved-up feel throughout, with the pair making great use of some top-drawer guest vocalists and collaborators (see James Yuill's fine vocals on deep breakbeat-pop jam "There", the deep house/two-step garage fusion of Zensofly and Maxville hook-up "Wave" and the sun-kissed indie-dance shimmer of WhoMadeWho collaboration "Never Go Down"). Intriguingly, there are just as many sofa-bound sound diversions (skewed hip-hop, downtempo pop and so on) as riotous dancefloor excursions (the piano-happy "New Love" being the standout), making for an accessible and hugely entertaining set that rewards repeat listens.

Review: As the matter-or-fact title suggests, this EP delivers fresh remixes of cuts from Catz 'N' Dogz bulging back catalogue. First to give the Polish outfit a thorough going over is Roman Flugel, who turns "Don't" into a melancholic mid-tempo dub-house shuffler rich in blissful electric piano chords, ricocheting echo effects and drifting vocal samples. Next, DJ Steaw delivers a fine deep house rub of "It's Happening" that fixes warm and dreamy elements to a typically bustling dancefloor groove, before Pional steals the show with a sparkling version of "Rave History" that sounds like late '80s/early '90s Pet Shop Boys after a four-day club session. Finally, LAWLER channels the essence of Danny Tenaglia for a big room-ready rework of "Keep On".

Review: According to Catz 'N' Dogs, their new album "Friendship" was inspired by the role friends, collaborators and partners have played in their runaway success. There's certainly a warm, fuzzy and loved-up feel throughout, with the pair making great use of some top-drawer guest vocalists and collaborators (see James Yuill's fine vocals on deep breakbeat-pop jam "There", the deep house/two-step garage fusion of Zensofly and Maxville hook-up "Wave" and the sun-kissed indie-dance shimmer of WhoMadeWho collaboration "Never Go Down"). Intriguingly, there are just as many sofa-bound sound diversions (skewed hip-hop, downtempo pop and so on) as riotous dancefloor excursions (the piano-happy "New Love" being the standout), making for an accessible and hugely entertaining set that rewards repeat listens.

Review: Here's a pre-Christmas treat for fans of Dan Pearce's particular brand of party-rocking, big room house mania: a surprise single - his first of 2014 -featuring two previously unheard reworks. On the A, Pearce delivers his take on Paperclip People's 1996 album track "Parking Garage Politics", delivering a woozy, late night edit that turns Carl Craig's original version into a wonky chunk of swinging after-party house. Things get more peak-time-friendly on the tip, where Pearce joins the dots between organ-heavy US garage and piano house on a stellar remix of Moonchild's "Variation on a Theme". As usual with Pearce, this 12" offers all killer, no filler.

Review: One of the joys of Pets Recordings' output over the last couple of years is how unpredictable it has become stylistically. Basically, you don't know what the next release will bring musically, but more often than not it will be rather good. That's certainly the case on the imprint's latest four-tracker, which sees London producer Jeigo (real name Jack Carr-Miles) flit between driving and occasionally dreamy breakbeat-house dirtiness (the retro-futurist peak-time pump of 'We Are Not Nothing'), Livity Sound-goes-deep house brilliance (the intricate percussion programming and gently swelling chords of 'Far Away'), hazy early morning deep house hypnotism ('FS Melody'), and ultra-deep, UK garage-influenced sunrise wooziness ('Beyond', whose emotive, ear-catching female vocal samples work wonderfully).

Review: Dutch producer Larry De Kat is building up a rather impressive discography. This Pets Recordings debut follows hot on the heels of appearances on Dungeon Meat, Banoffee Pies, Adults Only and Lazare Hoche, amongst others. There's plenty to admire amongst the four tracks, from the post-apocalyptic deep house creepiness of "I Know You Can Hear Me" - all weighty sub-bass, echoing riffs, garage-influenced beats and dusty aural textures - and fluid, tech-tinged deepness of "Amlou", to the shuffling dub-house hustle of "She Doesn't", where ear-catching hand percussion and slowly flowering electronics crowd around a superb, sub-heavy bassline. In other words, it's a rock solid collection of club-ready cuts that ticks a lot of boxes.

Review: While their obscure disco and Balearic re-edits tend towards the warm and groovy, Psychemagik's original productions have been getting increasingly tough and druggy in tone. "Rattlesnake", a hypnotic chunk of club-ready psychedelic disco rich in wonky electronics, trippy riffs, mind-altering bass and locked-in drums, may well be their most intoxicating and hallucinatory track to date. The duo's out-there original mix is made even weirder - and arguably more alluring - by Magda on her "Blotter Traxion Remix", which sounds like a tripping hippie trying to simultaneously mix electro, tech-house and techno. Vyvyan provides the other rework, wrapping doom-laden electronics and fizzing acid lines around crispy disco drums.

Review: Russian tech house hero Tripmastaz is back with more adventures in swing, making a surprising appearance for PETS Recordings with his new jam "R U Happy". This rolling and hypnotic groove with its infectious vocal refrain and tunnelling melody ticks all the right boxes - expect to hear this everywhere from Hoppetosse to Club Guesthouse this year. On the flip, there's a tougher, funkier and breaks driven rework by Bass Culture main man and all round Parisian legend D'Julz which is equally worthy of playtime. The Plant 74 main man continues to impress us after some great releases this year on No. 19 Music, Tartouffe and Berg Audio.

Review: Hyped Polish twosome Catz 'N' Dogz have put a lot of effort into making this latest compilation from their Pets Recordings label a little bit special. Not only does it include all previously unheard material from label regulars and scene friends, they also told contributors to "make something different from normal". The result is an entertaining romp through high quality 21st century house and garage with a few genuine surprises thrown in. So, we get to hear A1 Bassline making cocaine house, Drax making starlight Balearic house, Eats Everything dropping some wonky two-step, and Martin Dawson in low-slung, post dubstep mode. In between, there's a great mix of demented dancefloor moments (see the contribution from Bristol's Billy Disney) and more measured downtempo fare.