Review: Luke Seager is a young, fresh and exciting new prouder from Paris who makes his debut on the French label Beau Mot Plage here having already made waves with his digital outing on Mari.Te's Tresydos. He kicks off with 'Cloud Surfing' which is a nice rigid tech warm up then 'About' Em' brings some silky space-tech vibes with nimbler drums and pads, 'Oystero' keeps the intergalactic feels flowing with more percussive, balmy beats and 'Mean Street' brings a darker, more heads down and back room sound. A Techline TM remix is the moody closer you need for the afters.
Review: Giles Smith and James Priestley have left an indelible mark on house and techno culture in the UK, not least thanks to their fabled Secretsundaze parties. These days they're taking that iconic stamp into the studio, and following up on strong turns for Mule Musiq and Phonica last year they're finally dropping a full length EP on their own label. The quality is as high as you would expect, from spicy, snarling fire starter "Mezcal" to the transcendental swirl of "Stand Up". On the B side, "Testing" takes things a little deeper with a heady stomp and a tricky disposition that will satisfy all the selectors.
The Real Sun (Giraffi Dog 700 Lakeside remix) (4:55)
Review: Secretsundaze, both the label and party, is now helmed by James Priestley alone. Here the long-time London staple embarks on a new journey with his first solo release which features a fresh pair of originals. The EP opens with 'Doesn't This Sun Feel Great' which is a slick, speed house cut that is pent up with joy and celebration and has some twisted vocal manipulations and superb percussive details. 'The Real Sun' is similar in that it features plenty of live percussion, some tropical bird calls and humid synth lines that will get big reactions in the club. On the B-side, Drua's remix brings a psychedelic tech-house edge, while Giraffi Dog closes with his '700 Lakeside Remix' which is a little more sundown and sultry.
Review: Seekers' 'The Man And A Sample' implies that all one needs to craft such tuneful incendiaries is a human body and a phono lead. Bringing three jams laid to tape in Barcelona in 2023, in turn laid to 12" vinyl in 2024, 'Telepathic Soul', 'Isotopic' and 'Parkour Jam' are three psychotropic, street-level soundshifters from the artist and label only known pluralistically as Seekers. All the tracks weigh in on a sound complementary of breakdance and MPC-core, though the added lasery, tropical and psychic sounds lend the whole thing an impressive, colourful abstraction, in good keeping with the highly exploratory Seekers brand. This Seeker saves the best till last with 'Parkour Jam', a somersaulting next-funk jam replete with effected vocal "hups", and the sounds of ancient alien landing gear repurposed into riser and faller SFX.
Review: SEGUIM Records is back with its second release, 'SEGUIM Edits Vol. II', navigating the many nostalgisms of the 80s through to the vivid reimaginings of the 90s. This time the imprint also doubles up as artist, bringing four mix versions of an untitled cut to the fold. The 'Visible' and 'Invisible' mixes first provide parallactic shifts on the same tune, with basslines and guitar licks shifting between the foreground and background, giving way to each other's various constitutive elements, like the forced perspective of a playing card. Meanwhile, the 'Al Ajillo' and 'Cardiac' mixes move into much ravier territory.
Review: This is a welcome reissue of some textbook deep Detroit dub and techno. 'Verdichtung' opens up with some superb rhythms and prickly percussion, all softened by prying synth leads and smeared pads. 'Verdrangung' is just as deep with silky broken beats and more woozy, alluring pads lodging deep in your psyche. 'Einfuhlung' ups the ante with more raw and direct drums and techno leaning hi hats but still plenty of warm machine soul and 'Ersetzung' shuts down with acid-tinged lines, zippy synths and compelling, physical drum patterns.
Review: Rawax first released John Selway's Real EP back in 2020. It has aged well and is still an in-demand 12" following the sell-out of its first run. As such the German label reissues it now just as it was the first time around. The title cut is a tribal and chunky house number with thumping drums offset but tender and barely-there whispers. 'Sliders' is a twitchy technoid stomper with a sleazy vibe and the urgent, hurried grooves continue through 'Wraecca', this time overlaid with swirling solar winds and busy synth modulations. Proper tackle.
Review: Rominimal stalwart Teo Bajdechi aka Sepp presents the next release on London's Into The Woods. The man from Constanta delivers three wondrous tracks on the About Us EP; the title track is the kind of rolling and hypnotic tackle that you've come to know from the artist that's aimed squarely at the main room dancefloor, before heading to the afterhours on the woozy microhouse of 'Kiss'. Over on the flip, serves up what is probably his most experimental and off-kilter track yet on the playful 'Delta Quadrant'.
Review: Houston's Seven Davis Jr continues his musical explorations via his Secret Angles imprint, serving three floor-focused cuts on 'Is This The Apocalypse'. The long-serving US producer, vocalist and DJ is unafraid of experimentation, and his latest offering delivers a set of forward-facing house and techno hybrids. Stripped, straight to the point, simultaneously familiar and fresh i the club room is very much the focus here. The energetic opener 'I Should Be In Japan' arrives with semi-sung vocals echoing over sleazy bass and fierce four-four rhythms, before 'PBS (Party & Bullshit)' ups the tempo with jacking drums driving spoken-word sass over a stripped-back topography. Finally, the title track powers over swung house drums, with its magnetic bass hook and looped samples providing the bed for paranoid bleeps and call-to-action vocals.
Review: Oslo collective Det Gode Selskab continue to expand on their artillery of refined club-leaning music this summer, as they invite Dutch artist Shaked to the table. His versatile sound, laid down in the past decade, has led into the continuous evolution of his productions, now reaching this zenith, on which a distinct blend of atmospheres tilt in a sleek, minimalist direction. With a stripped-back sense of sophistication throughout, this is expert minimal tech house through and through, with the opening monologue on the 'Earth Landing' mix of the lead track surely being of special interest to anyone keen on adjacent musical tropes of sci-fi and starshipped enterprise: "an object of great kinetic power has been located on planet Earth - the object is black, shaped round, and has a locked and groovy surface". We wonder what that could be?
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: People Pleasers is a brand new label that kicks off with the first sounds of a new project, Shep, by respected veteran producer Jay Shepheard. It is house music which underpins these but plenty more goes on up top. 'Peach Buzz' shows that from the off with some nice airy pads and emotive vocal stabs that will make any floor take note. 'Trust Your Nose' is a deep, warm cut with shuffling drum and humid 90s organ stabs while 'The Bell Curve' has a late-night feel thanks to the pulsing synth sequences that roam about the mix. 'Higher States Of Nonchalance' shuts down with the most heady sound of the lot and a persuasive dub feel that is perfect for back rooms.
Review: Renowned Curacao-born electronic duo Shermanology are back with a new four-tracker on their cutting-edge label, D'EAUPE. Known for their dynamic sound and genre-blending prowess, Shermanology have become a real force in electronic music with infectious beats and soulful vocals that exemplify their ability to unite diverse influences on the dance floor. This EP underscores that with a quartet of fresh final tunes, innovative rhythm and the sort of characterful sound designs that always make their tunes pop out in any setting.
Review: Kimochi Sound welcomes back regular artist Shielding for another standout entry into the label's catalogue, this time on wax with a lovely hand-sprayed sleeve. It's a deep exploration of supple rhythm here with 'Ceiling Licker' mix up diffuse ambient arps and organic sounds from the great outdoors with a bubbling bassline. 'Hundred' is a trippy late night cut with a ghostly atmosphere and muted bells and chords drifting into earshot from way off in the distance. 'Kvadrat' is a late-night collaboration with Maeteriet from Sewer Sender Records that overlays a rubbery minimal rhythm with deft synth details and curious hooks to make for dark but ultimately charming listening.
Review: Shiffer and Paul Brenning's latest collaboration is a masterclass in restraint and groove. The tracks here unfold slowly, each element carefully placed, allowing the deep, rumbling bass and crisp percussion to speak for themselves. There's a warmth to the production, with subtle melodies peeking through the smooth rhythms, creating a hypnotic effect that pulls you in. The vibe is steady yet unpredictable, and you can feel the influence of house, techno, and everything in between. It's an understated but impressive exploration of sound.
Review: Dance newcomer Shonky debuts on Wicked Bass with 'The Way It Goes'l, an EP-length musing on means-biding and compromise. The titular opener lays down a swagged-out minimal electro-tech slinker against a hip pitched-down narration portraying the virtues of unerring calm under pressure or sameness in the face of change: a prodigal voice burrs, touting "the way I do... the way it goooes", resounding with a sturdily stylish blingy ring. A2 'Compromise' reveals equally how we'll just have to grin and bare it, though the suspenseful Italo strings and synths therein hardly let on this fact alone, instead offering a mood of boundless potential. B-siders 'Darkness Is Around' and 'Kranken Sister', meanwhile, move much more lo-fi, exposing the joyous horrors of breaking the treaties of compromise.
Review: German producer Sidney Charles likes his beats chunky and his grooves heavy. He heads up the Heavy House Society which is named in reference to that fact and that is where he steps up now with a new 12", Reso Riddim. The lithe title cut gets things underway then 'Objection' offers up super smooth and irresistible rhythms run through with deft synth work and nice swirling cosmic overtones. 'Rawline 98' taps into a throwback house sound for all passion and sweatiness and last of all 'Charles List' is an all our jacker with snappy snares, yelping vocals and Boo Williams-style house heat that will get any floor going.
Review: Romanian minimal-tech badboy, Silat Beksi, returns to the ever-impressive Pleasure Zone with pair of highly-crafted, ultra-sleek dance bangers that really put some style and panache into the whole scene. "Rolling Shapes", as the title implies, is a smooth and direct dancefloor bruiser that cruises at a steady tempo and yet still manages to pulsate its heavy bass with a distinctive style. On the B-side, "Trainline" gets even dubbier and more ethereal, retaining those swiping waves of bass, but adding in all sorts of quirky, off-the-cusp melodies for even more psychedelic fun. Class.
Review: After 20 years of a restful sleep, the legendary Icelandic Thule offshoot house label 66 Degrees has been resurrected. Three deep cuts exhibiting what is in store for the year 2022.
It begins with "Can Ride", a neo-disco anthem from former resident Justin Simmons. Nifty groove with an acid-bassline - topped with all the razzle and dazzle that is needed to get the dancefloor moving.
The flipside starts with a remastered Raresh secret weapon, a proper minimal percussion-driven groove from Kate & Joan, a side-project of Dole & Kom from the renowned label BCC music. The Detroit-influenced dub house anthem will, without a doubt, be a useful tool for any DJs to get the crowd going.
The second cut on the B-side is from a Reykjavik-based beatmakers Oh Mama. Its wild style sample-based approach caught the label's attention and the result is a worthy debut vinyl release. Hypnotic, sexy and groovy - with a big and dirty bassline.
Review: Simoncino is like a direct link to the earliest roots of deep house. His sounds are coated in tones of tape hiss, dustiness from his analogue machines, and dreamy synth work that speaks of his Italia heritage. This newest EP is another class outing on Quintessentials that finds him leaning into dub. 'Dub Theory I' is mid-tempo but with nice drive, 'Dub Theory II' has more thunder in the claps and darkness in the bass. 'Dub Theory III' brings shards of melodic light that cut through the muggy atmospheres and 'Dub Theory IV' is a nice Maurizio-style techno roller for early evening or the dead of night.
Review: Modern Italian deep house legend Simoncino returns for the 'Distant' EP, a fresh seven-tracker once more inspired by the classic Chicago and New York house sound, as is par for the course for this artist. A vintage va-va-voom is heard splayed across the septet, with the opener 'Distant' seemingly lowpassed at at least 16k, and ensuers 'Smoke Channel', 'Fantasy' and 'Tributes' equally revelling in such trace sonic irony. Despite the novelty of lo-fi house, there's a wicked hi-fi remix by Mr Fingers on there, proving Simoncino's thoroughly-rubbed shoulders and proximity to the pulse of history.
Review: CULTED return in trademark force with five wild psych-bangers from luminaries Simple Symmetry, Thomass Jackson, Orchid, Ayala, and Multi Culti boss Thomas Von Party teamed up with Oltrefuturo. A sense of weirdness exudes from these tunes, refusing the common pitfalls of twee chord progressions or underproduction hidden behind rawness; these ones are as high-qual, watery, poured-over as can be, yet also bring with them a real sense of exploration and eccentricity of mood. The utmost case in point is Thomas Van Party & Oltrefuturo's 'Kookoo', a chugging machine-elven carnival of doffed conical hats and gated cute vocals.
Bass - The Final Frontier (David Holmes remix) (7:08)
Bass - The Final Frontier (3:23)
Demons Of Dance (6:02)
Mumbo Jumbo (3:44)
Review: Last year, Pamela Records launched with a fantastic EP of cosmic club music from the late, great Andrew Weatherall and his long-time production partner Nina Walsh. For release number two, they've turned to another long-serving London producer, former Aloof collaborator Jo Sims. Lead cut 'Bass - The Final Frontier' (track two on the A-side) is definitely one that Weatherall would have played: a psychedelic, mid-tempo chugger with trance-inducing electronics, twinkling synthesiser lead lines and a throbbing groove. David Holmes remixes, slowing it down further while adding undulating TB-303 'acid' lines and plenty of cinematic textures. Elsewhere, 'Demons of Dance' is a moody dark disco throb-job (Richard Sen would approve), while 'Mumbo Jumbo' is a deep Balearic breaks number tailor made for sunsets and sunrises.
Review: Newcomer Liam Sinigoi shares a debut release for Nonsono, impressing us seasoned types with an evidently sparse but efficacious sonic palate. While Sinigoi's dancefloor acumen is second to none, you'd be surprised to learn that most of these tunes were made while he was living on the site of a former hospital in London's Shadwell, not in some action-stations studio. Packed with piquant acid leads and haunting over-synths, the likes of 'Steel's HC' and 'Can't Dance!' make up a sonic tetragram, each corner of which reveals a different side to the initiate producer.
Review: Underground house heavyweight Enzo Siragusa is back with his highly anticipated new EP 'Odyssey', set to release on fabric Originals this month. Following his contribution to fabric Selects V, 'Odyssey; features three expertly crafted tracks. The title track showcases Siragusa's deep production style, '95 Variant' taps into UK rave influences, while 'Listen' nods to the golden era of speed garage. This EP continues Siragusa's evolution, blending classic rave elements with forward-thinking house aesthetics.
Review: Enzo Siragusa is no stranger to studio collaborations, having previously worked on EPs alongside Alexkid, Archie Hamilton, Seb Zito and Subb-An. His latest temporary studio partner is Nima Gorji, a Danish producer with two decades of releases under his belt already. In its original form, "Foreal" is something of a dreamy, mind-altering treat, with backwards vocal snippets, deep space electronics and drowsy, elongated pads rising above a crunchy, club-ready tech-house groove. Parisian deep house producer Djebali opts for a more paranoid vibe on his remix, which feels altogether dirtier and more driving than the A-side despite judicious use of the duo's pads and vocal snippets. To complete a tasty package, Seb Zito serves up a heavier, percussion-rich interpretation full of mind-altering acid tweaks and dubby sub-bass.
Review: SIT returns to Amphia with a new release; 'Urban Chronicles' is comprised of four tracks, each with its own distinctive sound reminiscent of early techno and house, especially their dreamier sides. The A launches in full swing with 'Synth City', a colorful, groovy tune, where in which vocal elements and airy synth lines blend together seamlessly. 'Dreamworx' continues in much the same fashion, adding an introspective counterpoint; finally, 'Parallel Pulses' and 'Fabricated Odyssey' make up the B-side, coming quirky and syncopated, with heavy bass lines and lively percussions. More than any other release from the catalogue, Amphia 025 is an exploration of pure instinct and emotion.
Review: Alexander Skancke crowns himself the queen bee of dance music with 'The Wasp Queen'. We are cordially invited to shake our abdomens and lose our hive minds, at a brilliant four-track house and techno EP that remains largely resistant to calcification of concept. Skancke has chanced upon a rather hostile hornet's nest here too, hailing from the unlikely nation of Norway: the title track hears what sounds like an operative conversation set to doomy piano house progressions, before a human-insect cross-pollination experiment goes south: "is she ready?... I'm always ready..." 'Typhoon Flutes' follows with pocket flutes and grim, gloaming figure-ground voices; then the record goes full weird speed garage on 'Brother'. Finally, 'New Order Of Black Metal' makes for a rare fusion of breakbeat and black metal gut-shrieking, as human diaphragms are catabolised across a well-sliced doom-hollering.
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