Tags: Breakbeat House

Review: Kolter, hailing from Cologne, Germany, delivers a fresh - we don't use the word lightly - new four-tracker, 'That Was Fresh'. Centring nominally on the infamous literal breakbeat vocal sample, this EP plays out as a contemporary take on the breakdances and funk backbeats come electronic dance bangers of yore. Beginning with an impossible-missioned eponymous A-sider, before moving into flat beat electro house of 'This Is It' and the cascading metro-synths of 'Feel', before finally concluding on the retro trance rejoinder, 'I'm Fine, Thanks!', there's really something here for everyone.

Review: Pilot is one of the many labels in the orbit of the unstoppable production force that is Burnski aka garage innovator Instinct. It deals in proper club tackle from a wide range of artists and here it is Hatori Hanso that offers up the brilliance. 'Low Rider' opens with a very familiar hook and some deep, deep half sung, half spoken vocal, before nimble live bass, brass and crispy breakbeats bring the party. 'Cherry On The Cake' is a lively house cut littered with James Brown samples and screwy synths that keep the pressure on. 'Don't Know Why?' closes proceedings in a more cool and breezy tech house mood, with sci-fi designs, to complete a set of varied but reliable frug-starters.

Review: Christopher Ledger continues to broaden the scope of his sound as a producer by bringing unabashed breakbeat acid into the folds of his broader tech house trajectory. There's still a pervasive deepness to 'Access Denied', no matter how big the beats or how wriggly the synth lines are. 'Nala's Groove' has a proggy tint to it, and 'From Above' rolls along in gorgeous blooms of synth work and deft percussion. Clearly the inspiration of classic 90s-styled beats worked their way into Ledger's production process, and he's made them his own.

Review: A sprawling, typically irreverent effort from the ever-prolific DMX Krew. With each unfolding track, Edward Upton charts a new tributary in the Detroit-Berlin-Sheffield pipeline, from the grouchy technoid stomp of 'Bathtime Bobby', to the hazy chillout room introspection of 'Escape To 92', to the dazzled machine funk of aptly named elektro quest 'Desperate Measures'. Another thoroughly satisfying entry in the ever-growing DMX catalogue, Spiral Dance is a sizzling hotplate of timeless electro wizardry.

Review: Scottish party starter Sally C is behind the bolshy brilliance of the Big Saldo's Chunkers label. So far the releases have come at a steady rate but have always been of utmost quality. Bella takes care of the label's fourth outing and it's another peak time outing full of big fun. 'Note To Self' is a mix of potent breaks, trance chords and rave energy where 'Orchestra Spring' is more direct and bouncy with a rugged bassline pumping the breaks and 'Odd Symphony' then slips into a deeper vibe still but one that is no less dynamic. An Olsvanger remix of the same tune takes it into mind-melting late night afterparty territory.

Review: Aniara's output has always been brilliantly designed for club deployment but could never really be considered as mere tools. The artists who appear on the Swedish imprint have a cultured sound and a knack for crafting maximum impact from minimal elements. Enter Mattias El Masouri who does just that with the sublime 'Time Dilation In Ultraviolet'. It's a hypnotic deep house cut with real drive that's down to the deft broken kick drum patterns, pulsing synth and heady pads that swirl above. 'Inre Dimension' is a 13-minute plus sonic daydream with paddy drums, drumming pads and perfectly airy hi-hats that anchor you in the heart and now as your mind wanders.