Review: Kommuna marks its tenth year of activity with this new dancefloor-focused record from various artists whose music "reflects the glimmer of hope that music provides during these dystopian times." Fabricio's 'Collateral Effect' opens with a strident nu-disco sound and retro-future chords that get you moving. Charleze's 'Rage Power' is another chunky disco stomper with some nice cosmic melody and Wooka's 'Tirty Dalk' hits harder with mechanical beats and churning bass. Mooglee's 'Things I Love' brings a more dreamy synth sound but still club-ready beats.
Review: The anonymous artist game is still going strong in the minimal scene, and t's still yielding some of the freshest material at a time when it pays to bring something different to the table. The Putch series deals in a tougher kind of tech house on its sixth volume, bringing densely packed, rolling rhythms and sizzling flair to the A-side cut with one eye on the sunrise at all times. On the B-side, things get a little deeper without forsaking those snappy drum machine beats, but really the choral pads are the star of the show on this closed-eyes wonder, just itching for a loose and limber crowd to sail away with.
Review: KMA60 Prozektiva's exploration of a mutant, electrified take on tech and house continues with Ocean T taking the mantle across four future-facing new cuts. The opener 'Never Enough' has steely drums that slap hard while the twisted, glistening melodies and 90s stabs bring a rave feel. 'KO' is a darker and more gritty sound with dubby low ends and vocal aspirations adding a touch of human soul. 'OBSSSD' has more old school vocals buried in a shimmering mix of synths and snappy drums and 'Been There Too Long' flips the vibe with a much more soft, rounded, warm deep house jaunt with deft vocal fragments and neon colours all making it the best of the lot.
Review: Santiago Martinez drops a new cut on the Argentine label Psyfunk that is a great mix of chunky but funky drum machines and vibrant synth work. It's part cosmic viber and part party starter with a nice languid bassline. That's the club mix, while the original version is a more broken beat workout with squelchy stabs, gloopy bass and detuned chords that all make you move in loose fashion. The Franco Cinelli remix ups the ante to make the tune into a nice jazzy tech house sound with dubby low ends and plenty of character.
Review: One Eye Witness rounds up another four acts for their periodic V/A series, spewing forth four breaks-driven whooshers crossing into progressive techno territory. The Hague duo Young Adults nod to a 1997 Loveparade anthem with 'It's Only Temporary', while breaks and kick implants converge on Christopher Ledger's 'Change That', a track which sounds like the starting firings of an interplanetary expedition pod after years of disuse. Joely brings cosmic chug on the cocooning B1 'Transitional', while the Samesame closer 'Novel End' is just that, traversing a noxious atmosphere with a flexoskeletal electro beat.
Review: Mangiadischi Recordings delivers once more here with a dynamic journey through space, time and groove that takes off with "The Ultimate Groovelord', a post-space-disco bomb packed with cosmic vibes and pulsating rhythms that are perfect for a dancefloor odyssey. Following on is 'PiacerebbeTi,' a hypnotic blend of neo-pop and deep tech that seamlessly balances modern sounds and intricate grooves. The B-side features guest artist GaMan with 'Try A Gain', a super-minimal, glacial hip-hop edit with eerie, stripped-back beats. Closing the EP is 'Fathermaker', Mr. Mangiadischi's tribute to early 90s house and acid.
Review: Man of many aliases MS (real name Matthias Schildger) has released on many labels since making his vinyl debut in 2011, with Rawax and its Housewax offshoot being his most regular outlets. Here he returns to the latter following last year's digital-only Slow Housing EP with another rock-solid four-tracker. The German producer begins with the hybrid deep house/tech-house crunch of 'Dancing By The River' - all Korg-M1 organ stabs, swinging beats and glitchy electronics - before opting for a deeper, dreamier and rhythmically off-kilter vibe on 'Let's Float'. Over on side two, 'Mainrecorder' sounds like a tribute to interlaactic-sounding late 90s tech-house, while 'OF Blues' is ultra-deep, warm, bass-heavy and undeniably attractive.
Review: Kirik is a much-loved Ukrainian house producer, and he recorded something of a career highlight last year when he collaborated with Alia Palant on the Dance For You EP on Kherson-based label Memory Remains. The partnership between producer and vocalist has extended to the High EP for PhonicHouse1 earlier this year, and now they're on Portuguese label Bosom Ltd, offering up two original tracks and two remixes from kindred spirits. 'Day Or Night' is a smouldering, shimmering slice of dance pop which should appeal to fans of Kylie as much as minimal heads who enjoy strong vocals. 'Waiting For You' comes in a variety of versions, from Armando PT's nervy club workout to the softer, sweeter attack of the original and through to the techy, metallic Irv.in remix, all of which complement each other beautifully.
Review: Mr Banger keeps it tight and future-facing with this new offering from Oward. The opener is the title cut and it's a non-stop sound with bumping drums and bobbling rubbery bass topped with yelping vocals and scattered percussion that makes it super lively. There's a jazzy twist to 'Jardin Secret ' with its sunny strings but the busted bass and relentlessness of the dry, crisp tech drums make it a peak time bomb. On 'La Fete Du Tunnel' things get even quicker with more metallic drums and hits, bulbous bass and a speed tech house sound sweeping you offer your feet. Last of all, 'Spirit De La Fore' is a deeper cut with well-swung drums and fist-pumping energy.
Clinomania (feat Joy Tyson & Nathan Tugg Curran) (4:25)
My City's On Fire (3:06)
Der Aufstand (3:27)
Too Far (4:45)
Macarena (4:31)
Shakin' (feat Nathan Daisy, Dave Aju & Aquarius Heaven) (3:06)
Read (3:44)
Nothing But My Story (2:36)
Burning (7:33)
Review: Multi-instrumentalist Jimi Jules got plenty of acclaim, and rightly so, for this 2022 album, which now sees a reissue on coloured vinyl. Executively produced by Innervisison label head Dixon, the album includes some of the most hammered tracks of the year it was released in - see 'My City's On Fire,' the superb 'Der Aufstand,' the dancefloor hit 'Burning' and 'Clinomania,' featuring Joy Tyson and renowned drummer Nathan Curran who has worked with the likes of Lily Allen and even Elton John. It's a melodically rich album that works at home as well as in the club and the album's artwork is designed by none other than the legendary Trevor 'Underdog' Jackson.
Review: Alex Font is charged with serving up the MINIMALER Factory label's first release and an ambitious one it is too - Cross The Limits: Chapter 1 (we wonder how many chapters there might be?) is a minimal and tech house triple pack that offers a wealth of club-ready sounds. They are embellished with all manner of abstract details and creeping sound designs, from trippy pads to whispered vocals. Each one is intricately designed and carefully arranged to be in a constant state of flux that very much keeps you locked from start to finish. A trio of fine remixes from Dubtil, Franco Cinelli and Alexis Cabrera add further gravitas to this strong album.
Review: Mystique is a brand new label out of the always fertile Dutch scene and it opens its account with a no holds-barred EP from Sylvester Javier, aka Stefano Curti of Vibraphone fame. He offers three originals and two versions starting with 'Secret Ceremonies' (Italo Disco mix) which is a pulsating house cut awash with plenty of across textures and percussion. The Cocorico mix has shimmering vocal sounds stitched into the arrangement and the original has a spooky, rather eerie feel with its hurried drums and squirrelling synths. 'Lost In 1st Avenue Loop' is a gritty Detroit house cut with heart of the dance floor intensity and 'Microdot' gets as twisted as you would expect of such a track title. A fine debut EP overall.
Review: The Tribut label is dedicated to the "legend", of whom there are many, and we must say that Tribut themselves are at first deliberately obscure about who they're referring to. It's only further listens that reveal their references: the first edition in their eponymous series hears four hazy minimal recollections of pop, disco and rock classics laid to half-forgotten wax. As if to suggest that the stars of yore have been obscured in a miasma of danceable drives and industrial process, producer Marcelo Cura lays down two tributes on the A, 'Bowie's Dance Tribute' for David Bowie and 'Senor Break'; he then teams up with Ja Kub for two more labile knockers/movers, 'Prince's Future Tribute' for Prince and 'Nina's Blackbird Tribute' for Nina Simone.
Alex Burkat - "Take It Away" (Kalyptra remix) (6:14)
Kalyptra - "Young Indigo Theme" (5:44)
Alex Burkat & Matt Cif - "Magneta" (4:53)
Review: For their second 12" release - which comes on the heels of a great debut - the Only Child label presents a fresh soundscape for a fictional Manhattan neighbourhood. It takes the form of a split EP on which Alex Burkat offers his interpretation of modern deep house on 'Take It Away', while Kalyptra brings a distinctive Ecuador-meets-Philly influence with his remix. The label hopes that the fusion of these styles creates an ethereal, body-moving soundtrack that captures the essence of walking through the streets of New York City in 2024, while 'Kalyptra' adds his own heady and dreamy tech house sounds and Matt Cid steps up to collaborate on closer 'Magenta' which glistens with melodic radiance.
Review: Romanian artist Lumieux joins Switzerland's Adam's Bite crew with the When I Think Of You EP. Hailing from Bucharest, Lumieux epitomises the region's style-stripped-back percussion, nuanced details. Known for releases on Subtil Records, Antrakt, and UVAR, and part of Sunrise Agency, Lumieux kicks off with 'Psycho' which spans nine minutes, blending murky dub chords, fluttering bass, and choppy vocals over a swinging groove. 'Tifosi' continues with choppy stabs and wandering bass, modulating percussion. 'What You Are To Me' on the B-side features twitchy synths, hypnotic vocals, evolving kicks. 'Nebula' closes with a plucked bass groove, delayed atmospherics, and saturated rhythm.
Review: MyHouse YourHouse based out of Cordoba, Argentina is back with this excellent various artist EP. Get ready to be transported to a world of sound, as they leave you entranced and captivated. Let the rhythm spin you on a journey of excitement and discovery. On the first side, Ruper Eliis nails that classic '90s NYC swing on the groovy "3Dimension" followed by Martin Bellomo (Momentz) with the deep and introspective cut "Earltraxx". Turn over the disc and you're then treated to label boss Rypli's trippy minimal funk jam "Past Is The Past" and finally Bernards serves up some proper late-night mood music on the ultra deep "It Doing Fusion".
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