Review: Florence-born Ricardo Baez has been making moves for more than a decade. He heads up his own party and has landed on cult labels like Live At Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq, which is where he returns now with four more cultural deep house offerings. 'A Sunny Day In Florence' is as warm and breezy as you'd hope from the title, while 'Dark Room' is a jumble of live broken beats, bongos and haunting synths for a steamy workout. 'Whisper Wood' is acid, Balearic style, and 'Animarara' taps into a percussive and wiggy tech house groove. 'The Life Of Larry' is feathery, jazzy and late night house excellence. Baez masters many different styles on this standout EP.
Review: Anorax Records' motto and hash-taggable suggestion is to #eatsleepcollect, as if we weren't doing so already! This time they deliver on the highly anticipated 'Tighten Up' by Melbourne soul collective The Bamboos. First released in 2006 on Kenny Dope and Keb Darge's Kay-Dee label, this instrumental version of Archie Bell & The Drells' 1968 hit quickly became a favourite in soul and acid jazz circles. Rhythm-made by The Bamboos' leader, Lance Ferguson, this one stands out for its vocal absence, offering a quirky, irresistible take.
Review: British electro pioneer Bass Junkie reactivates his Cybernet Systems alias with a fearsome four-track return that celebrates and retools a thirty-year legacy. Originally dropped in 1995 via Panic Trax, 'We Are Borg' gets rebuilt from the raw data of the original SP1200 session, still driven by that signature low-end pressure and now even more punishing for modern systems. 'Bass Force' ups the intensity with widescreen synths and body-slamming subs, pushing electro bass into cinematic territory. On the flip, 'Electron Spin Resonance' delivers a DMX-fuelled onslaught of chopped edits, dense percussion and martial drive, while 'Proceed' nods back to the 80s machine funk of Pretty Tony and Egyptian Loverigleaming with nostalgia but never stuck in the past. It's a fierce reminder of Bass Junkie's place in the electro continuum, bridging Florida, Detroit and the UK with hardware grit and future shock precision.
Review: Bastian's early work on Berlin's iconic Acid Orange sublabel, Tanjobi Records, is a hidden gem that's now resurfaced with serious buzz. This debut release has become increasingly rare and often gets snapped up online by crate-digging heads who rediscover its charms more than a decade on. Channelling the spirit of Khan and the legendary Cologne crew, each track is a masterclass in stripped-back, acid-laced techno minimalism, which is why it's now getting the flowers it always deserved-pure underground gold with title cut 'Centre Fold' being a particularly well-crafted mental and physical workout.
Review: Back by popular demand, this reissue from one of techno's true originators reminds us just how vital these tracks still sound. First released in 1992 and briefly reissued in 2000, these four cuts showcase a unique hybrid of Detroit precision and early European rave energy that continues to inspire. 'The Warning' leads the charge with classic machine-driven Detroit funk. Its rhythm is relentless yet controlled, mechanical yet human. The track feels like a transmission from a future imagined decades ago. 'Ghost' follows with a harder edge. It channels the energy of early Belgium rave with sharp chord stabs and that unmistakable Hoover-style synth. It hits fast and leaves a heavy impression. On Side-B, 'Ex-' is the most cinematic cut. Sci-fi textures, punchy drums and an off-world sense of atmosphere blend the sharpness of UK rave with Detroit's emotional weight. 'Dark Basse' is the banger of the EP with a stripped-back approach. Its minimal but moody framework makes it an instant attention grabber, offering something both haunting and dancefloor effective. These tracks remain timeless and prove once again that true underground techno never goes out of style.
Review: Way beyond its New Beat roots, Boccaccio was one of Europe's most influential clubs and known for operating at the cutting edge of house, techno, acid and beyond, and for shaping a distinct sound that defined Sundays in rural Destelbergen. Curated by Olivier Pieters and Stefaan Vandenberghe, Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, released by Belgian label Music Man Records, captures the raw energy of a scene ahead of its time. Four VA Eps from it bring the tracks to wax and this one has four seminal US artists at their most visceral and impactful.
Review: Juuz out of Hungary continues to break new ground as it lays out its sonic identity with another tasteful various artists EP that roam free across the minimal world. Silat Beksi & Fedo get things underway with the heady but also playful and cheeky sounds of 'Porque Tu' before Minube's '909 Things' is a textural blend of found sounds, great sound designs and perfectly rubbery, dubby drum kicks. Daniel Broesecke's 'No Name' then gets more dark and down and dirty with a stripped-back mix of caps and bass that is pure backroom. Chris Llopis shut down its trippy sine waves and spinning hi-hats from the classic school of minimalism on his 'Manipulator.'
Review: Blast head honcho Bertran aka German Fabian Oellers drops a heavy-hitting, genre-blurring debut here on the Psycho Thrill Cologne label. Known for collabs with techno icons like FBK, Patrik Skoog, DJ Surgeles, Lex Gorrie and Stefan Rein, he flexes serious range across eight tracks that move fluidly between deep house, shadowy techno, raw acid and Detroit-infused grooves. The EP closes with a killer remix by Canadian legend Teknobrat, who cooks up squelchy 303 lines with dense atmospherics before unleashing floor-melting madness. Essential heat.
Review: The latest deep dive into Galaxy Sound Co.'s Black Hole series is another carefully dug out delight featuring three essential jazz-funk-psych cuts. Joe Pass' 'A Time For Us' opens with beautiful cinematic strings, sparse drums and ghostly guitar that has been famously sampled by J Dilla and the Slum Village crew, and sounds powerful in situ here. Milt Jackson & Ray Brown's 'Enchanted Lady' follows with hypnotic modal swing, again famously flipped, this time by Pete Rock, De La Soul and Knxwledge. Closing out is Archie Whitewater's 'Cross Country', which is a funky, soulful groove with brass and keys that have been immortalised by Kanye and Common, but remains a burner here in its original form.
Review: Even if it's a point worth making, sometimes it needs to be made several times over before it lodges itself in the brain. Whoever was behind this original cosmic disco cut, it hammers home the principle of not stopping the music with such repetitive intent that we have to wonder whether we truly would want to stop the music had we not been inculcated as such. And though we're unsure of its origin, 'Don't Stop The Music' and its loving rerub from Leeuwarden, Netherlands DJ and producer Pete Blaker hears the artist dare not forsake the Northern English interest in such sounds by leasing his wares again to Newcastle label Hot Biscuit. Backed by a suspensory glaciation on the B, 'Ice Cold' with fellow producer Dionisos, you can be sure yet some other aspect of disco gold has also been reliably preserved here.
Review: Blaque Dynamite is the work of Mike Mitchell, a drummer from Texas who has played with neo-soul queen Erykah Badu, and jazz legends old and new in Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington. He also makes challenging, defiantly original house music on his own and on top of a couple of albums worth checking from the last two years, comes this EP, which arrived late last year but now debuts on wax. It has a couple of short, sketchy originals that are lo-fi, low-key hip hop vignettes, while JT Donaldson and Stefan Ringer add their own more club-ready reworks. Ben Hixon & Blaque Dynamite also hot up for a remix that is all shimmering melodies and shuffling percussive rhythms.
Review: Birmingham's Jossy Mitsu and Bluetoof join headsy forces on their new collaboration for Tempa, colliding the former artist's rinsed, globetrotting UK-troit DJ sets the world over and the latter's "drum specialisms" formerly lent to labels the likes of Shall Not Fade. Transcending the one-forties for a deeper-shades descension, 'Metamorphic' and 'Acid' establish a mood of nightclub meets human biostasis facility, as sci-fi zaps meet brooding, high-sustain bass cues. 'H20' is the sole tune to heighten the mood, its stop-start rollerblade bass and necksnap 808s proffering a jammier digestif.
Review: Released by a Kyiv-based label run by Noizar, this EP serves up a potent mix of minimal and tech house with futuristic flair. On Side-A, 'Ease Your Mind' by Borys offers a mesmerising minimal groove, blending techy, robotic beats with funky, spacey elements. The track's otherworldly vibe creates a hypnotic atmosphere, perfect for both laid-back and deep dancefloor moments. On Side B, 'Los Demeteros"' by Yzer is a heavy stomper, featuring a crunchy bassline that drives the track forward. The eerie, alien melodies lend an unsettling, yet quality to the track, making it feel both futuristic and rooted in the past. The dynamic composition of 'Los Demeteros' draws listeners into its depth, while maintaining a solid, danceable energy throughout. This release is a stunning journey through minimal and electro-techno, showcasing the unique sound of Kyiv's underground scene.
Review: The first official reissue of Brooklyn People's rare 1975 soul-funk classic 'Peace and Love / Wreck' arrives courtesy of Selector Series for Record Store Day 2025. Originally released on Cheri Records half a century ago, this sought-after 7" has fetched prices of around L50 on the collector's market. It's one of those true crate-digger gems with its perfect mix of soulful, spiritual deepness and driving, dynamic drum grooves that never quit. 'Wreck' has atmospheric crowd sounds as well as jazzy keys and horns to really take things up a notch.
We Are People Band - "Right Fight" (version) (3:03)
Review: Jamaican singer Dennis Brown's 1984 cut 'Right Fight' finally lands on 7", joined here by a dubwise version from the in-house We The People Band. Originally buried on the Love's Gotta Hold On Me LP and a now-scarce 12", it's one of those righteous, rootsy calls to arms that Brown delivered so effortlessly at his peak. His vocal glides over a tense but propulsive groove, bolstered by horns and a chugging rhythm section, while the lyrics advocate moral clarity in the face of pressure. Flip it and the band's instrumental version runs wild: militant and heavyweight, full of reverb-splashed snares, spectral brass and stripped-back pressure. Produced by The Mighty Two (Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson), this pairing reflects a moment in mid-80s Jamaican production where the energy of roots still collided with dancefloor sensibility. Essential for selectors with a deeper box.
Review: Landing with a curbstomp the year before their debut full-length Matando Gueros, 1992's iMachetazos! served as only the second 7" EP (of what would become a lengthy discography) from drug cartel death metal outfit Brujeria. While performing with their faces covered and under gangster pseudonyms, anyone within the scene knows the collective alumni boasts (or has at one point) Fear Factory's Dino Cazares and drummer Raymond Herrera, as well as Billy Gould (Faith No More), Nicholas Barker (Cradle Of Filth Dimmu Borgir) and Jeff Walker (Carcass). Lyrically touching on tops of Satanism, torture, gang violence and drug dealing, all united through Mexican imagery and gangster aesthetic; when coupled with the band's extreme form of death metal imbued grindcore, the resulting menace is akin to waking up in a mosh pit during Sicario.
Review: British producer BufoBufo makes profound electro tunes that are as much defined by their storytelling synths and their fresh rhythms. He draws on acid, breakbeat and classic house on this new EP, which though cosmic and journeying also retains a real human soul. 'Celandine' glistens with rueful pads and taught basslines that rise and fall next to lush synth outbreaks. 'Bittern' is more dark and prickly with a menacing undercurrent and 'Quantum Tunnel' shuts down with a slower, more reflective sound, beautiful arps and languid drums. Our favourite is the open though, 'Petroglyph', with its nimble basslines and widescreen psychedelic synth explosions.
Byron The Aquarius & Steven Klavier - "Higher" (3:44)
Review: Key playing master Byron The Aquarius returns to Star Creature with 'Jamajama', a slick 7" dripping in synth-heavy funk and future-facing deep house of the sort that has made him a real standout in recent years. On the A-side, Byron delivers a left-field jazz-funk burner that's packed with squelchy, bass-rich, and weirdly elegant vibes that perfectly straddle the line between two-step and house grooves. Flip it over and you get a lush nu-boogie banger featuring Steven Klavier on vocals, and his disco-laced touch has lit up tracks from Soul Clap to Eli Escobar so you may well be familiar. It's a tight, genre-blurring gem from one for heads, dancers, and divas alike.
Review: The good early work of the Third Stream label carries on with this seventh missive and it's a various artists affair featuring some top talent. Alex Font gets things underway with 'Keep Moving', which is aloof, rolling minimal tech defined by a billowing lead which does what it wants. Kyle&Sam's 'Chapter 36' is an ice-cold and deft, steel-plated tech cut a la Melchior's best and Altarf & Backhauser -keep the synthetic, abstract aesthetic going with their occult machine whirs and loopy drum funk on 'Yeah.' Dumi & Nopau's 'Time Measurements' is like a long-lost Ricardo Villalobos cut from his most famous album.
Review: Two new Drumcode signees from Sweden team up for the first time ever on 'Deadly Valentine', a gothic x-marks-the-spot in big-cheese techno. The first joint single outside of compilation or album formats, Giordani's flair for melodic structure and genre blur rubs against sonic streamliner Skils' skills, repurposing a vocal line Giordani stumbled on during a Spotify deep dive, and which now comes anchored by gladiate grooves and ghostly dual-language lyrics, tossing over sincerity and satire. Skils handled the initial structure, though the pair refined it across versions and sessions before locking in the final cut.
Review: BOOOoo! returns with its fourth V/A, bringing together Ildec, Pagenty, Phase O'Matic, Gogo Gadgeto and label head BOOH for a tightly assembled five-tracker. Steering into the murkier corners of electro but with a light touch, their next comp offers a range of moods without ever dropping to fully into the abyss. From 'Volviento AMT' to 'The System Is The Matrix', each artist contributes a knowing cut, one which leans dark but stays danceable, threading twisted textures and low-slung rhythms without losing sight of playability.
Shaun LaBelle - "Mon Cher Amor" (feat Maysa & Bobby Lyle) (4:15)
Shaun LaBelle - "Your Love Kept Calling My Name" (feat Maysa & Stokey) (4:02)
Review: Minnesota's Shaun LaBelle returns with two collaborative cuts that shimmer with West Coast class. On 'Mon Cher Amour', Maysa's effortlessly fluid delivery rides plush piano chords from Bobby Lyle, whose presence elevates the arrangement with vintage jazz-funk elegance. Lyle's involvement i rare and usually reserved i speaks volumes. Flip to 'Your Love Kept Calling My Name', a slower burn that shows off LaBelle's syrupy synth bass and clean guitar touches, anchored again by Maysa, this time joined by Stokley. The track's groove is thick but graceful, helped along by contributions from Jeff Lorber, Patrick Lamb and Maurizio Metalli. While there's a polish that veers towards the adult contemporary side of soul-jazz, both tunes have the kind of melodic strength and studio richness that make sense of their Billboard and UK Soul Chart success.
Review: This heavyweight 12" delivers fresh French-produced roots reggae straight out of the unlikely region of Brittany in the North West. It unites the talents of producers William Spring and Arthur Dub Dealer with sought-after Jamaican vocalist Aza Lineage and results in 'Give Thanks For Life,' a spiritually charged anthem carried by Aza's commanding, conscious delivery over a deep, meditative rhythm. William Spring serves up his own riddim, and the B-side offers a delicious dub version from Dub Dealing that strips the rhythm back and recooks it with echo-drenched finesse. Benyah's 'Badman Horns' is tipped with some ska-adjacent brass to make for a meeting of modern roots energy with enduring messages of uplift.
Review: After a two-year break, Sticky Plastik returns with its third various artists release, offering a refreshed look and evolved sound. Side A features Corsican producer P.O., who delivers two standout tracks: 'Dodo', a melancholic yet hopeful journey through dark disco-tinged minimal techno, and 'Arcade', a groovy, 80s-inspired acid house cut brimming with energy. On Side B, Chinese artist B.AI teams up with Polish producer Marcelina (formerly Marcelina Wick) on 'Homesick', blending deep Asian atmospheres with a Slavic emotional edge in a lush progressive house cut. P.O. closes the release with a tougher, techno-driven remix of 'Homesick' that adds punch to the package.
Egotrip - "Dreamworld" (World Of Dreams mix) (7:25)
33 1/3 Queen - "Searchin'" (5:43)
Bobby Konders - "Let There Be House" (5:14)
Review: Boccaccio was one of Europe's most influential clubs back in the late 80s and early 90s. Based in rural Destelbergen, it was a place where new beat, acid, techno and house all collided, and Boccaccio Life 1987-1993 is a deep dive into the electrifying soundscapes of the time. It comes on Music Man Records and is a 40-track compilation that reclaims Boccaccio's legacy beyond the overly reductive new beat tag. Resident Olivier Pieters and club regular Stefaan Vandenberghe are behind it, and have split the full selection into four vinyl parts. Bobby Konders's 'Let There Be House' is the killer here, but all four cuts are deliciously dark and heads down club tackle from a golden era.
Review: American songwriter and composer Patricia Barber's marked her breakthrough with Modern Cool, an album driven by her captivating take on The Doors' 'Light My Fire.' Her performance of the album at The Jazz Standard caught the attention of Blue Note's Bruce Lundvall and lead to a celebrated run of releases and international acclaim. Modern Cool became an audiophile favourite thanks to Jim Anderson's meticulous recording and Barber's sharp songwriting and artistry, and it still sounds super here as reissued by Impex on VR900-D2-pressed 180-gram vinyl. It's the perfect way to enjoy a real jazz classic.
Review: Spanish musician Bass Lee delivers a strong debut instrumental album with Roots across 10 tracks of deep roots rockers led by his signature melodica. The collection was produced alongside Roberto Sanchez at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio and features standout tracks like the uplifting 'Enlightenment' and the meditative nyahbinghi-inspired 'East African Rift.' The album was developed during a studio session that also birthed albums by Clive Matthews and Lone Ark Riddim Force and completes a trilogy focused on timeless reggae foundations that are rich in analogue warmth and melodic finesse. All of this affirms Bass Lee's place in the new wave of roots reggae musicians pushing the genre forward.
Review: The Guy Ritchie-penned film The Gentlemen centres on Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), an American in London whose luxurious lap founders on the back of a lucrative but prone marijuana empire. As he plans to retire and sell his business, a web of schemes, blackmail, and betrayal unfolds as rivals plot to seize his fortune. British composer Chris Benstead's soundtrack is elusive and sluicing, incorporating Charleston-inciting bass undertows, ticking clocks and finger-clicking inquests, as of a main character's paranoia threatening to make truly manifest.
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