Review: JKriv's classic Bukom Mashie Rework gets a deluxe revival in a delectable 7-inch package having long been hard to find if not out of print entirely. And now what's more it also features a fresh acid dub. The original eight minute opus has been expertly trimmed for a streamlined A-side stomper, while the B-side showcases a brand-new version with a reimagined arrangement. This edition is embellished with vibrant 303 acid lines and live flute by the talented Domenica from Underground System all of which ensure that it is sure to become a big summer anthem once more in 2024.
Review: Drop Music marks a quarter of a century of reliable and ever-on-point sounds with a special series of EPs that embodies what it's always been about, offering up both classics and never-before-released tunes. This one kicks off with 'Make A Move' which is chunky low-slung tech. It unfolds at a relatively slow tempo but that gives the fat acid gurgles time to really hit. Inland Knights then serves up the next three cuts, starting with the bass bin bothering sounds of 'Push It', the more silky tech loops of 'Long Time' and the vocal-laced acid-tech swagger of 'Same Talk.' Here's to the next 25 years.
Review: Funkyjaws Music has decided to offer up its first solo EP here having decided to make the previous four volumes of its Let's Dance series various artists collections. JKriv gets the nod here and doesn't disappoint. First up is the leggy mid-tempo disco of 'Share The Night' with its chattery Chicago house style drums and rasping bass. 'Big Chief' is a brilliant mid-tempo jumble of percussion, toms, hits, grinding bass and lazy kicks and 'Let's Do It Right' then takes off on nice clean piano house grooves full of uplifting joy. 'Acid Fantasies' closes out a truly varied EP with a more raw and direct acid house jacker.
Review: The sign of a truly great artist is that you can put on one of their records from some 15 years ago, as well as one out next week, and not tell which is which. Mr Pittman is one of those - a Detroit flag bearer with a raw, otherworldly take on house and techno that always sounds futuristic. 'The Midwest Advocates Part One' first dropped back in 2007 and is being repressed now and is just as good as ever with ramshackle and dusty grooves, wonky synths and eerie textures all getting you into a trance and keeping you there. Both cuts on this are standouts in his impressive discography.
Review: First released by Snuff Trax in 2015, but potentially recorded much earlier, 'U Won't C Me' is one of Mystic Bill's most potent cuts - an analogue-rich hybrid Chicago deep house/acid house cut which sounds like Larry Heard jamming with Adonis circa 'No Way Back'. This Nu Groove reissue naturally features the long-serving producer's original mix, the original bonus track 'Like a Dream In The Night' (a moody, low-slung chunk of warehouse-ready, late 80s style Chicago deep house) and two reworks of the title track. Stefan Bratz ups the acid house factor, reaching for driving drums and mind-mangling TB-303 bass, while Jake Savage's 'Acid Re-Rub' is a jacking, sweat-soaked affair smothered in red-raw acid lines, cut-up spoken word snippets and a ghostly melodic motif.
Review: 'Loose Fit' isn't always the first song name that springs to mind when thinking about the Happy Mondays, but the immediately identifiable opiate guitar riff is up there with the band's most memorable and infectious. A highlight of the group's third album, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, the track was already dancefloor ready before this pack of re-dos arrived on the scene. We're glad it did, though. Greg Wilson and Che Wilson open the scoring, keeping things thoroughly Manchester and acid-tinged, it's a trip through the blue lights and sweat of a warehouse at 2AM. The Grid's EOE Edit and subsequent Remix take the tempo down and the atmosphere deeper, almost druggier if that could humanly be possible given the wider context here. Topped off with a post-club overture in the form of the epic downbeat Perfecto version, and you might want to stick it in the shopping cart now.
I Love Talking To You, Even Though I've Nothing To Say (6:04)
Beyond Content (11:07)
Review: Fast-rising French label Phonogramme has released some genuinely brilliant music of late, and this three-tracker - a collaboration between long-serving Ukrainian producer Vakula and fellow Eastern European artist Logich AKA L.G - is another must-check EP. The pair hit the ground running with 'FD', a deliciously mind-altering, 13-minute concoction in which bubbly acid lines, spacey electronics and dubbed-out synth sounds rise and fall atop a jacking, 116 BPM deep house beat. Elsewhere, 'I Love Talking To You, Even Though I've Got Nothing To Say' is a deep, dusty, low-slung and analogue-rich slab of lo-fi deep house excellence, while 'Beyond Content' is an ultra-spacey exercise in tease-and-release dancefloor hypnotism that runs to 11 mesmerising minutes. If you like your house deep, you need this in your life.
Review: Stefan Braatz's latest EP, Outlaw, on Nu Groove, showcases his timeless sound and genre-defying approach. With a career spanning three decades, Braatz is celebrated for his diverse expertise, blending old-school reverence with contemporary techniques. The title track, featuring vocals from Chicago house pioneer Harry Dennis, kicks off the EP with Braatz's signature synth energy complemented by Dennis's effortless flow. The following solo tracks further exemplify Braatz's defiance of genre constraints: 'Conversation' engages in a euphoric dialogue between synth strings and piano loops, while 'Dingy Thoughts' and 'One More Dream' delve into darker club territories with intense, pulsating rhythms.
Review: A welcome return to action from Studio Barnhus boss man Axel Boman, who has been surprisingly quiet since the release of his excellent Luz/Quest For Fire double album in 2022. On the Space Drag EP, Boman showcases the depth, variety and imaginative eccentricity of his deep house productions to the full. For proof, check side A, where the ghostly, stab-happy hedonism of 'Acid Left and Right' - all bubbly TB-303 motifs, synth-strings, digital woodblock lines and repetitive bleeps - is followed by the druggy, dubby and percussively dense Latin house quirkiness of 'Forever Latino'. He throws in a fine curveball in the shape of 'Space Drag', where looped-effects laden Swedish vocal samples and woozy chords ride a tight kick-snare pattern and deep, warm bass, before closing things out via the picturesque breakbeat house deepness of 'Ohh Baby'.
Review: Shadow Pressings returns to their own self-titled label with more joyous disco, house, acid and funk fusions on their Mid Level Boss: Bonus Round EP. 'Find A Friend' is a lively opener with funky basslines and big claps, scurrying disco grooves and call and response vocals that brim with character. 'Holding One Shoe' flips the script to bring some slow motion acid house undulations while 'Train Of Fools' is a deep cut with raw percussion and sensuous vocals adding soul. Superb chords bring late night charm to the prickly beats of closer 'More Music In The Night'.
Review: Despite their name, we find that the music of retro technicians Paranoid London offers us a rest from the paranoid mental state that the Great Wen often instils. Now out on a tenth anniversary edition, the duo's raw acid techno debut, released in 2015, heard two Londoners take temporary flight to Chicago, re-imbuing urban smoky techno with a long-lost sense of looseness and grit. Working in relative anonymity, the duo drew praise for their sparse use of original Bernard Sumner vocal lines, affording the record an esteem-by-proxy as well as a sense of turning full circle, as PL's Quinn Whalley actually spent many a pre-teen afternoon in Factory production wizard MArtin Hannet' studio. But it's the record's own minimalism that keeps it satisfyingly repetitive yet never complaisant. PL go their own way, swirling the old school round a ringer road of outer-city grit.
Everything (No Statues) (previously unreleased version) (5:03)
Don't Do It Like That, Do It Like This (feat Donna Black) (5:56)
Crazy For Your Love (previously unreleased Recording) (4:18)
Together (6:53)
Sycologic PSP (5:09)
Self Hypnosis (previously unreleased mix) (5:37)
Silicon (live At The Brain club - previously unreleased version) (4:11)
Review: The Nexus 21 'Mind Machines' album finally sees the light, bringing the shelved UK techno classic to eager fans. Originally recorded in the early 90s, these tracks capture the essence of Detroit-inspired UK techno, fusing raw energy with British flair. Standouts include 'Nexodus' and 'Everything (No Statues),' with Motor City talent Marc Kinchen and Anthony Shakir lending their touch. While only two tracks saw official release back then, this album unearths unreleased gems and alternate mixes, showcasing the duo's groundbreaking sound that influenced both Nexus 21 and their rave-alter ego, Altern 8. A long-awaited landmark.
Review: Demi Riquisimo's Semi Delicious reaches a significant milestone with its 20th release, unveiling a four-track EP from the ever-impressive Leeds producer, Kepler that's a stellar addition to the label's expanding repertoire, 'Step Up' launches the journey, a sub-bass-driven escapade that intertwines pulsating grooves with squelchy acid lines, encapsulating the label's ethos. 'Swoon' arrives next, blending a playful FM-bass lead with staccato vocals and warm pads for a vibrant dancefloor allure. The B-side's 'Acid Flow' faithfully channels classic 303 vibes, while 'Separation' pays homage to vintage US house, tweaked with Kepler's unmistakable UK tech-house stamp. It's a veritable feast for discerning dance music aficionados.
Review: For its latest release, revitalised New York house stable Nu Groove (now part of the Defected empire) has decided to showcase two tracks apiece from NY legend Harry Romero, whose first 12" was released 30 years ago) and long-serving Berlin house stalwart Daniel Steinberg. Romero handles side A, delivering a mind-mangling, 21st century take on acid house ('The Monk', one of his strongest cuts for some time) and the warehouse-ready, acid-flecked slab of peak-time nostalgia that is 'Shoot Your Shot'. Steinberg starts by peppering a swinging, low-slung deep house groove with jazzy electronic piano licks and pots and pans percussion on 'AC TC', before doffing a cap to the sleazier, more bass-heavy end of the jazz-house spectrum (and classic Switch/Solid Groove productions) via EP highlight 'Do It For The Music'.
Review: A rich exploration of minimal and tech house sounds with a nostalgic twist. The EP kicks off with 'Istinto,' blending futuristic techno with elements of house music and early 90s bass vibes, all wrapped in spacey sounds that evoke a sense of cosmic adventure. Next, 'Aura' delivers a stomping, darker beat designed to capture attention and drive energy on the dancefloor. Side-2 features 'Potenza' which channels raw techno reminiscent of 1991, incorporating trance elements for a nostalgic feel. The track's energetic vibe and vintage touches make it great for old skool sets. 'Essenza' ends the EP with a great groove and atmospheric feel good melody. A devastating blend of beauty and brawn. Dynamic, engaging tracks that will resonate with techno enthusiasts.
Sanctuary - "Disconnect" (extended Disco instrumental) (6:25)
Willie J & Co - "Boogie With Your Baby" (extended Disco mix) (6:21)
Unknown Tape - "Familiar Time & Place" (Chicago mix) (7:05)
Unknown Tape - "Familiar Time & Place" (Detroit mix) (7:09)
Review: The shadowy Edit & Dub crew don't talk about their releases, so it can be difficult to ascertain whether the tracks they're showcasing are long-lost originals, or new edits of ridiculously rare records. Either way, the label's latest EP features versions of some seriously hard to find treats, starting with a fine 'extended disco instrumental' of Sanctuary's 'Disconnect', a fine disco-boogie jam from 1980. They then deliver a (we think) previously unreleased 'extended disco' mix of Willie J & Co's killer 1976 disco-funk gem 'Boogie With Your Baby'. On the B-side we're treated to two takes on the mysterious 'Familiar Time and Place' by Uknown Tapes: a 'Chicago Mix' which sounds like late 80s Windy City acid house smothered in spacey deep house chords and intergalactic electronics and the mid-80s techno-tinged 'Detroit Mix'.
Review: The Woodentops are long-time Balearic bossmen and peerless party starters and now their music is under the spotlight on this new remixes EP from Hottwerk. It is their tune 'A Pact' that gets four different versions here starting with a nice loose-limbed and percussive house workout from the UK veteran Bushwhacka!. Then Skyscraper HiFi B aka Anglo-Swedish pair Jon Dasilva and Jonas Nilsson offer a remix that slows it right down to a nice downtempo jam with indie vocals and then offer a second remix that is more sleazy and raw with a low-slung house grove topped with acid madness. Last but not least is the label head Spatial Awareness with a remix which glides on silky synths and airy drum loops with some nice trippy vocal touches.
Review: The fourth release on the promising London's Shadow Pressings label is creating quite the buzz already. This five-track collection feels like an unearthed Detroit classic, expertly blending Chicago and Detroit influences into timeless dancefloor gems. Side-1 opens with 'Last Night Baby', a tracky, beat-machine-driven house cut reminiscent of Derrick May's groove-laden style. Beautiful piano keys float atop the rhythm, adding a touch of elegance to the infectious beats. 'XNXX' follows with a deep house and techno edge late 80s vibe that channels Detroit sounds with a rich, authentic warmth. Flipping over to Side-2, the title track 'Can I Tell You?' delivers tribal goodness with euphoric, melodic moments, while 'Step For' keeps things lively with fun chords, a snappy beat and a dubby, acid house twist that evolves into a serious groover. Closing out the EP is 'One In A Life Time', a futuristic end-of-the-night anthem with claps and a slightly jackin' feel. More proof this is a label to watch.
Review: Juaan's debut on Kalahari Oyster Cult channels the Argentinian producer's ability to merge gritty, hypnotic house and electro with an unmistakable dark edge. With these four cuts, he expertly navigates a sonic landscape where urgency and allure coexist in perfect harmony. 'O Bianco O Negro' opens with a deep, rolling bassline, leading into acidic bursts and sharp percussive hits. It's a track that demands the dancefloor's attention, moody and relentless. 'Ladron' takes a slightly more sinister turn, with rumbling synths and a touch of tension, while still maintaining Juaan's fluid, dancefloor-driven momentum. Over on the B-side, 'Puntual' drops into an intricate mesh of stuttering rhythms and hypnotic arpeggios, perfect for those late-night sessions. Closing with 'Apego,' he draws the EP to a close with a darkly seductive groove, laced with eerie atmospheres and an unyielding forward motion. Informed by 90s influences but firmly grounded in the present, the EP delivers the kind of atmospheric, high-octane dancefloor heat that's made Juaan a standout talent in the underground scene. It's dark, sleek and perfectly calibrated for the dancefloorian intoxicating blend of funked-out futurism and dystopian allure.
Last Night (feat Harriet Brown - MAD vocal mix) (7:11)
Last Night (6:27)
Phone Sexting (5:23)
New Life (5:19)
Review: One-man dance music production line Tom Carruthers - a regular contributor to L.I.E.S and the man behind the admirable Nonstop Rhythm label - makes his bow on Make a Dance's M.A.D imprint. Fittingly, the fast-rising duo kick things off with their take on title track 'Last Night', delivering a vintage-sounding house cut featuring sublime lead vocals from Harriet Brown that sits somewhere between Frankie Knuckles' turn-of-the-90s productions and Larry Heard's late 80s deep house jams. Carruthers' gorgeous instrumental original mix follows. Over on side B, 'Phone Sexting' sees Carruthers blur the boundaries between proto-house and early Chicago jack tracks, while 'New Life' is a picturesque slab of deep techno loveliness.
Review: London-based Aussies Make a Dance are the latest act to appear on Gottwood Festival's occasional Gottwax imprint. What they've delivered is predictably quirky and peak-time-ready, with the pair introducing us to the concept of 'Woof Doof' (doof being Aussie slang for heavy dance music of the sort played at raves, or "bush doofs"). The title track, featured on side two, joins the dots between acid, breaks and bleep, with the accompanying 'Hardcore Labrador' mix wrapping the original's bleeps around a stomping 4/4 beat and throbbing, Italo-disco style bassline. As for 'Pocket Beagle', which kicks off the EP, it's an eccentric acid house affair with clonk style melodies and plenty of cut-up spoken word snippets. The wild and breathless 'Acid Dub' of the same track completes a fine package.
Review: Molen's 'Future Is Gone' delivers four standout techno tracks, bringing a futuristic energy to the dancefloor. Side-1 kicks off with the title song, driven by a pulsating bassline and a powerful groove, enhanced by spacey sound effects that add an extra dimension. Next up is 'Medano', a journey into a sci-fi world with an exciting acid line and a rhythm that builds in intensity, making it a true trip. On Side-2, 'Suggestion' keeps the momentum going with a killer beat that makes it another solid addition to the release. Finally, 'Basic Instinct' brings an 80s-inspired groove, blending new beat and electro influences for something fresh and unique. This EP from Special Bounce packs plenty of variety, perfect for fans of innovative techno who are looking to get lost in a futuristic vibe.
Review: Analogue pressure from Bufobufo, who stops over in Japan for Cabaret Recordings after earlier international stints with Art Of Dark, Partout and Furthur Electronix. His second single for the label, founded by So Inagawa and DJ Masda, proffers a hypnotic blend, binarising the mood with the sliding melodes of 'Watercourse' and 'Armour Plated' with comparatively sparse and gritty perc-slaps of 'Wood Ant' and 'Cinnabar'. That strange but difficult-to-nail split between of hypnotic intrigue and immediacy is well and truly nailed.
Review: The exceptionally named Panty Soaker Sound System bursts onto the scene here with a powerful debut EP on their own self-titled label. 'Hormones' marks the inaugural outing and is a track that ignites the floor while exploring self-empowerment and inner desires. It has picked up early praise from Honey Dijon and is a full-throttle and steamy, erotic house sound that is sure to become a bit of a winter anthem. The EP includes three acid-infused original mixes, followed by the Prosumer HorMoans Remix which is a dark stomper with prickly 303 lines and a heavy groove. For those craving a harder vibe, the LUXE Dark Room Remix delivers a broken-beat reimagining with high-energy that takes you to new heights.
Review: Shan's second installment in his warehouse series continues to deliver the high-octane energy that made its predecessor a hit. The TRACKS perfectly capture the essence of underground raving in forgotten, defiant spaces. The opener, 'Phantazia,' leads the way, blending proto-hardcore vibes with soulful strings reminiscent of Soul II Soul. It's a track that commands attention, demanding action on the dancefloor. '89 Swing' and 'Euphony' bring in breakbeats that nod to the golden era of rave, with the latter evoking the atmospheric soundscapes of The Future Sound of London. 'Elevate' blurs the line between house and techno, creating a pulsating rhythm that's as hypnotic as it is driving. 'Uplift My Spirit' brings a touch of warmth with its break-for-love vibe, adding emotional depth to the EP. Each track on this EP is crafted to fit any rave setting, offering something for everyone, whether you're deep in a warehouse or lost in a late-night set. Shan delivers another potent dose of rave nostalgia, with a modern twist.
Review: Killowat Hour is a collection of 90s-inspired gems that seamlessly blend new and old influences. On Side-1, LP Rhythm's 'Want Your Love' kicks things off with a nostalgic nod to prog and euro house, delivering a distinctly 90s vibe. Aida's title track, 'Killowat Hour,' ventures into futuristic techno territory, incorporating elements of new beat for a modern twist. Mance's 'Cross Reference' follows with bouncy techno rhythms, smooth melodies, and trance influences that keep the energy flowing. Other highlights include Hottpretty's 'Make Me Yours,' which takes listeners on a trancey, heady journey through early 90s techno, offering a vibrant and energetic experience. Mad Again's 'The Night' closes the collection with deep euro house vibes, adding a layer of sophistication to the nostalgic set. This compilation is idea for those who like deep house and those who appreciate the balance of classic and contemporary sounds.
Review: Last year, Quiroga (real name Walter Del Vecchio) returned to Hell Yeah! Recordings with an impressive dose of TB-303-laden dancefloor psychedelia, the superb 'Acid Dropout EP'. 'French Kiss', the title track from his latest EP for the popular Italian imprint, is a more immersive, warm and hazy affair, where sweet female vocal snippets, warming Rhodes riffs and dreamy electronics rise above a shuffling, mid-temp deep house beat and organic-sounding bassline. His trademark acid lines naturally feature on the accompanying 'Baia Club Ambient Version', a shuffling breakbeat affair that takes cues from Italian 'ambient house' (IE dream house) rather than beat-free soundscapes. It is, though, genuinely superb. Turn to the flip for two bonus cuts: the vintage Jazzanova-esque broken house brilliance of 'Ask Coppede' and the deep, Balearic-fired electro shuffle of 'Cala Ventosa'.
Obatala Sango Ochun - "The Beginning" (Afrikan Latino mix) (6:24)
House II House - "Into The Night" (5:25)
Bizzy B - "Summer House" (3:20)
Rohan Delano - "Inflight" (5:17)
Montana Orchestra - "Esto Parese Amor" (Tribal Love beats) (5:11)
Uncle 22 - "The Man From" (6:22)
Review: Hotmix deliver another two-track slaying from an aliased ambassador of the label itself, this time the first edition in the new 'Obscure Bad Dreams' series. An homage to Sauro Cosimetti (the Italian house and techno mastermind whose credits include releases on Frequenza, Natura Viva and Beatfreak), six acolytes of the artist bring six, discoic house hosing-downs to the table. Most exciting among the selections are the lively African trad chanter 'The Beginning', the dreamy soulful house 'Inflight' by Rohan Delano, and Montano Orchestra's freestyle-inspired dub-electro-disco 'Tribal Love Beats' version of their own 'Esto Parese Amor'.
Review: 'Detachment' is right, and Raymond Owen knows it. A mood of cool detachment is a crucial to most commercially viable dance records, be these under the aegises of Chicago house or dub techno. Bringing his craft to the Non Stop Rhythm sublabel Indulgence, Owen's untrammelled and tricky dance sound brings a sense of mechanistic drive and prosthetic modular weight to the floor, suggesting music for cyborgs with detachable limbs and affects (ahem, hence the name). The remixes on the B are especially cool and unreactive, as both AFN and Chieu Hoi respectively, progressively pare back the mix as thought they were the utmost cold, utmost sheer expositors of a minimal house hullabaloo.
Warehouse Preservation Society - "Fugitive Funk" (6:28)
Flash Mitra - "Spring Street Shuffle" (6:24)
Praus - "Magnetism" (6:01)
Sherman C & Space Ace - "Just A Dream" (6:23)
Warehouse Preservation Society - "Fugitive Funk" (dub) (4:35)
Review: Techno House Connoisseurs return with a fresh VA, packed with five top-tier acid and tech house tracks. Kicking off the A side is Los Angeles duo Warehouse Preservation Society with 'Fugitive Funk', a bass-heavy, breakbeat-infused slammer that captures the essence of hypnotic West Coast vibes. London's Flash Mitra makes a debut with a moody, percussive acid house gem. On the B-side, THC regular Praus delivers 'Magnetism', an acid chugger with warped vocals and 303 grooves, while Space Ace and Sherman C team up for 'Just a Dream', a relentless acid banger destined for peak-time sets.
Review: Not everyone 'gets' house. First, there are those who dismiss it as mindless 4x4 schlock; then, even amongst those who ostensibly enjoy the moods that the genre lays down, there are still individuals who fail to appreciate the subtleties that glue the spaces between the beats, or the musicality that holds the tunes together as opposed the lacks thereof that might make them flop. Whatever the case, Calisto's Definitive Classic (TM) 'Get House' is an ahead-of-its-time house pioneers' artifact, coming as an early example of what some might call tech house, albeit nowadays most would simply assume is acid or breakbeat. Indeed, to truly be able to appreciate the differences betweem genres, you have to just, you know, kinda, just 'get it'.
Chuwee, Seb Hall & Gaspar Muniz - "Sheeeesh" (6:06)
Cyborg George - "Laguna Vere" (6:31)
Review: Another round of lush sound from the Frog Dog Records crew from Philadelphia. Four housey groovers procured with love from a star cast of artists - Sweater, John Manhard, Chuwee, Seb Hall, Gaspar Muniz and Cyborg George - this is a variegated record serving every angle of contemporary East Coast breaks, from b-people funk to aerated, sonic fibre-optic-mystics. Our favourite of the bunch has to be the tonal quarter-note slice-of-heaven, Sweater's 'Gemi', which shimmers against the ears and pushes our buttons with an especially cleanly, future-angelic breaks stride.
Hold On Me (club mix instrumental - Deep mix) (4:06)
Hold On Me (Deep mix instrumental) (4:06)
Review: There is a distinctly old school feel to the dark moods of this new deep house outing on Fruit Merchant from Hidden Spheres and Private Joy. 'Hold On Me' takes you back to the days of Adonis, Hercules and Tax Records with it intense emotion, humid atmospheres and menacing bassline. The drums are raw and jacking but the vocal brings a vital soulful and human edge. After that club mix comes the paired back instrumental, a deeper mix that smooths the edges and makes this more soft focus and cuddly. It's a gorgeous tune for loved-up floors.
Review: Early 1990s classic The Green Album features iconic Orbital tracks like their breakthrough single 'Chime' and the legendary comedown tune 'Belfast.' After the success of 'Chime,' Pete Tong signed Orbital to London/FFRR Records and granted them the creative freedom to craft an album beyond the typical rave formula. Influenced by Kraftwerk and Cabaret Voltaire, the Hartnoll brothers came through and then some as they aimed to create a fully immersive and innovative album full of ambition which helped the duo become pioneers in electronic music, influencing artists from Bjork to Bicep and collaborating with figures like Madonna and Kraftwerk. Their second self-titled album solidified their visionary status, while their groundbreaking live performances are also by now the stuff of legend.
Review: Derral is a young and exciting producer based just outside Barcelona. But if you didn't know that and were to judge purely off his music then you would assume he was some Italian producer from the 90s who had been digging in his archives for some unreleased material. These are lo-fi, dreamy house tracks with a real sense of bang but also quality emotional depth. 'Tree Man' is particularly glorious with its neon details and old school piano chords while 'State of Mind' brings a touch of acid to a jacked up Chicago house beat.
Review: He may come from noted house stock (his dad being one of the residents at Glasgow's Sub-Club for decades), but Jasper James' continued success has been built on his undoubted qualities as a DJ and producer. The latter is clearly evident on the Glaswegian's first EP for ChiWax, which follows earlier lauded releases for the likes of Steel City Dance Discs and Optimo Trax. He goes for the jugular on opener 'Factor 50', peppering a raw, analogue bassline and sweaty acid house beats with sparkling piano riffs and occasional hands-in-the-air moments, before opting for a more Kerri Chandler-influenced sound on 'NY Fuzz'. 'Lost Trax' is a riff-sporting jack-track that sounds like it could have been made in Chicago in 1988, while 'Webster' is a gorgeous, analogue-rich deep house workout.
Review: Eris Drew, "high priestess of the motherbeat", drops her second release of 2024, reflecting her genre-mashing DJ style with a cheeky slice of stab-infused club magic. Tribal house marching, tightly marshalled breaks, glitchy bleepiness, bubbling arps and a celestial melodic ether - this one's got it all. Label founder Baby Rollen reinvents it via a slightly more rave-orientated remix, while retaining a solid base of beats and bass perfect for modern floors, before Gallegos closes things with a more epic, slow burning version that echoes some of Carl Craig's raw but irresistibly danceable work under the 69 banner. Triple, tasty trouble!
Review: A punctual reissue of a rare Eye 4 Sound tech-acid house party starter from 2004, this Repeat version of Dexter's 'Paradox' stays faithful to one of many EPs in UK artist Mat Royall's regal flush of technical itches to last from 01 to 06, spread across labels like Beat Code, Random House and, in more recent years, Real Deal and Bosh Records. 'Paradox' is subset by the fun-loving 'Ychtm Acid' on the B-side, and while we can't claim to be so clever as to be able to decode this standout track's strange titular acronym, we can vouch for the sickness of its eccentric percussions and atmosphere, a fine case of what we call "mood design".
Review: Hot on the heels of the release of Medlar's brilliant new album, Islands (a first solo set for 12 years, fact fans), Delusions of Grandeur has decided to deliver a swathe of club-ready remixes of key cuts. Predictably, the label has opted for an eclectic range of high-profile underground artists. Acid house revivalists Paranoid London step up first, re-framing 'Lub Interlude' as a dark, TB-303 fired chunk of electronic body music, before Crazy P's Ron Basejam turns 'Dot The T's', featuring rapper DeeVoNay, into a string-laden mutant electro shuffler. Over on side B, Josh Ludlow re-invents 'Atlantean' as an acid-flecked midtempo chugger, while Medlar himself delivers a gorgeous and colourful 'Sunset Dub' of 'Midnight Chicadas'.
Jungle Ridge (feat Dele Sosimi & Arnau Obiols) (5:46)
Ibiza (feat Andy Blake) (5:53)
Midnight Cicadas (feat Rebekah Reid) (5:25)
Sun Spots (feat Sam Virdie) (6:18)
Atlantean (feat Alfa Sackey) (5:35)
Hello (3:50)
Review: South London's Medlar returns to Delusions of Grandeur at the peak of his production powers, showing up with a distinctly refined sonic palette on the brilliantly expansive LP, Islands. Known for his deep-cut edits, genre-hopping productions and steady underground presence, he's pulled together a cast of collaborators including Dele Sosimi, Rebekah Reid, Arnau Obiols and more. The record builds on years spent engineering and producing for others, drawing on those skills to deliver something more personal than ever. Blending live instruments, 80s-inspired electronics and club-ready low end, it's less sample-based than past work but still rooted in the recognisable Medlar spirit. Highlights come thick and fast, including the blissed-out opener 'Take A Trip', the wigged-out exoticism of 'Yeah', the acid thrust of 'Luv Interlude' and the emotion-rich Balearica of 'Ibiza'. Top marks.
Review: French producer Lingo launches their imprint Lingo Tools with a decisive helmer, 'Lingo Tools 001'. Landing somewhere squarely between breakbeat, hip house and jam-out acid propulsions, we're first met with 'Push Da' System' - which brings a finger-on-the-button, Beastie Boys-styled vocal line to a stabbing rave blow-cutter - while 'Never Say Never' moves straighter and buzzier. B-sider 'The New Sound' finds confidence in transitory quadruple claps and injunctions to usher in the new sonic world order; finally, 'Moonwalk Like Me' prostrates itself on an astral geyser of sound, with a central arp-ing, melodic tessellation showering off the tune like meteoric detritus.
Review: Lefferis Kalabakas may have been making and releasing music as Lee Burton for the best part of 14 years - largely for labels like Raum Musik and Up The Stuss - but this tidy EP still marks his first outing on German giant Rawax. He starts in confident mood via energy-packed peak-time workout 'Party Crusher', where acid licks, Yorkshire bleeps and piano riffs rise above an early LFO-inspired groove, before opting for a mid-90s-MK-goes-psychedelic flex on 'Nismo'. Over on the flip, 'VOT' is a rolling, acid-flecked, organ-sporting slab of rushing dancefloor positivity, while 'Zero G' is a raging, TB-303 heavy acid-breaks roller.
Review: We'd have never guessed that the (originally) dubstep producer Loefah would land a release on the principally juke and footwork label Teklife and decide, of all things, to give them three acid techno tunes. The linkages aren't as tenuous as it sounds, though: anything more than a cursory listen will unveil the unmistakable Chicago house influences on this otherwise London-born burrer. With the 197 bus to Croydon held firmly in mind, both 'Jump Start' and 'Nines' lay down respectively riveting fidgets, and recall lost fantasies of juke competitions in deep South London community centres, that in reality never happened - though we still know, feel, that deep down there is a more primal dialogue at play between the two cities. On track 3, this dialogue is extended with an official collab with ghetto house pioneer DJ Deeon, whose overt displays of sample-vocalled sexuality put the genre on the map; here, though, he rerubs Loefah's A-side, tubing his acid line through a veritable warp-sped drive, and causing the track to take its fullest flight.
Review: Peruvian producer Rufo is next to take charge of the Exarde ship. Currently based in Barcelona and resident of the legendary Mad Radio, he has a snappy and direct take on tech house that brims with great sound designs as well as interesting rhythmic inventions. 'Abduccion' opens up with a mix of cyborg funk and snappy tech snares and kicks. 'Casa Matusita' brings more rugged synths designs to smooth and infectious grooves and 'La Decada De 1990' then takes a turbulent cosmic turn with menacing vocals and sci-fi signifiers. 'Operacion Chavin De Huantar' is a final cinematic adventure with bleeps and squeaks detailing the beats.
Review: Moroccan favourite Kosh tops up a new trifecta of releases for his own Convergence label with this latest edition of 'Enslaved'. Melodic electro-acid tempered by vocoder lines (the 'Vox Mix'), speedy 4x4 trance ('Supernova') and deeper-down-the-rabbit-hole tabfests ('Above & Beyond'). Clearly, there's something here for everyone; even a delectable topping of bonus beats on the A2, which works just as well on its own as it does with its vocoded vocal centrepiece.
Review: Embark on a journey of mind expansion with Miles Mercer's latest 12" on Accessory Records. On Side-1, 'Outta The Window' is a track that melds ethereal synth work with infectious rhythms. 'My Name Is What' continues the vibe with an intriguing mix of twisted samples and driving beats, making it a standout piece. On Side-2 'Occult Explosion' wraps up the EP with a hypnotic blend of dark, occult-inspired synths and relentless grooves, leaving you deep in a spellbinding sonic landscape. Miles Mercer's new release is perfect for anyone looking to explore the depths of electronic music's more psychedelic and adventurous side. Blending so many genres, you just focus on the vibe. We think that's a good thing.
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