Kenny Larkin - “You Are” [Planet E] (buy)

Kenny Larkin should need no introduction, but just in case here’s a quick recap. Along with Saunderson, Atkins and May, Kenny is part responsible for the sound that we class as Detroit Techno. With stacks of releases & remixes going back right from 1990 Larkin is highly respected and classed as one of the innovators who pushed the sound forward. At any one given time (depending on his mood) Kenny’s sound can take in electronic, techno, house, soul, jazz & more.

Here we have his latest, ”You Are” which has fallen on Carl Craig’s label Planet E & coincidentally also comes complete with a Carl Craig remix on the B side on a track titled ”Bassmode”.

The original is like taking a trip back to when techno was consistently great, unlike today. Kenny sets things off with a sweet techno rhythm some shaking percussion and a deep throbbing bass line. In comes Kenny himself as he goes about preaching over this slick - timed techno bomb. It’s all very offside in the best way possible the bass, percussion and rhythm has great depth and originality and when backed up by Larkin’s vocals you have something very special indeed. I’m quite positive that the bass sound the warps along is a 303 or 313 it has a new old skool feel and it works very well. If only it was a little longer, not to worry though as we still have another track and a Carl Craig remix to get through. Happy Days!

The Dark mix of “You Are” is dark, moody and very Detroit. Moody chords set the tone this is accompanied by Larkin and his preaching if the A side was for midnight this is most definitely for 5am. Those chords stay deep and dubby and the rhythm takes quite an obscure turn every so often it will jilt off and make some typical techno noises. The percussion is tight and shuffled the chords get deeper, darker and Kenny really lets go, then the 313 goes into overtime and there you have it another guaranteed dance floor weapon.

Last up is “Bassmode”, here Carl Craig goes about remixing this and the result is quite a monsterous out come. First up he drops the tempo and slows things right down he turn the strings into more of a droning and really twists the remix up. The signature synths from Craig are present the percussion is like a marching band when the drummer goes at it solo. It’s all about that deep & dubby stepping - bass from the strings, i mean WOW. This will be sure to set the crowd going wild. The dark mix was a dance floor weapon. This is a weapon of mass destruction. The process repeats itself and becomes even better as it opens up everything working together like a well oiled machine. This is one remix you don’t want to be without this summer, twisted techno at its very best.

A killer & utterly essential package from Kenny Larkin and Planet E.

Soulphiction - “Reclap” (Kalabrese Remix) [Sonar Kollektiv] (buy)

Michel Baumann’s guise as Soulphiction is quite a lot different to his guise as the techno producing Jack mate. Michel who runs the German based Philpot & Phil E labels has been on the circuit since the beginning, originally spinning hip hop in the late 80’s but would soon take to electronic music & producing it’s fair to say that Michel is a veteran and has stood firm as times gone by. His sound as Soulfiction is a mixture of soul, jazz, melody and African elements all of which he blends perfectly creating a sound somewhere in between Henrik Schwarz & some unknown yet unique act you could expect to find on the likes of Giles Peterson’s Worldwide show. His recently released and quite fabulous album “Do You Overstand” has had the remix treatment & today we will be focusing on the Kalabrese remix but also in the package is a nice remix from Losoul & another by IKE.

Sacha Winkler (what a great name) AKA Kalabrese is one of those producers that seems to never get the attention that they so rightfully deserve. Quite a unique act Kalabrese is one of Switzerland’s more colorful characters who first came to my attention back in 2004 when he released his “Chicken & Rice” EP on Perlon. Since then he’s had an album, numerous remixes and a handful of his own releases to boot.

Kalabrese goes about remixing Soulphiction’s “Reclap” with a care free attitude, laid back and lovely, it’s casual but strong and tight at the same time. He plays with the guitar before bringing in the African themed vocals. As a whole the beats are quite minimal with a distinct “tribal” feel through out. I don’t know why but it reminds me of the sea washing up on a sandy beach maybe its those swooshing synths that casually get dropped in every so often!? The vibe is a lovely warm one very chilled and melodic it just sooths every part of my soul when listening to this. Sit back, unwind & chillout to the soothing sounds of Soulphiction.

With a good response from his last mix it was only a matter of time before Craig hit us up with his next. Equally as good as the first, this time he goes for a dark approach kicking things off with sinister cuts from Ricardo Villalobos & Radio Slave. The darkness shadows out and in comes some warm tribal and some luscious house music coming from the likes of Sety, Loco Dice and more. This should be classed more of a journey than a mix always keeping the listener on their toes (how it should be) Craig goes about things very well indeed. The middle part has a warm summers day written all over it, Schwarz, Watt & Romboy all making their presence heard. He finishes things off with some lovely deep house and even a bit of psychedelic disco from the likes of Quiet Village and a quite essential Jon Daly edit of Led Zeppelin. This people is what a mix is about. Download now you wont be disappointed. 

Ricardo Villaloboss - Minimoonshine (Shackleton Remix)
Radio Slave - K Maze
Sety - Mogane (Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts Remix)
Loco Dice - La Esquina
Henrik Schwarz - I Exist Because Of You (Dixon’s Version)
Ben Watt - Attack Attack Attack
Marc Romboy - Helen Cornell (2000&One Dub)
Lemos - I Mousa Pu Gamousa
Stereotyp - Keeping Me (Fauna Flash Remix)
Terry Lee Brown Junior - Delightful Encounter (Terry’s Deep Mix)
Tobias - I Can’t Fight The Feeling
Quiet Village - Circus Of Horror
Led Zeppelin - Trampled Underfoot (John Daly Edit) (d/l)

This weeks Rewound Circuit comes for no other reason apart from the fact that I have been listening to a lot of early to late 90’s house music. This is one that has never really left my stereo and has been on repeat for a good few days now so i thought i’d share it with you guys. A good one for summer and one that will never fail to get a reaction. From 1993 Nuyorican Soul AKA (Kenny Dope & Little Louie Vega) “The Nervous Track” (Horny mix) (d/l)

Substance - “Relish” (Shed Remix) [Scion Versions] (buy)

Subtance AKA Peter Kuschnereit has had his classic and finest piece of work to date reissued. “Relish” is an aural piece of timeless techno. Originally released back in 1996 the original is a highly rated piece of techno and has never faded or wilted over time. It’s really good news that this has had a repress but not only has it had a repress it comes complete with a new remix from Shed a new dub version and seven handy loops, for the more adventurous DJ in you. I can’t stress enough how all the edits in this package make it more than worth your while to check out this precious piece of techno.

The original version shows just exactly how far ahead Peter was when it came to producing. Intricate & deep yet obscure and dubby at the same time, moving along quite awkwardly but with such depth and character. It really is a fantastic piece of techno.

Shed’s remix is a real beauty he slows things down and adds a delightful shuffled percussion on top of what is already an insatiable groove. Moving along smooth and seductively his remix really does creep up on you it’s more of a raw groove, quite basic but with an enormous amount of dance floor power. That kick drum works really well & has a slightly warm feel. And when put next to that micro percussion it really sets the track of well.

The Dub takes things to another level much more dark and quite experimental this is for the inner techno beast that’s eager to come out and cause havoc on the floor.

All in all it is a very good package, Shed’s remix is my tip for you, this will be sure to find its way not only into techno sets but deep/house as well. Quality stuff from Substance.

CBS.nu - The Cybernetic Broadcasting System is a place full of amazing people and music. It was there that I found this freaky and stunning New Wave mix by John Diaz (myspace). No track-listing. It’s 1h19m of 80s cheese-tronic synth music. Nothing particularly interesting about that in itself usually. The difference is that this mix is so well pieced together; accounting for songs, rhythms and feeling. Quality stuff. So give this a spin, guilty pleasure style with a grin on your face.

John Diaz - New Wave mix (d/l )
“New Order, Experimental Products, Book of Love, Yaz, Pet Shop Boys, Dead or Alive, Revenge, OMD, Anything Box, Secession, Depeche Mode, + more. “

Cassy - Idle Blues/April [Cassy 02] (buy)

After a wait of 2 years Cassy Britton is back on her own self titled label [Cassy]. Known for here hypnotic, loopy house and techno Cassy is one of the best female producers in the electronic music field today. Also one of the most unique acts as she makes her own beats, uses here own vocal talent & produces her own label. With numerous collaborations and many remixes Cassy is a force to be reckoned with. Her DJ sets are very popular and her overall sound is very infectious.

So lets get on with the music & first up is “April” this is a hypnotic and quite edgy looped techno piece. Tight rhythmic beats take hold of you these are met by Cassy’s unique & quite soft, hypnotic vocals.These are accompanied by her slick production style which is very tight and in key, everything working together like a well oiled machine. The beats are quite bare and minimal but they don’t feel cold as Cassy warms the track up with her perfectly timed vocals and seems to do it with ease. The track gets a little faster and more intense as she adds a vibrant continuous piano key this is backed up with a looped vocal snippet and those rhythmic beats which we started with. Very cool & edgy house music.

Completing this two sided EP is “Idle Blues”. This is much more rough and a lot more fierce, deep dubby bass and eerie bells kick things off, in comes Cassy this time she’s singing rather than “mumbling softly”. like usual the beats are repetitive and hypnotic, very strong and will work well on a techno floor. That offside bass is quite obscure and when put next to her vocals the outcome is very pleasing indeed. Those chiming bells ring out a late night tune to which this techno track likes. All in all this is a very solid two sided EP, if you like Cassy and her unique style this is for you.

Sound as a concept/philosophy is something Raster-Noton has promoted since the label’s birth in 1999. Byetone a german named Olaf Bender, also one of the co-founders of Raster-Noton released a quite massive twelve back in february. So it’s time to take a small step back again and contemplate missed gems. The release I’m talking about is, of course, the brilliant Plastic Star! Deviating from the normal serving of the label’s more experimental sound, Plastic Star is dry and terse no doubt but it is also surprisingly danceable. In addition to the original the package includes remix work done by Dr. Walker, Alva Noto and Sleeparchive. No doubt this outing can be labeled as minimal, if merely for the very minimal sound palette - few sounds are used but to great effect. The track themselves are leaning slightly to electro in terms of rhythms though. None of the takes on the track are weak, but they can’t touch the original in terms of heavyness and raw feeling. Dr Walker’s idea comes in at a second place for me. Check this for astute minimal electronic music with some soul/danceability left.

Byetone - Plastic star (Dr Walker rmx) [Raster-Noton, 2008] (d/l)

Boola - “No Spam Here” EP [Lomidhigh lmtd] (buy)

Time for some more slick, deep Romanian action again on RC. The exclusive Danish label [Lomidhighlmtd] continues in fine form with a one of release from Boola where he gets a little help from his friend Demos. The ”No Spam Here” EP sees upcoming talent, Boola who is busy making a name for himself by releasing on [Arpiar] the label that’s run by Raresh, Petre Inspirescu & Rhadoo. See’s him bringing two very solid house tracks to the table that have quite a unique edge to them.

First up is “Septacol” unlike his previous work this has been produced solely by Boola himself. Septacol is a complexed home grown deep drum track. Very intricate and has the up most attention to detail throughout. Building using vibrant organic percussion and a quite amazing layering effect this track really has an awful lot going for it, spacey synths whoosh by every now and again, the drums are constant and get more intricate as the track progresses. A very nice track and one that should work wonders on the right floor. Expect the likes of Kaden, Ozer & the RPR Sound-System to be dropping this on a floor near you very soon.

Next up is “Trompetre” this is produced by both Boola and his friend Demos. Now this is a real party starter. kicking things off with such a classy & groovy brass horn section which the likes of No Assembly Firm would be proud of. “Trompetre” reminds me of Smith & Hacks remix of Herbert’s “Moving Like A Train” it has all them kind of qualities except with this there’s no real big breakdown. It all works incredibly well and will be sure to kill the dance floor this summer especially if your doing outdoors. It’s the sort of record you could find and probably will find Villalobos spinning this summer. Funky horns from the brass section, tight percussion and a good groove, whats not to like?

Both tracks are quality and worth your hard earned. If you like the sounds of this i’d buy now as i believe that there wont be a repress and come strictly limited.

 Anton Zap - “Anton Zap” EP [Underground Quality] (buy)

Anton Zap is a relatively new name to the scene who first came to my attention by a split EP which he collaborated on with DJ Jus Ed. This was released on Ed’s home grown [Underground Quality] label back in January. A few months on and we get to have a full, solid four tracker just from Zap himself. Anton Zap is a Producer/ DJ coming out of Russia, Moscow to be precise & his sound is a mixture of deep house and Detroit influenced techno. The track that did it for me and made me want to hear more from Anton was “Captain Rush” which was taken from the ”Real House Music”  EP back at the beginning of the year. Since then we’ve had to wait a good five months to hear Zap’s new EP & let me tell you now it’s been wholeheartedly worth the wait.

Mr Zap gets things moving on “Captain Storm” with a deep atmospheric feel. This is a very solid start where he moulds atmospherics and “Detroit sounds” perfectly. It has a real raw feel to it, eerie synths and atmospherics start to melt into your mind this is where he brings the bass and some minimal percussion in the background, everything comes together very well indeed. Before you know it this piece of music is coming to a close and your going back for another listen.

If Storm was a gentle introduction with a lovely calming feel to it “Tk4″ is the total opposite. More Berghain influenced than Detroit, this is very raw and quite awkward with an almost 2 step dubstep feel. Tk4 would sound at much at home at DMZ on a Friday night as it would coming from the likes of Dettmann & Klock on a murky Sunday morning back in Berlin. Again heavy on the atmospherics, much more darker mind you it’s those awkward 2 step vibes that work so well every now and then he will bring in a peppered piano melody. This builds up to what can only be described as an awe inspiring climax everything working simultaneously, you can hear every nut and bolt ticking over perfectly. This is one very strong track & one that’s highly recommended. 

The third track on this excellent EP is “Cold” this is where that deep house element comes into to play. With definite references to the Detroit sound this is one very solid house cut. A rolling house groove sets the tone this gets to play with some luscious deep, edgy keys and some raw sounding synths which stay prominent in the background. In comes the vocal from Vadim K who remains to keep the vibe strictly underground with his superbly timed & quite exquisite ”singing”.This is where the track opens up and really takes off. This is easily my favourite piece on the EP and one of my personal faves of the year.

Rounding this excellent EP off just nice is “PM Please”. This like “Tk4″ has a real raw feel to it, not as raw and dark as Tk4 but certainly not far off. With more of a melody and some skippy beats this is warm yet quite dark and mysterious at the same time. Sounds interesting ? well it certainly is. Like a lot of Anton’s music deep atmospherics play a big part and this is part of the reason why his music has that standout from the rest feel. It’s not often that you come across a EP where all the tracks are playable, but even less often where all the tracks are standout and make you step back and appreciate them much more than you normally would.

Quite a release from Anton Zap and without a shadow of a doubt this is one producer who you need to keep close tabs on.

Unknown to me, English electric not quite properly introduce themselves with a stunning EP on Mighty Robot. My problem is that I still have no idea who they/he/she/it are/is. For those who want a textual description of the sound on the Auto beam EP, here goes: Take the epic Vangelis (don’t worry) Blade Runner soundtrack, update the equipment, attitude and beats. Prophetic synth work blends together with classy electro rhythms for some outer planetary love making. The four track on the release are all of proper 7+min length. Astute and super slick, not one tone out of place, this is some of the best “new wave, italo-disco, electro” blend I’ve heard. Listen to Monarch and feel the dirty, rainy yet glistening beauty of future space dreams wash over you. Vangelis-style done correctly. 7008 is upon you; imperfect, strained, delicate, alien and absolutely wonderful.

English electric - Monarch [Mighty Robot, 2008] (d/l)

Unknown - “Cae & Nin” [Ral1001] (buy)

The unofficial [Ral] label continues to bring joy to music heads and trainspotters a like. It’s a safe bet to say if you have either seen the three Romanians or any of the Chileans in the past year you will have more likely than not heard something coming from the [Ral] label. Available only through Freebase Records in Germany, Ral is up to its 4th + release, previous releases have seen the likes of “Rose 2 Red” & “Floete” & “Clarinette” with the latter two causing quite a stir in a few sets earlier this year. The releases come untitled, well as unknown but more often than not well known DJs are behind the tracks. Floete & Clarinette was the work of Petre Inspirescu & Rhadoo, “Rose to red” was Rhadoo remixing St Germain & this latest one and possibly the most wanted, (Cae & Nin) is the work of Luciano.

“Cae” is Caetano Veloso’s classic from 1987, “Depois Que O Ile Passar” remixed by Luciano & “Nin” is a version of Nina Simone’s 1965 classic “Sinnerman”.

If you have seen Luciano or Ricardo in the past year it’s more likely than not that one of these tracks will have been dropped in particularly Nin, with Luciano hammering it since the end of last summer this has been one of the most requested IDS on Youtube ever. Everyone has been speculating who was behind it, a lot of theories that it was just an acapella or maybe Ricardo had made it or one of the Romanians, the trainspotters were out in force but to no real conclusion. Luciano even dropped it in his essential mix which made people even more hungry for it, it’s only recently that this track has come to light that it is by Luciano 100% as it’s now available to buy.

“Cae” has a similar story but with a little more drama. For ages some guy, Jack Ridella was claiming it was his remix, some say its his some say its Luciano’s personally i’d say it was Luciano’s. For months now there has been a 4 min snippet  (Which I’m sure some of you will have) of “Depois Que O IIe Passar” doing the internet rounds but never a full length version, well at least up until now. The youtube video which was first aired back in April 2007 has had nearly 11,000 hits with 24 people speculating and wondering who it was by when is it getting released and how the hell can i get a copy. Well the wait is over.

Both of Luciano’s remixes are quite the party starter’s. “Cae” is a quite sublime journey through lovely warm percussion & ear-gasmic vocals the sort that will send a shiver down your spine when dropped at the right moment. This remix is high in Villalobos territory and i wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere along the line he had a hand in producing the remix. A gorgeous summer influenced track that will be sure to do wonders on the terraces this summer. A real joy to listen to and it never gets tiresome or over used. Quality!

“Nin” has the chance to end up being a massive hit with DJs and clubbers a like this summer. It’s been Luciano’s bread and butter for i don’t know how long but now & very kindly he’s made it available to the masses. That unforgettable looping piano riff rolls out for a good 13 Min’s this is accompanied by Nina’s sublime vocals which Luciano has edited and moved around the track mainly using snippets but very dramatic vocal snippets at that. Those peppered vocals are sure to do strange things to the revellers on the floor. Quite a remix and one that will be sure to get very popular indeed. The live percussion is vibrant and quite heavy at the best of times, the piano riff will stick in your head and refuse to leave and the remix as a whole is quite the complete package. Awesome stuff from Luciano. If you like the sounds of this i’d go check out what else the Ral label has to offer by using the buy links at the top of the page.

We have that Friday feeling here at RC the sun is shining and the weekend is upon us. Recently we came across a really interesting remix from an unlikely source (well as far as this house and techno blog goes) It’s a unofficial remix from Tommie Sunshine where he is remixing the Rolling Stones classic 1968 track “Sympathy for the devil”. Tommie’s remix sits well with the current percussion/ “tribal” trend that is upon us. He basically just gives it a fresh coat of paint, and a coat that’s full of energy, soul and well being. With this being unofficial the green light has been given for us to hand it out. Something a little different but really good. You could drop this as an end of night moment or perhaps work it into your set mid way through, whatever you go with i think you will be pleasantly suprised. Drop this and it’s one track your friends wont have, but will want soon after they hear it, and one that will give your set some originality. Sing-along with sunshine in the sunshine. Many DJ sets of late are taking in so much old but interesting music from many different genres so we thought this would be a good time to hand it out to our readers also with summer around the corner what better time to drop it. The Rolling Stones”Sympathy For The Devil”  (Tommie Sunshine’s Peak Hour Lucifer Edit)

Chic Miniature - ”Escandalo” EP [Crosstown Rebels] (buy)

Chic Miniature is a collaboration between Guillaume Coutu-Dumont and Ernesto Ferreyra two of the strongest forces of “micro house” which is coming out of Canada today. We have covered Guillaume numerous times this year here at RC, he’s quite a favorite and definitely up there for being one of the producers of the year. His unique styled house struck a chord with me back when he released on [Floppy Funk] in the summer of 2007, since then he has had great success with his first full length album numerous remixes and a couple of solid EPs to boot. This latest one is a match made in “micro” heaven and comes courtesy of the Crosstown Rebels label, who coincidentally have been having quite a bad time after their distributor folded on them earlier this year, but you cant keep a good label down and the Rebels are certainly showing everyone that they are back and mean business. Ernesto Ferreyra who is part of this exciting duo made his name first and foremost by doing the DJ circuit and decided like many others to go into the studio, this is where in 2005 the pair released their first record as Chic Miniature the ”Conexion Califa”, since then Ernesto released his debut single back in 2006 and Guillaume went about taking on a whole genre to himself. Which brings us nicely up to date and ready for the next chapter the Escandalo EP.

The dynamic duo kick things of with “Escandalo” this is an exciting fresh take on micro tech house spoken vocals and vibrant loose percussion sets the tone the softly spoken vocal is a tale about relaxing. Warm drums and rhythmic percussion grooves it’s way around some luscious organic rhythms a lovely warm floaty piano loop is introduced and the percussion becomes very Cadenza esque, tight and a real joy to listen to. There are eerie ghostly sirens in the background competing with the tight percussion everything comes together beautifully this is most definitely an alfresco summer track no wonder the likes of Dear, Magda, Hawtin & more have been championing Chic Miniature of late.

“Chanchita” is up next this is more fast paced but equally as intricate if not more. Strumming drums and fast percussion rolls up next to some fast, peppered ethnic like vocals this is whirl-wind journey into micro house. Part tribal part house this is a fast paced hypnotic drum track that is very good indeed. Great textures and sounds all mould together incredibly well sometimes when doing it like this the producer can go overboard and make things too complicated but not these two it has a real Villalobos vibe and is a very well produced piece yes there is a lot going on but it works & works well.

Completing this fresh and exciting new EP is “Kimono” quite a sublime piece of music is this. A home grown piano sets the way this is accompanied by some tight organic percussion every now and then the piano will break away and go into its own the percussion takes a back seat and the gorgeous notes from the piano drift up and float away. Back comes the percussive elements now more intricate and complexed the two go a little deeper with the introduction of some rolling drums and some micro house whooshes, bleeps and other obscure noises. It’s that piano that gets me, this could quite easily be played as more of a chill out as well as being a winner on the floor.

An extremely well produced EP from two very talented individuals. Full of rhythm, texture, new ideas and lots of care and attention to detail. Super!