Random Circuits

Reviews

The Japanese based Mule Musiq label is at the forefront of cutting edge electronic music, with a impressive back catalogue, and a quality sub label, (Mule Electronic) this label is getting stronger with every release. It started off by mainly focusing its attention on the Japanese electronica / Ambient producer Kuniyuki Takahashi, but it wasn’t too long until they started to build the label by shipping in up and coming budding electronic artists, everyone from Force of nature, Henrik Schwarz to the Echologist aka Brendon Moeller has had a release with Mule. Always pushing boundaries & breaking away from the average, this label is one to take note of & one to watch very closely. They seem to release in quick succession, often not getting the attention & praise that they deserve.

Me, I have been interested in their music for a good while now & have picked up some fabulous music from both of the labels combined, so when I heard they were releasing a various artists compilation CD I was eager to hear what they had on offer & let me tell you now this is one compilation that will not disappoint. It’s a mixture of luscious house music that will take you on a wonderful journey through nearly every spectrum of the electronic music scene, passing through deep and disco to ambient & house but not forgetting club, home listening & chill out. This really is a superb album.

Yoshihiro Tsukahara & Kuniyuki lead the way with “It Floats” & it certainly feels like you could be floating, the airiest of pianos combines perfectly with a soothing plucked string guitar, whilst this is lifting you away the pair gently bring in some airy synths so breezy they virtually float of unknowingly. Make way for Todd Terjes remix of Kaoru Inoue’s “Secret Field” the Norwegian gives the track a up beat italo disco remake with strong strumming electronic guitars & a lovely warm melody that goes deep.The strings eventually turn acoustic & this is accompanied by the warmest of percussion’s. Ten Snake continues the great mood with “Keep Believen” this to me is what deep house music should be about warm & melodic music that actually goes somewhere. It will take you by surprise as it suddenly gets more intense. Without doubt it’s the jazzy synths & the keys which really make this record stand out in the crowd. Sasse goes for the electronic funk approach on “Deep Ocean Eddie” which sounds like he’s been taking influence from late 80’s records, this is expertly made electronic music at it’s best. Regulars to the Mule Musiq roster are Kento Sasaki & Yotsukaido Nature AKA Force Of Nature, this being an aptly titled name for what your about to hear. Their instrumental take on Ana’s “Shift” is a sublime piece of Japanese music, more suited to home listening it’s one of those tracks that you have to hear through a decent set of headphones to benefit the most from. So your all chilled out & in a state of trance from the sublime work by Force Of Nature, but don’t get too chilled as up next is Sly Mongoose with “Bad Pulse” the padded cell remix. This is laced in deep funk that has a distinct live feel throughout a very well produced track, part jazz part electronic this really pushes the boundaries & makes a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Long time electronic music producer Terre Thaemlitz bring a very nice experimental piece to the table with “Masturjakor Club” this is quite dark & more mysterious than the previous records on the album. I love the attention to detail as its intricate layering comes off perfectly. The next track is one of my favourites I’m a sucker for anything brass related be that a sax, trumpet or some groovy horns & this is no exception. Kuniyuki’s Rhythm & Trumpet remix of his own expertly crafted “Flying Music” is a real show stopper. No words can express how truly sublime this piece of music is. This track alone deserves 5 stars. Time for Henrik Schwarz to put in an appearance this time he’s in collaboration with Kuniyuki on the great “Session” track. Both artists combine their skills here & it works well Schwarz with his home grown house & jazz skills & Kuniyuki with own unique part electronic part Japanese flavor. The penultimate track “Galaxia” is by Marcello Giordani and has had the remix treatment by the Motorcity Soul boys. Matthias & Christian do the record good with their own take on things, it’s much more club orientated than the rest & it focuses it’s main riff around deep swinging synths & a uncontrollable bleeping that will eventually form into the track itself and come together very well indeed. Which brings us almost to the end of our wonderful journey but not until the Echologist AKA Bredon Moeller puts in an appearance. Choosing”Faith” the (NY Remix) to close on was a stroke of genius on Mule Musiq’s part this is the track you wont be forgetting in a hurry. It reminds me of music that used to get played in this old Reggae bar in Bradford City Center. Brendon pulls out all the stops on this track as it swirls in beautifully produced electronic music combined with jazzy trumpets, cool percussion, tight drums and a lovely warm feel.

I simply can not stress enough how fantastically unique & brilliant this album is.

Mr G - Sometimez I Cry

Last modified on 2008-05-12 19:35:44 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Mr G -”Sometimez I Cry” (Including Radio Slave Remix) [Oproof Holland] (buy)
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Colin MC Bean AKA Mr G has been known to show up with a quality record or two in his time as a producer, take the “Atmosphere” EP from 2007 then there’s the “U Askin?” EP on Rekids also from last year & not forgetting numerous remixes for various labels. I would like to see, but more importantly hear more from Mr G. Here’s to hoping he has some up & coming music in the pipeline. His latest one “Sometimez I Cry” sees it drop on the Dutch Oproof label & it’s a really good piece of acid techno, & to put the cherry on the cake it comes complete with a great Radio Slave remix.

Mr G’s original is a fast paced rolling acid excursion. He comes at you with everything he has building with whooshing synths that eventually turn violent and moody, acid drips from every part of your body as this techno ride takes it’s course. The track really comes together as the acid synths bounce of every wall and head straight into your path leaving you no where to hide.This track will eat you for breakfast, but will still want more! & it has more to give. The breakdown is a strange combination of muffled voices, high pitched bleeping and that fast rolling percussion which you started with. Eventually it does explode and all hell is let loose with everything going into over drive you start to wonder if your ever going to find your brain again as it’s left frazzled in a pool of sweat on the dance floor.

Radio Slave goes for the total opposite, not that this is a bad thing, infact i think it gives this release great variety. If you enjoyed his recent “No Sleep” releases your going to like this. Matt opts for the stripped back basic groove remix concentrating on the simple groove, hand claps and his signature style under his “panorama garage” guise. You know by now, slow building, every component in the right place, dark & devious. I reckon this will suite house heads down to the ground it has enough deepness to find it’s way into a house set & it is dark and minimal enough to be found coming out of the more underground venues. It carries on to chug away only changing shape by the introduction of a synth and a violent rebounding hand clap every so often. Matt’s attention to detail is second to none & after hearing the original you can tell what great lengths he has gone to to strip this down to it’s bare bones & give it a new face which is equally as good as the original.

The Viewers - Streethorn

Last modified on 2008-05-09 19:54:16 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

The Viewers - “Streethorn” [Audiomatique] (buy)
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The anonymous “Viewers” make a return visit to Audiomatique, the label that gave us last years big hitter “Blank Images”. This time their back with a track titled “Streethorn” & like Blank Images this is set to be another good record. I can’t find anything on the Viewers only that they have one release & have just released another, both of which are on Poker Flat’s sister label Audiomatique Recordings.

Streethorn is a good piece of melodic house music, quite light & airy this one floats by like a cloud in the summer. The viewers use what sounds like a piccolo (among other instruments) to build up quite a dramatic tension. With Streethorn they combine the floaty sounds of this with a shuffled percussion & syncopated hand claps all of which work well together. The only thing i can find fault about this is the length just shy on 6 minutes, not long enough for my liking, still if you like to mix it up a bit this would be a good one to drop.

Kreon & Lemos - Lookooshere Remixed

Last modified on 2008-05-09 19:52:02 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kreon & Lemos - “Lookooshere Remixed” [Resopal Red] (buy)
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Since releasing the excellent “Roza” EP back in late 2007 Markos Spanoudakis & George Laimos AKA Kreon & Lemos have firmly placed themselves on the map. Between them they have had releases on Below, Resopal Red & now the newly firmed Cécille Numbers (in which may i add all of which are worth looking up). So it’s safe to say that these two are a firm fixture in the electronic music scene & rightfully so too. The pair made waves with their last release back in January on Resopal Red, Yes I’m talking about the fabulous “Lookooshere” EP. This was the one that introduced people to there signature sound of rolling percussion, ethnic rhythms & wonderful melodies, their sound is quite unique & very fitting for the way 2008 music’s scene is shaping up. I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the Lookooshere EP got remixed in fact i actually thought for some reason Villalobos would put in an appearance & give us a long meandering track to fill us up over the summer months, but it seems he wasn’t interested. Not to fear, as we have three fantastic remixes which do the EP 100% justice.

Kicking things off is Gabor Schablitzki (AKA Robag Wruhme) & half of the German based outfit that is the Wighonmy Brothers. Gabor took to remixing ”Lookooshere” the lead track from the EP, & what a really good job he has done. “The Wighnomy’s Rollmops Rework” is a giant percussive rework it’s strong and loud & will be favoured by the likes of Luciano, Loco Dice & 2000 & One, the Arabic horns & the strong rough techno sounds work very well together. He uses the horns to his advantage by bringing them in & making them more prominent & taking the the rough background noise to a minimum, making a sort of a break down in the track. This will be sure to have clubbers shouting & cheering. Essential summer sounds.

If Gabor Schablitzi’s remix didn’t do it for you don’t worry you wont be left out as we have another remix of “Lookooshere” this time it’s been remixed by Art Bleek (who i only know from his release on Connaisseur). This is where things get really tasty he gives us a fantastic stripped back deep workout that will be sure to cause a stir on the more deeper influenced floors. He focuses his main attention around the horns, & does it well. Adding a dare i say almost deep house flavor to the mix this is one remix that is bound to find fans right across the board. It continues to develop in to a sublime piece of house music & a track that will gain alot of attention over the summer.

Last to the table is Parisian Wonderkind Anthony Collins he gives us his take on “Lylys” and WOW! this tops thing’s off fantastically well. His remix is the club friendly version, as are all of them but this will be favored by many. It’s a long percussive work out that takes you on a really good journey full of rhythm & melody it’s more fast paced than the previous two thus making it more of a club track. He really gives it a thorough going over and it works incredibly well. The horns are more peppered but stay visual through out, the percussion is Luciano, Villalobos & Josh Wink all rolled into one. This would sound just as much at home on Cadenza as it does on Resopal. A excellent way to close this fabulous remix package

Seldom felt 2

Last modified on 2008-05-08 19:37:18 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Unknown artist - Catscan remix [Seldom felt, 2008] (d/l)

Seldom felt continues to stay unidentified. Good I say! This, or these, producer(s) set the bar way up high with the first outing, now upon us again with more raw sketches of pure techno essence. For the second time my preferences lies with the underside, Catscan remix. A heavy machine-like kick starts the track, and you instantly know that this won’t be no picnic. Snare chimes in together with the industrially eerie background atmospherics. Hihat joins. Devastation well underway. Put me in a pitch black room with this playing eardrum popping loud, now! The pressure continues to rise as this seldom felt juggernaut crushes you beneath its pulsating, bare force. No finesse or flare, this is concentrated brutality. The original, A side, is leaning more towards electro robo-spasmatic horizons - of course also of brilliant quality. Not as menacing nor intimidating, the original is more well rounded and will be a favorite for many a packed dancefloors. Seldom felt has done it again.

Herve Ak, Sorry But No (Rippertons D3 Remix)

Last modified on 2008-05-05 16:58:39 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Herve AK - “Sorry But No EP” [Octopus] (buy)
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Herve AK is a relatively new name to me if I’m totally honest i by passed some of his work by mistakenly thinking it was Herve the bassline house producer under yet another guise! but how wrong i was. This is Nicod Hervé aka Herve AK. Nicod hails from France, Lyon to be precise this is where he runs DV1 a underground club in the heart of Lyon. When he’s not hard at work running & promoting the main club scene for Lyon he will most likely be tucked away in his studio making delightful, crunchy house & techno. The piece that really caught my ear (and i knew for a fact that this wasn’t no bassline house producer) was his release on Octopus the “Sorry But No” EP. This is a real quality release & it comes with a fantastic remix from Ripperton.

The original comes at you stripped back and crunchy with a deep throbbing bass and some magic percussion, it crackles and pops all over the place as Nicod builds the track in a James Holden Esq way. It’s quite progressive in a strange sort of way, but at the same time he remains to keep a melodic out look on things, not too much mind. It’s dark enough for the later hours and at the same time you could drop it in the middle of a set to create a “stop what your doing” kind of atmosphere.

Ripperton’s remix really takes things to another level. Raphaël cranks up the wattage and goes for his trade mark build up, meandering through deep, melodic and crunchy techno this is one journey you don’t want to end. He takes you through bouncy acid like drums luscious melodic pads & a uncontrollable springing effect that will weave its way into your head & refuse to leave. This reminds me so much of Holden he could of quite easily made it himself.

A good solid EP from Herve AK & a really great remix from Ripperton.

Ralph Sliwinski - Pox Box

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:53:01 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Ralph Sliwinski - “Pox Box” [Sushitec] (buy)
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I hadn’t heard much of Ralph Sliwinski until i bought his “Boutique Orange” EP earlier this year. I had heard EFDEMIN spinning it & i remember thinking to myself i need this record, so after a bit of digging around i eventually found out it belonged to Ralph. His latest sees him on the Sushitec label with a good track titled ”Pox Box”, which also comes with the now “obligatory” Johnny D remix, which is a bit of a let down to be quite honest, but more on that later. Ralph’s original version is the one you need to be reaching for, he has carved a fine piece of house music in Pox Box, but carved it using the the bare minimum & it works, it works well. It’s a shuffled percussion affair with warm pads & a really lovely vibe about it, the sort of record you could play early & it would be a good taster for whats to come later. Johnny D’s remix is quite the opposite. To me it just sounds like one long percussion track that never goes anywhere, in fact it sounds almost identical to his last release, like the build up from his last Oslo release, “Orbitalife”. It’s as if he has used the same parts from each track, but with the Pox Box remix he has failed to hide the fact that he has done this. This is definitely a tale of two cities. Go for the original. Johnny D’s remix would be better used as a tool or better still not at all.

Catrat - Freedom (Jay Haze & Kabuki Remixes)

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:56:15 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Catrat -”Freedom”- (Jay Haze Main Mix) [Best Seven] (buy)
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I knew it wasn’t going to be long until Jay Haze restored my faith in him but i wasn’t expecting it to be in a matter of hours. After yesterday’s post about his new album, “Love & Beyond” not being up to scratch, i had a nice surprise waiting for me in my inbox, it was a new EP from a unknown artist /artist’s by the name of Catrat. On a first listen it was like listening to some really dubby Reggae, not too far away from the Rhythm & Sound style. I did a bit of investigating or lack of it really, as all i could come up with is Catrat are 3/4 piece most probably from Germany, my sources tell me Berlin but I’m not 100% sure, & that they’ve had a record out “Freedom” on a Sonar Kollectiv best of album last year. (This i’am sure of). A year on & up pops the remixes, two of which are from Jay Haze, which we have here today.

Jay Haze’s Main Mix is the one you need to look out for, he incorporates dub & electronica perfect, putting Jah Meek’s vocals to good use as he combines them with his minimalistic style of part techno, part dub & part electronica. It’s a very good remix & shows of what Jay is really capable of. Expect this to cross over into house sets over the summer. Personally i don’t think it’s for everyone, but if you like dubby electronic music or are a fan of Rhythm & Sound then you really need to give this a listen. It also comes with a sweet dub version also by Jay & another decent remix by Kabuki, but without a shadow of a doubt it’s the main mix that will be the main player on this unusual EP.

Nick Holder - Time, Remixes

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:54:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Nick Holder - “Time” (Remixes) [NRK] (buy)
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Nick Holder’s “Time” (Ft Sacha) on vocals gets the remix treatment by two of the best in the game at the moment. Georg von dem Bussche & Steffen (Dixon) Berkhahn, Aka Wahoo give two solid remixes both a vocal & a dub version. If that doesn’t tantalise your taste buds, up and coming producer Manuel Tur continues his fine run of form lately with yes you guessed it a vocal & a dub.

Wahoo’s vocal is for deep house heads who aren’t afraid to use vocals. It’s what you would expect from Dixon & co under there Wahoo guise. Tight underground beats with a solid vocal. The track as a whole just tilts it’s way on to the edge of a underground dance floor, but will quite easily find it’s way on to more of a big room floor, with no pressure at all. It’s the sort of track you could find Âme warming up with.

Manuel Tur’s vocal mix is much more of a heads down affair, & will suit more of a stripped back kind of floor. Think late night early morning & a different crowd completely. The use of the vocals is much more intense & quite dramatic & the production is spot on . It builds up from small hand claps & shuffled clicks to a all out dramatic where Manuel really uses the excellent vocals from Sacha to his advantage.

Back with Wahoo, this time there on the dub & it’s a dub which wouldn’t sound out of place if it had found it’s way on to one of the b side’s of Steffen Berkhans Innervision’s label. Quite minimal & very stripped back it’s all about the atmosphere it creates. This would make a really good dance floor tool.

Manuel Tur comes back with what might be the best remix on this release. This time the vocals are much more spaced out, but he still remains to give off a lovely warm energy around the track, as he builds it effortlessly. And then once again he goes all dramatic which comes to a climax very well

If you like vocals with your deep house, but more importantly if your not afraid to use them, i recommend you check this release out. Even if your not keen on vocals, i reckon you will still find something you like.

Nôze - Danse Avec Moi, Remixes

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:01:48 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Nôze -”Danse Avec Moi” (Remixes) [Get Physical] - (btk)
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Our favourite French love makers are back, (or should i say our favourite French makers of love music! are back). Yes that’s right I’m talking about the two crazy Parisians better known as Nôze. The crazy live duo are literally hours away from having there third artist’s album “Songs On The Rocks” drop on [Get Physical] & i must say it’s been on repeat here since the promo dropped a few weeks back. Such good fun it’s like having your own personal love serenader in your pocket ready to set the mood whenever you feel like some love. The album works wonders if you know what i mean (nudge nudge, wink wink). The first, & also lead track to be taken from this fantastic album is “Danse Avec Moi”. This picks up where they left you wanting more last year. By this i mean when they released one of the stand out singles of 2007 “Remember Love”. This had people falling instantly in love with Nôze & had people wanting more!!! (well at least i felt that way)

“Danse Avec Moi” is a lovely, sing a long dance, song that the whole family will enjoy. Be it played with your girlfriend on a chilled Sunday with a bottle of wine, or played in the kitchen with the whole family in attendance, even grandma in the corner is tapping her foot & humming along to Dani Siciliano’s sexy vocals. Excited yet ? Well hold on as there’s more. Get Physical have just released the remixes & they did a really good job in choosing the remixers. They drafted in long time electronic music don, Dj Koze who is known for his experimental/ rock influences in his music. His remix (well its more of a rework) is really good it’s like it’s been recorded live complete with talking, doors opening and some quality live trumpets, the party really gets going as the chanting and clapping comes to a climax combining Koze’s talent for a great remix, the vocals & the overall reworking he has given the track. It’s not over yet as i said remixers so far it’s only remix, plural. The next & last person to have there say on the “Danse Avec Moi” package is Sascha Funke who totally reworks it. It sounds nothing like either of the two mentioned above, i think this is the attempt to make a club friendly version, stripped back and only sparse use of the vocals, don’t get me wrong its good but i cant see it getting played out, much more for home listening but fantastically fun home listening at that.

Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - Le Crew Normand EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:07:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - “Le crew Normand” EP [Karat] (buy)
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Le Crew Normand is everything & more you would expect from Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts. With a history of being in a funk band, playing percussion, studying Latin & dabbling in classical percussion this Montrealer is one all round talented guy. Oh & let’s not forget spending time in Senegal touring with a jazz ensemble! Is there anything this man hasn’t done? He uses all these elements (And more) in his music combining them perfectly to create a unique party jazz feel, that spins off in so many different directions it’s hard to keep up. I’m sure you will agree that it’s quite an alias is “Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts” & not something you forget easily alot like his music.

Le Crew Normand Popped up in the French Karat label, who are on a bit of a good run at the moment. It seems like it was only a hot minute since they released the quality ”Les Cerveaux Lents” EP, now there back on it with Le Crew Normande, & they’re showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.

Kicking off the party is “The Flying Dutchman” which comes at you with live jazzy percussion and a whole range of other instruments thrown into the mix, It’s what funky house should sound like. He brings in tribal drums some live horns and a cool groovy melody, all of which he combines with some sweet vocals. And there you have it it’s like your own personal party coming live and direct with the click of a mouse.

Next up is “Da Drum” where he continues in fine form going all out on jazzy riffs, cool inviting melodies & all over great vibe. This is where the party really gets into it’s full swing, with great tribal drums, deep bass & some sound work from the brass family.

He finishes off in style with “Godamn Whole Shebang” which is more stripped back and a calmer, focusing it’s attention around drums & some skewed vocals, which he builds around by adding more layers as the track progresses. As with most of his music your never quite sure what’s coming next which makes it a very pleasant listening experience.

Mathew Jonson & Adam Beyer - Big Dipper EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:07:51 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

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Mathew Jonson & Adam Beyer -”Big Dipper” [Wagon Repair] (buy)

Two of the best in the business team up on “Big Dipper”. This being the latest work to come out of Mathew Jonson’s steady stable, Wagon Repair. Jonson brings in long time techno fiend Adam Beyer, who is also head label boss of the Swedish techno imprint’s Drumcode, Mad Eye Recording’s, Code Red & True Soul records. So it’s safe to say that when these two come together you know your in for something just a little bit special. And these two don’t disappoint. Big Dipper comes at you with all guns blazing (Quality deep techno guns that is) It’s a fast and furious ride jolting you up & down, left to right, backwards and forwards, your never quite sure what is going to happen next, this making the ride all that more intense and a good one to be on. The two collaborate very well using Beyer’s techno influences & jonson’s more melodic home grown talent & attention to detail, combining both just right. The track fits like a glove not too long, doesn’t go off on any wild journeys through unnecessary 12 min breakdowns & it flows well.

The B side will have Mathew Jonson fans salivating at the mouth, as it’s the long awaited Adam Beyer Remix of Jonson’s Classic & all time favorite of mine “Marionette”. This needed a special touch, & it certainly got one. You didn’t want someone coming along with there great big size 9’s and stomping all over the place. Beyer knows exactly what to do. He keeps the main, ghostly piano chords in play throughout which had to happen really! He really uses them to his advantage by introducing a deeper techno vibe and some eerie voices in the background, making the melody from the piano really jump out at you. He has certainly rolled out the red carpet for Jonson & Marionette, by giving it a fresh lick of paint for 08. Another class act from Wagon Repair here’s to the next one & the one after that…

Jerome Sydenham, Texu & Romantic Couch - Ebian EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:08:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Jerome Sydenham, Texu & Romantic Couch - “Ebian” EP [Ibadan] (buy) Rating:

Jerome Sydenham should need no introduction. A prolific producer/Remixer with work that spans back to the late 90’s. Owner of the fantastic Ibidan label which coincidentally he named after the place in Nigeria where he was born & raised. Not forgetting being half of the duo in the Sydenham & Ferrer project. Ferrer being top NY producer (Dennis Ferrer). These two were the faces behind the smash 2004 summer hit & now classic “Sandcastles”. Then there’s his latest project “Nagano Kitchen” where he teams up with fellow producer Hideo Kobayashi to make some more distinctive Sydenham beats. You get the picture. The mans highly skilled at what he does & has been around the circuit more times than Schumacher.

His latest sees him team up with two South Koreans on whats to be one of his finest moments to date. Whilst recently touring Korea, Jerome stopped off in Seoul to hook up with two local producers. (Texu & Romantic Couch) where all three would go into the studio to collaborate on the Ebian Ep. “Ebian” takes you deep and quite tribal they blend house and techno together effortlessly. I reckon it must be what taking a trip to south Korea is like, all about blending & fusing flavours taking in Korea, near by China & to the south east Japan. You have good scope to work with. Take all that & add Jerome’s natural African qualities which he uses in alot of his music & you have yourself a unique piece of music.

Back home Jerome gets things moving by drafting in Argy to come & make a whistle-stop stay in Berlin where he adds his touch to the track with a “legedary bonus beats remix”. The Greek producer strips the track to it’s bare bones then re stitches it creating more of a tool. More percussive than the original this will be good to weave in & out of your set. Saving the best for last is Samuel l Session he really brings the most out of the track creating a perfect marriage between house & techno. It’s a deep builder & one for the club. Hypnotic & repetitive this will be the remix that gets the most attention.

Jerome & friends deliver a very good EP that has something for just about everyone.

V/A - In The Streets

Last modified on 2008-06-09 19:04:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

V/A - “In The Streets” -[Deepvibe Recordings] (buy) (buy)
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Sascha Dive’s Deepvibe Recordings shows off it’s first label compilation and what a good compilation it is. “In The Streets” is 8 carefully selected tracks from the scenes most promising & upcoming new talent. Featuring tracks from Johnny D, Markus Fix, Ray Valioso Aka Agnes, label boss Sascha Dive & more. Sascha’s recent RA mix left some people feeling a bit flat, some even went so far to say “it’s ‘cos they don’t have a deep understanding of house”. Personally i found it worked best as home listening through a decent set of headphones late at night with a good espresso in tow. If you were one of the people who were left feeling a bit disillusioned this is a perfect reason to give Sascha & his label another chance.

The thing i like most about Sascha’s imprint is the music that he chooses. Taking in influences from Detroit, Germany & even a bit of the old Chicago house vibe all of which he puts into the melting pot to create a unique deep vibe.

Ray Valioso’s “You’ll Never Be Mine” sees him carry on from where he left off with his “Einladung” EP back in 2006. A lovely deep & luscious structure of a house track. Simple with a sexy vocal. Man of the moment Johnny D comes up with another piece of brilliance. “Touch My Soul” is similar to some of his earlier Oslo releases. Tight & fast with a repetitive percussion & a rolling piano, which builds & gets deeper as the track descends through it’s 8+ Min duration.

Buks Aka Baaz & Knarf Skipson hold it down on “Still Working”. Some of you will know Baaz from his excellent “Granular Senses” EP on Sthlmaudio Recordings. Here he teams up with unknown Knarf Skipson where they both go deep. Unknown to me Jason Blakemore goes for the late night vibe with quite a dark house cut in “Suspicion”. Leaving the night vibe behind and going towards more of the early morning this will be sure to freak you out whilst your on the floor. something that will really play tricks on your mind. Sascha’s own track “Street Life” gets the remix treatment by Samuel Davis who also recently remixed “DEeP” & remixed last years underground hit “Deepest America”. The Samuel Davis Dark Groove Mix is about as Detroit as things are going to get. Deep, dark & downright dirty (in a warehouse sort of vibe).

Another producer who is never far from being the talk of the town is Frankfurter Markus Fix. Frankfurt are at the top of the game at the moment with a tight-close knit community of deep house heads. Fix most definitely comes up with the goods. “Idefix” is like taking a journey back to when minimal & deepness went side by side but more importantly worked side by side. It’s the sort of track you could find Loco Dice Spinning at DC10. Hypnotic deep shit!.
Another new name to add to the list for me is Norm Talley. OK so i said earlier that “Street Life” was about as much of Detroit you were going to get. Well i lied. I wanted to save the best for last and this is a fantastic way to close a fabulous label showcase. “Exodus” by Norm Talley gets the remix treatment from the BeatdownBrothers aka Delano Smith & Mike Clark. This really blew my mind its dark brooding and loaded with an underground funk. Extremely catchy and very very playable. As all the tracks are.
I can’t think of hearing a better label showcase ever! Sascha certainly knows how to pick em & definitely has a understanding of deep house. I highly Recommend this:

Henrik Schwarz & Amampondo - I Exist Because of You

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:17:16 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

Henrik Schwarz & Amampondo- “I Exist Because of You” -(Including Dixon Mix) -[Innervisions] -(buy)
Rating:

Henrik Schwarz teams up with the excellent south African Amampondo tribe for the latest Innervisions release. The Amampondo is a colourful south African percussion outfit that started back in the late 70’s in Cape Town. They’ve have had such honours as playing at Nelson Mandela’s 7oth birthday at Wembley, where he would later promote them as ambassadors to South African music by representing there country at the 1996 Olympic games.The group contains of 6 members all of which play an important roll. All but one sing and use vocals with there music. They play a variety of drums & percussion which they incorporate with a live dance act. Quite a special & unique group. If you listen to Giles Peterson’s world wide i think you will have heard them once or twice before. If not this is the perfect way to start.

Schwarz’s version is a live version complete with fantastic African drums and live percussion. The tribe use every aspect of African music to great effect. The use of the Djembe is present throughout as is the Marimba creating a lovely wood percussion effect. The vocal’s are truly wonderful and fill you up with such happiness and great feeling. The floaty sounds of the piccolo can be heard along with some more of the Marimba. Every time i listen i hear something new. Quite remarkable and very pleasing on the ear.

The flip is a stripped back (more club friendly) version from Dixon. Exciting! As the Title “Dixon’s Stripped Down Version” suggests this is more for the club. I cant wait to hear this getting played out. Dixon uses his strengths here by not altering much of the record he just makes it more accessible for a DJs perspective. Still with the vocals, drums & percussion only a little slower and a tad deeper. He has created one of the remixes of the year. In the same league as Yeke Yeke! This is one remix that will be finding its way into many Djs boxes in the coming months.The essential EP of the month:

Loco Dice - 7 Dunham Place

Last modified on 2008-04-30 23:00:25 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

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Mr Dice Corleone (i wonder if he’s a connected guy!) Aka (Loco Dice) has come along way from his Hip Hop roots where he started his career in music. These days your more likely to find him playing in a dingy basement in Berlin than to a packed hip hop crowd in Atlanta. Dice chose to pursue a career in electronic music, after the German hip hop scene went stale. He was more into the west coast hip hop style and found the German style was very different. He took the next step and started producing electronic music. Based in Dusseldorf he was close to the parties only a couple of hours drive away from Frankfurt. More importantly two hours away from the madness of Sven Vath’s Cocoon club. Sven being a long time friend of Dice from his hip hop days and beyond. It wasn’t long before Dice had his first well known Ep “City Light’s” out on the Bristolian label Four : Twenty. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that he would be one of the most in demand Djs with a Residency at DC10 in Ibiza and a smash summer hit on M_nus with “Seeing Through Shadows”. Loco Dice was the man of the moment & people couldn’t get enough of him. Friendly faced & full of charm, the dice man was a big hit & a well needed one too. Alot more women started to listen to electronic music & more importantly go out to the previously dominated male club nights. Fast forward a few years and Loco Dice now has his own label Desolat. Had many release and remix working with silent studio partner Martin Buttrich & is one of the most in demand producers on the scene. It wasn’t going to be long before he hit us up with his first artist album, & what an album it is.

7 Dunham Place is a personal journey for Loco Dice. Moving away from Dusseldorf and opting for the busy metropolitan streets of New York. It’s an artist album alright. Less club orientated & more home listening - headphone. Certain tracks will be played & work in the club in the upcoming months and beyond but the majority will suit home listeners down to a T. Continuing with the same style as his excellent Cadenza EP. He starts the journey with “Breakfast At Nina’s”. Its one of my favorites on the album, loose beats and a sweet vocal combined with the plinky plonky -ness of water running. The singing vocal telling you to “listen honey” it’s as if he’s letting you know of whats to come. Loco Dice is known for the melodic elements that he uses in his music, very organic. This is what sets him above the rest “How Do I Know” shows this off well. He changes pace every now and again but never straying too far from melody and percussion & that all important simple - organic style. Hypnotic and fascinating. He takes you with him on every beat “Consequently Excentric & Delicate” takes you in so far you can actually taste the music.There’s a good bridge between club and none club “Black Truffles In The Snow” is almost experimental you can hear what sounds like snow falling and someone walking across it, making that sound that freshly trodden snow makes. Crunching & full of texture. The piano that accompanies it is sublime very laid back and sweet. Out of the snow and into the sunshine. “La Esquina” My personal favorite.Full of happy energy and good vibes built using two piano riff’s that intertwine each other perfectly.Very house orientated. I reckon this will be the first single that comes out. Another change of direction with “Tight Laces” sounding like your in the controls of a space ship with things whoosing off all over the place & its quite awkward to say the least.”Got leaks in the roof” again goes for the calmer side quite minimal with the loose beats coming together a bit like “Raindrops On My window”. Never completely leaving his hip hop roots behind “Pimp Jackson Is Talking Now” is in the same style as “Phat Dope Shit” telling a story as it goes. “M train to Brooklyn” brings this to a close with a beautiful sound-scape of music. It’s like your on the train hearing and seeing all the sights and sounds the only thing missing is the smell. Quite down beat but melodic it reminds me me of Burial in parts. A great way to finish your journey as the train pulls into the station.

A fantastic first artist album. 7 Dunham Place will be available on Desolat at the end of the month.

Tolga Fidan - All Pleasure Is Relief EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:19:06 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Tolga Fidan - “All Pleasure Is Relief EP” - [Vakant]
Rating:

This is one of the best releases for Vakant in a long time. Tolga Fidan manages to create two very unique and fresh sounding tracks, by taking influences from middle eastern climbs and more ethnic origins & blending the two together. He adds a little of his own magic dust on the way & there you have it two certified dance floor bombs. Starting of with the ultra deep “All Pleasure is Relief” which comes in very crisp, clean and percussive, it takes a while to open up but when it does all becomes clear. Tolga adds cool synth pattern’s accompanied by the scattered percussion and slowly blends in the plucked strings from the guitar. (Which may i add he recorded live). The track has a very ethnic rhythm & feel through out which works very well. He sneakly adds a ghostly vocal that will turn the floor misty. Instantly ear catching this is one for the late night early morning brigade. The B side is my favorite of the two “For Our Fathers.” Continuing with the ethnic influences but going much more deeper and darker. kicking in with a growling bass and the plucked guitar, which has been underpinned by the one of the most obscure and dark melodies your likely to hear, all of which has been backed up by a evil siren that will guarantee to turn the floor blue. This one moves faster than the A side making it more DJ friendly full of deep textures and even a live harmonica he blends drums, the percussion and the melody fantastically well. Both tracks have alot to give. A extremely good EP.

Rhadoo - Dor Mit Oru EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:19:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Rhadoo - “Dor Mit Oru Ep” - [Cadenza] (buy)

It’s Rhadoo’s turn in the hot seat as he prepares Cadenza’s latest. Quickly following in the footsteps of his label mate Petre Inspirescu and his excellent “Tips Ep” from last year, Rhadoo continues Cadenza’s great run in form by creating a very unique sounding EP. “Dor Mit Oru” takes in alot of influences, much more on a house tip than anything, with hints of jazz, techno and deeper sounds all rolled into one. We start with “Bau” a good solid drum track which reminds me alot of the “Lookosphere Ep” from Lemos & Kreon. To get the full effect of this EP you will need to listen to the record’s on a decent stereo system with the volume turned up so you get the depth of the tracks. ”Baisbe Alt Bass” takes things to another level going more deeper and a little more experimental with vibrant percussion fizzing & shooting off in many different directions, quite hypnotic and very deep.”Elan” takes a dramatic change in direction much more calmer with a lovely soothing melody & soft keys that twinkle delicatly in the moonlight. The last track “Slagare” is my favorite this is where Rhadoo combines house & techno just right using a deep & dubby bass tight keys & that cool Romanian percussion we all know and love. It’s almost jazzy. I tell you one thing it would be hard to put these tracks in a box, as Rhadoo was thinking outside the box when he came up with these. So we’ve had two of the three from the RPR Soundsystem … Next up Raresh ? Here’s to wishful thinking.

Anja Schneider - Beyond The Valley

Last modified on 2008-04-30 23:01:26 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

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Anja Schneider is one of the busiest ladies in techno today whether she’s in Berlin running her [Mobilee] imprint or taking time out to create Sub label [Leena], doing her weekly radio show on fritz radio or touring the world. Where does she find the time? Not forgetting her doing numerous remixes for various labels. In the midst of all that she has some how managed to find time to finish her first long player. Anja gives us her first debut album ”Beyond The Valley” which has been co produced by silent studio partner Paul Brtschitsch; Here’s what Anja had to say about “Beyond The Valley”

”It’s the place where your parents told you not to go play as a child. Why? Because anything could happen. It’s dangerous and anarchic. All the creatures that have been chased out of the village have gone there to hide.”

I agree whole heartedly with Anja it takes you on a journey through various sound and fantastic settings. Starting off with the softer, melodic and playful sounds of “Safari.” A perfect way to start with a melodic light feel to the album it has what i would class as a Safari vibe with some tribal influences, (drums & chanting) not too tribal though, she keeps it quite melodic and calm. Make way for “Mole” which is one of my favorites on the album. Mole has more of a raw approach its quite minimal and deep with a tech vibe to it, much more darker, its quite awkward really, but in the best way. I would expect this to be one of the first singles to be released from the album and will probably get the remix treatment, personally i would like to see Guido Schneider or Pan Pot take this on as it has alot to give. We continue our journey with ”Maki” coming at you stripped down and sexy this is the most club orientated track on the album which meanders between tech and more deeper house flavours with a great piano riff that almost takes it into “deep house” category but toys with you just enough to put it into a box of its own. Taking us onto “Beyond The Valley” which is much more calmer its quite atmospheric, but still stripped back to its bare bones, you can hear every nut and cog working together like a finely tuned engine. This is what i like most about the album as a whole its not cluttered or chunky, its stripped down and sexy late night listening.

Halfway through the direction of music takes another turn this time more towards the club in the form of “Gimlet” quality tech house without the bullshit. “Cascabel” gives your journey a playful touch with a sweet melodic house vibe and breaks things up just in the right place. She builds a portrait using alot of melodies and more tech sounds, switching from home listening to club and it works well. Don’t get too relaxed though as she comes straight back at you with previously released “Belize” a marathon of bleeps that’s been layered with a underpinned shuffled percussion. A well executed track if ever there was one. Track 8 in this 10 track album is “Get Away” you can tell things are coming to a close a much more subdued minimal /vocal track with alot of depth. Moving on to “Little Red Ridding Hood” you’ve all heard the fable … She closes this fantastic journey with “Fish at Night” a lovely track with a spoken vocal.

Anja has given us one of the best albums Ive heard in a long time it works well as home listening as much as it would on the dancefloor & this is quite a hard thing to pull off. Showing us that minimal doesn’t have to be boring she takes the listener on a journey to a far away place where anything is possible. Beyond The Valley is available now on Mobilee promo & it will be hitting shops at the end of April i urge you to go out and buy this its a really fantastic debut album.

Sten - Squares EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:20:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sten - “Squares EP” - [Smallville] (buy)

Essential deep tech house now from one half of the [Dial] label team. Sten aka Lawrence serves up three edgy hypnotic house trips that go deep! Always one to keep an eye on, Sten never fails to deliver, hes polished these of to perfection. Three cuts of dark late night basic grooves.”Squares” is a hypnotic journey into a melodic techy dream the melody is so airy and light you feel like you could be sat on a cloud he builds it with great ease adding layers of deepness but still keeps a playful touch, think early Detroit that kind of vibe. “Squares part 2″ is more melodic but less deep twinkling beautifully, its almost experimental, very trance like reminds me of the early morning for some reason. “Squares part 3″ is my favorite cut on the EP deep, dubby and oblong come to mind, hypnotic and very unique. I think this will go down superbly as a late night groove. Sten comes to the table with three pieces of fabulous deep and edgy late night house grooves. Excellent!

Mathias Kaden - Lucidas EP

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:21:24 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Mathias Kaden -”Lucidas EP” [Freude Am Tanzen] (buy)

I rate Mathias Kaden highly i have since i discovered his work with fellow producer Onur Ozer back in 2006, its safe to say that he is one of the best at what he does; making tribal minimal with a house slant thats been added for good measure. Check out the excellent (Myal EP) on Vakant for more proof. His latest (Lucidas EP) on the Freude Am Tanzen label is some of his best work to date in the tribal department he goes deeper and more percussive than ever, you can really feel the conga’s inside your head. It kicks off with ”Swahili” which is an appropriately named title for what your about to hear. It’s like a miniature carnival going on, complete with piano loops, chanting and endless conga’s. If this isn’t enough for you, play the next track “Lucidas” which is much more on a down beaten trail & more deeper, still with the drums and a healthy amount of percussion he weaves a horn in and out the drums and the atmospheric background to cause a nice tension in the room. Last up is “Saloee” he goes for the sticks and stones approach here and it works well as he builds it slowly, working up to a cool groove its quite delicate and very original it bubbles with nice undertone and great percussion very good EP.

Autechre - Quaristice

Last modified on 2008-04-30 22:22:25 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

Autechre what a phenomenom. Even their very name raise questions and confusion, but it also give hints about what they sound like. It’s the beginning of 2008 and it is time for the mysterious duo’s ninth album. For me this has always been something special to look forward to. On nearly every album, the group has taken giant strides in sound and direction. 2005’s Untilted was a slight let down for me though, it seems even to this day inpenetrable and alien - I can’t seem to get into it at all. Its aural expressions falling short on my straining ears.

Forget all about that now, because Quaristice is not Untilted and that is quickly evident when the first track starts to play; Altibzz. A gentle introduction, very suitable. With Altibzz’ calm soothing atmosphere my expectations rise and my eagerness for more is awoken. Anterior takes over and while a bit of the texture and feel of this song definetly has traces from Untilted, it is a different beast - walking left and right, a very diverse tune. This is one of the key points that makes Quaristice so strong, it is swaying erratically over vastly different concepts, tempos, constructions and ideas.

Unlike Untilted’s scientific and machine-like compositions, Quaristice is slightly rounder in shape and more human. The new album is contemplative and gives each track space and time to mature into something well rounded and fully developed. Autechre’s ultra experimentalism has seemed to have taken a step back, or atleast sideways instead of into the unknown. It’s like old, tested ideas are remolded into new, rejuvenated and even grander and more advanced entities. Abrasive at times, Quaristice is still no Amber or Incunabula that some people wish the group to rehash. Instead we get more enthusiastic and energetic vibes, listen to Simmm for example; the opening palette is much similar to what Aphex Twin used to utilize to good effect. Silence is another main ingredient of this long player, used with good timing and with varying degrees of intensity - the outcome is sometimes staggering. The latter half of the disc is a true gift for the music lover. Bubbling landscapes and microscopic constellations converges into a superb soup.

All in all, a crucial release from Autechre. Their output continues to mutate and refuses to be stale and to stay put.

With twenty songs as opposed to their usual offering of ten, Sean Booth and Rob Brown’s Quaristice should have a little something for everyone.

Notable tracks:
04. plyPhon
08. paralel Suns
11. rale
14. 90101-5l-l
18. chenc9
20. Outh9X

Available in mp3 and FLAC formats at Bleep.

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