Review: Bristol producer Borai (Boris English) and London's Denham Audio (Peri Ashwood) pulled off a remarkable feat with 'Make Me/No Good', an unequivocal release put out on Higher Level Records in 2019. Repurposing the unmistakable hookline from Donna Allen's g-funk jacker 'Serious' from 1986 into a fully re-recorded sample all their own, 'Make Me' set alight the feet of the breaksy raver, striking serious gold in the classic formula of easily-recognised old-school-soul vocals and sculpted tearout heft. As anthemic as its original B-side, 'No Good', the original latter half of the record now comes substituted by Big Ang's Rave To The Grave mix, whose blooping trooper sound design and mains-hum Reeses provide an ecstatic alter. A can't-go-wrong reissue by the Room Two camp.
Review: Remastered from a lost cassette in composer David Toop's archive, Unsettled Scores Records has secured the rights to a first-ever release of the legendary title track from Dick Fontaine's iconic 1988 graffiti documentary. Originally airing on Channel 4, the film followed Brim's 1985 journey from the Bronx to the UK, where he linked up with future icons like Goldie and 3D of Massive Attack. A formative piece for graffiti writers and hip-hop heads alike, Brim's 'Bombin'' became a cult classic and remained so. This long-awaited 7" includes the full version and unreleased mixes.
Review: Back in business and enlisting the help of two heavyweight Spanish electro artists, Aspecto Humano preserve the human essence of their music despite leaning heavily into mechanoid motifs. The logo always stays the same, though each release's colour and mood is variable. Robert Cosmic and Dark Vektor lay down a duo release, complementing the label's various solo and V/A outer-missions released in 2024 so far: 'No Estamos Solos' and 'Luces de Neon' saddle the mix with languid vox overdubs and flashy murmurs in the bass nether regions. 'No te Enteras de Nada' and 'Simulacion' rend the mix to a comparative dryness, stripping the electro bark back to expose the bare cambium.
Review: The Fruit Medley series has been hella juicy so far so we're glad another edition is ripe and ready for picking to kick off the label's 2025 season. This one features all newcomers starting with Cromie's 'Timereite', a chubby and clubby tech pumper with full throttle rhythms. Wilba's 'New Recipes' has lush synth smears over grinding low ends that echo early West Coast tech, and Darren Roach then gets a little deeper on the percolating 'Brettski Colectski'. Lazer Man's 'Time Of Ghosts' closes down with a mid-tempo, off-kilter house cut with steely drums and distant alien activity.
Review: The Paris-based producer pulls in a tight circle of remixers, each putting a distinct spin on a few of his recent tracks for his own Bass Culture label. Darren Roach's remix of 'Money, Honey, Monday' stretches the original into a spacey, progressive journey. The atmosphere is thick with delay and synth haze, but it still hits with the steady pulse of a house record built for peak time. Sweely steps in on 'Nu Bass' with a funkier approach. It's playful and full of bounce, guided by a deep bassline and flecks of disco that make it hard not to move. Melodic without getting sugary, it's a proper mood lifter. Side-B leans into the deeper end. DJ Deep's version of 'Nu Bass' goes darker and more hypnotic. It's tracky, minimal and slick, perfect for long, late-night times where you want to lose yourself. Hostom wraps it up with another take on 'Money, Honey, Monday'. This one built around a rolling bassline and polished production that gives it a bit of a restrained punch. A solid pack with plenty of replay value.
Review: The somewhat furtive Knaresborough dance music superlabel Luv*Jam, and one of their many underwing imprints The Legend Of Gelert, jointly present an aquiline new release "from secret new artist" (sic), Dan Eds. There are a few Dan Eds doppelgangers out there, but none fit the exact identificatory bill of this acid tool technologist, whose 'Golden Eagle' and 'Pon2Fron' amount to breathtaking birds-eye windhover hunts over rolling acid landscapes. Tin Man fans will rejoice at the B2 especially, for its creative riding of upper ADSR acid thermals, squeezing out emotions we never thought squeezable from the sound.
Review: Marvin Dash and Lowtec combine to serve up some house grooves here that perfectly embody the Workshop sound. They are lovably loose-limbed, dusty and ramshackle, and almost feel as if they may fall apart at any given moment, but that is the joy of them. Instead, they keep you locked amongst rickety drums, frayed pads and imperfect little vocal hooks that bring the soul. 'Track 1' does that with a hazy feel, 'Track 2' is more one out with a dubby undercurrent and sustained keys and 'Track 3' brings little more prickle and drive, like a super raw Omar-S track. 'Track 4' is all about the prying, bulbous bassline that unfurls with a mind of its own beneath DIY percussive sounds.
Review: New heat from Datawave is always going to be worth tuning into, and so it proves with this new one on Wave Function. His signature fusion of dreamy synthscapes and kinetic rhythms shines bright from the off with 'Hyperborea' soothing mind and soul while the body shifts its behind. 'Dawnlights' has lazy acid modulations drifting between the slower beats, then 'Drifting' is as hopeful as the dawn of a new day with it arching chords and celestial synth twinkles. 'Aquila' has a more pronounced broken beat pattern and prying bass, but still plenty of deft melodies, and 'Landscapes' is a dubbed-out thinker.
Review: P-Vine Japan does great work once more here by bringing back into print some hugely sought-after sounds from the blues and r&b world. The first release in their new series revives Larry Davis' 1969 Kent Records single, which was originally written by Sherwood Fleming. The A-side, 'For 5 Long Years' delivers a gritty mid-tempo funk-blues groove while the B-side, 'I've Been Hurt So Many Times' (a classic subject for a blues tune) channels Willie Cobbs' signature sound. These will be familiar to anyone who has danced at a Northern Soul event and cannot be slept on.
Review: Roy Davis Jr, a staple of Chicago's house scene, partners with Jay Juniel for a reissue that encapsulates the raw energy of late '90s underground house. Originally released in 1997, this remastered edition brings new life to the gritty, soulful rhythms that first defined the era. Davis, known for his iconic track 'Gabriel', layers deep bass and atmospheric textures, while Juniel's experimental edge infuses the tracks with an unpredictable twist. Opening with 'Transition', a steady groove builds to 'Musical Sense', where spoken word and complex beats converge. On the flip, 'Funktion' and 'Digital Rhythm' hit with infectious basslines and high-octane energy. The remaster gives the original its due clarity while preserving the essence of Chicago house's emotional depth. This reissue isn't just a nod to the past, but also a reminder of why this sound still dominates dancefloors today.
Review: Bari's Deepshakerz return to key UK label Crosstown Rebels with a tight, percussive three-tracker rooted in the crossover between Afro-tinged house and punchy, early Chicago rhythms. Opener 'Give It 2 U' throws down a sinewy blend of filtered vocal chops and tumbling drums, straddling jacking minimalism and maximal groove with characteristic flair. On the B-side, 'The Beginning Groove' slows the rush slightly, working a heady, looping motif into a more restrained late-night hypnotiser. Closer 'Green Light' features a crisp vocal from Dennis Wonder, building up a more melodic high with bright chords and bouncy swingiless brooding, more pure release. It's the Italian duo's second release for Damian Lazarus' label, and a strong showcase of their versatility within a signature sound.
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: Let's step back in time as Future Retro reissue this walloping four-piece from 2023. A multi-mate affair, the entire 12 is packed with contemporary jungle talent. On side A we have the German misfit Chromz going toe-to-toe with bossman Reaper on two ice cold cuts. 'Forever Dubbed' is a dreamy, choppy serenade with more unexpected twists and turns than an AI drawn hand while 'Diff Selection' is all about that rattling snare. Flip for two startlingly fresh cuts from Bristol badboy Artificial Red; 'Subconscious' is all about those big splashy drums and cosmic whirls while 'Something I Know' sends us off to other planets as the EP comes to an end. Solid.
Review: Chiwax is reissuing a couple of the very many superb EPs that DJ Deeon has put out over his peerless career. The Windy City native is known as the Godfather of Ghetto house and always brings more bump and sleaze to his sounds than anyone else. His Freak Mode EP dropped back in 1994 but still sounds like nothing else as it pioneered a new juke and footwork sound. 'Yo Mouf' is tight, loopy, manic and irresistible club music. 'Work This Dick' brings his signature tongue in cheek vocal filth, 'Off Freakmode' has a futuristic twist and 'Hoodrat' is non-stop drum funk for sweaty situations. A legendary EP.
Review: After a remarkable project launch last year - the red ribbon cutter DJ Friction Presents Ground Control for Sedsoul - the d&b uberlord DJ Friction now lifts the lid on his new and very different label Soulsonic, with the aid of soul companions Soulkitchen, cracking the safe with a vibrant 7" single ahead of his second full-length. 'Step Into The Light' is a vimmy slice of funk-disco, with powerhouse vocals from David Whitley on the A, whose body-power could only manifest in counterpart to a stripped back B on the flip. The track's gospel inflections recall the electrified optimism of early 80s dance music, thought it also grafts on robo handclaps and tight modern production.
Review: Following his standout 'Just A Flute Thing' single last time out, DJ Scientist returns with 'The Baku Files', a limited release that's an immediate crate-digger's dream. Side-A delivers a hypnotic, jazzy boom-bap instrumental built from rare Soviet-era Azeri jazz samples layered with gritty vocal chops from vintage rap records. It's a brilliant cross-cultural collage that feels at once nostalgic and fresh. Flip to side-B for 'To See You,' a slick, DJ-friendly rework of a Murat Kashlaev composition originally reissued on Spasibo Records and packed with head-nodding grooves, old-school flavour and new-school execution.
Review: One of several new cuts to grace the Medicine Music catalogue, this new one from fresh Australian face Doctor Packer aka DP hears him wipe the floor with his opponents in the edits game. 'Treat Me Right' samples The SOS Band's 'Just Be Good To Me' from 1983, before launching into a resplendent trifecta of edits including Womack & Womack's 'Teardrops' and two less easily sourceable cuts. A well-sculpted, neatly rounded four-tracker, pulsing with plump wompage.
Prospect Park - "I Got This Feelin'" (feat Taka Boom - Micky More & Andy Tee Disco mix) (6:33)
Lou Casablanca - "Gimmie Your Love" (feat Angela Johnson - Groove Assassin mix) (6:00)
Da Funk Junkies & DiscoGalactiX - "Holding On" (6:46)
Massimo Berardi - "Who I Am" (feat Sheree Hicks) (6:49)
Review: Last year, Groove Culture Music established the Groove Is In The Heart series as a vehicle for showcasing on vinyl some of the various gems from the label's digital-only releases. In effect, what we get is the cream of the crop - guaranteeing high quality throughout. Certainly, the second EP is packed full of tried-and-tested treats. To kick things off, label chiefs Micky More and Andy Tee rework Prospect Park's 'I Got This Feeling', where the legendary Taka Boom sings soulfully atop and jaunty and celebratory disco-house groove, before Groove Assassin re-imagines Lou Casablanca's 'Gimme Your Love' as an organ and bongo-rich soulful house gem. Over on side B, Da Funk Junkies and Discogalactix's deliver the sweet disco-house rush of 'Holding On', before Massimo Beradi lays down the piano-powered soulful house delight that is 'Who I Am'.
Review: Zinc was a busy busy boy in the 90s. Especially those foundation years. His work with Hype and Bizzy B around this time was legendary but besides his UKG moniker Jammin' years later, less is spoken of his various aliases. Jack Ruby had a cool run of cuts in 94 and 96 including this almighty slab of breakbeat drama 'Ophelia'. Big pads and a breath-taking arrangement. It's your quintessential deep or atmospheric jungle cut that has all the hallmarks of a Good Lookin jam. 'Beyond Reality' (which came out in 95 under his Tyranny alias) follows a similar sweeping sense of triumph but a little jazzier and cooler in its roll-out. Timeless.
Review: Telefax Productions - mysterious musical masterminds formed by veteran producers with roots in the late 80s - finally drop a vinyl release of their 2024 breakout club anthem, 'Break This House Down'. It is an unashamedly revivalist hip-house banger backed by proper DJs like Honey Dijon and Luke Solomon and features fiery verses from rising Buffalo MC DeeVoeNay. Alongside the flame-hot original is a live band version with HR Nightmare, plus a rough and ready bruk remix from London's EVM128 and last but not least, a visceral acid house rework. This is a perfect example of how you balance nostalgia and freshness and do it right. The package is finished in style with fine artwork by KLF legend Jimmy Cauty.
Review: Darcoform present a captivating four-tracker where minimal frenetics collide with backend sonic mental processes, producing no end of strange fidgety sounds. With side A, Vid's 'Soundscapes' and Cim Pian's 'Visions Of Neverland' conjure a twin gnosis through slipping frameworks made up of 2-step breakbeats and vocal samples. On the B, Mtps unites introspection and groove in 'Book Of Truth', interlacing vampish textures and beats, presaging Durosai's closer 'Str8 Chillin' which lays back with its arms folded over a mechanised punctuatiosn: "rock the dance", it goes, in celebratory conclusion.
Review: French label Cairo Xpress debuts with a first-ever vinyl outing and a fine one it is too, with six stylish house outings from an array of fresh talents. Wilt's 'Beoyon' has lovely gloppy drums and bass looping under harmonic chords - it's simple but effective. Hermit gets more full-bodied with his textured 'Who Dunnit' and DOTT strips it back to bumping drum track workouts on 'Twitching Softly.' There is more irresistible bounce to Lucho's 'Mesh', Artphorm layers in some old school pianos to 'Daown' and HATT D shuts down with maybe the best of the lot, 'Contrasts In Life,' which is a broken beat, analogue sound with celestial energy.
Review: A fresh rarities compilation bound to open Doors for you. In the five years that it spans, The Doors forged a distinctive path through the countercultural explosion of the day, blending dark psychedelia with blues, jazz, and literary influences. Formed in LA, their breakthrough came with their 1967 debut, which included 'Light My Fire', catapulting them to national attention. Frontman Jim Morrison's brooding charisma and poetic lyricism quickly cut accord the band's identity, and easily matched Ray Manzarek's swirling organ lines. Albums like Strange Days and Waiting For The Sun followed, identifying ambitious songwriting, romanticism and existential dread. This rarities set draws from that fertile period, capturing raw broadcast versions of songs that defined a band both of, and far beyond, its time.
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