Back catalogue: All genres

Review: This is the fourth compilation installment in Peace Symphonies' series that features multiple artists they are working with. Since starting up two years ago, this Moscow label is fast becoming one of the top avenues for house music in the country. DSF offers us 'Yes, Of Course' and 'Zorbas' for the A-side. The first one is a melodic builder that is equally beautiful as it is driving, giving us some soft trance vibes. The latter is a grooving techno jam that is spacey and ideal for stargazing on the dancefloor. For the second side, 'Ashwaganda' by Ventt & Keparys has a more tribal and African flavor to it. The EP closes out with the pair doing a fast-paced tech house gem in 'Saltwater', tinged with some superlative Balearic sounds.

Review: James Mac and Vall have combined on this new deep house cut which leans heavily on a classic sample from some two decades ago. 'Try Again' is tense emotionally and physically with deep cut, well-defined grooves topped with the smooth vocal coos and rising synth tension. A Ben Miller 4am Afro dub then brings more skip and funk to the rhythms while Davi Penn keeps things tight and tech-y with his version. The Holseek remix is wired up with some twisted synth paranoia last of all is 'The Boy Is Mine' (feat Rosalie - Sasson remix) to close down this throwback EP.

Review: 'Stereo Love' marked the debut single of Romanian DJ Edward Maya and Moldovan-Romanian producer Vika Jigulina and it came back in 2009 on Maya's album, The Stereo Love Show. The catchy refrain is sampled from 'Bayatilar,' a 1989 track by Azerbaijani composer Eldar Mansurov and it helped the song swiftly gain global popularity and go on to rule nightclub playlists across Europe. It soared to the pinnacle of eleven national music charts and its success earned it certifications such as 8× Platinum in Norway, 7× Platinum in Sweden, and Gold or higher in ten other countries. Grab it now on vinyl and pump the party once more with this Euro-dance gem.

Review: Something in the Eastern European house and dance music proclivity has always struck us as enduringly authentic, perhaps due to its interest in folk music fusions; the label Sad Fun have surely played a key part in doling out this impression. Now they offer their latest addition to the fantasy with a label-described "true Estonian lowkey gem" in the form of duo Ajukaja & Edith Karlson, aka. Vana, whose combined efforts frankly, dustily and ironically toy with the pop music cliches native to their homeland. A-and-B-siders 'Vimme Ratsu' and 'Kuu Maa' are said to rework an '80s Estonian coastal folk-pop favourite and perform a "pseudo-reggae" pastiche respectively. Both have that effortless murmured charm on the vocals, recalling a nostalgic time of European make-do, A10-mic-from-the-junk-store, bottle episodic, rickety recorded goodness.

Review: New York City's Jennifer Vanilla - aka. Jennifer Vanilla and Brian Abelson - offered a portal into a colourful world of innovative electronic sound with their 2022 debut album Castle In The Sky, traversing a new wave, post-punk, art pop, and experimental r&b aesthetic. Now Love Injection - the just as wonderful duo of Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele - team up for a booster jab to bolster Vanilla's original shot of liquid amour, also delivered via the medium of 12". Here the original track features in full naked glory on the B-side, while two live-giving remixes from Love Injection - 'Earthly' and 'Celestial' - appear on the A and B respectively. The former takes its time, through djembe and hopeful pad wash, to deliver a blissfully organic take on the original; the latter aims more squarely for the flickering stars, and is more immediate in feel. An overall exquisite, deep, spiritual house release, with an unusually soft and dubbed-out palette, reminiscent of the deeper ends of Y2K broken beat and wild, long-form nocturnal galas a-la Joaquin Claussell.

Review: Cedric Vermue's Perpetua album from this time last year explored neo-classical and ambient with a mix of piano, organ, synthesizer, electronics, woodwinds, horn and even a female choir. Now one of its most standout cuts gets reworked into a more club-ready sound by master sonic craftsmen. Italian deep techno son Donato Dozzy goes first and brings his signature smoothness, supple rhythms and bubbly drum and bass combos for a delightfully heady trip. Then comes a Grand River rework, also of 'Patterns', that is more tense and textural with fizzing drones marbling the rising synth work and suggestive minimal rhythm.

Review: The cheeky junglist mash-ups continue unabated on Vibez 93 as the Dutch label very clearly spells out its plans on the r&b vs d&b 12". On the A-side we're treated to some crisp and direct flips of Blu Cantrell's 'Breathe' and TLC's 'No Scrubs', and the original songwriting content of the all-time classics is kept well and truly intact. All you need is a snappy, rolling beat dropped into the blend, and crowd-pleasing dancefloor magic is right there in the palm of your hands. On the flip Mary J Blige and Queen Latifah get the treatment too, giving you lot of bang for your buck on this big bad and bold record.

Review: The mysterious Vibez '93 are as prolific as they come; the 'Bad Kingdom' EP is certainly not the first of this productive drum & bass project/imprint's outputs to make it through our floodgates this year. Four slices of various productive forces - ranging from paddy jungle ('Jelly Swim'), to an unusual foray for '93: drilled-out techstep ('Labrea'). Otherwise, expect no nonsense, as this record spans both casual and not-so-casual floorfillers.

Review: **RAUM REPRESS** Although Ricardo Villalobos has already appeared on Raum Musik under the RiRom moniker together with Roman Flugel, the Baby EP is his first full release for the label. The title track sees a firm kick and wood block snares forming the backbone for a drifting piano chord and sensual vocals which lead to a climax of delightfully glitchy vocoder. On the flip, "hansup" takes on a tougher groove, as sprung bass and minimal house stabs are joined by ethereal chords and twisted vocal samples.