LIQUID EARTH Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Liquid Earth is an alias of new school underground house hero Urulu and he's dropped fine beats on Kalahari Oyster Cult, Butter Side up and Small Hours. He has also recently started his own self-titled label which is where he arrives now with four more fresh and well-infused cuts of spaced-out breaks, electro, house and minimal. This one starts with 'The Breakdown' (Charms Of Gaia mix) which has fast-paced trance-techno overtones. The Trips & Skips mix of the same tune is more dark and on the flip are the whacked-out acid-laced breakbeats of 'The Closer' and 'Cobblestone Stomper,' a white knuckle tech house thriller.

Review: Small Hours from the Berlin-based Brit Youandewan is a young and already cult label that does things well, if not fast. Yet here we get a second EP in quick succession with the sixth outing again offering up four vital names from the house and tech underground. Velvet Velour opens up with squelchy, funky bass on 'Show You The Door' before Liquid Earth melts the mind with impossibly bendy synths and stiff drums on 'Gummo Hardrive.' Flip this 12" over and you'll find some cosmic tech in the form of The Honda Boys's 'Funghi Pie' and gurgling, gritty, metallic deep space house from Dreaming Mind who offers up 'Mid-Bozz.' Top tackle for sure.