VARIOUS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: DJ Boring emerged as a pioneer of the lo-fi house sound several years ago. It was short lived but his career has not been. The smart selector has since gone on to become a mainstay of the underground circuit with his high-energy party sounds finding favour all across the world. Now he digs deep to serve up a contemporary mix of feel good jams from the house world including mainstays like Sally C and Burnski as well as dropping an exclusive of his own. It's a tasteful entry into this hallowed series.

Review: Given the series' longevity and high standing, it's genuinely an honour to be asked to do a DJ Kicks mix. It's for that reason that most contributors genuinely raise their game, delivering something that's not only memorable but exquisitely mixed. That's certainly the case with Tristan Hallis AKA DJ Boring, whose DJ Kicks workout slaps hard. Starting with the woozy ambient colour and dubbed-out Balearic vibes of Anthony Napes, Hallis drifts through reverb-laden electronica, blissful downtempo soundscapes and oddball outsider house, before increasing the tempo, intensity and hands-in-the-air factor immeasurably as the mix progresses. It's vibrant, kaleidoscopic and endlessly entertaining, offering a melodious, ear-catching and celebratory take on house, techno and UK bass packed to the rafters with exclusive tracks and little-known treats.

Review: Honey Dijon is the perfect artist for the DJ-Kicks series given the breadth of her knowledge and she delivers a killer mix with tracks from Blackjoy, Art of Tones, Shaboom, Kiko Navarro, and an exclusive new cut of her own. A Grammy-winning DJ, activist, and fashion icon, Dijon has found success in various fields while staying true to her Chicago house roots. The 19-track mix, her first commercially available compilation, highlights her deep knowledge of house music and blends forgotten classics, rare finds, and modern gems. This vinyl sampler includes one of her own original tracks, definitely one of the best of the lot.

Review: Honey Dijon is exactly the sort of artist you want to hear from in the DJ-Kicks series. And she more than comes through with tracks by Blackjoy, Art of Tones, Shaboom, Kiko Navarro, and a brand-new cut from Dijon herself. Known as a fashion icon, activist, Grammy winner, and DJ, Dijon has achieved success on many fronts but always brings with her a sense of authenticity and a through line to the roots of house in Chicago. The 19-track mix marks her first commercially available compilation and showcases her deep knowledge of house music as she blends forgotten classics, dollar-bin finds, and modern tracks, including one of her own.

Review: London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien's music blends contrasts and has done so across more than a decade on labels like Eglo and his own Apron Records. In that time he has explored various styles, from house and techno to soul and boogie, often drawing on his own life experiences for inspiration. His eclecticism extends to his contribution to !K7's wonderful DJ-Kicks series in a mix that features artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Todd Edwards along with Julien's own tracks. The mix takes you on a proper ride from a peaceful afternoon to a euphoric night on the dancefloor, with plenty of big moments and killer jams along the way.

Review: Steven Julien has been in his own musical world since he first started putting out beats. He blends everything from hip-hop and house to funk and soul in his always emotionally raw, frayed edge sounds. Because of that breath in his sound, the Londoner is the perfect candidate for a DJ-kicks mix and so it proves as he journeys from the sofa to the club and back again with tunes of his own next to jams from across the ages and the genres. Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brothermartino, My Girlfriend and more all feature in a well-mixed, well-programmed set that contrasts bright keys with dirty basslines, and boogie funk with more sleek machine rhythms.

Review: Berlin-based Sydneysider LOGIC1000 (real name Samantha Poulter) enjoyed a prolific and productive 2024, becoming something of an in-demand DJ, producer and remixer on the back of her acclaimed debut album Mother, a typically distinctive affair that pulled deep house in a variety of woozy, melodious and inventive new directions. Her inclusion in K7's long-running DJ Kicks series is therefore well-earned. It offers a home listening-ready distillation of her sound that's notably 'calmer' (in the label's words) than her club sets. But that's no bad thing, as it allows greater exploration of experimental, downtempo and hyper-pop, alongside a string of exclusives (including the obligatory track created for the series) and some heady, mid-tempo dancefloor grooves.