Andy M & Dream Frequency - "I Want Your Love" (6:07)
A Plus - "Just High" (re-edit) (4:52)
Review: Back in 2020, Mike Stewart decided to reactivate his B.I.T Productions label - an imprint that originally delivered a string of forthright house and trance EPs in the late 1990s. This multi-artist four-tracker is decidedly retro-futurist in tone, mixing sounds reminiscent of the label's late 90s output with nostalgic nods towards earlier rave sounds. Stewart kicks things off by re-editing and extending Awesome3 & Ondamike's 2021 breaks/electro/rave mash-up 'Ready For This', before "dirty bass" loving rave revivalist Retropolis peppers a sweat-soaked breakbeat with massive piano stabs on '5AM'. Andy M joins forces with original Mancunian rave crew Dream Frequency on the 1992 breakbeat hardcore style rush of 'I Want Your Love', while Stewart picks up his scalpel for a second time to rework the full-throttle rave madness of 'Just High' by A.Plus.
Review: There's a reason that Future Sound of London's 1991 debut single, 'Papua New Guinea', is periodically reissued: it's a stone-cold classic that sounds unlike anything else. In its original mix form, the track combines traits borrowed from early breakbeat hardcore (booming bass, house-tempo breakbeats) with saucer-eyed vocal samples, twinkling pianos and sounds more often found in ambient house and chill-out tunes from the period. This remastered, hand-numbered vinyl reissue boasts all of the 1992 remixes (as well as the original mix), including a suitably psychedelic, tribal-tinged Andrew Weatherall revision, the duo's own spaced-out ambient style 'Dub' mix, and a sax-sporting Manchester re-wire courtesy of 808 State's Graham Massey.
Review: The next level beat maker and sound designer that is Skee Mask returns to long-time home label Ilian Tape with another bold and brilliant album, Resort. It's an album that expands on the artist's usual sound with fusions of celestial ambient, IDM sound design and lithe, rhythmic techno drums. There are breakbeats on 'Reminiscrmx' backlit by heavenly pads, 'Schneiders Paradox' is marbled with zippy pads and raw drum hits, 'BB Care' glistens with a futuristic glow and 'Holzl Was A Dancer' slips into a shuffling, UKG tinged dub house pumper. It's a wild, wonderful ride that reaches all new levels for this already accomplished producer.
Review: Velvet Velour's new outlet, Silky Beats, is back with a second brilliantly tasteful EP of superbly silky deep house and minimal sounds. This time out for top notch beat makers all feature with Tiago Walter kicking off. His wispy melodies and neon pads detail a feathery minimal beat while James Andrew's 'Turbo Shandy' is a playful mix of rasping synth textures and sci-fi synths over a loopy beat. Mtty pumps things up a little with a nice warm garage house shuffler in the form of 'The Elongator' and Duncan Thomas shits down with the dreamy pads adn laidback feels of 'Edzy & Eggsy.' A superb 12".
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