Review: A long-overdue revival of an underground German gem from 1984, Jurgen Grah and Markus Kammann crafted a sound that fused early new beat, synth-pop and electro with a sharp sense of groove. Collage's 'Mit Den Puppen Tanzen' resurfaces as making it a hidden treasure for fans of forward-thinking dance music. The title track is a sleek blend of disco and electro, layering pulsating synths over a club-ready rhythm that still feels ahead of its time. 'Schwarze Nacht' twists post-disco elements into something funkier, reinterpreting familiar grooves with fresh energy. 'Harter Film' leans further into an edgy new wave sound, its electro beat driving a tense yet undeniably danceable atmosphere. Balancing underground cool with accessible hooks, this is a record that effortlessly bridged electronic experimentation and dancefloor appeal. A vital listen for those who appreciate the history of an exciting time between post-disco, house music and the 80s new wave sound.
Review: A pair of Cure singles, one a classic from the 80s and the other more of a deep cut from the 1996 album Wild Mood Swings, caught here in the live arena on turned into two sides of a rather nifty 7" picture disc. 'The Walk' is one of the Crawley crew's most electronic moments, a Japanese-slanted retort to New Order's huge 'Blue Monday' single a more cynical observer might be moved to admit. It's immediately nevertheless one to transport you back to the lazer-peppered, smoke machine-swathed dancefloors of the era, with its concluding line "I remember everything" seeming particularly apt in hindsight. 'Mint Car', while less well known than many other Cure 45s, was nevertheless one of Robert Smiths' favourites. He, apparently, couldn't fathom out why it only charted in the low 30s when 'Friday I'm In Love' smashed the top ten. Perhaps the outbreak of utter cheeriness - "I really don't think it gets any better than this/vanilla smile and a gorgeous strawberry kiss" - was disconcerting considering the band's pretty much unrivalled reputation as the popes of mope, but its charms are undeniable and definitely due a restrospective reappraisal.
Don't Touch That Dial (feat Yuuko Sings - Make A dance remix) (5:14)
Don't Touch That Dial (feat Yuuko Sings - Make A dance vinyl Only dub) (5:40)
Review: Make A Dance brings their official remix of Django Django's 'Don't Touch That Dial' to vinyl and in the process create a dancefloor bomb. Already a club-ready original, the remix transforms the original into an electrifying body-shaking anthem with Yuuko's vocals taking centre stage but nicely complemented by glitchy synths and acid elements. This version is a full-throttle, infectious banger and on the B-side you will find a vinyl-only dub mix that amplifies the electro grooves allowing Yuuko's vocals to subtly loop in the background. This is one of those records that Das of all genres will be reaching for to get things going to the next level.
Review: A chance to own this much loved pre-album classic from King Kruke aka Southwark-raised Archy Marshall on a neat 7". The track, originally issued in 2012 on the Rinse label, has all the hallmarks that would make Marshall famous, namely a lilting, emotionally direct vocal performance, some rather nifty guitar work and some rough cut breakbeats with a lovely whiff of bedroom production about them. The flip, meanwhile, is adorned with an instrumental version, making this quite the all round desirable item.
Review: The latest awakening from DFA Records hears James Murphy and company lift but a single little finger, precipitating an avalanche of anticipation, as this is their first material in three years. First premiering on NTS to clamorous acclaim, the band's first release since 2022 comes with minimal promo text, and packs bubbling synths with grinding drums, creating a familiar yet refined sound. Echoing the band's early style, it now comes on an exclusive 12" inverted by the 'Extended Trash Can Dub', which brings found, street-larked spring-sound, and vision-questing whispers, to a stomping indie romp, a potentiality promised but not entirely delivered by the original track.
Review: 2025 is the year they gave the people what they wanted and overcame one of the biggest rifts in pop culture history to bring Oasis back to the stage. It's no accident, then, that we're getting archive material releases coming out. This 7" is taken from a radio broadcast recorded in 1994 and sees Oasis performing stripped back acoustic versions that are much more humble in sound than the Mark Coyle-mixed studio versions. It's great to hear the songs sounding close to the way Noel Gallagher would have been playing them before bringing them to the studio and the band. And with them being two of Oasis greatest ever tunes, there's a lot to get along with here.
Review: The Smile's latest remix compendium is a striking one, with two eminent producers reimagining tracks from the British rock band/Radiohead offshoot's latest and third album, CUTOUTS. This remix-set takes the core of the band's genre-blend sound, from art rock to experimental electronica, and contorts it into yet another division of volatile allotropes, this time welcoming light show IDM extravaganzist James Holden and East Kent musician Robert Stillman. Both versions are full displays of productive talent, humanisti, but still cognitively vector-mapped out in digi-space ahead of time, mirroring the abstracted, rather listless and amoral lyrics heard in the title track ("And your force means nothing...")
Review: Relatively recently reformed 'Camden lurch' icons Swervedriver release their first new music in more than five years. Two tracks were recorded with Ride's Mark Gardner, at his OX4 Sound studio in Oxfordshire. The other two were recorded - quite surprisingly - by Rick Beato, who we all know is usually interviewing great guitar players. Well, he clearly has ability himself and is a massive fan of the band so is well suited. The format of this release is what's quite surprising and refreshing. We often see bands releasing EPs when they first start out and Swervedriver haven't put out one since the early 90s when they were on Alan McGee's Creation Records and riding the shoegaze boom that had begun with the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr. It's a thoroughly welcome return to the shelves from one of Britain's most treasured bands.
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