Arcane US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Nicholas Benedek has appeared previously on Peoples Potential Unlimited and Leaving Records and collaborates with L.A. Club Resource main man Delroy Edwards in Rx. This time it's for Arcane with the Coolin' EP. Starting out with the slow boogie jam "Voices", the title track goes for some 80's pop inspired groove while "Afterglo" is some sublime vintage Balearica to die for. On the flip there's the sexy and smooth "Ryukyo" which is like 80's R&B while "Angelus Vista" is a dreamy instrumental piece that sounds like something from the soundtrack to Miami Vice or To Live And Die In L.A. Highly recommended for fans of Gerd Janson and Fabrizio Mammarella's Black Spuma project or Max Essa.

Review: "Understood by few; mysterious or secret." is the dictionary definition of arcane. The term is also the name for the new label venture from Edg4r, a key member of the boogie and disco loving Miami Players Club crew. The debut 12" comes from Diamond Jackson, aka Superior Elevation boss man Tom Noble and Edg4r in producer and executive producer role respectively, and features a trio of fuzzed out, disco-boogie-house crossovers. If you've been a fan of Noble's work to date, you will definitely be seduced by these three cuts which all feel redolent of a byegone era but benefit from contemporary production methods - the bassline on "Maybe So" is particularly heavy! A fine start for the Arcane crew!

Review: Still flexing a sexy synth tan from his excursion to Neon Beach this time last year, the mysterious Barry Helafonte returns to Arcane with five more stunning grooves. "Base Unit" sets the scene with its vibrant synths and staccato beats before dropping straight into west coast la panpipe Tropicana on "Marina Funk". Elsewhere "In The Mood" is so warm you could spark your cigar from it; oozing soul in the plucked bass and swooning synths, it leads to more upbeat fair in the form of the Detroit-tuned electro boogie "Sparkling Mango" and a woozy dreamy finale in the wavey, melting tones of "Out In The Night". Hella dope.

Review: The young and spritely Jamma Dee has only recently popped up on our radars, and we're happy to see that the lad is back so soon on the equally fresh-faced Arcane for another bag of funk-laded, boogied-out tuneage. This tight little eight-tracker will appeal to fans of material on Peoples Potential Unlimited, where Jamma Dee unloads a sublime blend of new-age boogie, ketamine-laced cyber disco, and drunken pseudo house. Along with Moon B, this guy is single-handedly reshaping our conception of disco, and moulding it into a fine vessel for come deep, far-out meditations.

Review: Following his last hoorah on E-Beamz, Ray Kandinski makes his debut on the evergreen jam house Arcane with two hazy, loose-limbed slabs of house music. "Faking Love" places the slapping drums right in the centre and lets the soulful chords and yearning vocals flutter and fall around the edges. "Do You Love Me Too" tips more towards a Detroitian palette but once again with a sedated, dreamy sheen. Finally fellow E-Beamer Barry Helafonte jumps in on the rub for an even slower, lucid and sensual take on "Do You Love Me Too". Lovely.

Review: There's an air of Jamie Lidell about Morris as he flexes between soulful styles, instrumentation and singing. A 21st century soul man who know his way around both boards fret and key. Underpinned with a gossamer smooth synth funk and wry eye for boogie, jazz and ballad; highlights across this debut LP range from the pumping sunset jitters of "Stop Playing Games" to the smoky haze and sleazy springy bass of "Rolodexes" via the introspective swoons and croons of "Charge It To The Game", this truly is an accomplished debut album. Moving on... Up.

Review: You're Me's Yu Su makes her debut on Arcane with her biggest and arguably most accomplished EP to date. A delicate balance of ambience, drive and depth, each of the five cuts teeters between the dancefloor, the shoreline and the bedroom with evocative and blissed out themes. Highlights include the gentle jazzy ebb and flow of "I'll Say When I Can", the pensive clicks and whirls of "Make Your Escape" and the heavenly aesthetic and gentle drums of "Early". Meet you in the departure lounge.