Crow Castle Cuts Schallplatten & CDs

Review: In the short and succinct info sheet accompanying this release, Crow Castle Cuts describes DJ Moonbeam's label debut as "extra terrestrial nippiness brought to you by the power of the moon in full eclipse". Seemingly an analogue-rich, head-in-the-clouds deep house alias of producer Andrew Cole AKA Luv Jam, the mini album is full of huggable deep space chords, fluttering new age synthesizer melodies, evocative field recordings and surprisingly tactile drum machine rhythms. While there are excursions into more downtempo territory (see closer "Waterside"), the best moments are mostly those where he gets locked into a groove and runs with it. In this category you'll find the lusciously dubbed-out late night deep house of "You're From The Future" and the Detroit inspired deep techno of "IO" and "Coast".

Review: Gnork is by far our favourite Hungarian DJ and producer with a deliciously facetious name and no strangers to the mysterious Yorkshire trio responsible for the Blind Jacks Journey and Crow Castle Cuts labels. Having appeared on several 12"s by the former, Gnork now brings his glistening command of deep house to the latter for this superb fourth edition of the latter's Raw series. This is one of those records where the soundclips speak for themselves really, the six tracks the sort of deep house productions DJs want to play and club goers want to hear. All of them hit the spot but the rush-inducing madness of "Transylvanian Night Drive" is particularly special. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Review: There's a complete lack of information as to the identity of LAHJ, the latest jammer to appear on the excellent Crow Castle Cuts label but we hope it stands for Live At Hugh Jenkins in homage to Offenbach institution Live At Robert Johnson. Regardless of source, the four tracks here more than match the calibre of previous CCC output, with title track "Miller SC" a wonderfully dark yet playful groover with some blinding organ stabs. "Womb" finds LAHJ dip into acid fried techno that feels like it was recorded straight to tape, whilst "The Tinley Effect" strips things back to a more minimal thrust that allows more of the analogue feel to seep through. This leaves "Gears & Greas" to close proceedings in a jerky, rhythmically unpredictable fashion that would appeal to the Pudel crowd.

Review: Having commenced their Raw black label imprint last winter with a split 12" featuring the collective talents of Zoovox, Marquis Hawkes, Gnork, Luv Jam and more, the excellent Crow Castle Cuts label changes tack for this second transmission. Le Macchine are a Milanese trio formed of Cristian Croce, Luca Saponaro, and Nicola Mazzetti whose individual endeavours spread across a surfeit of projects and labels. Steadfast in their collective enthusiasm for hardware, Le Macchine drop five cuts here that feel soaked with analogue quality. Lead track "Machine" seems to contain untold levels of deep house potency and ensures this record is the sort that remains a constant in your DJ bag. The triplet of "Tape" experiments on the flip demonstrate the diversity of Le Macchine's production palette with "3" reminiscent of the Charles Manier stuff on Nation.

Review: With its bulging track list and a smattering of tidy remixes, Lootbeg's latest EP is undoubtedly great value for money. As usual, his original productions are on point, with the loose, dreamy and loved-up "The Presence of Time Travellers" - all lolloping, stripped-back machine percussion, liquid synthesizer lines and bustling bass - setting the tone. Luv Jam impressively turns the track into a moody chunk of acid psychedelia, before Lootbeg serves up a ridiculously rush-inducing "DJ FX Tool" built around the original's new age melody line. Over on the B-side, the Leipzig producer dives into deeper waters via the luscious "Abduction Reset" and spacey "Close Encounter Type III". Luv Jam's blissful ambient version of the latter cut completes a brilliant package.

Review: The typically packed Owain's Lagoon EP marks the final chapter in Crow Castle Cuts hugely enjoyable series of twelve inch releases which have touched on all corners of the techno and house spectrum. Luv Jam maintains his 100% appearance record on the series, opening up with "Turnipple" a sublime dusty house production that sets the tone nicely, with Schmitt Finger's "Bethsedia Bison" offering slightly more punch whilst still resolutely deep in its approach. "Track 3" and it's numerical friend on the flip offer little more than prodigious sampling opportunities courtesy of Glynn Geroig, and proceedings take a typical turn for the weird from here. Mr Tophat & Adam Stromstedt go star gazing on the expansive analogue cosmiche of "Tingeling," whilst "Valley Crucis Radio Party" demonstrates Cy in equally esoteric mood. Those saddened by this end of an era will no doubt be emboldened by the accompanying sheet of A4 that hints the Crow Castle Cuts journey will appear soon on a different path set for Knaresborough, of all places.

Review: Welsh label Crow Castle Cuts just about cram all the talent onto this twelve inch - the third in a series of four releases that has to date proved popular with fans of highly limited twelve inches that come replete with slick design and excellent house tracks. The brightly orange coloured Llywellyn Ap Gruffydd EP is no different, joining the dots on the many corners of the house and techno spectrum with aplomb. On the A Side alone you get wiggling acid techno from the ever excellent Luv Jam, explorations of mind scraping alien techno from the mysterious WAFF and sumptuously poised sampledelic analogue beatdown on Cy's brilliant "Queensbridge Chatta". The tempo veers even further south on the flip but the temperature remains ever warm with Yasmin Lebonque's "The Castle Ooibonck" whilst Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt introduce an off kilter tone with the heavenly "Place Of Love" dominated by the constant waves of epic chords. Tip!

Review: San Soda, Luv Jam, Farm Hand and the wonderfully named Schmitt Trigger team up for the King Elisedd EP 12" on Crow Classic Cuts. We Play House starlet San Soda opens up with the understated euphoria of "Do It Like This", all pleasing late night chords, swirling synths and barely-there vocal cuts. It's one of his oldest tracks, and those who have witnessed a FCL or San Soda set in the past four years will know it well and no doubt be delighted to see it vinyl appear on vinyl. This hogs the vast majority of the A Side, with Glyn Ceriog's atmospheric, beatless "Glyn Ceriog" offering a nice albeit brief addendum. Flip over for two absolute thumpers; first up is Luv Jam, who lays down reverberating chords and a ridiculously good bass line on "Fairytale Melody". It's stripped back, raw business that will please fans of Levon Vincent and the like. Finally, it's left to Schmitt Trigger on "Speichreich" to bathe a granite hard kick in white noise swooshes and deftly arranged clicks and clacks for a late night jam that strays cheekily into techno territory.

Review: A change in the regular modus operandi for Crow Castle Cuts here as the excellent label introducer the CCCRAW series; tracks from the CCC archives are reworked in a live and raw fashion from a stellar cast of outsiders in Marquis Hawkes, In Fields and Zoovox. Hawkes is up first, paying homage to the label that's served him so well on a tuff 'Dixon Avenue Basement Jam mix of "Falcon Pass" by Studio Swiss - killer wubwub bassline on this one. London duo In Fields turn in a typically hypnotic acid drone 'Nip Replacement' version of Flypost's "Niple" whilst Lectric Sands duo Zoovox go all proto house on their excellent remix of Luv Jam's CCC classic "Romeo". Finally, Burek's rising talent Gnork lends the release some considered deep house caress with a 'First Bison In Space" rework of Schmitt Trigger's "Bethesda Bison".

Review: We are always excited when something new emerges on North Yorkshire based Crow Castle Cuts, who present some super deep 303 house and techno excursions here on this double 12". Tape Hiss gently ease us into the EP with melodic and dreamy opener "Fade", before Manchester based producer and DJ No Moon (Fred Shepherd) serves up some deep and emotive electro with standout cut "Last Track @ 64" and Golden Pudel resident and all round Hamburg legend RVDS (Richard von der Schulenburg) presents three versions of the 303 acid epic "Strings Of Black", followed by the sunset balearica of "Turtle Real".