Magic Feet Schallplatten & CDs

Review: With a catalogue that contains a mixture of mind-altering chuggers, deep house, disco and Balearic beats, second-guessing what Craig Bratley will release next has always been a tricky proposition. Even so, joining forces with Brooklyn maverick - and honey-voiced singer - Amy Douglas for a spot of bleeping revivalist synth soul was one of them. Douglas is at her emotive best on the B-side original mix, singing sweetly about complicated relationships over a thrillingly lo-fi low-tempo groove rich in squelchy bass and 8-bit lead lines. The A-side 'Ashigaru Dub' is arguably even better, brilliantly re-framing the track as a heady, intoxicating and sub-heavy dub workout of the sort that Mad Professor probably knocks out in his sleep. In a word: inspired!

Review: Lincolnshire's Craig Bratley (Tsuba/Nein Records/Instruments Of Rapture) is back on his own Magic Feet imprint with a bit of help from Danielle Moore on vocals for "Play The Game", a slow burning and noirish EBM grinder that will appeal to fans of recent Comeme or Correspondant style retrovert tendencies. There's also some killer remixes on offer: Heretic's slamming remix is reminiscent of early 90s rave aesthetics while the don that is Andrew Weatherall steps up to deliver a woozy lo-slung disco rendition which is absolutely brilliant as always.

Review: Up next on Craig Bratley's Magic Feet label is The Vanity EP.

This release is aimed at the vinyl enthusiast and features four remixes which have so far been unreleased or received a digital release.

The EP contains three remixes by Craig, Catalepsi's 'Quartz Giaponese', The Souls 'Tonight' and Four Walls 'No Use'

as well as the sought after Sean Johnston remix of 'Obsession'.

Review: Craig Bratley's Magic Feet imprint is back y'all and in fine form as always. The Kukushka EP features Roe Deers on the A side, who contributes the infectious deep house stomp of the title track which has just enough dust and rust thrown into the mix to make this a standout track. Also on offer is the the retro 80's leaning remix by man of the moment Markus Gibb which would mix in well to a Lauer or Tuff City Kids track. On the flip Bratley serves up the rusty and gritty acid jack of "Raw Trax #1" which is so convincing you'd think it was a lost tape from 1986 while on "Night Moves" it goes for more of the nu-disco vibe with some rich arpeggiations and emotive pads that will cater to the best boogie playgrounds out there.

Review: Timothy J Fairplay surfaces in requisite sepia toned style on Craig Bratley's fledgling Magic Feet label with How The Machine Was Built, an EP brandishing a quartet of productions that fit snugly into the lineage of the Fairplay canon alongside his recent Bird Scarer and Emotional Response releases. In truth, few people can match Fairplay when it comes to capturing lost cinematic moments within the mainframe of music, marrying them to a dense yet pleasing four-four thud and anointing these productions with all too appropriate titles. Lead track "Pyramid of Night" is a real highlight, with Fairplay's love for early Chicago House evidenced by recycled jacking rhythms wound down to around 100BPM and covered in opiated sludge - the kaleidoscopic elements that swirl above come across as a sonic riposte to the all too prevalent functionalism in much of the modern music Fairplay has noted disdain for.

Review: Deep space vibes abound as Kalidasa return to Magic Feet with two beautiful cosmic disco compositions. "The Waiting Game" leans heavily on lavish guitar leads, yearning for outer planetary party mischief. "Apostles Of The Sun" eschews the organic elements in favour of a more Balearic, electro boogie flavour. Remix-wise the seemingly unavoidable Craig Bratley strips down "The Waiting Game" adding a moodier, slo-mo bite while Soft Rocks add some nifty beat work by way of cool double kick drums. Don't play the waiting game for this one... Jump on it now.

Review: An interesting creative concept here... Femi Kuti is being remixed by a radio station! Well, two of its distinguished candidates anyway; Hollywood music supervisor Liza takes Fela's son on a long and languishing Balearic journey that Femi brings to light with near-majestic prowess when the vocals eventually kick in. Garth Trinidad, meanwhile, goes for a dubbier approach with trippy pitched down vocals, woozy percussions and barrels of deep warm bass.

Review: Craig Bratley's Magic Feet label celebrates reaching double figures, yes, the big 10, by releasing a double header from two new artists to the label.

Rich Lane updates the New Beat classic 'Flesh', bringing it up to date with modern production values, and will introduce the track to a whole new generation.

On the flip Peza, whose previous releases include the fantastic Buddah's Watching edit, provides 6 minutes of low slung electronic funk, all synth and 303's.

Perfect for the warm up or those after hours sets and a future classic in its own right.

Review: Vintage electro and italo supremo Mr. Maiovvi never fails to bring the synth-laden seduction with the authentic throb of his box jam prowess, and this time he's bringing such skills to Magic Feet. "Megametropolis" is all 80s sci-fi noir, replete with deadpan white-boy raps, pulsing bass lines, and there is simply no telling the music isn't beamed directly from thirty years ago. Scott Fraser remixes the track into a gutsier techno framework while retaining the vocal and the plentiful synth action, nudging into a different key but equally valid for the industrial-minded dancefloor. "Distillery" finds Maiovvi plying a different trade in eerie, reduced grooves that focus on rhythm over melodics, albeit with plenty of snare fills and stalking bassline. "You Sever" completes the package with a airy stomper that brings yet more addictive synth action when you thought the first three tracks had given you your fill.

Review: 40 Thieves affiliate Muzik Nonstop conjures up a chuggy, dubby slice of Tom Tom Club style boogie pop. Laced with the vocal allure of Sunny, the balance of play and seriousness is precision engineered. For deeper space explorations check the dub or, better still, Craig Bratley's remix where elements of traditional electro are introduced into the mix for good measure. There's no running away from this one....

Review: Lincoln's finest cosmically-inclined disco imprint set their stall out with this very handsome sampler. Welcoming all with a broad sonic hug, we're first treated to two versions of Swedish Balearic badman Paresse. With a spell binding arpeggio that winds further and further into the heavens it's like an old Sasha & Digweed record played at a totally inappropriate speed. Amazing. Elsewhere we find the label boss Bratley getting all twinkly and new-beat on Kepier's "Lost Era" and the Dark Strands man Soul Tension brings us to a climax with the deeper, more incessant slow-techno bubbles of "Suburban Life"