Party Tricks Schallplatten & CDs

Review: This EP was originally put out back in 2004 and now it gets a welcome new release courtesy of the Party Tricks' reissue series. 'Replica' is first up and is a tense and taught tech cut with slapping hits and rubbery bass, twitchy synths and plenty of peak-time thrills for wide-eyed ravers. 'Traktorizm' is another perfect mix of electro and techno with its sleek metallic surfaces, bleeping dial tones and crunchy hits all sure to get you marching along.

Review: Shat is a place in Yorkshire (well, the nickname a village called Skelmanthorpe). Shat is something you hope to never do. Shat is also the alias of an artist who makes progressive house with a 90s twist. This outing is a third on the Party Tricks label and it opens with some swirling celestial pads, dream-scape beats and dusty hits that get your head amongst the clouds. 'Dwingeloo' is a faster slice of progressive techno with freewheeling pads and raspy basslines. Two remixes on the flip that things into very different territory but both of them are going to prove effective in the right setting.

Review: More musical "tricks that never fail to amuse at parties" (as the Party Tricks label describes its output), this time courtesy of Argentinian producer Tobi. Showcasing his deep love of 1980s Italo-disco, Hi-NRG and formative Eurodance/Italodance, Tobi delivers a quartet of cuts that wouldn't sound out of place on Dutch label Bordello a Parigi. Check first 'The D Spell', a vocoder-sporting fusion of fizzing synth sounds, colourful electronic riffs, electro-disco drums and jaunty Hi-NRG bass, before admiring the razor-sharp, late 80s synth-pop-goes-Euro-disco sounds of 'Abradanzabra'. Over on side two, the Random Access Memories era Daft Punk-influenced 'What We Yell' is joined by the kaleidoscopic synth sounds, bustling breakbeats and memorable organ riffs of 'Dias Mejores'.