Sound Stream Germany Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Well, here's something to raise the spirits: a first new 12" from Frank Timm's Sound Stream alias for three years. Those familiar with the German producer's work will know exactly what to expect, namely delicious disco house cut-ups that turn selected loops from largely forgotten gems into insatiable dancefloor gold. A-side "Bass Affairs" is particularly good, delivering a perfect blend of sun-kissed Brazilian guitars, rubbery slap bass loops and lilting Rhodes chords (all accompanied, of course, by thunderous kick drums). There's a more traditional disco-house feel about the filter-heavy "Sweep Magic", while "Starstrike" is a throbbing, stripped back affair that makes great use of looped-up bass guitars.

Review: Since debuting at the tail end of the 1990s, Frank Timm's Sound Stream project has provided us with some of the most memorable and impactful disco-house loop jams around. It's been five years since Timm's last outing under the alias though, making this expansive triple-pack of club cuts a genuinely notable release. Typically, it's a special collection of cuts too, with highlights including the sun-splashed gorgeousness of title track 'Disco Fantasy', the stripped-back drum machine jam 'Who Ist Die Eins', the suspenseful, tease-and-release brilliance of 'Give Me A C', the deep disco-house hypnotism of 'Off The Rack', the funky bassline-driven headiness of 'Just Stop It' and the string-drenched excitement of 'Pussycat Pool'.