Review: Needs' commendable charity drive continues to bring forth the goods, both in terms of good causes and world class club music. Rallying round in support of World Mental Health Day 2020, Shanti Celeste kicks the record off in style with the rapid fire, deep-diving workout 'Fantasma'. OCB keeps the pressure up with the psychotropic techno of 'RS3', while Michelle works up some delightfully freaky synths on playful jacker 'Aesthetic'. Bobby's 'Free Your Mind' is a 90s-tinged, full fat techno production indebted to Detroit, Peder Mannerfelt keeps things stripped and raw on 'Our Levels' and Yu Su weaves a beautiful tapestry of interweaving rhythms on 'Brittney'. Adam Pits' trippy techno sounds resplendent on 'Wind Tunnel' and DJ Sports completes the set with the inventive, dembow slanted funk of 'Needs Dub'.
Santonio Echols - "Piano In The Light" (Emanuell Echols mix)
Brian Kage - "This Saturday Night"
Ryan Sadorus - "Down Below"
Review: Upstairs Asylum is kicking off the year in some style with a couple of killer new EPs. This one is the first in what is presumably a new series to showcase the talents of the Motor City. Mike Clark & Marcus Harris get things underway with 'Hey' which has a subtly uplifting feel thanks to the bright, sustained chords and cuddly drums. Santonio Echols's 'Piano In The Light' (DJ Emanuell Echols mix) is laidback, playful deep house with magical chord work and Brian Kage brings his classy depths to the smooth grooves of 'This Saturday Night.' Ryan Sadorus brings things to a close with the smoky 'Down Below.'
Mias Void - "We Used To Be Detroit" (Iron Curtis remix) (6:29)
Review: Following great releases on Dansu Discs, Carpet & Snares and Timeisnow, Italian DJ and producer Davide Piras aka DJ Chupacabra returns this week on the second part of Innsbruck-based label Mont Lake's five-year celebrations. His track on side A 'Growler' is a dusty and swing-fueled deep house jam that is as much off-kilter as it is absolutely infectious. Over on the flip, it's over to Mias Void - better known as Matthias Vogt - the veteran German producer who delivers another offbeat cut on the darkly emotive hi-tech soul of 'We Used To Be Detroit' receiving a remix by Berlin's Iron Curtis up next, injecting it with some mad breakbeats.
Review: FOXBAM INC is back to build on the momentum of their first EP with a second one that packs a mighty punch. This one kicks off with EBY, who this year has been cooking up acid for 40 years and here offers the warped low ends and garage-techno power of 'Goldtooth'. Foxtrot vs Ma Bla then mashes up old school samples with earth-shattering bass on 'Deep Down Inside' and bRz vs Stije is a double-time hard techno stomper with warped synths and twisted bass that is inspired by and named after ISCO, a concept from Einstein's general theory of relativity that makes predictions about the dynamics of black holes.
Review: Francesco Mami and Julien Chaptal deliver a compelling deep house experience with their 'Reconnect' release, blending smooth minimalism and melodic tech house grooves. The title track, 'Reconnect', is an addictive mix of fluid rhythms and rich melodies, striking the perfect balance between sleek production and dancefloor appeal. Reboot's 'Outahere Rework' of the same track deepens the vibe, adding a fun, groovy energy that's primed for late-night sets. Side-2 shifts gears with 'This Is My Ticket', a standout deep tech house cut that pairs intricate production with a memorable, catchy drive. The track's hypnotic layers create a textured soundscape, ideal for dancefloor workouts. Johnny D's remix of 'This Is My Ticket' ups the tempo, injecting high-energy beats and an infectious bounce that transforms it into a peak-time anthem. Each version bringing a unique energy while remaining cohesive. It's a well-rounded EP for dance music fans.
Review: Berlin-based Equilibrisme keeps up the fine early work here with a third vinyl release. It continues its tradition of delivering a masterful fusion of deep minimal techno, lush chords and dubby grooves that slowly but surely bring a dance floor under their control. A collaboration between Berlin-based Uruguayan producer Martin Teysera 'Oniric' opens up with seven sublime minutes of leggy, reverb heavy dub swing, Canadian dub techno legend Altitude, aka Matt Thibideau offers the more bright and textural 'Liquid' and Man-L goes it alone with the delicate melodic delights of 'Animal Crossing.'
Sanderson Dear - "A Place For Totems" (extended version) (6:10)
Review: Sanderson Dear's Stasis Recordings released the original Time Capsule compilation in 2020 - a 20-track exploration of ten different ambient techno artists exploring two ideas each in compact form for a box set of 7"s. Now the label has revisited some of the project's standout moments and offered a chance to enjoy extended versions gathered on a single 12". From Maps Of Hyperspace shaping out atmospheric halls of synth work on 'Beta' to Glo Phase offering some gorgeous, sparkling grooves on 'Fire Flies', there's plenty of ground covered on this release. Of course the mighty John Beltran is a big drawer too, and his typically stellar 'The Descendent' doesn't disappoint in its full extended version.
I'll Be Back I Promise (Yossi Amoyal extended Remaster) (7:01)
All Night Long Girl (5:59)
Be Your Own Girl (5:08)
In Rythem (5:31)
In Rythem (House mix) (5:57)
Manhattan (5:11)
Aurora Aura (6:14)
Review: For a long time Gary Martin was referred to as an "unsung hero" of Detroit techno, but with the DET 313 label, run with Yossi Amoyal, he's finally cemented a fearsome reputation as one of the Motor City's finest. With such reputations come the exchange of the proverbial "silly money" for the more hard to find recordings, thus the existence of this double 12" which collects eight of Martin's efforts from the mid to late 90s into one package available for a slightly more sensible exchange of currency. Among the highlights are the Latin-enhanced beats of 'Manhattan', two mixes of the sublime 'In Rythem' complete with a gospel preacher in full flow and a seven minute extended remaster of 'I'll Be Back I Promise' from Yossi Amoyal. It's no surprise to see Martin's work picked up and played by the likes of Ben Klock, given his unique take on rhythm, but there's plenty of soulfulness going on here as well.
Review: While not the most celebrated house music 'original' by any means, Chicagoan producer Terrance McDonald was responsible for a handful of fantastic releases in the 1990s for the likes of Djax-Up Beats and Dance Mania. However, it's his 1991 debut, Mind Over Matter, that is most revered. Here reissued for the first time since 2010, the EP blends the drum machine-driven jack of early Chicago house with the Afro-futurist electronics of Motor City techno. For proof, check the hypnotic brilliance of 'Mind Over Matter', where looped synth sounds ride a thumping beat and chunky bassline, and the more sweat-soaked 'New Mix' by fellow Chi-Town legend Steve Poindexter. Elsewhere, 'Spaced Out' is deeper, spookier and even more hypnotic - all alien electronics and restless percussion - while 'Back From Canada' is a funkier and cheerier machine jam.
Review: Hailing from the brilliant, tangled web orbiting Future Sound Of London, Mental Cube was one of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans' short-lived side projects which found them indulging in the bleep and acid house sound. Given the talent at the controls, it's little wonder this release became such a holy grail - a misfit twist on the conventional formula of club records at the time and yet still as satisfying as any of the more widely played early 90s hits. This is the first time the release has been reissued in its true original form, meaning both mixes of 'So This Is Love' and the 'Santa Monica Mix' of 'Q'. Listen out for the cheeky nod to 808 State on 'So This Is Love' - a respectful tip of the hat rather than a cheeky lift, we'd say.
Review: DJ Tennis's Life and Death label welcomes Italia pair Mind Against for a new single that comes with a version and remix from the much-loved Ama duo. 'Love Seeking' is a playful end-of-summer jam with taught bass sequences tumbling down the scales, hip-swinging in claps and a nice catchy, breezy female vocal up top that recalls the early sound of Hot Creations. The club mix strips it back a bit, beefs up the drums and bass and adds some more raw synth texture while smudging the vocal into a blur. Finally, the Ame remix ups the melodic feel with epic synths looping up to the heavens while some dramatic percussion and snappy drums ensure a big impact in the club.
Review: In signature cinematic melodic techno style, Mind Against and Cay bring 'Cant U Hear Me / Trust', laying thick a hi-tech fusion of soulful house and synthetically squeezed sound-energy. The thrumming heartbeat of UK club culture is heart sifted through a harsh cyborg grate, reducing things to a metallurgic, pulmonary pulp. Crystalline percussion, cascading synths... 'Trust' makes particularly pristine use of untainted pluck design, with peaking plucks wriggling in the mid-high layer like buds on a mecha-euphoric flower (just look at that front cover).
Review: Last year Woody McBride's Minnesota label Sounds. reissued the Lovers EP, a 12" he originally released back in 1996 under his Modal alias. Now the remixes gets reissued to follow up, leading in with some Mariana trench depth charge gear from Roy Davis and DJ Skull. The Terry Mullan mix is a springy, 909 techno workout, while the Boom Box mix takes a lighter, drum machine jazz approach. There are so many old-school heroes involved here - Hyperactive, DJ Slip, Mystic Bill - but then what else would you expect from someone as invested in the scene and community as Woody McBride?
Review: Release Sustain, a London-based underground label, is pleased to introduce a new EP by Moody Waters, the label's founder. "Beneath the Moon" is a four-track EP that offers a refreshing blend of deep techno and house sounds. With steady beats and intriguing vibes, "Beneath the Moon" is a versatile addition to any DJ's collection. This EP explores an underground sound that combines the essence of house and techno, making it an enjoyable listen for those interested in electronic music in 2023. Don't miss the chance to check out this latest offering from Moody Waters and and awesome remix from Fred P. Grab your copy of "Beneath the Moon" and discover why fans are appreciating this new release from Release Sustain.
Review: London-based underground label Release Sustain is proud to announce the release of a brand new EP by Chicago's Jamal Moss, Mathematics Recordings label head, is one of the most uncompromising artists in the game. Famed for his raw, lo-fi approach to house, he messes with the rules and makes unpredictable, unforgettable sounds like few others. Here he arrives on London's Release Sustain with four cuts of relentless drum programming and acid melodies that traverse the line between house and techno. From the slow and wonky opener to the coruscated 'The Dark Hold of the Bold' via the distorted and deprived 'The Nu Glance Sound' this is a fine EP.
Review: Last year saw Gerd Janson and Maurice Fulton shake hands on a deal that Bubbletease Communications fans had long been hoping for, with Running Back penning a deal to reissue some of the producer's digi only work on vinyl. The first fruits came in the shape of the Syclops album A Blink Of A Eye (featuring THAT track) and now Running Back turn to the sublime combination of Fulton on production and Mutsumi on vocals. Both tracks here are taken from the artist formerly known as Mu's 2010 self titled LP. As with most, if not all, Fulton productions, the music here sounds like little else and still totally ahead of the game some four years after it's digital release. Described by Running Back as "hard-hittin-freak-out dance tracks", those looking for the perfect blend of Fulton's squelchy acid instrumentation and Mutsumi's wild vocals are advised to check this post-haste.
Review: Thomas Berg's Soundscape Versions presents the third instalment on sublabel Mystic Versions with four unknown cuts by different artists across the globe, produced and performed using all analogue hardware gear. Sublime dub techno experiments captured in all their glacial and cavernous intensity, from the deep minimalist groove of "A1", the thumping delay-drenched reduction of "A2" to the housey and uplifting feel good vibes of "A4" with its jazz-bar loops. It's about quality over quantity on Mystic Versions and the wait has most certainly been worth the while.
Review: Serenity is a mental health charity label that is now back with more sonic gold, this time in the form of a reissue of Marco Bernardi aka Octogen's 'The Journeyman' from 2008 on Soma Recordings. It is an immersive, emotive sound with lush and ethereal pads and a moody bassline that keeps you locked. The B-side offers two original tracks from Bernardi 'Travelling to the Sun' is one to hypnotise floors with its hypnotic chimes and raw drums, while 'Little Tiny Crickets' delivers a fast-paced IDM twist with some killer synth work. As always, proceeds go to charity this time Papyrus UK who support youth suicide prevention and MusicSpace.
Review: Two years ago, Italy's Balearic Gabba Soundsystem switched from remixing and re-editing their favourite cuts to curating compilation style EPs of similarly minded fare. They're in that mode again here, presenting a trio of cuts that combine the saucer-eyed warmth and loved-up musicality of Balearic music culture with grooves and rhythms firmly focused on the dancefloor. They begin by showcasing Wallace's sublime remix of Sewell & The Gong's 'Better Worlds', a locked-in, hypnotising fusion of semi-organic deep house grooves, new age melodic motifs and the dreamiest of ambient chords. Over on the flip they dip into slo-mo Italo-disco/acid house fusion via SIRS fine revision of My Friend Dario's 'Tell Aro', before treating us to a Pedro Bertho remix of Verdo's 'Belvourdier' in which sparkling Balearic house piano riffs, undulating acid lines and mid-80s "chorus" synth sounds rise above a fluctuating synthesiser bassline and hustling beats.
Trans Afro Express (Gerd Janson dance instrumental mix) (6:49)
Trans Afro Express (Ricardo Villalobos 242 Free remix) (10:35)
Review: The entrancing tribal house groove of Jerome Sydenham, Fatima Njai's and percussionist Mario Punchard's Kraftwerk channeling 'Trans Afro Express' is one of this year's biggest tracks for Rekids, which now receives a series of impressive reworks by the biggest names on the scene. Running Back's Gerd Janson delivers a sunny and blissful rework in his signature neon-lit disco style on the A side of the disc. Over on the flip, it's over to the master of minimalism - none other than Ricardo Villalobos - who takes the track deep into the afterhours with his heady makeover delivered in his idiosyncratic style.
Review: There's long been debate about the definition of "deep house", with different DJs, producers and labels offering their own interpretations of what "deep" means musically. In our opinion, you'll struggle to find better examples of pure, properly deep electronic music than the tracks released by Bristol's We're Going Deep label. Here's Exhibit A, the Facebook group-turned-label's sixth multi-artist EP. It begins with a wonderfully spacey, sci-fi-fuelled chunk of intergalactic deep house/deep electro fusion from Versalife and ends with the Larry Heard style stargazing of Morthen Kiang's 'Enter The Dream'. In between, you'll find the softly shuffling, deliciously dreamy deep electro of Mariska Neerman's 'Twin' and the deep, acid-flecked house hypnotism of 'Counterpoint' by Analog1.
Review: Viewfinder returns to Rescan Records with their third release on the label, a four-track journey through house and techno. The A-side offers two straight-up house cuts, 'Solace' and 'Let Go', featuring infectious grooves, sampled percussion, and catchy stabs. Flip the record over for a techno turn, with 'Roxtone' pushing the BPMs higher and delivering a high-energy workout. Mihail P closes out the release with 'Natural High', a hypnotic blend of breaks, bleeps, and ethereal pads. With its diverse range of sounds and infectious energy, this release is a must-have for any fan of quality electronic music.
Zarenzeit - "Soo Smooth" (feat Roger Versey) (6:11)
Melchior Sultana - "Nothing Like It Seems" (5:56)
Jan Kincl - "Sugar" (7:06)
Barce - "Stigma" (6:19)
Review: The young but already well-formed Deep Inspiration Show label continues its dedication to quality deep house with a new EP that comes as part of their international artist series. Zarenzeit from Zurich and Roger Versey from Arkansas open with 'So Smooth', a blend of rich keys, soulful loops and dynamic vocals over a sensual bassline. Melchior Sultana hails from sunny Malta and follows with 'Nothing Like It Seems' which features silky chords and a shuffling rhythm ideal for late-night sets. On the B-side, Jan Kincl from Zagreb delivers 'Sugar,' a fusion of house and cinematic disco with organic drums while Spain's Barce closes with 'Stigma,' a melodic union of deep house and techno.
Review: On his long-awaited debut, Osaka's Takuya Matsumoto draws a clear line between the tactile futurism of 90s IDM and the emotional depth of Detroit techno, finding beauty in grit and structure in chaos. There's a cinematic quality to the sequencing, from the shimmering opener 'Drifting On The Ocean' to the gnarled syncopations of 'Dril and Acid' and the broken funk of 'Fonseca'. But what makes this record truly sing is its refusal to sit still: 'Mini' dances with jazzy irreverence, while 'Triangles' feels like a dusted-off memory from a lost Rephlex archive. Matsumoto's palette is warm, spiky, and full of movementian album built not on pastiche but on devotion to groove and experimentation in equal measure. You hear shades of Underground Resistance's urgency, Mike Paradinas' off-grid detail, and Floating Points' melodic intricacy, but none of it feels borrowed. 'Traverse' and 'Mercy on the floor' close things with a spacious melancholy that lingers beyond the final fade. This is a conversation with dance music history, spoken fluently in rhythm and mood. A richly detailed, deeply personal statement from one of Japan's most quietly consistent producers.
Review: Milio's third album on Atomnation marks a significant artistic evolution for the Dutch producer, who has harnessed new production techniques to translate his childhood fantasies into music. Utilising mostly analogue sounds, recorded percussion, and his own voice, the artist crafts a rich auditory experience that again showcases his suburb synth work as it explores the space between the surreal and the real, featuring tracks like the melodically gorgeous 'Day in Night,' the lithe and dubby rhythms of 'Confuse Me,' and the broken beat beauty of 'Sleeping.' Each piece offers a unique blend of emotional depth and vivid soundscaping that takes you to a world away from here.
Review: Berlin-based artist Pavel Milyakov collaborates with Yana Pavlova, Martyna Basta, Richie Culver and Torus on Enthropic Vision, an album-length collection of tracks spanning diverse genres. The A-side starts with the melancholic ambience of 'Moon Chant', featuring the ethereal vocals of Krakow experimental music scene veteran Martyna Basta, before 'Tesco' brings bleak trancey loops blended with British contemporary artist Richie Culver's spoken word poetry. 'Eternal Break', with Netherlands-based artist Torus, is all low subs, ecstatic pads and abrasive breaks, then the B-side kicks in with 'Gabba 17' - not a 170bpm gabba anthem, but rather a ghostly techno workout with an admittedly urgent 4/4 kick - and continues with another tune featuring Richie Culver's spoken word fused with breaks. The album closes with the grim beauty of 'The Thrill', recorded in collaboration with Ukrainian singer Yana Pavlova and transports more wised up listeners back to the hypnagogic universe of the duo's 2021 Blue LP.
Review: During the late 1990s, Japanese producer Yuji Takanouchi produced a trio of sublime EPs, most of which went largely overlooked at the time. He surprisingly returned to action a few years ago with a handful of similarly dreamy, loved-up productions, prompting R&S offshoot Apollo Records - who famously released his peerless ambient house 12", Southern Paradise, in 1997 - to put together this superb compilation. The genius of his productions, whether dancefloor leaning or more horizontal in ethos, always lay in the hazy colourfulness of his synthesizer melodies and life-affirming chord progressions. It's those traits, coupled with his firm grasp of deep house and intelligent techno aesthetics, which shine through on Brand New Day. "Pacific Jazz", "Nite" and "Ocean In Heaven", in particular, are stunning.
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