Debut release on new label Roots By The Oder comes from Berlin-via-London producer Mculo. 3 Tracks of precision, atmospheric House & Techno.
deep house
12 To 30 – Orchestral Dimensions [SIS025]
Sistrum looks outward for release #25, summoning the talents of Bacanito, Giovanni Randisi and Tazz under their 12 To 30 moniker. The Orchestral Dimensions EP is a welcome addition to the Sistrum catalog, sitting comfortably within the sonic palette of the label whilst offering a unique take on deep electronic music. Raw, authentic, underground sounds to keep the Sistrum tradition moving ever-forward.
Octa Octa – Further Trips EP [DBRV026]
Brooklyn based producer shows off his knack for rich grooves, & melodies that are intoxicating in nature. The drive, & atmosphere are what led Deepblak’s Aybee to his work, & these ingredients on display as they speak to the head, & the feet.
Marvis Dee – EP 1: Sailing Over Alpha Moon [DREAMS001]
Marvis Dee opens the newly varnished In The My Dreams imprint with a boogie-led 5-track EP of late-night 80’s house and slow groove-soaked beats. Drawing from the magical influence of the conga-a-plenty TR-727 drum machine along with stomach rumbling basses and glistening synth romanticism conjured from the same machine. Sailing Over Alpha Moon is the first in a 3 EP series exploring these ideas, machines and the nostalgic attachment to things we have once experienced but may not remember. Trapped solely in the memories of others, but returning in our dreams.
Floating Points – Elaenia [PLUTO001]
For the past ten years, all roads Shepherd has followed have been slowly leading to ‘Elaenia’ – an album with roots deep in his formative years, and one that draws upon everything Shepherd has done so far. An album that provides context to the music that Shepherd has been making to date. Every DJ set he’s performed, every talent he has produced, every composition he has written are thought of as precursors to ‘Elaenia’ – a dazzling score which puts Shepherd in the spotlight as a composer who has produced an album that bridges the gap between his rapturous dance music and formative classical roots. Drawing inspiration from classical, jazz, electronic music, soul and even Brazilian popular music, ‘Elaenia’ – named after the bird of the same name – is the epitome of the forward-thinking Floating Points vision in 2015.
Alex Falk – What Is Free [FS031]
Finale Sessions is excited about this release from Knoxville, Tennessee artist Alex Falk. He has been on our radar for some time now so we are pleased to share this with you! The A1 track “An Ever” is one of our favorite tracks on the EP, with dreamy pads and monstrous stabs making for a fantastic floor-stomper. Rounding out the A side is “Rrecs”, a deep Techno cut with clattering chords and moving drums and claps. B1 track “What Is Free” is another solid peak time killer with thick stabs and cut-up vocals making for a perfect Finale Sessions release. Finally, “BR56” brings up the tempo while chilling out the vibe with dubbed-out chords, nasty filter work and a sound floating somewhere between Techno and House.
Jordan – What We Have Forgotten EP [SPMB010]
A young DJ/producer from Brooklyn pushing the line where deep house and techno join in emotive rawness. A deep moody selection of movements that suit any occasion as the vibe grows & culminates.
Amir Alexander – Anthology One [ACWL001]
Amir Alexander’s Anthology one brings together 4 of his most in demand tacks spread out over 3 EP’s onto one 12 inch compilation. ‘Necessary Sanctuary’ has proven to be an instant classic since it’s quiet and humble release 5 years ago. Both tracks are included. The Original Mix and the 3 AM Dub. Also included is ”The Universe’ from his Deep Vibes released Outsider Music EP, as well as The lovely ‘Transcend’ for Amir’s first full solo EP on Machining Dreams.
Anaxander – A Question About You [LVNO004]
Anaxander, contributes two beautiful pieces and has one of them reworked by Amir Alexander. Lost My Soul (in Yours) is twisted little number, with dual synth riffs echoing off each other for maximum effect. A Question About You uses jazzy chords and flutes over its undeniable bassline to retain some soulful flavoring, but Amir strips all of that away on his interpretation, preffering instead to let the acid and the warehouse vibes have their way, taking things right into a 6am rave nightmare.
Marvis Dee – Subconscious EP [LSM001]
With the birth of this new Dublin based record label, Lime Street Music, we have the first debut EP from Marvis Dee the more house leaning alias of mysterious producer Jeremiah R. Marvis offers up six varied analogue house jams from the spacey sounds on Dreams of Another Planet through to the acidic vibes of Jungle Trip and Subconscious then rounded up with the reflective moods of Tapedeck Adventure, Cancun Seventies and Weeks.
Royer – Collectively EP [LT017]
There’s something particularly admirable about Lobster Theremin’s often-stated desire to eschew tried-and-tested producers in favour of newcomers and lesser-known studio buffs. Here, they offer a label debut to William ‘Royer’ Thurman. He escorts us on a trip into the deep depths of his musical imagination, where drifting chords, barely audible vocal samples and dusty melodic motifs rub shoulders with crackling drum machine grooves and blazed, locked-in rhythms. There’s much to enjoy throughout, from the horizontal textures and rolling grooves of “Facts”, to the minor key techno wonkiness of “Collectively”. TRP remixes that track, delivering a heavier, more raw sounding interpretation.
Stump Valley – Magica Movida [RHD024]
Stump Valley returns to Rush Hour’s ‘No Label’ offshoot with more attractive, ear-pleasing fare. There’s a slightly more sun-kissed feel to Magica Movida, with opener “Oceans Refuse No River” coming on like a dusty and tactile nu-disco take on the dreamy, new age influenced Mood Hut sound. There’s plenty more to enjoy across the EP, with the dawn-over-the-Adriatic feel of “Sunshine Hotel” standing out.
Leonid – Otherworld [ELEVE006]
Eleve welcomes Leonid into the family with Otherworld EP. He brings a three-track EP whose amazing sound and percussion, trademark basslines and detroitish leads and pads promise to transport many dancers to other worlds. A side starts with ‘Xana’, an esoteric house excursion with a mechanical edge. Next track is ‘Púca’, in the spirit of his deepest previous work with a characteristic syncopated bassline. B side long track is ‘Embarr’, an adventurous imagination trip across the sea; classic Leonid elements such relentless percussion and heavy bassline meets acid elements to create a one-way ticket to universal sub-conscience.
Pascal Viscardi – Wise Man’s Decision EP [TULTD003]
Pascal Viscardi brings his gritty mellow tones and extra shuffled patterns to the Traxx Underground familly. Strongly routed into jazzy vinyl samples, black speaches and spatial atmosphers, the 3 tracks composing “Wise Man’s Decision EP” take inspiration from the past to showcase a true vision of what Slow-Deep-House should be in 2015. At last but not least, the great Fred P came to make his hands dirty, delivering a true reshape of “Wise Man’s Decision”, offering us a tunnel from where it aint easy to escape.
Deep Space Orchestra – Memory LP [UOWLP001]
Deep Space Orchestra is Chris Barker and Simon Murray, a pair of mature music lovers who have been DJing and making music for years. When together they conjure up emotive soundscapes full of lithe and rubbery bass, rich synth patterns and authentic real world textures. Never repeating the same trick twice, they conjure up original moods and grooves that don’t rely on trends of the day nor obvious sample pack sounds. ‘Memory’ is a complete piece of work that has been cooked up over the last three years and has largely been born from a collection of gear they bought with a view to starting to play live. As such it finds them experiment with all manner of new sounds and techniques, and the results are triumphant indeed.
Toby Tobias – Rising Son [DOGLP005]
Toby Tobias is ready to drop his second album. Clearly a labour of love, Rising Son touches on many of his now-familiar influences – the futurist synth sounds of Detroit techno, deep house, Chicago jack, Balearica, leftfield boogie, Italo-disco – whilst focusing on a predominantly hardware-based sound that allows his lovingly produced melodies and gorgeous chords due room to breathe. As a result, the album sparkles, with highlights – both dancefloor-focused, such as recent single “Wonder”, and more downtempo – cropping up on each of the double-album’s four sides. It’s actually the more atmospheric downbeat moments, such as the brilliant “Sending Signals” and IDM weird-out “Broken Computer” – that really shine.
Dj Steaw – Everydayz EP [TU003]
Contemporary deep house with the bumping grooves of classic Jersey garage. Tapping up the talents of French producer DJ Steaw, the EP is dominated by “Everydayz”, combining an ultra-crisp percussive arrangement with resonant bass, hands in the air keys and breathy vocals, as tight a dancefloor house construction as you’re likely to hear in the near future. On the flip, the producer provides the “Deep mix” of the same track, inverting the mood with its cloak of midnight vibes, soundtracking the club rather than the terrace. The real gem however is “Morning Light” mixing up the formula with its driving bassline and richly filtered atmospherics.
Moon B – Measure Pleasure [PULP005]
The title track ”Measure Pleasure” has that buldging funk bass lying underneath some spacey pads and a great rhythm track. Golden Ivy’s version of the title track is emphasizing on the rhythm even more by adding bursting FX and obese kickdrums. Moon B’s Nada Clouds (A3) is a positive yet exotic journey which should be excellent for summer gig’s on rooftops anywhere in the world. For the B1 Moon B continues with the percussion laden ”PV Hills”, this bit has those signature chord switches and vibe changes, that are creating a very melancholic atmosphere throughout. British master of all things melodic ”Fudge Fingas” flips the original completely, making it more streamlined with just a hint more power.
The Dangerfeel Newbies – What Am I Here For? [NDATL016]
Soulful fusionists The Dangerfeel Newbies are an interesting proposition. Certainly, the Atlanta-based trio has made an impression on NDATL Muzik boss Kai Alice, who’s decided to release a trio of his own interpretations of Hariet album highlight “What Am I Here For”. He begins by delivering a classic soulful house interpretation, placing the original’s superb vocal and twinkling jazz pianos right at the heart of the action. Those superb piano lines come to the fore on his Piano Instrumental, before the Late Night Mix sees Alice sauntering off on a hazy, duvet-warm deep house tip. Best of all, though, is the bonus remix of “Swingin’ With The New Jacks”, a fizzing, rolling deep house groover replete with vibraphone solos and battling jazz horns.
Santiago Salazar – Chicanismo [LWYFLP001]
It’s been a decade since Underground Resistance affiliate Santiago Salazar made his debut on Los Hermanos. Surprisingly, this double pack represents his first attempt releasing an album, though whether Chicanismo was intended to be a ‘proper’ full length is a moot point. There’s certainly plenty to enjoy, with Salazar melding his usual influences – deep house, Detroit techno, tech-house, Latin rhythms and dreamy, rave-era, breakbeat driven grooves – into a range of attractive, floor-friendly cuts. There’s naturally much to enjoy throughout, from the title track’s Motor City beats, heavy bass and swirling pads, to the bumpin’ tribal rhythms and mangled tropical bird noises of ”UKB to LAX”.
The Hipodrome Of Music 