Khotin (Normals Welcome resident) returns for his second release on our imprint. He joins up with Australia’s Dan White, whose release on Forbidden Planet found its way into our record bags this past year. Deep space acid vibe on this one.
Prior to joining up with Lobster Theremin for this volume of their white label series, Qnete’s output had largely consisted of powerful but spacey tracks in an intelligent techno-meets-classic Detroit vibe. While hints of that style are still present on his first Lobster Theremin outing, there’s a much more “classic deep house” feel throughout. Opener “A Luv Jam” comes across as the sort of expansive, star-gazing, Larry Heard inspired jam that moves the head just as much as the feet, while “I Might Be Wrong” doffs a cap in the direction of the Motor City whilst retaining an early ’90s feel. As for flipside “Dresden”, it offers a magical fusion of fizzing, Chicago-inspired drum machine rhythms and spacey, almost endless deep space chords.
Eugene Efimenko aka Muzikalist, is a DJ, musician and promoter based in Kaliningrad. Here he makes his debut on Flight Recorder label with four deep acidic Chicago tracks.
Mörk continues a hazy run of releases with a hard-driving, dream-techno 12″ from Romansoff. Known for raw and battered techno excursions and curation through his Raw Tools labels, Romansoff continues his recent stellar run with a more wandering, daylight-dreaming four track EP. The light-splintered techno of ‘Beyond The Self’ melting into the looping shuttered-blind house of ‘Infinite Dreams’. While the flip explores a visceral washed-out 5am sound palette, with ‘Seven Sins’s drowning modems and the incessant clattering rhythms of ‘She Forgives’.
After releasing his music on the labels like Mathematics, Macadam Mambo, Hotmix and Snuff Trax, Takeshi Kouzuki, Japanese producer currently based in Kobe, starts his own label Man Made Mechanical Culture. The first EP is delivered with his own 3 raw house tracks mainly made of analogue synth and rhythm machine sounds.
The third release on the Nous Ethos Series….. this time it’s a bright and bubbling 6 tracker from another unannounced artist.
Yanneck “Quarion” Salvo has been relatively quiet of late, with his last 12″ dropping midway through 2014. The four cuts gently pull in subtly different directions, with the blissfully spacey synth melodies and long builds of “Lost Coordinates” being followed by the bass-heavy, deep house basement funk of “A Thousand Questions”. Flip for the relentless organ stabs, shaker-heavy grooves, twisted synth lines and bumpin’ bassline of “Burnin”, and the fantastically broken P-funk workout that is “You Were The Only”.
Mr. Beatnick returns to DBA after a two year hiatus following his Synthetes Trilogy series, with a new direction and a 4 track EP which represents his most floor-focussed work to date. Opening cut Stutter is an immaculately crafted deep techno bomb which features the trademark sound familiar to fans of the London producer’s work, whilst title track Formed In The Stance and flip-side Obsidian Morning explore an eyes-down, moody, broken sound which will no doubt ring a bell for devotees of the seminal Co-Op nights.
Seventh release in the I Love Acid series. Perseus Traxx in action with some lush acid techno – melodies submerged in deep reverb amongst clattering drum machines and 303 snarls. All original analogue kit, all the real deal.
Kate Simko and Tevo Howard are known for creating out of the box and genre-bending productions. Now, the native Chicagoans announce their ‘Theme Track EP,’ giving music lovers a taste of things to come from the album. Closing the EP in the spirit of PolyRhythmic, renowned New York producer Fred P (aka Black Jazz Consortium) delivers a masterful remix of ‘PolyRhythmic Theme’.
Some 17 years after it’s original release, Fingers Inc’s expansive debut album, Another Side, remains one of the greatest deep house full-lengths of all time. Here, the album gets the re-master and re-issue treatment, with the original double vinyl set being expanded to a triple to guarantee loud cuts for club play. While there are plenty of well-known Heard and co classics present – “Mysteries of Love”, “Bring Down The Walls”, “Can You Feel It” etc. – it’s actually the long-forgotten album tracks that really hit the spot. It’s on these moments – often influenced as much by ’80s soul and synth-pop as acid and Chicago jack-tracks – that Larry Heard, Robert Owens and Ron Wilson really cut loose.
Detroit legend Rick Wade is back with a nice new EP on Rymd. First up “Strong Arm” is the kind of real proper deep house that is often imitated but hardly matched. From the unmistakable knack of its groove to its swirling and mesmerising Rhodes in the foreground. “Funkopolis” gets deeper and as the name suggests has a totally killer bassline and just generally awesome soul goodness going on. Proper Detroit style representing here. Italians Deep 88 and Emotion (Ignacio) turn in some surprisingly good remixes on the flip that do their job well by not deviating too much from the originals and reworking the grooves into decent alternate versions.
The second release on the Fuck Reality label comes from Smallville regular Moomin, aka German producer Sebastian Genz. While flipsides “Room 207” and “Right On” are as deep, woozy, starry and twinkling as you’d expect from the long-established deep house producer, it’s A-side “You Are Sweet Sweet” that will undoubtedly attract most attention. It’s effectively an unofficial remix of Candi Staton’s dancefloor anthem “You Got The Love”, with the legendary vocalist’s iconic vocal riding a chunky, organic deep house cut big on rolling, disco-influenced percussion, chiming melodies and rich chords.
The Chicago based Perpetual Rhythms label welcomes long time Chicago artist Brian Harden for the its 5th release. This EP offers 3 solid tracks, including a remix by Dj Quad; all of which represent the many facettes of Chicago House & Techno…Deep, Soulful, & Banging.
For the latest outing on his prolific Underground Quality label, deep house veteran Jus Ed is joined by veteran UK techno maestro Mr G. Each producer delivers two tracks in their trademark styles. Unsurprisingly Mr G’s tracks are tough, stripped-back, atmospheric and heavy, with the hypnotic spookiness of “Freakshow” just edging out the bumpin’ beats, weighty bass and minor key chords of “Billares Londres The Rum”. In contrast, there’s an inherent tunefulness about Jus Ed’s two analogue deep house jams. Choose between the subtle steel drum melodies, sinewy synth-strings and Balearic house grooves of “GoTee Stroke”, and the ultra-deep dub house flex of “Heaven Sent”.
Chicago institution Smart Bar launched a new record label with curators The Black Madonna and Argot/Tasteful Nudes boss Steve Mizek, naming it Northside ’82 after the neighborhood and year the club was founded in. The inaugural release comes from Resident Smart Bar DJ Ike Release who sources inspiration from early Midwestern house music for his Dance Equations EP.
Super not-secret summer business from the Lobster family. Four luscious, beach-coasting, jet-skiing tracks inspired by the soul of Detroit via Manchester producer Hidden Spheres. Vocal tracks that undulate with ‘mmm’s and ‘uuuh’s for the real deal summer feel. Sweeping Rhode lines, organic percussion to make the thumbs raw and those deep, woofing basses that just keep on giving. Hidden Spheres going for the jugular.
L.B. Produce return for their third release. Ron Obvious takes the helm this time round and delivers four sweltering, club ready house tracks. Deep, pounding bass pulled straight from the D, transient machine percussion, emotive pad work and some choice vocal snippets.
The Hipodrome Of Music 