Here’s an EP with two songs that are sure to take you back. Originally mixed by the legendary Larry Levan of the world famous Paradise Garage. These two Tracks were both considered anthems when played by Larry himself. Officially released in 1986, but this ‘’Demo Mix’’ of “Winners” was never released. Larry Levan played this unreleased cut for many years. “Groove” was never actually released and it was Larry’s Secret Weapon.
Merc return with the first in the next phase of E-Versions. As ever, MARK E’s best selling and precision club jams project delivers big things for discerning dancers We’ve witnessed first-hand the damage that A Side cut ‘Horn Jam’ visits on a sweaty dancefloor, with its insistent frug and layers of rising synths – a hypnotic bomb as only Mark can deliver On the flip Sanctified makes a meal out of a killer soul sample, working the arrangement into waves of subtle frenzy.
Magic Waves delivers the third and final installment in its series of EPs focusing on established artists working in disguise and encouraging the listener to put the “music first” ahead of names, trends or gimmicks. ‘Music First Vol 3’ opens in serious style with Fashionable Male’s epic EBM/New Beat stormer ‘Hardbody’; slow, deep and hard, building pressure to a crushing crescendo and guaranteed to drench any industrial basement dancefloor in litres of sweat. As if that wasn’t enough of an audiophysical workout we’re also treated on Side A to Deflektor1000’s ‘Krunch’, a punchy analogue technoid jam for the DJs that raves the bpm’s up to the next level in classic Detroit-Chicago style featuring whooshing strings, grinding bass and generally heavily elevating vibes. Flipping over to Side B things quickly get deeply hypnotic and very acidic indeed courtesy of Pagan Ritual’s squelching and jacking box-jam ‘Think Like Me’, another bomb no doubt destined to sit in many a DJ-bag for a long time. And closing things off we have an analogue Italo-Electro instrumental hard-rocker from Albert Ross in the shape of ‘Fly Away’, one that has been doing the rounds in the underground for some time and even popping up in the occasional I-f mix or two, finally available on wax but just as mysterious as ever.
Golden Teacher and the Rough Trade shops join forces to offer new ears the opportunity to hear the Teacher’s first three recording efforts on one handy compilation. Recorded between 2012 and 2013 at Glasgow’s Green Door Studio through a state-funded scheme for unemployed young musicians, this release documents the six-piece’s interest in the willful naïveté of late 20th century “post-” tendencies, leading France’s MidiLibre to later describe Golden Teacher as “an idiot-savant prototype of dance music in the 3rd millennium.” Golden Teacher is an ensemble of Cassie Ojay, Charles Lavenac, Laurie Pitt, Oliver Pitt, Richard McMaster and Sam Bellacosa. This release gathers all material from the band’s first three EPs, first released as OM18, OM20 and OM23 on Glasgow’s Optimo Music. The LP presents a selection of the band’s favorite tracks from these sessions.
The Russian duo, Simple Symmetry, delivers the second EP on Holland’s XXX label, unveiling a trio of new cuts. They begin with the curious but entertaining Italo disco-deep house fusion of “Chemical Wedding Of Christian Rosenkreutz” before moving into deeper, more tactile territory with the Steve Hillage guitars, dreamy chords and chugging grooves of “Best Ice Cream In Guwahati”. The latter is remixed by Public Possession’s Marvin & Guy, who emphasize the track’s sleazier elements. Arguably best of all, though, is “Whip Me In The Saloon”, which sounds like a cracking tribute to mid-80s Chicago house with added piano solos.
The 7th release on Love On The Rocks, comes from the Mexican duo Zombies in Miami with a three track EP titled ‘Snake Language’. The title track is a raw an haunting drum heavy number. On the flip comes ‘Calo’ with its twisting riffs that wind and turn alongside percussive interludes. ‘Yamo’ changes the pace but is no less impressive with climactic flutes and a driving bass line. ‘El Fuego’ completes the release as a digital exclusive. With this EP, the Zombies in Miami are literally on fire!
Red Laser is back with a blinder. A set of hardcore Manctalo uniting Manchester & Paris. Kid Machine returns to the label with a sci-fi chugger done in his unique deep style. Tommy Walker 3 turns on the lasers and tears down the rave. Alan Dente from the infamous Les Yeux Orange crew rips classic vocals for some classic sunrise sound tracking. Red Laser stalwart Starion closes the EP on a reflective Italo-noir note.
Super secret Bergen/Stavanger/Oslo/Haugesund/Berlin based collab label GLUEUNTZ is back with another release, after the very successful Q&A 12″ two years ago.
Awaiting VoX LoW EP finally out on Astro Lab Recordings, 3 originals tracks came with a Remix by Ivan Smagghe on the B side.
New master piece by the two young guys from Lyon where the label is based. This time they’ve let all their great inspiration take over, to deliver a strong piece of Chicago oriented House with tribal and japanese influences, the 707 is never too far, and a sexy male voice brings you into the moist backroom of this club named ‘Boxboys’.
Miruna Boruzescu, DJ and producer from Bucharest, presents her first EP on Comeme. The film-score like house is filled with enormous drums and ever climbing synth arpeggios.
Opening track In Spirals is an unabashed ode to funked up baselines and sparkling Italo melodies. Agamous pulls us in to sensual acid territory by taking 808 beats and 303 beeps into unchartered sexy locales. Go South continues the sexed up and synthy motif, and throws some electricised jungle drumming into the mix, making this the most intense and darkest track on the EP. Don’t Push Me, begins its journey with a more grooving disco percussion line and then heaps on some Chicago pads, ultimately blossoming into a full blown hands-in-the-air synth-exercise.
Bastedos returns with more signature weirdo disco not disco (but disco) cut-up cuts. This time the painstaking editing comes from A.M., Last Waltz, and Bastedos themselves.
Rinder & Lewis – Lust, The Alan Parsons Project – Mammagamma (instrumental) and an 120 BPM rhythm track.
Especial celebrates the upcoming release of it’s 2nd compilation mix CD to highlight the recent music of the label , with another Sampler 12” of unreleased tracks, remixes and versions for the heads, collectors and discerning.
Bastedos returns hosting two disco objects lovingly versioned by Nad. One side features the vocal talents of a mystery man with low riding balls imploring those gathered to hear him to ‘join his party’…if you look at his backside, so to speak, you will head off down to sunny rainbow filled Castro for a happy sing along and dancing tune versioned from vaults of Moby Dick.
Paul Cottam was diagnosed with Encephalomyelitis disseminata, or multiple sclerosis, just as his first records were released in 2009. The symptoms can come and go, one day you can feel OK and the next day a relapse can floor you. The last 2 or 3 years the relapses have become more frequent and aggressive. Both these tracks were written in the depths of a relapse; constant severe pain, couldn’t walk or even stand for long enough to play some records. He was housebound, and cabin fever was setting in. So he sat at his computer and let the way he felt influence the music. The A side ‘Breaking through the pain barrier’ is the soundtrack to a late night chemist run, with a deep brooding bass and a tension that builds like your mind working against the disease. The B side ‘Encephalomyelitis disseminata’ has warm bass and a lively percussion groove twinned with a killer acid line and mournful strings. These tracks helped Paul through the worst of times, kept his mind off the pain and focused on something, and thankfully something positive came out of it.
Maneuvers out of Dresden for Sneaker DJ under his Dunkeltier alias, with 4 cut’n’pastes library, EBM, industrial and proto groove for Bahnsteig 23 imprint.
