Killer EP on Freerange by Red D, the Belgian DJ and producer, one half of FCL (alongside San Soda), long standing club promoter (since 1992), owner of We Play House. Two originals of which ”Into Darkness” is a real raw dark house tune. Comes in orignal versions and Jacob Korn remixes.
Spontaneity, simplicity and playfulness, combined with the warmth and solitude of an Ibizan hideaway, not to mention the cold, industrial minimalism of Manuels Ruhr Valley Essen roots all make for an interesting fusion on Es Cub. Take opener Ara Anam for example, we could just as easily be on the Space Terrace as we could at Panarama Bar. Tracks such as Werk and Flux combine hints of clipped minimalism with the driving, analogue synth sounds of say Ame or Baikal whilst About To Fall and El Soplo contain both depth and a certain majestic beauty gained from the simple, stripped back, rolling beats and flowing pads. Far from being the throwaway sketches that Manuel modestly implies, we hear strong melodic motifs and hooky samples appearing throughout the entire LP which brings a unique identity to each track as well as adding a cohesive gel to Es Cub.
One of the UK’s most established and consistent deep house producers, Jimpster, drops his eagerly anticipated Porchlight And Rocking Chairs LP on Freerange Records. His first studio album in six years sees him continue where he left off on the 2006 masterpiece Amour by taking the blueprint of House music and infusing it with an attention to detail and musicality often lacking in much of today’s more disposable dance music. As Jimpster himself admits, much of the inspiration for Porchlight And Rocking Chairs came from the countless hours spent exhausted or hungover in airport lounges on the way back from gigs. It’s during this early morning never never land that he would seek solace in his ipod or start creating tracks on his laptop. Anything too challenging or abstract would be an irritation. Anything too ambient could sedate to the point of missing flights. So normally it would be the kind of lo-slung, emotive, deep shit with enough groove to get into but also just the right amount of warmth and soul to keep spirits lifted in those tiring, and often solitary hours.
Tony Lionni ahead of his Madhouse album comes this three solid modern house tracks on Freerange. Title track ‘Midnight Manoeuvres’ is a main room stomper with a looped grooves that slowly builds and drops as the track progressive. A great cut that hasn’t been overworked. ‘Two Dark Figures’ captures that New Jersey vibe, but with a deeper, techy touch. Warm, soulful underground house sounds. ‘When Time Began’ gets on the synth arpeggio wave, letting the spiralling keyboard lines ride off into the distance.
Jimpster’s These Times proved to be a successful release, garnering love and support from right across the board. Here Freerange present two remixes by Dixon and Manuel Tur. Here we’re very proud to present the fruits of his labour, as well as a stunning remix from Manuel Tur. Dixon keeps the original vibe intact but reduces the groove perfectly and extends the arrangement for a deep, epic vocal version aimed squarely at the dancefloor. Manuel goes into the abyss with a darker, hypnotic feeling, pushing Jinadu’s vocals to the fore and working up a stripped back groove punctuated with ring modulated chime FX.
Here we get treated to an excellent old school house burner complete with remixes from some equally hot names on the scene, Tuff City Kids (Gerd Jansen owner of the Running Back label and Philip Lauer from Arto Mwambe) and Blakkat aka Mark Bell.
Manchester-raised and Berlin-based producer Tony Lionni will release his debut album, As One, this fall on Freerange. Though he’s been tinkering with music for roughly two decades, Lionni’s career took off in 2008 with a slew of 12-inches on respected labels like Mule Electronic, Wave Music and Aesthetic Audio. He’s been extremely active since his debut, releasing dozens of tracks in under two years, including the euphoric crowd-pleaser “Found a Place” on Ostgut Ton (reworked here as “Found Another Place.”) As One boasts all new tunes by Lionni, and features a guest appearance by Ferrispark deep house artist Marvin Belton.
The Hipodrome Of Music 