Strong release with advanced abstract house tracks. Exceptional killer leftfield House trips in true Kassem Mosse style.
house
Romansoff – Raw Tools 4 [RWT004]
Ondo Fudd – Coup D’Etat [TTT017]
Following on from his releases on Fabric’s Houndstooth label, Call Super takes his contemporary take on low-slung, lo-fi referencing techno to The Trilogy Tapes, dropping this three track EP under the Ondo Fudd moniker. Hinting at the deeper influences of the Workshop stable together with swirling lysergic synths that provide some welcome melodic relief from the thick, crunchy rhythms. Title track ‘Coup D’Etat’ has the sprightly synths of early Detroit techno allied to clattering metallic percussion and ghostly voices. ‘Harbour’ reflects retro electro back at us through a dust-covered mirror. ‘There Will Be A Time’ reimagines a rainforest populated by robot birds and mechanical creatures.
Amir Alexander – LWE Podcast 195
Innershades – Toxic Trax [SUIT005]
Innershades delivers 6 cuts that are divided in 2 parts: the Twilight side & the Ghetto side. Influenced by the Chicago godfathers and the Dance Mania style. First side, Twilight Side, contained “Dexter (’87 mix)”, “Lust” & “Work that” heavily influenced by the Chicago godfathers. 2nd side, Ghetto side, comes up with “Circuit”, “Walk the walk” & “Feel” heavily influenced by the dance mania style.
Willie Burns – Woo Right EP [UTTU038]
Unknown To The Unknown present a new 4 track club EP from New York Outsider House luminary Willie Burns. By day a swimming instructor & record buyer at the world famous thrift store The Thing. By night he can be found in his studio in Greenpoint surrounded by a collection of analogue hardware that make up his alias Speculator, Black Deer & of course his SP1200 aided Willie Burns. Having released numerous EPs on some of the coolest labels on the planet: L.I.E.S, The Trilogy Tapes, Rush Hour & Crme Organisation hes turned in 4 spectacular hazy low slung house jams for Unknown To The Unknown.
Bobby O’Donell – Epsilon [SWX002]
Bobby O’Donnell delivers the second EP on his own Strobewax label which he co-runs with Annie Errez. Stirring various influences from both across the pond and the UK this EP sits perfectly between deep house and techno.
Crystal Maze – Black Orchid EP [EVR014]
Cultured Greek outlet Echovolt serves up its second EP of the year and this one comes from Amsterdam techno pair Crystal Maze aka G-String and Marco Antonio Spaventi. ‘Black Orchid EP’ contains two slow techno jams that go deep and long plus a shorter kind of otherworldly beat less sound design. There are times that the production places plenty of focus on melody and other moments that terrified synth sounds conjure an uneasy sense of terror that then turns into trippy, loopy techno rhythms. There’s plenty of warmth, atmosphere and invention in all three tunes here, and together they make the ideal combination for both club use and heady listening.
VA – This Is House Music EP #6 [Q011]
Headphoniq with the sixth This Is House Music EP. Solid and timeless house tracks on this Ron Trent compilation.
VA – Alphabet Soul [INMR004]
Anderson is doffing his curatorial cap with the latest release on his own Inimeg Recordings label entitled Exchange Place presents Alphabet Soul. Productions from Anderson bookend the record and in between DJ QU and Nicuri offer some strong representation for the esteemed Strength Music camp. Lead track “She Is Afraid” finds Anderson working once more with Ebony Ugo, whose treated vocals complement the bugged out house backing perfectly. “Alphabet Soul” from DJ QU could almost be a Pangaea production whilst “Navigation 8th Density” finds Nicuri combining taut techno rhythmics with an underlying cosmic sense of light. If you enjoyed Anderson’s late 2013 Dekmantel dalliance you will most certainly dig final track “Linguistic Command”.
Lerosa – Compound 11
Omar S – FXHE 10 Year Compilation Mix Part 1 [AOS2004]
It’s been ten years since outspoken Detroit house legend Omar-S launched his FXHE label, which is no mean feat for a DIY label. To celebrate the fact, he’s decided to put together the first in a series of mix CDs highlight the much-loved imprints vast discography. Entitled simply 1, the 74 minute vinyl only set takes an entertaining saunter through the label’s bulging back catalogue, showcasing a range of well-known cuts (“Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance” etc) and what the producer calls “some shit [fans] might have slept on”. Predictably, it makes for a sumptuous and suitably groovy blend, moving between bespoke soulful house (Omar-S’s much-loved “Sex”), deep Detroit futurism (Omar-S and O B Ignitt’s “Wayne County Hill Cops Part 2”), dreamy jack tracks (Jason Fine’s “Jack Yo Bodda”) and tactile tech-house (Fit and Gunnar Wendel’s “Enter the Fog”).
VA – This Is House Music EP #5 [Q010]
The fifth Headphoniq release in the This Is House Music series, featuring Boo Williams, Jordan Fields, Stephane Vera and Mr. Feeling.
VA – Semesters III [SMR013]
Four years on from the previous instalment, DJ QU’s Strength Music returns with a third edition of their Semesters series, with contributions from Pixel Music, Nicuri and QU himself this time around. Leading the way is “M- Theory” from Pixel Music, a lesser spotted alias of Italian producer Massimiliano ‘Hazylujah’ Vianello which selfishly grips the entire A Side and quite rightly so as it’s a potent production filled with mind bending potential. Having recently flirted with Joey Anderson’s Inimeg operation, Nicuri returns to the Strength cause on the B Side offering the pensive deepness of “Thoughts Of You” whilst DJ QU signs off the 12″ with the bugged out beat down of “Undescribed (Believer)” which is what Parliament would be making if they were to surface in today’s sonic climate.
Alex Israel – A Man Of Qualities [CR1271]
Creme Organization are getting busy right from the start of 2014, and here serve up an EP from Detroit insider Alex Israel. Israel has released on the label before and this new four track offering continues in his usual good form, exploring cerebral and atmospheric techno soundscapes with plenty of elan. A Man Of Qualities goes first and has a certain sense of menace luring at its sparse core. Sharp, coarse claps bring texture to the thick basslines and shiny synths and the whole thing gurgles invitingly. Next comes Mustard Greens, a slow and lazy affair awash with lush chords, ticking percussion and rasping rubbery bass notes. It’s pleasurable and immersive and on b-side ‘Angulas’ the tempo begins to pick up. Here more spangled synth lines wrap around echoing claps and well-defined percussion to make for a fragmented and uneven groove that rumbles along like a fully laden donkey. Closer Colugo is a more standard, gliding deep house affair with jazzy drums, stabbed chords and plenty of old school values reimagined in a modern framework. Once again here Alex Israel proves himself to be a high dexterous producer with a unique sense of groove.
Amir Alexander – Stardust Kisses EP [VS005]
An audio love letter. Four eclectic dance floor flavors, each burrowing to the heart of the groove from different angles. Alternately crazy, playful, sputtering, tribal, chunky, & broken . Featuring Clara Stjarna on vox.
Art Crime – Never Look Back [WT020]
Stunning new WT records by Art Crime, who make it debut with his amazing 4 track ep. Hailing from Moscos Art Crime delivers a versatile ep with up tempo tracks ranging from more melodic piano driven house on the opening track to heavy percussion driven techno with a nice metalic bass line topped with more piano and almost Drexciyan atmospheres in the melancholic Happiness Side Effects, and beautiful dramatic vibes on the final track.
Scott Fraser – Body [ALR019]
With the Body EP Scott Fraser signs his third collaboration for Astro Lab Recordings. Scott is back with this inspired track of Old School Chicago house with a small touch of classic Detroit techno. With Scott we decided to ask Raudive for the b-side remix, he tuned Body into his own techno secret, strong bass treatment, crazy synth, something really strong for the dance floor.
XDB @ Rue de Plaisance, Rex Club (Paris) 09.01.2014
Escape Force – Confused House 4 [CH004]
This psychedelic NYC crew give us 3 ways to exit the mind… Dope project from Terekke, Steve Summers & Bookworms.
