house
VA – Uncanny Valley 10 [UV010]
Catalogue number 10 at Uncanny Valley and for this occasion the Dresden based label returns to its roots with another Various Artists EP. Actually, this is long overdue since there are a lot more talented producers to find in the Elbe Valley. Sandrow M who focused on the C-Beams project recently has been part of the label right from the start. With “The Three Trees” he makes his solo debut for Uncanny Valley. The track is a summery House tune that shines with Garage vocals and warm synth pads. Steve Kasper is slowing it down with “Unvexed Dub” which is an immersed House excursion for the morning hours. On the flipside Scherbe’s ‘Kill Bill$’ stumbles but does not fall. Instead, the track lives from tottering interaction between bright percussion and fractious drones below. Finally, it’s Jacob Stoy who closes the record with ‘S51’, a dreamy Deep House study including heavenly pads and subtle drum programming.
Big Strick feat. Generation Next – Alpha & Omega [7DAYS1005]
Big Strick is back at it and this time he brings Generation Next the first artist from the 7 Days camp to emerge from the city streets of the D. Only 16 this young man is shaping up to be one of the premier producers in the Biz!
The Citizen’s Band – Broken Rome [PLAYRJC019]
The Citizen’s Band’s second instalment for Live at Robert Johnson hollows their long lasting love affair. Christian Beisswenger is nothing less than dealing with the demise of an empire. “Broken Rome” is a codeine trip through early Nu Groove rave tracks as well as an ode to Junior Vasquez at the helm of the Sound Factory seen and heard through frosted glass. “Densed” on the other hand tips its toes into the current deep house stream. The spaces in-between those rudiments are taken up by the idm finger exercise and jewel that is “Into”: Ottoman dancing!
Legowelt – Bukarest Mixtape
BUKAREST .RO / LIVE MIXTAPE 16/MAR/012 @ ATELIER DE PRODUCTIE
Anthony Naples – Mad Disrespect EP [MSN001]
A new record label from Justin and Eamon, of NYC’s Mister Saturday Night Parties. All the music is lovingly picked by Justin and Eamon, and so far all the records are from new Brooklyn-based artists that they’ve met through the party. The first release is from Anthony Naples. Passion, musicality, restraint, groove: it’s all there. And, crazy factoid, after he was signed, we found out that these were the very first tracks he ever made.
Nick Beringer – First Floor EP [WXC004]
The 4th release on Skylax’ Wax Classic series, featuring 5 trax done by Nick Beringer. Entitled “The first floor EP”, it starts with “Show me” which is one of those eminently soulful house tracks with a sparse approach to production, all the elements sounding so crisp and distinct in the mix but judged perfectly.
Iron Curtis – Thoughts On [4LUX1202]
Iron Curtis debut single for 4lux. Proper House and Disco tracks! The original mix of Thoughts On is a banging Deep House joint with haunting melodies and cut up vocals. The 2012 version provides for a more jumping bassline and hard hitting straight forward beats. Iron Curtis goes mental on Oh Come On with his cut up and vibe-heavy jazz samples and heavy pounding 808 beats. Relentless! On Interlude In The Park the lights are dimmed and the tempo drops. A slow disco burner for those who love slow jams.
Andy Ash – Get Loose [OTP013]
Latest On the Prowl 12″ features the return of Andy Ash. As is to be expected with the talented, young producer, the EP is all groovy, bouncy, high-octane house with a hardy injection of disco glitz. Get Loose is what its name implies ;an elastic, fidgety whirl of dancey guitar strums; a heavy bass that pans in and out, mimicking the experience of opening the door to an underground club; and a playful keyboard melody. Love Me Straight is a spacier affair, with a lounge-y pulse and hypnotic synth hook that creeps in, out, and around your ears. The Deep Space Orchestra remix amps up the bass of the original, making the entire track sound like it’s being played under water. And You Show Me is a perfect example of Ash’s trademarks all coalescing into one big pile of shuffling dance floor fun; you can almost see the swirling disco ball lights through your eyelids and feel the smoke machine juice snake into your nostrils.
Jaime Read – Don’t Mind What EP [HOUSEWAX004]
New release on Housewax, this time by Jaime Read who has been releasing deep house & techno since the mid-nineties. Here 4 classic Chicago/NY inspired cuts that just have everything: the original vintage synths, drums & basslines, and a serious positive vibe.
Marcus Mixx / Fit – Salute The Noize With A Laugh / Kali [FIT005]
Next up on Fit Sound is A split 12″ that combines the way out sounds of Chicago from veteran producer Marcus Mixx and the modern raw Detroit sound from label owner Fit, aka Aaron “FIT” Siegel.
DJ Deep – Louche Podcast 070
Trackmasta Lou – To Day Is A Good Day [TABR010]
For the 10th release, Taberbacle Records Trackmasta Lou of Scan 7 delivers a warm, uplifting house track straight from the hood of Detroit. In contrast the b-side features two spanking remixes from Tabernacle cohorts John Heckle and The Analogue Cops.
David Vunk – Life Is Live Radio 21.03.2012
Nitetime – Jivetalk [FCL073]
Nitetime is the new production duo from Boston, USA comprised of Kon and Whisky Baron. Nitetime’s debut EP Jive Talk sits on a bridge between OG boom bap hip hop – with its tough drums and grooved up interludes – and the 4/4 rhythms of classic house and disco.
Jay Bliss – The Art of Doing Nothing [INITIALS02]
Initials imprint delivers its second release this spring, Jay Blissʼ ʻThe Art of Doing Nothingʼ backed with a remix from Petre Inspirescu. In both original tracks Jay Bliss relies on little else than careful manipulation of structure and sound to create captivating fare. Lead track ʻDoing Nothingʼ revolves around a lumpy, satisfying groove and a three note hit while Jay Bliss teases out every detail to just before breaking point while ʻXʼ takes a deeper, more immersive route. Petre Inspirescu delivers a typically dense, rhythmic interpretation of ʻXʼ which clocks in at just over 14 minutes and rallies around padding kicks, sonic oddities and a ever-evolving percussion. Incredibly bass heavy, itʼs a version that gives an intense, sub-aquatic view of the original.
Ed Shepherd – Remedy [LH005]
Another entry into the Lonesome Hero roster, Ed Shepherd. Having hoarded an arsenal of hardware goodies, Shepherd employs his passion for all things analog into a beast of a 3-track EP. ‘Remedy’ grabs 90s acid house by the shirt collar and shoves it into the modern vinyl scene with a heady LFO drone that just won’t quit. Changing direction, ‘Britta’ epitomizes the fleshed-out inner romanticism Shepherd continually uncovers throughout his ever-evolving studio process. And then ‘Beaker’, an homage to Techno’s sequenced-and-squelchy Dan Bell era.
Ron Trent – Raw Footage Pt.1 [EB001LP1]
Ron Trent is preparing a new album for his label Electric Blue called “Raw Footage”. This is the first part of the album, featuring 4 cuts in the vane of the Chicago deep house master.
Massimiliano Pagliara – Focus For Infinity (The Remixes Pt. 2) [PLAYRJC018]
Top-quality remix action right here: from acid romantics to reggae house, by Nicholas remaining in his realm of deep and heavy house music, Rotciv and DJ Sotofett at the controls on ‘Harmonize’ which gets the jungle boogie treatment, 808 State dubbing, a house shuffle and proper synth breakdowns. Almost 12 minutes of soundbwoy contemplation including a proper dancehall shout out towards the end.
Marcello Napoletano pres. Ra Thout / The Brigante’s Orchestra – Born Free In The Land Of Nobody [MATH058]
Hot stuff Macello Napoletano dons his new guise as Ra Thout & The Brigante’s Orchestra but keeps loyal to his firm and releases on Mathematics. Anyway, Ra Thout is a totally different animal, frantic and aggressive, littered with raw electronics and tape saturation. “Catastophic Event” is an apt title for a rabid track that drags a multitude of squeals and sine tone abuse through rough drum box percussion and a fast, unrelenting tempo. “Man From Messapia” rides on a similar tempo but gets a bit funky, with filtered hooks and flanging pads. Deep, tech-funk with what sounds to me like a crazy vocoder line going absolutely off-it through the track. “The Man Who Can Do Anything” is a low-slung chugger with quite organic percussion and a subby bass. Breaking delicately through the mix is a wonderful lead flute line which contrasts well against the sludgy groove. “Terra Tra Due Mari” is totally nuts, mangling a free-jazz workout against jagged guitars and ridiculous amounts of bass. Hard to pin down, and quite unlike anything else but imagine some of Madlib’s Yesterdays New Quintet work being tweaked by Jamal Moss then mixed and mastered into some aggressive psychedelic B-side and you’re halfway there.
The Hipodrome Of Music 