Two absolutely legendary pieces of early Chicago house music finally reissued for 2018. Mike Macharello and Duane Thamm JR’s Knight Action project was responsible for this colossal 1985 landmark release that saw a heady fusion of Euro influenced and Italo Disco sounds meet in the windy city and in turn create history.
The spiritual and uplifting music of Clifford White is highlighted with two of his most sought after songs, taken from his 1989 album ‘The Lifespring’, and presented here in a special extended 12″ for the first time.
Lucas Croon half of Bar and also known for his work with Dusseldorf projects like Stabil Elite and our uncle Themes For Great Cities delivers a four track EP full of downtempo synth and rhythm excursions.
Gerd returns to AUS with The Prophetess EP, a four tracker that showcases a producer capable of soundtracking peak-time moments anywhere and everywhere. The A side leans towards breaky drums and punchy melodies whilst the flip includes two acid bombs.
For the fourth instalment of SCB remix EPs from Hotflush, Mor Elian and Hammer step up for their own interpretations of tracks from Caibu. Fever AM label co-founder and hybrid club producer Mor Elian provides a spaced out take on ‘Fish Bowl’ full of angular drums and woozy synths. For his take on ‘Test Tubes’, Hammer formulates a steady groover for the after hours.
The heavy industrial crunch and rubbery synths of FRAK’s trademark sounds come to Hypercolour with the four track ‘Berga Magic’. The EP comes brimming with raw analogue explorations and delightfully incongruous noise.
Baltra returns to Of Paradise with his ‘Can’t Explain It’ EP, a kaleidoscopic and dazzling journey through the heart and soul of raw and hazy house music.
For over 18 years, Spectral Sound, the dance music imprint of Ghostly International, has thrived at the forefront of techno and house. Now, Spectral brings the past alongside the present with its latest release, a compilation that offers a vibrant cross-section of the current moment in underground dance music. Despite the wide-ranging selections on Spectral 139, a throughline of classic style and infectious energy emerges from the up-and-coming and established artists alike. Rising talents such as Minimal Violence, Russell E.L. Butler, and Earth Trax x Newborn Jr. bring unique perspectives to their hardware-centric productions.
One Electronica brings us more rough sounds from Northern Ireland. The seventh release from the label sees the debut of Thought Camera, a young producer from Carrickfergus, on the northern shores of Belfast Lough.
The EP is as diverse as it gets, with four tracks ranging from acid and techno to synth wave. It feels like Thougth Camera recorded his thoughts and projected a mental image of a post apocalyptic rave.
The second release of the label Alley Version, features the return of Takeshi Kouzuki, with his combo of jackin’ house rythms with melancholic, deep and outer space melodies.
Solar Phenomena continues with a new one release from Mystica Tribe – the musical alias of Tokyo-based producer, Taka Noda. Here he draws on everything from dub, soul, bass music, rhythm and blues and will always freak you out with his unusual sounds. This excellently absorbing EP starts with Love Is All Right, a fusion of Asian percussion and reggae drums that is high tempo and funky. The bright steelpan sounds offset the razor sharp percussion and make for a sunny dub that will get any crowd going. The same fusion vibes continues but in more blissed out and slow motion fashion on ‘Lawn Track’, the beautiful cosmic psyche-out that is ‘Ash’ and supple space journey that is ‘Voyage’ with its intoxicating melodies and loose, tumbling percussion. This is unusual but essential music from an exclusive talent.
The Working Elite are Berlin-based spark plugs Thomas “Saap” Sabrowsky, of Extra Producktion, Terre des Pommes, ex-marine soldier, seasoned cook and barkeeper; and Daniel ”D´Lonely Al” Nentwig, who moonlights as The Whitest Boy Alive, co-directs Extra Produktionen, plays keyboard and electric bass for various outfits, and engineers at Berlin’s Butterama Recording Center. Suffice it to say, the pair have named their collaborative project suitably. The Working Elite create recreational music for dancers to shimmer through the days and nights of balmy season.
Rhythm Of Paradise returns on mothership Cosmic Rhythm after two years with a brilliant and lushy italo house masterpiece.
Autre fell asleep in a gondola and awoke in the Krankenhaus. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. Side A’s Everybody In The Past is sharp techno aimed for the alleys of your mind — gritty, driving, and melodic combinations of blown-out drums and classic electro riffs that relentlessly sprint for a good 4 minutes before a squelching arpeggio and angelic solo kick in — tugging the heartstrings and lighting a beacon for those noble morning dancers lost at the front left speaker, channeling from the deep. On Side B, Frigo completely dismantles any expectations you might have after listening to its predecessor. An undoubtedly seductive Samba rhythm comprised of distant snares, rim shots and cowbells holds together an aggressively active bassline, a steel drum harmony and synth solo that crawl all over like a funky worm. This track is truly something special, a gift for the prodigious selector — when dropped in the deserved context, it has the potential to unlock unprecedented levels of euphoria. These two songs are as fluid as a paintbrush yet precise as a scalpel.
A compilation of 4 tracks from 4 different artists, all originally released by Borft 1997 – 1999.
Matt Edwards’ reissue label R-Time Records presents ‘After Dark’ with three tracks from Mark The 909 King. ‘After Dark’ set the tone of the package with a piercing drum groove, airy arpeggios and a funky bassline, before cosmic synths and crunchy snares work alongside scintillating chords in ‘Into Space.’ Concluding the package, ‘The Loft’ begins with a hooky bass sequence and filtered effects before soothing melodies come into play.
The Hipodrome Of Music 