Funky and soulful house music from Florian Muller on Concrete Music.
house
Credit 00 – Game Over [UVLP005]
Credit 00 delivers his debut album “Game Over”. After four EPs for Uncanny Valley the Leipzig based musician is now ready to let loose his electronic visions on full length. As everybody can confirm who saw him playing live or DJing, the head behind Uncanny Valley’s sub label Rat Life is a slave to the rhythm on a full-time basis. Obsessed with sound, he can’t stop pushing the buttons of his synthesizers and drum machines like someone torturing the controls of an Arcade machine. “Game Over” is an electronic love letter to the romantic fantasy worlds of classic video games and their bleepy and clonky sounds which used to be common also in repetitive electronic dance music.
Collecting tracks from the last six years, “Game Over” is also a passion project that channels all his influences. You can get a glimpse of the ingredients that make up his record collection. Whether it is Hip Hop,Techno, Electro Boogie, New Beat, Italo, Jungle, Reggae, House or Chill Out. Though, all those different sounds and styles do not tear this album apart. It’s a bit of a miracle that it feels so flawless for what happens between the appetizing “Level One” and the final track “The Last March”. Those beats on “Game Over” can be brutally effective like the fatalities in Mortal Kombat while the overlying sounds can be smooth like the lemmings’ animations in the eponymous Amiga game. Just listen to the title track. Or the instant hip shaker “Breakers Revenge” that comes with a little help from friends like Sara Stammburg on vocals and Max Rademann on Rhodes.
Without losing sight on the dance floor Credit 00 creates an electronic wonderland that delights dancers and connoisseurs at the same time. To top things off the wonderful artwork was created by Alexander Dorn a.k.a. Credit 00 himself.
Frak – Altan Gathering [KM049]
“A long time ago, at a festival far, far away, the members of the legendary Borft trio Frak were just going to bed in their tent when something caught their attention. Now, this was well before Frak’s rise to international fame – in fact, this moment was Swedish music history in the making, because what they heard was someone playing a Frak tune. That someone turned out to be Kontra-Musik’s own Ulf Eriksson and once their paths had crossed, there was no turning back. Frak has since released five highly sought after records on Kontra-Musik and Kontra-Musik White Label. When it was time for a 10-year anniversary gathering in Ulf Eriksson’s private garden, Frak of course turned up together with other Kontra artists like TM404 and Rivet. For those present – we few, we happy few – this turned out to be one of the most magical summer nights in living memory. The Swedish word for porch is altan, and so, to honour this wonderful experience of the whole Kontra-Musik family coming together, Frak decided to name their brand new album Altan Gathering. Another great friend of Kontra, Henrik Jonsson aka Porn Sword Tobacco, made the album cover and we wouldn’t have it any other way. His aesthetic choice of tin foil is on point: Listening to Frak is a lot like biting into a fresh falafel wrap without first removing the aluminium foil holding the delicious mess together; it’s mouth-wateringly warm and moist but at the same time intensely harsh and tough to chew. This might seem like a far fetched analogy but if you’ve ever went partying in Kontra-Musik’s home town Malmo you’ll know the feeling. And if you’ve never been to Malmo, well do stop by someday. It seems, when the stars align, the gatherings here can be the stuff both legends and albums are made of.”
DJ Sotofett – Börft EP [BORFT140]
It’s astonishing to think that Frak’s Borft Records has now notched up three decades. The Swedish imprint remains as eccentric and essential as ever, as this label debut from inspired Norwegian oddball DJ Sotofett proves. By his standards, “Ol Pa Ibiza” and the stripped back “Ol Pa Klubb” are pretty straightforward, with the Sex Tags man laying ricocheting dub notes and percussion hits over a rock solid drum track and booming bassline. “Ol Pa SM-Art Bar” sees him channel the spirit of early British bleep techno and the darker end of Belgian new beat on a clandestine mid-tempo chugger, while “Drikkepause” is a quick-fire shot of ambience built around echoing bells. Finally, he heads for a dirty warehouse on the acid-laden, EBM informed sleaziness of “Nekta Ol Par City Club”.
Jamie Paton – Telefuture [HNR019]
Jamie Paton, one half of the duo Cage and Aviary has in interviews expressed his thoughts about if ‘Slouchy techno’ can be viewed as an own genre. The answer lies in this 7” – ‘Telefuture / Blind Summit’ – released on Hoga Nord Rekords, on which the label above is highly appropriate to sum up the sound. The tracks contain elements from your techno favorites dating three decades back, but the tempo and the production creates a slouchy (in the words most positive sense) feeling clearly influenced by the slow motion house of Cage and Aviary.
Shahara-ja – I’m An Arabian Knight [LER1007]
The history of dance music is littered with one-hit wonders. The mysterious Sahara-Ja, whose one and only 12″ appeared on Australian label Central Station back in 1989, is a perfect example. Since slipping out in limited quantities 18 years ago, the Egyptian Lover-does-’80s soul cut “I’m An Arabian Knight” has become something of an in-demand record amongst collectors. This timely reissue contains all four versions included on the original ’89 release, including a tasty instrumental and the must-heavy Funky Arabian Mix. This sublime version puts more emphasis on the producer’s killer electro rhythm, dreamy chords, and cascading, Persian style synthesizer melodies.
VA – From Chicago To Detroit V5 [DOFTD005]
Volume 5 of From Chicago To Detroit compiled by Jordan Fields, who starts off with ”You Make Me Feel” sounding very Detroit. Nastyboy goes Italo with ”All Night Long”. The B side introduces fresh cuts by Midnight Music Club, Kaizo and Maxi Aubert all getting Jordan’s edit treatment.
Fred P – Instinctive Rhythms [SECRET022]
It would be fair to say that Black Jazz Consortium man Fred P is a reliable source of atmospheric, immaculately produced deep house and techno. We can’t think of a duff release to date. Certainly, this first 12″ for Secretsundaze is full of playable treats. Opener “6AM” uses tribal-influenced drum rhythms, mutilated vocal samples and moody electronics to create a dark and hypnotic early morning mood, while “Herb” is a perfect fusion of trippy broken house rhythms, hazy minor key refrains and weighty dub bass. Arguably best of all, though, is “Mile High”, a superbly emotional deep house epic full of crystalline chord progressions, sweeping synth-strings and immaculately programmed percussion. Killer deep techno tracks by the never disappointing Fred P.
Neal Howard – To Be Or Not To Be EP [C#CC032]
Detroit Chicago crossover housetracks originally released on Terry “Housemaster” Baldwin’s Future Sound Records in 1988. Now remastered on Clone Classic Cuts with a fierce Gerd edit.
Key Tronics Ensemble – House Of Calypso II Remix [FFOR009]
Absolute Italian gold from 1990. Peeping right over into the house canyon while retaining all of Italo’s sophistication, Ricky Montanari’s Key Tronics Ensemble was a driving force in the sound during the early 90s. “House Of Calypso” was their debut, and it came with finessed, emotional key-stroking hook that lifts relentlessly. The remix version features a dizzying solo on the peak, the softhouse version is a little more spacious and lighter in the drums. For most, though, it’s straight to the Paradise version – an out-and-out Balearic anthem that’s still enraptures 27 years later. Its first repress in 10 years, this is long overdue.
Fells Point – Night Games [ROYAL037]
Phat grooving bass line driven power house tracks by Fells Point following his debut release on Clone Royal Oak from summer 2016.
Spiritual Emphasi – Spiritualism [CRM003]
Chapter three for the Italian deeper label Cosmic Rhythm, A very emotional trip by Spiritual Emphasi.
Uabos – Mystic Force [BAP095]
Spring is in the air and Matteo Pepe, aka Uabos, is taking away that winter chill with four tracks of house warmth and machine funk. Acid bars float on crisp claps for the uplifting “Mystic Force”. The Italian keeps the floor stoked with the sample strewn grooves of “Copacabana” before the synths take over with the lush chords of “City Woods”.“Karmic Souls” closes, meandering notes bend and shimmer on clean percussion for an exotic climax to an EP of ambitious analogue delights.
Unreasonable Echo – Deep Cover #1 [DEEPCOVER001]
Edits from a hole in the ground, a hole with unreasonable echoes, insane delays… A side extends a french library musician called yannick’s crowning disco masterpiece, whilst the B suspends and rewiggles the mysterious vera’s bridge..
Space Dimension Controller – Feel My Bicep #71
“Recorded the mix pretty much in one evening at my studio! Mix between vinyl and Ableton. Wanted to do something natural and with an acidic pulse so it took me a while to go back through my records. Really difficult to remember all these tracks so it took a while.”
Hieroglyphic Being & The Truth Theory Trio – Materialized Psychism Of The Bottomless Void [LMD018]
2017 marks 10 years of Lick My Deck and we are very excited to welcome one of Chicago’s finest and one of electronic music’s most singular visionary artists to the family: Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being. Jamal teams up with “The Truth Theory Trio” to deliver the “Materialized Psychism Of The Bottomless Void” EP. “Long Night Of Iboga” opens the EP and sees Jamal & The Trio create a DJ focused cut with unpredictable drum patterns, abstract melodies and psychedelic horns. A killer weapon for any seasoned selector. “Mystery Of The Changelings” is a mesmerizing 11 minute odyssey through magical harps, melancholic synths, and a piano riff that will stay with you long after listening. Truly music for the mind, body & soul. Praise be to The Sun God.
Tracey – Skyfall [VD027]
Amongst those on the Amsterdam club scene, Tom Ruijg is highly regarded as a DJ and producer. “Skyfall” is his first 12” for Voyage Direct, following a fine contribution to the First Mission compilation back in 2015. More pertinently, the EP marks the first time he’s used the Tracey moniker for a release. Perfect balance between head-in-the-clouds melodiousness – delivered via cascading, new age influenced synthesiser motifs, starry electronics and crystalline lead lines – and serious dancefloor grunt.
VA – Limited Series 04 [BPLS004]
The 4th edition to the Limited Series drops on Banoffee Pies Records. More mixed taste loving for your record bag. Italo feelings on Safari from FYI Chris’ own Watson leading the charge on 80’s mode along with a chugged out creeper from Hysteric. Plenty of acquarium breaks from DJ Ok and Rasputin and more bongos in between from Ny*Ak and Ian Blevins on K Dance.
Leon x Leon – My Solar Brass [RL022]
After dropping several tracks for the collectable Red Laser EPs Leon x Leon exports four monster jams melding metallic disco with slo-mo italo & breezy electro-funk.
V – Faux Pas EP [NR003]
Epic building tracks full of tension by V. V the anti-SEO one-character pseudonym of someone previously known. Powered by percussion and basslines for the club, yet with their strings, cinematic instrumentation and scale, there’s a sombre dance to be done to these 3 French-titled electronic tracks.
The Hipodrome Of Music 