Vivod welcome Paul Withey to the fold for a slice of his funk tinged repertoire. With recent tracks on Birmingham’s Ruby Hills & Diamond Mountain and a remix for Future Unit’s Tusk Wax release, this should be a telling year for Mr Withey.
house
Sfire – Remixes [EES023X/CDA013X]
Hot on the heels of the co-release between Especial and Cocktails d’Amore Music of the Sfire Remixes EP (EES023/CDA013) comes an accompanying release with a pair of deeper, stripped back remixes from the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns.
Sfire – Remixes [EES023/CDA013]
Especial returns to its concept of taking music it loves – in this case Sfire’s debut EP – and remixing them for a stand-alone release. Teaming up with Berlin’s Cocktail d’Amore Music, mixing desk duties are taken by newcomer Kris Baha, as well as label mainstays Jamie Paton and INHALT and the esteemed Lauer.
Lnrdcroy – Ooze City [MH011]
Canadian deep house explorer Lnrdcroy makes his debut on local label Mood Hut. Intriguingly, title track “Ooze City” eschews the wavy, new age vibes and ultra-deep melodies he’s previously been associated with, turning instead to the world of wonky, late night acid house (think undulating TB-303 lines, hypnotic grooves, distorted electronics and hissing cymbals). Those seeking more pastoral pleasures will love the heady ambient house electronics and spaced out bongo lines of “Aquabus (Plaza Of Nations Dub)”, while the delightful “Kali Yuga” recalls the dreamy brilliance of his 2014 classic “Sunrise Market”, whilst moving further towards the tribal intensity of traditional African drum recordings.
Hieroglyphic Being – The Disco’s Of Imhotep [TCLR015]
Seriously strong Jamal Moss LP under his Hieroglyphic Being moniker. “The Disco’s Of Imhotep is about creating Frequencies and Vibrations for the Listener that are conducive for him or her to Heal The Mind and Body and Enrich the Soul by creating Hemi-Synced Harmonies and music that contains embedded Binaural Beats. We have been made to believe that electronic sounds are just for Movement, Enlightenment, Primal Afflictions and Entertainment purposes, but it’s much more… It’s Sound Healing, but the ancestors would call it Frequency Medicine. Medicine is Healing and this project is dedicated to one of Earth’s first Healers: High Priest Imhotep. The One who comes in Peace, is with Peace.”
O. Xander – From Antartica With Love [US010]
When he made his debut on Nous Disques last year, there was much discussion about whether O.Xander – AKA DJ Rei Ayanami – was actually from Antarctica, as his sparse Soundcloud profile claimed. Either way, he’s decided to roll with the theme on this fine follow-up, From Antarctica With Love. The EP’s five tracks variously touch on icy electro (“Snowspeeder Blues”), windswept acid (“Thru Our Veins”), glacial electronica (“A Perfect Balance”), and clanking, mechanical techno (the deep but metallic “Full Spectrum”). The latter track is also featured in Juniper Dub form, with the Smallville and meandyou duo excelling at combining cut-up melody snippets with rolling, drum machine rhythms.
Igor Tipura – DWAMS [UTTU065]
Esoteric break house from on Igor Tipura Unknown To The Unknown. Comes with a Lauer remix on the B side.
Sir Lord Commix – Knoe 6/1 [KNOE6/1]
Amoon Andrews may be a name known only to a few heads. As Sir Lord Commix, he released quality over quantity, putting out just 4 EPs in a ten year period which were criminally overseen by many. For Those That Knoe has worked hard with Amoon to put together a delectable selection of some undiscovered gems previously consigned to the archives on DAT. Freshly dusted off and remastered are four tracks that showcase the varied influences that drive Sir Lord Commix to provide those signature sounds. Pieces of a Dream is a heavy modern deep house track with swinging hi hats and a bassline from disco hell.
Derek Carr – Knoe 5/2 [KNOE5/2]
Second EP on For Those That Knoe with Reissue material from Derek Carr. Detroit influenced techno form Ireland, including the cut Destiny.
Intergalactic Gary @ Shadowplay Essential, Dada (Beijing) 29.07.2016
Slick Chick – Pinkman Mix
Jeremiah R. – The Outer Rings [KONDI016]
Copenhagen purveyor of melodic electro soul Kondi Records finally resurfaces after almost a decade with a new batch of tracks from man of the moment, Jeremiah R. Sleek nighttime electro in a deep but spacious melancholic vein of The Other People Place and Drexciya’s mellow aquatic dives. Includes an extended version of ‘The Outer Rings’, which appeared back in 2011 on the ultra limited ‘the 5th dimension’ album.
Francisco – EPM Podcast #83
Plus Instruments – Love Is Enough [EES024]
Joining the dots after last years reissue of Plus Instruments early 80s post-punk music on the Bodies EP on Emotional Rescue, Especial now looks at their return to recent music production, taking the song “Love Is Enough” from the recent Trancesonics album and giving it the all encompassing label remix treatment. We get four reinterpretations by Richard Sen, Khidja, Luke Solomon and Jamie Paton.
Lost Scripts – S.O.P. / A.F.K. [HVNED004]
The Hivern edit series is back with its 4th instalment, this time with two joints by Lost Scripts, the duo of John Talabot and Marc Pional. On the A side, S.O.P. revamps the theme of a popular TV series with krautish rhythms and woozy percussive details to transform it into kosmische monster ready for the club. On the flip, A.F.K. is an uplifting afro-house number that pairs ritualistic percussion and African chants with curly synths to create a journey that starts in the savannah and ends in outer space. A proven dancefloor wrecker.
Playgroup – Previously Unreleased EP 2 [YWP002]
The Previously Unreleased series of Playgroup 12″s from Trevor Jackson returns with a second edition. Echoing the diverse nature of the classic Playgroup album, there is plenty of stylistic swerves in the three tracks that feature here. Up top, “Doin’ It Right” is a low-slung slab of disco chug with a most devious arpeggio conducting proceedings. On the B-side, “Flyte Mode” is a short proto house piece that would work well as an opening track on a DJ mix whilst “Live At The Funhouse” is a fizzing electro DJ tool.
Africans With Mainframes – Faces of Africa [MATH090]
Noleian Reusse and Jamal Moss team up again as Africans With Mainframes for ”Faces Of Africa EP”. Think early Ibadan or Smile records B-sides of murky excursions in Tribal and Techno.
John Heckle – Tributes To A Sun God [BDN010]
John Heckle is remarkably prolific, but still manages to maintain an impressively high quality threshold. On Tributes To A Sun God, he’s in a remarkably melodious mood. While opener “Alexandria” comes blessed with his usual tough analogue beats – not to mention the hissing cymbals of Detroit techno – its’ most endearing features are the drowsy pads and undulating melody lines. A similar approach can be found on the more acid-centric “Mesopatamia”, which pops and spits with dancefloor intent. A fine package is completed by handclap-heavy drum workout “Track 4”, and the Ambient House era electronics and sparse drum hits of “Track 2”.
Big Mean Sound Machine – Blank Slate 014 [BS014]
Big Mean Sound Machine is a twelve-piece Afrobeat band native to Ithaca, New York. They tour 150 days a year and have a large and dedicated following up and down the East coast. Still, it is a crime that Big Mean Sound Machine is not well known elsewhere. The band’s tremendous sound combines a big band aesthetic while channeling a global sense of musicality. Their shows leave fans drenched in sweat from dancing as audiences absorb the West African, Caribbean, Jazz and Funk traditions that Big Mean Sound Machine carries forward.
Delphi / Marco & Val – Unleashed Tapes Vol. 1 [RBTW004]
A special treat from the Tiger’s lair with a different and darker twist, that seeks out the darker and more dodgy discotheques on the side streets and in the backyards, where the trough has no flush and the mirror balls have never been cleaned. Automatic rhythms and electronic dancing sound made years after the future.
The Hipodrome Of Music 