VA – Our Beat Is Still New – After Take [WPHNEWBEAT004]

We Play House’s Our Beat Is Still New series has been something of a soar-away success, introducing a new generation of DJs to the distinctive, heavily electronic midtempo pulse of Belgian new beat via a constant stream of tribute tracks from contemporary producers. Predictably, there’s more to admire on this fourth and final 12″, not least the bass-heavy throb and rubbery electronics of Locked Groove’s tribute to Belgian new beat/techno legend Frank De Wulf, “El Rio Negro”. Elsewhere, young rave revivalist Innershades drops the moody and intoxicating “Massive Overdose”, while Lauer impresses with the winding synths, juddering drums and saucer-eyed pads of “Planet Barty”. FCL’s stomping “It Began in Belgium” – all cheap electronics and proto-acid tweakery – is also pretty darn good.

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VA – Our Beat Is Still New – After Take [WPHNEWBEAT004]

VA – Maud Sarr EP [RB001]

Here comes the first release of the brand new label named Roze Balletten. The label’s first offering is a various artist EP with tracks from Creme’s Innershades, Belgium’s Raw Sketches and Hotflush producer Locked Groove. Innershades opens the label’s account with ‘Volksverheffing’, which is a classically inclined bit of house music with a prominent bassline that dances about with real elasticity. The kick drums are as weighty as Kerri Chandler’s and the singing synths bring some Detroit futurism to the table in classy fashion. Raw Sketches, who also works as Ekleltiker and Tunguska, goes for a much slower, deeper, more purposeful vibe on his track ‘Spilzucht’. It’s one that wanders mysteriously on lumpy drums as sinewy synths perform acrobatics in its midst and will tie you in knots by the time its finished unfolding and evolving. Last but not least, Locked Groove comes hard with his firm techno workout. Machines go wild at the heart of it all and the ticking percussion is angry and insistent: it’s somewhat freaked out and acid in the latter half, working both itself and listeners into a noir frenzy.

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VA – Maud Sarr EP [RB001]

Steve Murphy – Relax EP [LT003]

Steve Murphy turns in a rough and raw four-tracker featuring the blazing piano cut ‘Eyes Behind The Door’ knocking knees with deep house/techno banger ‘Relax’ on the A-side. The B-side sees Steve operate on two different levels – ‘Tram’ takes a very Shari Vari-esque drum beat and loads it with a buzzing electro synth-line and shattered hat explosions, while ‘Try It’ plunges the depths of the soul on a seriously trippy deep house excursion.

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Steve Murphy – Relax EP [LT003]

Innershades – That Girl [WICKEDBASS011]

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That Girl, produced by Innershades, opens with a repeated voice sample and a nostalgic pad, just to drop one minute later into one of the rawest hard hitting house tracks you’ll see around in a while. Hotflush’s Locked Groove gives the original track an acidic twist halved with his signature top-class deep house production skills. As if that isn’t enough, the B-side is followed by a simple-yet-effective remix from Ukraine’s very own Vakula who provides what seems a purely energetic techno cut right up to the point when the killer snare comes in.

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Innershades – That Girl [WICKEDBASS011]

Da Sampla – West Side Sessions [WOSH008K]

A wonderful project new/old by Detroit Techno Legend Anthony Shakir on Kyle Hall’s label, featuring remastered tracks from the rare Shake out of print 12inch ”M3 Sessions” originally released by the, now defunct, legendary Detroit record shop ”Record Time’. Fortunately Wild Oats Label head Kyle Hall, and Detroit Legend Shake have now gotten together for the new full release of the record which also contains unreleased material from that very same DAT Tape. On the 7inch there are 2 secret little Locked Grooves ”GJ LKD” and ”FRCTBEAT 6LKD” making for both a fun and Functional DJ tool.

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Da Sampla – West Side Sessions [WOSH008K]

Looked Groove – Rooted EP [HFT020]

Hotflush presents the debut 12″ from Belgian newcomer Locked Groove aka Tim Van de Meutter. The young producer delivers three hypnotizing and genre bending tracks that expertly weave the sounds of Berghain, soulful house and UK garage into a single crushing package. The “Rooted” EP draws you in with the title track, bouncing along to an acid baseline, then moves onto “Drowning”, a moody techno track that was included on Scuba’s DJ-Kicks mix compilation, filled with drum and ambient samples taken from field recordings. Lastly, “Change”, a production that smartly melds classic house grooves with industrial techno, demonstrates Locked Groove’s rhythmic finesse and long-term promise as an artist.

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Looked Groove – Rooted EP [HFT020]