tuff city kids
Tuff City Kids – Underground House Research Vol. 2 [POTION003]
This is Potion number three. The Tuff City Kids have spent some time in the lab and created four fine potions to ease our ailments. Like memories of a Nexus 6, these tracks are machine made but feel organic, familiar and timeless. Programmed to make us dance, they reach straight for our brain’s motion centre. “Carden Eden” has been included in Prosumer’s fabric mix and we are proud to finally present it on vinyl, together with three brand new companions as “Underground House Research Vol. 2″. Philipp Lauer and Gerd Janson have built an excellent reputation for the Tuff City Kids moniker in the three years they are releasing together. And if you got this far into reading this, you surely know already what absolute legends they are.
VA – Panorama Bar 06 Part I [OTON081]
It’s the onset of a brave new era for Ostgut Ton as Panorama Bar 06 signals the label’s decision to halt the manufacturing of CDs for their much loved series of mixes. Due for free download via the Ostgut site on August 11, the Berlin operation have not forgone the vinyl format with all the exclusives gathered by mix curator Ryan Elliott pressed up across a pair of 12″ samplers. And boy did Elliott call in the favours with this first sampler featuring new and unreleased music from Newworldaquarium, Roman Flugel, Terrence Dixon, Tuff City Kids and Borrowed Identity. It is an overall exquisite selection, running from the ambience of NWAQ’s contribution to Flugel’s big room stomper and the sweeter, more playful sounds of Tuff City Kids and Borrowed Identity.
Sparky – Portland (Tuff City Kids Remixes) [NMBRS27TCK]
Two brand new remixes of Sparky’s eternal Numbers anthem Portland by Tuff City Kids (Gerd Janson & Phillip Lauer). Having requested the parts of the original track, the intrepid duo travelled back in time to the year 1991, set up their samplers and got busy with the breakbeats and euphoric synth pads.
Tuff City Kids – Roby Tease EP [DSR-H7]
Running Back boss Gerd Janson and fellow German Phillip Lauer are Tuff City Kids and are the next pairing to contribute to Delsin’s house leaning series. Opener ‘HFS’ is a louche and laid back affair. It’s a spacious track with plenty of ambient textures as well as hollow sounding melodies and more grating percussive stabs. A beguiling combination of the blissful and the brutal its about as fresh as house can sound in the modern day. The more kinetic ‘Wendy (Girlfriend 43 Piano Mix)’ is underpinned by a rasping, hiccupping bassline and is built on heavy rubber kicks whilst a lead melody brings a sense of brightness to the otherwise murky mix. Completing the fine trio of tracks on vinyl is ‘Reeze’. With its well-defined drums and snares, ramshackle percussive flourishes and juddery bass, it’s a sketchy slo-jam that will work crowds into a stupor with ease.
Subjected – Vault Remix Series 1.0 [VAULTRMX001]
German producer Subjected’s Vault Series label has put out a series of excellent, hard-edged techno releases and now the focus turns to remixers. It’s testament to the label’s stature that it is able to get producers like Developer and Shifted involved. For his part, the mysterious UK producer delivers a bleak, jacking take on “005.7”, his razor-wire percussion marking out nightmarish riffs and insistent tonal blips. Developer’s contribution is as impressive, with waves of hissing hats providing the basis for a swelling chord progression. The release also features a rare remix from Gerd Janson; working with Philip Lauer as Tuff City Kids, he turns “005.7” into a jittery, busy house groove. Completing the package is Moerbeck’s grinding, quasi-industrial take on “005.7”.
Hugh Mane – Spectra Sonics EP [RB041]
Made in the basement of an old tram station circa 1990 in a town that was probably London, Hugh Manes first and only release so far consists of hidden gems on a vintage DAT. “Back Life” is the name of this EP’s back bone. A reflexion about golden age deep house, early morning baby powder dreams or epiphanies on strawberry fields. “Hard To Finish If You’re Finish” and “My Midi Is A Mess” are the continuation of those visions, while “Fukdemdiscoidkids” via a Tuff City Kids edit is a rough and ready beat track.
VA – The Lifesaver Compilation [PLAYRJCCD010]
After a string of twenty plus 12-inches, various high-flying mix-compact-discs, other audio-visual eccentricities and even books, she is finally ready to make a collection public that embodies the very character of Live At Robert Johnson and its affiliated club in Offenbach am Main. During this collection of 11 tracks, you will meet old and new companions; hear withdrawn songs and extrovert composi- tions, experience Frankfurt skyline techno-soul, hobo house and divergent disco. Starting off with new kid on the block Chinaski and an extended mix of the fragile “Lunch”, Live At Robert Johnson old hands Massimiliano Pagliara and Lauer are on top of their respective games, Roman Flügel sends warped and gifted droid funk, The Citizen’s Band precedes him, while newcomers Benedikt Frey and Orson Wells set good examples of their own. Not too shabby either: San Laurentino in his state of overjoy, Portable and Lcio bring their flutes of mellow madness, while the Tuff City Kids close of with “People Is A Crackhead” and some blue-eyed steppers business. Modern, old-fashioned, post-nostalgic, history-addicted and future-ridden all at the same time, “The Lifesaver Compilation” is exactly that: a life saving apparatus.
Jovonn – Stump It EP [MU002]
Re-issue of Jovonn with some of his high priced tracks from Discogs. Probably not the classic smooth and sexy Jovonn as some know him but for sure some of the classic US house cuts that still sound fresh. Garage Shelter comes with a remix of Tuff City Kids in a nice yet a bit dented sleeve.
Tuff City Kids – Bobby Tracker EP [UTON002]
Second release on new Ostgut Ton imprint. Gerd Janson (head of Running Back) and Phillip Lauer (DJ, producer and 50% Arto Mwambe) step out of remix mode and release their first 12“ of original tracks as Tuff City Kids.
Massimiliano Pagliara – Focus For Infinity – The Remixes Pt.1 [PLAYRJC014]
Massimiliano Pagliara’s debut album “Focus For Infinity” gets some action. Phillip Lauer (Arto Mwambe) and Gerd Janson (Running Back) team up as Tuff City Kids, offering two takes on “A Wrong Chance”. Sweet layer cake of bass, synths, strings and for those who are faint at heart, an additional riddim version provides hidden acid fantasies. On the other side, Oliver Hafenbauer and Christian Beisswenger (Arto Mwambe) keep on exploring their sharp electro funk under their B.H.V.F moniker.
Manuel Tur – Most of this Moment [FR147]
Here we get treated to an excellent old school house burner complete with remixes from some equally hot names on the scene, Tuff City Kids (Gerd Jansen owner of the Running Back label and Philip Lauer from Arto Mwambe) and Blakkat aka Mark Bell.
Erdbeerschnitzel – To an End [MIRAU011]
“To an End” is a glittering soul essence that guarantees for a perspiring spell of hopping and swaying, and ”I Wonder” bursts with funk euphoria, screaming for confetti to pelt the dance floor. This release comes with a hypnotic Tuff City Kids – remix. Tuff City Kids are Phillip Lauer of Arto Mwambe fame and Running Back’s Gerd Janson.
VA – Secret Weapons Part 4 [IV027]
In fast times of today it’s hard to keep up with the pace of everything, not just with the flood of releases. Paul Virilio once wrote that Indians refused to take a train. They said they would lose their soul, because the soul can’t keep up with the speed of the train. Secret Weapons Vol. 4 should be your opportunity to let the train pass by and rather listen to its contributions by Larry Heard, Boddhi Satva, Tuff City Kids and Dixon.
The Hipodrome Of Music 