Dan Snaith pushes his psychedelic pop boat out further than ever with ‘Melody Day’, which explodes out of the speakers like day-glo Brian Wilson on a sugar-rush.
It’s epic, certainly, but hotpress ain’t sure that all the elements in ‘Two Of Us’ add up: the galloping, gritty riff and ‘Love Is Stronger Than Pride’-esque stomp are solid enough foundations to for the scraping, building FX and sparse, surging synths. But the house of cards collapses with the arrival of a ringing music box melody. So close…
The Pendle boys unexpectedly plunge into deliciously dark techno territory on ‘Habitual Stress’: perfect rattling percussion, whiplash hats, murky bass and an all-pervading gloomy hiss make for an unsettling listen. Find relief within the hazy chords on the surprisingly deep ‘Brick Tutor’.
The minimal mouthpiece’s first effort will do nicely indeed. What starts as upbeat tool track suddenly morphs into a muscular monster, thanks to a buzzing bassline and reverbed 303 licks that whiplash through the middle section and well-timed drops. Exercise One drop the drama but add more weight with a percussive remix.
Electro’s race to the bottom continues, with this poorly constructed and intensely irritating effort from Tiga and Zombie Nation. Lacking both the former’s studied panache and the latter smarts, it’s so bad it makes the Justice remix sound good.
Like the rest of the breaks world, the intrepid Irish pair have embraced electro-house with some gusto. ‘Tweaked Out’ is the opposite of subtle – the abrasive riff rippling through numerous drops and builds. It’s more 4/4 than breaks too, as is the darker, old-school referencing ‘Ghettoblaster’. Party music.
Techno duo Echospace have earned a devoted cult following – and caused quite a commotion on eBay – thanks to their imaginative reinvention of old-school production techniques.
After showing some promise with his first few electro/techno emissions, Alex Ridha’s head has been turned by the Justice-led French electro juggernaut.
This lot work well together. ‘El Sirte Des Oros’ combines their trademark detailed percussion with a groaning bassline, head-melting hi-pitched FX and more changes than is entirely necessary, but still works. ‘Pares Y Juego’ is simpler, the noodling melody dipping and dropping in line with the bass line and jacking drums.
Dramatic, emotive street soul from the always-interesting former Global Communication man. The heavy, chopped Amen break and rude bass line are a fitting foil to the sustained strings and Spacek’s searching vocal.
The idiosyncratic Austrians combine brilliantly on this UR-referencing electro/techno shaker – the raw, twitching beats, buzzing bass line and freestyle synth will appeal to anyone with a clue.
'Sunny Hills’ is typically understated deeper techno tack from Mull, but dips an unfortunate toe into electro-house territory with a harsh bass line and over-complicated details. ‘Nocturnal’ plays it straighter, centred around an effective slow-building transposed synth riff, swarming chords and direct beats.
The spiky, boshing nu-electro original is notable only for its eye-catching title. Hot Chip and Ragga Twins pay a sneaky homage to ‘Super Sharp Shooter’ over skippy two-step beats and a wild bassline while Skream unexpectedly/unsuccessfully goes 4/4 electro-house.
Six tracks do not an LP make, so this collection makes the shorts. The wide-eyed Balearica might seem a bit naïve at first but give it time (and you’ll need it, it’s 53 minutes long) and it proves to be an intoxicating listen (despite the occasionally duff vocal). ‘Life’s A Beach’ is the highlight, an 11-minute update of Underworld’s ‘Café Del Mar’ remix from yonks back.
You have to hand it to Found Sound for never changing their tune, but it’s hard to love this grimy, gritty minimal march. Still, the feedback-heavy break, clanking off-note stab and precise percussion means this builds to a nice climax.
Wink’s mix combines loads of 303 (no way!) with added menace, garnered from the unsettling original. And it kicks hard – the thundering drums-and-hats and numerous drops and builds combine for an effective assault.
‘Birth…’ is a peak-time barnstormer that feels cluttered at first, but there’s a certain charm to the zany hi-tech chords, burping bassline, rollicking, dense breakbeat and contrasting jazzy keys. The ‘Butchered’ mix does what it says on the tin: accentuating the chords and exposing the breaks, it’s a leaner cut.
After making a right success of Mobilee, Schneider has returned to the studio (with Paul Brtschisch) for two stripped-back efforts. The linear ‘Loop De Mer’ is influenced by her studio mate’s (and his mates’) techno output: the layered elements shift and change, with a Ben Klock-esque break working well. ‘Belize’ is lighter, the ringing robo-synth adding colour, as do the Shonky-like synths and choice strings.
I’ve a fairly passive love/hate relationship with Matty Heilbronn’s odd proggy take on deep/tribal house – ‘Jungle Dubs’ is no different. ‘Do It Again’ marries busy layered tribal percussion with a catchy, minimal-ish synth line and stabs, and his usual plethora of wild FX. The stripped-back ‘Jungle In The City’ fares better, thanks to the bad-ass Chicago bassline and re-tweaked lead line
He might have been making music for an age – and according to the press blurb, owns a pile of proper gear – so why does Babicz’s (aka Rob Acid) 10-track album sound so cheap?
Head straight for the Efdemin remix, where the German moves his sound on from the excellent debut LP – his gentle melodies replaced by a winning combo of deep BC chords and classic Detroit house.
Canson dub-infused house is not without its charms, but Styro2000 wins the day on this split release. His precise tech-houser comprises bouncing, off-beat FX layers, punchy beats, a brooding bassline and haunting, hazy keys. Sounds run-of-the-mill, but his wonky construction means it stands out.
After a shaky start with Volume One, Rod Modell and Steve Hitchell raise the game on this wonderful 12”. ‘Abraxas’ is more quality, crispy dub techno, but the real delight is ‘Empyrean’: a reggae refix, like it’s being viewed through a frosty Berlin window, with unexpected warmth thanks to some classic organ work. Fantastic.
You know the way comebacks are inevitably rubbish? This isn’t one of those occasions. ‘Slope’ is a belter: a massive, descending bassline, skanking hats, crashing rides and a hint of Detroit make this an unexpected floor-filler. ‘Static Glitch’ and ‘Magnetic Fields’ revisit and reinterpret the classic template.
The slightly tedious ‘Fire’ – centred around a spiky synth riff – lacks Samuel’s usual class. Claude Von Stroke’s mix is similarly dull, but St Sebastian redeems this release with some tight modern deep house.
Czubala’s previous outings have been quite so-so, but ‘Capofamiliga’ is better. What starts as bog-standard tracky tech/minimal soon gets interesting, thanks to the tight hats, sharp kick and varied phases: he introduces new FX, synth patches and keys at various points, rising this out of the mire.
Built around a similar groove to ‘DMT’, ‘Lime…’ is far more engaging: the ringing, rolling, layered synths, skippy beats and snatched vocals make for coherent, pleasing bedfellows.
Sharp electro-techer ‘These Eyes’ mixes it up with deep chords, echoing Detroit key stabs and electro vocals on one side, and a floor-bothering elastic bassline on the other. Hot.
‘Pop3’ might be a mixing tool, but it works: the continuous, Green Velvet-like bouncing groove is slowly phased as FX shavings bubble and pan until the bassline drop takes it up a notch. ‘Arsid’ boasts classic 303 work over a reversed b-line, echo-y rimshots and tight, techy drums.
New label Missing Unit starts well with a confident three-tracker. ‘Boo’ is like a skeletal Pantha du Prince, but ‘MMG’ is the one for us. The combination of deep kick, lolloping synth, twinkling synth and all-pervading digital hiss remind us of Cosmic Baby-alike ambient trance of old for some reason.
Another exercise in icy perfection from Andy. The immediate ‘Massacre’ occupies a perfectly poised position between techno and dubstep, but stick with ‘Unknown Exception’ too: the slo-mo, slow builder gradually reveals itself to be a thing of rare beauty.
'Frost’ is a so-so Chicago jam on the flip, but ‘L Delay’ is more interesting. There’s skipping drums which give it an unexpected swing, but that’s tempered by the off-note horn stab, oddball FX and dub-ish bassline. A surprisingly conventional release for Cadenza and one the deep house heads should pick up on.
Four tracks of raw analogue action with an agenda. The abrasive ‘Pimp My Glide’ keeps it simple and effective – rough drums, wild synth – but check ‘Auskeeping’ on the flip: although the percussion is similarly raw, the loose bassline gives it a surprisingly funky edge. One for the non-minimalists.
Snax’s Prince-lite is always welcome around these parts, even if ‘Honeymoon’s Over’ – a jerky, jacking, electro-funk rant designed to bring out your finger-wagging inner queen – is a tad irritating. Maybe that’s the point. Konrad Black’s creeping minimal/electro-house remix sits uncomfortably with the vocal.
Leftroom have a knack for unearthing new talent – Dutch producer Reagan is the latest to step up a notch thanks to Matt Tolfrey’s stamp. ‘BugBite’ is centered around a very catchy, staccato trancey riff, backed up by a flat, fat kick and spare FX that should see this appeal to fans of Oliver Huntemann. Marcin Czubala adds some subtlety on the flip.
Mobilee’s new sub-label gets off to a shaky start with a two-tracker from one half of SmashTV. ‘EnduroDisco’ is an uncomfortable mix of minimal frequencies and droning basslines and FX while ‘Aura’ – a gloopy tribute to ‘Erotic Discourse’ – explores similar territory with marginally more success.
You have to admire Cobblestone Jazz’s improvised modus operandi, but the results are hit and miss. ‘DMT’ is more the latter than former: a wandering 12-minute groove that drags you in with its snaking bassline and snatched found-sounds, but doesn’t expand into much more. As an exercise in controlled experimentation, it works, but as a home listening experience, it’s hard work.
‘No-One…’ is weird – the drums, dubby bassline and snaking, skanking pads are a definite nod to Basic Channel, but the repeated, reverbed vocal refrain smacks of prog. They make for incongruous bedfellows. They play it safe with ‘We’re Not Here’ a useful, confident tech-houser on the flip.
There’s more going on in the average Vakant release than in three of yer depressingly average minimal releases. Fidan’s double a-side is more upfront than previous outings, but it’s still as thrillingly dark: ‘Venice’ is buoyed up surprising house percussion, albeit buried until layers of whooshing synths, bumbling riffs, menacing hisses and electroid groans.
Even though it’s only 35 minutes long, ‘ASDR’ is draining – scratch at the surface, and the ‘whaHEY!’ veneer wears thin: it’s either to abrasive, too carefully considered or, occasionally, shit.
Paul Woolford is a frustrating producer – capable of good and bad in equal measure. This four-tracker falls somewhere in between. The title track is a well-worked if predictable 303 jacker, the saw-tooth percussion, deep acid line and bright, full drums combining well. ‘Surrender’’s mix of abrasive electronic house and faux-deep keys will appeal to some. Just not me.
It’s all about the epic reverb-drenched chords on Mehlhart’s Karmarouge debut – the oscillating deepness gives this neo-trance influenced number a slightly zoned-out MBV-esque quality. Sort of.
The original – featuring Ali Love (Prince-gone-nu rave) on vocals – can’t decide it it wants to be daytime radio or night-time club fodder, and ends up being neither. Audion kills it on the remix, streamlining and accentuating the best bits (bassline, riff), turning in a glazed, glistening nine-minute trip.
Robert Babicz’s ‘Mr Decay’ remix is sprightly but dull, so flip to The Field’s immense ‘Hera’ rework for best results. It follows his usual cut-up/layered futurist formula, but this does what most of his recent album did not: achieves that all-too-rare trance-like beauty through depth, space and echo-chamber emotion.
Head straight for Florian Meindl’s bouncing remix of the fantastic original: retaining the buzzing riff, he adds a cheery one-note stab and woodpecker percussive elements, while his trademark off-kilter time signatures keep you confused.
The secret to Hot Chip’s success – apart from the fact that they are pretty good – is their understanding that the chorus is key. The nagging refrain on ‘My Piano’ doesn’t quite match up to previous hits, but combined with the rolling old-school piano, lo-fi low-end and Art of Noise stabs, it works. The spazzed-out dub doffs a cap to Audion.
He’s a former Blockhead, so no surprise the lead track sounds like a lounge version of our Ian. ‘3,000,000 Synths’ is where it’s at – proper noodly disco gear, with a massive Moroder-ish b-line, YMO-style synths and gentle organ work. Best suited to obsessives.
Over a muted breakbeat, multi-layered reverse strings and FX and a simple keyboard loop, Dear pores his heart out in an endearingly juvenile ode to his better half. A strong chorus pull this one through. Four Tet strips the elements bare, before rebuilding into a thing of simpler beauty.
Fabrice Lig’s effort is passable neo-Detroit, the pleasing, phased percussion not combining well with an odd shredded FX patch and hyperactive low-end. Regis and Female’s electro-tech effort ‘C Chaos’ is much better: reminiscent of ‘Polynomial C’, the Aphex-style melodies are the perfect foil to the razor-sharp, multi-layered beats and throbbing kick.
Heil's own remix of ‘Warrior Of Light’ tames the original: focusing on the central riff, he twists and turns it with some ‘Erotic Discourse’-style FX, beefed up by upfront drums and a bubbling bassline. The melancholic organ in the drop is unexpected and a little incongruous. Tobi Neuman’s ‘Swinging’ mix of ‘All For One’ is exactly that, with added arpeggiated synths, marching drums and a delayed breakdown.
‘What Is What’ sees Pan-Pot head off down a rather disturbing alley: ominous bassy rumblings, unsettling synths, snatched speech and are doused in reverb, before the slow-build begins. The clipped percussion adds bite, but at 11 minutes, it too long for even the most committed of dark corners. ‘Wake Up’ on the flip fares better, thanks to the repetitive synths and creeping rattle.
It’s all about the bass on the original mix, as Discemi – aka Jori Hulkonen and Toumas Salmela – allow the up-building arpeggiated b-line to dominate this passable electro-house cut before freestyle synths clutter things up after the break. RadioSlave accentuates the main riff on his deep 12-minute mix.
Wink sticks to what he’s good at on this rocking two-tracker – a modulating riff dominates the playful ‘Thick As Thieves’, reverbing, pitch-shifting and key-changing as a lop-sided bassline and shifting percussion rumble away – it’s a killer.
Triple R’s first solo outing is a basic beauty – looped Pantha Du Prince-esque chord washes, a hypnotic, melodic riff and gentle drums make for a spaced-out, spectral slide.
Meaty minimal-techno with a buffed-up nagging riff at its core – delicate, detailed percussion and intermittent FX washes give way to a tripped-out break. Joel Mull retains the melodic riff, adding a nagging, phased stab and choppy FX for a more DJ-friendly cut.
A mouth-watering remix package sees Hot Chip, Carl Craig, Kode9 and German artist Tensnake getting stuck into JB’s selections. Hot Chip’s nine-minute take on ‘In The Morning’ is melancholic pop magnificence; Carl Craig’s slow-building, meaty ‘Like A Child’ rework bubbles with menace before the beats drop while Kode 9 (with vocal assistance from Space Ape) flips ‘Double Shadow’ into a dark dubstep monster. Tensnake finishes last with an unexciting electro-house meander.
There’s some sort of genius at work here. Swiss Sacha Winkel’s leaves the minimal pretenders in his wake with a masterclass in how not to do things, properly.
Voight shows how to make a lot out of a little on this two tracker – ‘Charge Your Dreams’ utilises only a bassline, dry percussion, spare FX and a slow-creeping prodded riff, but still manages to be a floorshaker. The bassy b-side is similarly sparse and just and effective.
Pole dowses the elegant ‘Cry Easy’ in a slight haze, adding an odd Mr Ozio-ish bass and deep, buried chords. The double-tracked vocal and half-speed, intricate drums make this lament into an elegant stagger. Dntel’s remix of the sublime ‘The Wheel’ is a grand digital lullaby.
Uninventive disco/electro slow-jam ‘Rainbow Man’ sounds like something Daft Punk left on the cutting room floor. And it’s made by Daft Punk’s manager. Pedro Winter redeems himself with ‘Chop Suey’, a catchy, twitchy, DJ Funk-aping electro/booty cruncher.
Don’t be fooled by the innocuous opening to a-side: the glitchy, motorik rhythm is soon over-powered by a mesmerising digitised trance-lite riff. The drifting drums serve a dual purpose – drawing attention to the intricate background hum and creating just enough dancefloor drama.
GummiHz counters the deep techno of Mobilee’s previous release with four tracks of lean, dry minimal. The main appeal of hypnotic lead track ‘Temptation’ is its oscillating frequencies, creepy dips and clipped snare and hats. Best of the rest is ‘Los Los’, thanks to the brooding bass and violent Detroit riff.
Tobin augments his usual noir palette with a rather unusual sample source – field recordings of wild animals and insects. The end result doesn’t vary that much from his usual dense, dark, cinematic ramblings but it’s good to see he’s keeping busy.
The idea of Prins getting his paws on Justus’ ‘Elan’ is mouth-watering in theory, but in practice his 11-minute remix – complete with sickly re-intepretation of the strings – is tedious, losing much of the wonky magic of the original. His bottom-ended, dubbed-out remix of ‘Advance’ is far better.
With its meandering live bass, laser FX, chiming keys, processed guitar stabs and confused programming, ‘The Truth’ is a bit of an electronic house mess. The stripped-back ‘Lies’ makes more sense, thanks to the rolling arpeggiated bassline and not much else.
After a stunning EP of hi-def techno for Hertz, Doyle calms things down a tad with the 35th release on his D1 label. The linear ‘Red Shift’ takes its time, marrying scuttling percussion with spartan stabs and chords, wandering strings and a half-time bassline. The playful, key-changing chiming keys on ‘Winter Sun’ do little for me.
On-the-money crunchy minimal house on Exercise One’s label – a malevolent sub lurks beneath a catchy elastic bassline as intricate percussive patches, roaming synths and whistling FX gradually build to a boiling point.
Samuel’s original is apparently something of a lost classic. We have to agree – and props to this new Trapez sub-label for resurrecting it. It’s short, simple and bathed in just the right amount of reverb: the trancey melodic hook, crystalline keys and razor-sharp snare are unforgettable.
The contrasting harsh backward riff and deep pads works well for a time on the Border Community-aping original, but the break is just too unsophisticated. Best skip to Koletzki and Meindl’s more confident remix – they beef up the bass, fuck with the main elements and turn it into a tough electro-house chugger.
‘John’ is a simple if unspectacular deep/electronic houser redeemed by some clever, nagging chords. NYC’s Mr V beefs up the beat, strips away the flotsam, adds some choice licks and seals the deal with a winning keyboard solo.
Gut’s tracks are built out of hypnotic loops, and layered up with samples, found sounds and instrumentation, gently shifting, pulsing and moving, working their way into the subconscious.
Skeletal, two-steppy hi-tech funk is the order of the day here, spruced up with quasi-Eastern strings and an occasional, annoying female vocal stab. Gary Martin fills out the rhythm section with gritty drums and phases the rolling strings, while UR man Perception’s intricate layered drums, delicate synth work and rolling bass sound curiously dubsteppy.
Slam return with two takes on the big room Detroit sound – ‘Part One’ is more restrained, marrying a twinkling melody with surging, melancholic chords and flat, buzzy drums. ‘Part Two’ builds from a bare bassline, using the same elements and adding a couple of drops to create a trance-like groove.
We’re big fans of Chymera round here, so let’s admire his elegant mid-pace remix (of his own original) and focus instead on the other Irish offerings. Corrugated Tunnel retains the melody, ups the tempo and adds a crisp kick and wandering bottom-end, while Asciinoid’s hyperactive mix flips the script impressively with major chords, choppy broken beats and a kitchen sink. Cool.
It’s worth sticking with ‘Gouache’ as, after a fairly innocuous start with a flat, it soon mutates into something of a melodic monster thanks to the ringing, looping layered synths, rough percussion and well judged peaks and troughs.
‘Handle With Care’ is devastatingly simple dubby house – an enormous bassline and gentle kick create the addictive rhythm, while spacey pads, reverbed hits and toms and wandering keys add colour on this slow builder. ‘See In Me’ breaks things down even more – a half-speed stepper that explore the space between Rhythm and Sound and dubstep.
DGP have decided to drop the jokes – best give someone from UR a call. Gerald Mitchell is available? Lovely, send him in. ‘Skydive…’ reveals Paris The Black Fu’s other side: it’s a sprawling Detroit symphony worthy of ‘Landcruising’-era Carl Craig. Deetron’s slow-building remix misses the mark.
Chymera prepares us for his upcoming Ovum release with this solid three-tracker. The skeletal percussion and warm chord stabs of ‘Move’ make for surprisingly comfortable bed-fellows, but it’s the Aril Brikha-esque ‘Run’ that does it for us, thanks to the melodic, arpeggiated synths and swirling chords.
Tobias once again falls between a numner camps for his second release on Rekids, but once again manages to pull it off (just). The bassline says ‘disco’, moog bassline and pads says ‘cosmic’ but the rest of it shrugs its shoulder and says ‘house’. Quiet Village drop some acid and come up with a dubbed-out, Basic Channel-gone-balearic chugger.
We’ve been slow to come around to Clark’s charms, but we are getting there. The multi-layered ‘Ted’ is a discordant, reverb-heavy ditty that features droning bass, a wonky piano and a disko breakbeat. The beguiling Bibo remix sounds like a drunk folk band being dragged backward though a hedge.
Smoke roams the plains at the far end of minimal on ‘Prima’: actually, it’s got sod all to do with m*****l, this adventurous epic is an exercise in building a track out of extreme edits, serious time-stretching and unpredictable programming. The addition of sweeping chords brings some humanity to this 11-minuter. His new edit of the fantastic brooding Detroit number, ‘Always And Forever’ is a must if you missed it on Seventh Sign.
The cult Canadian continues with his hyper-edited, vaguely humourous breakcore shenanigans on this six-tracker. In-depth analysis of these tracks is probably best left to lonely bloggers, but there’s enough moments of odd beauty on this to merit a spin.
Templeton’s intriguing music is based on stark contrast – a collision of acoustic and digital, tradition and machine. The familiar instruments – guitar, banjo – that drift in at the start of each piece are slowly eroded by digital hiss, manipulated found sounds and layered ambience, Templeton gradually slicing and sculpting all elements into something else. The result is both unsettling and oddly comforting.
Originally released in 1984, Clone revive this pre-house classic. ‘Single Girl’ features a hilarious narrative between two girls who are looking for love, realised to a basic yet warm Italo disco backing groove.
Like the beasts the title refers to, these tracks take their time to get moving. Working from basic beats into tougher acid sounds, they gradually reach their blissed out destination.
Bug continues to in his agreeable electronic house vein – on ‘Wet’, flanged Josh Wink-a-like stabs dominate the mix initially, with a delicate, static synth line and a morphing bassline coming to the fore as things turns slightly techy. ‘Dry’ is dark and moodier, with a fluid bassline, dark keys and warping hook.
Dust Science must have been at the sherry of the Christmas, cos ‘Repeat Offender’ is party techno done like it’s 1999. This ain’t a bad thing really – the distinctive KMS-meets-Intec stabs and unexpected, breakbeat-led breakdown make for a right old wheeze.
M+J’s ‘Disco’ is a so-so slice of busy electro-house with a key-changing bassline, 303 flecks and a squealing synth riff. FGD’s ‘ESL’ is better – the rigid, shaker-heavy percussion contrasts nicely with the Prescription-style organ, clipped chord swells and stirring, reverbed stabs. Go deep indeed.
Alex Under gets nasty for his second FP outing – twittering frequencies and complex, layered percussion ride a snarling bassline, until an evil, phased buzzing riff takes over and slays all in its path. Tadeo pulls all the elements together via a long phase, before kicking off with an all-encompassing bassline.
D1 boss Doyle delivers in style on this four-tracker – ‘Unused’ is ultra-clean, interesting floor-friendly melodic techno with a fidgety UR-style bassline, mesmerising pads and syths and a stirring break. ‘The Dye Is Cast’ delves deeper on a 100% Pure tip, with juddering drums and intricate synths and a reduced P-funk bassline. Serious stuff.
Tennessee native Tidwell’s unique voice meant any potential remixer would have to pull their socks up for this one – but Ewan Pearson has surpassed himself here. His twinkling, 12-minute space disco rejig emphasises the beautiful, Bjork-a-like vocal, before the slow-build surges off into the gods… quite astonishing.
All City hit 10 with a second release from HOC – the track is based around a hypnotic, split-second string sample that loops around the brain, complemented by the wonky, glitch-hop beats and very catchy chorus from a trio of US MCs. Three more tracks – two instrumental explore similarly interesting sonic territory.
Speaker-shredding electro by numbers from this Liverpool lad. I know it might be a ‘big tune’, but why can’t producers like this put some effort into things? Oh wait, he has on the ‘Rave’ mix – an excellent arpeggiated bassline, squealing synths and smarter programming making it easier to digest. Predictably better is Joakim’s more refined remix.
The first instalment of a three-parter from the versatile Canadian. The busy ‘Burbuja Azul’ combines an electro-funk bassline with minimal drums, Detroit hats and all manner of percussive touches, while ‘Ghost Writer Blues’ is more haunting – snappy drums combining with a melodic, reverbed synths.
Picking up where the utterly fab ‘Street Knowledge’ left off, ‘Dial’ is another techno roller with a bassline like a juggernaut, live-sounding hats and not much else. It’s all about the groove. ‘Below Houston’ sounds like a Red Zone dub given a German update – deep keys and tight claps present and correct. Top tackle.
The original is a modern jack-track-by-numbers with a gently tweaked 303 that is too obvious to appeal to the Clone brigade. Patrick Pulsinger injects some life with R+S-style percussion and wonky, wavy synths before throwing the kitchen sink at it.
Sian finds form on the a-side, marrying a bassline that sounds like Radiohead’s ‘Everything In It’s Right Place’ with hissing percussion and likeable liquid keys that stab in and out of the mix. Good work.
‘Panic’ is basically a UK take on ‘Bay Of Figs’ – brooding bass and predictable programming give way to a monster metallic riff that revolves around the brain. A pastiche it may be, but it’s a bloody good one
Brika pops up on Kompakt with a welcome dose of hi-definition melodic techno with his trademark motifs – a rolling, phased riff, well-placed drops and kicks and deft keys. Some dullards may find the slightly trancey nature of the central riff off-putting, but I think it sounds like the music angels make when they are on yokes. ‘Berghain’ on the flip is more heads-down, but the fluid pads are spine-tingling.
The murky, spluttering drums doff a cap to Shep Pettibone and co, but it’s the Prescription-y fat synths and freestyle keys that make the broken-beat-meets-deep house of ‘Hotbox’ memorable. The slow burning deepness of ‘Galleini’ is far more effective.
Some French bird whispers sweet nothings over numerous arpeggiated 303s and hackneyed thudding drums before a hands-in-the-air break kicksitrightrorfmate. Still, not as annoying as it should be, thanks to it being slightly tongue-in-cheek.
‘Red Cabaret’ is an epic 10-minute slice of unboring noir-minimal – startling sirens, synth drones and acid dabs elbow for room as his trademark complex, vaguely tribal percussion keeps things moving. ‘Orion’ is odder and slightly trancey – live timbales drop in an out over an elastic bassline, moving pads and rather large synth washes.
Mehdi’s the latest off Ed Banger’s increasingly suspect production line – but while the others gradually reveal themselves as empty vessels, the Parisian is the only one actually making a decent noise.
Simple, fairly elegant minimal house with dry drums, hypnotic synth stabs and – as the title suggests – a quasi-Eastern sample spicing things up. But not very much.
Shonky spices this austere track up with an unexpectedly drawn-out break: the melancholic chords and squiggly FX clicking when Cardini starts muttering sweet nothings near the end.
The original marries a fantastic, old school-ish piano riff with a growling bassline, before things get a bit cluttered with an arpegiatted 303. Samim clinches it by accentuating the beautifully simple piano and adding skipping drums and the odd drop and whoosh.
The source material’s a raved-up slice of oik-electro/rock that leaves HotPress cold. Time to get DJ Hell on the blower. His 10-minute remix calms things down (a bit) – live-sounding disko drums, a distinctive looping riff, arpeggiated bassline and some head-wrecking squally synths. They’ll be jumping.
Camp electro-crooner Louis reprises Christopher Just’s ‘I’m A Disco Dancer’ on this enjoyably daft Johnny Cash-esque tale of a life in music. Just crops up with souped-up glam techno mix. Fun.
Rose’s two reworks are run-of-the-mill but effective – the first rocking some nice samba drums and the trademark bassline, but the simpler dub being the choice offering, thanks to an intricate marimba and buzzing synth.
‘Cloudy Bay’ follows a similar path to the sprawling, string-laden epic ‘Full Clip’ but lacks the latter’s cohesiveness, despite some interesting elements.
‘I Kill Guitar’ delves straight in at the deep end – techy chords snaking in and out, varied percussion – before it all goes a bit ‘electro’ after the break, with screaming keys and an overload of pads/FX/everything.
Weatherall covers all bases with his first eponymous release – ‘Feathers’ combines a raw riff Mick Jones would be proud of with punk/funk bassline and unexpected searing synths; ‘You Can’t Do…’ is brilliantly baffling New Wave-ish gothic disco, while ‘La Sirena’ is bassy, buzzing techno with a choice, chopped flamenco. Wottaman.
‘Rocquet’ is a top tricky nu-meets-italo disco odyssey (with enjoyably atonal organ ramblings that gradually lose the plot), while ‘Pork Chop Express’ flips the script with some confident Krautrock. Tirk we love thee.
Last spotted on Wagon Repair, Shannon drops a bomb on the v hot Num Ltd label. An addictive Rob Hood-ish chainmail synth rides a simple kick, before the deep stabs pan out, drop… and there’s the hi-hats! The breaks are subtle, in fact that whole thing is, but it’s a fresh future/retro ride.
Frank’s ‘rediscovered his love for Detroit’ (it says here). Good thing. Sounding like John Tejada’s wonderful ‘Sucre’ gone mad, ‘Sugarpop’ has a taut, rubbery bassline, dry drums and overpowering walls of static FX that grabs on and won’t let go. Oh what a lovely headfuck.
The biggest track from the impressive Mobilee remix series finally surfaces. The trademark rattling clicks and reverbed fills are present, but what sets this off is the rolling bottom-end groove (not disimilar to ‘Mouth To Mouth’) and the huge whiplash FX kicks. It’s a biggie. nine/ten BO’D
Alex Smoke gives production line minimalists an education with this informed selection, the common thread being the firm nod to early-to-mid-‘90s Detroit and dub techno.
It’s all about the instantly-loveable and very catchy keys riff on this nu-disco romp, although we love the Arthur Russell touches and key-changing bassline too. Jesse Rose augments the keys and adds seriously swinging bass/drums.
Sian’s murky original meanders along, livened by the sci-fi stabs and house bassline. Sweet N Candy flip the script with a lively slow-builder; all trademark fills, reverbed chords and percussive wiggles and plenty of bottom-end swing.
This nagging groove – a clipped vocal, chopped one-note stab and shifting percussion – slowly works itself into a trance-related frenzy thanks to said stab being phased into next week.
“Bertie Ahern is a dirty c*nt, Mary Harnery is a dirty c*nt, Michael McDowell is a dirty c*nt…Telling the truth really is a c*nt.” In a remarkable display of timing, the gravel-throated Captain Moonlight serves up an anthem for disaffected backbenchers. Actually, for the lot of us.
Dubstep may have largely passed Hot Press by until the arrival of the Burial LP, but we’re enjoying playing catch-up. Dusk’s ‘Mantis’ is simple and intoxicating: the cavernous sub-bass sucks you in, the gun-shot snares and electro touches keep it rolling while the music box-ish eastern samples and a simple string line set it apart.
Lovely slab of muscular deeper gear that doffs a cap to Kerri Chandler and Metro Area, but still has ample whoomp. It doesn’t really work the floor, but will bring a smile to the lips. Trickski, unfortunately, gets it very wrong with an abrasive, confused remix.
The usual boxes are ticked by this normally reliable pair – dry beats, icy bass, odd drops, quirky stabs, snippets of melody – but falls at a crucial hurdle: there ain’t no groove.
Edwin’s original begins with scuttling, shifting percussion before the pay-off: some unexpectedly choice deep key stabs. The layers build up from there, making for a satisfactory outing. Rob Rowland extracts and rolls with the key elements for a rattling, modern Motor City re-work.
An air of menace pervades ‘Snauzi Petisch’. The muted, warping bassline, snatches of radio dial samples and unexpected void hint at nothing much, before a simple hypnotic melody and surging bass save the day.
Maetrik drags TicTacToe down a dark alley for his debut on the label: a brooding, pulsing bass underpins a layered electro-tech beat, as FX, glitches and hisses swirl willy-nilly, before bonus points are accrued for the intergalactic spoken vocal and dramatic drops.
A simple house kick-and-hats combo, the odd FX wobble, an undulating chord stab and subtle sub might not sound like much, but this slow-building groove works on the floor.
‘Feel Me’ is what would happen if Switch went minimal: clipped vocals, off-kilter percussion and a jackin’ one-note bassline meet quirky stabs, blips and hisses. Top. ‘Steady Road’ disappears further down the FX hole.
Heidi’s tune-selection – a mix of dark house, minimal and surprises from Craig, Tejada, Houle, Chandler, Under and Ferrer – is flawless, even if some of the programming is a tad random.
A magnificent debut from Andy Stott – 40 minutes that re-examine, re-create and re-define the spirit of Detroit, deep house, electro and, um, IDM. From the brooding, expansive tech of opener ‘Florence’ that moves effortlessly from micro to macro to the haunting piano and gently surging string of the (too short!) ‘Peace Of Mind, this is a deep record that rewards close scrutiny.
Gotta love Spiritcatcher. ‘Sweet Deal’ is like a technicolour Metro Area: bright arpeggios, beautiful phased strings and a simple, solid bassline. ‘Time Emulator’ is totally different, but just a shiny: fat Aril Brikha-like chords, tough drums, a smart key-changing bassline.
Coming on like ‘Rej’ with added abrasive, hypnotic stabs and an oscillating bassline, this slice of austere modern house does the job very well indeed.
Schwarz is damn hot right now – this three-part odyssey marries sparse piano, a repeated male vocal, balearic percussion, dub-isms, a dash of nu-disco swing and a slow house thwomp in some sort of almost brilliant epic sprawl. We think.
Irish producer Bren Gregoriy drops a cool three-tracker that will appeal to Detroit heads and prog refugees, thanks to the clever programming, strong synthy melodies and dancefloor nous.
Alex Under delivers yet again – ‘Whenever’ is giddy minimal tech-fun at its best: layered synths and FX, phreaked frequencies, clever builds and drops and busy, clipped percussion, all held together by a wicked sub. And the remix samples Shakira. Magnifico.
‘Black Numbers’ is best top four-tracker of deep Nordic techno: a Mayday-ish b-line bubbles away beneath the ambient chords, crunchy minimal beats and hyperactive melodic synths. The flip tracks are deeper and more restrained, but equally good.
Marc Romboy wins in this battle of the electro/minimal house crowd-pleasers/underground gems simply because of Tommie Sunshine’s beard (and his occasionally wiry selection).
Put the words ‘filmic’, ‘fractured’ and ‘dreamlike’ together and you’re getting close to what Wharton gets up to: the nomadic Welshman’s beguiling, atmospheric sonic canvases use few elements – keys, strings, snatches of melody, simple guitars, “hiss and hum”, other things – but are far more than the sum of the constituent parts. Beautiful.
AKA wonky-meister Jesse Rose. Not many elements – an up-and-down, stabbed bassline, looped ‘It’s…’ vocal hook, digital glitches and hisses – but man, it works.
Lassi Nikko plunges into the dark with pal Juho Hietala on ear-quaking technoid beast ‘Envelope Diving 2’ – an echo-y hiss adds drama to the eerie, gloopy dub-techno beats, the beautiful melodic pads and stabs an unexpected saving grace in this intoxicating epic.
Heidi keeps Riton’s abrasive side in check on this solid effort: a glamish beat and metronomic melody click with the off-kilter rave-ish stabs and, er, cellos.
Like most RS releases, this groaning electro-houser – with wild video game noises and oscillating, growling bass – makes most sense on the floor. Rob Mello’s mix phreaks the original and blends it with spitting, ‘Science Fiction’-era Carl Craig percussion, thus making a floor-shaker.
Jacek Sienkiewicz’s intricate mix is intriguing, but Daschund supplies a belter: a phased acid line and sparse beats are beefed up by a Donnacha Costello-esque bassline and percussion, topped off by reverbed, FX-heavy breakdowns.
Now that minimal techno has become a trendy cliché, it’s time for the cutting edge of dance music to find a new direction. Trentemoller has pointed the way with a compelling new album.
Heller is a constantly building slab of motorik, trancey house that comes up like a good rush: a rolling, buzzing bassline, scattering percussion and periodic reverbed FX washes. The distinctly UK production on this nine-minute romp will mean its appeal is limited to former prog heads, but it’s a good buzz nonetheless.
Star You Star Me’s deep tech/house remix – all classic keys and stabs, warm bassline and smooth treatment of the stark male vocal - but it’s still the glitchy digital disco of the original that does it for us.
James Holden and Milky Globe (aka Lo boss Jon Tye) team up for a synapse-frying excursion on ‘Sun Spots’ that starts like Seefeel, before mutating into deadly Aphex-inspired off-kilter electro-oddness – fractured beats, pulsing sub-bass and drifting melodies. Tye and Nathan Fake’s dubstep-inspired ‘Lava Flow’ is even better, sucking you into an acid-flecked netherworld before making you cry with haunting reversed melodies and really scary FX washes. Top.
The promo tracklisting is all over the gaff, but it’s pretty simple: head straight for Henrik Schwarz’s lovely mid-tempo remix: he lets Robert Owens’ vocal and the sweeping strings from the original breath, before introducing a spare 4/4 and intricate organic percussion.
The nomadic Phonique drops his best in ages – a slow-building layered groove with gloopy sub-bass, catchy keys and an even catchier melody - heads-down house music. Spiritcatcher’s take loses the groove but ups the digital disco content for peak-time pressure thanks to the big bassline and funk synths.
He operates within what’s best described as a post-Drexciyan world, but the mysterious Frenchman injects enough originality into his dark electro/tech to make each release worth at least a listen. The title track is bare future-funk – the expansive bassline holding the sparse drums and slinky keys together. Of the other three, the industrial breaks, shizo bass and ker-azzy stabs of ‘Office Worker’ lights our fire.
No, the term “sexy tech” doesn’t refer to the HP design department; it’s Philadelphia producer King Britt‘s mission to put the hip-shake back into techno under The Nova Dream Sequence banner.
The Canadian duo have apparently been in “hibernation” since their 2004 debut left many a jaw dropped. And while the basic elements remain the same – pristine synths, melancholic melodies and that distinctive vocal – there is more meat on their bones now, a new focus on choruses and even more heart-rending moments of icy perfection. The glitch-hop references have faded, the ten songs on offer augmented instead by nods to pure house music, outstanding songwriting, Frank Sinatra (there’s a cover of his ‘When No One Cares’), The Blue Nile… and pop, pop, pop. So maybe this is new ‘new pop’ – a very modern music, adroitly aware electronica with soul, underground music with the controls set for the heart of the charts. Album of the year.
He might be one of the finest DJs ever, but this double CD retrospective unfortunately reveals Larry Gardner’s Achilles heel – his shortcomings as a producer. There are some classic moments (which you know and love) but too much of this is meandering and ultimately forgettable.
NYC’s finest return from their suspiciously long hiatus with a Ewan Pearson/Paul Epworth-twiddled track about nothing really that sounds, well, pretty much like The Rapture. Good to dance to and nice to have them back and all, but we were expecting a little bit more.
Matthew Jonson’s 6/8 technoid shuffle is quite underwhelming to begin with, but when the jagged bassline and typical sweeping strings combine, it makes sense. But it’s Jennifer Cardini and Shonky’s simple mix that shines – the trancey bassline, the alien whistle FX, those glorious, R-Tyme-ish chords… rather elegant techno.
In which Troubleman takes direct inspiration from the title and goes for a nine-minute wander through all things Afrobeat (and acid jazz). The quirky Rhodes sits well amongst the busy percussion, live bass, sax, clavinet and kitchen sink.
The original might seem like just another new-school acid house cut on first listen (which, um, it essentially is – lo-fi bassline, warping 303, raw percussion, nifty shakers) – but it’s all about the groove here. Basement jack tracks.
Title of the year on the single of the year from the album of the year (until we get sick of it). Like a Sao Paulo Scissor Sisters – use them up and wear ’em out.
Fluid synths, a warm bassline and an occasional well-placed FX wash dominate this nicely restrained slice of modern house that could well pass as an update of the old Prescription sound. ‘El Gayo Negro’ on the flip – with its organic percussion and snarling bassline – fares less successfully.
It’s all about the bassline on this busy belter – you can guess what the drums sound like, right? – but the b-line here is so bouncy it practically upped and walked out of my deck. The world (well, part of it) will always need house music like this, so that’s why this is good.
Features a sprawling, live-sounding cover/interpretation of Carl Craig’s wondrous ‘At Les’ that left us confused but happy and newie (we think) ‘Grace’, which is slow-and-low analogue techno with a jazzy underbelly. Got that?
‘Adoquin’ revels in its murky micro-ness – all hisses, coughs, wibbles and wonky synth pulses. ‘Peters’ is cleaner and better – tight hi-tech funk with varied percussion and plenty of bite.
Junior Boys’ two originals are excellent electro-pop with a gritty edge – Alex Smoke’s melancholic remix retains the vocals but still brings a new dimension to the track, while Morgan Geist (re-)invents P-funk cosmic disco.
‘Ace...’ kicks off with a looped Hooky-esque bassline before the surging chords, deep stabs and bumping drums pull it back to the floor. But wait! It’s slowing down and getting time-stretched! Oh, it’s back. And that’s it. ‘Dirty Dishes’ is manic, tweeked acidic electro that’s too unpredictable for its own good.
Four tracks from the Starbaby vaults from Fabrice Lig, Morgan Giest and John Tejada that sound like they were made after listening to some Dan Curtin records.
With its phased, trancey chords, marching drums and general LOUDNESS, this is about as subtle as a kick in the face. Better is ‘Labyrinth’ – equally aggressive drums, but tempered by jacking hats, freestyle synths and a snarling, shiny bassline. There is a corner of the world that will forever be Carl Cox’s record box...
The annoyingly talented Luke Vibert (twice on the one page!) delivers five tracks of top quality modern disco with a sly grin, while Ceephax delivers a bafflingly expansive remix to round it all off.
Been a while coming this one, but Vibert’s collab with the synth pioneer is worth it: an echoed, escalating Moog riff slowly spirals
out of control while a staccato break and 303 run for cover. Charming.
Phil’s clearly wearing the trousers in this relaionship – it’s more rough, wonky bass-heavy techno than FDV’s usual synth-heavy gear. The
‘Dominator’-sampling ‘Tick Tick Tick’ is particularly effective on the floor.
‘Giant Bassmantix’ sounds like just that – unfeasably large bass thrusts crashing into schizophrenic electro breaks, all with an
unnerving hum in the background. ‘Doubt’ pushes things further. Metal machine music from this Irish producer.
Burnski’s on a good run – ‘Headland Mad’ blends crunchy beats, a rubbery main bassline, evil second one, whooshes and clicks with a welcome surprise: deep house stabs. Nice move. Two head-nodders complete the package.
'Magnet's is decent if unexeptional Hacker-esque techno with a Detroit whiff: the elastic, spiraling bassline and busy, linear FX work in the mix. 'Beside' takes the high definition, hi-tech funk approach before a belching bassline ups a gear.
An unsolicited word of warning to EDC and all at SuperDiscount towers - the path you are taking may result in short-term 'electro' gain, but nothing truly good can come of such frivolous nonsense in the long run.
Tobias's ambitious original can't decide if it's italo, techno or house and consequently is all over the gaff. Prins Thomas sorts the shit out with his refix: a shade tougher than we've come to expect, it utilizes the catchy riff, dubs stuff out a bit, ups the b-line pressure and generally carries itself as a lady should. Top.
A lovely slice of plaintive digital dub from NOW, set off by a by-now trademark simple, nagging riff and warm male vocal about a domestic barney. It's virtually impossible to be mean about NOW, so we won't try.
'Stimulation' rides the Minus wave like a good thing - it's got Marc Houle's bendy bounce and Troy Pierce's hissing crispness: to top it off, there's even a boopty breakdown. Ryan Crosson takes things into linear nu-Detroit territory, while bonus cut 'Spandiforfic' is just as good.
Continuing on from his Amen-murdering 12"-only adventures in 2003, Luke Vibert delivers 13 slices of totally enjoyable electronic mayhem that veers from the rave-ripping raga jungle madness you know and love to bruising industrial r'n'b/dubstep, all liberally dosed with oh-so-silly samples. Minimal bores everywhere should be made listen to this.
First aired at a posh film fest in the UK last year, Greedy Baby is the audio-visual treat Plaid and filmmaker Bob Jaroc have been tinkering away on for the best part of three years. Sonically it's definitly a Plaid album, only more left of centre than previous works. Jaroc's grainy unsettling images are of limited appeal, but this double disc is worth it for the delight that is 'The Return Of Super Barrio' alone. Ain't got a clue what the 5.1 sounds like though, 'cos we still don't really know what that is.
The very talented indeed Tadd Mullinix (he also makes great wonky techno as James T Cotton) delivers his second LP of, um, ghostly hip-hop as Dabrye. Ears more accustomed to conventional sounds will be confused by his meticulous blend of intricate beats, electro, electronica and jazz touches and the myriad of underground MCs. And while the guests occasionally fail to fire, this is one for the head-nodders.
Recloose's sleeper hit from last year gets the remix it needed from Induceve. They retain all the original's gentle magic but deftly bump it up for the floor.
The original's a fairly unlistenable Jagz Kooner-esque romp featuring The Chuckle Brothers aka Alan Vega and Bobby Gillespie. The big beats remain, but the hip-hop nods have been replaced by an almost industrial dirge. The diskoid Padded Cell remix of 'Boy Bitten' is far more palatable.
The original's an enticing slooow house jam with vague nods to the Windy city: a confident bassline, wild pitch-ish hum, weird looped synth sample and Switch-esque vocal chops. Jesse Rose strips things back and ups the boompty but it don't work.
Brilliantly schizo electro pop that sounds like the Notting Hill carnival gone wrong plus added drunken Gregorian chanting. If you know what that means, you are better than me. More essential music from the curiously affecting Norwegian pair.
L+B's original is fairly cack - a flat 4/4 and timpani overload sit uncomfortably beside an elastic growling bassline and hyperactive percussion. Peace Division try and do minimal on the remix, but - bar a couple of minutes - end up boring everyone for 11 minutes. It will no doubt be huge at DC10 though.
The original's a great punk-funk/go-go ditty about picking up a rather filthy lady. Phwoar. Mustapha3000 (aka Erol Alkan) supplies a smart remix tat sounds like Justice reworking Prodigy's 'Poison'. If you're confused by the above, Headman drops a usable club mix too.
Having unleashed one of the dance albums of the year, Fujiya And Miyagi's days of 9 to 5-dom are numbered. Barry O'Donoghue finds out what the Brighton threesome have been doing right.
The original's small electro-tech beats give way to a welcome surprise: crystal clear Mayday synths and hi-hats and some choice analogue action. Dub Kult's busy rework adds some acid and some confident drums but loses the charm.
An oddly varied EP from Will Saul's label: 'Polar Bear Dub' marries an intricate icy melody with fractured electro beats and stuttering percussion while 'Scary Biscuits' mixes house beats and a dubby bassline with minimal squiggles reasonably well. John Tejada's remix of the latter wins though - evil bass, tight beats, crisp synths and his usual swing.
More enjoyable crunchy noise terrorism from Oizo - the beats are broken and glitchy, the synths run free, the programming is mad and that's it. Justice adds a farty, distorted bass and makes it more palletable for the floor. Sort of.
'Shining' is classic Curtin: wonky, drunken keys, a hyperactive, hi-tech riff, those intricate drums and pads and even busier FX make for a tougher journey than usual. Top.
A slow-jam from the Ame boys. The bubbling analogue bass, breathy nothings, squally guitar and melancholic keys are okay, but don't really hit the spot. On the flip, Dixon edits Agora Rhythm's 'My Vision' into something that sounds like classic Ame. How odd.
Choice electro-house from the Dubliner. This busy A-side rocks a distinctive riff, an acdic underbelly and Chicago drums as it weaves on its way. 'Praymantis' is better, an acid house vibe with meaty 303s, deep drums and lovely washes.
Jimpster moves away from the dancefloor with varying results - 'In An Analogue Way' is top lounge tackle, 'Don't Push It' reminds me of Black Science Orchestra, 'Seventh Wave' matches a minimal pulse with jazzy meanderings while the laidback afro-tech-funk of 'Love You Better' comes alive with a wonderful vocal. Some of the other smoooooth guest spots leave me cold, but I have no soul.
Ralph Lawson and Co's debut (featuring additional tweaking from NYC-based Dubliners The Glass) is admirable in its range - deep and electro house, tricky disco plus the odd dash of geetars. There are some strong tracks - 'Tape', 'Hit The Fan', 'Won't Bother Me', - but it's the second disc - recorded at Sonar last year - shows how this project is best experienced.
Smoke’s darkly paranoid original is a rare thing: a techno track you’ll find yourself humming on the bus. Slam’s tougher, leaner mix meanders nicely, while Ada’s dense take adds strings and a digital sheen.
Oliver Ho shows his sensitive side once more on his latest Birdland offering. ‘Exit’ is fantastic: latino percussion, squealing synths, wild pitch stabs, an old jack track vocal we can’t place and plenty of OOMPH.
The Brazilian folk-tronica of the original was made for a Herbert re-touch – and he delivers a sublime slice of downtempo house: cut-up vocals, circular bassline and layered FX and synths that make a magic melody.
Charles Webster turns in two tight mixes for the deep heads: the ‘Club’ mix opens with and uses the excellent male vocal sparingly over a clicky groove that’s warmed by backward chords and a deep bassline.
‘Cabrio’ is wiry, off-kilter techno with maurading synths, swirling FX and an annoying Glam bassline. ‘No Pain No Gain’ is even more ham-glam. Best avoid.
More analogue adventure from Lopazz – ‘Ciegos’ is a convincingly lo-fi, gritty, glam pop song with pleasing keys, while ‘Discopete’ is like a wonky house Jamie Lidell. Ace.
NYC’s In Flagranti’s subtle rework of WMW’s original simply takes them down the modern disco: cowbells, guitar licks, fat bassline… it’s all about the distinctive vocal, as proved by the decidedly flat dub.
Dandy Jack’s wonky minimal remix of ‘Tita’ is spruced up by weird samples, stabs and FX, but all the fuss is about Eulberg’s take on ‘L’Nuit’: a brooding, pacey number with an enormous, abrasive stab, drifting vocals and crazy programming. Meh.
This Epworth-controlled jam marries tribal percussion, an elastic, abrasive bassline and yelped Rapture-ish vocals for a good two minutes until the skeletal drums drop. Sounds like Talking Heads gone Shoreditch. ‘Summertime’s is something different – lo-fi punk-funk – but equally good. Tip.
Four jackin’ tracks for da floor: ‘New Jam’’s b-boy vox, jumping bassline, chopped horns and woozy piano loop make for a treat, while ‘Yayers’ is a simple and effective dancefloor cut.
Losoul’s two new 11 minute-plus offerings require you to get sucked in for maximum results. The mesmerising ‘Cut So Sweet’ boasts a busy bassline, augmented by melodic, reverbed, processed stabs before the melancholic synths take over. ‘Back Wash Rider’ is darker: nastier bass, more swing and acidic dabs before the sublime break… Lose yourself.
If you don’t dig this – a daft and dirrrrty Baltimore jaunt in two parts: the first collages breaks, funky riffs, sleazy vocals and crashing ride cymbals, while the second sounds like Tom Tom Club – you are DEAD.
No complaints about the title track, a Roots Manuva Indian-influenced party joint. Sway ruffs it up UK styleee (or something), Spank Rock strip it back but add more fun, while Switch turns in a hyperactive and rollicking bashment jack track.
This retrospective collection from Dutch producer Alden Tyrell shows that he was years ahead of the electroclash/electro house chancers and that, more than any other undeground producer, he percussion that sounds like a Euro Boo Williams.
A blinder from the Israeli – ‘Twilight’ begins as a standard enough minimal snooze, before morphing into a deep, dramatic moment: the eerie strings and rising FX after the break matching the snarling bass, severe claps and robo hisses. ‘Gizeh’ on the flip is top too.
‘Numb…’ is run-of-the-mill tech-house with nasty ‘electro’ leanings. Better is ‘Glutius Minimus’ – a slow-burning number with skeletal percussion and an ever-increasing blue bottle in a jar bassline.
Three inconsequential tracks of hiphopsoulfunkbreaks from the Unabombers that fail to rise above being effective but limited sample-fests for the floor.
‘Beeswax’ is a belter – a bumpy, boompty groove with dub leanings, augmented by more FX and mechanoid wheezes than we can mention. ‘Easy Peasy…’ is darker, with jarring percussion, cut-up vocals and a meandering bassline, offset by an unsettling synth riff. Investigate.
A clockwork groove and murky bassline give way to marauding, layered Italo-referencing synths that slowly do your head in. It sounds shit, but the devil’s in the details.
Otto’s ‘Trick Snitch’ is the one here. It’s an ultra-abrasive Squarepusher-gone-Miami Bass slice of mutant boogie that will clear the floor in record time. Hooray!
Irish duo Addnoise continue to impress on this limited edition one-sided remix on an earlier track – a deep and dubby bassline underpins this groover while snaking, curling FX and the merest hint of haunting keys drift in and out of the mix. Mesmerising.
It’s not gonna win any prizes for subtlety, but that’s hardly the point is it? ‘Black Powder’ features an arpeggiated bassline so big it requires planning permission, droning synths and a sprinkle of rave dust and nowt else.
‘Punkture’ marries Front 242-esque industrial abrasiveness with a jackin-meets-glam aesthetic.
Marc Romboy’s debut album has the dubious distinction of summing up the pros and cons of the ubiquitous genre we call electro-house over its 11 tracks.
Otto’s ‘Trick Snitch’ is the one to watch here. It’s an ultra-abrasive Squarepusher-gone-Miami Bass slice of mutant boogie that will clear the floor in record time. Hooray!
A clockwork groove and murky bassline give way to marauding, layered Italo-referencing synths that slowly do your head in. Sounds shit, but the devil’s in the details…
Irish duo Addnoise continue to impress on this limited one-sided remix on an earlier track – a deep and dubby bassline underpins this groover while snaking, curling FX and the merest hint of haunting keys drift in and out of the mix… mesmerising.
‘Beeswax’ is a belter. It’s a bumpy, boompty groove with dub leanings, augmented by more FX and mechanoid wheezes than we can mention. ‘Easy Peasy…’ is darker: jarring percussion, cut-up vocals and a meandering bassline, offset by an unsettling synth riff. Investigate.
It’s not gonna win any prizes for subtlety. But that’s hardly the point is it? ‘Black Powder’ features an arpeggiated bassline so big it requires planning permission, droning synths and a sprinkle of rave dust and nowt else. ‘Punkture’ marries Front 242-esque industrial abrasiveness with a jackin-meets-glam aesthetic.
It’s been around since last November on white. Now Bobby P’s bassline-free monster gets a full release. It is nothing less than a rolling digital riff that’s tweaked and twisted into ear-popping new dimensions. Killer.
Typical Gigolo styles on ‘Rubin’: menacing synths, skeletal electro-tech percussion and phreaked-out FX. Better is ‘Message In A Box’, an unpredictable, arpeggiated adventure that sounds like Green Velvet trapped in Hell’s basement: Moroder b-line, relentless stabbing synths and more ker-aazy FX.
Intriguing and intricate electronic-meets-minimal house with balls – witness the unexpectedly hooky ‘Ballpoint’, which morphs from the above into a screamer thanks to acid squiggles, post-rave stabs and a whooOOOOSH.
Pekka’s still on fire – ‘Dead Serious’ is a linear, brooding, percussion-heavy romp with a murky bassline. ‘Rave Texno’ follows the same template, but adds a playful riff and a housier bottom-end for the floor.
Sheffield-based singer/songwriter gets a remix spread on this Irish label – gold stars go to Decal and Human, The Last Sound and Mixmaster Morris. However, the material is a wee bit thin and Anne’s voice won’t appeal to all.
Warp’s latest is something of a find, a 23-year-old Detroit native on a mission to breath new life into the sounds of Motor City. So while the reference points are apparent – D.May-esque percussion and washing machine basslines – Edgar’s willingness to blend old with the new (glitch-hop, Timbaland-inspired r’n’b beats, laptop electronica and digital dub) has resulted in a pristine and damn near perfect future/retro update (Magic Juan would no doubt approve).
The geezers are back with an album it’s hard to care about. All boxes are ticked. There are a couple of decent dancefloors tracks, a few downtempo numbers and some cod jazz. Difficult to see the point.
Stripped-down minimal house with a raw, rolling bassline that suck you in on the a-side, while Robag’s stop/start mix ups the percussion and adds the most lovely melancholic keys. The deep Detroit house of ‘Still Like It Like That’ is a welcome surprise.
Andre Kraml’s remix uses a solid bassline and simple percussion with phased vocals and live instruments intertwining nicely. Justus Kohncke’s builds slowly using a vocal riff, clicks, wibbles, an acidic bassline, neat keys before the sleek chords win the day.
The original’s a dark, brooding electro-pop tale of lost teeth, complete with squealing synths. Williams' mix is mighty and meaty. Then everything gets arpeggiated and it ends up being a monster. Troy Pierce has ze minimal swing…
Featuring Green Velvet on vocals (just about), the original is a sleek slice of tech-house, livened up by Bushwacka’s shimmering synth washes. GV offers a harsh, Relief-style remix with phreaked hooks, walking bassline and squally guitars. Best is Jesse Roses’s tracky, deep mix – all chunky beats, intricate stabs and clipped keys.
Dubbed-out, synapse-frazzling acid house madness (clocking in around 105bpm) that sounds like Hardfloor on ketamine. This is the latest installment in a brilliant series of phreaked-out collaborations.
The biggie is back in two new versions. The guitar-heavy version lacks subtetly. Better by far is the Italo-referencing ‘Moonlight’ edition, which amps up the original’s distinctive riff and monster bassline.
Apart from the interesting breakdown, not too much to see on the minimal-by-numbers ‘Amazon’. ‘Risky’, the b-side, is better, with a skeletal beat, intricate clattering FX and a slow-building bassy groove that just about gets there.
Avoid Sander Kleinenberg’s sloppy guitar-laden mix, shrug your shoulders at Tiga’s ‘funky’ re-fix, smile politely at the original and settle on DJ T’s decent re-fix. Tough drums and a tight, Chicago-boogie plus the original catchy melody will have you humming it all the way home
This is a diverse four-tracker from Kurt Baggley. ‘Moody Diversion’ is a busy, murky, glitchy slow-jam with a hypnotic FX wash, while ‘Soul Selects’ is lush but hyperactive electro, set alight by bright, sweeping synths, chopped stabs and taut percussion.
‘Exploration’ is a slow-building, multi-layered belter. But the monster ‘Voyager’ takes the biscuit that is best described as Garnier techno. Just wait for the Detroit stabs to drop.
An obvious but decent selection from the Prodge mainman, including PIL, Meat Beat Manifesto, PE, The Jam plus new Prodigy track ‘Wake The Fuck Up’ ( a noisy, thrashy breakbeat thing). Completists will have to have it.
Four stylish cuts on this label debut. All are quality takes on ze minimal sound, but Mark Ashken’s ‘Part Time Isolation’ stands out. There are bumpin’ drums, oddball FX and a nutty, chopped applause sample-cum-breakdown that freaks the floor.
Grimy electro/techno on the a-side. Better yet is the ‘Wavejumper’-era Drexciya-a-like ‘Crash’. But best of all is ‘From Detroit’, a fantastic spoken word whistle-stop tour of electro hot-spots over some tight, bassy dancefloor electro-funk.
Wishy-washy tech/prog on the a, livened by some shimmering keys and a 303 gurgle. Drama Society’s tough, layered slow-builder rises to a twitchy, haunting, moody thumper with admirable undercarriage.
Eleven tracks of dark, dense and sometimes intense techno rhythms from this pair. It’s quite brutal in places, but never feels hard for the sake of it. Indeed, the tempo of some tracks will surprise. An engaging mix of abstract and dancefloor, this is a welcome change in a world where the prefix ‘electro’ is becoming too common.
Digitalism take it down the de-rigueur punk funk/disko rock route, with pervy and unsettling undertones thanks to the vocals. Midnight Mike’s mix is a more innocent, a fresh-faced, tongue-in-cheek block party disco.
‘Smack Snack’ is a MONSTER. It features the usual Dahlback-style percussion, stabbed bassline and – boom! – whiplash electro all the way home. Result? A dancefloor destroyer.
The title cut is the winner. Chunky beats, incredibly deep, swirling chords, driving percussion and odd spoken vocals (from prostitutes, as it happens) are all to the fore. Hypnotic techy deepness.
One of Vek’s best effort gets a smart ‘Madchester’ remix from Paul Epworth. Love the sound of those old Oakenfold productions? There’s enough euphoric pianos here to last you another decade.
Black’ is deep techno with a haunting Detroit synth that (very) gradually unfurls into something quite linear. ‘No Color Man’ on the flip has its moments, but is a bit too busy for its own good.
‘…Square’ is like an old-school Squarepusher with a sense of humour – ravey stabs, wild programming and all manner of oddness. Better again is ‘Half A Scissors’ which is like the above with added electro and a cool countdown.
Carl Taylor does a fine KMS-style job on ‘The Stele…’, but Vince Watson walks it for his sprawling re-fix of ‘4 3s555’. Mournful synths, spacey washes, lively melodies, a delicate 303 and classic Dog percussion – worthy of ‘Bytes’ in fact.
Chopped air-raid sirens and glitchy FX ride a nice flat 4/4 kick, before a phased, buzzing bassline and chord washes with a couple of Mayer-y key changes make this abrasive, malevolent floor-filler territory.
Taking sparse vocals from some Paradise Garage classic, this Tom Findlay-produced slow jam combines Chicago drums and harsh hats with an angular buzzing bassline. Nice acidic version too.
Rolling Italo-meets-electro house on the a-side, livened by punchy drums and a nagging melody. ‘Do Robots…’ is more Italo, but with an unexpected 303 bassline
Icy-cool lo-fi electronica meets icy-cool 60s vocals. But you knew that already, no? Broadcast are now a duo, and it seems this has given them more of a focus. Like the last LP, their loungey leanings are offset by harsh shards of electronic noise – but this time it’s less cluttered, the odd combination working better. Stick with it.
Four tracks of quirky house from Mark O’Sullivan and collaborators Jesper D and Fish Go Deep. The glammy electro bassline of the title track sits well with skippy drums and camp vocals, while the tech-ish ‘Blessed’ is our favourite.
Tiga ‘updates’ Altern8’s ‘You Gonna Want Me’ with some help from production pal Jesper Dahlback. It’s cheesy as hell, but very effective. Two covers in a row – Oi! Tiga! Get some original ideas!
Four tracks from Jake. The picks of the bunch are ‘No One…’ and ‘Bring The Funk’. The former marries chugging percussion, deep keys and a tasteful female vocal with Childs’ usual oomph. The latter offers tough synths and a heavy b-line in a 20:20 style.
A simple but effective deep-meets-minimal wander from Phonique. Acid dabs, quirky stabs, warm bassline and subtle synths make for an early/late night pleaser. ‘Similarity’ takes an electro-house path with metallic double basslines.
RadioSlabe and Abe Duque remix ‘Let No Man Jack’ in predictable fashion. But the abrasive vocal remains. Far better is Dominik Eulberg’s epic take on ‘Follow You’. Veering between minimal, chugging and acidy, it’s, quite literally, three tunes in one.
‘Something…’ is a hypnotic mid-tempo 303 chugger that builds into a wall of groovy, grainy noise. The odd ‘Understand…’ pairs mix-and-match timing with layered voices and unpredictable drums. Phreaked-out drug music from this unlikely pairing.
Pick of the bunch here is label boss David Ekenback’s ‘Breakdance’ – buzzing tech drums, tribal percussion, Rachmad-esque stabs, musical key changes, a fierce bass and proper bazzin’ breakdowns, make this a choon.
Jesper and Marc’s original begins with an analogue bassline before unfurling into a gentle beast – typical Dahlback percussion, acidy bits and moving keys match O’Sullivan raw, emotive vocal. SweetLight kick things up the arse on the remix – massive b-line, monster chords and loadsa breakdowns. Big.
Glove remixes CC’s ode to letting go on ze dancefloor into a punk-funk stomper even slinkier than the original-!!!-aping punk-funk stomper. And there’s an acapella included. Do the hustle.
Ho’s taut, linear mix – intricate drums, surprising sax – is good, but Rob Hood’s mix is awesome. It kicks off with soulful keys and playful, jazzy stabs, before dropping into funky 4/4 and busy percussion. Layered FX pick things up, with all the above combining for a wonderful ride. Brilliant.
The mighty !!! deliver a glorious, string-fuelled, quasi-psychedelic cover of The Magnetic Fields’ original. Euphoric death disco? Please! Another half? Yes please!
This is a grimy, glitchy, dirty, bassy selection, adequately mixed by Ms Cardini. The not-so-obvious track selection features Misc, Dirt Crew, Lopazz and Koze.
Freeland shows his eclectic side on this enjoyable compilation with assured (and very subtly tweaked selections) from Jape, M83, Interpol, TV On The Radio, PJ Harvey, Funkadelic and Boards Of Canada. And scarcely a breakbeat in sight.
Sniper Mode delivers a spacious electro mix with plenty of bass and engaging off-beat, reverbed stabs, while Phil Kieran offers a tough techno take with crunchy drums, odd FX and a harsh, head-spinning breakdown.
James Zabiela was spinning tunes in his bedroom when he won a Djing competition. Before he knew it, he was opening for Sasha and helping to save dance music.
The deadpan vocals "/My name is Gino/I come from Portofino/let’s get some vino/" etc are brilliant, as is DJ Naughty’s suitably braindead stomp, complete with glam-rock bassline.
The time Matt Chicione spent touring with Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra has obviously had an effect, as this album is a lot more ‘live’ than 2002’s (excellent) Cardiology.
‘Second Is First’ rewards those who pay attention: clipped drums, a snaking synth riff and subtle keys suck you in before the riff unfurls and steps up a gear following a gentle break. ‘Time And Focus’ is rocking – a classic Detroit riff and pacy, hyperactive drums work in tandem perfectly.
The title track is a dubby hip-hop skank that’s hard to care about. ‘Vocal Chords’ is bog-standard British hip-hop. This EP is worth a look only for Dizraeli’s bizarre Antony (of ‘and the Johnsons’)-esque falsetto and his expressive, original rap.
Alex presses the ‘weirdo’ button on his own remix – contrasting basslines, a sniff of schaffel and lots of murkiness. But out of this comes the delightful rolling metallic riff that gets proper messed up like. Addictive. Jay Haze tries to ‘do a Villalobos’ with his remix.
Forget the remixes (though DJ Marlboro’s is worth a look), this rough and ready ragga/electro/grime/wotdoyoucallit? romp with an incendary rap from MIA is quite possibly the single of the year.
The simple 4/4 kick and stabbing analogue bassline are just what you’d expect, but it’s redeemed by the addictive spoken female vocal and just the right amount of oomph.
This is odd – it begins as what we can only call tech-hop (work it out) with thrusting bass squelches and odd stabs, before building into a lovely, 130bpm-ish Mathew Jonson-esque roll. Works wonders if you have the balls to play it.
It begins like Plastikman in a bad mood – driving, bubbling acid bassline and spitting percussion – before building to an intense, head-spinning 303-led climax and winding down to an acidic wash. Deploy with caution.
You know the original, so let’s examine the remixes. '(Nite Version)’ adds dramatic strings, delightful Detroit-ish chords, droning tones and a bouncing bassline. The DFA remix is equally great – old-school electro stabs and twinkling melodies, unexpected timpale action and a busy b-line. The mash-up of ‘Funky Town’ and the original is fucking shit though.
The original is a tight slice of Joy Division-aping electronica. George Issakidis injects some menace with his schaffel-ish mix – spitting hi-hats, brooding bassline and morse code FX result in an intriguing roller.
Deep house keys jostle for position with a phased vocal, jazzy hats and flat breaks on the decent original, while Solid Groove continue to fill the gap left by Basement Jaxx with their stop/start style bass-heavy house groove, set off by a distinctive rolling riff and horn snatches.
Hot Press loved Colder's debut ‘Again’, from a few years back. We said it was "arty Gallic cool at its best" or something. But behind the austere façade, there was heart. And the problem with new effort Heat is that it’s got plenty of art but not enough of the red, raw stuff.
Berlin’s Get Physical label is the hottest thing in techno. Now founder DJ T has released a solo record. The album is, he says, a distillation of a 17-year career at the forefront of electronic music.
Tiefschwarz’s mix rocks a harsh acidic bassline, rilly cool off-kilter FX and a spazzed-out, stab heavy break. Evil Nine’s rolling breakbeats don’t sit well with the keys, but is less furious than their usual gear, and that’s a good thing.
‘Belfast’ is alright – a growler of a bassline, skippy drums, a slightly naff synth line and a ponderous breakdown. Better is ‘Black Worm’, which sounds like The Wighonmy Brothers given a good ironing out.
Throbbing, tough, tribal-ish house with a ker-azy one-finger acid stab that gets reverbed and phased to infinity in the break. Serious dancefloor tackle.
2020 are in danger of electro/house overkill of late, but when the track kicks as much arse as this it’s OK. You know the drill – nagging bassline, loose drums, oddball sample… this is redeemed by a killer breakdown that slows-down-and-then-speeds-up. We continue to be easily amused.
The oddball pair return with a delighftul slice of sparkly, warm electronic pop. It sounds just as you’d expect, but it is a good song with a dinky chorus and that's what counts.
Is it disco? Is it rock? Funk? Soul? Techno? No! It’s all of the above! Hooray! Snax and Khan’s second LP is an album of glorious contrasts – Prince-esque shoutalongs (‘Up In Flames’), perv-funk (‘Na Na Now’), drug-addled blues (‘Poppertalk Blues’) or rigid synth-pop (‘Night To Begin’). Brilliant.
Like a combination of Lemon Jelly and Squarepusher, David Edwards’ second album is so chock full of both warmth and inventiveness you’ll find you’ll be all at sea without it. Sorry…
Allien is the boss of the slightly oddball electro/techno production line that is Berlin’s Bpitch Control – so no surprises on what to expect here. Thing is, it’s brilliant – a dark, intoxicating trip that says much even though she says little. It’s imbibed with a warmth and depth that’s strking.
‘1968.Holes’ is a bizarrely brilliant combination of taut, skeletal beats and percussion, buzzing 303, unnerving FX and screaming vocals from Chicks On Speeder Kevin Blechdom. Kinda like an electro Parliament gone bad (meaning good).
‘Unuser’ is a rolling electro groove with a bassline that stretches from here to Berlin. It feels a bit amateurish though. ‘Parisis’ is better – a camp number with one-note basslines and stabs and Chicago drums.
WMW ditch the fun but pointless covers for a disco/rock workout that blurs the boundary between live and programmed. The snaking bassline is aggressive, the beats are from Rapture-ville, the break is rockin’, the riff comes from electro-land and the whole thing is rather promising.
Convincing new wave death disco on the A1 is backed by two top mixes. Optimo’s is a game of two halves – one storming but subtle synth rock, the second a more manic take on the original. Luvly. Musical magpies The Glimmers drop a ‘Balearic house’ version of ‘Feel Like I Feel’ that sounds like The Glimmers.
‘Holding You’ is a samba-infused soul/house number with Spanish guitar that made us nearly vomit (but is excellent if you like that sort of thing) – but Ame keeps dumb white male happy with a dark exercise in digital, dubby house.
Chugging house with beautiful key stabs, kicking hats and a rubbery bassline make this one for the Mark Farina fans. Love the sax-and-guitar-infused break on the bouncy ‘Like This’ too.
You’ve got admire Cork producer Bren Gregoriy’s initiative: instead of trying to hawk his work to a label, he set up his own imprint to release his debut album, with the result that his individualistic take on electronic music gets an audience.
Since their last outing as Tosca for the Delphi9 album, Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber have both become fathers. Not that parenthood has in any way watered down their scintillating dance floor grooves, as Dorfmeister explains to Barry O’Donoghue
It’s taken quite a while, but man, is it worth it. Rajko Muller’s second album is simply awesome. But those expecting more glacial deepness will find the goalposts have moved on this one. ‘We Are Monster’ takes techno and house and throws disco, Krautrock, funk and more into the mix, with the result being so much more than the sum of its magical parts.
A bizarre combo of choppy, glitchy disco-meets-funk, this is an 11-minute long tri that’s five minutes too long. ‘Happy Man’, meanwhile, sounds like a drunk Prince. Interesting.
Bootie action from the promising Pressers – the A-side roughs up Van Helden’s ‘Funk Phenomenon, while the Beasties and Kelis get a seeing too on the flip. All done is a chunky electro/house style y’see. The former are mildly irritating (but the crowd will dig those samples) while the latter is quite sexy.
Pacy tech-house with breakbeat/electro flourishes, a shed-load of irritating samples and FX and a wibbling 303 – but the large bassline is nice. ‘Skanksuary’ on the flip is a bizarre blend of ska and proggy breaks. An odd effort.
‘At The Gates’ is a sleek jacking monster – old-school percussion, alternating basslines and off-kilter stabs and a hint of menace, while the clever structure keeps things interesting. ‘Bats’ follows a similar route, upping the ante with a walloping drum loop.
The Knife are becoming something of a cult favourite – with this steel drum-heavy slice of electro/pop, it’s hard not to see why. Dahlback and Dahlback up the acidic electro/tech pressure as you’d expect, while MANDY’s mix is brilliant – it’s simply the original x 10.
Another remarkable 12” from the Ame pair. ‘Engoli’ is stripped-down disko with slight jazz undertones that develops into a hypnotic epic – a jagged Detroit riff, plunky bassline and Carl Craig-ish stabs. ‘Kuma’ is tougher – a similar riff unfurls over skipping beats and bassline that will move you. Excellent. The new Metro Area anyone?
The work of Richard Dorfmeister and Roger Huber, J.A.C. is a mature record made by a duo who are entirely comfortable with their house-meets-jazz-meets-downtempo blueprint, all delivered with a sly grin.
Taking in the likes of Villalobos, Tiefschwarz, Isolee, Luciano, Booka Shade and other lesser lights, this very now comp trips the light fantastic between minimal, dubby and electro house perfectly.
They might not sound like they’re up to much on first listen, but there’s a wicked groove at work on all of these bassy, Chicago-inspired house groovers.
Typical Dano fare – swirling FX, edgy pads, slightly tribal percussion – livened up by gliding strings and lo! a flute solo. Simple, but it works well either early or late.
Dark tech-house on the a1 that sounds like three different records stuck together. The elements are OK, they just don’t gel. ‘Trick Or Trick’ is better.
Miss Kitten-circa-‘Frank Sinatra’-era vocals meet choppy drums, arpeggiated FX and a 303 bassline. ‘Fuck you’ electro. Roman Flugel adds some ‘Rocker’-isms to the remix, but it never quite gets there.
Rocking dancefloor electro – intricate drums, a restrained, buzzing bassline and punchy synth licks and riff – that suddenly reveals an odd, Tiga-meets-Scooter vocal. But it’s still good!
Forgettable glam-ish ‘electro’ with 80s tinges that screams ‘bandwagon’. Radioslave’s mix is like one long glitch track dragged into the main room – hissing FX, wild, spitting stabs and a crazy break… it’s a trip
Look, these guys are set to be cool this year, so you’ll have to like them, OK? It’s Daft Punk, Chic, New Order, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode… you know the du jour drill. Except, instead of the usual deadpan ice queen vocals you’d expect from such a venture, there’s a pop heart beating at the core of this record.
Fun and funky hip-hop that sounds just like the last LP – but the last one was good, so this is too. If you like J5, you will like this. Hell, so will your mother.
If you manage to sit through this mix – which features MF Doom, Jaylib and Jehst sandwiched oddly beside far too many puerile Rappin’ Ronnie Reagan-esque cut-ups featuring various voices you’ll recognise – more than once, we will buy you a pint. Title of the year though.
An odd little records that flits between genres – the common thread being the low-end action. The hip-hop numbers are passable, but the stand-outs are the digital bogle of ‘Chemical Reasons’ and the Paul St Hilaire-led ‘Dundy Lion’.
He’s remixed Franz Ferdinand, Mylo and Radio 4, and released one of the most innovative titles of recent years in 2001’s It Rough. Now Robi Insinna, aka Manhead, is set to take his music to a larger audience with his eponymously titled new album.
More dark, glitchy beats from Smoke – we love the playful ‘Gypo’ with it’s wandering bass and cool FX and the crispy ‘Horizon’, with its sub-aqua melodies and crunchy beats. Cool.
‘Apalm’ is lo-fi, low-slung punk funk meander with a burbling 303 line you could do without, while The Rapture’s remix of ‘Hey Now’ is bonkers… schaffel beats that suddenly become 4/4, droning FX and vocals, disco licks and acid everywhere. Too trendy for its own good if you ask us.
Leftfield house music with a ‘Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough’-aping bassline, rolling country riff, drifting organ riff and slightly filtered disco-y bits all over the shop. Not all that good.
Phil Kieran’s new project heralds its arrival with the subtelty of a size 12 boot. No matter, because this glam-techno stomp is evil – hopping drums, squally guitars, a cool punky vocal sample and lots of, um, bounce. Puritans need not apply, but this is a cross-genre winner.
Beautifully intricate down-tempo electro beats from SFC – ‘Neon Bridge’ melts melancholic chords and harsh FX over the skippy, mutant beats perfectly, while ‘Black Moss Caves’ sounds like Lali Puna falling down the stairs. Lovely. ?
The camp Canadian covers PE. Predictably, his deadpan vocal strips the original of all intensity and anger, leaving an unpleasent aftertaste. Still, the Jesper Dahlback-assisted deep-fried acid beats are rocking.
Skip Mazi’s messy attempt at a jackin’ remix and stick with the sleek tech/house groove of the A1. A deep, deeeep bassline, slick percussion and swirling FX are livened up by a KRS-One (we think) vocal snippet. Perfectly measured.
This grinder is about as subtle as a Lily Savage – squally guitars, numerous breakdowns, whiplash FX, a driving bassline, robo vocal and loads of BOSH – but man does it work.
A little delight of a little album – the seven tracks on this Rob Da Bank-curated mini-LP all fall loosely into the sketchy ‘electro-pop’ category, but don’t let that put you off.
The wholesale funk vocal and percussive samples on the a-side don’t sit well with the bassline, so it’s up to Asad Rivzi to smooth things out and chunk things up on his take.
Sixteen stone-cold dancehall classics from the last decade. Tracks from the likes of Shabba, Super Cat, Junior Reid, Mad Lion and – of course – Chaka Demus and Pliers make this the best ’90s dancehall album in the world ever.
Timely release from this NYC collective – sounds like a mix between !!! and LCD, with the right amount of Detroit, Berlin, glitch and lo-fi white boy funk in it to keep in interesting. Better still, this has songs you can sing. And plenty to dance to. Natch.
Bloody hell. Matthew Jonson’s mix is a blinder – the swirling, Model 500 ‘Starlight’-era washes are beautifully all-encompassing, while the live-feeling bass and bassline pack quite a punch.
Scottish minimalist maestro Alex Smoke is earning serious kudos for his intriguing LP Incommunicado, an impressively eclectic collection which sounds equally as good on the dancefloor as the headphones.
Hell stays away from techno with his effective ‘white boy does funk’ take – loose bass, analogue riff, cool disko FX – while Technasia lash out a jackin’, busy mix of ‘Way Of Life’ on the flip.
The A-side is like two records in one – the first half pays vague respects to UR etc in the percussion and hi-tech stabs, then it drops into an bottom-heavy 303/Moroder groove with wild FX.
It’s electro. It’s house. It’s electro-house. It’s the sound of today – and this buzzy-basslined 4/4 chugger will do the job for the next few weekends thanks to its ample breakdown.
The original sounds like Kate Bush crossed with Lali Puna crossed with a Christmas carol. Cool! Reverso 78 lose most of the charm with their mid-tempo breaks refix, while Steve Kotey fares better with his loose modern disco take.
Young plays a blinder – the swirling Detroit strings give way to a busy, intricate rhythm that unfurls into an epic – rolling percussion, a sub-bass and more sweeping chords. One for B12/Black Dog fans.
A beautiful slice of Sigur Ros/Mum-inspired electronica from Dubliner Rod Morris. Supremely musical, this combines gentle loungey keys, wistful strings and a sublime vocal to produce a moment of Donal Dineen-endorsed magic.
Music Review | Dance Single
22 Feb 2005
Barry O Donoghue
Peter Kruder’s Phraze mix is the one here - Bogle (or is it Soca?) lo-fi house that builds from the bottom up; a dark smoking rhythm with dancehall vocals and a cool, freaked FX break. Radioslave strip it back to a bouncing riddim with tight percussion and not much else. Cool.
Four tracks of deepy, bleepy, jackin’ Chi-inspired trax from four different artists. Pick of the bunch is Honest Cars’ ‘Educated Girl’ – shuffley drums, deep chords and a cool FX-laden spoken vocal. Igloo fans take note.
It’s all about Forster’s take here - gleaming deep Detroit house that keeps itself busy... whistling keys, chugging drums, deep chord washes and loads more. One for Charles Webster fans.
Award for oddest record of the week right here. The original is a slice of slow digital funk with odd elephant samples. Pier Bucci crunches it up, ups the tempo and delivers a fine slice of intricate glitchy house. James Holden strips it down with odd rhythms, a freaked out break and little else, while Alex Smoke drops a nice acid-infused groove. Value for $.
The young Scot delivers on the promise of his first EP in fine style – ‘Incommunicado’ has been glued to hotpress’ ears since it arrived through the door last month. The styles vary from deep techno to gentle electro to minimal German gear, but the sheer musicality of this work makes it stand out from its peers.
Smoke keeps the pressure up with this atmospheric minimal-ish masterpiece - bare beats soon give way to his (by now) trademark deep chords and an icy vocal. Smoke’s sense of timing and sparse yet clever use of sounds mark him as serious contender in 2005. And the dancefloor tech gear on the flip is great too.
A promising release from this Dublin producer. ‘Icicle’ is an effective electro/tech rocker that’s let down by an over-the-top surging synth. On the flip, ‘XE’ marries old school-ish sounds to tight electro beats - again, the full-on synth is a bit much. One to keep an eye on.
Avoid the obvious Benni Benassi electro/house mix, take a moment to check the linear Paper Faces and then realise that the glistening pop of the original is best.
Tribal-infused prog/tech house from newcomer Welton - this combines tribal drums, an acid groove and swirling chords to produce decent late-night fodder. Ross Couch drops two housier takes.
‘Trezcore’ is impressively hard – angry drums give way to a militaristic break, complete with swirling chords and reverbed percussion that will lift the roof. Phew. ‘Drippelzimmer’ is more intricate; layered drums and FX build to a rousing climax.
Great manifesto (anti capitalism/sexism, pro-feminist/Berlin). Nice packaging (George Monbiot articles on a fold-out faux-Guardian). Excellent production (Christian Vogel takes them away from deadpan electroclash to somewhere between his ‘Rescate 137’ and Super_Collider projects crossed with guitars). But the simplistic and irritating Slits-inspired lyrics render this all but unlistenable to all but the most militant fan.
Awfully Deep burns with a searing personal and creative indecisiveness and – within this genre - you’d be hard-pushed to find someone as willing to lay their feelings on the line.
‘Life Under…’ is dancefloor electro/breaks – juddering drums, busy FX and bassline and a deadpan electro pop vocal. Crossover potential. ‘Bulletproof’ on the flip is for the heads – a rolling synth riff and skeletal beats give way to a delicious bassline.
‘Get Up’ is rattling, full-on Euro techno with surging chords and a dramatic breakdown that will appeal to both Umek and Fergie. ‘Lesbian I Tunes’ is a slower, percussive effort with chopped vocals, a cool break and nice, deep chords. Check.
Dark as you like electro from where else Andrea Parkers gaff. All tracks are worth a spin, but its the dirty, time-stretched electro of Dryer thats rockin our box. Like a slowed-down Mark One with added 808, this is unpredictable and original.
The original is lovely a looped banjo (and not since The Grids Texas Cowboys has it sounded so good), Plaid-esque keys and stabs and a gentle 4/4 make this a sure-fire hit with Big Chill fans. Linus Loves drop the banjos (boo!) and make it straighter. Still good though.
It drags occasionally due to Deasy's (less frequent this time around) insistence on over-working certain aspects, but overall this album is an enjoyably bizarre ride to the far side.
Right, we know feck all about the hardcore and punk originals here from the likes of Crass, The Angry Samoans, Minor Threat and co, but we sure do like the interesting, oddball, deadpan, so hip-it-hurts electronica/tech/broken/glitch/what? takes from the sometime Matmos member.
The disco/funk-influenced mid-tempo breaks number – complete with buzzing bassline and cool electrofunk stabs and FX will find favour with Mr Scruff fans.
‘Chicca…’ is excellent – clipped, techy beats, rubbery b-line and a hyperactive synth riff combine with beautifully melancholic chords and eastern FX to make a subtle monster.
Tiga’s run-of-the-mill techno/electro rocks a big analogue bassline and sorta suits Jim Reid’s forced vocals, while Riton’s glammy electro take on ‘Baby Baby’ – all spacey, off-kilter FX and not much else – is a more interesting listen.
Four tracks of electro/hip-hop ‘riddims’ from the prolific Diplo – our favourite being the short ‘Percado’, featuring snatches of ‘Tour De France’ crossed with an off-the-wall Portugese female rap.
‘Hail…’ is a mesmerising cross between dubby techno and what we used to call trance (way back in ver Harthouse days) – deep drums, a simple 303, hissing percussion, reverbed FX and lovely chords.
The typically epic mix de-rocks the original and makes it into something of a monster – the loose, live bassline that snakes through the track sounds great in prog mode.
This debut LP is best described as ‘future alien funk’ – while not exactly purist, its roots are in the classic Drexciya electro sound but it’s all infused with an electronica-esque warmth.
Having scored huge chart success with the dance anthem ‘Maniac’, acclaimed Irish DJ Mark McCabe is now broadening his musical horizons with his intriguing debut album, Music From The Fourth Place.
While part two was never going to be as eventful, there is more than enough on offer to justify its existence – SP overlord Etienne De Cercy and Alex Gopher’s ‘Overnet’ is a thrilling, punk/funk meets acid house stormer, ‘Fasttrack’ updates Kraftwerk for 2004 while ‘Soulseek’’s is a intruiging blend of synths and beats.
Two brilliant dub versions of recent Soma offerings – Steve Bug’s dark, acidic mix of Funk d’Void benefits from the lack of vocals, while Alex Smoke’s mix of Envoy’s ‘Move On’ is even better.
Cracking 4-tracker from this new Belfast label – our favourites are Scoper and Bubba’s hip electro-funker and New Aluminists and Phil Kieran’s techy ‘Clinton Bleeps’. Excellent.
Label boss Ralf Lawson returns to his house roots after 2020’s recent, excellent, foray into electro/house – ‘Ran’ is no-nonsense house music with chunky beats, cool percussion and quite a big room edge.
More off-the-wall ’80s electro-funk influenced brilliance from this ultra-hip pair. Hear the slap bass, ch-ch-ch-check the drums, nod knowingly at the vocoder and get down on the catchy male vocals.
It seems maturity is creeping in round GK towers – say it ain’t so! The off-the-wall housey mischievousness of their debut LP is replaced on the first third of this LP by gentler numbers, of which only the bizarre, slo-mo soul of ‘You Don’t Know Me’ works.
Friendly and Soho Jo’s remix is impossible not to like – big beats, vocoder vox, a typically off-kilter Friendly break and huge, pristine Tubeway Army-esque riffs make this fun.
Having moved to Dublin and attempted to conquer his chronic internet addiction, innovative dance producer Lackluster has now set about earning the acclaim of the local electronica cognoscenti.
Bossa and nu-jazz/funk versions of punk/new wave classics from The Undertones, The Clash, Killing Joke, PIL, Dead Kennedys delivered by two sultry chanteuses.
MAW man Louis goes off on a solo tip for this project. Where Kenny revels in all things hip-hop on his one-man missions, Louis’ territory is jazz, funk, soul, bossa and latino.
The short rock/house original doesn’t work, so it’s down to the remixes for a straighter, very now sound electro-rocker (yawn) that will appeal to ‘open-minded’ spinners
The latest Wagon Christ offering arrives, and it is in trademark territory – funky, funny, kitsch, dubby, (classic) breaky and innovative. But – crucially – it’s chock full of tunes.
Delightful house – think boompty meets prog – with simple chords, a rubbery bassline and a distinctive spoken vocal listing off lots and lots of colours.
Dave The Hustler’s version of ‘Crash Kiss‘ by Crowdpleaser sounds like a mix between androgynous electroclash and teeth rattling pumping techno, while Evil C opts for a more understated approach for his remix of Water Lilly & St Plomb’s ‘Soup Soup’, delivering a cut up, glitch funk bass bomb.
Kenny Larkin was responsible for some of the most emotive techno to come out of Detroit, but then he gave it all up, moved to Los Angeles and re-started his stand-up comedy career. Now Larkin is back with his first album in six years...
Two straightforward but gorgeous, glistening electro covers of Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Love Will…’ If you liked Schneider TM’s ‘The Light 3000’ search this 7” down and feel both old and young at the same time.
The original’s a lovely slice of deep, tech-infused house with dreamy keys and strings and a club-friendly vocal, while newcomer Alex Smoke techs things up with a rubbery bassline and judicious use of them strings.
Dark as fook electro with rock undertones on lead track ‘Faux’ – the tinny beats, eerie spoken male vocal and sweet synth riff combine for a deliciously dark moment.
A misnomer of a title if ever there was one, because this 15 track retrospective of Matthew Herbert’s ‘found sound’-obsessed alter ego is a total delight.
An indispensable round-up of recent goings-on at backpacker-friendly hip-hop stamp Def Jux. Highlights are the remix of Aesop Rock’s ‘No Jumper Cables’, The Perceptionists and EL-P’s offerings.
The original is a hip NYC-esque club track from the mid-80s singing the praises of S+M… had to be re-released on Gigolos, of course. The Blackstrobe remix is excellent – circa 100bpm , it’s dark, sleek and sexy electrotrash.
A welcome return for Common Factor – ‘In Between’ is Detroit-y house with an electro-funk feel, while the excellent ‘In Troubles…’ is a belter, crisp Motor City drums, washing machine bassline and shimmering keys and chords.
Stadium-sized breakbeat from the Down Under one. The trancey breaks and riffs work well with the phased vocals and monster breakdown but musically it’s the equivalent of a sledgehammer – use with caution.
Solid electro/tech on the A1 – dark, snaking chords and bass, hi-pitched keys and FX a la Drexciya and a confident kick drum make this an addictive mover.
Le Youngsters combine their Motor City obsession with Euro sensibilities on this one The elastic bassline and punky, spoken vocals work well with the R-Tyme-ish FX and keys – very well balanced. Agoria’s barnstoming mix is end-of-night material.
After repeated listens, Squarepusher’s latest offering conjures up an image of shaven-headed nerds smirking knowingly to themselves as they rearrange their collection of Skam rarities into alphabetical order while Tom Jenkinson heads off on another extended live bass guitar solo.
Wall Of Sound’s 100th release is a bit hit and miss. The cluttered original features Afrika Bambatta on shouty vocals over a messy breakbeat/house bed.
Smooth nu-soul from the Amp, the Jaylib mix takes it down a different route with a rattling old break and lovely keys. Even the Bugzzzz in the Attic mix is good. Winner.
A rewarding album of glitchy-dubby-downtempo-house. Intricate rhythms and percussion sit perfectly alongside shimmering, glacial keys, pads and chords – all infused with a simple playfulness and, in places, a harder, odder edge.It occasionally drifts into the mundane, but it’s worth sticking with.
The French duo sign off with a collection of their finer organic ambient/house/techno moments. Some of it hasn’t dated too well, but the hippy in you will like it.
Unmissable comp and mix of classic Chicago moments – with added funk, punk-funk and disco moments. A comprehensive round-up of what they wuz wiggin’ out to in Chicago 15-odd years ago.
‘Both Ends’ sounds like a deeper version of a Switch track – all farting bass and loose drums, kept on the proper side of the trax by the deep male vocal.
It seem Scott Heron’s move to Barcelona is having a profound effect on him. His last S+S LP was a cold, clinical corker, but the new offering from the Prefuse 73 man (he really is unfairly talented) is 14 servings of Spanish-flecked beauty.
‘Ribamel’ combines chunky house with quirky FX and samples (just try not moving to that bassline), while the Bionics show another string to their bow with their breaks/house funk thing. The two trax on the flip are top too.
Ulrich Schnauss turns in some typically tasty leftfield action on the flip, but it’s Kiki’s ice cool mix of ‘Crawling…’ – all warm, surging synths, clean FX and a bassline to die for – that will be keeping us warm this winter.
Hasard’ is a gentle grower with Funk d’Void synths that build perfectly over slightly cheesy keys and drums, while ‘Return 1’ is cool if unexceptional slice of driving techno for the mix.
French underground veteran I:Cube on launching his own label, collaborating with Daft Punk and RZA, and the diverse influences which inform his excellent new album.
