Cecille Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Mulen main man IO has been surprisingly quiet this year following a stellar 2019 in which he released a quintet of must-check EPs. The good news is that the Meuse EP was worth waiting for. The A-side title track is a terrific example of the more robust, peak-time-friendly end of his style, with addictive riffs, spacey electronics and ricocheting percussion hits riding a storming, beefed-up tech-house groove. He begins the B-side with a deeper, loopier and hazier (but not less rhythmically driving) excursion - the disco-tech jack of 'Flirt', before reaching for swinging drums, alien-sounding motifs and warming chords on hypnotic closing cut 'Response Profonde'.

Review: Nick Curly has revived his Cecile label to great effect this year. There have been a slew of fresh sounds from the likes of the German boss himself as well as Steffen Deux, De La Swing and now this collaborative offering from Miguel Lobo and Cristian Merino. The sound is still rooted in the tech house the label lis known for - and Miguel was saving up last time he rebased here in 2021 - but with plenty of additional soul. 'Last Track At Sunrise' is perfectly titled - it's driving to keep you locked after a night of dancing but has a lush vocal to signify the bright new day ahead. 'Looking For U' is a warped, elastic groove to latch you on in the middle of the night and then it gets a great remix from Dennis Quin who bulks up the drums, adds a little rawness and dances off into the future.

Review: Representing the newer generation of the Mannheim sound, esteemed DJ/producer Fabian Winkels makes a worthy addition to legendary local label Cecille with the Sober Up EP. Fabe's particular brand of minimal house is on display once again, yet more optmised for main room dancefloors this time around. We particularly enjoyed the trippy and swing-fueled minimal funk of opening cut 'Solid & Straight', as well as the rolling, vocal-led tech house of 'At The Bar' or 'Frozen Cake' which are sure to rock dancefloors on The White Isle as much as they will in Berlin, while the deep and emotive B-side cut is aimed squarely at the afterhours dancefloor.

Review: Sidney Charles prides himself on making chunky house music that is raw but underpinned by a slick sense of swing. His Heavy House Society label is where most of it arrives but now he takes a detour to Nick Curly's long-running Cecille. 'Sonar Plexus' is irresistible European house music with razor sharp hi-hats, synth curlicues to soften the edges and precise drum work. 'Universal Highway' has a retro 90s feel - a sense of rushing endorphins and bobbing drum breaks that get hands in the air and 'Fearless' then gets liquid and funky with its effervescing rhythms and tumbling synth sequences. 'Turnover' closes out with a soulful US house feel and completes one of Charles's best-ever EPs.

Review: Timmy P is a long time servant of the underground and someone who has released on a range of labels. He has a fad-free sound formed by the classic school of house and techno and now arrives on the revered Cecille. 'Mylo's Groove' is upbeat and uplifting, the swirling pads get heads up high and bring an airy feel to the weighty and bouncy kicks down low. On the flip is the more sensors 'Vintage B' with its alluring but wordless vocals and more heavily swung drums and big hits, all topped off with some New Jersey style pads. High quality and effective sounds, as ever from Timmy P.

Review: Long time tech titan Nick Curly is back on Cecille, one of the several labels he has run over his storied career including 8Bit and Trust. His Come Right Back EP finds him head into similar sort of territory that has been his style in the past - it remains deep and loopy and hypnotic right from the off with the title cut layering up swirling pads, nicely stripped back and dusty drums and a hooky, soulful vocal that loops hypnotically up top. 'Arkum' on the flip is a nice loosely limbed and hip shaking rhythm with percussive details over silvery drums as a bobbling bassline and smart filter use bring subtle dynamics to keep things fresh.