Red Axes

Review: (Emotional) Especial heralds its 30th release with a killer package from an all-star cast that takes in label regulars and newcomers alike. The vibe starts heated and heavy with modern acid champ Roy Of The Ravers taking a blunt instrument or two to Junior Fairplay's "End Of Love," firing off the kind of bludgeoning b-line and fizzing drums that makes his direct approach to the dancefloor so potent. It's somewhat surprising to see Freeform Five pop up on this 12", but Jamie Paton's remix of "Throwing Stones" sounds utterly natural in the habitat - a brooding, simmering trip shot through with noirish synths. Kris Baha gets busy with Red Axes' "Waiting For A Surprise," twisting out an exotic bubbler perfect for the low tempo chugging crowd, and then Bal5000 wraps things up with the gorgeous electro-disco delights of "Kids".

Review: Tel Aviv's Red Axes certainly are the ones to watch at the moment. After great releases previously on I'm A Cliche and Hivern Discs, they now step up on Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels. The dreamy exoticism of "Sabor" features Abrao's romantic vocal crooning beneath an infectious and chugging groove. There's a convenient instrumental version of the track included too. On the flip we have a remix by minimal house genius Isolee too, what a curveball this is! His brooding and booming rendition retains some of the metal drums of the original with a haunting melody, on this oddball house experiment that spans nearly nine minutes.. and its brilliant!

Review: Ms Cardini presents four more fabulous excursions in indie dance music, courtesy of her always reliable house of Correspondant. Following up the first volume which had some highly valued contributions courtesy of Khidja and Jonathan Kusuma, the second edition features hot Tel Aviv duo Red Axes with the dark disco odyssey of "Earth Core" and Fort Romeau's surprising appearance on the A side. The flip showcases the fresh sound of Colli Alban firstly. His track "Walking In The Night" is a real highlight, where he serves up some darkwave slo-mo trance. Finally label staple Javi Redondo impresses as always on the dreamy and hypnotising groove of "Heroin" channelling the majestic vibe of fellow Cologne label Kompakt.

Review: The second installment of Multi-Culti's Moon Faze Sun Gaze series is a typically psychedelic affair, with an impressive cast of producers delivering a quintet of trippy workouts. Von Party & Dreems join forces to present "Wet Raga", a spaced-out combination of delay-laden drums, space disco electronics, and Eastern mysticism. The ever-reliable Red Axes fuses heavy post-punk bass, with punchy percussion and minimal wave melodies on the excellent "Boosha Gdola", while Dreems go solo on the weirdo acid-electro bubbler "Sine O'The Tymes". Nick Murray and Kris Baha underpin psychedelic disco electronics with the heavyweight throb of house on "Say Something", before Cocolo draws proceedings to a close with the pitched-down shuffle of analogue wobbler "F33lings".