RHYTHM PLATE Vinyl & CDs

Review: The regular cast of characters to be found lurking round Pressed For Time knock heads over some no-nonsense groovesome house music for those who like a kink in their party selections. Goshawk lead the charge with the tough yet soulful "Mozambique (Dub Chord)", using some choice keys and vocal samples to create a warm mood over the top of the chunky drums. Rhythm Plate turn the funk up and smooth out proceedings with undulating pads and string stabs before Shaka strides in on the flip with an impeccable slice of boogie-infused good time house music. YSE rounds the EP off with a peppy workout sprinkled with playful leads and a tightly wound beat.

Review: Hudd Traxx 3rd installment of their 10th Anniversary series comes from Eddie Leader, Hector Moralez, Washerman, Brett Johnson & Rhythm Plate. Label owner Eddie Leader delivers a deep & moody house groover with the slick vocals of long time Hudd Artist Hector Moralez, aptly title 'Way Back'. Washerman picks the pace up with 'Twilite', which is reminiscent of legendary Detroit label Underground Resistance, and adds to the continued diversity of this project. Brett Johnson's 'Mr Smarty Pants' is re-released after gaining plays from the likes of Laurent Garnier and an edit by Dyed Soundorom. Closing out the EP are 2 of the most underrated Producers in the business; Rhythm Plate. 'Keep Moving' was Overshadowed by 'Inside Me' on the 'Robbin Hudd EP' in 2007 but is given it's time to shine on 'Now & Then Part 3' and is a fine addition to the 10 Year celebrations.

Review: This vinyl only label is already hot property and now its 17th release marks another one that is likely to fly off the shelves. Rhythm Plate is in the hot seat with this new EP 'Codependency' featuring remixes from YSE aka Saint Laur'Ant. It's 'Hold On' which is first up and brings lots of lavish disco energy with rich vocals that take you to somewhere like Paradise Garage. The first remix is laden with more effects and more sensuous chord work then 'Why Did You Leave' is a more tropical viber which gets remixed into a fine dub.

Review: Rhythm Plate are absolute powerhouses when it comes to delivering top-notch tech house, and they're back once again on Pressed For Time with this sizable payload of classy joints. There's a timeless quality to this stuff, whether it's the late-night swirl of "Sacrement" or the choppy, quirked-up groove of "Every Kind Of People With Any Kind Of Soul". Out of time and out of mind, the Plate just bring the kind of satisfaction to club music that could launch a thousand sessions. For the late night crew, for the mid-morning rollers and the sophisticated toe-tappers in between, sink your ear-teeth into this generous serving but whatever you do, don't call it an album.

Review: While Ant Plate has been insanely busy with a plethora of aliases on a multitude of labels recently, he's still found time to turn out some surefire heaters in the studio with long time sparring partner Matt Hunt. This release marks the first appearance of Rhythm Plate on Vinyl Only, but it's worth the wait. There's an epic scope to "Apathetic Empathy," which features bashy 80s drum hits and squelchy bass front and centre, but soaring vocal licks and piano stabs that widen the track out beautifully. "Observed Privacy" is a more emotive cut laden with illustrious keys, "Abuser Experience" is a bright and bashy deep house belter and "Prototype Night" takes things down a slinky, acid-speckled route. Rhythm Plate - still serving up the house music realness after nearly 20 years.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!!! Matlock's finest Rhythm Plate resurface brandishing a new label in Pressed For Time, and what better way to inaugurate it than revisiting one of their key tracks. Released back in 2002 on the Mantis label run by Atjazz, "Lean Part 2" was a wonderfully sleazy slab of deepness notable for the lascivious vocal hook that hung slinkily over the production throughout. It still sounds superb some 13 years on and is backed with an unreleased version that was done in the same period, along with deliciously freaky new "Leaner" mix from the pair.

Review: Some of dance music's most enduring albums have been skittish in the extreme, gleefully darting between sounds and styles with all the unrestrained joy of a toddler high on orange squash and biscuits. Off The Charts, veteran East Midlands deep house duo Rhythm Plate's long-promised debut album (some 15 years after they dropped their first single on DIY Discs), is one of those albums. It stylistically jumps between all manner of kaleidoscopic treats - from piano-laden boogie-house jams, dancefloor soul and soul-soaked hip-hop workouts, to bustling acid jack, Yellow Magic Orhcestra style synth fetishism and even a dash of Plantlife-ish grizzled funk - with the wide-eyed glee of an excitable teenager. Bravo!

Review: The production renaissance of Rhythm Plate continues apace with the third release on their Pressed For Time label which revisits one of the Peak District duo's earliest releases. Originally issued on the crucial UK house imprint DIY Discs back in the halcyon days of the late nineties, the Masters At Wirksworth EP helped establish the Rhythm Plate sound. Clever programming and a deep stomping vibe permeated all four tracks and this is still the case some fourteen years on. As the cunningly re-titled EP suggests, the two original tracks have been newly remastered and are accompanied by two brand spanking new mixes by Matt Rhythm and Ant Plate...so there's now no reason to pay L106 on discogs for the original EP!

Review: "It's not often you get to work with vocalists of Sarah Jay's calibre (Massive Attack/Presence) so here at PFT we decided to enlist some heavyweight talent to make the most of this opportunity. Kicking off the second EP we have the one and only Rob Mello (Classic/Defected/Crosstown Rebels) on remix duties. To say we are excited about this is an understatement (we are very excited). The No Ears Vocal mix is a proper anthem with elements of deep house, 80s boogie and nu-disco to these ears. Matt RiVEM aka Goshawk is up next with a 110bpm disco mix complete with chunky drums, Chic style live guitar (thanks Martyn Bentley!) and signature chord progressions. Real nice warm up/calm down tackle with enough oomph to be played LOUD. Ant Plate turns in a phenomenal YSE Saint Laur'ant reversion that channels house (obviously), punk funk and dub disco into a floor filling underground monster. Some particularly interesting drum fills and percussion take the track to another level. Finally, Situation come complete with a delicious live broken beat number in radio edit format. Think Schmoov/Atjazz era DIY and you are there or thereabouts."

Review: After a geographically imposed hiatus (the travel links between Nottingham and Hong Kong are intermittent to say the least) Pressed For Time label bosses Rhythm Plate are back with a new project featuring Massive Attack/Presence vocalist Sarah Jay. The original mix of 'No More' is a moody house roller with some trademark Rhythm Plate chord progressions and speaker thumping bass frequencies. Using chopped up licks of Sarah Jay's vocal to introduce the groove it subtly segues into the main vocal and then builds to a euphoric climax complete with strings and synth flourishes. The Goshawk (50% Rhythm Plate DNA) Vocal Flight treads a more New Jersey deep garage vibe with swinging hats, lush warm chords, bumping bassline and chopped up sax. One for the late night, locked in crew. Homepark (Ornate/Third Strike) go for a more party vibe with tougher drums and a Mr Fingers style bassline. A proper dub mix if you will. Finally, Mad Maxx Traxx are baxxx on PFT with a speaker damaging Dance Mania style drum track. No messing. Rumour has it there may be some more of 'No More' watch this space.

Review: Matlock-residing Matt Rivem has been doing his thing on the East Midlands deep house scene for longer than anyone can remember, most notably as part of Rhythm Plate. Here he debuts a new solo alias, Goshawk. Naturally, From The Woods is impeccably produced, and features a trio of delicious deep house gems. There's a pleasingly breezy feel about the bluesy vocal samples, jazzy beats and heavy sub of "In The Evening", while "Sun Up (Heavy Vibes)" comes blinking towards the light via shuffling, Osunlade-ish beats, soulful vocal samples and Balearic electronics. "I Know You Told Me", on the other hand, sounds like vintage US deep house - all eyes-closed diva vocal hits, bumpin' beats and bespoke chords.

Review: Rhythm Plate's re-emergence through their Pressed For Time label continues apace on this second release, a split 12" that pairs a new cut from Matlock's finest with solo productions from Ant Plate as YSE and YSE Saint Laurent. Hissy warehouse beats, simple chord vamps and Rapturous oh-vocals characterise YSE's dryish yet muscular "99% Invisible", whilst Plate's YSE Saint Laurent contribution "When You Love Me" pairs some R&B vocal sampling with drawn out synths and wispy percussion placed on top of a grooving bassline similar to Bernard Badie's '09 Mojuba hit "Move To The Beat". Rhythm Plate's submission, "I Think I've Dreamed This Before" adds a warming calmness to the EP, allowing a spirited synth line to traverse its arrangement like a geisha float-walking through an Japanese garden of snowy arpeggios and moss covered basslines.

Review: This fourth release from Pressed For Time is the label's second various artist EP featuring three known names and one new. The newcomer is Ben 'Boe Recordings' Boe under his Maad Maxx Traxxe alias. He provides "Lakeshore Rollin", a linear, dub-tinged slice of thwacking deep house. YSE top and tails this 12" with a chiming, rhode-cruising "Tomorrows Yesterday", while his B2 is slower and woozy with a killer smacking hit on the offbeat. Label regular Rhythm Plate also features with the vocal lead "I, The Music".