SESSION VICTIM Vinyl & CDs

Review: Session Victim ease into a looser, more eclectic groove with Sidequests Chapter One - the first in a new trilogy of EPs from the much-loved German duo. Back in their familiar DOG home, as ever, there's warmth and musicality running through it all, blending dusty house, broken beat and a touch of downtempo haze. Lead track Pulse of Memory is a collaborative effort with Viken Arman, and it's a beauty, with its woozy keys, layered textures and unmistakable shuffle. Frits Wentink takes that same track and flips it for the floor, adding a little low-end thump and clipped drums in his signature off-kilter style. The rest of the EP continues in similarly playful fashion - plenty of live instrumentation, a few carefully chosen samples, and the sense that these are producers still having fun, even after all these years in the game.

Review: German duo Session Victim have always been about much more than just club tracks - their music draws on their playing skills and formal backgrounds so comes alive with meaningful melodies and rich instrumentation that elevates each track above the norm. This new EP on their home label Delusions of Grandeur kicks off with 'Screen Off' (feat Ras Stimulant) which is disco house with bubbly basslines and a retro feel. It also comes as an a cappella and on the flip 'Light The Way' is a seductively smooth cut with Balearic synths and floating pads that will levitate you off the floor. An Iron Curtis Illuminati mix brings starry-eyed electro vibes and his reprise closes out a lush EP.

Review: German pair Session Victim have long been invigorating the deep hose scene with their rare musical skill. They have managed to imbue their sounds with elements of funk, jazz and soul while keeping their grooves fresh and stylish. Their fifth studio album Low Key, Low Pressure is "an anathema to today's fast paced, industry driven musical landscape" in that it is sophisticate and unhurried, not full of obvious singles but instead a coherent body of work that really excels as a long player - not something that can be said of much of today's disposable, Spotify-ready dance music. Across the ten tunes there's a lovely cover, a fine collab with occasional partner Carsten "Erobique" Meyer and playful sounds a plenty.

Review: The Hamburg-Berlin connection returns. Retreat label boss Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling of Giegling fame have been at it as Session Victim for the better part of 10 years and they're still in fine form. The third instalment of Listen To Your Heart features four splendid journeys into the deep. Starting off with the lo-slung disco loops of "Almost Midnight" on the A side, which is followed up by the sun-kissed/slo-mo balearica of "Castle For Sale". On the flip, they pick up the pace once again with "Almost Midnight" which showcases the classic SV sound: deep house from a hip-hop production style of technique which no doubt influenced a new generation of German producers such as Glenn Astro & Max Graef. Finally, recline, relax and light one up to the dubbed out ambient journey that is "Thermal Explorer".

Review: Session Victim return to the Delusions Of Grandeur imprint with their third studio album. Listen To Your Heart is the result of a year of cross-continental scripting which started in their Hamburg studio and wrapped up stateside in San Francisco's Room G Studios where the duo had worked on their 2014 LP See You When You Get There. Here is the second of three LP samplers. "Shadows" gets things rolling with a classic Session Victim groove, looped up pads and hooky spoken vocal samples. Next up we have "Unchained" which drops the BPM for a widescreen, slo-mo jam clouded in a smoky haze with jazzy touches, recalling the halcyon days of Pork Recordings. Flipping over we have a brand new LP version of previous single "Up To Rise", another sublime slice of blissed-out house music with a wonderful organic and live sound palette. Echoing Rhodes licks join the lead guitar tune for a Balearic beauty which will be stuck in your head long after the sun sets. Closing this second sampler we have "Over And Over", which winds things down somewhat for an inspired, bass-led roller.