New releases last four weeks: Breakbeat

Review: A rare case of a demo email turned release, as riser AR:MG from Mexico City delivers fresh new cut 'Cuerpo A Cuerpo' on 12", replete with a dub remix and follow-up takes by Radioactive Man and Sansibar on the B. 'Cuerpo A Cuerpo' is a reflective booty bass shoulder-sway, most notably topped off by its Latin femme-to-masc vocal line and slow transition into an exaggeratedly extraterrestrial build towards the end of its four minute runtime.

Review: Portuguese producer and Enchufada label owner Branko is back with his fourth full-length solo album and once again he pushes his own high standards even further. Soma was recorded in Lisbon over a three-day jam session that saw him asking plenty of top local Lisbon-based musicians to improvise over rhythmic frameworks. The resulting man-hours live recording was the blueprint for the album which Brano then worked into the compelling and worldly tunes you have here with vocals from the likes of London, Cape Verde, and Brazil, including Jay Prince, June Freedom, BIAB, and Tuyo.

Review: Dave Clarke's Red Series remains a vital benchmark in the evolution of UK techno. Released between 1993 and 1996, the three-volume run even managed to brush the UK top 40 back in the good old days when anything felt possible. Tracks like 'Wisdom To The Wise' will forever be etched in the make up of techno, and for very good reason. Now the whole series is being given a lavish reissue treatment which takes in all the original releases along with additional discs of rare, archival tracks and remixes, all bundled up in a box with a booklet and autographed by the Baron himself.

Review: It's ten up for the Terrestrial Funk label and they mark the occasion with one of their best offerings yet: this Astral Flight EP from Dan Pau brings dreamy cosmic ambience to stripped-back analogue house beats. The opener 'Martian Tools' sounds like Omar S after one too many doobies, and 'Astral Flight 606' then layers up more wispy celestial pads and glistening synths over chattery beats. On the B-side, 'Cosmic Bells' rides nice deep kicks and has lithe, firefly-like synth details that are wispy and delicate darting about up top. 'Asterion' closes out this most hypnotic and beautiful of EPs with subtle acid hints.

Review: The NOID imprint out of Belgium returns with its second vinyl drop, and this time takes you into some serene realms of breakbeat-driven pleasure court yes of Dave NA. His Altura EP opens with 'Escape', a wide open and airy mix of wispy synths and dusty, floating breaks. 'Elevation' has a more churning rhythm and dubby undercurrent and 'Pulse' (feat Freq444) has a hypnagogic feel, smeared vocal cries and more raw percussive patterns. 'Novox' (feat Freq444) shuts down with the most heavy and moody breakfast of the lot, a certain jungle swagger and plenty of heavy bass.

Review: Tal Fussman's new EP 'Focus' is a dazzling experimental techno gem. Following up releases on the likes of Survival Tactics and Innervisions, Fussman this time crops up on Drumpoet Community's catalogue for a stylistically fragmentary, but still somehow unified, five-tracker. It's hard to put our fingers on the je ne sais qoui of this EP's charm, though one thing we can nod to is its overarching glassy feel, whether evoked by the brittle front cover or refractive synthwork throughout. The arc of the EP is dub techno-ish, then IDM and breaksy, and back again, reflecting a stylistic unpretentiousness despite the producer's clearly, unusually cogent talents.

Review: Pilot is one of the many labels in the orbit of the unstoppable production force that is Burnski aka garage innovator Instinct. It deals in proper club tackle from a wide range of artists and here it is Hatori Hanso that offers up the brilliance. 'Low Rider' opens with a very familiar hook and some deep, deep half sung, half spoken vocal, before nimble live bass, brass and crispy breakbeats bring the party. 'Cherry On The Cake' is a lively house cut littered with James Brown samples and screwy synths that keep the pressure on. 'Don't Know Why?' closes proceedings in a more cool and breezy tech house mood, with sci-fi designs, to complete a set of varied but reliable frug-starters.

Review: Kolter, hailing from Cologne, Germany, delivers a fresh - we don't use the word lightly - new four-tracker, 'That Was Fresh'. Centring nominally on the infamous literal breakbeat vocal sample, this EP plays out as a contemporary take on the breakdances and funk backbeats come electronic dance bangers of yore. Beginning with an impossible-missioned eponymous A-sider, before moving into flat beat electro house of 'This Is It' and the cascading metro-synths of 'Feel', before finally concluding on the retro trance rejoinder, 'I'm Fine, Thanks!', there's really something here for everyone.

Review: Christopher Ledger continues to broaden the scope of his sound as a producer by bringing unabashed breakbeat acid into the folds of his broader tech house trajectory. There's still a pervasive deepness to 'Access Denied', no matter how big the beats or how wriggly the synth lines are. 'Nala's Groove' has a proggy tint to it, and 'From Above' rolls along in gorgeous blooms of synth work and deft percussion. Clearly the inspiration of classic 90s-styled beats worked their way into Ledger's production process, and he's made them his own.

Review: Re-born early '90s rave label Knite Force continues to offer up a mixture of nostalgic reissues and buried treasure from the archives of original artists. Here they dive into the influential early '90s work of Peterborough heroes Shades of Rhythm, rounding up some of their most-loved tunes from the period. Naturally it kicks off with their most famous outing: 1991 crossover smash 'Sweet Sensation', a gorgeously loved-up and tactile affair in which sparkling piano motifs, choice vocal samples and the dreamiest of chords seemingly glide atop house-tempo breakbeats and a jazzy bassline. Over on the flip you'll find the saucer-eyed hands in the air rush of 'Everybody' - which swims in similar sonic territory to 'Sweet Sensation' - and the subtly bleep-influenced 808 State style excellence of 'Summer of '89'.

Review: It has been a while since Umbo released any new music but now he is back on the Austrian label Resense with a superb pair of edits on this essential little 45 rpm. Kicking things off is 'Grits' which is a hard hitting bit of b-boy funk and breaks with old school soul vocals and plenty of horn stabs powering it ever onwards and upwards. '23h' is a little more seductive but no less busy with tightly woven bongos and congas peppering the high speed funk groove. Fantastic stuff that we hope is the start of much more to come from edit king Umbo.

Review: 'Beehive Breaks' is a new curveball from the Numero label, pitting together 15 'feminine funk' fixtures for your listening pleasure. All sourced from the label's back catalogue, we're met with an impressive array of funky-drummed, double-X'ed ditties, from Sandy Gaye's Cruella-synched 'Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone' to James Brown's soul sister #1 Marva Whitney; from teenage girl gangs The Trinikas and Promise, to Miami's queen of soul, Betty Wright; and to top it all off, there's even a previously unissued belter from Chicago's Sonics Band on there.

Review: Numero Group brings together a slew of desirable and very rare soul and funk songs together for one fantastic compilation. Many of these tracks in their original physical release form - you'd be looking at hundreds of dollars for the first pressings, so thank Numero Group for gathering these together and saving the fans from spending a lot of money and a lot of time finding them. Tracks like the amazing 'Mr.Lucky' by Betty Wright - which sounds fit for a blockbuster movie soundtrack - Trinikas' 'Remember Me' and the James Brown-like funk 'Good Things' by Pearl Dowdell are must have scarce tracks, but there's a host of yet to be discovered gemes here too, like Fay Cooper's 'Closer Together' and Betty & Angel's 'Everlasting Love'.

Review: X-Ray Ted's 'Talkin' EP' finally hits vinyl, a format perfectly suited for its timeless classic vibe. On the A-side, 'Talkin' weaves strings, horns, and guitar riffs over rolling beats and bass, topped with soulful vocals. On the flip, 'So Much' exudes infectious energy, blending vocal refrains, guitars, and horns for a soulful groove. These tracks offer a glimpse into X-Ray Ted's upcoming debut album, showcasing his talent for blending old-school sounds with a modern twist. Limited to a run of 7"s on Bombstrikes, these vinyl grooves exude sunshine vibes and feel-good warmth, destined to fly off shelves.

Review: youANDme has always been an important cog in the wheel of underground house and techno and his recent PPPPP was another fine project that has also spawned plenty of equally brilliant remixes. This is a second collection of them and it kicks off with the Polish master of perfect loop techno, Head High aka Shed. His bulky, barreling drums and big percussive loops come with plenty of bounce and raved up vocals. After that come Ian Pooley's dub, and Johannes Albert's deep house trip. Sasha, Roger Sanchez and Laurent Garnier have already been banging these so now it's your turn.