Footwork / Juke

Review: We don't know who is involved in this brand new Diner's Club International project but we do know that they have put together three superb new records, all of which are landing at the same time. We also know they have come from Detroit, specifically Joy Rd on the West Side, and so come drenched in plenty of the swaggering attitudes you would expect. Diners Club International Part 1 fuses electro, ghetto and techno into booty-shaking cuts designed square for the club. The rhythms are infectious, the drums booming and the vocals bawdy, so snap these up before they're gone as quickly as they arrived.

Review: London-based producer Otik releases his first album Cosmosis on Martyn's label 3024. The 11-track LP signifies the fourth album on the imprint across its ten-year tenure, showcasing a more introspective side to Otik's musical output. The album leans into delicate melodies, hazy atmospheres and lush analogue sounds, often evoking blissed-out feels and ripples of brilliant colour. Produced three years ago during lockdown, Cosmosis comes after a period of spiritual struggles, where Otik questioned his faith, religious beliefs, and the concepts of right and wrong. While the pandemic allowed ample time for reflection, Otik translated these thoughts into music from his Peckham-based studio, later finding a home on 3024's evolving discography. Keen to release a body of work that explores the journey of enlightenment and the struggles to get there, Otik drew inspiration from the luminary filmmaker Terrence Malick and how Malick portrayed ideas and philosophies in films like The Tree of Life and Voyage of Time. As a result, the record conveys a compelling narrative of rebirth, told through exquisite sound design and a push-pull pace that oscillates across the album.