Cecille Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Andrew Azara makes an electrifying return to Cecille with his 'Cosmic Girl' EP, delivering five exceptional originals alluding to French house, disco edits and minimal techno. Hailing from Dublin and now thriving in Barcelona, Azara has majored in force since 2019, with audiences across Europe and South America, and former releases on Djebali. 'Cosmic Girl' opens the EP with pounding drums, dubby stabs, and hypnotic, fluttering textures, setting the stage for an intermediary shuffle, 'Mattika', in turn bringing headier blends of organic percussion and transitional "whoops". 'The Jam' strips things back to a minimal, raw groove, while 'Obsession' closes with a bass-heavy, swung garage house extension. You won't find the digital bonus, 'Doing It,' here, but we can also vouch for its mesmerising hold over us dance-zombies.

Review: German-Turkish producer Butch is a machine. He has put out hundreds of tunes over the last decade-plus, most of them more than useful club fare that gets played far and wide. Every so often he also serves up a real classic - and that was the case with 'No Worries' which brings brilliantly loopy drums, classic disco vocal samples and just feel-good grooves that inject a bit of vitality into any set. It now gets a subtle 2022 update and reissue on the original label Cecile with a Toman remix on the flip.

Review: Hector Couto steps up on Cecille with Hot Stuff, a burning four-tracker roping in Chile's Alejandro Paz for a rework of his cult vocal cut 'El House', originally out on Comeme over a decade ago. Couto, a mainstay of modern European house with credits on Hot Creations, BPitch and Defected, revives his trademark low-slung swing, seasoning Paz's voice with sparse drums and deeper club intents. 'Camis House' rolls out woozy chords, sub-heavy basslines and apparitional voxes, before the flip 'Hot Stuff' ludicrizes the mood by way of looped soul chops and loose-lipped percussion. 'Red Velvet' rounds things off with slap bass, twitchy synth work and warm analogue textures; Couto sounds fully at home on Curly and Scholl's enduring Frankfurt imprint.

Review: Reinforcing this German's producers reputation for delivering infectious, groove-heavy house music, the title track, 'We Luv', takes cues from French house music. Layering filtered loops and thick basslines to build a steady, club-ready pulse, its a prime example in how to produce dancefloor tension and release. 'Revolver' injects a lively mix of disco and house, boasting crisp percussion and a vibrant energy that bridges classic influences with modern production. The track’s dynamic arrangement ensures it keeps the momentum high. On the deeper side, Keep It Up unfolds with subtle, evolving progressions, drawing listeners into its hypnotic rhythm. The track’s intricate structure gradually intensifies, making it a perfect tool for shifting gears in a set. Released on his own Cecille Records, this EP highlights Curly’s versatility, delivering three distinct tracks suited for different phases of a DJ set. From warm-up grooves to driving peak-hour energy, this record proves why he remains a respected force in house music.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped***


'Sissy' means scaredy-cat, coward, or chicken, but Italian DJ and producer Leon fully reclaims the term on his latest EP for Cecille here. Channelling raw garage house, hip house and early vogueish city-bustle moods, listening to 'Sissy' is like casting one's ears partially back in time, but not fully forgetting the sound of the contemporary dance music world either. This is a neat, albeit headsier follow-up for any fans of Leon's earlier hit 'Rain In Rio'.

Review: Leyo from Amersfoort in the Netherlands gives us a confident, if a little repetitious, lowdown of his past employment history on the 'Circus' EP. "I used to work for the circus" is the relentless vocal refrain of this acrobatic minimal tech weapon, where uppercutting handclaps overlie below-the-belt funk grooves. 'Hypnotize' is the human cannonball to the A-side's aerialist, bringing even heavier grooves to a convivial back lot mood. An impressive return to Cecille from the artist, following the hallmark Hello LP.

Review: Sidney Charles prides himself on making chunky house music that is raw but underpinned by a slick sense of swing. His Heavy House Society label is where most of it arrives but now he takes a detour to Nick Curly's long-running Cecille. 'Sonar Plexus' is irresistible European house music with razor sharp hi-hats, synth curlicues to soften the edges and precise drum work. 'Universal Highway' has a retro 90s feel - a sense of rushing endorphins and bobbing drum breaks that get hands in the air and 'Fearless' then gets liquid and funky with its effervescing rhythms and tumbling synth sequences. 'Turnover' closes out with a soulful US house feel and completes one of Charles's best-ever EPs.