Craigie Knowes Vinyl & CDs

Review: Craigie Knowes delivers another stellar release, showcasing their knack for blending futuristic sounds with emotional depth. Side-1 kicks off with 'Head Down, Eyes Shut', a gripping techno track infused with sci-fi melodies and sharp electro elements that feel like a journey through uncharted galaxies. 'Spectical Soul' follows, bringing soulful Detroit techno into a sci-fi realm with awe-inspiring production, crunchy electro bass and an elevated, otherworldly atmosphere. Side-2 opens with 'Amber City String', a melodic and upbeat track that exudes fun and innovation with its next-level electro beats and playful energy. Closing the release, 'Sunrise On Saturn' ventures into darker territory, combining techno and electro with eerie, ominous tones that evoke the haunting beauty of outer space. This release perfectly balances emotive resonance and boundary-pushing production. Craigie Knowes continues to solidify their reputation as a powerhouse label.

Review: Escape Artist makes their label debut on Craigie Knowes with Far Away Places, a 12" that captures the final moments of European summer while embracing the Southern hemisphere's party season. This four-track release delivers expertly crafted tunes, blending deep grooves and soaring melodies, perfect for lifting both dancefloors and spirits. Each track stands out with its own distinct energy, offering a versatile sound that suits everything from underground club nights to outdoor festival stages.

Review: Craigie Knowes are back at it for 2024 with a return appearance from Fader Cap. After a rapid run of first releases in 2022, we've been waiting for a follow-up from the chap and he more than delivers. As the EP title might suggest, he's exploring echo chamber processing on his tracks, but the delay and reverb is teased with precision amidst the shimmering, psy trance tinted tech house vibe he so ably builds on these incredibly accomplished club cuts. 'Kanisza' is an especially hypnotic, subtly broken workout for a more delicate kind of dancefloor, while 'Thinker' offers up punchy arps and flecks of acid for the more up-for-it crowd.

Review: With fine EPs on Seven Hills, Flight Mode, Spectral Bounce and Mephis to his name, Uruguayan producer Molen is an artist on the rise. Here he makes his bow on the admirable Craigie Knowes, an imprint renowned for its high-quality threshold. He sets the tone with the head-nodding, 90s IDM style excellence of 'Machanism' - all 'Selected Ambient Works' chords, spooky electronic textures and manipulated hip-hop beats - before charging towards the dancefloor on the Drexciya style electro hustle of title track 'Machine Dreams'. Over on side B, 'Replicant' sees him bolt waves of psychedelic, early progressive house style acid lines and TB-303 tweaks to a punchy electro breakbeat, while 'Dream 2' is a gorgeous slab of shuffling, mid-tempo electro marked out by attractive melodies, lilting acid lines and immersive chords.

Review: Following outings on Eudominia and Who is Paula, Carsten Fluck and Lucas Lejeune bring their Not Even Noticed project back to Craigie Knowes. Like their last EP on the reliable Scottish imprint, Beneath The Surface has both eyes firmly fixed on peak-time dancefloors. Our pick of a very strong bunch is opener 'Hidden Ground', where razor-sharp TB-303 acid lines, dreamy chords and misty-eyed female vocal snippets ride a rolling techno groove. The quality level never dips throughout, with the warm but spacey tech-house hypnotism of 'Whopper', the deep acid house hedonism of 'Hibiscus' and the electro-fired supernova that is 'Under Your Radar' (whose acid lines are wonderfully insatiable) all hitting the spot.

Review: Pascale Project debuts on Craigie Knowes with her 'Good People Only' EP, a melodramatic exercise in bubblegum kitsch, dramatized synth-organ hums and eerily quantized vocal recordings. The title, of course, takes its namesake from lead track 'Cafe Crazy' - a dance-pop hybrid soaked in a simple viscous formula: good vibes and electronic fun. The three originals making up its bulk come laced with nostalgic lyrics recalling hyperpop, but also carry retroisms of noughties dance-pop and trance, 'Hang Out' being the post-ironic jubilant highlight. The lyrics are, of course, written and performed by Pascale Project, and what's more, 'Cafe Crazy' comes remixed and refoamed by D. Tiffany with additional vox by NAP (yes, your eyes do not deceive you - a remix on Craigie Knowes! What?!)