Crosstown Rebels Vinyl & CDs

Review: Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of 2020, legendary UK producer DJ Krust makes a comeback with his first release in 14 years, and rather surprisingly on Crosstown Rebels - of all labels. While we all know Damian Lazarus' established imprint is anything but drum and bass, it is well known that he was an early champion of the sound, long before his tenure at City Rockers in the early '00s when he embraced 'electroclash' - but that's another story. It's clear that Krust created some of the most seminal records in the genre throughout the nineties and noughties, and he is back in fine form on The Edge Of Everything, having explored radical new philosophies and creative processes. Minimalist arrangements as heard on tracks like 'Constructive Ambiguity' hark back to his signature sound of the aforementioned period, while he also explores more experimental minded beats as heard on 'Antigravity Love' and proper darkside rolling drama exemplified on 'Deep Fields Of Liars'.

Review: Damian Lazarus's fifth studio album is another left-of-centre exploration of house and tech, often with a spiritual twist and hints of voodoo magic. It is heavy on collaborations and finds the Crosstown Rebels boss hooking up with the likes of Hem Cooke for the spine-tingling downtempo opener 'Searchin' while 'R U Dreaming? (feat Mathew Jonson)' is a more deep and bubbly late-night tech sound. 'La Hija De Juan Simon (feat Mestiza)' is laden with percussion and warped bass, and 'Sunrise Generation (feat Fink)' is a deft and progressive melodic roller that is sure to be huge this summer and beyond.

Review: If you were into house and techno around this time a decade ago, you surely wouldn't have been able to avoid Maceo Plex's acclaimed debut album Life Index. The Valencia-based, Miami native finally hit the big time after many years as an underground artist, with this impressive merging of minimal/tech house with disco/soul-funk influences that would go on to be constant throughout his work ever since. This worthy reissue as part of Record Store Day 2021 features all the hits that soundtracked a rather memorable 2011, such as the lo-slung rolling funk of 'Sleazy E', the druggy and sax-led euphoria of 'Silo' and the blissed-out summertime groove of 'Dexter's Flight'.

Review: Crosstown Rebels continues its spell of dance albums releases with a fresh one from Oceanvs Orientalis (Safak Oz Kutle), Portrait Of The Obscure. After three superb singles on the label over the past four months, this nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Istanbul-based talent's rich, globally-infused, captivating sound. As if to bottle the essence of the awe of travel, either everyday-real or astral - and the personal developments and realizations that come of it - onto a single record, Portrait Of The Obscure skirts the possible limits of progressive dance, fleshing out a talent for layering that we'd wager many artists only ten years or so ago would've thought impossible. Just listen to the hullabaloo that is 'Neutrality'; despite the name, it's hardly neutral at all, coming as an immense positivisation of moving parts and godlike sonic entities, which sound to dance around a central kick axis, one that we're surprised Oceanvs was still able to fit into the mix.

Review: Electronic duo Pale Blue releases their highly anticipated second album 'Maria' on Crosstown Rebels. With eight captivating tracks, the long-player takes listeners on an immersive electronic journey. Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better) and Elizabeth Wight (Silver Hands) formed the outfit in 2015, gaining acclaim with their debut album. It showcases Wight's personal experiences and thoughts through her lyrics, accompanied by techno-infused melodies that lean towards rock influences. From dreamlike melodies to haunting productions, the album seamlessly blends electronica with pop touches.

Review: Many congratulations to Crosstown Rebels, a pioneering tech-house and big room dance music imprint that this year celebrates its 20th birthday. To mark the occasion, founder and creative force Damian Lazarus has dipped into the archives and come up with a collection of rarities and previously unheard remixes. Starting with his own Jem Cooke collaboration 'Into The Sun', an atmospheric, deep tech-house excursion smothered in twinkling pianos and trance-inducing electronics, Lazarus offers up an enticing mix of chunky goodness (Art Department remixing Jamie Jones), percussion-rich after-hours wonkiness (Dennis Cruz reworked Pier Bucci), pulsating neo-trance (Audiojack re-imagined by Michael Mayer), tech-tinged deep house hypnotism (Black Coffee tweaking Made By Pete vs Zoe Kypri) and saucer-eyed Ibiza anthems (Maceo Plex).