Digwah Vinyl & CDs

Review: Mystery label Digwah debuted in the summer, with a soul soaked trip into minimal techno territory that was supported by Ricardo Villalobos, amongst others. Like that 12", Something Else is a single-sided, hand-stamped affair, with no information given about the identity of the producer (or producers) involved. This cut retains the late night techno vibe of the original, but with percussion and whizzing electronic noises that recall classic tech-house from the likes of Swag, Rob Mello and David Duriez, rather than Berghain-friendly minimalism. The subtle, party-minded approach is confirmed by the use of cut-up vocal samples from Cuba Gooding Jr's "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend", which also featured on Nightmares On Wax's 1990 bleep techno anthem, "Aftermath".

Review: Digwah keeps it tough on this next drop on their own self-titled label. It's a ninth outing and in the time it has taken for those to come out, increasing numbers of people have been catching on to the label's work and making it a 'must check' in their mental lists. This one opens up with 'Couldnt Hate You' which has some Ian Brown vocals samples stitched into a glitchy and menacing beat. 'Open Ended' is just as twitchy and anxious with steely drums and brain frying synths all working hard to fire every synapse in your brain. Effective stuff.

Review: DIGWAH marks its tenth release in style, maintaining its signature mystery while delivering two standout cuts that embody the British label's underground ethos. Side-A's 'Wayside' is a clutch tech-house banger that has finesseiclean, classy and an irresistibly groovy. A crisp breakbeat underpins a funky rhythm, while a strong vocal hooks you in, giving the track a timeless yet fresh feel. This is underground house at its best, effortlessly balancing sophistication with dancefloor heat. On the flip, 'Demeanour' leans into ghetto tech-house territory, with a weighty bassline and infectious r&b vocal samples. The groove is deep, the funk is undeniable and the track's raw energy makes it an instant mover. Another essential release from DIGWAH - stripped-back, hypnotic and built for those who know.

Review: Another single-sided sizzler from the Digwah camp, whose irregular tech-house reworks of well-loved old cuts are rarely less than excellent. This time round, they've turned their attention to a sprightly, memorable chunk of '80s soul - an American club cut of the period that has been re-edited numerous times by disco diggers. The Digwah version, though, is an almost complete overhaul; while snippets of the original version's vocals and guitars are present in the mix, they largely play second fiddle to chunky tech-house beats and a bold, huggable bassline that propels the revision forward towards peak-time dancefloors. It's decent and scintillating like most Digwah remixes.

Review: Since launching in 2006, the men or women of mystery behind the sneaky Digwah series have delivered a couple of sought-after, single-sided 12" singles that blend familiar samples with rock solid tech-house grooves. Predictably, this third volume in the series sticks closely to the blueprint, wrapping twinkling electric piano motifs and a restless, looped bassline around a rhythm track rich in jazzy hi-hats, snappy drum machine snares and tough, locked-in kick-drums. It's arguably closer to deep house than its predecessors, with the tactile and warming samples - lifted, it seems, from the late '60s West Coast rock record - helping to create a rolling, late night feel. The previous Digwah releases sold out quickly, so you'll have to act fast to secure a copy of this one.