HotMix Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: The original only dropped last year but it soon sold out so here comes a reissue of this gem from Simoncino, known for his nostalgic house vibes, in collaboration with Benedek, a Los Angeles-based producer whose music blends atmospheric synths with elements of Balearic, proto-house, and deep boogie. The EP is a strong offering with standout tracks like 'Puffed Tribe' which combines Paul Simpson and Charles Webster influences, 'After Midnyte,' with its glistening guitars and glossy synths, and 'Badlands Oasis,' offering a more spacey and psychedelic vibe. Benedek's style bridges the gap between retro and futuristic, delivering a collection of tracks that evoke both nostalgia and anticipation.

Review: In response to reports of 'Discogs sharks' prowling around this deep house classic from Gene Hughes, HotMix have gone ahead and reissued the eureka moment that is 'Track Show (Volume One)'. Paring things back to their barest bones, the early-nineties nuage and prolific house artist, whose other monikers included Rawthenticity and Bluejeans, first released this six-tracker under the name Bluemoon Prodiuctions in 1990 via Code Blue. The first track might be deceptive to some, as its simplistic production is arguably the least endearing of the bunch, combining only a kick drum, bassline, pluck and stream train whistle; tracks two 'O' and 'U' quickly unravel these assumptions with a beautiful dyadic take on Italo and stringy-deep house respectively. Meanwhile, on the B-sider 'S', we're met with an early example of lo-fi house, while an angsty electro mood is heard on 'E; a final coup de grace is then delivered on the crepuscular piano highlight, 'Night', which strikes the perfect thematic balance between sexiness and misery.

Review: Two enigmatic raw deep house cuts from Gene Hughes aka. Bluemoon Productions, debuting for HotMix for the first time. Technically first released in 1990 via Code Blue, this remastered vinyl edition is as pure a slice of otherworldly house realness you can get. The mood throughout is nocturnal, fade-to-black, lamplit, verging on wild - opener 'D' is darkly jazz-chorded and peppered throughout with the sound of hyenas cackling, as if to suggest a nighttime jamboree at the edge of civilization; then there's the Latin guitar glidings-above of 'R' and the beautifully, unusually wompy drumwork-dreamwork of 'A'; and finally, closer 'S' takes the form of a sonic flex: the slowest breakbeat track we've encountered in a while, whose choppy slices, feel-it vocals and deep Reeses force us to consider our unconscious associations around bassweight and floor-readiness.

Review: Hotmix deliver another two-track slaying from an aliased ambassador of the label itself, this time the first edition in the new 'Obscure Bad Dreams' series. An homage to Sauro Cosimetti (the Italian house and techno mastermind whose credits include releases on Frequenza, Natura Viva and Beatfreak), six acolytes of the artist bring six, discoic house hosing-downs to the table. Most exciting among the selections are the lively African trad chanter 'The Beginning', the dreamy soulful house 'Inflight' by Rohan Delano, and Montano Orchestra's freestyle-inspired dub-electro-disco 'Tribal Love Beats' version of their own 'Esto Parese Amor'.