Phantasy Sound Vinyl & CDs

Review: Erol Alkan's 'A Hold On Love' originally appeared at the top of his debut 2013 EP Illumination, and now he's ushered it out of hibernation to make a pair of new versions which nudge the endearingly catchy, big room techno stylings in distinct but compatible directions. First up is the 'dyna-mix', which works around bugging b-lines and dubby shimmers for a restrained, subtly psychedelic affair. The 'trip-mix' meanwhile whips up some dusty garage house breaks, snappy 909 claps and hooky stabs to get the heat turned up in the dance good and proper. It's a fine example of the Midas touch Alkan brings to club music even when revisiting former glories.

Review: A genuinely magical meeting of musical minds, here, as Erol Alkan delivers his interpretations of Chemical Brothers' 'Goodbye', a bleep-speckled slab of soul-seeped electro-breaks first featured on the long-serving duo's 2023 album For That beautiful Feeling. Available in vocal and instrumental mixes, Alkan's revision replaces the pair's electro breaks with a new wave synth-pop-meets-analogue techno groove. Bubbly and melancholic - even more so than the Chems' original version - Alkan's takes also throw in additional lo-fi synth lines, counter melodies and raw, electroclash influenced sounds. It's tasteful and surprisingly poignant whilst still having all the ingredients of a fully fledged peak-time workout.