Smugglers Way Vinyl & CDs

Review: While he might not have enjoyed the same global superstardom as Daft Punk or Bob Sinclair, Alan Braxe has more than made his mark as a legend of the French touch movement. As co-creator of monster house anthems 'Music Sounds Better With You' (with Stardust) and 'Intro' (with Fred Falke) he's shown off his skills in crafting an eternal classic. In 2005 The Upper Cuts was released to shine a light on the wider reaches of his impeccable oeuvre - every track a pitch perfect slice of Parisian dancefloor gold. Now it's being reissued in newly remastered form with some bonus belters including Braxe's remix of Britney Spears' 'Anticipating'.

Review: Alan Braxe & Fred Falke's 'Intro' was an undeniable earworm in its day, being the scratchy French house montager on present everyone's decks for at least several summers in a row in the early 00s. Few know Braxe was also behind the inimitable 'Music Sounds Better With You' by Stardust, alongside Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter of course, for which he was finally credited on 'The Upper Cuts' here, first released in 2005. Now almost twenty years later, the EP gets a full reissue, documenting some of the artist's most well-known hits.

Review: Alan Braxe is one of the cornerstones of the famous French touch house sound. He's crafted plenty of seminal tunes and now is back once again with Falcon for this new and lush deep house 12" on Smugglers Way. It bears all the hallmarks you would expect of the pair: big loopy loops, filtered chords and house drums that get you grooving. 'Love Me' is the one old heads will appreciate the most thanks to its old school ways, while fresh disco influences colour 'Creative Source.' 'Elevation' is more blissed out and Balearic and 'Step By Step' is downtempo lushness.

Review: It's a match made in Balearic heaven. Ela Minus, Colombia-born, Brooklyn-based artist, best known for building synths, placing agitational statements between her carefully woven ambient melodies and her Acts Of Rebellion album, meets fellow New Yorker DJ Python, he of the hypnotic dembow stylings, for a bumper value-packed six track EP. Ghostly vocals float across stark beats and sometime gloomy, sometime edgy but cheery dayglo musical textures on the three vocal versions, and there are three instrumentals for those who prefer their grooves that way.

Review: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Joe Goddard, two luminaries of electronic music, have united to create Neptunes, a celestial collaboration that defies genre boundaries. This EP is a sonic journey through a vast, ethereal soundscape, where intricate synth work, pulsating rhythms, and haunting melodies converge to create a truly immersive experience. The title track, 'Neptunes', is a mesmerizing exploration of the namesake planet. Smith's modular wizardry conjures up a cosmic soundscape, while Goddard's rhythmic prowess provides a driving force. The result is a track that is both hypnotic and invigorating. Throughout the EP, Smith and Goddard showcase their individual talents while seamlessly blending them into a cohesive whole. Smith's ability to extract haunting melodies from her modular synthesisers is matched only by Goddard's knack for crafting infectious grooves. Together, they create a sonic tapestry that is as beautiful as it is complex. A testament to the power of collaboration and a record that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers of depth and complexity with each play.