Sushitech Vinyl & CDs

Review: After having two of his earlier tunes remodelled by Carl Craig and Mike Huckaby thanks to Sushitech, Detroit's Delano Smith re-emerges on the label with a double pack of tunes made with Brawther under the D&B Productions. That moniker has more to do with the pair's name rather than a suddenly conversion to drum & bass, although there's a love of dubby effects and deep bass power here that - at a stretch - could be said to be in common. The six tracks - Symbiosis' 1-6 - are smooth and simple, but executed with an ear (or four) for an irresistible groove, an economic but rhythmic keyboard stab and a knack for squeezing something nicely soulful from the barest ingredients. Nice work indeed.

Review: Past Moves III is the final instalment of the vinyl-only series served up by Berlin's ever-well-curated and cultured Sushitech label. It is another essential 12' that packs in plenty of heat from the long-time UK favourite. His records are hard to find and expensive when you do and this collection highlights some of his superbly blended acid, dub, tech and house grooves from back between 1997 and 2004. On this one, you will find a pair of weighty, warm, and dubbed out tech cuts with bounce in the drums and Detroit soul in the pads. Timeless stuff.

Review: Ever the enthusiastic collaborator, Steve O'Sullivan follows up the first volume of his Dimensions series on Sushitech with another eight stunning partnerships which read like a who's who of contemporary techno. The artists invited span a fair range, from established legends like Mark Broom and Steve Rachmad to inspiring newer artists including Exos and Soela. The whole release hangs together naturally as O'Sullivan's signature dub techno touch slips in amongst the approaches of his chosen sparring partners. From nervy immersion heaters to starry-eyed reveries, this is sophisticated modern techno at its finest, with every track precision engineered to work in the club and take the crowd somewhere very special indeed.

Review: As if the first two volumes of the Dimensions series weren't enough, Steve O'Sullivan is back on Sushitech with a final Parallels addendum to the collaborative series. On this occasion, the double vinyl set is reserved for four special longform mixes which let the ideas roll out in a truly hypnotic style. Of course, that's exactly how Ricardo Villalobos likes it and 'Short Circuit' tangles up beautifully in a mesh of interlocking rhythmic hiccups and immersive pads. Thomas Melchior holds down a sweet sustained groove for O'Sullivan's illustrious melodics on 'The Shadow' before Dana Ruh helps strip things down even further on the murmuring 'Beneath The Surface'. Soela pops up once again on 'Healing Spirals', lending a delicate and intricate touch which rounds the release off in beautiful, understated style. - vinyl only!

Review: Berlin's cultured Sushitech label is back with another of its superb reissue projects, this time focusing on a small but vital label from the 90s. Silver Pearl was where Los Angeles based producer Eric Spire released a small but steady and superb series of records that took house music into all new realms. He and his peers brought a touch of heaviness and psychedelic energy that paved the way for later developments by artists like Craig Richards & Lee Burridge's Tyrant nights at Fabric. Relive the magic of that time with this new series of carefully curated 12"s featuring high grade club weaponry.

Review: Sushitech presents the last part of its 15th anniversary reissues series. Timeless reworks of Paul St. Hilaire & Rhauder's now classic 2018 release 'Reconstructed', featuring legendary producers such as Rominimal heroes Amorf who provide a typically hypnotic reinterpretation of Control, Dutch minimal house maestro Ion Ludwig retains the dubby elements of the original on his rework of 'Stabilized' and likewise Steve O'Sullivan remains in glacial and cavernous territory on another sublime perspective of 'Control'. Elsewhere, Thomas Melchior serves up a typically arcane venture into the deep on his version of 'Dim Dim', while the much missed Soulphiction provides the perfect majestic backdrop for St. Hilaire's amazing vocals play centre stage on his version of 'Redeem'.