Toko Vinyl & CDs

Review: Having dipped into the label's bulging archives earlier in the year to offer up a freshly remastered edition of 'Klarky Kat' by Gumbo (a rare collaboration between label bosses Attaboy and Swag's Chris Duckenfield), Toko has returned to the vaults for another essential reissue. 'In Too Deep' hails from 1997, when it marked the fifth release on the Sheffield-based imprint. Reflective of the sound played at legendary Sheffield deep and tech-house party Scuba, the title track is a sultry and saucer-eyed affair, with sustained synth-strings, tactile riffs and luscious melodic motifs wrapping around an hypnotic deep house-meets-tech-house groove. In contrast, 'In Deeper' is a much more minimalistic, tech-tinged affair, close in sound and tone to Swag productions of the period - all deep, undulating bass, effects-laden weirdo noises and locked-in beats.

Review: Here's a welcome surprise: a reissue of one of the most revered records in the back catalogue of sadly departed Sheffield deep house imprint Toko. This 1997 gem is actually an all-star affair, with Klarky Cat (a reference to legendary satirical show Brass Eye) being a collaboration between Chris Duckenfield, Toko bosses Alec Greenhough and Paul Ingall (better known as Attaboy) and influential, overlooked Manchester producer Si Brad. In. its original form, "Gumbo" mixes the wavy, loved-up dreaminess of classic deep house with the organ sounds of U.S garage and the swinging, occasionally glitchy drums of early UK tech-house. It comes backed with a darker, chunkier and more foreboding rework (the mesmerising "Blooty Mix"), and the bright, acid-flecked sunrise giddiness of rather good bonus track "Custard Gannet".

Review: Si Brad was the original in-house producer for the Toko label. Dormant for 20 years, it is now back with a brace of brilliant new releases that immediately put it right back at the top. 'Avenue 6(Is This The Real Life?)' is pure blissed out sunset house music. The drawn out baseline, the gently bouncing drums and the airy vocal from Azeem all take you to a perfect party by the sea. The Real Crooked mix is a low slung and playful yet menacing dub. The Croocked one then steps up once more for a second and final mix that is sparse and eerie with subtle FX and speaker tweaking details.