Vibraphone Vinyl & CDs

Review: Vibraphone Records kicks off its New Year with a mighty first release that pays great tribute to the city of Detroit. Basic Realities is the artist behind the originals and the first is 'B-9', a percussive, loopy tech roller with vocal sounds and dreamy pads drifting in and out of focus. Motor City icon Kevin Sanderson then steps up to remix and does so with more warm and surging basslines and thudding drum funk. 'Viento Lunar' then cuts loose on some inventive melodies and cosmic rays of energy that unfold over tinny beats and 'Endles Clouds' rounds out with some more dusty drums and nice spangled synths that surge through the cosmos.

Review: Chicago based producer Tai Davis first came to light earlier this year with the Made In Chicago 12" on Dizzy Tunes, and now he follows that up with an EP on the ever productive Vibraphone. As the title No Computers Necessary would suggest, this is classically-rooted house music with all the charm the hardware process provides. Davis' productions are bright, melodic creations with rock solid grooves and strong hooks for all kinds of good times, with B2 track "Floating" standing out with its strafing acid line punching out into a decidedly ethereal soundscape.

Review: First released way back in 1992, Stefano Curti, Mauro Tamino and Stefano De Carlo's first 12" as Minimal Vision (they'd previously released numerous as The True Underground Sound of Rome) remains one of the classiest and most ear-pleasing Italian deep house records of all time. For proof, check 'Magic Staircase', where picturesque synthesizer melodies rise and fall atop skittish beats, 'Pacific' style chords and a chunky Korg M1 bassline, and the bleep-sporting Chicago deep house tribute 'Prelude'. Those searching for something a little more energetic should take a listen to the warm and beautiful 'Milky Way' and 'Night of Love', whose programmed percussion, fizzing synth solos and jaunty bassline doff a cap to Detroit tech-jazz.