Watergate Vinyl & CDs

Review: By the stuffy standards of German techno, Bulent "Butch" Gurler is something of a maverick - an eccentric whose seemingly never-ending output regularly pulls techno in a variety of different directions. Certainly, he's a great choice to mix the latest instalment of Berlin club Watergate's excellent mix series. Beginning in a deep and contemplative mood, Gurler works through a range of micro-genres in an undulating, entertaining, 22-track trawl through various contemporary inspirations. Along the way, you'll find cuts by The Horrorist (as remixed by Ricardo Villalobos), Redshape (the thrilling broken techno of "Goom"), and Shifted and Sigha. There's also a couple of exclusives from the man himself and regular studio partner Hohberg, including the exotic, Arabic pulse of "Thai Cubensis".

Review: Kerri Chandler has history with Watergate, having previously contributed to their acclaimed mix series back in 2014. "Checkmate" is his first 12" for the imprint since, and sees him deliver a cheery chunk of synthesizer-heavy positivity that may remind some listeners of the more sparkling end of Italian dream house. Certainly, the baggy piano riffs and jaunty synth bassline reminded us of all-time classic "Sueno Latino", and "Checkmate" is no doubt capable of soliciting the same kind of boisterous response when dropped at the right time. Cinthie delivers the first remix, opting for a polished but groovy deep house interpretation, before Steve Rachmad places Chandler's bold piano riffs atop a crunchy techno rhythm track with predictably impressive results.

Review: As a paid-up member of Seth Troxler's extended Visionquest family, it's perhaps no surprise that Detroit new-schooler Lee Curtiss's contribution to the Watergate club's mix series is brimming with warm, touchy-feely tech-house. From start to finish, Watergate 08 sounds like an audio advert for the Visionquest sound; that pleasingly melodic fusion of heavy low-end, off-kilter synth pop posturing and tactile, MDMA-friendly electronic grooves. It's the sort of effortlessly delicious sound that lends itself well to a mix album, and as a result Watergate 08 is a lovely listen. With superb contributions from Footprintz, Maceo Plex, No Regular Play, Kim-Ann Foxman and Curtiss himself, there's plenty to get excited about.

Review: Having made his debut on Kompakt with "Out Of Time" earlier this year, the legendary Sasha now breaks the seal on another prominent German label: Watergate. Flexing his darker technoid muscles, both "Gameovr" and "Trigonometry" are proud late night stampers that twist, weave, spell-bind and hammer in equal measures. The latter is exceptionally spellbinding thanks to its epic 10+ minute weave. Remix-wise we're spoilt rotten as Cassy punctuates "Gameovr" with pile-driving beats and La Fleur refixes our focus on a warmer, housier side to "Trigonometry". Play again?

Review: Woo York hail from Ukraine and have been reinvigorating the European scene with their own fresh take on dark and emotive sounds. Here they land on the label arm of the iconic Berlin club Watergate with a pair of belters. 'Samum' kicks off with driving drums and shimmering synth work overlaid with a hypnotic lead synth. 'Prophet' then pulls off a similar trick with more deep and rubbery grooves overlaid with wispy cosmic leads. An 8Kays remix of 'Samum' is more textured and peak time and 'Echonomist' is a fizzing, dubby roller.