Wolf Music Recordings Vinyl & CDs

Review: The latest release from the reliable Wolf Music camp is a limited edition, hand-stamped affair, and features two previously unheard remixes of tracks from Casino Times' Familiar Circles full-length. On the A-side, Al Zanders does a stellar job reworking "Carlotta", in the process laying down a hypnotic, percussion rich deep house shuffler full of bright cowbell hits, sunset-friendly jazz guitar licks and bubbly electronic melodies. On the flip you'll find a more than pleasant surprise: a deep, dreamy and utterly beguiling drum & bass remix of "Oddity" from Smallville regular Moomin. Its expert combination of evocative musical elements and crispy, snare-driven D&B rhythms is reminiscent of the golden age of Bukem-style liquid D&B.

Review: Late last year the Wolf Music crew launched a dedicated vinyl only series in triumphant fashion with the double dose of Red Rack' Em that was In Love Again. Evidently looking to maintain a high profile for this new endeavour, the second release in the series features the talented duo that is Creative Swing Alliance! If you've shaken a leg at a recent Wolf Music gig you'll no doubt be familiar with "In My Arms" from Pabs Valentine and his fellow Creative Swinger Steven Joyce Ames, a sublime arrangement where percussion rattles away with just a hiss of distortion, complemented by filtered M1 stabs, a beefy bassline and some fierce vocal hooks. Heading up the B Side is Wolf cub Thrillogy; don't be put off by the chilly title, "Arctic" is actually all about the warmth that resonates from those huge synth lines.

Review: Tom Esselle (real name Tom Lawes) debuted back in 2015 with the Garibaldi EP ?on Wholemeal Music, then just disappeared into obscurity. Well, the good news is that he's returned from a long hiatus and his sophomore effort now appears courtesy of the ever reliable London imprint Wolf Music. The Praise Bes EP is jam-packed with five tight grooves, starting off with the sensual late night affair 'Can I Get A Bump' (feat 3Digits) with its sexy sax throughout, followed by some real proper deep stuff on the late '90s vibe of 'Better Than Never'. Over on the flip, it's all about the soulful UK broken beat number 'Let Me Love You' featuring Lizzie Berchie's wonderful vocal.

Review: The ever-diverse Wolf Music Recordings crew looks to Footshooter for a dazzling trip through synth-laced broken-beat joy here. It is an EP that showcases the artist's signature sound across six sizzlers. 'Welcome In' is slow and pensive while 'Turning' ups thence with bristling beats and busy chord work. 'Archetype 7' is a mix of loose percussion and retro chords that never lets up. 'Dojo' brings some cosmic and squelchy synth-funk to the table with ninja precision then 'Angel(s)' encourages you to slow down and take a pause amidst the twinkling keys. 'Hold On' has your sights set firmly on the cosmos as you ride the rueful grooves.

Review: Greymatter can probably be considered a Wolf Music stalwart, appearing on a couple of the London-based label's various artist 12?s, most memorably with the "Give It To Me Slow" cut that featured on WOLF 09. For the next release on Stu Clark and Matt Neale's label, Greymatter holds court for a solo EP, with the shimmering arpeggiated exotica of "Tisno" sharing space with basement house jam "Sweat" on the A-Side. On the flip you'll find the revving synths of "Pick & Roll" alongside a shuffling US garagey remix of "Sweat" from James Welsh.

Review: Manuel Darquart is actually a couple of Kiwis named Louis Anderson-Rich (aka Louie From The Club) and Sean Whitaker, who nowadays live in London. They are back on local imprint Wolf Music after their debut for the label last year with this 10' featuring a couple of nice reworks of the track 'Keep It Dxy'. On the A side, we have got Italian Don Carlos' remix which takes the track into sunny balearic territory, while over on the flip you can enjoy the low-slung broken beat swing of Manny D's Sleazy Sunday mix.

Review: There is no producer named Manuel Darquart; in fact, it's a long-distance collaboration between two up-and-coming studio buffs, Louis Anderson-Rich and Sean Whittaker. Their latest EP, a first, high-profile outing on Wolf Music, is simply superb. It sees the pair offer-up a trio of loved-up, saucer-eyed cuts that draw heavily on the sunrise-ready colour of early Italian dream house, the ricocheting machine drums of proto-house and the tactile dreaminess of late 80s New Jersey deep house. Our pick is Don Carlos-esque opener 'Keep It Dxy', though the more Balearic 'Miranda' and bubbly 'Parkour' are not far behind. The EP also boasts a fine bonus in the shape of Medlar's extra-percussive 'Timbales Dub Mix' of 'Parkour', a more intense but no less huggable interpretation tailor-made for peak-time dancefloors.

Review: With his release schedule operating at a gentle pace to allow for each of his twelves to sit and be considered on their own merit, Daniel 'Red Rack'Em' Berman makes just his second outing of 2013 with this pair of cuts for the ever strengthening Wolf Music. It's a record that shows off Berman's idiosyncratic approach to deep house on two very different levels. The first track, "In Love Again", is as blissed-out and heartfelt a take as you could wish for, from the sumptuous pad lines to the plastic strings that positively ooze contentment and passion. "Latin Techno" meanwhile is perhaps less predictable based on its title, opting for a jagged cut up of drum machine patterns and contorted brass sounds but rubbing them up in a non-direct way that makes for a delirious and utterly singular end result.

Review: Retromigration is the nom de plume of Malik Kassim, a DJ and producer from Amsterdam with previous releases on labels like Ravanelli Disco Club, GLBDOM and Healthy Scratch. The five tracks featured on the Bloom Street EP come to you courtesy of London's Wolf Music, featuring the sensual late night mood music of A side cut 'Brining It' and its velvety Rhodes keys that guide it all the way. Over on the flip, you have the urban influenced jam 'Free Spirit' getting that Berlin vibe going on that's reminiscent of Max Graef and Glenn Astro's work, and ending with the dusty jazz bar loops of 'Slick Walkin' that takes you deeper into the twilight hours.

Review: Given their confident style, the artist lurking behind the Retromigration moniker already has an impressive track record, and the take on U.S style deep house and J Dilla style instrumental hip-hop they show here is sure to please both DJs and punters alike . Check first the echoing strings, synth chords and twinkling pianos of deep and steppin' house jam 'Hafenluft', before admiring the swirling deep house jazz of 'Mad Fox' and the more driving but similarly jazzy 'Tinger'. Elsewhere, 'Be Alright' is a mid-tempo number that combines deep house elements with flashes of '80s synth funk, while 'Disk Yard' and 'Nur Weir' are dusty, stoner-friendly head-nodders.

Review: Velour's much loved album on Wolf Music gets the full remix treatment here. Four of the cuts get reworked by label associates old and new and it is mainstay Hulk Hodn who goes first. His take on 'Tom's Garage' is a noodling chords and late night seduction. South London's Footshooter then brings some big broken beat work and swirling synths to a floor facing jam, and Frits Wentink follows up his big recent Dekmantel release with a high energy stomper that bubbles with dreamy vocal charm. Last of all is super cool and jazz heavy 20/100 remix of 'Luminate' that is space age, Detroit tinged, sunset house.