B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, record slightly warped
Mercury (7:55)
Outer Limits (7:03)
After Life (6:14)
Orbits Theme (6:29)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, record slightly warped***
The 39 Orbits pair of Nick Annies and Twink put out only two releases and they were back in 1993. In the years since though, they have become real digger's delights that now fetch high prices on the second-hand market if and when copies come up. But not anymore - Cosmic Soup has assembled this welcome 180g 12" which features tracks from those original records as well as one previously unreleased cut. 'Mercury' is pure dreamy post-rave prog house, as is the slightly more direct 'Outer Limits.' 'After Life' is high-speed house with lush synth work and 'Orbit's Theme' gets more deep and inwardly reflective.
Review: Humanoid Recordings co-founder 4d lays down another four-track 12" for the label, scouring the weightier and scrapier ends of minimal and acid house, all while teasing out a retro-robotic edge. Only an artist with a real sense of humour can invoke ideas of 'Stupidity' and 'Quantum Theory' in the same breath; both tracks betray the unified whimsy and intelligence that a successful acid house and techno artist must portray in order to win hearts. The latter uses a particularly sticky, hard-to-pin-down 4x4 kick style; contrast to B1 'World In Our Head', which portrays a psychic model of the outside world through trilling trance lines, and the meek glissandos of 'Sowie Lockers', securing an indeterminate but funky mood.
Review: A Trifle Too Far, the collaboration between Essex natives Simon Ward and Tony Grimley, crafted this forward-thinking duo of tracks, inspired by their explorations of the acid house scene and rave culture. Catch Your Ear and Meringueatang embody the innovative spirit of early 90s prog-house. Engineered by Evren Omer of Strategy Records and Matt Clayden of X-Gate Records, respectively, these tracks remain a rare and exhilarating find. Mint Condition is reviving the essence of classic house and techno with their latest reissue: the elusive 1992 EP 'Catch Your Ear/Meringueatang' from A Trifle Too Far. This release is a thrilling addition for collectors and DJs, rekindling the excitement of a bygone era.
Gonna Do & Do It More Now (Titonton Duvante FLiP) (6:27)
Review: Acapulco Heat is a new duo from Acapulco made up of Felipe Valenzuela and new comer Ossios. They share a love of colourful shirts and making "sensual moves in the shade of palm trees" and here offer up a set of cuts designed to encourage dancefloor mindfulness. 'Intellectuelle' is a crispy tech house groove with thudding kicks and enough detail to keep the mind as locked as the heels. 'Gonna Do & Do It More Now' is a highlight on the flip - a trippy synth line buzzes about over flappy drum programming that suspends you in the groove. The one and only Titonton Duvante offers a remix that has a darker heart.
Review: Accented Measures Series (AMS) is a still relatively new series that has been compiled and arranged by Accented Measures and is designed to deal in unreleased and new music from some of the scene's key names. The Space Drift Remixes EP is next up the series with a combination of 90s vibes and modern grooves. '97NY' (TC80 remix) is heads down and raw as you like tech. 'Aeons' (Pedro Goya remix) rather spins you out on more silky cosmic pads and the Miles Ellis remix of 'Bad Sector' is thudding tech with rigid drums and washes of sugary synth. 'Space Draft' (Karaba remix) begins some serenity and smoothness to the final cut.
Review: Two toolroom essentials from Rob Amboule, former London stalwart come Frankfurt familiar. Where years of collecting and playing gradually evolved into Rob making music of his own, it wasn't long before he made the move permanent, settling in around the Main. A late stopover in Paris has now domino effected this new one: 'Wovv Tools' brings 'Melortra' and 'Kopuie', equal parts dance-incenting and vagus nerve-soothing. The B is especially brilliant, cycling through generative hypnotic whirls and sweller padwork.
Heavy Water (D Tiff Floating To The Top mix) (7:18)
Diact (6:19)
Trouble Down Groove (6:45)
Review: The Cosmic Soup label did some mighty fine work in bringing Howard Dodd's work as Doc Bozique and Anoesis back into ear shot. Dodd released a fair clutch of wiggy, trance-inflected house and techno back in the wild old days of the mid-90s, and so it's no surprise to hear his music finding new relevance at a time when that sound is so warmly received on dancefloors all over the place. This release for German label Spray pulls together a few different bits from 1994, ranging from 'Heavy Water' and 'Diact' from The Anoesis EP to 'Trouble Down Groove' from Eight Day Music. Bringing the relevance with the current zeitgeist in no uncertain times, we're also treated to a remix courtesy of a scene leader in this field, D. Tiffany.
Review: Edinburgh's Neptune Discs bring crazed happy-acid hard trance come progressive disco to the fold, welcoming four fresh faces to their roster in so doing. Biodive, Astro, Dylan Forbes and Glen S all work impressive atmosses and well-integrated pad flavours around primal progressions, centring on a unified vibe of tunnelling rave intensity. The tone quietens on 'Tranquility', an emanative favourite of ours, whose pulsatory lead blurt sounds like a lighthouse through benevolent mist.
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.
Basement Space & Mans Glaeser - "Spacer Glaezer" (6:01)
Eric OS - "Timeout" (5:11)
Baby Rollen - "TwentyTwenty Home" (8:23)
Anna Kohlin - "What Time Is It?" (7:06)
Review: A releaser that crackles with an energy that could only emanate from the shadowy corners of the Swedish electronic underground. Anna Kohlin, label co-head and architect of hypnotic soundscapes, guides us through a diverse sonic landscape, her own 'What Time Is It?' leading the charge. Built from the evocative textures of the Roland JV-1080, it shimmers with a sunrise glow, ethereal pads interweaving with delicate melodies. Kohlin, a master of contrasts, doesn't shy away from the shadows, injecting her creation with sharper, dynamic elements that add a touch of grit to the dreamlike atmosphere. Eric OS throws down a challenge with 'Timeout', a sonic time capsule that transports us back to the early 2000s. Analogue warmth collides with the raw energy of digital sound, vintage synths intertwining with crisp beats in a nostalgic yet undeniably fresh sonic tapestry. Baby Rollen, armed with a looped double bass sample and the crisp snap of a 909, crafts a hypnotic groove with 'TwentyTwenty Home'. A warm 303 bassline snakes through the mix, adding a touch of acid-tinged euphoria to the already infectious rhythm. Basement Space and Mans Glaeser, never ones to shy away from the unconventional, deliver 'Space Glaezer', a sonic maze that twists and turns through intricate textures and unexpected rhythmic shifts. Kohlin's curation is nothing short of masterful, showcasing the diverse and ever-evolving landscape of the Swedish electronic music scene. Inside Out 002 is a testament to the power of electronic music to transport, inspire, and defy expectations.
Review: Bassland Prophecy was a Southern California music collective featuring Alex Xenophon, Stuart Breidenstein who is ex-Skylab 2000, vocalist Alissa Kueker and Maxx Vaxx of Euterpre and Butterfly Garden. Their 1996 tracks 'Nine/Deeper' and 'Blue and Purple Starship of Trust' were thrilling genre collisions that have since become hard to find. The originals were long thought lost but have, in fact, turned up and been remastered and reissued by Bristol's Sex Tapes From Mars. Their sound was crafted using gear like the Juno 106, Yamaha FB-01, Roland S330 sampler, Sequential Circuits Pro-One with external MIDI, and various guitar pedals, all tools that helped forge their distinctive, otherworldly prog house sound.
Review: Rebirth kicks off its 2024 with a remix EP that serves as "a tribute to the Brescian music scene in its many facets and declinations." The full original project is a complete 12-track album that brings together many different sounds, scenes and generations, with the best bits now assembled on this new 12". The revered deep house master Fred P opens up with some texture spiritual synth depths, K-Lone brings some nice house swing to his version of 'Paline' and edit maestro Rahsaan also keeps it paired back and late night on his soulful take on 'Scent Of An Old Life'. A great reimagining of some moving musical adventures, then.
Review: Boulderhead's I Need Space to Dance EP marks a significant expansion of his sonic horizons, taking in everything from contemplative dub moments to glistening rollers and a psychedelic tour-de-force. Tracks like 'I Need Space' featuring Overnite Oates and 'Dance and Dance Again' deliver shuffly spoken-word tech vibes, sure to become club favourites. Unified yet diverse, the EP appeals to fans of tech-house, prog, broken beat, and minimal techno alike, while Boulderhead, aka Henry James, exhibits the kind of top-tier production skills that hint at the potential for a full-length album.
Toto Chiavetta - "My Eyes Are Failing" (feat Trenton) (6:04)
Toto Chiavetta - "Dua Is" (Imperfect Couture extended mix) (6:36)
Toto Chiavetta - "The Sacred Space" (Tape Proc mix) (6:18)
Toto Chiavetta - "My Eyes Are Failing" (feat Trenton - Imperfect Couture extended mix) (7:52)
Toto Chiavetta - "My Eyes Are Failing" (feat Trenton- Echonomist remix) (7:12)
Review: Impressively wide and etheric new minimal / prog tech house from Italy's Toto Chiavetta, who returns to Mind Against's HABITAT sub-imprint with 'My Eyes Are Falling'. Rarely do we hear progressive house artists indulging such futuristic sound-palettes, if not for the fact that such sonic and textural detail often naturally spurs artists into more abstracted explorations away from dance music. But Chiavetta reins this impulse in, and keeps firmly rooted in the dance world by way of mega-surrounded breath-voices (courtesy of singer Trenton) and stratospherically catchy synth evaporations. Everything here, too, from the unpredictable, grid-flouting synthwork of 'The Sacred Space' to the ensuing remixes of the title track, sounds just as exo-worldly as the occult lifeform portrayed on the front cover.
Review: The new four-tracker from Chicaiza through Kimchi Records is decidedly impressive, finding reams of emotive expression in a knowing, but well-wrought gaudy-trance rawness. We clock we're in for a trippy one from the off; 'Frgil Bodies' hears an opening vocal natter with the intonation of a leprechaun under the influence of some lab-bought compound; and not long before the crudest of crude yet rudest of rude drum flows ensues. Then 'Metaphorical Nihlusiions' follows with a continually janky, but frankly wicked still, tunnel-toss through noetic synth flicks and gurglingly good bass groundings, throwing shade on false nihilations in the process. The understory opens up considerably with 'Shinobi', with trophic psychic layers and bushwalking sproutings-forth, culminating in a canopied trance lead atop. Finally, 'No Way' flushes an excess of chitinous, skin-shedded beats and leftover bass nacres, depositing them on the forest floor like lap-up fruits ripe for the taking.
Review: Serbian DJ & Producer Igor Radosevic, known as Cosmic G, joins the E&X roster and serves up the label's first release of 2024. With a string of successful releases on labels like Haws, Goddezz & Neptune Discs, Radosevic has become a key figure in the progressive house and trance scene. This EP backs that up and features two originals - 'Human Spirit' which rides on feel-good and warm rays of synth goodness and 'Infinite Balance' which is a deeper cut with mind-melting pads. Alongside those are remixes by emerging French talent Clint, who injects raw energy into each of his renditions.
Review: Neptune Discs bowl headfirst into a future cybernet on their ninth V/A volume. Christening this latest record a “Neptune Disc”, we’d not be surprised if it indeed was true that a hidden alien civilization resident on the farthest known planet in the solar system was, in fact, using copies of this record as currency. From the opening filterswept FM declensions of ‘Emerald Canopy’, to the closing saws and oral acid resonances of ‘Donald Llg’, this retrofitted vision of the 2090s propels us towards a altered, proto-temporal conscious state, twining intricate vocal hooks round endlessly pulsating acid lines.
Review: Kevin de Vries collaborates with rising stars Y do I on his latest EP and it is a three-track journey showcasing the signature Afterlife sound. Merging emotionally charged moments with driving basslines and electrifying energy, the duo strikes a balance between light and dark while cooking up grooves that resonate deeply. Each track embodies the label's ethos of fostering close dancefloor connections through rhythm, emotion and vibration. This is evocative, painstakingly designed melodic techno with pristine synth work and sleek drums that carry you into all new worlds.
Review: Philoxenia Records boss man Luigi Di Venere continues to blur the boundaries between traditional genres with a new EP that takes its inspirational cues from the multidimensional nature of sound waves. The title reflects the depth and motion captured in the EP's stunning artwork by CGI duo muzzin+samiri while the opener is a tribute to early 90s Frankfurt EBM. 'By Means Of Music' is a more funky vibe with New Beat undertones and real warmth. 'Got Momentum' brings a French house edge and on the flip, Cromby transforms' Got Momentum' into a euphoric UK peak-time anthem, and Cycle_2 reimagine 'By Means Of Music' as a psychedelic techno trip.
Review: Diesco & Vince Void pay homage to the early 90s golden era of house music while channelling the spirit of progressive, Euro house and classic rave on this new four tracker. Each piece captures the warmth and euphoria of that formative time while pushing the sound into fresh contemporary territory. With a clear reverence for the past, 'El Tigre' opens with some big rave horns and lush prog beats a la Sasha & Digweed. 'Untitled C' is another retro-future prog sound with widescreen pad work, '8-Bit' is an unabashed revival of 90s rave with prominent horns and pianos leading the way and 'Jobby' is a trance-tinged closer full of Ibiza energy.
Review: Robert Dietz continues to impress with his latest EP, Rejuve-Nation, demonstrating his versatility and skill as a producer and DJ. The standout track, 'Crane Song,' explores proggy house territory with a sophisticated touch, offering two distinct mixes that captivate the listener with their intelligent arrangements. 'Deranged Self Therapy' takes a different turn, blending IDM with new wave drums and poignant synths, resulting in an excellent composition perfect for lovesick robots. 'Centro Di Gravita' builds upon the qualities of 'Crane Song' while infusing it with an acid lines to push boundaries and experiment with different sounds. Closing the EP, 'Any Plan(t)s This Weekend' provides a soothing ambient experience, like a confident sketch for the end of a beautiful summer. Rejuve-Nation offers a bouquet of bangers catering to various musical preferences.
Review: Berlin techno label Time Passages returns with fresh heat, with label owner Binh (Cabaret, Perlon) facilitating the unveiling of yet another new techno truncator from Hamburg's rising talent Difool, who in turn made his debut on the Ejeca owned progressive breaker Tusk Wax. This new one prefers analog beats and retrofuturist synthwork, be that on the flutingly detuned progressor 'Bleep 303', the mid-set mood mutator 'Dark Flow' or the dragging implied armageddon that is 'Moshpit'.
Review: Lemaia's latest introduces rising Italian artist Alex Dima for four fresh tracks of futuristic tech house. There is a cinematic element to the crispy metallic drums and evocative pads of 'Running Against Time' while 'Love Perspective' has pensive pads melting away behind snappy drum work and gloopy bass. The precision-designed drums of 'What About The Future' and the fizzy synths that buzz about the mix make it another fresh sound while 'Mass Destruction' shuts down with a more looming sense of doom. It comes from the shadowy bassline that snakes away beneath more snappy hi-hats and a prying lead synth that takes you into the unknown.
Review: DJ Normal 4 infuses plenty of psyched-out colours, trance from the 90s and sleek deep techno rhythm in his work for this new one on Fantastic Planet. 'Eden Responding' kicks it off with singing synth lines over quick beats. 'Spore Clouds' is more deep and driving with less melodic playfulness and 'Green Mantra' brings some more twisted after-party energy. 'Liquid Desire' then slows things down with watery sound effects and hypnotic layers of sound designed to zone you out.
Review: Novaj Records presents its second vinyl release - 'Space Energy', an electrifying compilation EP inviting listeners on an interstellar journey through a wide array of sonic cosmologies, in good stead with the nascent trend of space-age acid house emergent of late. Lauching into the boundless realms of space, the likes of Donnie Cosmo's 'Venus Transit', MLink's 'Frequencia' and Sunaas' 'Flash Dancer' are all as enchanting as they are out-of-body-experience-inducing.
Review: Eris Drew, "high priestess of the motherbeat", drops her second release of 2024, reflecting her genre-mashing DJ style with a cheeky slice of stab-infused club magic. Tribal house marching, tightly marshalled breaks, glitchy bleepiness, bubbling arps and a celestial melodic ether - this one's got it all. Label founder Baby Rollen reinvents it via a slightly more rave-orientated remix, while retaining a solid base of beats and bass perfect for modern floors, before Gallegos closes things with a more epic, slow burning version that echoes some of Carl Craig's raw but irresistibly danceable work under the 69 banner. Triple, tasty trouble!
Review: Re-United nobly unveil their second release, 'Shock', a sharp, stylish repossession of the talents of one Paolo Driver and Alberto Bof. A perfectomundo blend of classic trance tranches and modern jam-house, the release also houses a remix by Niki B on 'The Spring', with profound implications to follow. Said closing remix is especially swarthy and down-under, evoking catlike slinks down alleys in the night with its slower-burning, electrostatic moves.
Review: Punctuality's fifth release introduces Irish producer Drua and his high-energy new EP which blends late-90s and early-2000s dance influences with smart modern production. Drawing from contemporary hard house, the four tracks feature punchy basslines crafted for massive sound systems and packed dancefloors. Opening with the refracted vocals, M1 organs and rushes of trance euphoria of 'UP,' Drua then goes all prog-hard-house with catchy vocal hooks and skippy bass on 'Job 2.3.'. 'Nightfire' then brings a deep house twist perfect for peak-time sets, while 'Arch In Ur Back' closes with breakbeats and party vocals. Fun, effective stuff.
Review: Spanish producer Ducados dips toes in adjacent pools of progressive house and straight-up trance here on this latest release for Cupula, impressing with four high-NRG enjoinments. Also their first ever release, the likes of 'Mimi' and 'Calada' are bowler-overers indeed. Smoothened out by scaped preset synths and flirtatious sampled reminders of the energy in the room, the openers give rise to a less scrupulous mood on the B, which works more as the dark side of the disc: 'Estrella De La Mort' and 'Synth Popper' dance with death and chem-sexuality respectively, bowling ever further down cosmo-sonic dust belts.
Review: Amulanga, operating out of Thailand, emphasise beauteous atmospheric progressive house, pairing each compilation with exquisite, extra-worldly sci-fi themes. Their latest, sixth vinyl V/A hears additions from Dulus, Acrobat, Ilias Katalenos & Plecta, Taleman and Shri & Alej, each track a seamless infusion of living, writhing organic sound. More than just music, the aim is to imply a narrative, shuttling and transforming listeners over and beyond centrifugal, interplanetary orbits - not just dancefloors.
Review: Given that both producers are underground titans, traversing the blurred lines between disco, acid, deep house and wide-eyed dreaminess, you'd expect this two-track collaboration between Eddie C and Keita Sano to be pretty darn good. It is, of course, with the pair carving their own mind-mangling, breathlessly energetic niche on 'Disco Universal' - a certified throb-job in which trippy noises, exotic instrument samples and pulse-racing electronic motifs rise above a thumping beat and Italo-disco style sequenced bassline. It slows down midway through, 'French Kiss' style, before the duo brilliantly bring it back to a peak-time tempo. They explore sub-heavy, garage-influenced deep house and breakbeat pastures on the dreamy, weighty, impactful and acid-fired 'Joy Joy Joy', once more showcasing the diversity of their musical influences.
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