Search results: Caramell

Review: NOUN Records is a brand new sub-label of the much love Undersound Recordings, and it is all about serving up electronic music exclusively on 10" format. Caramel Chameleon opens up with a couple of tunes that he says are inspired by memories he has of childhood when he would walk on green hills. 'Sugary 2096 (Acid mix)' sure has a nostalgic feel, with its conversational synth leads and subtle acid lines washing over a crisp, punchy electro beat. O the flip is the more downbeat 'Apulian Feelings' with its rasping bassline and gentle, smeared chords bring a cosmic feel. A fine first EP.

Review: An exciting four tracker from Eudaimonia Records here, presenting the simple task of exploring the outer reaches of the world we find ourselves in through the lens of acid. Both time-honoured and fresh-faced artists appear on this selectors' compilation and their tracks recall everything from the more space-agey, low-register corners of acid electro to the sunnier, arpier, R&S-style breaks.

Review: Don't let the playful, tongue-in-cheek title put you off; this EP does not contain 'Balearic gabba', should such a thing exist, but rather a quartet of largely dancefloor focused remixes of delightful downtempo cuts from the Hell Yeah! Recordings catalogue. SIRS steps up first to deliver a chugging, Italo-disco-goes-Balearic re-make of Carmel 3000's 'Super Rapido', before we're treated to one of Calm's TB-303-laden 'mellow acid' dubs, this time of Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties' gorgeous, soft and sun-soaked 'Sometimes Remember'. Over on side B, Feel Fly delivers a soft-focus Balearic deep house take on Pedro Bertho and Mariana Gehring's 'Tornei', while DJ Spun's revision of My Friend Dario's 'Acid Mosquito in a Summer Night' is a twisted, genuinely psychedelic dub disco excursion.

Notes: Stores up to 30 12" records. Crafted from premium vegan leather. It features 1mm anti-shock interior padding on every side for optimal records protection. This version also features a padded interior divider for laptops up to 15". YKK top and zipper closure in this version also with zipper pulls to facilitate user experience. Front pocket for phone, cables, accessories. Selektor front label.

Dimensions: 34 cm x 34 cm x 14 cm.

Review: Russia's Gnoomes (aka Sasha Painkov and his wife Masha Piankova) have really overcome some hefty odds to get out their new album Ax Ox - the pandemic, illness, depression and of course turmoil back home. But it was worth the graft as they offer up a potent and moving mix of melancholia and strident optimism. The mix up the hope of dream pop with the drive of Krautrock, the vidid melodies of transcendent music with plenty of great narratives about the troubled relationship the band has with their home country. This is an eye-opening and thought-provoking record that is very much reflective of the troubled global times in which we love.

Review: German outfit Cluster were pioneers in the world of prog rock, Kraut and experimental early electronic music some 50-odd years ago. Their music still resonates to this day - and fetches high prices for those willing to pay it - but thankfully reissues like this keep it available to those of us more interested in the music than the format or the investment value. This one is rooted in cold wave and synth elegance, with its loose-limbed rhythms and bendy chords, cosmic intonations and ever-optimistic melodies all making for a brilliantly unique listen and cosmic journey.

Review: The grandly titled Sounds Of The Universe: Art + Sound 2012-15 sees the always excellent Soul Jazz compile together the series of limited 12" releases the label has issued over the past three years. The double CD release features both these cuts and a whole host of new productions from some like-minded artists, but this LP sampler houses just those previously released tracks. It's a great move by Soul Jazz too, given how rare the original 12"s were and any self-respecting fan of electronic music should check Art + Sound for the Kassem Mosse, Andres, Heatsick and Tenderlonious cuts in particular. Taking grip of the entire B-side, Mosse's heat treated track "Staat Aus Glas" is 13 minutes long but could easily go one for three times as long without losing any of its charm.

Review: Hospital Records has reached a milestone that few independent labels ever do: their 500th release. It's an astonishing achievement, so to mark the occasion they've put together a two-disc set of exclusives and previously unheard remixes of classic label cuts. While there are few surprises, there's plenty of heat on show, from the sparkling, summery d&b brilliance of Marky and Makoto's remix of Solah's 'Everything Is Possible', and the bowel-bothering bassline-goes-D&B mind-warp of 'Red Pill' by Flava D, to the ragga jungle-with-steel pan-melodies of Voltage's Sweet Irie hook-up 'Natty Love (Serum VIP)' and the punchy, MC-sporting peak-time weight of Iyre's 'Want No Drama (feat T-Man)'. Throw in fine contributions from Hospital mainstays London Elektricity, SPY and Logistics, and you have an excellent celebration of one of British dance music's most iconic imprints.

Review: 500 releases deep... Hospital celebrate a significant moment in their discog with this epic collection of originals and remixes from the widest rainbow of talents imaginable. From Enei to Makoto, the full range is flexing here. Highlights galore but attention needs to be paid to the fantastic futuristic funk link between Rohaan & MRSA (AKA Mat Zo), Hugh Hardie & Stay-C's space-aged swooper 'Impala', the brazen rudeness of Unglued Lens & Whiney's 'Lazy Hardcore' and the sweet jazzy subtleties of Winslow's 'Spaced Out'. Here's to the next 500.

Review: Netherlands-based 030303 Records is back with a fifth installment in its various artists series. As with the previous four editions, this is high-class electronic music pure and simple. Caramel Chameleon kicks off with a good time mix of cheery melodies and chattery drums, then Perseus Traxx brings his signature analogue murkiness to the lo-fi house trudge that is 'Something More Than This.' Elsewhere you will find quietly optimistic cuts like Raving Kid' restless 'Edgware Acid' or the dream house reveries of Kreggo's 'Hearthpulse' amongst many other varied treasures.

Review: Faith Evans released her Keep The Faith album, one of the three platinum-certified records she put out between 1995 and 2001, just 12 months after losing her then-husband Notorious BIG. It arrived on Bad Boy Records and was almost entirely written and produced by Evans herself. It was a highlight of the 90s soul-pop era with top ten singles including 'All Night Long' and 'Love Like This.' Evans brought plenty of raw pain to her vocal deliveries even though on the surface the commercial r&b tunes are easy to access. It's a heartfelt homage to her late husband that is just as touching today.