Search results: Mell

Review: There's been plenty of online chatter about the confrontational title of Omar-S's latest full-length outing, and arguably not enough focus on the music itself (or the fact that the guest list contains Rick Wilhite, Norm Talley and OB Ignitt for that matter). This is unfortunate, because as usual Alex 'Omar' Smith has hit the spot. The six untitled tracks are impressively varied, with Smith effortlessly moving between 21st century P-funk (track one), cowbell-powered deep house funk (track 2), sparse and synth-heavy acid house hypnotism (track three), disco-house jack (track four), sub-heavy Detroit-meets-Sheffield minimalism (track five) and sunrise-ready dancefloor dreaminess (track six).

Review: A few eyebrows were raised when Omar-S announced the title of his latest album. While clearly meant as a controversial talking point, the title should not distract from what is one of Alex 'Omar' Smith's strongest collections of cuts to date - and one with an all-star cast of Motor City collaborators (Rick Wilhite, Norm Talley and OB Ignitt all feature). Musically, it's pleasingly diverse, with Smith effortlessly drifting between 21st century P-funk ("In My City"), cowbell-powered deep-house funk ("Don't Leave Me Standing Yeea"), sparse and synth-heavy house hypnotism ("Mell'like Boom Boom In'dair"), disco-house jack ("Washtenaw County Horn Section"), sub-heavy Detroit-meets-Sheffield minimalism ("You Gotta Beat The Clock") and sunrise-ready dancefloor dreaminess ("Simply"). This CD edition also includes four cuts not available on the vinyl edition.

Review: Ellen Allien's BPitch Control label is one of the European mainstays. It has done everything from art school tech to gritty house to more punchy techno in its long history and now this fifth volume of its long-running We Are Not Alone series gives us another snapshot of where it is at in 2023. The list of artists included speaks to Ellen's dedication to unearthing interesting producers rather than relying simply on tried and tested big names like many other labels of this age. The sounds, too, are as innovative as they explore a range of techno moods and grooves to impactful effect. Kudos all around for this one.