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Review: Especial returns to its concept of taking music it loves - in this case Sfire's debut EP - and remixing them for a stand-alone release. Teaming up with Berlin's Cocktail d'Amore Music, mixing desk duties are taken by newcomer Kris Baha, as well as label mainstays Jamie Paton and INHALT and the esteemed Lauer.

Sfire's debut EP was one of those records that comes out to little fanfare but steadily becomes a sought after classic - something unique and until the recent repress was unsurprisingly going for casino money on the second hand market.

Following Discodromo's remix of Khidja (EES019) the EP was born with an aim to include all 3 originals in remixed form. Prime space is given to Melbourne / Berlin producer Kris Baha. With is Power Station label and parties now names to watch, plus releases upcoming on Kinfolk and Bahnsteig23, his version of Sfire 2 takes the original's prominent 80s' heartfelt influences and adds arpeggio's, shredded guitar and DMode keys on a bumping, throbbing journey down the Cosmic Hole.

Next Jamie Paton goes deep, with subdued arps, dubbed percussion and haunting bass refrain, all pulsing the vocals to a Distant Dreams meets Goodbye Horses sonnet.

This is backed with versions of Sfire 3. First San Fran's INHALT return with their unique modern Italo and West Coast Cold Wave mix, adding guitar and bass on a trip across the trans-peninne highway from Mancs to Sheffield and back with love.

Finally, Lauer's killer 303, electro reversion is the apt end. A remix that is more than a simple Synth-Pop retake, with 909s lifting the EP to finale. "You felt so close to me..."

Review: Bamboo Room lands on (Emotional) Especial in a fit of 80s grooves as you would expect to find on the label, but this is in fact the handiwork of debutant duo Duncan Thornley and Laurence Horstman. As Weird Weather they're exploring the fertile hinterland between proto-house, dub abstractions and worldly sounds - they may not be the first to do so, but they sound like complete naturals in this curious bubble. "Sequence 5" is a driving beatdown peppered with space-shaping delays and reverbs, while "Trash Dolphin" takes a cooler approach with some delicate percussive tones and chimes. "Bamboo Room" is a stark, stern beat track fit for a mid 80s cop thriller soundtrack, and the "Ormus Mix" that follows shrugs off most of the drums and heads into satin-lined ambient territory.

Review: After a couple of releases for the label, including many notable remixes, plus an excellent recent 7" for Hoga Nord Rekords, Jamie returns to the warm glow of Especial for a collective vinyl only EP of 4 'unreleased' remixes brought together for limited release.

Opening is his dark, brooding rework of See You In The Dark from Sexy Merlin's 2012 release Heater. Taking the 2mins + plus original and feeding it through modular and space echo environs, this long form remix has been alighting dance floors whenever aired. Throbbing bass and phased, twisted vocals pull the track deeper, all with that neu-wave touch that has become Jamie's hallmark - whether sought or not!

Next Jamie turns to the Eastern melodies of Guy Schalom. The drummer and percussionist first came in to Paton's orbit via his partnership within Cage & Aviary and his remix here strips the original to his affinity with dub and bass. Horns rise and fall, driven by snare and dabuka in a unique reversion of a version in the truest (es)sense. Roots and vulture y'all.

The B-side heads back deep with his wonderful remix of Gatos Negros's Overdrive. Taken from the bands 7th Life album on Spain's Rotten City, the interplay with arpeggio, bass and vocals shows why Jamie has his own unique following.

Closing the EP sees a return to a relationship first seen via Cage & Aviary's remixes of Blancmange in 2014. A mutual admiration achieved, the band requested a special remix of their rerecorded 1982 classic Feel Me. Jamie rebuilds the track with a nod to it's past, his own sound and also, as a final homage to nights remembered at the Brixton HQ years of World Unknown, where the original was such a highlight. Here comes a love song...

Review: Originally operating in the 80s industrial scene, Plus Instruments have recently found a new lease of life. (Emotional) Especial are just the kind of label to jump on such deviant club fare, and on this package "Love Is Enough" gets a variety of remixes that all embrace the groups seedy ambience. Richard Sen brings a muscular thrust to the track, while Khidja takes a more delicate approach. Luke Solomon meanwhile casts his years of experience in oddball house on his steady grooving version, and then Jamie Paton taps into the industrial vein to finish the package off in fine style.

Review: It's fair to say Khijda's debut EP on Especial was one of the highlights of the label to date. Mustafa - in original form and remixed to distraction by Timothy J Fairplay - became the soundtrack for many a Summer party, while Abul was perfect for those deeper late night
afters.
This time though we present a stand alone 4 track EP of original music so that Khijda's sound can be full explored. Starting with the title cut, the duo aim right for the dance floor, mixing throbbing live bass, guitar and a touch of Eastern mystic vocals that twist and rise higher and higher.
This is followed by the deep dub vibes of Aura. Coming on as if the idjut Boys had relocated to Istanbul, the bass rumble and tripped out fx are overlaid with strings, xylophone and even a nice does of (more) cowbell that is full of funk and ass moving swing.
On the flip is where things take a warped turn with Indecis. It's incessant rhythm and
Eastern flavour, mixed with 80's style cut up vocals, take the sounds championed by Baris K and Acid Arab to new (and bazar) heights.
Finally then, the EP comes down with the beautiful 'Balearic' grooves of The Quiet And The Red Stop. With a nod to their roots Khidja again forge their own journey, creating and carving out a sound of their own that is unique and at the same time compelling. Watch the skies.

Review: Especial is proud to announce a special release with 2 official remixes of the seminal afro-cosmic classic. With a nod to both the future and past, remixes come from NYC's drum-loop champ, Justin Van Der Volgen and is backed perfectly with Dusseldorf's mysterious tribal exponents, The Durian Brothers. Harking the original in many ways, Van Der Volgen's remix is a perfect homage. A crucial key change, plus subtle loops and arrangement make the right moves, allowing the instruments to build and build to the infamous horns and scat vocals interplay and on to crescendo. For their version, The Durian Brother eschewed simple remix in favour of a live jam which merges the Brothers poly-rhythmic percussion with the African influenced swing, guitar chops and horn stabs of the original. A perfect jam between the bands, but some 3 decades apart. Hope you enjoy.

Review: Especial is proud to announce a special release with 2 official remixes of the seminal afro-cosmic classic. With a nod to both the future and past, remixes come from NYC's drum-loop champ, Justin Van Der Volgen and is backed perfectly with Dusseldorf's mysterious tribal exponents, The Durian Brothers. When given the original masters by founder member Stefan Krachten, the conundrum was how to handle music that is a timeless classic. Most associated with the afro-cosmic scene, Masimbabele has actually been staple of DJs across the globe, so the remixes should look forward not not just back. Added to this, the recent sad passing of both Stefan and vocalist Reebop Kwaku Baah and the project has added poignancy. Therefore, the two artists asked to do 2015 remix updates were personal favourites of the label and also, capable of doing justice some 30 years after it was recorded. As a DJ, producer and remixer wunderkind, Justin Van Der Volgen's releases on the likes of Golf Channel, ESP Institute and TBD, plus killer remixes of !!!, Soft Rocks and most recently his doubleheader Todd Terje reworks, meant it was a must to have him involved on this project. Harking the original in many ways, his remix is a perfect homage. A crucial key change, plus subtle loops and arrangment make the right moves, allowing the instruments to build and build to the infamous horns and scat vocals interplay and on to crescendo. As a double A side, bringing The Durian Brothers in was the perfect foil. An art-music project, the band has released a series of EPs on their own Diskant label to cult appreciation. A big influence on how parent label Emotional Response was formed, the secretive trio have been drawn out to work with on their only ever remix, for a song that is an influential and important song in their own make up. To this end the band wanted to create a version that sees them jamming live with the original musicians, including a young Dominik Von Senger on guitar. Eschewing the vocals, the remix merges the Brothers poly-rhythmic percussion with the African influenced swing, guitar chops and horn stabs of the original. A perfect jam between the bands, but some 3 decades apart. Hope you enjoy.

Review: After releases for Discos Capablanca and Moon Glyth, Minneapolis collective Food Pyramid align with Especial for a remix EP based around "Oh Mercy", a track from their 2012 album Mango Sunrise. Apparently a long term favourite of label boss Stuart Leath, the warped breakbeat jam-fusion of the original is ripe for reinvention and gets the remix treatment from Especial in-house team Apophenia, Inhalt and Jamie Paton. It's the full on italo pumper remix from San Francisco's Inhalt that really impresses too, with Especial right to compare it to Timmy Regisford classic remix of "Rules To Survive" by NOIA.

Review: Stuart Leath flexes his contacts book with an all-star cast of producers and respected scalpel artists called on to rework cuts from the recent Never Seen The Dunes EP by Khidja. Any 12" featuring the collective talents of Discodromo, In Flagranti, Red Axes and Selvy on mixing desk duties should get you excited and this crew bring the disco heat. "Never Seen The Dunes" is given the Discodromo treatment, adding pulsating bass, driving arpeggio, all while allowing the bump of the original to keeping pushing things on. This is followed by In Flagranti's inspired 'Autobahn' retake of the deeper vibes of "Aura" which is apparently a huge favourite of the label. A matured cruiser that keeps the swing, it all leads to those strings and Eastern flavours gliding over for the perfect finale. Things head darker on the reverse, with Tel Aviv's shinning stars Red Axes, manning the controls for the scatter bounce of "Indecis" for the stand out remix. Twisted vocals, brooding FX and reversed guitar all atop a mesmeric kick, things just keeps going higher and higher. Finally "The Quiet Before The Red Stop" is tweaked by Selvy of The Very Polish Cut Outs and Transatlantyk fame, adding some club bump to Khidja's Balearic original.

Review: To accompany the upcoming second [Emotional] Especial compilation, this Sampler 12" again focuses on some unreleased gems, unheard versions and a special remix. We start with a remix from Khidja and their own take on the very special "Masimbabele". Upon hearing a Remix EP was in the works, the duo begged for a go and rightly so, as here is possibly the best remix, with a dubby groover. This is followed by an unreleased cut by another, but not forgotten, combo. While C&A are M.I.A, here then is an extended rework of a stand out pop-ode taken from their underrated Migration album. On the flip is new member, Alphonse, taking his proto-rave-poem deep in to the echo chamber to create a unique dub that is very much for the smokers. Finally, Khidja offer the 'original' version of "Looki". An ambient version appeared in early 2015, but here, finally, with kick, bass and some wiggle, is their balearic masterpiece. Gracias Discos Especials !!

Review: [Emotional] Especial is the new label from the Emotional Recordings stable. A sub label to Emotional Response, Especial is though squarely aimed at the floor rather than the head. In a similar vain to the limited 4 EPs-only label that was Emotional Relish, it will merge the sounds and styles that influence contemporary electronic producers, taking in new wave, new beat, EBM and proto-house to create something modern. Jamie Paton of Cage & Aviary helms the debut release with Bizarre Feeling. A youth soaking up punk, dub and new wave, the EP acts at times as a homage to the sounds of New Order, The The, Kraftwerk and the then other-worldly machine funk emanating out of mid-80s Chicago. With both Timothy J Fairplay and Scott Fraser aiding and abetting down in the Scrutton Street bunker studio, with keys, guitar and a heavy dose of space echo, plus hypnotic FX laden vocals from Jamie himself, all propel the EP beyond pastiche and make the perfect start to Especial.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Especial is delighted to welcome Baris to the roster. Known for his edit series of obscure Turkish Psychedelic, Rock and Disco, here he takes the producer's chair to present "200". Working with musicians and singers to create a completely original production. The song's message for equality (of the sexes) highlights the bigotry and backward political and religious boundaries his country faces and acts as a siren to the current troubles. Handed to Emotional Recordings over 5 years ago but with no label to release it at that time, now we are delighted to be able to release 200's message. The original is backed with remixed from new production duo Khidja, as well as East London's finest, The Asphodells. Teaming up with guitarist Balabas, Romania's Khidja turn in a deep and introspective interpretation mixing their own heavy eastern influences, while the B-side sees Weatherall and Fairplay don their Asphodells mantle for two renditions that firmly lay it before the ALFOS alter. With artwork (by Jamie Paton) highlighting the struggle for fairness and freedom in his homeland, we hope the release can be seen as a support for their tribulations and highlight the talent that lays East.

Review: Friends for many years, Richard Sen and Scott Fraser come together with a dose of mutual admiration and back slapping by remixing each other on this 2 track EP. However, what makes this collaboration different is there are no original versions appearing, just these remixes. By completing an unfinished track of each the other, the pair have taken the respective unarranged music and gone back to their East London studios to, in essence, finish the other's songs in the form a "remix". Known for a myriad of deep electronic dubs in the last few years, Scott provides plenty of surprises with his remix of Richard's Night Navigator. A driving 10+ minutes 'piano-house' opus, the late 80s Italian / Balearic vibrations run straight through his interpretation of that classic Mediterranean sound. Not for long though, as firmly dragging things straight back to the dark and wet streets of Hackney, Richard takes Scott's Ask For Control and creates a tough, percussive, deep dub remix that would propel any basement dance floor through the early hours.

Review: Following their acclaimed debut album, Migration, on Prins Thomas' Internasjonal label in 2012, Jamie Paton and Nigel Hoyle (aka Nigel Of Bermondsey) have seemed relatively quiet save for the odd remix here and there. Tucked away deep in their South East London base though, a series of remixes and solo projects have been steadily forming. With new C&A material planned for 2014, plus more to come from Jamie's new solo efforts, as well as Nigel making a long overdue reappearance in Maurice & Charles, now seems the right time to draw a line under their collective work to date. Here then are a collection of unreleased interpretations, including the sought after vocal remix of psychedelic darlings, in Goat's anthemic Run To Your Mama. This is followed by a late night dub of 80s pop duo Blancmange that mixes strings, guitar and some dub bass with a dose of space echo before bringing Neil Arthur's classically recognisable refrain shining through. To finish is a remix of Goat's label mates Teeth Of The Sea. FX-soundtrack vocal, bubbling 303 and 808 combine on a proper 3am dub that builds beyond some mere drug-chug.

Review: Having a debut that managed to possibly be the most regularly outed track by Andrew Weatherall as he dug deep to discover the sound that resonated as A Love From Outer Space, while at the same time seemingly slipping under the radar of practically everyone else and disappearing in to relative cult obscurity is some mean feat.
Unperturbed that the odd(disco)ball that was the acidic genius of Morodor In Milan was shamefully overlooked, Maurice & Charles have again taken time out from their daytime media and art enriched lives to hunker down and offer up another take on their twisted idea of what makes people groove. In Sofa Love, their ode to the marvels and pitfalls of the mega-city, bubbling 303 again underpins a twisted lyrical journey. Set against crashing percussion, this is their peaen to la Metropole. Ably supporting it is a driving, rhythmic workout from our own Jamie Paton, taking the original and stripping everything back to jack like it should. If that frightens off the less adventurous, then I,Carpenter will perhaps offer a respite. An off-kilter, acid-funk nod to the experimentations of Eno & Byrne, this quirky gem makes you wonder, why did no-one use that sample before? To end comes a solo debut from Soft Rock's Piers Harrison. His drum heavy remix straightens things up and lets the story unfold.

Review: ** REPRESS ALERT ** Emotional Especial return with a release from Romanian duo Khidja that comes packing some excellent remixes from senor Fairplay and Juju & Jordash! Brought to the attention of EE thanks to Hardway Brother Sean Johnston, who returned from a Bucharest DJ gig singing the praises of two young DJs, Khidja's productions are as impressive as their selections on the evidence here. "Mustafa" is more immediate with shuffle percussion, swirling sirens and acid bubbles leading to a perfect horn break. In the hands of Mr Fairplay, the track takes on anthemic qualities; the stabbing bass and build have allegedly seen howls of appreciation when it's dropped at A Love From Outer Space. "Abdul" finds Khidja in a more calming mood reminiscent of Art of Noise, though the kick and bass ensure there is plenty of rhythmic emphasis, whilst the Juju & Jordash remix edges towards a Balearic digidub vibe.

Review: To accompany the release of Especial's compilation mix CD, "Eleccio" - offering of a
snapshot of the first 9 EPs on the label - a limited edition sampler EP is being released
featuring 4 unreleased remixes from the label's roster to date.
Ever since the first white labels appeared at the end of Summer 2013, [Emotional] Especial
has had a busy release schedule, putting out music that are a slightly warped take on club
music. Mixing the influences of dub, electro, disco, proto-house, house and techno, a feeling,
a sound, a vibe has appeared without any preordained plan.
With the release of EES10CD - a DJ meets studio compilation mix created by label mainstay
and handyman, Jamie Paton - to mark the end of first series of the label, it was decided to
included a couple of specal unreleased remixes to add a bit of new with the old in the mix.
To that end this limited edition vinyl sampler was created to include the two remixes, plus
the inclusion of another two gems that simply needed to see the light of day.
First is the alternative "Member" remix of Inhalt by Black Merlin - a strings meets leather
bar club-dub-out that takes things deeper and darker than before. This is followed by Jamie
delivering his own take of Khidja's massive Mustafa, with a warped, swamped out dub. Next
is another mix from Cage & Aviary of their pals, Blancemange. Brooding low-slung rerub dub
anyone? Finally there is a very special remix by Khidja of The Ganges Orchestra. Reissued
on Emotional Rescue in 2013, this special remix takes the vocal mantra of the original and
creates a balearic-raga tale that perfectly rounds off Especial to date.

Review: Former Padded Cell and Bronx Dogs man Richard Sen has made some great records in his time, and "Songs of Pressure" is up there with the best of them. Joining the dots between murky dub disco, horror soundtracks and EBM, it layers spooky, delay-laden synthesizer motifs and wonky vocal samples atop a heavy dub rhythm and punchy machine drums. Pals Andrew Weatherall and Timothy J Fairplay deliver a bongo-laden, dubbed-out revision (part wayward exotica, part humid Balearic dub), while Acca strips the track down to its' nare bones for a ket-addled Dub. It's a fantastic 12", and limited to just 99 copies. You snooze, you lose.

Review: [Emotional] Especial looks back at the first 9 releases since its inception to provide a
selection or "Eleccio" via a special dubbed out DJ meets studio mix from label stalwart
Jamie Paton. Ever since the first white labels appeared at the end of Summer 2013, [Emotional] Especial
has been busy putting out music that are their own warped take on club music. Mixing the
influences of dub, electro, disco, proto-house, house and techno, a sound appeared without any preordained plan. To celebrate the end of the first series of releases come EES10CD - a DJ meets studio
compilation mix created by label artist, remixer and even in-house designer, Jamie Paton. Freaturing tracks from every EP, including two unreleased remixes are the tight productions
of Richard Sen; the wiggle of Scott Fraser; deep, chugging Cage & Aviary dubs; the Eastern
influences of Baris K and newcomers Khidja; the quirky discoid wonk of Maurice & Charles and finally not forgetting of course, the stand out Timothy J Fairplay touches. Whether
alongside Mr Weatherall, Andy Blake or in solo remix mode, young "Junior"s skills (and name)
grows and grows.
All this is perfectly put together by Jamie Paton, the man who launched the label with his
Bizarre Feeling EP. As well as the inclusion of several unreleased cuts, Jamie has edited the
"selection", adding live studio dubbing, FX and the odd mega-mix to make it truly (E)special.

Review: Emotional Especial is the new label from the people that brought you the Emotional Rescue, Emotional Response and the (limited shelf life) Emotional Relish. Emotional Especiale will focus on the sounds and styles that influenced contemporary disco producers, taking in new wave, new beat, EBM and proto house with a remit to span the 90-115BPM tempo range. Jamie Paton of Cage & Aviary fame helms the debut EE release with the Bizarre Feeling EP which features a titular homage to New Order as well as some rough punk funk for punks in disco pumps ("To The Light") and odd Compass Point style disco dub "Ju Know".

Review: The second release from the new "protoid" focussed Emotional Especial sees the welcome return of Baris K. The Turkish DJ and record digger is notable for many things (not least his BIS appearance that engendered an apoplectic response from Victor From Washington Heights) and his appearance on EE comes in the shape of "200" licensed from the killer Nation compilation The Modern Electronic Element Serie 2 released back in 2011. Romanian duo Kidja line the A Side with the rather poignant original whilst Weatherall and Fairplay don their Asphodells gear for two renditions on the flip

Review: The pairing of Jeffrey Sfire with Samuel Long (aka PC Music producer Sophie) produced some discoid synth-pop manna for the CockTail d'Amore label when it first appeared back in 2013. Now the duo have been handed over to [Emotional] Especial, who have tasked two choice remixers with turning out some fresh versions of the tracks from the original EP. Timothy J. Fairplay keeps the wave dark and cold on his remix of "Sfire 2", using noirish synth lines to interplay with Sfire's on-point vocal. Meanwhile Willie Burns ramps up the atmospherics with some heavyweight pads on his first remix of "Sfire 3" before turning the original into a cheeky peak time burner for his second.

Review: Former Padded Cell and Bronx Dogs man Richard Sen has made some great records in his time, and "Songs of Pressure" is up there with the best of them. Joining the dots between murky dub disco, horror soundtracks and EBM, it layers spooky, delay-laden synthesizer motifs and wonky vocal samples atop a heavy dub rhythm and punchy machine drums. Pals Andrew Weatherall and Timothy J Fairplay deliver a bongo-laden, dubbed-out revision (part wayward exotica, part humid Balearic dub), while Acca strips the track down to its' nare bones for a ket-addled Dub.

Review: Previously spotted on Emotional [Especial] with the fantastic Love Is Enough 12", Plus Instruments get the remix treatment in a classic '80s style with the Dub Is Enough single. The producers tasked with delivering versions vary wildly, but they make for a strong combination. Jamie Paton's "Cloudy Dub-Out" is masterful, simmering the elements down to a sensual bassline and delicate ripples on top, while Luke Solomon brings his bumpy, off-kilter house style to the table. Khidja has a more dramatic, synth laden approach and Alphonse creates a dusty, funky roller out of that killer bassline groove.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Travelling both space and time with his constructions, Alphonse Rozel makes a welcome return on [Emotional] Especial after the Same For Me EP released last year. The incisive hit of the disco beat on "Smokey" is hard to ignore, while the booming toms and African chant lines feed into a perfect slice of dancefloor dynamite from an unspecified era. Meanwhile The Pilotwings take to the track with glee, whipping out some crisp breaks to drop over the proceedings in a pleasingly early '90s manner. "Glint AM" is quite the foil to the A side, leaning on some uplifting synth chords to provide the magic around the crafty drum programming.

Review: With the Bizarre Feeling EP laying the sound for the subsequent fist year of the label, it is right Jamie returns with EP#2 to move things forward with another twisted take on his unique mutoid-protoid-machine-funk-groove. Starting with Mad Obsession you would be forgiven for thinking you'll have Bizarre Feeling Part 2, with warped vocals - taken from late night, half asleep scribbled notes - and space echo haze, but let the percussion work-out trip you up and the stars in and before you know it things start going leftfild and then deeper with the Free Party Sound System bass line shuffl of Time Nearly Time. What he is on (about), no one knows. It is on the flp however that things take a darker turn. Beyond the confession booth, down sharp stairs and dripping ceiling to a red light lit room of latter day late night blues.

Review: Emotional Especial and Cocktail d'Amore Music enter 'cahoot-mode' once again with a second round of Sfire remixes that take proceedings down a deeper, more stripped-back path courtesy of the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns. Two artists who need little introduction offer up two remixes each that take the unique original to new dance floor extremes. Timothy steps up first with his take on "Sfire 2" via differing vocal and instrumental versions. His trademark, echo laden rolling percussion and John Carpenter-style key lines take the original Synth-pop homage to the dark room. Adding Arps, a lifting, hedonistic breakdown and the scatter-stepper drums and claps found on the Instrumental version and this is pure COTF territory and the better for it. Mr Willie Burns meanwhile has long followed his own path for his take on "Sfire 3", offering one of his deepest remixes to date. Thudding kick, brooding pads and dark strings force the vocals to go down, way down for examination. The distorted vocals of Remix 1 are countered by Remix 2 letting the track shine via a seemingly endless 4/4 beat. Psychedelic, trance inducing, pulsating, this is an ever growing mind expanse.

Review: Jamie Paton has been a regular fixture on [Emotional] Especial since the label first came to light, conjuring up a seductive blend of leftfield dance music with a broad range of influences. This time around he's turning out some of his remixes, leading in with the sweaty, dense throb of Sexy Merlin's "See You In The Dark". Guy Schlalom's "Habibi" by way of contrast becomes a lighter confection peppered with bubbly synth lines and an almost poppy persuasion. Blancmange's "Feel Me" has a more cosmic lilt in its voluminous tones, and "Overdrive" by Gatos Negros drifts out on an off-kilter kind of boogie for all manner of deviant dancers to get head-nodding to.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Stuart Leath flexes his contacts book with an all-star cast of producers and respected scalpel artists called on to rework cuts from the recent Never Seen The Dunes EP by Khidja. Any 12" featuring the collective talents of Discodromo, In Flagranti, Red Axes and Selvy on mixing desk duties should get you excited and this crew bring the disco heat. "Never Seen The Dunes" is given the Discodromo treatment, adding pulsating bass, driving arpeggio, all while allowing the bump of the original to keeping pushing things on. This is followed by In Flagranti's inspired 'Autobahn' retake of the deeper vibes of "Aura" which is apparently a huge favourite of the label. A matured cruiser that keeps the swing, it all leads to those strings and Eastern flavours gliding over for the perfect finale. Things head darker on the reverse, with Tel Aviv's shinning stars Red Axes, manning the controls for the scatter bounce of "Indecis" for the stand out remix. Twisted vocals, brooding FX and reversed guitar all atop a mesmeric kick, things just keeps going higher and higher. Finally "The Quiet Before The Red Stop" is tweaked by Selvy of The Very Polish Cut Outs and Transatlantyk fame, adding some club bump to Khidja's Balearic original.

Review: Phil Gerus is a rising talent that fits right into the (Emotional) Especial mould with his sharply realised 80s bombast and dynamic electro funk production style. Treating body-popping club tracks as a vessel for heartfelt expression, these tracks have it all from Linn Drum boogie to fully capable instrumental chops, all shot through with Gerus' choice new wave vocals. Lauer hops on board for a seductive remix of "Still Blind" that ups the sensual intensity of the track while keeping the club foremost in his mind, before Jamie Paton steps up on the flip with a couple of freakier turns that dub the original out into deadly, spooky jams for more adventurous party people to get loose to.

Review: Kris Baha had a big year in 2019 with the release of his debut album on CockTail d'Amore and an EP on Pinkman, and now the Australian body music man in Berlin is back with a high-pressure heater for [Emotional] Especial. "Barely Alive" is the kind of sinewy proto-industrial cut that will appeal to fans of Ministry's earlier work, when the synths reigned supreme and there was pop to match the noir. Especial then call on a cast of remixers to interpret the track in different ways, from Timothy J Fairplay amping up the dystopian disco tropes to Das Ding creating a sleek electro-funk twist with the original's gothic undertones intact.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Emotional Especial and Cocktail d'Amore Music enter 'cahoot-mode' once again with a second round of Sfire remixes that take proceedings down a deeper, more stripped-back path courtesy of the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns. Two artists who need little introduction offer up two remixes each that take the unique original to new dance floor extremes. Timothy steps up first with his take on "Sfire 2" via differing vocal and instrumental versions. His trademark, echo laden rolling percussion and John Carpenter-style key lines take the original Synth-pop homage to the dark room. Adding Arps, a lifting, hedonistic breakdown and the scatter-stepper drums and claps found on the Instrumental version and this is pure COTF territory and the better for it. Mr Willie Burns meanwhile has long followed his own path for his take on "Sfire 3", offering one of his deepest remixes to date. Thudding kick, brooding pads and dark strings force the vocals to go down, way down for examination. The distorted vocals of Remix 1 are countered by Remix 2 letting the track shine via a seemingly endless 4/4 beat. Psychedelic, trance inducing, pulsating, this is an ever growing mind expanse.

Review: The mysterious Al Tone returns with another edition of crisp editcraft but this time on their own brand new label 020312. Business as usual in the groove department, though... "Remember Me" is a sultry disco funk jam, "Beggar" has a touch of Lagos late 70s about it with its fizzy guitar work and loose but firm strut while "Heaven" lives up to its name with full falsetto charm. Finally we close this monumental party with "Long Journey" an outrageously funky gospel jam that will have your floor asunder by the first slap bass twang and happy slappy piano roll. These numbers stack up.

Review: This tidy collection of deep house remixes brings together a whole host of heavyweight names with some sunkissed vibes to get the outdoor party season started early. Cesaria Evora's "Nho" gets the treatment from none other than the mighty Kerri Chandler, who gives the Latin vibes a subtle bump and some sumptuous strings. DJ Spen and Karizma take things more straight up as they tackle Loverush's "Dancin", rolling out a silky smooth deep house version. Vincent Inc's "Walking On The Disco Street" appears in its original, heavy-funking form, and then Joey Negro's mix of "Bring It Back To Love" pushes into the upper reaches of peppy disco house with pattering bongos and gorgeous Rhodes keys aplenty underneath the life affirming vocal.

Review: The 1 Life crew had a strong start with the likes of Kerri Chandler, DJ Spen & Karizma and Joey Negro contributing to a disco-fied house sound. Volume two on the label is no slouch either, ranging from Vincent Inc & LA's smoky "Cafe Tropical" before launching into Rico De Almenda's sassy, joyous take on "Watermelon Man". Venus Attack Project get into a deeper, percussive mood on the incendiary "Grass Culture" before Vincent Floyd completes the set with the heartfelt acid bubble of "Trail Of Tears". From organic sounds to box jams, these tracks speak directly to the foundations on which house music was built.

Review: 1 Life returns to its "Keep It Deep" series with another sizzling slab of feel good party wares designed to blow the clouds away. First up, Vincent Inc remixes Julian Sanza's "Starduster" with the slickest kind of '80s funk - like a Level 42 deep cut on steroids. Rune Lindbaek and Frisvold get deep in the mangroves with their swampy version of "Sunset On Punta Paloma" by Incarnations. Cosmic master Danielle Baldelli and Dionigi bring some slick Italo vibes and subtly psychedelic flourishes to their original production "Prepare To Energize", while Jorge Savoretti shakes up Mateo & Matos' "Vibe" and turns it into a snapping, clacking deep house workout par excellence.