Daniel Steinberg

reviews:105

Nick Monaco
The Stalker EP
Soul Clap Records

SCR1206NICKMONACOArtworkThis has to be one of Soul Claps finest releases with Nick Monaco’s sure-fire funky arrangement sounding every bit as compelling and edgy as the title suggests. But while there are a number of great remixes on offer its all down to the original version’s hypnotic charm to seduce you in total. Subject wise it’s about stalking, so no surprise there then, and the vocal is certainly suitably smoky cool, but it’s also very much about the guitar plucked groove that captures your imagination too. Soul Clap supply their own excellent and heavier Tribal version, with Tanner Ross getting deeper on his, leaving Navid Izadi to break up the beats with an atmospheric backdrop to the voice over. Remaining tracks, Boy Meets World explores jazzy moodiness and Boy Meets World references classic eighties Electro beats complimented by smouldering chords.

release: November 25

https://www.facebook.com/nick.monaco.music

http://soulclap.us

 

JMX
Jus Housin EP
Extended Play Recordings

No prizes for guessing what this is all about. Four fierce House cuts for your dancefloor pleasure once again sees the Belfast producer, and co-label head, get it spot on. Opening with the blistering Rock The Bells and its uplifting combination of excitable vocals, thumping bass, infectious stabs and, of course, some seriously funky cowbells. Can’t Slow Down, replays the formula minus the cowbell while again hitting you with an array of voices and captivating stabs. It Is What It Is, is the EP’s more thoughtful production feeling deeper with crisp drums offsetting tense string lines and rolling bass. JC Williams remix then finishes on a high with piano complimenting the bouncy, jazzy b-lines on what is another very fine release from the label.

release: November 18

https://www.facebook.com/pages/JMX/358489487500429

http://extendedplayrecordings.com

 

Daniel Steinberg
In My World EP
Arms & Legs Records

danDaniel Steinberg follows neatly on from where his excellent album, Treptow left off earlier in the year with this fresh set of diverse sounds and rhythms. But not one to rely on cliques his music always makes for rewarding listening. Gardezia begins with up-tempo beats and warm, jazzy electric piano inflections setting the tone perfectly. The excellent low-slung, In My World follows with soulful vocals and irresistible funky-horn punctuated grooves put through their paces via the producers’ willful imagination. Leiser Minelli completes with uneasy beats accompanied by a further sprinkling of keys and picturesque atmosphere’s again highlighting the Berlin producers’ musical prowess.

release: November 25

http://www.armsandlegs.de

https://soundcloud.com/arms-and-legs-records/sets/daniel-steinberg-in-my-world

The Emotions
Come Into Our World: Expanded Edition
Big Break Records

Having already recorded one of my favourite soulful records, Flowers in 1976 The Emotions went on to release this album three years later. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White and featuring all of those distinctive harmonies alongside feel-good grooves the opening ‘What’s The Name Of Your Love?’ very much typifies the sound. The mid-paced numbers do their own thing too such as the following, Cause I Love You which smooches along suitably. You can clearly hear all the E,W & F references occurring from their Boogie Wonderland period resulting in this sounding like sunshine on a rainy day. Another fine re-issue from bbr.

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/bigbreak-exd.asp?id=4396

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Reviews:82

Daniel_Steinberg_by_Marie_Staggat_51swDaniel Steinberg
Treptow
Arms & Legs

Treptow plays with a strange mix of fevered excitement, confusion, and reassuring familiarity while ripping up the rule book in the process. So much so that I’ve listened to it three times in a row now and each time is more exhilarating then the last. Why? Well because Let Me Down begins with a brooding sense of expectation which continues to pervade the album and it’s that very mood that lends Treptow its sheer strength of feeling. Put it this way, this is the kind of long player that you can’t switch off from; you need to hear what’s going to happen next! Having said all that of course, when you get to the exquisitely uplifting Can’t find My Baby and then Joy And Happiness the exception to the rule quickly flies out the window. You will want to hit the replay button. What then follows is a vibrant exercise in creative production ideas that flow seamlessly through the uber funk of Only You Can Make Me High and on into I Can Be Your Trip. It’s an extremely rewarding listen throughout spanning fourteen tracks, with zero filler, while containing plenty of surprises along the way colouring the album with a sizzling energy. The imaginative track list plays with a succession of original thoughts but also reworks bundles of unexpected samples as on the slammin’ soul of Tomorrow and All Around. Which by the time you reach the finishing climax leaves you with the distinct feeling that you’ve just participated in something spectacular. Can’t wait to hear if someone comes up with better in 2013: Album of the year?

release:

https://www.facebook.com/ArmsandLegs

http://www.armsandlegs.de/

https://soundcloud.com/arms-and-legs-records/sets/daniel-steinberg-treptow

 

patPatrick Dawes
Raising Stones
Tummy Touch Records

You’ve got to admire the lovely audacity of Tummy Touch for releasing an album full of music that pushes at the boundaries of sound and rhythm. Raising Stone is a unique listen that doesn’t play easily with melody or indeed with drums. Patrick Dawes spent almost ten years as percussionist with Groove Armada and has taken twelve years to release this since his debut, so you can draw whatever conclusions you like from that. The album sits somewhere between beautiful psychedelic folk, manic afro beats and caustic free jazz. You’ll love it. It opens with the title track featuring Maggie Nicols from the late sixties avant-garde to abruptly set the scene. And among the highlights are the beautiful Floyd/ Roy Harper inspired Trees and the quite frankly out there Fly. If you ever consider yourself thinking out of the box..?

release: March 25

http://patrickdawes.com

http://tummytouch.greedbag.com/buy/raising-stone-2/

https://soundcloud.com/millionpr/trees-by-patrick-dawes

 

The Title Sequence
Stills

The third of three almost equally excellent albums this week flips the coin into somewhere else from the two above. From the double tracked vocals of Syd Barret-esque Sound which typifies the wistful, melancholy leanings of the album David Bailey and Nick Crofts delightful long player is just waiting for the perfect moment to be played. There’s something pleasantly breezy about the melodies and guitar strums supplied and in many ways this is easy listening personified i.e. it’s easy to listen too. From the blatant Pop of You belong To me to the more introspective, and interesting, Jigsaw Days Stills does very little wrong.

http://titlesequence.tumblr.com/

https://soundcloud.com/thetitlesequence/the-title-sequence-sound

The Title Sequence – STILLS (Album Promo) from TTS VISION on Vimeo.

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