This Polish duo have of course been producing music of quality and distinction for quite some time now but with Session 1 they have surpassed themselves. Featuring three new tracks with the elegant yet edgy tones of Fears playing like standout for me this music again refreshingly points towards the New Year and credible beginnings. Moody bass pushes the arrangement forward with haunting electronics nailing it all together along with breathy vocals only adding to the heightened experience. The equally engaging Echoes & The Beauty probes other corners via melancholy hints and far reaching low-end theory eventually cumulating in more strident piano chords. The remix comes from Jackspeare whose Interpretation sets stereo to stun with shimmering landscapes pulsating while setting pulses racing. Intro Price (Burnin’ In My Soul) completes the picture with more in the way of straight up House beats complimented by soulful vocals plus accompanying chiming bass tones.
Soul Sway ‘Don’t Step Down EP’ Savoir Faire Musique
Hovering around your radar – or he certainly should be – Jesus Pablo now delivers on his promise with these excellent remixes of Don’t Step Down. Eloquently embracing the funk with cool bass technique and strident keys the led version of the title track deftly simmers with tension, then adds some more. The DJ Congo Tool of Round 2Â follows with stereo wide percussion, slap bass and an unexpected arrangement leaving the remix of Think to impressively explore piano aspects and devilishly smart hats. 9
Karol XV II & MB Valence ‘Vintage Box (Remixes)’ Loco Records
Three tracks featured in the Vintage Box series for Loco now receive the remix treatment and feel all the more vital for it. First up is Aki Bergan’s Future Jazz Band Remix of Tribute and I couldn’t have put it better myself. Jazz tones clash with contemporary electronica care of fuzzy bass notes while smooth electric piano chords play off more tense improvised sequences and are all joined together by ‘You got to move’ vocals. The Pezzner Remix of Crowded House gets darker in a House vein that splendidly warps together keys and exploding Toms into a heightened climax. This only leaves a flawless Shur-i-kan to rework Rusty Piano and steal the show with killer ivory and moody undercurrents that leave you no choice… 9
I wasn’t sure about The Piano on first listen but hearing it again in the bright winter sunshine it suddenly all makes perfect sense. Initially it seemed doubtful how the classical piano crescendos worked over pounding beats, the slightly awkward feeling hi-hats and acid undertones, but then again – in the right time, in the right place. Jazzy proceeds to hit the sombre notes that fire up the imagination in ways that only Jazz does while its rewarding journey through sound testifies like cool cinema. Brain, opens with a set of chords to pull on your heartstrings in ways which only Deep House can do and feels either like the start of the night or its beautiful ending. Passengers renders undulating Techno stabs in its original form and also on Kerri Chandler’s Mix which gives it a punchier percussion twist aided by additional improvised keys- love that railway station sample too. 8
James Silk ‘Sweet Turning Sherbet EP’ Form & Function
Debut release from this brand new label whose Form & Function sounds like a great theory. Love the opening Sweet Spot’s new-wave bassline that not only brings back good memories but is then whisked impressively up to now with mood inducing pads and strangely familiar sounding vocal edits. Great track for starters. Orange Sherbet continues with intriguing Tech notation, while Turning Over kills you with an epic bassline and a daring Boogie sample which is as serious as anything else I’ve turned up loud this week. 8
Miguel Migs feat. Capleton ‘The System’ Om Records
Lifted from Migs recent album, Outside The Skyline and boasting a diverse selection of versions – including Mad Professor no less! – The System plays like the summer has arrived early. The album mix bounces along niftily with the full vocals blaring out and is playfully complimented by the Petalpusher Salted Disco Dub which strips it all down to electro fizz and gorgeous echo. Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza then hypnotically sets the controls somewhere in between while the said Professor does it all over again with sounds drenched in reverb et all. Try his Dub Version 1 for lessons in bliss. Rob Paine finishes off with heavy bass and the space to highlight Capleton’s big voice delivery. 8
Fair to say that this acts as a trip down memory lane that stretches beyond House music to Balearic gems such as It’s Immaterial ‘Driving Away from Home’ and features many ‘hard to find’ remixes which came to define the sound of the UK from the late eighties to the early nineties. The list of who was who reads like a dream from The Beloved to Leftfield to The Grid, and includes seminal versions by Andrew Weatherall and David Morales amongst many others. This compilation plays for people who feel the need to relive their youth as much as it does for people yet to live it. Bill Brewster’s wise words provide the notes to accompany the two CD set on the first of much more to come (I hope). 9
 Lisbon based producer Vahagns’ sultry infusion of deep bass and pounding four/ four beats fuse together perfectly to ignite Buzzin’ Fly’s aptly timed August release. Substitute the word deep for intense here as the undulating synth stabs build into some kind of ecstasy and then transform more subtly into acid tweaks. Hypnotic in the extreme this beautifully tuned instrumental exudes perfect pitch. Brouqade Records own Dana Ruh adds reverberated drums and old school claps to her uber cool take on the affair with second remix from Nick Chacona adding partial melodic sense to it all. 8
Deep yet twisted. Dark and definitely dangerous. Those are the only ways to fittingly describe Guvernment resident Ovi M’s excellent EP for Manchester Underground Music. Although of course hailing from Toronto the label is nothing if not cosmopolitan in scope. Opening with Ashfault, which immediately dispenses with formalities via heavy sub-bass, nasty drums and insistent voices this proves to be intense House Music for extremes. DJ Meri aka Cylon then takes it all to another level with all sorts of twisted sounds going off , while Lisum does much more of the same, as indeed does Marium, with the apt Links 2 Past finishing by touching on Sneak’s heavy-duty Disco. Â 9
Karol XVII & MB Valence ‘Vintage Box 3′ Loco Records
By my far my favorite in the series of sumptuous music from choice producers Karol XVII & MB Valence number three most effectively combines contemporary style with past influences. The interestingly titled Cottage Cheese Dumplings references jazzy keys and live sounding drums which give it a supremely funky feel perfect for the bar and/ or dancefloor, although preferably somewhere hot and sunny. The Rusty Piano features an almost Murk styled bassline for good measure and climaxes with a bizarrely oddball treatment of said piano. Muzzik then has the vocal of the same name add a human touch to commanding funky rhythms which again put you in mind of somewhere else, perhaps even the windy city. Â 8
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Hohle ‘Conviction EP’ Deep Edition Records
Hohle comprises of Leicester’s City Fly residents Kieran Clare and Lloyd Lindo along with notable sound engineer Francis Sevier. This feels like one the labels’ most accomplished releases to date on Martijn’s already quality imprint, so that’s probably saying something. The Original plays an infectious melancholy vocal over warm keys and pulsating rhythms all of which are undeniably impressive. Moodmusic’s Sasse provides an excellent remix packed with punchy beats and exaggerated claps driving the vocal once again to distraction and back. The Submantra version then picks it up with more energy injected into the drums and filtered vocal treatments, while Martijn’s own remix surpasses himself in terms of his creative use of sounds and their arrangement. 9
 Soulmelt ‘Spot The Difference’ Celestial Recordings
That’s the thing about House Music sometimes it doesn’t necessarily have to sound new to feel right. And in this case it scores on both points. If filtered tough repetitive grooves with uplifting sentiments are your style then this plays just for you. Same Difference comes as an Original plus a deeper Nohijo edit with both versions featuring more and less of the gorgeous trumpet. Rising Tides, not surprisingly, has as touch of the beach about it delivering shimmering atmospheres across tough beats while Daydreamer’s lovely pads and trippy voices feel dangerously close to retro to finish off this excellent release. 9
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Diego B From SP ‘Backlash*Pecto EP’ Kult Records
As soon as the bassline hits you know this means business. Gentlemen of a certain age with a fondness for Giorgio Moroder will love the Electroviolin Mix of Pecto instantly as it transports you back and forth, to then and now, with sublime ease. Searing synths and irrepressible drums complete the picture on this almighty energetic instrumental. Backlash gets nasty with another storming succession of electro beats and harsh stabs leaving you little time to catch your breath… 9
Holy s***t I love this. Following on the epic ‘Bring back the drums’ with Kobbe comes this latest for Kult. Subtlety isn’t exactly the strong point here as techno clashes with Huggo Rizzo’s undoubtedly twisted (that’s in a nice way) mind to produce this rollercoaster ride of electronic beats and original sounds, complimented of course by one almighty breakdown. There’s also the remix of Cytric ‘Filthy Beats’ with Unik which provides a quirky trip through more unexplained notes and another crazed breakdown. 9                                           Â
This Polish duo have of course been producing music of quality and distinction for quite some time now but with Session 1 they have surpassed themselves. Featuring three new tracks with the elegant yet edgy tones of Fears playing like standout for me this music again refreshingly points towards the New Year and credible beginnings. Moody bass pushes the arrangement forward with haunting electronics nailing it all together along with breathy vocals only adding to the heightened experience. The equally engaging Echoes & The Beauty probes other corners via melancholy hints and far reaching low-end theory eventually cumulating in more strident piano chords. The remix comes from Jackspeare whose Interpretation sets stereo to stun with shimmering landscapes pulsating while setting pulses racing. Intro Price (Burnin’ In My Soul) completes the picture with more in the way of straight up House beats complimented by soulful vocals plus accompanying chiming bass tones.
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