Hello,
Compilations have been the big thing this November, and no matter whether your poison's techno, dubstep, juke, or hip-hop, this month had something in store for you: Ostgut Ton's 'Fünf', Modeselektor's 'Modeselektion', Ghettophiles 'Overkill' and Listen Up's 'Cosmopolyphonic' are all full to the brim with brand-new and exclusive tracks - as is our featured release this week, Night Slugs' 'Allstars Volume 1' compilation.
The good old artist album didn't go out of fashion however, with amazing full-lengths supplied by Space Dimension Controller, Brian Eno, Magda, Christopher Rau, Red Rack'em, Francesco Tristano, Aux 88, Patrice Bäumel, Radio Slave, and many others.
As the year draws to a close it is once again time for our 30 to zero New Year Countdown! From tomorrow on we will be counting down our favourite tracks of 2010, giving away each track as a free download to our users. Check our blog tomorrow at 4pm CET for more info as well as the first track! |
FEATURED RELEASE
Few labels have captured the spirit of 2010 as well as London's Night Slugs imprint. Launched in January to the beat of Mosca's 'Square One', Night Slugs managed to embody everything that made dance music interesting this year: The prevalence of dubstep as one of the most imaginative electronic music styles around, the resurgence of party-compatible techno, the heart-warming pop sensibilities of funky house.
Night Slugs' rise has not remained unnoticed: The label's releases have subject of continuous praise from the press, including a recent label of the year award from prestigious FACT magazine.
'Allstars Volume 1' summarises label's astonishing first year with many of Night Slugs' irresistible dance-floor hits, like Lil Silva's r'n'b inspired 'Golds to Get', and Girl Unit's pop-step anthem, 'Wut'. The included exclusives are just as good: Egyptrixx's delirious 'Liberation Front' for instance, or '(Baby I Don't Know) What you Want' by new signing Jacques Greene, which word on the street has already made out as 'the next Hyph Mngo'.
But even without giving in to hyperbole, 'Night Slugs Allstars Volume 1' offers a hugely entertaining selection of tracks that are both bold and flawlessly executed, from a label that - perhaps more so than any other this year - represents the current cutting edge of dance music. Essential purchase.
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TECHNO / HOUSE ESSENTIALS
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Berlin's legendary techno matrimony of club and label, Berghain and Ostgut, sees the label celebrating an extraordinary five years with a unique release. Each track uses a library of field recordings of the building itself recorded by Emika, the results are stunning and diverse. An outstanding testament to an incredible label.
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Album released 10-11-2010 on Trouw
Patrice Bäumel tones the energetic sound of his releases for Get Physical and Trapez down a notch for his debut album 'Vapour'. Nine cuts of melodic techno with deep pad swashes and touches of ambient and electro. Nice.
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The much revered deep jazz house of Red Rack'em over the past few years has now been compiled onto this sublime digital release with a handful of new material to boot. With the glowing seal of approval from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Greg Wilson, this is a great introduction to his work. Highly recommended!
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Debut album by Hamburg-based Rau lands on Smallville, following on from the acclaimed single 'Ne Travaillez Jamais' in 2009. 'Asper Clouds' continues in his intricate, imaginative house style blending luscious samples and warm basslines to create a truly accomplished album. Outstanding.
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It's been an incredibly busy year for Crosstown Rebels and the London-based label tops it with a massive three volume compilation with some of the biggest tunes from the past years, along with selected unreleased cuts. Also included is a mix by Peace Division's Clive Henry.
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Album released 10-11-2010 on Minus
'From The Fallen Page' is Magda's long-expected debut album and combines Minus-style minimal techno with Magda's love for 1970s horror movie soundtracks - hence the tellingly titled opener 'Get Down Goblin'. One for the fans.
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Cocoon's master of ceremony, Sven Väth, compiles the sound of the club's 11th season on two AAA mixes, themed 'Night' and 'Day'. With tracks by DJ Qu, DJ Koze, Maetrik, Kyle Hall, and Plaid, we find the Day mix an especially intriguing proposition.
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After a couple of 12"s this year, techno rebels Tommy Hamilton and Keith Tucker give their Black Tokyo project a full release. Recruiting two new vocalists, the wickedest Detroit electro fuses with the hi-tech fantasy of Japan's capital city. A next level sci-fi vision as realised by experts. Top!
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Brilliant retrospective of the early works of Recloose, who like no one else knows how to work those soul and jazz references into futuristic house music tracks. Includes unreleased and rare material, as well as five additional tracks to the CD version.
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Compilation released 01-11-2010 on Infiné
Showcasing new talent, hand-picked by Infiné boss Agoria, this compilation is an eclectic selection. From the epic downtempo pop of Manvoy De Saint Sadrill to the folky electronica of Kid A and the finely carved experimental techno of Messina, this is a very commendable selection of ones to watch!
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Album released 15-11-2010 on Rekids
Much anticipated album from Matt Edwards' elusive The Machine project, following on from the 'Fuse' remixes by Ame and Dixon on Innervisions last year. Compiling rich exotic fragments into intriguing collages with a lurking wicked techno expertise, it's an exhilarating journey. Double thumbs up.
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The title (translated 'alchemy') exudes the mystery that Buenos Aires based Seph accomplishes in his debut album. Seph's sonic experiments are not bound by techno but rather enabled by it, creating bewitching rich and expressive textures with revered attention to each sound. Impressive.
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Keyboardist of Cobblestone Jazz and The Modern Deep Left Quartet releases his debut long player, showing the range and diversity of his plentiful producer talent. Freely breeding modern jazz with deep grooving house and Latino flavours, this is a strong spirited and refreshing album. Recommended!
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First appearing on his impeccable Berghain 04 mix from earlier this year, 'Compression Session' gets its own release - a pensive, ebbing and almost euphoric track, one of Klock's most melodious yet. 'Static Test' bounces with a more punishing edge whilst 'Compression Session 2' bubbles darkly below the surface. Wicked.
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Two ice-cold, brilliantly swinging techno tracks from Minilogue. 'Jakata A' echoes icy Swedish plains across it 9:30 minutes of eerie arpeggios, while 'Jakata B' sports a more organic vibe with filtered vocals and a reduced pace. Highly recomended.
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Following on from Echospace's 2007's mighty 'The Coldest Season' album, Stephen Hitchell lets the dub reggae influence seep further through the fine dub techno framework. A devastating combination of the warmest deep bass and echoey ice-scapes, magnified by Tikiman's tender vocals. Highly recommended!
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Maxi-Single released 29-11-2010 on Dial
The eclectic expertise of Roman Flügel's productions is perfectly placed in this release on Dial. Title track 'How To Spread Lies' is a pure stunner, a haunting piano melody, aromas of acoustic instruments over a seductive shuffle. Flawless and exquisite electronic and acoustic fusions. Top!
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The team-up of Kink & Neville Watson follows up their recent string of floor-fillers ('Full Flight', 'Inside Out') with yet another great old-school jacker: 'Metropole' combines classic Chicago house with contemporary production and a 'French Kiss' inspired breakdown. Hit!
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Maxi-Single released 05-11-2010 on Faitiche
Berlin experimentalist Jan Jelinek returns after a six year break from his much lauded Farben project, his unique brand of micro detailed house. Farben EP is a beautiful collection of intricately crafted winding textures, quaint percussion and fragmented lush house grooves. Recommended.
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South-African producer Culoe De Song debuted on Innervisions in 2009 and now follows up his remarkable success with his 'Webaba EP'. Two emotional and introspective tracks that fuse deep house with elements of African percussion and vocals. Recommended.
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Crosstown Rebels drop this bomb by fresh talent Russ Yallop: Combining house and disco vibes with a seductive bassline and flirtatious vocals, 'I Can't Wait' is a prime grade floor anthem, while the more overtly discoish 'Rock Me' works like a dream as well. Hit!
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Maxi-Single released 01-11-2010 on Dial
Sturdy, spacious maxi single from house heavyweight Isolée out on Dial. 'Toern' is stripped and crisp with the driest stab fluttering in and out and the title track is deeper, winding synths over a metallic shuffle, both executed in his unique timeless style. Ace.
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Out on the newly founded Vienna Wildstyle Recordings, this collaboration between Herbert Gollini (Cheap Records) and Helmut Wolfgruber sets high standards. Tough and incredibly beautifully textured tracks, pursuing fragments ranging from industrial techno to finest electroacoustics. Highly recommended!
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Maxi-Single released 22-11-2010 on CLR
The fourth part of Traversable Wormhole below-zero techno excursions, with two excellent remixes by Terrence Fixmer and Tommy Four Seven complementing Adam Mitchell's sublime originals. Indispensable material for the Berghain heads.
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Always innovating and challenging the dub-techno template, Brendon Moeller drops this ace release on Delsin sub-label Ann Aimee. 'Close Up' trips rhythmically and gallops with noisy microscopic details whilst 'Mobility' kicks deep with tingling dub bubbles. Killer!
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Terrence Fixmer guest-stars on Tiga's Turbo label with 'Epsilon' and 'Rotor', two tracks of spacious and bleepy Pan_sonic techno, which get treated to two denser percussive edits by Glasgows Sei A. Highly recommended for Ostgut and Sandwell fans.
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Two fiercely jacking, Chicago-flavoured tracks on Horizontal Ground, as always delivered anonymously. Taking cues from the likes of DJ Funk or Cajmere, this is a killer pair of tracks, bound to devastate any techno and house floor.
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Another strong release for Finland's Samuli Kemppi on Luke Slater's Mote-Evolver imprint. The title track broods dark tones and a sinister shuffle, whilst 'Complex Numbers' lashes out with punishing rhythmic patterns. Includes a mean claustrophobic dub edit by Planetary Assault Systems.
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Excellent deep techhouse from Glasgow's Marco Bernardi, featuring Aux 88's Keith Tucker on the title track. With diligent house beats and great, complex synth-lines this is certainly one of Bernardi's strongest releases so far.
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Three absolutely corkin' dance tracks by the elusive Geeeman with 'Rubberband2' pumping with a snappy, utterly demented energy, 'Ghost' eerily sweeping and snapping and 'Computer Jackin'' bleeping over a devilish soca beat. Blinding!
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With a handful of smashing releases on Quintessentials, Doppelschall and Firecracker in the past couple of years, Ukrainian born Vakula drops this one on Best Works. Sultry deep house grooves locking in strains of Detroit funk with deeper lush remixes by André Lodemann and Amsterdam's Juju & Jordash, top!
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Robag Wruhme drops two great mixes of his favourite Fenin track, 'None Of Them', crafting immaculate, bouncing dub techno from the original. Check the instrumental 'Berfa Lubb Dubbse' as well.
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DUBSTEP / HIP HOP / 2STEP ESSENTIALS
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Album released 29-11-2010 on Tempa
Key pioneers of dubstep, London group Horsepower Productions fronted by Benny Ill return to Tempa with their first album in six years. Finely sculpted bass textures and mystery-laden samples, deep, brooding and atmospheric, setting the benchmark for dubstep high again indeed. Outstanding.
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Expanded compilation to celebrate Modeselektion Vol.01, a bona fide who's who in the dubstep and techno bass continuum. Featuring a whole lot more than the recent vinyl version with Cosmin TRG, Robag Wruhme, eLan and Marcel Dettmann buttressing up the army of Modeselektion! Absolutely essential.
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Going from strength to strength, Belfast's bright young star knocks out another stunning release effortlessly combining deep house, space-funk, Detroit techno in a soulful, groovin' hot-pot. Seeped in cosmic fantasy and utterly spell-bounding, SDC truly impresses yet again. Excellent.
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Following up Tokimonsta's 'Midnight Menu' album, Japanese imprint Listen Up releases 'Cosmopolyphonic', which compiles 18 tracks of cutting-edge future r'n'b and instrumental hip-hop. Featuring Onra, Devonwho, Tokimonsta alongside Japan's finest. Ace!
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Ghettophiles follow up the recent success of Spinn & Rashad's '4 The Ghetto' EP with the zero" exclusive 'Overkill' compilation, featuring eight high-speed, rhythmically adventurous tracks from the depths of Chicago's underground. Highly Recommended.
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Untold debuts on R&S with two tracks that can be seen as a tribute to the legendary label. 'Stereo Freeze' is a crazy crossover of dubstep and Detroit electro, while 'Mass Dreams Of The Future' joins deep techno with a stepped-up funk factor and massive subbass. Highly recommended.
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Glasgow's own Taz rips it up for Numbers on his debut EP for the label. 'Gold Tooth Grin' is a brilliantly pop flavoured future r'n'b track in the vein of Joker or HudMo, while 'Robogrime' and 'Strike First' take it into harder saw-tooth territory. Impressive.
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Rush Hour presents a first part of high-profile remixes for Shake: Falty DL strips 'Assimilated' down to a sparse, percussive groove, punctured by old-school rave stabs. Space Dimension Controller turns 'Detroit State Of Mind' into an intergalactic funk-house piece. Great!
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Few can hold a candle to Dave Huismans' prolific output at the moment, and 'Rear Window', his A Made Up Sound's debut for Delsin, is once again a classic slice of chord-driven techno funk. Its stumbling beats get even more non-linear on the track's 'Shattered' edit. Killer.
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Known up until now mainly as a James Blake collaborator, Airhead more than proves his worth in his solo action. Calmly and confidently he teases out a finely detailed ambient scape, littered with elements of dance music achingly just out of reach, with a sublime Nick Höppner remix to boot. Heavenly!
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ELECTRONICA / AMBIENT ESSENTIALS
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Album released 15-11-2010 on Infiné
Francesco Tristano forges ahead with his masterful synergy of classical and electronic, reinforced with help from Carl Craig. A beautiful deconstruction of the piano Tristano revolves around, reimagined with the beating heart of Detroit, where the album was recorded. Spectacular.
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A testament to the improvisational practice of Brian Eno with long-term collaborators Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams as well as Eno's preoccupation with film soundtracks, the album purposefully evokes the atmospheres of faceless places and spaces. A delicate and enjoyable exploration of the ambient genre.
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Half of experimental electronic duo SND, Mark Fell releases this solo album inspired by the concept of 'Multistability' taken from Gestalt theory. The result is extremely lusciously engineered synthetic sounds, explored in vast yet minimal rhythmical labyrinths, hugely enjoyable headf*ck extraordinaire!
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Album released 08-11-2010 on Kompakt
Kompakt presents the self-titled debut album of anonymous duo Jatoma, which is a perfect fit for the Cologne label in its fusion of organic and futuristic sounds. Encompassing slowed down ambient techno as well Cluster-like electronica, this is a highly worthwhile album. Tip.
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While notably influenced by instrumental hip-hop, Shigeto's 'Full Circle' album for Ghostly Cool incorporates shades of ambient music, electronica, dubstep, and jazz to create a rich and intricate sonic palette. Excellent debut for this young producer.
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The fourth album to emerge from Chichester's Rob Tubb, as typically eccentric and flamboyant as you would expect from this one-man tornado. Stylistically snatching at dubstep, electro, IDM and industrial and landing in a world of absurd twisted pop, it's a difficult album to ignore!
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Fennesz, Jim O'Rourke and Pita Rehberg release a two part series of live recordings from their Japan tour. Four concise tracks of powerful harmonic noise, wobbly drones and glitched clicks for fans of impro-electronica. Recommended.
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Album released 22-11-2010 on Touch
Touch release the mesmerizing debut album of young Iranian producer Sohrab. 'A Hidden Place' is a griping document of an artist's cultural isolation and his displacement within his own country. Melancholic string notes and field recordings carry this beautifully fragile album.
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Schiller-collaborator Jette von Roth presents the first release on her own label, co-run by Mijk van Dijk. 'Meer' is smooth album of sparse and tranquil electronica with a neo-classical feel. Pleasant but never overly eager to please, this is a promising debut.
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Taken from his debut full-length, Gold Panda's 'Snow & Taxis' is a perfect example of how his dazzling electronic soundscapes shine even brighter with the right remixes. Cologne's Glitterbug offers an epic ambient rework and upcoming UK talent Throwing Snow delivers a very lush punchy version. Exquisite!
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ALTERNATIVE / POP / DISCO ESSENTIALS
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Album released 23-11-2010 on !K7
Sealing the astounding coherency of their live electroacoustic minimal techno, Brandt Brauer Frick release their first full length with triumph. Their highly individual sound flourishes, making for fascinating and pleasurable listening. Grooving and sophisticated!
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Stunning remix edition of Caribou's recent hit album 'Swim', featuring a wealth of red-hot producers taking on Dan Snaith's psychedelic disco-pop songs, Junior Boys, James Holden, DJ Koze, Motorcity Drum Ensemble, Gold Panda, and Ikonika among them. Excellent.
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Exciting new project on the always inventive Optimo Music label. A bunch of kids, aged between 10 and 25, came together in The Green Door Studio in Glasgow recording brilliant cover versions of stone cold classics by ESG, The Monks or The Stooges. Very inspired, crude and deadly.
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World-wide talent scout Gilles Peterson releases the sixth in the Brownswood Bubblers series, an international platform for little known or young talent. From anthemic soul out along a whole spectrum to fresh bass mutations by Tectonic's Pursuit Grooves and Gang Colours. Must check!
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Excellent compilation mixed by Permanent Vacation heads Benjamin Fröhlich and Tom Bioly, this is a dazzling reminder of the Munich label's quality disco house releases of the past few years. Completely filled to the brim with hits, the proceeds of this release go to the charity Play31. Very recommended!
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Trentemøller remixes his own 'Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!!!', turning the psychedelic rock slammer into an indie-techno bomb. More remixes come from Andrew Weatherall and Lulu Rouge, while a live video demonstrates the track's stadium-rocking potential.
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Super-hot remixes for our favourite indie act at the moment, The Hundred In The Hands. 'Commotion' gets a funked-up disco-tech treatment courtesy of mysterious hotshots Tiger & Woods, as well as a remake by edit king Capracara a.k.a. Automan. Recommended.
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Taken from his much praised 'Black City' album earlier this year, Matthew Dear's dysfunctional pop gets two sweet reworks. Wolf + Lamb's shooting star Nicolas Jaar softens the original pinched electro riff with his warm melodic flair and Ed Banger's Breakbot exaggerates the electro-pop schmooze. Hot.
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Enticing package from Belgian's Aeroplane with the seductive candy pop of 'Without Lies' featuring Sky Ferreira on vocals. The Black Van duo (Kris Menace & koweSix) leave the vocals behind and soars to blissful disco heights and the funkin' Breakbot mix induces a bouncing pop reverie. Dreamy!
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Rush Hour follows up Mandré's recently reissued '4' album with 'Solar Flight', the cosmic-disco-jazz anthem that became a classic at the Loft in 1977, and which comes backed by the proto-techno of the Felix Dickinson & Nick The Record edit of 'M3000'. Vintage.
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Sexually charged electro-pop from Copenhagen based duo Fagget Fairys teach us how to 'Feed The Horse' via charmingly trashy bedroom techno with tastes of hip-hop, dancehall and Bailefunk all thrown in. DJ Hell works his magic to smooth the track out into a big room anthem. Entertaining.
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Yes, it's the original Laid Back, who have put the finishing touches to a track they started 30 years ago, allegedly on the same night they recorded their legendary 'White Horse'. Essentially a more modern sounding follow-up, 'Cocaine Cool' breathes pure 80s chic.
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Another legendary 80s act to raise from the dead this month is The Human League, whose 'Night People' is a precursor to their forthcoming 10th studio album 'Credo' and does quite a respectable job at combining their synth-pop roots with a ravey dance-floor edge.
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Two slices of top grade cosmic disco from Black Van project of KoweSix of Moonbootica and Kris Menace (Compuphonic). 'Moments Of Excellence' robotically steers a sturdy synth bassline workout through the galaxy whilst 'The Calling' goes disco deep with emotive piano keys.
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