FEATURED RELEASE
Compilation released 06-06-2011 on Laid
Dial sub-label Laid was always touted as a vinyl-only label, a perfect special outlet to Hamburg's house connoisseurs. Complementing Dial's steady growth since 2000, the formerly exclusive Laid imprint makes a leap into the digital and gives some killer tracks greater accessibility with this release.
With Chicago's Rick Wade's 'Intelligence' maxi the first release in 2009, from which the epic 'Ricky's Groove' features here on the compilation, Laid made its mark for showcasing the strong US-house traditions amongst the artists, regardless of their geographical origins.
Pushing the rougher side are tracks like Black Jazz Consortium's 'Applied Vibes', Kassem Mosse bringing his usual raw edge and Marcello Napoletano's psychedelic touch, the smooth and deep is expertly catered for by Lawrence, John Roberts and Christopher Rau and lush jacking grooves are generously rolled out by RNDM and Smallpeople.
A stunning compilation which shows an admirable unity, despite the diversity of the artists it covers. Deep and soulful techno-house, which holds tradition as close to its core as it does a forward-thinking attitude.
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MORE TECHNO HOUSE ESSENTIALS
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Craig Smith and Graeme Clark's debut album has been tipped as something special all along, and we're happy to concur: its biggest achievement possibly being how fresh its combination of hypnotic wildpitch disco, funk, soul, and house music sounds today. Excellent and highly recommended.
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Tiga's Turbo Recordings is an interesting choice of label for Swiss producer Crowdpleaser's debut album - its subtly instrumented house and deep techno cuts take cues from afrobebat, jazz and downbeat and wouldn't seem out of place of Circus Company or Innervisions either. Nice.
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Jacob Korn contributes the first solo EP to his hometown's much acclaimed Uncanny Valley label: Organic stomper 'She' receives two great remix treatments from current hotshots Iron Curtis and John Talabot, and the epic house jam 'Once Love' gets thrown in as a bonus. Excellent release, essential!
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Ostgut Ton enlists fresh and up-and-coming talent to remix Panorama Bar resident Steffi's warmly-received debut album, 'Yours & Mine'. R&S/Werk Discs' house revisionist Lone, Restoration Berlin's purists The Analogue Cops, and relative unknown, Staffan Lindberg, all feature on this solid remix EP.
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After singles on Meakusma and Rush Hour, Massimiliano Pagliara releases his debut full-length on the prestigious LARJ imprint. Thick with retro-synths and dreamily slow disco-influenced beats and vocals, Chicago house and synthpop arife, it's nostalgia with a modern twist. Blissful listening.
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Paul Kalkbrenner takes on his superstar status with a good measure of irony, since the movie-hit 'Berlin Calling' made Berlin's techno scene the talk of everyone and their mom. Declaring 'Me Again', his album returns to his minimalistic and melodic techno roots.
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Once again directed by Hannes Stöhr of 'Berlin Calling' fame with additional visuals supplied by Berlin's Pfadfinderei, '2010 - A Live Documentary' features live footage of Paul Kalkbrenner's biggest tracks to date as well as a one-hour behind-the-scenes documentary. '2010' is now available from zero" as a HD (720px) video edition.
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Two quite different tracks by Innervision artist Marcus Worgull: 'Long Way' is almost a pop song with its strummed guitars and elegiac vocals, 'Coppa' on the other hand is a piece of arpeggiated, hypnotic house music, reminding us of Worgull's label colleagues Âme.
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Disco Nihilist Mike Taylor surfaces on Running Back with six raw and jacking tracks. Opener 'Greasy Grind' is a particularly mean slice of stomping Chicago acid, and while subsequent tracks like 'Sci-Fi On Tape' deliver slightly deeper moods, this is definitely one for fans of rough and dirty house music. Recommended.
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Martin Dawson (Crosstown Rebels, Moodmusic) and the seemingly ubiquitous Catz N' Dogz link up for a collaboration surfacing on Get Physical Music. 'No Nights' featuring tough drum machine beats and the vocal talents of Nnaji rejuvenates dance floors with its dark and edgy, pop-tinged techno.
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Aera has established himself as one of the most hotly tipped names in underground deep house music over the past year - as part of Goldwill and with his solo releases on his own Aleph Music label. His 'The Third Wave EP' once again serves four drifting, stumbling house cuts of the highest calibre. Great.
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Barcelona's Galaktika label celebrates its first 5 years with a classy compilation featuring Maceo Plex, Iron Curtis, Pablo Bolivar, Cosmic Cowboys, Clement Meyer, Gui Boratto and many, many more. With 28 tracks and two one-hour mixes by Maetrik and Garnica, this volume definitely offers a bang for the buck.
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Leipzig's Kann Records steps up its game with an outstandingly lush compilation of exquisite deep house featuring the label's Bender & Sevensol, Map.ache and Johannes Beck alongside Efdemin, Dorisburg (aka Genius Of Time), Workshop's Even Tuell and Falke. Nothing but quality throughout, highly recommended!
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Roman Rauch debuts on Philpot in the form of a remix EP of his 'Can't Get Enough' EP on Tjumy Records. Label head Soulphiction turns the title track into an irresistible dancefloor treat, while rising talent Erdbeerschnitzel's quirky, bouncy remix of 'Bio Rhythm' and Rauch's own 'Dirty Haze' round out this fine EP.
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Shlomi Aber's excellent 'Chicago Days, Detroit Nights' sees a some big remixers such as Ian Pooley, Nic and Mark Fanciulli step-up, with Josh Wink's deeper rework of 'Slow Dancer' a lush opener and Chris Liebing's paranoia shuffle-up our favs.
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UK-based House/Techno artist, Alex Jones, has steadily accumulated releases on several notable record labels such as Kindisch, Tsuba, Murmur and Hypercolour. Now in his first appearance on Connaisseur Recordings, Jones combines influences from disco, pop, and even acid house to haunting effect.
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Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt strike gold with this wonderful EP on the newly launched Exquisite Pain Recordings. 'Gold Snake's shimmering dramatic synth-lines make a slo-disco house daze, 'Come On' goes laidback house with piano and strings, with an oozing warm Iron Curtis remix to boot. Top EP!
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Maxi-Single released 30-05-2011 on Dial
Our recent zero" podcast artist Roman Flügel appears again on Hamburg's Dial. In contrast to the subtle ambient atmospheres of 'How To Spread Lies', 'Brasil' is filled with wandering exotic melodies and warm dreamy textures carried off in Mr Flügel's masterful production style. Very fine modern techno.
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Fresh Berlin talent Dave Vega debuts on Thoughtless with two solid cuts of minimalistic ("Altars of Magic") and chord-driven ("In A Chord With Something") tech-house, while Toronto's Basic Soul Unit derives two flanged-up analogue jackers from the former that should please all Crème Organization and JTC fans. Nice one.
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A home-grown talent from the Cocoon camp, Mark Reeve delivers three dancefloor workouts on his 'Daybreak On Mars Ep', adding filtered chords, echoing synth lines and Detroit pads to his minimalistic and percussive rhythms. Efficient.
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EP released 26-05-2011 on Yore
UK producer Orlando Britain releases a second EP on Yore after his stunning 'Beneath The Surface' last year. Indebted to classic house and techno, opener 'Contemplate' washes lush synths over a chilled house groove, 'MotorCity' glistens with a thick bassy soulfulness. Deep and dreamy killer tracks!
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Raiders of the Lost ARP aka Mario Pierro with releases on Nature Records graces the ranks of Snuff Trax. Opening with a soulful and teasing house number, roughed-up for the dance in Portugal's Photonz remix, further big vocal on 'Hold On' and Chicago hero K-Alexi Shelby on the remix. Old-school bliss!
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Maxi-Single released 25-05-2011 on Intacto
A sweat-inducing single from Glimpse, who after recent appearances on Crosstown Rebels gets down and dutty on Intacto. 'Work That Body' has a bare and primal percussive frame with liberally applied grunts, 'Red Cheeks' shares a similar energy via a funkin' bassline and a stellar remix from Intacto's Shinedoe to boot.
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