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Serious acid house grooves from Detroit's James T. Cotton (aka Dabrye) and D'marc Cantu as 2AM/FM. These dudes don't play around when it comes to jackin' beats and nasty 303 basslines. The title track "Electric Justice(1)" features a deep-ass bass line and...
expand review pitched up vocals that sounds like Mr. Fingers meeting up with the Detroit Grand Pubahs in a big cavernous warehouse. Next check the hypnotic vibes of "Static Vision(2)" - a pulsing 303 backed with persistently pounding percussion will make you lose your mind in the clouds. But if you wanna really get things pumping, check the uber-jacking "iMG(3)" and "Werkin House(4)" both of which take it to level 10. Killer warehouse shit for sure.
-snackmaster
quick audio picks: 12
Ame is literally responsible for changing the sound of dance music today. And their scope of success reaches beyond the dancefloor, as demonstrated here with this 12", originally composed for a German ballet performance at Berghain, Berlin's world famous club. "Fiori" was...
expand review then featured on the "Shut Up & Dance" CD to wide acclaim. The original version of "Fiori(1)" is a 17 minute deep lush ambient track that samples Klaus Schulze's Kraut classic "Stardancer II." This is an epic track that builds and builds with time, full of complex rhythms and melodies. The club mix(2) adds a kick and those typically beautiful Ame arpeggios and repetitive, hypnotic melodies. Still has an ambient vibe, but a great track for end of the night or afterhours play. -Alison Tara
quick audio picks: 12
Ane Brun is a songwriter, vocalist, and guitar player, and a rising star in Norway. Her third album is at #1 on the Norwegian charts, and she now graces Dennis Ferrer's Objekitivity label, with this 12", as a teaser to her upcoming...
expand review album. First up, we have Henrik Schwarz's mix(1), which was created live on his laptop. The track has the same feel of an Ame track, with lush, deep electronic sounds and Brun's stunning vocals. On the flip, Innervisions' Dixon, one of my favorites, delivers a stunning, hypnotizing edit of the original. Special record here- do not sleep! -Alison Tara
quick audio picks: 123
Is "hype minimal" an oxymoron? You know, like "jumbo shrimp?" Many fans will disagree, especially when it comes to the beast which is Matthew Dear. Woop! I meant Audion, same difference. These are the "hype" new minimal tracks from Matt's moniker adding...
expand review to his flawless roster of releases. Click on the main track, "Billy Says Go(1)," for a cosmic ride through the stargate to ancient times. The sound it is strange, eerie and pumping, and he pulls it off with grace. Also check the minimal tech house sounds of (in Randy Savage's voice) "Snap Into It(2)" and "Against All Odds(3)." Gotta check the end of that last track. Seriously takes me back to some sweaty 4am dancin'. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 1234
Portugual wunderkind Portable is a well-known name amongst those in to microhouse and abstract beats, so when the world found out he was making a dancefloor album, they knew they were in for something good. But when they found out it was...
expand review coming out on Ghostly? They knew it would be nothing short of fantastic. Quirky dance tunes like "I, Data(1)" and "World Without End(2)" come across with Kraftwerk like precision and style, while the chunky acid beats of "Equidistant(3)" slide in under the radar for those much needed head-trips. Don't forget that IDM jam "Nanotechnology(4)," either - shit's a scorcher!! Definitely one to slide in one long car trips or boring subway rides - its guaranteed to be a perfect sountrack for any occassion. -minimal man
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This just in! Booka Shade's vinyl release of their new album. If you heard the CD, you've already got a taste of the minimal, tech-house and modern dance flavors that define Booka Shade. The whole album is an artful electronic journey through...
expand review sound giving you heightened moments of ecstasy (like their single "Charlotte") as well as aerobic cool down soundtracks. It's pretty much made for listening and soaking in. And if you have Serato kickin, you probably don' t think the vinyl is necessary, right? Hell nah, bizznatch. These are all the dance mixes they made especially for the DJ's who get live. As far as I know, these mixes aren't available on digital format, making them pretty rare compared to the accessibility of mp3's nowadays. Here's some prime examples of what you're missing: the pumped up "Charlotte - Extended Mix(1)," the dance mix of "Sweet Lies - Spotlight(2)," the hype version of "Dusty Boots(3)," and the dancefloor heaters "Redemption - Factory Mix(4)" & "Monkey On My Deck(5)" which aren't even on the CD version! If you want a listening experience, the CD is perfect. If you wanna pump up your next set, the vinyl is all you. Also, I know there's some of y'all that think that the main picks are the end all of dope tracks on an album. Not true, the whole thing is pretty damn good. Recommended. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 123
Oh God, I know that everything I write in this blurb will be scanned with great scrutiny by Minimal Man, who doesn't work in the office anymore but is such the minimal house master that he checks up on it anyway. Well,...
expand review here goes. Sweet follow up to their Night Express EP that set their name rippling in the minimal/tech house waters last year. Now they've both joined the Spectral Sound army and are once again sweetening the pot with this flavorful single featuring a mysterious remix dude, Schatrax. The original single is so serene and beautiful it brings a damn tear to my eye. Soft early morning lovemaking and a vision of golden sunrise come to mind. I know that's sounds cheesy, but those are probably some of the best things in life. Schatrax(2), on the other hand, does not "Schat" on the track, but instead lifts the intensity with clustered drum patterns, dubbed out keys, thicker bass end, and an epic climax. In short, it's the rocker of the bunch. "Brazil To Detroit(3)" is kinda stomping for minimal. Dirty bass lays the foundation for this gritty ride, which they quickly cover up with soft floating synths. Will this mean a full length from Spectral? I dunno, but I think Minimal Man would say something to the effect of, "They goddamn better, or I'll make them drink bleach until their shit turns white." Detroiters kill me. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 12
I must admit... when I saw that we got another Deadset album, I rolled my eyes to myself and was like "whoopy" in my internal monologue. But, being the trooper I am, I put it on, and immediately retracted my previous statements....
expand review The UK duo of Deadset sure rocked a spot with this one. I'm all about funky synth lines, and you're going to be pretty hard pressed to find something this ass-shakingly good as in "Buzzer Says Werner(1)." I could do without the damn police siren, but whatever... nothing's perfect, right? My good friend and resident NYC party rocker Derek Plaslaiko hit me with this a few times last week, and I was definitely pleased to know that we now carry it. I, personally, am a little more partial to the flip however. "Cardinal Rules(2)" has that slumped and shuffled minimal style that seems to be blowing up all over the place lately. It just jerks along, and you really can't help but to get a little swerve going when you hear those warped chords coming in. Two bumpy, fun and fantastically well produced tracks here. Recommended. -minimal man
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Ok, this is Mad Decent's most loaded release to date. Not only did Diplo call in the Justice League of Remixers, but we stepped up our artwork game (so clean!) and the vinyl mixes sound really, really good. If you got Blaqstarr's...
expand review Supastarr EP, you know he's not your typical Bmore producer. No gimmick tracks here, just dark, crazy original production. "Shake It To The Ground(1)" has been begging for remixes from the start, with its minimal beat and 17-year old Rye Rye's crazy flow. Current remix king Switch and Santogold(2) team up for a fucking bonkers kuduro-flavored mix, which interpolates... well, you'll know when you hear it. Drop The Lime's remix(3) has been getting tons of play - I used to think this dude was all Kid606, but this is hot as hell and totally ready for the club. All this, plus a dirty, bassy mix from SF's Claude VonStroke(4). Comes packaged in the standard Mad Decent sleeve with sticker & artwork by Rory Them Finest. Only 2,000 copies produced. Ummm... recommended. -Larri Byrd
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Michael Dykehouse has been floating around the Ghostly camp for quite some time, and it was only a matter of time before the lo-fi quirk that is Dykehouse got a proper debut on the label. The guy is kind of a phenom...
expand review - mixing this Depeche Mode meets My Bloody Valentine sleeps with Radiohead style fantastically had to have been a chore, but damn, did he ever pull it off. "When You Come(1)" is an instant jam - pairing it with "Lost Holiday(2)" and you've got a great start to a good 80's movie soundtrack. Other notables are "One More Day(3)," the very rocking "Signal Crossing(4)," and dancerock stormer "Chain Smoking(5)." Give this one a thorough listen - you're going to notice more and more in this album with each pass, so don't let it get much rest on your shelves. -minimal man
quick audio picks: 12
Mr. Kevorkian is still traveling into deep space, approaching his mid-fifties! Francois has inhabited a place where all record trends seem to be leading: the intersection of cosmic, dub, house, and techno sounds. "Road Of Life(1)" is a prime example of the...
expand review style, pitting rigid techno drums with more fluid "space" synths. Remixers Quiet Village (aka Joel Martin and Radio Slave), coming off an excellent Mudd remix on Rong, drop an even better version with a relentless (and perfectly EQ'ed) 4/4, and a slowly developing synth line that will have the crowd going mental (in the good way). This is one of those tracks that seems to have a brain of its own, let it work for you. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 12
Cool pair of remixes for on the rise UK band, Friendly Fires. The Aeroplane remix of "Paris(1)" takes the original's lush vibe and shoegaz-ey vocals then multiplies it with their trademark cosmic, balearic sound for optimal "epic chilling" status at 112BPMs. On...
expand review the flip, Kompact's Justus Kohncke does a minimal pop thing(2). Heavyweight vinyl pressing, plays at 33. -snackmaster
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