quick audio picks: 1234
Debut release from Houseguest Music, an offshoot of the popular SF label Guesthouse. Chicago's DJ Sneak is proper name to start things off and he delivers with "Get Da Ho(1)." If I didn't know better, I would have thought that this was...
expand review some vintage jackin' house, especially with that piano sample (the same one used for Moodymann's "Shades of Jae"). Label head DJ Mes provides the remix(2), offering new drums and different chops. This quality release continues with "Marijuana(3)" (features samples about drug smuggling) and "Come Back Johnny(4)." -the mgmnt
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You know what will always kick ass? Industrial. Nitzer Eb's "Join In The Chant" is timeless, and who doesn't love some Nine Inch Nails? (Probably going to get some hate mail from the NIN fanboys on that one, but whatev's...) Kill Memory...
expand review Crash definitely has a very similar style, with grinding guitars and some intense electronics thrown in the mixture, but it goes without saying that anyone that can pull a Richard Devine remix(1) for their album should be played without question. Anything that comes from the Warp records camp is going to be sick - play that remix a few more times, will ya? The original(2) ain&'t so shabby either, but it's not as good as Mr. Devine's concoction. Also don't forget that sleeper third cut, "T. Bombay(3)" - it's a scorcher. -minimal man
quick audio picks: 1234
Mmmm... Dust Traxx. You've provided me many a good house track (love me some old Paul Johnson and Robert Armani), so let's see what you have for me now. Not much to be found about Logic Of Sound, but it's definitely got...
expand review that Chi-Town boompt to it. Both the original versions on here - "Good Ol' Love(1)" and "Expand Your Mind(2)" - are fun, drummy tracks. They don't exactly do much outside of have a few good loops to them, unfortunately - definitely need to be fleshed out a LOT if you ask me. Thankfully, we get two remixes of the A-side. Bon Johnson's mix(3) is more funky house. Very west coast on this one, though - I can almost guarantee, without looking online, that Mark Farina is playing this quite a bit. Where this EP really takes over is on Johnny Fiasco's stripped-to-hell remix(4). Really feeling this one - between the sparse drumming and the atmospheric stabs in there, he's got a real beast on his hands. Reminds me a lot of old Eddie Richards, Jay Tripwire, and Afterdark Inc. -minimal man
quick audio picks: 1234
Debut release from the newly-aligned Machines Don't Care collective, made up of (get ready for this) Herve and Sinden, plus Trevor Loveys, Drop The Lime, Fake Blood, Toddla T, Detboi and Affie Yusef. This Herve-centric volume features Mr. Harvey collaborating with three...
expand review different members on three different cuts: Detboi on the bumping, airhorn-blaring dancehall remix "Sound Boy Massive(1)," Sinden for the bassy, rumbling "Afro Jacker(2)" and Toddla on "Badman(3)." Also includes the Trevor Loveys / Fake Blood team-up "Trouble On The Floor(4)," with additional production from (you guessed it) Herve. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 1234
Second release from the newly-aligned Machines Don't Care collective, made up of (get ready for this) Herve and Sinden, plus Trevor Loveys, Drop The Lime, Fake Blood, Toddla T, Detboi and Affie Yusef. Joshua Harvey (aka Herve, aka The Count) features prominently...
expand review once again, teaming with Sinden and Fake Blood for the rolling "Drop It To The Floor(1)," Mr. Loveys on the squeaky, minimal "Beat Bang(2)," DTL for "Spycatcher(3)" and Loveys/Yusef for "On A Roll Man(4)," the dancehall vocal sampling heater tucked away on the B (sorry, AA) side. I'd like to see someone try and stop these dudes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Bumpin' electro house from 2004 you might have slept on. The German production duo of Clemens Kahlcke & Michael Pagliosa (aka the Martini Bros) have been churning out big room sounds since '98 on labels like Pokerflat and Superstar so this team...
expand review up with fellow electro-house giant Tiga on Turbo comes as no surprise. "Big and Dirty(1)" sounds just like the title suggests. Big fat analog bass line reminiscent of some early Chicago house styles paired with sleazy vocals that might annoy some, but might get most under the influence feeling open. Tiga's remix(2) turns the intensity up a few notches with a stripped down but extra dirty feel and some juicey vocal chop action. Both sides at 45. -snackmaster
quick audio picks: 1234
Matthew Dear has always been pushing himself, and his newest album was an absolute smash hit to everyone in all musical communities. "Don And Sherri(1)" was one of the most notable hits from the album, and this time we're graced with some...
expand review remix action from massively popular and talented producers. Get Physical's M.A.N.D.Y. gives us a hella stripped and jacked version of "Don And Sherri(2)," with a bassline that just jacks the system. The vocals get majorly distorted, and that is a no-no with this one - it sounds so much better with the original vox. Hot Chip's version(3) is far more mellow, and it's kind of a nice change for the album. I can't tell if they just took one of Matthew's many vocal tracks or they re-sang the thing themselves, but it's really soothing. The real kicker for the EP is DJ Koze's mix of "Elementary Lover(4)." This one is definitely going to slip past everyone, opting more for the dance versions of "Don And Sherri", but god DAMN is Koze just on fire with this one! -minimal man
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Miles Maeda has been a superstar of the Chicago house scene for almost as long as it's existed. Now he's started up his own label, and has appropriately enlisted Derrick Carter on remix duty for the debut release. The original mix of...
expand review "Ravon Lady(1)" is a Chicago house stomper with in your face crisp beats, nasty little vocal snippets, and some old school synth work. The real treat here however, is Derrick Carter's "Mi Mi Groove(2)" mix. Derrick, as usual, totally fucks up the original, adding lots of swing to the beats, bouncy deep bass, some signature Derrick bleeps, and ill manipulation of those vocal snippets as only Derrick could produce so well. Unleash this one on the dancefloor and watch what ensues! Loving it. -Alison Tara
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Holy shit. This cover is soooo bad, it's awesome. Horrendous post-Cash Money photoshop type, a man-jawed female, weak lightning effects, and a totally out of place (and gigantic) mic? You can't make this shit up, and it's French. But really tho, the...
expand review reason we picked up this montrosity is for "Electro Choc" which is one of those peak time electro tracks. If we slapped an Ed Banger or Kitsune cover on this, people would be blogging about it. It's got this ridiculous synth action, and an even more ridiculous Wink-esque build-up section. Yes, it's kind of cheesy, but in the right situation, it could do damage. Comes in the instrumental original mix(1), the vocal mix(2) featuring a Miss Kittin rip-off (Miss Ketty whose pictured on the cover), and several other remixes. -the mgmnt
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One summer while we were at NYU, me and Frogman took jobs as lowly busboys at the original Chaos club (recognized as the first club to popularize bottle service aka death of it all). At peaktime, they rocked the same 3 songs...
expand review (more bottles!): Daft Punk's "Around The World," a track I wish I knew the name of, and Olive's "You're Not Alone." The Olive track was huuuuggggeee. You probably know it already as it crossed all the scenes from the tranceheads at Twilo, to the guido-house scene, and even the mainstream (hit #1 in the UK charts). Well, it's 2007, and I couldn't resist picking up this new version by Moss & Szade. These new versions still feature those signature Tracey Thorn-esque vocals (can't tell if it's been re-sung), while the Parisian duo has added a new electro gloss. There's three versions here: the Club Mix(1) is arranged most like the original version and the most effective, while the Teo Mass remix is a chopped-up electro dub version. Oh yeah, chicks will love you for playing this shit. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 1234
If you like rare disco / boogie / funk edits, get this now! Don't get thrown off by their name, they're not on some Chromeo tip. Instead they specialize in finding the quirkiest, hardest, dance edits for you. Pretty elite ears too,...
expand review I'd have to say. I'll admit it. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a fiend for out-of-this-world boogie funk also. (I already have a copy of this in my bag.) Reason is, it's the key to the hardest dance funk. Fuck it, it's no secret. I'ma blow the lid off all the hottest electro / dance music right now. It all has roots in this. Real dance fiends know. In Flagranti, MSTRKRFT, Justice, Daft Punk - they all know what's up. Look up Daft Punk original samples. Justice's hit "Phantom" is an edit of Goblin's "Tenebre." In Flagranti is practically all disco / Italo / funk edits. Do your homework and you'll see. For some, it engulfs their whole life. Ok, before I get too heavy on this tangent, let's get back to the record. All the names on this are absurd and give no clues to the origins, but they're all really good and I'd play all of them. I can spend days explaining the complexities of the bass, the drums, synths and squiggle noises, but I'd only be illustrating what you can hear for yourself. Click on all the samples. They all contain tons of disco funk goodness you've never heard. Recommended. -C'mish
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Oh man, not many people are gonna know what the hell the title cut, "Bonny Doon" means. But I freaked out when I saw it. Bonny Doon is the beautiful beach in Santa Cruz California, where 16 years ago, I fell in...
expand review love with house music. It's the beach where the legendary Wicked Full Moon parties were put on- some of the most famous raves in history. So, I have a soft spot for this track... Of course, it helps that the track is insanely good. What else would we expect from these two, but a delicious tripped out, long extended disco house journey(1). On the flip, "Thizzin(2)" is a much slower, low slung disco jam with deep bass and great loose percussion. Thumbs up, dudes. Bonny Doooooooon!!! -Alison Tara
quick audio picks: 1234
Minimal Man has been hyping Osbourne for more than a month now, and I have to fall in line and call this some magical shit. From the opening moments of "Ruling(1)," you'll get that warm sunshine feeling that the cover art captures...
expand review so well. Yes, this isn't that cold techy stuff that Spectral usually is know for, but rather, "Ruling" is some feelgood Body and Soul style vocal house. "Downtown(2)" backs it up with some of the most beautiful chord work I've heard (Larry Heard would be proud). The b-side doesn't falter one bit starting with "16th Stage(3)," a simplistic electronic track that conjures up childhood nostalgia and underground new wave. For the final visit, Osborne roughens it up a bit with a tribal-italo-oddity entitled "Fresh." Indeed. Recommended. -the mgmnt
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Fresh sounds from Osunlade. "Dating Game(1)" is a Prince-like ballad with a polished nu-soul sound. I really picked this one up for the flip though... "The Promise(2)" is truly leftfield for Osunlade. He forgoes his traditional dance sound and goes for some...
expand review high dramatics with swirling synthesizers, rolling beats, and advanced sonic design. Experimental, mental, yes. -the mgmnt
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