01. Gerd, “Freedom” [Royal Oak] (buy)
I’m so glad Clone has broadened the scope of its Royal Oak imprint from limited editions to full-fledged releases, because it’s been on point since its first record — Gerd and Alex Agore’s individual takes on the track “Freedom.” Gerd, who also produces as Amplified Orchestra, runs 4 Lux Records and is not to be confused with Running Back’s Gerd Janson, turns in my favorite take. Sounding as much like a long forgotten Chicago house side as it does a unreleased Mountain People track, “Freedom” manages to be jaunty and deliberate at the same time. Gerd hangs windswept minor progressions that flutter above Mr. Fingers-styled runs, framed by loose house rhythms whose seemingly live components give the track texture that wouldn’t be out of place in a house party. If wading through Clone’s veritable flood of releases is giving you conniptions, skip to Royal Oak 01 and thank me later.

02. Fudge Fingas, “Mmm Hmm”
[Prime Numbers] (buy)
Fudge Fingas’ About Time is the long awaited answer to when he would put out another solo release and fulfill the promise shown on EPs from the first half of this decade. And what a captivating answer it is (which will be discussed in full later this week). Although the personality-stuffed A1 and B1 cuts readily vie for listeners’ attention, I’m most drawn to “Mmm Hmm” on B2, resplendent in many interwoven melodies while bearing a hint of sadness at its edges. A staircase of bell-like tones lead audiences upwards, yet the floor undulating below as if it were trying to buck its passengers into the arms of soaring string synth lines resonating above. Even the percussion — whisking ‘hats, jumpy snare patterns, solid kick thumps — seems to jump out and embrace the forms of the dancers it’s directing. As an aperitif to his forthcoming full-length debut, About Time and “Mmm Hmm” in particular are incredibly satisfying while leaving us still craving so much more.

03. Sandman ft. Jeremy Ellis, “Feed Your Mind” (John Beltran & Riverside remix) [FastFWD]
When a house diva like Aaron-Carl tells you to check out a vocalist you better know they’re pointing you in the right direction. Such was the case for Detroit’s Jeremy Ellis whose pristine vocals and jazzy beats (also under the name Ayro) have attracted Ubiquity Records (among others) and landed him guest spots on Roy Davis Jr. and Recloose tracks. Details are relatively scant about his appearance on “Feed Your Mind,” a track by American producer Sandman, and to date I’ve only heard John Beltran & Riverside’s deeply inclined remix, but what I’ve heard is promising indeed. Ellis’ vocal timbre is smooth and androgynous, encouraging listeners to self discovery among stacks of gorgeous harmonies, which Beltran & Riverside have assiduously kept at the forefront and placed their Rhodes chords and upright bass plucks in supporting roles. Only the clipped cowbell, which pocks most of the tune, stands out alongside Ellis’ fantastic performance. Hopefully reality catches up with the supposed March 9th release date soon and allows us to own this solid slice of soulful house.

04. Ray Mang, “Look Into My Eyes” [DFA] (buy)
Ray Mang must have been in a classic kind of mood when he made the Bullet Proof signal, with an A-side that’s essentially a Parliament Funkadelic cover (albeit with Deee-Lite’s Lady Kier adding some panache to the tune) and a B-side which samples Tangerine Dream’s “Love On A Real Train.” Yet the overall effect is enjoyable, and “Look Into My Eyes” has a well-executed easygoing vibe that will likely position this 12″ in the warm-up section of a DJs’ crates. Flaring out the motorik steady sample to form a downy base layer, Mang fills the space with sustained synth movements and an undercarriage of syncopated piano chords (it is a DFA release). Whether this single eventually makes its way into classic bins is to be seen, but you’d be remiss to ignore it while it’s still fresh.

05. Kuniyuki Takahashi, “Deep Love”
[Mule Electronic] (buy)
Walking In the Naked City, the latest album from Mule Musiq stalwart Kuniyuki Takahashi, is a jazzy affair that cries out to be played at dusk with a bottle of Cab close at hand. Tucked within its many piano-led tracks is “Deep Love,” a twinkling gem whose ambient-house textures make it a not too distant cousin of DJ Sprinkles’ Midtown 120 Blues. A melange of percussive textures, glittering synth arpeggios and sweeping pads give “Deep Love” a sense of wonderment, as if Kuniyuki is unveiling Tokyo at night from skyscraper heights and wants to create something comfortable and appropriate for the listener to recline into. Not quite dance floor material, but absolutely lovely and an album highlight nonetheless.

06. Kyle Hall, “Kaychunk” [Hyperdub] (buy)
07. Jason Fine, “Many To Many” (Ben Klock remix) [Kontra Musik] (buy)
08. Tevo Howard, “The Glass Ceiling” (Full Edit)
[Hour House Is Your Rush] (buy)
09. Scuba, “Heavy Machinery”
[Hotflush Recordings] (buy)
10. James Blake, “Buzzard and Kestrel”
[Hessle Audio] (buy)

Staff Charts:

Anton Kipfel
01. Tensnake, “Need Your Lovin” [Permanent Vacation]
02. The Black Dog, “CCTV Nation” (Redshape remix) [Soma Quality Recordings]
03. Kyle Hall, “Kaychunk” [Hyperdub]
04. Elektro Guzzi, “Hexenschuss” [Macro]
05. Audision, “Beta Range” (Roman Flügel remix) [&nd]
06. Falty DL, “Groove” [Rush Hour Recordings]
07. Red Rack’em, “In Love Again” [Untracked]
08. Cobblestone Jazz, “Sun Child” [Studio !K7]
09. DJ Bone, “Sunday Morning” [Sect Records]
10. James Blake, “The Bells Sketch” [Hessle Audio]

Chris Miller
01. Oni Ayhun, “OAR004A” [Oni Ayhun Records]
02. STL, “Vintage Hunter” [Something Records]
03. Mount Kimbie, “William” (Tama Sumo & Prosumer Remix) [Hotflush]
04. Actress, “Paint, Straw and Bubbles” [Honest Jon's]
05. Peter van Hoesen, “Closing The Distance/Toy Universe” [Time To Express]
06. Ramadanman, “I Beg You” [Hessle Audio]
07. Anton Zap, “You Are Not Alone” (Classic Dub) [Millions of Moments]
08. Marcel Dettmann, “Motive” [Ostgut Ton]
09. I:Cube, “Falling” [Versatile Records]
10. DJ Sprinkles, “Masturjakor” (Masturmix) [Mule Musiq]

Jordan Rothlein
01. Billy Love, “Can’t Keep Running Away” [Sound Signature]
02. Tevo Howard, “Laboratory” [Hour House Is Your Rush]
03. Mr. Raoul K, “No Food No Groove” [Baobob Secret]
04. Kyle Hall, “Kaychunk” [Hyperdub]
05. Virgo, “Ride” [Rush Hour Recordings]
06. James Blake, “The Bells Sketch” [Hessle Audio]
07. Oni Ayhun, “OAR004A” [Oni Ayhun Records]
08. Scuba, “Three Sided Shape” [Hotflush Recordings]
09. Zomby, “Hear Me” [3024]
10. Joy Orbison, “So Derobe” [Aus Music]

[Mule Musiq]

The third release in the Kuniyuki remix series, helmed by Henrik Schwarz and Tony Lionni, gives us yet another set of interpretations of the Japanese producer’s deep, down-tempo house tracks. Earlier this summer, “Remixed Vol. 2″ dropped two great cuts — an airy, all over the place Cobblestone Jazz remix of “The Session” and a heavy, spacey disco remix of “Touch” by A Mountain of One; this time around, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

Henrik Schwarz opens ceremonies tentatively, layering a jazzy piano riff and airy synthesizers over crisp, organic drum sounds and syncopated rhythms. He goes on to build the track’s momentum through contrasts between organic and inorganic textures, electronic and acoustic instruments, mechanical and freeform rhythms, pushing it into a jazzy climax (replete with piano, rolling congas and flute solo) before coming down in dreamy self-destruction. The remix works well in its duality, finding a strange halfway place between house and jazz that evokes the calm and otherworldliness of its title and avoids going overboard into “world groove” territory. Hardly one for the club, “Dear African Sky” almost begs to be played at sunrise on an introspective drive home.

Tony Lionni’s afro-jazzy reworking of “Birds” builds on Henrik Schwarz’s remix and leads us through more organic sounds, ultimately failing to make anything interesting of it. The progression between both tracks is the kind of change that Thomas Melchior might point to when making a statement like “electronic music is really a continuation of jazz,” except Lionni fails to develop this idea to its proper potential. Throwing together a pile of acoustic instruments and forgoing any electronic production, the track works itself into a bloated frenzy before fading out to the awkwardly stunted strums of a guitar. The results aren’t particularly terrible nor particularly interesting; rather, “Birds” feels like something your parents might pick up on a world music compilation in a BMG CD catalog.

Although both producers share similar choices in instrumentation, Lionni’s reworking of “Birds” lacks the restraint, pacing and contrasts that make “Dear African Sky” a beautiful track. Whereas Schwarz builds his remix around atmospherics and quiet dynamisms, Lionni opts for tired clichés, turning his track into a dull “world” jam which serves as a reminder of just how stale house music can be when it’s poorly produced. Thankfully, Henrik Schwarz wasn’t quite ready to break the string of great releases he’s been working on since May, and we’re left with a remix that’s just as satisfying — if a little bit quieter — than the rest of his work. (post by Jeremy Cohen)

[Mule Musiq]

Usually the phrase “jam session” conjures mental images of hippies, bongos and rooms thick with marijuana smoke. But despite the aimless connotations, long and improvised sessions are how a number of great techno/house musicians find their signature grooves which are then whittled into tracks. Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer, Ricardo Villalobos and a host of smaller names are all purportedly fond of the method. For Henrik Schwarz, his friend/collaborator Kuniyuki Takahashi and guitarist Yoshihiro Tsukahara, one such post-tour session was so inspirational it spawned the aptly-titled “The Session” single, which sees release on Mule Musiq.

Schwarz and Kuniyuki each get a side to pare down “The Session” into their own unique creation, starting with the former. Giving in to historical pressure (just kidding), Henrik’s hand drum beat and syncopated shaker pattern set the stage for sizzling synth stabs, as if they were coursing through a dangerously frayed cable. While it’s not one of Schwarz’s more dazzling tunes, it accurately captures his equal affection for Robert Hood’s minimal techno palatte and African tribal percussion. Kuniyuki’s version is likely closer to what “The Session” sounded like as it was happening: a vast and tangled web of looped and leading guitar licks, loping synth progressions tweaked in real time, droning feedback planes and a mess of overlapping drum work held together by the almighty kick drum — and even it shrinks back occasionally. Like an unexpected detour that turns into a prolonged and gripping adventure, Kuniyuki’s 12 minute version is as exhausting as it is enjoyable, as well as a welcome fusion of organic and synthetic sounds. So let’s cast aside our prejudices against jam sessions for a bit, munch on a magic brownie and let “The Session” take us for a ride.