[Skull Disco] Shackleton is consistent. Starting with the first pop of a drum on his singles, the percussion stays round and full, the bass cascades with uncanny depth, the space between is frigid. Shackleton’s sound is dark, opaque. From the elegiac wind blasts of “Blood on my Hands” to the outright menace of “Hypno Angel,” […]
review
Pitto, Sexvibe
April 2, 2008 – 12:59 AM
[Arearemote] Sex can be any number of things for its participants; but if the experience is up to par it can become all encompassing to the point one’s sense of time, restraint and self consciousness are thrown to the wind. Relative newcomer Pitto (Geurt Kersjes) has managed to capture that enraptured feeling with his latest […]
Satin Jackets, Conspiracy Theories EP
March 24, 2008 – 9:44 PM
[Noble Square Records] The man known only as Satin Jackets was raised on a Navajo Indian reservation in the 80’s where he proved himself as a skilled archer and sprinter. While passing through the territory on tour, one of house music’s greatest figures (who asked not to be identified) saw the boy darting across the […]
Skream, Skreamizm Vol. 4
March 24, 2008 – 5:12 AM
[Tempa] Skream might have one of the most visceral names in dubstep, but he’s hardly a menacing producer. In fact, his output over the last couple of years has made a strong case for melody in the genre. Skream is a populist at heart; he’s a producer not afraid to craft accessible tracks that humanize […]
Sebbo, Watamu Beach
March 19, 2008 – 5:14 PM
[Desolat] After an unusually brutal and excessively long winter, my senses are clamoring for anything that can transport me to a balmy clime. Lately that’s meant repeated spins of “Watamu Beach,” the latest from Sebbo (aka Sebastian Suckfüll). Whether the Würzburg-based producer’s had the pleasure of visiting the idyllic region of Kenya (a part of […]
Marc Romboy ft. Tyree Cooper, Lost
March 18, 2008 – 2:47 PM
[Ovum Recordings] With more and more producers glancing back at the origins of house and deep house for inspiration, it was only a matter of time before someone recruited a veteran of the first few waves to lend their cred– er, expertise. Systematic label impresario and habitual collaborator, Marc Romboy, is the first (I’m aware […]
Till Von Sein, Sein Days
March 16, 2008 – 8:18 PM
[Morris / Audio] Till Von Sein’s innate, sophisticated ability to channel the American deep house sound through the prism of Berlin techno is something to behold. This ability has put him among the ranks of Berlin’s impressive list of house loving producers including Efdemin, Sebo K, or Prosumer etc. Late last year, Till Von Sein’s […]
Osborne, Ruling EP
March 12, 2008 – 9:31 PM
[Spectral Sound] Last week I lamented the relative sonic thriftiness of contemporary producers of deep house while discussing Juno’s Urban Soul remixes. Imagine my delight, then, when the Osborne’s meaty “Ruling EP” landed in my inbox with a resounding thump. Todd Osborn has shaded his productions (especially “Afrika”) with deep house’s vibrant blush since Spectral […]
Toby Tobias, Nervoso EP
March 10, 2008 – 12:58 AM
[Rekids] Toby Tobias first grabbed the dancefloor’s collective ear with the retro-tinged, Rekids released “A Close Shave,” especially with its Prins Thomas remiks. His “Dave’s Sex Bits” was more tepidly received, but yet another high profile remix, this time from Quiet Village, kept punters on his scent. “Nervoso EP,” his latest on Rekids, offers a […]
MyMy, Southbound
March 5, 2008 – 12:39 AM
[Ostgut Ton] Artistically, Lee Jones and Nick Höppner of MyMy have never been ones to stand still. Though a love for stitching together beautiful ends from odd means and persistent attention to detail are two overarching principles in their music, each new record from this buy-on-sight group often confounds as much as it delights. Take […]
Urban Soul, Alright Remixes
March 4, 2008 – 12:34 AM
[Juno Records] The house music revival and the Internet have offered DJs something of an all access pass to rifle through the genre’s dusty archives and play out their findings without hearing clubbers sniff about moldy oldies. For me, doing so has lent context to and exposed the contrasts between the modern deep house being […]
Carl Craig, Sessions
February 29, 2008 – 12:02 AM
[!K7] Thanks to the generosity of Carl Craig and !K7, there’s a free download after the jump. After an artist reaches legendary stature too often they are boiled down to just that — a legend who needs no explaining or closer examination. Even though most of us are quite familiar with Carl Craig as a […]
Jimpster, Dangly Panther
February 26, 2008 – 12:05 AM
[Freerange Records] Between running Freerange Records, a boatload of remixes for Justin Martin, Miguel Migs, Joey Negro and Bob Marley(!) among others, and a toddling Jimpster Jr. to raise, Jamie Odell has had his hands full. So it comes as little surprise that Jimpster/Audiomontage’s name hasn’t appeared on the spine of a record since 2006. […]
The Hasbeens, Keep Fooling Yourself
February 25, 2008 – 12:14 AM
[Clone] For those who find much of techno, house and electro to be too damn optimistic, nihilistic duo The Hasbeens and their “Keep Fooling Yourself” 12″ offer a welcome reprieve. Its three tracks are surprisingly catchy, retro-minded Italo disco and electro rather than gut-busting EBM racket or sanity grinding hard house, contrasting dystopic themes with […]
Brendon Moeller, One Man’s Junk
February 21, 2008 – 12:14 AM
[Third Ear Recordings] A lot of modern dub techno practitioners, especially during this recent popularity boom, tend to rely too heavily on the play books written by the Basic Channel/Chain Reaction family and not enough on their own ingenuity. South African ex-pat and long-time NYC resident has never seemed too bound to that template as […]
Luke Hess, Believe & Receive EP
February 18, 2008 – 11:02 PM
[Kontra-Musik] You don’t get released on Omar-S’ FXHE Recordings or get taken under the vaunted producer’s wing without being someone special. And with his third solo release, Detroit native Luke Hess confirms that he’s certainly someone to talk about. Though he’s been releasing since 2005 on labels like the Detroit-based Berettamusic, the young producer made […]
Naughty, World Of A Woman Remixes
February 17, 2008 – 11:21 PM
[Moodmusic] DJ Naughty, also known as Filippo Moscatello, pops up randomly from time to time. After a run of records on International Deejay Gigolo in the 90’s, Moscatello resurfaced in 2005 on Eskimo Recordings with a mixed CD and single. Last year he found his way onto a number of year end lists — RA’s […]
Dave Ellesmere, Today Tomorrow and Yesterday
February 11, 2008 – 11:06 PM
[Intacto Records] Dave Ellesmere’s story is one that seems surprisingly prevalent among techno producers. His musical roots are in punk rock and thrashy hardcore, beating the drums for Discharge, Flux of Pink Indians, and Disgust. Drifting from punk rock and its obscenely brilliant naming conventions, Ellesmere was drawn to acid house during the “Summer of […]
Duplex, Autosample EP
February 10, 2008 – 11:11 PM
[Frantic Flowers] Dutch producers Chris Callahan and John Matze have been recording together as Duplex since 1997, though Matze’s work dates back to ’92. Drawing from the spacious well of influence that is Detroit techno — Anthony “Shake” Shakir, Juan Atkins and Drexciya, among others — the duo somehow received help on their latest EP […]
Wareika, Men Village
February 7, 2008 – 11:06 PM
[Connaisseur Supérieur] The fine folks over at Connaisseur obviously take their role as A&R agents quite seriously, particularly for their Supérieur sub-label. So far they’ve found and provided first opportunities for Girrèsse & Erb, Sebastian Roya and Dani Casarano; and one look at their well organized website suggests there are many more to come. Their […]