[Cadenza] In spite of being an influential and accomplished producer in his own right, Lucien Nicolet aka Luciano is too often mentioned in the same breath as his countryman, Ricardo Villalobos. While their respective work shares a distinct and heavily documented organic warmth, their paths diverge there, with Luciano experimenting with both abstract forms, jiggling […]
review
Jamie Lloyd, May I? (Quarion remix)
February 5, 2008 – 8:13 AM
[Future Classic] Sydney-based producer/vocalist Jamie Lloyd didn’t make much of a splash with Trouble Within, his 2006 debut album, at least in part because of distribution troubles. But his label, Future Classic, figured out a way to sidestep these issues by letting a raft of producers remix some of his best tracks. Last year I […]
Andomat 3000, Cognitive Dissonance
January 30, 2008 – 10:30 PM
[Cécille Records] Cécille Records, a new label from Nick Curly and Marc Scholl, has managed to put itself on the map after only three releases, each more enjoyable than the one before it. First recruiting Markus Fix, then the semi-mysterious Sis (who recorded for Curly’s other label, 8bit), Cécille now courts Andreas Wiegand, better known […]
Controversy, a Tribute to Prince
January 30, 2008 – 11:28 AM
[Rapster Records] The tribute compilation is a strange beast to judge. As I see it, the artists being paid tribute rarely have much control over who is mangling their songs or what actually ends up on the comp. Perhaps they choose the tracks receiving send ups because of licensing issues, but even then they need […]
Chevy & Lemos, Woman’s Key
January 28, 2008 – 10:14 PM
[Be Chosen] For one reason or another, producers from Greece rarely register on my radar. And even after a bit of research and brain-wracking, Argy and GummiHz were the only two names that rang a Grecian bell. A new record on the recently launched Be Chosen label threatens to greatly expand that circle of recognition. […]
Daso, Meine Idee EP
January 24, 2008 – 10:44 PM
[Spectral Sound] For a DJ, there are few feelings as gut-wrenching as seeing the floor clear out when you start playing techno or house. The realization that you’re playing to an “indie” audience is usually accompanied by choice four letter words and a frantic search through your crate/hard drive. Which is why it’s always good […]
Rodriguez Jr., Rubbo Swingo
January 21, 2008 – 11:04 PM
[Leena Music] Mobilee’s choosy younger sister, Leena Music, deserves praise for getting established producers away from their usual hangouts for one off singles. Their first salvo of records came from Holger Zilske, Catz N’ Dogz (3 Channels trying on another moniker) and Paul Brtschitsch. Olivier Mateu, one half of Parisian duo The Youngsters, adds his […]
Ksoul & Ra.H, Turning Point
January 18, 2008 – 11:24 AM
[Sistrum Recordings] In a lot of contemporary deep house tracks I’ve heard, it seems percussion has taken a backseat to melodic arrangements in complexity and originality. Maybe it’s a subconscious reaction to mnml’s rhythmic focus and the genre’s present over saturation. Maybe chords are more satisfying or maybe it’s just easier to throw down a […]
Melchior Productions, No Disco Future
January 16, 2008 – 11:01 PM
[Perlon] In his work as Melchior Productions and various Aspect Music projects with Baby Ford and Tim Hutton, Thomas Melchior has consistently evoked a great deal of motion, thought, and feeling with relatively little grist. He helped define the micro-house era with his 2004 album, The Meaning on Playhouse by snatching sensual vocal slivers for […]
Sebo K, Far Out
January 15, 2008 – 11:01 PM
[Mobilee] How much stock listeners put into track titles is usually relative to how it sounds. For example, Martin Buttrich’s “Hunter” aurally portrayed the food chain in progress and Daniel Wang’s “Berlin Sunrise” captured the glowing warmth emerging from the horizon. By contrast, Tiger Stripes’ “Mad At Me” is hardly an aggressive or even upset […]
Syclops, Where’s Jason’s K
January 14, 2008 – 11:00 PM
[DFA] Last year Maurice Fulton posted a blog entry on his Myspace profile that gently warned journalists their interview requests would be turned down outright. “…Some UK mag wrote thangs about my friends that I didn’t say. Ever since that happend [sic], I stay clear away from interviewers. I love my friends.” His affection also […]
Tiger Stripes, My Deep Space (Part One)
January 13, 2008 – 11:01 PM
[ProgCity Deep Trax] Mikael Nordgren (aka Tiger Stripes) was a hugely busy cat last year, firing out slab after slab of house that swam in the deep end (some of which ended up on my year end lists). So it’s entirely forgivable to have skidded past his limited edition single for ProgCity Deep Trax, a […]
Jörg Burger, Polyform 2
January 10, 2008 – 12:09 AM
[K2] After eight years of relative silence, Jörg Burger returned to releasing music under his own name in 2007. His work as The Modernist, Stardiver, Triola Echo Club and many remixes flowed from the techno/ambient/trance legend’s Cologne residence over the last years, so that time was hardly idly spent. In addition to the tepidly-received “Bring […]
Jichael Mackson, Baff
January 7, 2008 – 7:42 AM
[Hartchef Discos] Much of the attention Boris Steffen (aka Jichael Mackson) earned in 2007 was focused on his “…Wasn’t Me” EP on Musique Risquée, and for good reason. Its “The Grass Is Always Greener…” precariously balanced eccentric samples and dubbed out arrangements such that they elicited smiles of comprehension and shaking hips rather than guffaws […]
Imagination, Just An Illusion (Lindstrøm remixes)
December 13, 2007 – 11:00 PM
[Juno Records] The fourth volume of Juno Records’ 10th anniversary series shines a light on the British synth-soul trio, Imagination, and includes new remixes by Lindstrøm and Dimitri From Paris. The flamboyant threesome (seriously, check out some of their album art) joined forces in 1981 after stints as back-up singers for The Delfonics and Chairmen […]
Afrilounge, Lux Dementia
December 12, 2007 – 10:51 PM
[Connaisseur Recordings] The first time I took note of Bavarian trio Afrilounge was “Tribute,” their restrained homage to Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).” Anyone with the good sense to take on my favorite H&O tune deserved another look, and I’ve been following them ever since. “Lux Dementia,” their second […]
Marco Resmann, Traffic Circle
December 10, 2007 – 9:11 PM
[Upon.You] Although Marco Resmann has plenty of monikers and projects (Phage, Pan-Pot, Luna City Express, Phage & Daniel Drier), I think I most enjoy his work under his own. Earlier in the year he released his first single under his own name for Mobilee, which include the surprisingly dubbed out “Gouache.” Its follow up appears […]
Adam Collins, Pool Night (Soul Clap remix)
December 6, 2007 – 8:57 PM
[q007 Records] Those Soul Clap boys, Eli and Charles, know how to blog, DJ and look smooth on magazine covers. But can they remix? The newest release on the confusingly named q007 Records answers this question with a resounding “hell yeah!” The guys reworked “Pool Night” by Euphoria Chicago empresario, Adam Collins, and did so […]
Clara Moto, Glove Affair
December 5, 2007 – 7:14 PM
[InFiné] For me, it’s hard not to like the titular track from Clara Moto’s recording debut. The Barcelona-based producer deftly melds two somewhat different motifs: a twitchy and fibrous arrangement rattling inside the confines of a bittersweet and ear-pleasing melody, and a see-sawing progression with similar melodic tastes (though not as anxious). Construction aside, it’s […]