quick audio picks: 123
Dances With White Girls has been coming up fast in NYC recently, showing up on lots of "artists to watch" lists for 2k9. On his debut for the Rapture owned Throne of Blood label he shows us why. The...
expand review obvious go-to here is "Everyone's Got To Make A Living," featuring the famous vocal break and a great piano breakdown towards the end. "Girls Bug(2)" features someone rapping selected lyrics from The Beach Boys' "I Get Around"(!!!) over a driving house beat. Finally, "Took My Love Away(3)" features a vocal sample layered onto an electro bass line, with some intense string samples sprinkled on top. A side plays at 33, B side plays at 45. Recommended. -Hires
quick audio picks: 12
Hospital Records taking it back for all the DnB head (and those who missed it) with the 3rd release in their "Classic Symptoms" series. London Elektricity were the original Hospital artists that brought a lively uptempo jazz and funk vibe to the...
expand review label. If you ever listened to Roni Size back in the day (especially "Brown Paper Bag") then you'll have a feel for this sound. "Song In The Key Of Life(1)" goes for an epic 12 minutes of highly orchestrated jazz DnB grooves. Proper loungin' material right here, way ahead of its time. The flip features "Pull The Plug(2)" another classic with tough upright bass action over pumping dirty breaks for the massive! A at 33, B at 45.
-snackmaster
quick audio picks: 12
This is, hands down, the biggest smash hit in the techno world, both now and when it came out last year. You couldn't go ANYWHERE without hearing this song, and for damn good reason. "Mouth To Mouth(1)" could be Audion's Mona Lisa....
expand review This thing is as mental as it can possibly get, lovingly referred to as "the swarm of bees" by people who didn't know how to identify it by name. Mental and driving, this track builds over its thirteen minutes in length, and it doesn't let go. One for the long mixes, and one for the late night mindfuck. The flipside, "Hot Air(2)", didn't get nearly as much love as the title track, but it too is a fantastic piece of work. A lot funkier and not nearly as intense, it still does a great job of showing the people hows its done. Matthew Dear...you never cease to amaze me! -minimal man
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The incredible Mike Monday is back, with another single off his new Songs Without Words Part 1 album. First up is "Stargirl(1)," a very Carl Craig sounding track, full of hypnotic, repetitive rhythms and melodies, along with beautiful Detroit-flavored strings. The overall...
expand review effect is a downright dirty, twisted and deep piece of music. And yes, I said it- this one's musical. Next up, "Salieri Complex(2)" is peaktime club shit, a big room tune with thick, Detroit style synth stabs, some out there effects, and serious pumping, driving beats a la Freerange Records. -Alison Tara
quick audio picks: 1234
Parisian whiz kid Surkin continues to impress with his latest batch of tracks for Institubes. This EP includes the bumping 90s house style of "White Knight Two(1)," the glimmering midtempo title track(2) (with nasty chopped up vox), some Ed Banger flavor on...
expand review "Kid Gloves(3)" and a housier remix of "Next of Kin" from Todd Edwards(4). Pic sleeve. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 1234
Debut single from Little Boots (aka ex-Dead Disco vocalist Victoria Hesketh) which has been selling out all over the place since the advance copies dropped in late 2k8. "Stuck On Repeat(1)" is a perfect first foot to put forward, a slowed-down and...
expand review raved-out disco jammer co-written by The Bird & The Bee's Greg Kurstin and produced by Hot Chip's Joe Goddard with Mz. Hesketh's vocals riding sweetly atop the chugging bass. (I heard it described, quite accurately, as "Kylie meets Moroder.") DFA Brooklynite duo Fake Blood(2) give it the track a cracking minimal techno remix, and the flip features the poppy stompfest "Meddle(3)," again produced by Goddard. Also includes a dubsteppy remix of "Meddle" from Ebola(4). -Van Hammersly
quick audio picks: 12
White label re-edits on 7" from Beatsy Collins and the Wah Wah label. A-side features a re-cut of Fela's heavyweight "Shuffering and Smiling(1)." I am no religious man, but I love when he says: "I want you all to please take your...
expand review minds out of these music contraptions and put your minds into any goddamn church, any goddamn mosque..." B-side continues the heavy theme with a very DJ-friend version of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues(2)." Recommended. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 123
3 piece outfit Malena makes their second appearance on London's Freestyle Records with the energetic afro-jazz track "More Afro(1)." Relentless percussion, funky flute, brass section, synthesizer, gut-wrenching bass... what more could you want? The Wigout version(2) is a great mix tool with...
expand review enhanced, latin dance beats. B-side features some convincing Nuyorican funk with the uptempo "Nuevo York(3)." -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 12
Akoya continues to ride their wave of momentum right now by dropping the second single from their forthcoming album, P.D.P. (President Dey Pass). In true Afrobeat fashion, they do it in the form of a pair of quick little thirteen minute...
expand review ditties. "Fela Dey(1)" begins just the way it should, slowly building in complexity with horn arrangements chasing themselves around the track while nice steady guitar and percussion work provides the anchor. The keys and drums then play a little friendly game of tug o' war until the tension releases with an explosion of vocals and horns. Once the groove sets in you be lulled into a very special state where everything begins to blend together, but without feeling directionless or repetitive. The flip features "Wahala(2)" which fans of the Budos will immediately connect with. That tight looseness in the intro just sets things in the right direction. I get the strong feeling from Akoya that they are not trying to rush their ideas or put too many in one song. Everything seems to get proper space to breathe and develop and if anything I almost want some of their songs to stretch out a little more. That says a great deal considering one of my biggest criticisms of all the "Afrobeat" groups that have popped up in the last handful of years is that some of them tend to make some long-ass songs that don't go anywhere just because they know that Fela brought the super-extended heat. So here's to Akoya's continued evolution and their long-ass songs that could actually stand to be a little longer. -Telekinetic Kat
quick audio picks: 12
Love the minimal design here on these new 12" comps from F.C.R. named First Choice. It features DJ Funky Chocolate, a serious tastemaker with some rare selections for the Soul/Funk/Disco&Boogie lover. I know it sounds like a lot of genres, but these...
expand review gems really contain transcend just one. In any case, file it under "good music. "For a taste of dope, soak your ears in the intro horn break and bassline of James Polk & Co's "My Sun(1)."A free-spirited. jazzy, boogie jamwith a flawless 70's groove and slick soul vocals. The B-Side has Morris Wilson's "Put Your Foot On The Ground(2)," another long, super jazzy track which reminds me of sound like Herbie Hancock live at the Paradise Garage. The smooth horns and jazzy piano solos are just killing...Recommended. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 12
Superb disco/soul vocals on Vol. 2 of the rare re-issue series from F.C.R.! If you're into the disco thing like myself, you know there are some jams that are cool grooves, usually a dubby instrumental track with alright vocals, which are cool...
expand review for warming up or cooling down, but once in a while you find these songs that have it all: great grooves, arrangements, soul, funk, and sweet uplifting vocals. The tracks here are exactly that and have all the qualities of tracks perfect for primetime. So who would be behind these selections? The legendary Kerri Chandler and DJ Funky Chocolate, who else. Check the sweet vocals on Solaris' "Music Mind(1)" emerging from a beautiful slow burning garage groove. On the flip, the selections get even hotter on Inner Passion's risky "After Hours Spot(2)." A rare track comparable with all the big disco 12"s out there like Inner Life, Gwen Guthrie, Atmosfear, Patrick Adams productions and of course, First Choice. Recommended. -C'mish
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Limited first pressing off the new edit label Findlaters - FIND001! If you don't know the name Section '79 yet, get ready to add him to the list of masterful digger/re-edit guys like Pilooski, Trus'me, Lovefingers, Nite Dog, etc...Don't know exactly what...
expand review or who they are(I know Nico from D-Classics does edits for Section '79), but regardless the output is quality. Check this simple, effective edit of the obscure 80's New Wave track by Savage Progress. "Heart Begins To Beat(1)" reps the dark, gritty sound of the 80's when art and music was on a rampage. The song starts like any edit would then goes deeper and deeper into the groove with lots of dub effects and a touch of acid. Flip the side for an extended instrumental dub(2) edit. Fans of Disco Not Disco and NY Noise stuff will love this. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 123
D-Classics does it to you once again with this awesome slow disco heatrock, aptly named after it's origin "Belgium. It features an infectious female singing the lyrics, "Tonight's the night, You get what you're lookin' for." That's it. Over and over...
expand review again, layered on top of sexy disco drums and ripe synth percussion. So simple and oh so sexy. Really gotta give it up to Nico(for Section 79) on the edit. The B-side has Oxyde taking it back to France with "Playmate(2)," and "Dancing Machine(3)." Again, the boogie is strong with these two and is sure to bring out the sophisticated lover inside in you. Recommended. -C'mish
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