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Yes! Chromatics first 12" single from Italians Do It Better. We got our first taste of the label just over a month ago with their tasty After Dark CD, which featured Chromatics' spacey Italo tracks "Hands in The Dark," "Killing Spree -...
expand review Suite 304 Demo," and this single, "In The City(1)"(also featured on DJ Dixon's Body Language 4). I loved it, it flew off the shelves, and I caught some collectors here in the lab picking up two copies. Here, they continue to hook you up with exclusive joints by giving you the extended version, a small ambient track(not mentioned), the dangerously sweet "Zombie Vocal Acapella", plus two tracks I've never heard. "In The Headlites(2)" continues their fascination with ultra-sparse minimal italo, with Ruth Radelet once again laying down the alluring ghostly vocals. Pretty awesome, but "I'm On Fire(3)" is the surprise track on this. It reminds me of a short rock inspired lullaby that takes it back to the soft pop sounds of the 80's - effortless and awesome! Also great for a romantic rendezvous, so now you can nookie to something else besides Mazzy Star. Recommended. -C'mish
quick audio picks: 12
Franck Roger's releases are so frequent and consistent, he's starting to remind me of Kerri Chandler. I was picking up Roger's first few releases years back, and it's interesting to hear how his sound is improving and evolving. Now his sound is...
expand review almost like a mish mash of Kerri Chandler and Ame. He's got the deep house sound down, but goes further with it, adding elements of that deep techy sound Ame is now known for. Here on his own Earthrumental imprint, both "Circles(1)" and "The Hill(2)" are brilliant examples of the deep, techy, hypnotic and soulful sound Roger has mastered. Don't miss em. Getting caned by Henrik Schwarz, Ame and Dixon. -Alison Tara
quick audio picks: 12
Wow. First thing that gets strikes you about this record is that the each song takes up the entire side. Pretty normal for a 45rpm single, but this recorded at 33rpm! Then you hear what's going on, and you realize what is...
expand review transpiring. This is that midtempo (hovering somewhere around 110 bpm) cosmic stuff, and it's some of the best I've heard. If I were into hard drugs, I would play this record all day long in my barren loft, laying in bed with my anorexic model chick who sucks at boning. Hatchback's original version(1) is mesmerizing bliss, a cross-breed of ambient cush, italo progressions, and minimal drum programming. You could actually play Prins Thomas Diskomikks(2) in a small club, but you'll have to let it play. It's one of those Aphex Twin-like tracks that will have people scratching their heads at first, but by the 5 minute mark (when the track starts melting with sunshine), people will be rubbing your head, calling you buddy and buying you spritzers. Recommended. -the mgmnt
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DFA is on a tear lately! Whatever this new phase they're in is going to classified as by Vice and a few hipster blogs, I'm totally down with it. New artists Holy Ghost! come with a techy dancerock gem with one dirty,...
expand review dirty bassline. I'm instantly reminded of David Carretta from International Deejay Gigolo's - dirty beats and sassy lyrics. While I'm not too keen on the vocal version(1), thank god there's an instrumental for your ears. Flipping gives us the extra funky remix from Blackjoy(2). Guitar picking, slap bass, and violin jabs funk the hell out of the original, and will more than likely be heard in a Lloydski set in the very near future. I've got 10$ on some serious babies being made on the dancefloor when this one drops. -minimal man
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I'm still trying to find a Radio Slave track I don't like - at this point, I'm pretty sure it's impossible. Any time you get a powerhouse crossover track like this, it's a sure fire winner, and with Radio Slave's always top-notch...
expand review production quality in the mix, you have a recipe for a smash hit. Getting mad deck time from Carl Craig, Ricardo Villalobos and Laurent Garnier, this track, in all its thirteen minutes of glory, is a bomb from start to finish. It's a slow builder, definitely meant for a long mix or third turntable, but when the keys come in during the last bit, you're pretty much at full-on party mode. Only a fool wouldn't put this one in their crate... get on it! Recommended. -minimal man
quick audio picks: 12
It's pretty much impossible to talk shop about house music and not drop Todd Terry's name in there at least a dozen times. The guy's discography is about a mile and a half long, and as a DJ he shaped the NYC...
expand review sound almost single handedly. Under his Gypsymen guise, "Hear The Music(1)" is a herky-jerky warehouse banger. Nice and slow, just like they liked it back in the day, he keeps you guessing with abstract synth sounds, an intriguing vocal drop, and that standard house guitar refrain. House wonder group Black Science Orchestra comes up on the flipside with "Where Were You(2)." Tribally and looped to all hell, it's almost Moodymann-esque while retaining that awesome shuffle of classic house. I can almost see the people throwing baby powder down on the floor to get their soul shuffle on - this one is destined for late night, hands in the air, I'm taking my clothes off sweatboxes. Primo release from master house label NRK. -minimal man
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Saw this little gem floating around the promo bin a few month's back and had to snatch. As the title states, this is Dirty Space Disco... and yes, it is unmixed! The French trio of Guillaume Sorge, Clovis Goux, and Benjamin Morando...
expand review are Dirty Sound System and they have taken the liberty of selecting these choice space disco cuts for you. These cats have definitely done their homework, and they bring you rare original tracks plus masterful edits that span various genres but all have a distinct space feel. Check the sounds - the falsetto love boat style of John Forde's "Atlantis(1)," the minimal haunting creeper "Die Drachentrommier (Pilooski Edit)(2)" by Clara Mondshine, funked out heaters like Undisputed Truth's "Undisputed (How & Why Edit)(3)" and Fern Kinney's "Baby Let Me Kiss You(4)," awesome italo fusion like Yello Power's "Hai Samurai(5)" (previously released on the now sold out 12" for this comp), and beautiful space disco soul like Odyssey's "Who(6)" and Sylvester's "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight(7)." Also got to mention Pilooski's brilliant edit of John Miles "Stranger In The City(8)." Extended breaks for days and it sounds sooooo good! Feeling the cosmic cut and paste artwork too. Definitely Recommended. -snackmaster
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