Latest Reviews

Artist -	Virgo
Label -	Rush Hour
Released -	Out Now

 Virgo

Classic Alert! What better way to bag yourself a vertible collection of acid house beauties than to pick up this killer official repress from those kind folk at Rush Hour. Virgo are Merwyn Sanders and Eric Lewis who also recorded as Ace & The Sandman and M.E. (not to be confused with the other Virgo of Vince Lawrence and co.). Originally released in '89 via Radical Records, there's very little in the way of duff notes to be found across the 8 tracks that adorn the this double LP. Featuring instantly recognisable "Do you know" and "In a Vision", be sure to check the hauting vocals of "Ride" and the new ordered tones of "School Hall", all the tracks have undergone a complete re-master and features new artwork.
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (11/03/2010)

Artist -	Titonton Duvante / Fabrice Lig
Label -	Fine Art
Released -	Out Now

 That Connection

Another fine year for London based Nitzan Hermon´s “Fine Art “ imprint rounds itself off with this gem of a 10”, lovingly crafted courtesy of a tag team effort from Belgium’s Soul Designer and New York based beat technician Titonton Duvante. The original cut takes the essence of 909 rhythmic swing, injects a heavy slice of machine driven synth funk whilst gently cajoling you swathes of melodic pulses and strings – classic Detroit fuelled late night electronica that is charmingly seductive. Add into the equation an equally fine crafted remix from Beanfield, who builds on the original, adding an extra level of drive to create a sure fire winner on the dance floor. A purchase not to be overlooked.
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (20/12/2009)

Artist -	Vince Watson
Label -	Bio
Released -	Out Now

 A Very Different World

Its been 4 years since Bio was put on pause, and in that time the music world has changed, the sound has changed....but the ethos behind the music hasn't and never will. Vince Watson has been quietly going about his business, pooling together a large and varied range of productions in anticipation of a fresh assault on all things mediocre. The result: 2 new labels about to hit the streets, launched with a sci-fi techno soul monster. “A Very Different World” is very much everything you’d want and hope for in a slice of Watson’s production, an evolving mesh of intricate melody, powerful bass and sweeping pads brought together in epic fashion. Couple this with one of the best remixes to have come from Funk D’Void in the past decade – a pure homage to Mad Mike and the Red Planet, and you can’t help but feel that this hasn’t come a moment too soon.
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (20/12/2009)

Artist -	Aroy Dee
Label -	MOS
Released -	Out Now

 Once You Loved

Consistently flawless with his output, label boss Aroy Dee sets out his stall on the 12th MOS release, unleashing four tracks of pure retro futurist delight. Bringing the best of Chicago and Detroit together, "Once U Loved" is warm and emotional, with slowly evolving strings topped with mysterious whispering vocals, paying homage to K Alexi in his formative years. "Tears" is a fierce and sexy Chicago influenced groove, sporting a solid bassline, steady beats and lush keys. First track on the B-side "Lift Me High" moves down tempo, invoking analogue house classics as haunting strings and vocals of miss Salvador merge Larry Heard and G-Strings. Last but not least, "Soul Spark" harps back to the atmospherics and raw energy of early Relief whilst maintaining the psychedelia of Dance Mania.
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (20/12/2009)

Artist -	Various
Label -	Dust Science
Released -	19th October 2009

 In the North

Dust Science is back. It's been a long time coming after a series of distributors hitting the wall. Thankfully, they’ve finally picked themselves up and rolled up their shirt sleaves! Spearheading quality underground electronic music from their bunker in Sheffield, The Black Dog have been revitalised following their lengthy run of smash club performances across Europe. To celebrate the label relaunch, this first slab features established and fresh artists based in their hometown of Sheffield (UK). “The In The North” Ep is all about putting the city’s reputation firmly back on the map as a touchstone of high quality electronic musical innovation. The Black Dog take on “Tesco” with a chunky, rolling tech house groove with delightfully Sheffield-styled hooks. Carl Taylor’s “Walk On By” is a moody slice of electronic soul, with more thatn a healthy reference towards the D. New signing Grievous Angel, whose dubstep and garage releases have torn up pirate radio and dancefloors for the last three years, delivers a heavily swung slice of dubstep. Youthful wobble mentalist Bass Soldier dishes out a heavy slice of electro-soaked gutteral house that’ll shake the room into life to round things off. A very nice taste of things to come indeed which you’ll be able to pick up for free for a limited period from 19th October to the 5th at www.dustscience.com/live/
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (16/10/2009)

Artist -	The Fix EP
Label -	Yore
Released -	02nd November 2009

 Above Smoke

Javier Alvarez, Madrid-based producer and proprietor of the underground label Deep Explorer Music (along with his younger brother Dubbyman), brings his laid back Above Smoke sound to Andy Vaz’s magnificent Yore label.
Laying down 4 tracks of laid back grooves, The Fix EP centres on a low slung vibe as A side “Awfully” drapes dense synthetic textures over a delicious groove of bass led deep house pulse. “Get Down” does exactly that with five funky minutes of Rhodes chords, disco kicks and synthetic swirls, while crowd voices give the cut a true party vibe. On the B side, “The Fix” scatters chopped fragments of the spoken word over a funk based groove, from which Dubbyman delivers a variation on the theme in his remix of the track: digging deeper into the cut’s bass science, warming the tune’s slinky pulse with hand percussion and claps. Old-school in its embrace of classic house sounds, Above Smoke’s EP is tailor-made for those who like their material laid-back, grooving and funky.
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (05/10/2009)

Artist -	Various
Label -	Soiree International
Released -	12th October 2009

 Above Smoke

One of the unsung heroes of Detroit House, Derrick Thompson aka Drivetrain has a long history of releasing smooth grooves and pristine quality 12s via his Soiree International Label for nearly 2 decades now. Putting his release schedule back on track for 2009 with this 4 tracker. Available on vinyl only, Mo2Meaux is a thoroughbred collection, featuring artists from Motown (USA) to Meaux (France), but let's not forget about Los Angeles (USA) and Aberdeen (UK) either! United by a common musical vision and a total lack of willingness to compromise. This Ep is bound together by soulful melodies, raw rhythm - created by 4 authentic, underground masterminds. A compilation of pure, unadulterated, deep grooves.
 
Reviewed By Owain Kimber (05/10/2009)