Artist: Casual Treatment Title: Inner Urge EP Label: Hardgroove Cat. #: HARDGROOVEDIGI020 Format: Digital Release Date: 28th April 2023 Tracklist: 01 Soul Station 02 Midnight Train 03 Inner Urge 04 Somethin’ Else 05 The Next Step 06 Sunrise
Axis, Hayes and Children of Tomorrow artist Casual Treatment makes his Hardgroove debut with the ‘Inner Urge’ EP.
Melvyn Ortega, aka Casual Treatment, delivers six tracks to make up his first EP for Ben Sims’ storied Hardgroove imprint this Spring.
Kicking off with ‘Soul Station’ a funk-licked and consuming riff on jazz-infused techno, a theme echoed in the title track, the ‘Inner Urge’ EP is rich and varied from the off. The thundering swagger and peak time clout of ‘Midnight Train’ contrasts the dubby late-night vibe of ‘Somethin Else’ while the orchestral intensity of ‘The Next Step’ takes things in a completely different direction. Closing out with the warm, deep techno of ‘Sunrise’, it’s clear that Casual Treatment is an artist keen on exploring the breadth of modern techno sounds.
Artist: Various Tracks by: Dam Swindle, Scan 7, Fouk, Demuir, Adryiano Title: Heist Classics Vol. 01 Label: Heist Recordings Cat. #: Heist070 Format: Vinyl & Digital Release Date: 21st April 2023 Tracklist: A1 – Dam Swindle – The break up A2 – Scan 7 – The best is yet to come B1 – Fouk – Kill frenzy B2 – Demuir – Werq. Feel. Gruv. Vogue. B3 – Adryiano – Me and you and her
Dam Swindle announces ‘Heist Classics Vol. 01’, the first of four special edition releases celebrating 10 years of Heist Recordings
Founded in 2013, Heist Recordings has quickly become a go-to House label, giving rise to a vibrant scene of groove aficionados. Now in the label’s 10th year, Dam Swindle reflect on the great tracks that have come out over the years with four limited edition compilations.
On this first compilation, the duo starts with the track that helped the label burst onto the scene: their instant classic ‘The break up’. With its vintage vocals, Rhodes chops and instantly recognisable bell loop, it’s easy to understand why so many people are still in love with this track. Following is Scan 7’s 2020 track ‘The Best is yet to come’ from Heist’s 50th release, an amazing EP full of Midwest electronic funk.
On the flip, we’ve got Dutch duo Fouk with their first hit on the label ‘Kill Frenzy’ before the release ends with two catchy tracks by Demuir and Adryiano. Demuir’s vocal cut ‘Werq. Feel. Gruv. Vogue’. is one of the highlights in his catalogue and a showcase of the producer’s knack for sampling and writing a house groove. Adryiano’s ‘Me and you and her’ is a perfect ending to the compilation, showing that great house music can be as simple as repeating something over and over and over until that groove is all you hear.
Artist: Mathimidori Title: Anata EP Label: Echocord Remixer: Levon Vincent Cat. #: EC092 Format: Digital, vinyl Release Date: 23.06.2023 Tracklist: 1. Anata 2. Zanziba 3. Zanziba (Levon Vincent Remix)
Mathias Kaden unveils under his Mathimidori moniker a brand new EP to be released in the next months on the great Echocord Records: ‘Anata’ is a three tracker which features two deep and intriguing productions, and a malevolous remix by the one and only Levon Vincent. Mathias’ first appearance on Echocord was in 2020 with the album ‘Akebono’ (repress in 2021), showing off a pure but easy listening style and recalling the basics of dub techno classics from the 90s. Through ‘Anata EP’ his output goes into intricate and atmospheric sonorities, waving into colorful soundscapes while whets introspective and hidden emotions. Levon Vincent closes the EP with his interpretation of ‘Zanziba’, placing the original theme and sound parts inside an instrumental that shows a decise and threatening behvaiour.
Artist: GruuvElement’s & Manolaco Title: The Way You Love Me EP Label: Rebellion Cat. #: RBL094 Format: Digital Release Date: 21st April 2023 Tracklist 1. The Way You Love Me 2. Disclose 3. Melancholy
GruuvElement’s links with Manolaco to deliver their collaborative ‘The Way You Love Me’ EP on Rebellion.
Romanian-born, London-based DJ/producer GruuvElement’s has steadily been dropping stripped-back, crisp productions on labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Solid Grooves Raw, Deeperfect, MÜSE, VIVa and more while crafting his ever-evolving take on percussive-driven house music. Up next, he joins forces with Clarisse Records and Roush talent Manolaco once more for a trio of slick collaborations on their ‘The Way You Love Me’ EP via Damian Lazarus’ impressive Rebellion imprint.
Title track ‘The Way You Love’ Me is a track ‘created for quality dancefloors and real house lovers’ as resonant vocals, delicate Balearic drums, and a killer bassline instantly catch the attention and allow the tracks infectious groove to wormhole into the minds of the listener. Next, heads deeper into the night as chunky low-ends are guided by playful guitar riffs, spiralling electronics and further hooky vocals, before the vibrant ‘Melancholy’ shapes up the package as Latin-influenced percussion arrangements meet jazzy interludes and a commanding lead Romanian flute for a captivating and moving final production.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Marmion’s seminal classic Schöneberg, Superstition Records are releasing a new 21-track collection of the best remixes over the last three decades, including two brand new versions from DJ T. and Chris Zippel.
If there were to be a compilation celebrating the golden era of European techno, Schöneberg would arguably be the opening track. The most famous cut that came out of Mijk van Dijk and Marcos López’s project Marmion, Schöneberg is perhaps the purest form of what the clubs and raves of Berlin sounded like in the early 90s, and stands as one of the most revered and fondly remembered tracks of all time.
Mijk van Djik and Marcos Lopez formed Marmion after meeting while studying at the FU Berlin, and began DJing together at clubs across the city. It was from their sets that the seed for Schöneberg was sown, as they tried to find a balance between the techno and trance sounds that dominated the clubs. It was an era ripe for experimentation, and for cross-pollination between genres, as van Djik recalls: “Coldcut was doing pop, Kevin Saunderson was playing up and down all the floors, everything fit. I didn’t feel like I had to limit myself or focus on one style”.
Van Dijk and López first worked together on the remix of van Dijk’s High On Hope, which proved to be the beginning of a fruitful partnership. Van Dijk was the producer – with releases on Low Spirit, MFS and Bash – while López was more focussed on DJing. Their first official collaboration was T-Dancer, a tribute to the Sunday tea dance at the Metropol on Nollendorfplatz. “Whoever survived the Whale would hit it again there around 7 p.m. on Sunday. Frankie Goes To Hollywood would have enjoyed this hedonism” López recalls.
Schöneberg was recorded in a single session, and though they returned to it several times afterwards, they never felt they improved on that first creative burst. Released as part of the Berlin E.P. back in 1993, it was heavily championed by influential figures like Tony De Vit and became of the defining anthems of the 90s. “It always went like this: I sat at the Atari, Marcos screwed on the machines,” says van Dijk. And this was the process that led to Schöneberg. “I had little to no idea about the technical side of things, but just a feeling for what I wanted. And Mijk was able to do it exactly,” adds López.
Over the years Schöneberg has been remixed a huge number of times, by a wide range of artists. Now, to celebrate 30 years since its original release, Superstition have collected the best of the remixes – from artists like DJ Hell, John Acquaviva, Der Dritte Raum, Tim Engelhart and Donnacha Costello – presented here with two brand new remixes from DJ T. and Chris Zippel, both of whom do a sterling job of putting their own unique spin one this stone-cold classic.
Artist: Little Fritter Title: My People Label: Hot Creations Cat. #: HOTC208 Format: Digital / Vinyl Release Date: 14th April 2023 Tracklist: 1. My People 2. FLY HI
Little Fritter returns to Hot Creations, delivering an energetic pair of house cuts across ‘My People’.
Australian DJ/producer Little Fritter is on a roll of late, with the boisterous talent and Need2Freak boss serving up high-octane originals and remixes via Club Bad, elrow, Sola, &Friends and Thick As Thieves across a highly productive 2022. A previous signee to the label in August of 2020, April sees the Gold Coast artist return to Jamie Jones and Lee Foss’ iconic Hot Creations imprint with his two-track EP, ‘My People’.
“I wrote ‘My People’ in the weeks leading up to playing before Jamie in Sydney last year. Once I got the call up about the show, I instantly felt inspired to write something specifically to play in my set that would represent a true Jamie style of sound and get the crowd locked in and on the level. After the show, I sent the track to Jamie, and he signed it. I’m really excited to share this one because of the way it all came together, it just feels wholesome, and I think this release reflects on the O.G sound of Hot Creations, which massively influenced me in my early days of making tunes :)” – Little Fritter.
Guided by a resonant vocal at the heart of the production, ‘My People’ is a vibrant and warm ride through funky bass licks, swirling synths and bright stabs, while ‘FLY HI’ harnesses disco-influenced loops and further vocal interludes above rolling percussion and sweeping melodies across almost seven-minutes of joy.
Another great classic of all times goes through the hands of Kryder: ‘Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan – Silence’ is remixed by the UK based dj and producer, who makes it shining again. The vocal and the main melody is wide adopted and put into a nowadays instrumental, which warmly and pleasantly embraces the parts from the original mix.
Artist: Pale Blue Title: Together Alone Remixer: Kölsch Label: Crosstown Rebels Cat. #: CRM290 Format: Digital / Vinyl Release Date: 14th April 2023 Tracklist 1. Together Alone 2. Together Alone (Kölsch ‘I Have You’ Remix)
Pale Blue unveil the penultimate single from their forthcoming album on Crosstown Rebels with ‘Together Alone’, accompanied by a driving and hypnotic remix from Kölsch.
Artists with renowned solo careers alongside their ever-evolving journey as the critically acclaimed duo Pale Blue, Mike Simonetti and Elizabeth Wight continue to showcase why their collaborative material is much-loved from all corners of the electronic realm and beyond. Arriving on the heels of the release of the playful and charming ‘No Words’, the pair return to Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels with the third and penultimate single ahead of their forthcoming album release as they switch up the mood and veer into wistful territories across the absorbing ‘Together Alone’ – backed by a remix from Kompakt mainstay and electronic heavyweight, Kölsch.
“Together Alone is the longest song on the record. It is meant to represent the three phases of a relationship: the beginning, middle, and end. It is also the penultimate song on Maria, the song before the realisation, the slow dance” says Simonetti, uncovering the story behind the touching and moving record. Wight adds, “‘Together Alone’ is pretty self-explanatory. It is about that period in a relationship when you are going through the motions, when you know it’s over, but you go on anyway”.
A carefully created journey across almost eight minutes, ‘Together Alone’ is an exemplary showcase of balance and restrain as delicate melodies and hazy tones float amongst subtle nimble percussion arrangements, blooming synths and Wight’s captivating vocals for a deep dive into dreamy spheres. Bringing his own take to the record, Danish electronic pioneer Kölsch heads to Crosstown Rebels with his excellent crafted ‘I Have You’ remix, as he builds on the original with a powerful and emphatic introduction of anthemic leads, crisp kicks and a warping bassline rooted at the track’s core to transport the production firmly into the heart of the dancefloor.
Artist: Three Drives On A Vinyl Title: Greece 2000 (KREAM Remix) Label: Armada Cat. #: ARMAS2474 Format: Digital Release Date: 28.04.2023 Tracklist: 1. Greece 2000 (KREAM Remix)
Three Drives On A Vinyl’s timeless theme ‘Greece 2000’ gets another remix treatment by the KREAM duo, who are delivering a lot of bootleg/remixes of well known productions. Their last remix melts the main chord with contemporary edm infected instruments, which sound very large expecially in the low end spectrum. Without going too far from the original vibe the overall result is great, perfectly recalling emotions and sensations that roam around happiness and carefree.
Toolroom Trax hosts ‘Delirio’, a production made by five artists who had the occasion to join each others through the Toolroom Academy music courses. The production reflects as its best the kind of club-ready house/techno music proposed by the legendary UK label imprint, which gets infected by the experience and musical background of each artist.
