PACKSHOT Nicole Moudaber - Mood Elevation Vol.1 (incl. Chris Liebing, ANNE Remixes) - MOOD

Nicole Moudaber ‘Mood Elevation Vol.1’

Artist: Nicole Moudaber
Title: Mood Elevation Vol.1
Remixer: Chris Liebing, ANNĒ 
Label: MOOD
Cat. #: MOOD081
Format: Digital
Release Date: 5th August 2022
Tracklist:
01 What Was (Chris Liebing Remix)
02 What Was (ANNĒ Remix)

Nicole Moudaber recruits Chris Liebing and ANNĒ for Vol. 2 of her ‘Mood Elevation’ remix series.

 

Following the first in a series of remixes ahead of her 2022 In The Mood tour, which featured Will Clarke and Marcal, Moudaber enlists techno titan and CLR boss Chris Liebing and Symbolism, Out of Place, and Soma Records affiliate ANNĒ for the second set of interpretations this August.

Chris Liebing leads with squelching acid lines, rumbling drums, and twisted vocal samples for his remix, with the track’s raucous, hard-hitting energy evolving throughout. ANNĒ ups the tempo with a barrage of rolling kicks, dense low-end, and subtly ominous pads across her full-blown techno workout.

Nicole Moudaber, the founder of label, party, and radio show MOOD, has been at the forefront of house and techno for over a decade, regularly appearing at esteemed festivals and venues such as Glastonbury, Coachella, DC-10, and Space Ibiza. Her iconic In The Mood events, with recent editions in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and EDC Festival, have featured legendary artists such as Carl Craig, Chris Liebing, Loco Dice, and many more over the years. Her MOOD imprint consistently releases music from some of the scene’s top producers, including Carl Cox, Pig&Dan, Yulia Niko, Moby, Klaudia Gawlas, Eats Everything, and of course herself.

 

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Simon Doty ‘Tattoo’

Artist: Simon Doty
Title: Tattoo
Label: Anjunadeep
Cat. #: ANJDEE717BD1
Format: Digital
Release Date: August 16th 2022
Tracklist:
1. Extended Mix
2. 3am In Dhërmi Extended Mix

Simon Doty returns on Anjunadeep with his signature sound (and with the vocals of Ruth Royall), publishing the single ‘Tattoo’ and a ‘3am In Dhermi’ titled interpretation. He chooses again a mixture of lyrics over a solid instrumental, but this time it’s straight to the dancefloor more than his usual: the summer is coming to its end, everyone wish to be carefree and to feel intense emotions, probably these are the factors that influenced him to act in this way. Both the mixes sound great, the original is very house influenced while the second follows a fierce and energetic progressive house style.

More info:
https://anjunadeep.co/sdttoo.gcn
https://soundcloud.com/simondoty
https://soundcloud.com/anjunadeep

PACK SHOT Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation T - Cocoon Recordings

Various ‘Cocoon Compilation T’

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Cocoon Compilation T
Label: Cocoon Recordings
Cat. #: CORLP051
Format: Digital, vinyl
Release Date: 5th August 2022

Cocoon Recordings is back with another fresh instalment in its iconic compilation series, this time hitting letter T with artists like Stephen Brown, Claude VonStroke, Daniel Avery, Carl Finlow and The Emperor Machine. 

On this latest collection and in time-honoured tradition, the old guard and new stars combine to devastating effect and define the current state of techno. Once again Cocoon lies at its core, with founder Sven Väth having served up his first solo album in 20 years back in February, and label parties now returning to dance floors all over the world.

This collection kicks off with vital veteran Stephan Brown with the lucid dreamscape that is ‘Level Steps’, then fellow heavy hitter Claude VonStroke steps up with trademark shuffling beats and freaky, hypnotic bleeps on ‘Moody Fuse’ before Denis Horvat slows things down on ‘Monomono’ with its post-rave abstractions and disobedient synths causing mayhem. As we enter the techno phase of the journey, a special appearance from Daniel Avery makes it all the more worthwhile amid a dense forest of chiming melodies and blistering electrical surges on ‘Your Future Looks Different In The Light,’ then Jeroen Search’s aptly titled ‘Subversive Elements’ leads us deeper and deeper into the matrix.

Marco Bailey kicks off a triptych of trance with some massive filtered piano action on ‘Kanai’ that’s destined to trigger a serotonin smile, Damiano van Erckert continues the loved-up vibe on the gorgeous ‘500 People, 500 Hearts, 1 Love‘ where classic ambience meets slick 909 snares and cymbal interplay. The melodic pull of ‘Vision99’ then signifies that the party is peaking at just the right moment as YOKTO concocts a glistening, psychedelic groove and Jonathan Kaspar’s ‘CCC’ rides in on a wave of expectant arpeggios and squelching bass. ‘The Art of Electronics’ is pure analog fire served up by UK legend Andrew Meecham aka The Emperor Machine and fellow British titan and electro overlord Carl Finlow makes his long-overdue label debut with a nervous sliver of dystopian futurism on ‘Surface Control.’ DeFeKT then draws this great adventure to a close with the deliciously dark robo-disco overtones of ‘Terraform.’

Cocoon Compilation T provides a perfect snapshot of contemporary techno and comes digitally, as well as via a limited edition vinyl boxset across six sides of blue wax with a download code.

Tracklist:

1. Stephen Brown – Level Steps
2. Claude VonStroke – Moody Fuse
3. Denis Horvat – Monomono
4. Daniel Avery – Your Future Looks Different In The Light
5. Jeroen Search – Subversive Elements
6 Marco Bailey – Kanai
7. Damiano Von Erckert – 500 People, 500 Hearts, 1 Love
8. YOKTO – Vision99
9. Jonathan Kaspar – CCC
10. The Emperor Machine – The Art Of Electronics
11. Carl Finlow – Surface Control
12. DeFeKT – Terraform

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Carlita ‘The Way You Say’

Artist: Carlita
Title: The Way You Say
Label: Higher Ground
Cat. #: high100
Format: Digital
Release Date: July 2022
Tracklist:
1. The Way You Say
2. Fly By

Rising star Carlita released the two tracker ‘The Way You Say’, showing her interesting vision of contemporary house. The artist genuinely inserts into the music various elements coming from deep or progressive house, reinforcing the song structures and of course the central themes. The title track is more catchy than ‘Fly By’, anyway this last reveals an easy-going and underground vibe, thanks also to special female lyrics.

More info:
https://soundcloud.com/carla-frayman
https://soundcloud.com/thehigherground

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Matthias Meyer ‘Strangely Enough Remixes’

Artist: Matthias Meyer
Title: Strangely Enough Remixes
Label: Strangely Enough
Remixer: Guy Mantzur & Tamir Regev, Amine K, Urmet K, Forty Cats
Cat. #: SE004
Format: Digital
Release Date: July 29th 2022
Tracklist:
1. Strangely Enough (Guy Mantzur & Tamir Regev Remix)
2. Strangely Enough (Amine K Remix)
3. Strangely Enough (Urmet K Remix)
4. Strangely Enough (Forty Cats Remix)
5. Strangely Enough (Amine K Stripped Down Remix)

Buy link: lnk.to/SE004

Strangely Enough glows up again with a special remix release: Guy Mantzur & Tamir Regev, Amine K, Urmet K and Forty Cats retort Matthis Meyer with unique interpretations of the single ‘Strangely Enough’, a song which recalls to the label’s name, previously published in 2020 as debut EP. The overall sound grins to summer vibes and to pleasant instrumentals, offering a set of interpretations that revitalize the original theme, going on with particular experimentations but without altering the main music motifs.

More info:
https://soundcloud.com/matthias-meyer
https://soundcloud.com/strangelyenough

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James Harcourt ‘Quartz EP’

Artist: James Harcourt
Title: Quartz EP
Label: Renaissance Records
Cat. #: REN22015D
Format: Digital
Release Date: August 19th 2022
Tracklist:
1 Trust Me With Your Heart
2 Trust Me With Your Heart (Mr Morek Remix)
3 Quartz
4 Sister
5 Spellbound

 

After some important appearances on labels such as Selador, Sincopat and Parquet Recordings, James Hartcourt pops up again on the notorious Renaissance with his first full release titled ‘Quartz’. The EP features five relevant productions, allowing space for both four to the floor and broken beat rhythm structures. ‘Spellbound’ and ‘Trust Me With Your Heart’ elevate the tension all over the playback, while the title track and ‘Sister’ calm down the entire sound, thanks to gentle, warm and accomodating instrument combinations.

More info:
https://soundcloud.com/jamesharcourt
https://soundcloud.com/renaissance-recordings

PACKSHOT Litmus - Plus One - Up The Stuss

Litmus ‘Plus One’

Artist: Litmus
Title: Plus One
Remixer: Leo Pol
Label: Up The Stuss
Cat. #: UTS10
Release Date: 05.08.2022
Tracklist
1. Litmus – Plus One
2. Litmus – Mon Dhaba
3. Litmus & Black Loops – Madonah
4. Plus One (Leo Pol Remix)
5. Don Marone [Digital Bonus]

Up The Stuss goes down under as Sydney’s Litmus readies the label’s tenth release ‘Plus One’, featuring a collaboration with Black Loops and a remix from Leo Pol.

As a bubbling member of Australia’s house and minimal scene, productions via No Art, PIV, and Dailycid have seen exciting Aussie Litmus emerge onto the global landscape and make some noise across the past few years. Showing no signs of slowing, his ‘Plus One’ EP on Up The Stuss showcases a wealth of vibrant solo flavours while partnering up with Berlin’s Black Loops for a crisp collaborative sprinkling of house delight. The package is backed by French live act and man of the moment Leo Pol as he delivers a heady remix of the title cut to shape things up in style.

Title cut ‘Plus One’ launches into the action as rumbling basslines, skipping drums, and zigzagging electronics combine, while ‘Mon Dhaba’ keeps the low-end focus front and centre while upping the tempo to dive into a drum-driven workout set to ignite any dancefloor. Next, ‘Madonah’ welcomes the arrival of Black Loops as the two unveil a sleek future-focused house effort that packs a punch, before Leo Pol’s remix of ‘Plus One’ sees the Parisian opt for rich piano keys above woozy subs and a signature no-nonsense groove.

Dropping as a digital exclusive, ‘Don Marone’ offers the most ‘paired-back’ effort on the package but don’t let that fool you as acid-flecked leads, glassy pads, and chunky drums all fuse to make sure it’s a track to draw for in key moments.

PACK SHOT Davide Squillace & Santos - Flesh - Ovum Recordings

Davide Squillace & Santos ‘Flesh’

Artist: Davide Squillace & Santos
Title: Flesh
Label: Ovum Recordings
Cat. #: OVM321
Format: Digital, vinyl
Release Date: 5th August 2022
Tracklist:
01 Davide Squillace & Santos – Flesh
02 Davide Squillace & Santos – Flesh (dub mix)
03 Davide Squillace & Santos – Flesh (Audion remix)

Contemporary tech house pair Davide Squillace & Santos link up for a superb new single on Ovum featuring vocals from Boy From Africa and a remix by the highly regarded Mathew Dear as Audion.

Italian Davide Squillace is one of the scene’s most in-demand artists. His legendary sets at places like DC10 in Ibiza, his fresh cuts on labels like Bedrock and SCI+TEC and his own well-curated label This And That all attest to that. Countryman Santos is another modern tastemaker with a sound rooted in tech house. He has produced countless classics over the last 20 years and now heads up his own Let Me Understand Records.

Their ‘Flesh’ is a superbly stylish cut with celestial synths bringing an uplifting sense of hope and optimism. The silvery drums are super smooth, with angelic vocal sounds sending shivers down the spine as they float way up above the Detroit-styled pads. It’s an artful cut that is richly layered. The dub mix pairs it back to something a little more direct.

Michigan-born Mathew Dear is a musical polyglot. He plays guitar and can make folk albums but is a studio wizard who also crafts face-melting minimal and dark avant-pop that features his own vocals. He has released on labels like Ghostly and Spectral Sound and here assumes his club-ready Audion alias. His late-night and minimal version is a tightly coiled and rhythmic workout with dark layers of synth making for a dystopian mood. It’s eerie and full of intrigue with a vocal that brings a much more paranoid character.

This is an innovative package of fresh electronic sounds from Ovum Recordings.

 

PACKSHOT Dennis Cruz - So Sweet - MUSE

Dennis Cruz ‘So Sweet’

Artist: Dennis Cruz
Title: So Sweet
Label: MÜSE
Cat. #: MUSE035
Format: Digital
Release Date: 5th August 2022
Tracklist
1. So Sweet
2. Mochis

Dennis Cruz serves up another slick two tracker with ‘So Sweet’ on MÜSE.

In the midst of another non-stop summer, Dennis Cruz is arguably in one of his most productive studio periods to date, serving up a string of stand-out releases alongside a long list of heavily-requested unreleased cuts across sets at an endless selection of the world’s most renowned venues and festivals. Returning in style once again to the label he co-founded with close friend and fellow Solid Grooves favourite Eddy M back in 2019, the Madrid- based DJ, producer and label boss drops two fresh cuts on MÜSE in the form of his latest EP, ‘So Sweet’.

‘So Sweet’ is a vibrant title track harnessing funky samples, wild vocals and snaking basslines alongside Cruz’s signature drum-driven groove, with the darker and more menacing ‘Mochis’ laying the focus on tough percussion, warped vocal snippets and rumbling low-ends for a no-nonsense dancefloor affair.