Kahwe ‘Driving Me Wild EP' / Anjunadeep / Released February 4th
As January's hangover fades and thoughts turn to proper parties it's fitting for Kahwe to drop a trio of warm, enticing house music. Those soulful lyrical whispers of the package's title number, more than nodding to Balearic sunset fare, the meaty beats, piano loops and vocal stabs on Anything, and the sombre depth of Yew setting the tone well.
Laura Jones ‘Sensoramic EP' / Visionquest / Released February 4th
There's a hypnotic quality to the latest from Ms. Jones. Let Me In's breathy vocals and melodic chimes are reminiscent of more ethereal canons of electronic music, albeit underpinned by techier low ends. The Dub Rework brings that toughness to the fore, and we'd also like to draw attention to Every Thought, a spooky little 4AM, electro-edged number.
A Sagittarriun ‘Transparent Mind EP' / Elastic Dreams / Released February 11th
Elastic Dreams trophy find A Sagitarriun heads into dark, neo-rave breaks on Eye Against Eye, one of the finest difficult to define tunes we've been lucky enough to come across recently. Halfway between early Layo & Bushwacka! and LTJ Bukem after he has taken meds to keep the BPM down, it's so good we're not going to bother mentioning the other tracks. They're also great though, take a listen below.
Terence Fixmer ‘Psychik' / CLR / Released February 11th
Chris Liebing's CLR label teams up with Frenchman Terence Fixmer to showcase some peak time techno sensibilities. If alarming noises and the sense of impending danger are your thing then opener Psychik will be too, Psychose drops the intensity slightly, but Cormac's vocal appearance on Lovesick is the biggest highlight; heads down, groove on.
Mike Shannon ‘The Excursionist' / Exone / Released February 14th
Despite being released on Valentine's Day the latest from Cynosure and Haunt Music man Mike Shannon isn't romantic. Instead, Made In Belgrade is a repetitive slugger, all hoover-like bass and hi-hat fuelled energy. Filth indeed. Sidewinder contrasts, with low-slung percusson, before Exone bosses Exercise One turn it into a bouncy floor filler.
The Deadstock 33s ‘Underneath the Pines' / Gomma / Released February 15th
Justin Robertson dons his Deadstock 33s hat and heads to Gomma for a bit of synth pop-rock dancefloor stuff. The two original mixes are strong, and Disco Bloodbath re-reads them into a pair of retro house outings. However, Ewan Pearson's loose breaks and Adam Freeland-esque rhythms really win out in the end. A potential classic in the making.
David Shaw and The Beat ‘Trance In Mexico' / Her Majesty's Ship / Released February 25th
Two remixes of the excellent David Shaw make up this refreshingly simple A/B release, and both have been hammered in the office of late. Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33s cut is raw drum machine and acid business, while Marc Pinol brings in a bumbling low end and adds some sizeable crescendos, all the while keeping the vibe going nicely.
FOLD ‘Slime EP' / ManMakeMusic / Released February 25th
If deep house is on the brink of being played out then releases like this are enough to make you ignore any of the bandwagon related issues the micro-genre has suffered from in recent years. Crisp and only aimed at keeping feet moving, London head FOLD certainly knows how to make the type of tracks DJs need more of. Nothing, and everything happens.
JC Laurent ‘From Nice To Berlin EP' / Hidden Recordings / Released February 25th
Hidden Recordings seem to have a pleasingly high benchmark so far as our experiences with the imprint go. This solid, darkroom techno four-piece evidences the point, veering from sledgehammer kicks and knife-edge refrains to eerie futurism without ever letting the standard slip, and even Fred P refuses to lighten up much on his remix. Heavy.
Nick Monaco ‘Naked Is My Nature EP' / Soul Clap Records / Released February 25th
If Boston's finest label guarantees one thing, it's smile -inducing surprises. Ironically then it's no shock to find this seven tracker on the label in question. Part Matthew Dear but playful, part Jackie Brown soundtrack with sequencers, we also like it for the classic electro outing My Baby's Back, which is enough to make us all wish we were b-boys.
