As some very welcome spring sunshine flooded through the windows of our Brighton HQ, we found this rather special EP lurking in our inbox, which provides the perfect soundtrack to our Sunday.
If you're not familiar with Andre Bonsor by name, you may well know his music from his sterling work with Nottingham production outfit Schmoov! throughout the late nineties. Believe it or not, this is his first solo effort using his real name, and a rather lovely offering it is too.
The release contains all the musicality and positive vibes we have come to expect from Schmoov!, but with a real sense of individuality. Disco influenced, feel good deep house we call it, and it really makes us long for those summer beach parties. The release is dropping just in time for Miami, and we can certainly see this record working well by the pool.
Release Date: 6th March 2012 (Traxsource) / 9th April 2012 (Full Release)
Already a firm favourite with lovers of atmospheric underground music everywhere, the excellent Apollo label continues its prolific assault on the year 2012 with a full length LP from Polish producer Peluca. This dropped into our inbox in late January, and hasn't been off the office stereo since. For once, the often rather flowery description supplied by the label is entirely matched by the brilliance of the music. Here's what they have to say about the record:
"Intricate, analog percussion & lush, melodic soundscapes arc through "Modo" with the complexity & grace of a full blown symphony. The 60 minute debut album from Peluca is a genre-defying, label defining journey told in 9 tales-- each carefully engineered pinions of an overarching, interlocking world.."
Not much for us to add then, it would seem. This is truly a tour de force of electronic music production. Atmospheric, bleak and beautiful in equal measure, the LP contains a few dancefloor moments, but somehow manages to keep a sense of balance and composure from start to finish. This is only aided by the fact that included in the album package is a continuous DJ mix of the LP, which really helps to map the journey contained within the record; a must for any ipod (especially if travelling on a train at night). A special piece of work indeed- if only all producers took such care when putting together an album.
One of the most underrated producers in house music and a personal favourite of ours, Da Funk hails from Zurich, Switzerland. His own imprint Acryl Music has been firing out some fantastic releases since 2004, and his own productions and remixes have become mainstays in many discerning DJ's boxes over the years. His latest release on Dutchie Music 'Clavia Aurea' however, really is something special. Often it's one great track that defines a producer; sometimes it's a debut release, and sometimes it takes several years to happen. In our opinion, 'Clavia Aurea' might just be Da Funk's moment in the sunshine. Uplifting, beautiful, bordering on euphoric, but with a real elegance and sense of cool throughout, this track could easily stand comparisons to vintage Milton Jackson or Scope productions. But I would argue there is even more personality, warmth, soul and to this record- it really makes you tingle in all the right places. If dropped at the right moment to an open-minded dancefloor, this track has the potential to create one of those life-changing clubbing moments.
'Clavia Aurea' is out now on Dutchie Music, with remixes to follow.
Posted by Will Sumsuch | File under : Podcast, Soul
For a
long while I've been planning a downtempo mix for those late night
reflective moments. Sit back, turn the lights down low, pour a stiff
drink and enjoy a journey through the more emotional, yet life-affirming
corners of my record collection. This set is dedicated to those who are
no longer with us, and those left behind to miss them.
Yesterday's news of the sad passing of legendary DJ, producer and lovely man Shem McCauley (aka Slacker)
spurred me on to finally put this mix together, however Lee Bailey, Ian
Jones & Amy Winehouse & My Gran also deserve special mention. Gone, but never forgotten. Rest In Power.
The first mix to be posted on You and the Music comes courtesy of our resident blogger Jeff Daniels, taking us through a selection of utterly essential jazz beats. Anyone with even a passing interest in dance music should get stuck into this- the roots are laid out before us here (as well as some very tasty recent cuts).
In the words of the man himself: "I've been meaning to put together a selection of Jazz or Jazz influenced tracks for a while now, and finally, here it is. The 1st installment..."Jazz Journey #1", taking in all forms of Jazziness, and featuring some real dance-floor burners to get your jazz juices flowing, a few head nodders and a couple of spat scuffers thrown in there as well, merging styles and adding new dimensions. No weakness in the whirl. Niiiiiiiiiiiiice."
For our first slice of musical pie in 2012, we have this very tasty little EP from the mysterious Finnish producer pothOles... We have a fair idea who this guy is, but we don't know for sure. All that that matters is that he delivers some rather amazing deep funk, with shades of Chicago and a real retro feel.
Both original tracks 'Poka' and 'Warthog' are very nice indeed- blissed out, smooth, spacey and full of uplifting peaks and troughs. Alex Arnout takes 'Poka' down a much clubbier road with his remix. dark and trippy, this is proper late night / closed eyes fodder. Our pick however is Dana Bergquist & Peder G's remix of 'Warthog', which takes us right back to the 80s with some heavy boogie bass and a a real standout breakdown followed by a storming bassline workout towards the end.
Our friends at Apollo are well known throughout the solar system for delivering fantastic deep house vibes with a real futuristic edge. Part of the Proton family, which encompasses a fantastic online radio station, distribution company and two other record labels, Apollo certainly have both the resources and pedigree to deliver some World class music.
'Meaning Of Life' is described by the label as "a soulful, jazzy, deep house track from Italian duo Cassino & Laben". The original mix has a nice light swing and a great build throughout, although soulful and jazzy would probably not be our choice of words. Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice track, but the remixes steal the show here.
Enter Night Drive boss Andre Kronert. His mix begins with some wonderfully simple but effective drums backed up with some powerful bassline action, building subtly into a sublime, uplifting piece of music. Unique and brilliant stuff- hats off to the Night Drive maestro.
Last, and definitely not least, Evans T (Dark Pleasure) delivers a beautiful, warm and sensitive slice
of deep house. Brilliantly produced and well balanced. Classy stuff
indeed.
DCSTrax have become well respected for their consistently deep, quality output, and this, their 15th release is definitely no exception. It warms my heart to say this EP is available on vinyl as well as digitally (albeit with a slightly different track listing)- proving this is a label standing firmly behind their material, and putting their money where their mouth is.
This is the debut release for German producers Ghostnotez (AKA Matt Flores & Doogie P). Bilk 123 sees the pair embracing the slower BPMs which are all the rage at the moment, and mixing their creation on analogue gear which really does make a difference to the sound. Atmospheric, warm and hypnotic, the track builds beautifully throughout, managing to sound both classic and brand new at the same time.
The first remix in the package is by Jay Tripwire, a man who should need no introduction to fans of proper house music. Already a favourite producer of mine, this may well be the finest work I've heard from him. On the surface you could say it's acid, or jackin', or moody, and you'd be right. However it's hard to explain just how beautiful, sensitive and, dare I say it, pretty this track is- I suggest you buy it and find out for yourself.
Finally we are treated to another stellar remix by OneThirty Recordings' boss Jevne Miller. Also keeping the BPM low, lovely rolling percussion, a killer bassline and some very sneaky steel drum sampling are the order of the day here. Fantastic.
Overall, this is without doubt this is the most compelling release I've heard so far from DCSTrax, and the quality of music on display places the label squarely into the territory of the bigger boys such as Freerange & 20:20. I hope this release gets the acclaim it deserves, and really puts DCSTrax on the map.
Vinyl release: 20th November 2011
Digital Traxsource Exclusive: 7th December 2011
It's getting less and less common for a hip hop record to make me sit up and take notice these days, but when it happens, it's a joy. This promo popped up in my inbox back in May, sent by the fantastically named 'Brown Bag Allstars'. It's a simple, no nonsense hip hop track with heartfelt lyrics and a great vibe. Interested to find out more about the producer I headed over to his website, where I learned the following:
"Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin The Audible Doctor fell in love with music at a very young age. As a child he spent countless hours with his toy keyboard on the kitchen floor playing what he called his “muget” (music), that same drive and passion has followed him through the years. His parents recognized his talent early on and tried to nourish it by finding outlets for him to learn and grow musically. Piano lessons gave way to joining the city choir which gave way to guitar lessons and so on until Audible Doctor finally found his own niche with Hip Hop.
By his sophomore year in high school he began collecting records and DJing at friends parties, school dances, and anywhere he had the opportunity. Equipping his room with two 15″ speakers (that the neighbors across the street complained of when their walls started shaking), Audible Doctor would often have friends over for DJ sessions in his bedroom. After the purchase of a $15 Radio Shack microphone those DJ sessions became full on freestyle sessions with DJs and Emcees taking turns on the turntables and the mic. Later, when The Audible Doctor got his hands on a digital 4-track recorder he began writing rhymes, making beats, and recording himself and other local artists."
Audible Doctor's 'Church Night Remix' featuring June Haze is available to download for free from his website, alongside a wealth of other excellent productions:
I was completely bowled over by the 6 track promo sampler for this, the debut Shades of Gray LP. Following my extremely positive feedback, the lovely folks at Beef Records were kind enough to send me a copy of the double CD album. It's rare that I get any kind of physical music through the post nowadays, and it makes the experience of sitting down for a listening session feel so much more special.
Before we move onto the music, let's get a bit of background on the duo themselves, taken from the label's press release:
"After 18 months of intense work in the studio Shades of Gray emerge with their debut album ‘Soul Machine’. The duo of Michal Schwa and Nick West have progressively established themselves over the years producing consistently solid tracks and remixes for labels such as Neurotraxx Deluxe, Om Records, Salted Music, Dark Energy, Tronicsole and of course their home label Beef Records on which ‘Soul Machine’ is released. Released as a 2 CD set, vinyl and digital download, ‘Soul Machine’ includes 11 original tracks and 11 remixes from an all-star cast including veterans The Timewriter, Jef K & Gwen Maze, Soul Minority, Fiord and Lexy (Lexy & K-Paul) as well as some of the hottest emerging producers such as Peter Horrevorts, Steve Ward, Uone, LuRob and Londonground."
Opening the double CD case I'm immediately confronted with the following quote in the inner casing: "Life is not black and white, it is the subtleties you find amongst the million shades of gray that makes you who you are".Pretty deep, conceptual stuff- the excitement which has stayed with me from the material I've already heard grows stronger as I load up both CDs and press play...
The thing which impresses me no end about 'Soul Machine' is the quality which oozes from every sound on the record. This is considered, clever production, with a huge amount of flair and originality which has been carefully sculpted into an album which is truly a treat for the ears. No corners have been cut here, no obvious samples used- in short there isn't one point in the whole LP where the producers are giving any less than 100%.
House LPs are always difficult to get right and Shades of Gray manage a perfect balance between dancefloor sensibility and the depth & musicality required for home listening. 'Drums Of The South', 'Crazee' & 'Midnight Lover' are instant classics, and the rest of the collection isn't half bad either...
The remixers for this project have been well chosen, I really wouldn't say there's a bad mix in the whole package. Highlights for me have to be The Timewriter's inspired mix of 'Drums Of The South', Peter Horrevorts' sublime version of 'Back To The Future' & Fiord's dreamy take on 'Higher Ground'.
Overall this is a really special package of music, brilliantly written, carefully crafted and elegantly presented. If even half the music I get sent was anywhere close to as good as this record, I would be a very happy man...
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