what do you call musicians like com truise? he seems easy enough to pin down—throw out some words like nostalgia, synth-wave, eighties, and electro-funk and you will scrape by—but to be truly insightful about his music is tough, because art that is so blatantly referencing certain things in a certain way while also making them weird and new and unique is confusing. how do you classify something that is so obviously both vintage and current but is too fun to call postmodern? awesome is an option. especially when it sounds like you are driving the knight rider car through thick clouds of nitrous oxide, like >fairlight<, the title track from truises new single, which previously appeared on an iso50 comp called dry waves and also has this jarring, falling-all-over-itself middle section that prevents you from trancing out too hard. >beta eyes<, the track that follows, is even more restless, with a drum pattern that is fidgety and clustered, kicks and snares fighting each other like two drum and bass heads arguing over an atari remote. >polyhurt<, a narcotic, almost ballad-like closer that inevitably leaves you thinking, >now, how the hell am i going to describe that to someone?< the vinyl exclusive cut >colorvision< could be truises most dancefloor friendly track yet.
limited to 500 units worldwide (200 in europe).

so we went predominanlty stateside for our last outing, and decided to bring things back home this time. hoya003 is a strictly uk affair. opening up on the a-side is one of rudest producers and djs the uk has going for it. this aint a comment on her manners though, they are as impeccable as her production. after ikonika sent us a zip of some hoya potentials, we just knew >fleas< had to be the one featured on this 12 inch. a more sinister, rolling, emotional jam, it still packs as much as punch as ikonikas dj sets. kicking off the b-side is the homie om unit. now, this guy … this guy. are there any superlatives left to desribe his sonic masterpieces that have rocked too many dancefloors and had as many producers scratching their heads and re-assessing their mix-downs? an instant favourite, >fibonnaci 10< was one of the earliest cuts lined up for a release and when you listen you will see why. this guy. seriously. bringing things to a close, we hand over to one of our favourites from the flourishing cardiff scene. why doesnt monky have more music out? is one of those questions that has been asked too many times for our liking. so much so, we may have to take it upon ourselves to change that. but, for now, just enjoy >hipster<. a killer synth-laden nod to early ukg, but looking forward as opposed to sideways. enjoy.

incl dubfire & kerri chandler remixes!! supported by: italoboyz , konrad black , mathias tanzmann , pig & dan , joel mull , stephan bodzin , chris duckenfield , adam beyer , kiki , brothers vibe ,… seems not so long ago when davide squillace and luca bacchetti joined forces to create hideout... next thing you know, the tenth release is ready to release… time flies. for this new record, davide teamed up with his long time friend guti (desolat, supplement facts, crosstown rebels…). that ginger ponytail starts with with complex latin percussion patterns, followed with a catchy vocal hook and some african-style vibes. on the flip side, techno legend dubfire delivers a crazy dub techno remix while house legenz kerri chandler used more of the latin feel and added some typical chicago organ.

presenting the >cant buy love ep<, wolf + lamb records invite you to enter the visceral world of aquarius heaven. a rhapsody of sonic flow both rough and smooth with heavy doses of sleaze and deviant, lust-filled rap, the aquarius heaven experience is nothing short of electrifying. when brian brewster met dop in paris, 2005, the former reggae, dancehall and hip- hop singer was to undergo an electronic rebirth. during the hours of studio lock-up that followed, tapping into a wealth of musical influences, the arresting sound of aquarius heaven was born. after the outstanding debut >7 days ep< on circus company caught the attention of gadi mizrahi of wolf + lamb whilst in berlin (where brewster is now based), it wasnt long before the label made aquarius part of the crew and the >cant buy love ep< was brought to light. a heady mix of sexually charged house funk, a-side >cant buy love< bumps and grinds down a bassline made of rubber with the heavy depth of brewsters vocals in the driving seat. playful and bold with singer dani sicilianos yearning interruptions, the mood is a twisted fusion of love and filth. already a staple in the sets of soul clap and wolf + lamb, >cant buy love< has all the markings of a cult record in the sex music hall of fame

so summer is here and the time has come for two of the finest swiss djs to come together to present their debut 12 inch entitled >kassandra ep<. both wandler and mastra have released a number of solo eps on a number of swiss labels including the infamous motoguzzi records. zurich based wandler and bern based mastra are both constantly playing in the swiss circuit holding down residencies in zurich at zukunft, the hive and cabaret. having said that these two are no strangers to the formula that most djs seek when hunting for the bombs necessary to make a set magic. wielding a smooth sense of linearity and accessibility these two have truly crafted three cuts essential for the late night session.

raoul records is very happy to welcome liviu groza for the fourth release of the label. after his china charm ep on cityfox just before this summer, he is back with 3 tracks that fit perfectly with the sound of the label. it certainly has something to do with house and techno, but livius personal touch is quickly modifying our expectations, for the pleasure of our ears. there is an authentic energy in livius work and the a-side track >no love< is a perfect example of that. what starts with a typical filtered techno loop is suddenly brought to another level with a huge melodic bass line and then with two chords that enlight the track with a certain melancholy. the b-side starts with another killer bass line. >the manimals< bass line is a snake that enrolls its body around every other element: a great house groove and an hypnotic piano. liviu is a snake charmer! the 3rd track >mean fine< seems to be the perfect b2 track. what sounds rather quiet and reduced when you first listen to it, turns itself into an efficient old school dj tool with such groovy hats and hypontic vocals once played on a proper sound system!

for our 33rd release we welcome back darius syrossian whos last area remote >stay up dancing, get in monday< scorched the international club systems back in march.
seeking for peace was triggered after darius got home from a great gig and while chilling at home saw the news on tv. horrific footage of the onslaught in the middle east and the suffering of the innocent families caught up in the bombing made him realise that when he had been living it up, others were living in fear.
bass not bombs is the inspiration for the other 3 remixes. the proceeds from his two tracks will be given to the international red crescent.

its fitting that this summer season sees months of culprit planning and scheming come to fruition. a relationship that began almost four years ago, between culprits la crew and parisian native shonky, has finally been realized, with the mercurial frenchman stepping up for his first full culprit release, >oasis<. shonky first ventured to la when droog hosted him on the now defunct terrace space at avalon in late 2007. since then he and culprit founders droog have become close cohorts, sharing the same musical wavelength, having playied together half-a-dozen times at locations ranging from miami, barcelona and los angeles. shonky was finally introduced on the label earlier this year, when he and dyed soundorom collaborated on a remix of lee foss >your turn girl<

brill 80s inspired deep / disco groover... ltd edition

its impossible to describe without metaphors what happens when listening to the debut album >behaving like a widower< by yoko duo. holger zilske and august landelius draw bright paintings withcool colors, framed by a mosaic ofdelicate glitches. this music comeswithout any irony or cynicism. thisalbum guarantees a prominentplace in the gallery of soulful legacyof the electronica genre for the yoko duo. vinyl tastes better.

returning to the kitchen after an over extended jaunt in the bathroom, the sound diggers grant us with another slap happy handful of flavor with their new piece entitled >dont flap just jack<. here at flapjack we do encourage everyone to wash their hands before returning from the bathroom to the decks. with the nasty low down n dirty grooves that are all over this ep, i am not so sure the sound diggers washed up very well, or at all. as we say in the business, when you get dirt in your salad, eh, its just a lil flava.

back for his third release on hometown label thirtyonetwenty comes captain funktastic himself, william kouam djoko! if you have see him perform you know that this guy has the funk oozing through through his veins like a predatory viper going for the kill.
>cant lose my rhythm< takes you on a jazzy dreamscape, with of course all vocals are done by william himself which has become one of his signature trademarks.
>dazzling urbanite< takes thing a bit more down tempo, a perfect track to play when the first rays of light come shining throught the windows of the panorama bar.
last but not least we included remixes of the acclaimed classic >hard loving<, this time its kabale und liebe who does the honour, a name who doesnt need any further introduction!

charted by ernesto ferreyra. this ep is inspired by an egg dropping contest that was held at the hotel vancouver when i was a kid. all maner of apparatus were designed to help the eggs land safely after falling the 17 floors. all failed but one. parachutes malfunctioned. ballons drifted into obstructions. wings collasped. the winner: a jar of molasses. the egg was pushed into the center of a large jar full of the thick liquid and the jar was thrown over the side. the jar broke on the street below leaving the egg safe and sticky. i was once told that all jokes come from prison. i often think of those doing time while trying to remember some play on words like - whats the difference between a pickpocket and a peeping tom?..... - though that is one of redd foxxs gems i have a new joke i have yet to use - upon exiting a bathroom, regardless of its particular plumbing, tell the owner that you think their bidet is broken

die aufnahmen für das album begannen mit knowing me, knowing you und that s me. nach einer pause im april wurden im mai money, money, money und happy hawaii auf band gebracht. im juni folgte when i kissed the teacher, im juli dum dum diddle und tiger und im august my love, my life, why did it have to be me? und das für das album namensgebende instrumentalstück arrival. im september wurden lediglich einige overdubs zu einigen titeln hinzugefügt, bevor das album am 11. oktober 1976 veröffentlicht wurde.

with the visitors, abba took several steps away from the lighter pop music they had recorded previously and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort. the opening track, the visitors , with its ominous synthesizer sounds and the distinctive lead vocal by frida, announced a change in musical style

there is house music and then there is acid house music, and when you hear the names phuture, phantasy and creator you are talking about dj pierre.

handsome furs entstand, als sich spencer krug und dan boeckner die beiden songschreiber und sänger von wolf parade anderen projekten zuwandten, um ihre eigenen musikalischen ideen besser umsetzen zu können. spencer krug gründete die band sunset rubdown und dan boeckner mit ehefrau und schriftstellerin alexei perry das duo handsome furs. boeckner spielt meist gitarre und singt, während perry keyboard und drumcomputer bedient.

a collection of classic songs from the highly influential blues & folk legend on double 180g vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

when david hasselhoff was touring munich the first time, it was a fucking dynamite show. word. dario was totally into him since knight rider came onto german tv. who is cooler then kit and the hoff? nobody. fact. so this record is a tribute to darios childhood influenced by the turbo boost beyond the purple sky and hoffs outfits. hoff is just sex! the ladys melt away just hearing his name. i have been looking for love! and freedom.

the best of iron maiden as limited edition triple picture vinyl, housed in a tri-fold sleeve.

everything is in solution. no more here, no more when - the sounds loosing their way while creating something new and mysterious. waterkristallen is a transparent and absolute haunting track from arjuna schiks which will be released on einmusika records at the end of july. its a deep and tech influenced number with dizzying atmospheric parts and a lot of power on the other sight - its a dancefloor-number detached from the seasons. arjuna schiks was inspired by new age, meditation and world music, a hippie-child from amsterdam - that is what you can also hear in his productions one more day and my cup of tea. they are so strong and free - good vibes for your soul and precious diamonds for the clubs. once again einmusik is preparing the stage for a young and great producer and it is not supposed to be a short-time collab.

for this release kurbits is happy to announce a new artist for the label – laurentiu suciu – aka. faster. laurentiu has been around on the romanian scene for a couple of years and has earned himself a large number of fans throughout the country. under the name faster, laurentiu has already released a couple of remixes and tracks on various digital labels such as the digital divisions of air drop records and cray1 labworks. whereas his previous releases has been more of straight up house affairs, this release sees laurentiu going for the more minimal and hypnotic shades of dance music. on the a-side we have omego, a track with instant hypnotic qualities. the rolling bass line and the atmospheric pads make the track a perfect choice for those in between moments when you are about to take your set from one direction to another. on the flip we have rost, a rhythmic skeleton based around a simple groove and a little hint of melody. the track might not have the ingredients of a chart buster, but we can assure you that it has all the ingredients of what we call a perfect tool. we sincerely hope youll have as much pleasure with these tracks as we are. well be back soon with new and exciting rhythms. happy mixing!

this double a sided release finds us in a mellow mood as we couple joshua moses >pretty girl< with sharon bengamins >mr guy<.
>mr guy< is a lovely slice of lovers rock and somewhat overlooked when released in 1980 but it has become a firm favourite with us here at bristol archive. >pretty girl< finds roots singer joshua moses showing his softer side, it was something of a hit on the original release and makes a natural pairing with sharons tune.
both tracks were originally released as singles on bristol label shoc-wave records some thirty years ago and were given their first digital release with their well deserved inclusion on >the bristol reggae explosion 1978 ¹ 1983<. >mr guy< also made it onto the limited vinyl version of the album, but running time constraints meant there was no room for >pretty girl< something we a very pleased to rectify with this vinyl release.

emphasis recordings is proud to present the latest tang single, >bass synergy<! the title track continues in that chicago/detroit vibe that we all come to know from tang. it starts off with a bass heavy, industrial styled, drum programming before a pulsating bass comes riding along a funky melody. just when you think you got the beef of the track, things break down to rumbling arppegiated bass roll. then boom! both basslines and percussion come back in for the for the finish! did i mention theres strings?

having subtly seduced us all with their debut single, ants, london based duo elephant return with their second seven inch offering on memphis industries. french-by-way-of-pontefract chanteuse amelia rivas met christian pinchbeck back in may 2010, since when they have been quietly creating some hauntingly fragile songs with a sense of mystery and history that belies their teenage years. so side a, >allured< strips away layers, to produce a pure expression of the confusion of love (and lust). amelias disjointed lyricism speaks of anatomy and of carousels, hinting at both the poetics and mechanics of unrequited desire. and on the aa side >actors<, elephant explore the tension of attention, both the craving to be noticed and the desire to melt away into the crowd.

when approached to join forces in remixing the classic q-burns abstract message & lisa shaw track >this time< & rabbit in the moons >floori.d.a.<, q-bam + grumptronix decided to make some special mixes, thankfully ignoring all the new fads of the day. if you get anything out of this just let it be that these are not anything like the other mixes you have heard of these songs. try them - you will like them - and they will like you in return.

ok … the sad truth is we have been searching for this dat close to 6 years since rabbit in the moons david christophere and san diego native sotero finished the project. both mixes were done around winter 95 / 96. despite excitement around the label at the time, eventually the tracks fell to the wayside under the age-old excuse of >figuring out what to do with them<. meanwhile, knowing a good thing when he heard it, three made a dat copy and cut some actetates to play out. they made their way around a good portion of the earth via himself, some friends and one west coast dj who boldly vowed to just put it out on his own --- off the slate --- if we didnt get our act together. fortunately he didnt, but neither did we because both david and three misplaced the dat copies and sotero never had one!

supported by tornado wallace (delusions of grandeur), pete herbert (reverso 68/dance disorder)... when jay shepheard launched retrofit in early 2010, deep house with a splash of disco was on the menu. six releases later and the quality of music hasnt faltered once. jays own work has always been the main focus on all five releases but for retrofit 6, rudys midnight machine, (who is in fact robin lee of faze action) takes to the stage alongside an appearance from shepheard (as ee_ef_ex) on remixing duties. >ecstatic love glow< kicks off the ep, diving head first into the disco and synth heavy realm that we expect from retrofit (and, for that matter, from mr lee), whose house outputs with faze action as far back as 97 speak for themselves. the intro of tip tapping hats and congas leads into a penetrating bass guitar, a riff that goes on to be cleverly mirrored by keyboards and later, by what sounds like a scratchy lakland guitar. wooden hats, sirens and a plethora of cosmic elements boogie their way around until the tracks dominant synth parades in and takes over the arrangement, striking a dramatic and smug pose at the close of each stab. the second track of >east side good living< sticks with its predecessors groove, cosmic sirens, electronic whistles and metallic drum taps yet again highlighting rudys modern disco sound

perfect for fans of ricardo villalobos / perlon !!! just when we thought that thomas melchior and peter frank adshead had hung up their soul capsule boots and settled on sporadic solo work, they come belting back with two releases in a matter of months on peter fords trelik label. >deep dawn<, up first, is typically soul capsule. dark, twisted techno thats made for dark spaces and dark minds. sporting low, reverbed basslines that throb along to breathy and indecipherable vocals, >deep dawn< and <new day dawn< project the same eyes closed, foot stomping attack on their listeners as each other

bumperfunk has build up quite a name for himself in belgium the past 3 years with massive electro house sounds inspired by the german berlin scene, makes also music for a few big belgian movies.
idm is a new kid in town ... here on the drum roll with an absolutely massive downtown underground slow pumping techno bomb with lots of drum tribals ... try this out in front of a big crouwd ... you will see what happens next ...
nbk are nu beat kids. when looking for the ultimate oldskool rave team you will be hard pushed to surpass the credentials and pedigree of the two producers that make up the nubeatkidz.an explosive combination! now on track with a new sound - electro rave!

once upon a time there was a girl called matilda, she loved to sing and dance and play music. one day she was making her way through the big dark treptow wood when she came across a magic electronic harp standing in a shaft of sunlight by the lake. she sat down to play and it sounded like summer... exone boss exercise one provides a tougher extended remix that retains the deep flatness of the original, while deadbeat keeps the full harp arrangement with his own frenetic bass arrangement

the number one 1992 album which garnered six grammy awards

the word genius is not a term we like to use loosely when speaking about our artists but giorgio sancristoforo aka tobor experiment fits the bill. a gifted musician, soft synth designer, found sound pioneer and he still finds time to make forward thinking disco pop for bearfunk as tobor experiment >disco experience<.
after a well received ep in 2008 we sent giorgio back to the studio with the remit to make an lp so special that it could open new doors for us. well he certainly delivered! opening with the sweet modern disco sounds of >postcards from a nervous breakdown< we then get the first taste of giorgios song writing prowess with >breathe< a rather intense little number.

das dritte album der schwedischen band little dragon um die koop-sängerin yukimi nagano, ritual union , vereinigt die qualitäten der beiden vorgänger: klassisches songwriting trifft auf verführerisch-coole produktion, experimenteller late-night-charme auf electro-pop-ohrwürmer, verträumt-entspannte parts wechseln sich ab mit uptempo-dance-beats. diese einzigartige mischung überzeugt selbstverständlich wie von selbst, und so zählen little dragon prominente kollegen wie big boi (outkast), questlove (the roots), dj shadow, david andrew sitek (tv on the radio) und damon albarn zu ihren fans, letzterer verpflichtete das quartett sogar für sein plastic beach album und als support für die welttournee seiner gorillaz.

sao paulos techno titan returns. gui boratto needs little introduction - after all he has played pretty much every corner of the globe, placing himself as one of the most in-demand producers and performers in dance music today. its summer and kompakts bomb for the season is about to explode. just in time for his extensive european tour throughout july. the drill embraces the classic kompakt shaffel but delivered in a chalice of class that only gui boratto is capable of drinking from. a roaring bass line that sways side to side in layers of euphoric harmony. bold – brazen. boratto. stems from hell is classic boratto. guitar-esque chording launches this depth charge that is just pure build. tension and release – you sense this track can almost breath on its own. the moments are near perfect in this swelling that reaches a fever pitch right when you think it would never come. there will be more from gui boratto in 2011....stay tuned.

classic disco cuts

yellorange must be considered one of the most prolific house music labels in history. founded in 1998 by the legendary tony humphries, the label closed its doors after a short run only in 2003 when strictly rhythm (who handled its distribution) collapsed. in those few years, the label put out nothing but quality music, with many - if not all - of these releases being considered a classic nowadays as you would imagine, there are lots of unreleased mixes to be discovered, and for years the fans have eagerly awaited the return of the label in hope some of these gems would see the light of the day. finally the wait is over and yellorange is back with >yellorange history - the kept it to ourselves mixes<, a collection of previously unreleased mixes by kerri chandler, paul simpson and david harness available on limited coloured vinyl. first come, first served!

following off from the widely acclaimed >gangs< ep, dave.i.d brings a new epic, aggressive and tribal sounding record, which is a refreshing outburst from the rest of the new music we are currently swamped by. this is a creation of dave.i.ds perception of modern reality and his life within that and >response< represents this perfectly.
code for free digital download of this album included.

excellent deep / soulful house album !

when talking about the music of com truise (one of the many pseudonyms of new jersey designer/musician seth haley), the nostalgia bit inevitably comes up, so lets get that out of the way. yes, his songs tap classic sci-fi and proto-electro in a way that is distinctly early eighties in scope. but they’re also remarkably weird--stutter-step proggy and intoxicatingly psychedelic, like those classic touchstones got drunk on lava lamp juice inside a pinball machine. after his well-received cyanide sisters ep, a grip of remixes for artists like twin shadow, neon indian, and, uh, daft punk, and a few floating mp3s, truises first lp, galactic melt, will finally enter brainspaces this summer.
code for free download of this album included.

there is no time to recover from the neophyte 050 - live and loud release. kasparov already knocks on your door with his forthcoming ep >keep going<. make sure you are ready for another bomb release on the neophyte series!
>keep going< may sounds familiar to you, and that is correct! known, thanks to the phat kicks and ripping sounds, this one will give you goose bumps! thanks to the catchy vocals and melody, >trapped in this world< is a real wreck-the-dance-floor track. a track with an epic break and massive vocals what will lead into an huge outburst when the melody kicks in.
the neo051 - kasparov - keep going is a 100% musthave for your vinyl collection!

the fried tofu crew follow up their excellent first course with another tasty selection! on the a-side sweet soulful voices catch you from the first try on. but dont be hasty, or you will burn your tongue. this is hot and far from being a dessert. after the first impression of sweetness, you will feel the spicy taste coming through. we all love that slight burning on the lips, making you really feel the feel. the first cut on the b-side digs even deeper into sweetness. somehow everything seems to be so lovely, each time this one is played out. its clear that even the ruff guys cant resist the taste of honey. real sweet and spicy, thats how its got to be. things are straightened out on the final cut, which finishes off the meal with a raw funk jam. the extended guitar groove gets back to the basics. sometimes few essential things, combined in the right way, can be all you need. a typical mistake when preparing a meal is to add too many different spices.

jon dasilva is one of the original hacienda (the manchester club) djs and was behind the decks when house exploded in the uk during the summer of love in 1988 as well as being a tour dj for new order and the haciendas usa tour in 1990. since then he has been credited for mentoring djs such as sasha and been an inspiration to laurent garnier a.o. he has also got a string of releases under his belt for labels such as soma, deconstruction, robs records and better days. check! on his debut release he teams up with vocalist donald waugh and the return to the roots of house music with >love is all we need<. together they have created a house classic that never was, reminiscent of an essential dj international release or alike. comes as full vocal and dubbed out bootleg mix. on the flip we find brailles on remix duties. fresh from his massive >the year 3000< on our direct current series, braille pushes >love is all we need< into the next century. classic feel good stuff. this is how we like our vocal house!

this is one of those timeless tracks that you still hear played out today. when it was released, orbit 1.3 was played by pretty much every representative of the tech-house sound - it featured on mixes by craig richards & lee burridge, doc martin, dj garth, sean cusick, dj three, and many more besides. not only that, but its appeal spread as far as the progressive fraternity and those of more traditional house sounds. its a deep throbbing epic with a haunting vocal sample and that indescribable >x factor< that makes a classic track.

trio techno cover, it was just a question of time to reach the point when wayne considers himself to be the one to create a musical statement in order to show what he thinks about all the current status of some parts of the electronic dancemusic circus. he still suffers from too much so called >minimal< in his eyes and he wants back the energy he is missing on many occasions… >you know, techno without bass is like f…… without screwing him in…< some might say he s too late with this song, but thats simply wayne! in his universe the meaning of time is different to what we all would expect. anyway, he finally checked out garage band on the mac he recently >lended< from somebody he does not even know, and here we go with his first very own song. lyrics in german only and heavily inspired by one of the biggest hits from the 80ies from the german cult-formation >trio<, but to make a long story short: its waynes message that the so called minimal sound is definitely over now: >always klick and always klack, i can not tell how much it sucks...<

big with: sebo k, ryan crosson, dario zenker, lee burridge, shlomi aber, seth troxler, lee curtiss, brothers vibe, reboot, karotte, dubfire, mathias kaden, ellen allien, ame, joris voorn, .. italian born alex picone has been an integral member of the bass culture family since the label launch. his thai ep, our second release, found critical acclaim from both djs and dance press. backed by its chris carrier remix, the ep gathered strong support from the likes of loco dice, luciano, tiefschwarz, dj hell, ame and more. alex was soon following his ep, with a remix for arnaud le texier on ivory machine ep from bcr005. again receiving huge praise and support from his peers. when hes not at the helm of the bass culture express, alex can be found releasing work on such highly acclaimed labels as cadenza, bosconi and tenax. whilst his output may not be as prolific as some, each and every release stands the test of time. this may be down to alexs unique and unnerving ability to cross genres, however we feel its simply down to the unrivalled quality of his productions. a quality that is once again in evidence on his, en pensant ep. four wonderfully varied original cuts and a summery phil weeks remix that range from the smooth as silk, vocal-lead title track, to the deep and elegantly twisted coco verde.

aah, how we have missed them! the fine young gentlemen that are channel x, two of stil vor talents most active producers of meticulously crafted and deeply energetic tech-house smash hits. and just in time for the open-air season they now come back with two very convincing pieces of dancefloor art. first up is >little symphony<, an epic space opera that takes it cues from early 90s techno and mixes it up with post-modern grooves and beats. the wide and open spaces are filled with some very hymnal string patterns that are given a final treatment with a reverbed and high-pitched vocal sample. contrast that with the rather jittery beat and a subbass as deep as the frequencies will go and you got yourself a substantially clear bit of techno that is best imagined when it is dark and only some beams of air tell you where you are. channel x do not produce, they direct and all of the sounds are their actors! on the flip things get more light-hearted and set for the daylight hours as well. >steamboat willie< is a heavily sample-orientated swinging piece of jack. the rhythm guitar lead the way on top of a clap-based loop that sets the basis for some very jazzy interpretations along the way. clarinets, trumpets, percussions, brass, effects and even some talking vocal samples are all allowed to join in this hedonistic big band that is at play. this is one for the sunshine, this is one for the smiles on the faces, this is one to feel instantly good about yourself and everything around you. two very different tracks on this ep, but both equally stand out for themselves

gerd is delivering at the moment! after releases on clone royal oak, philpot, a big re-issue on rejected, great remixes on 4lux and delusions of grandeur its time for him to release on his own 4lux label! a massive chicago influenced track called h.o.u.s.e. featuring the voice of l.b. bad, the prince of dance music. this track was originally penned in 1994 when gerd had elbee over to tour the benelux. the track was released on an obscure limited edition white label only back then, but here a new rework of these old recordings. 2011 sees the track remixed by gerd himself and he takes the tune into rough & uncompromising analogue territory with filthy synth bassline and relentless tr808 action. seriously good track!! jakob korn, arttu and neville watson are on remix duty and deliver some fresh remix that complete this record. recommended!