Some Feedback On Some Recently Received Releases.

Artist: Death On The Balcony feat Ste Roberts
Title: Aquarian Explosion
Label: Magicbag
Cat Number: MBM004
Genre: House

Clean Air
Clean Air (Gavin Herlihy mix)
Joplin
Joplin (Soul Clap mix)

Lots of energy on this four tracker. 'Clean Air' does indeed sound clean, lots of space in those grooves. Interesting use of samples pervades the tunes. Very crisp production. Very driving contribution from Soul Clap. Everything sounds very roomy and full. Was this the intention?



Title: Cidang Go EP
Artist: Doppelt Gemoppelt
Label: Miniload
Cat Number: MINI019
Genre: House

Cidang Go
Housibill
Funkto

Very poor and lacking imagination. No balls or brains. That is all.



Title: Coca Grande
Artist: Jozif Feat The Mole
Label: Vitalik
Cat Number: VIT005
Genre: House

Coca Grande (The Mole's MMD mix)
Coca Grande
I Can Read Your Mind
Zeska

The Moles MMD mix is large-scale hypnotic bliss. Lloyd Grossman might say there's an ethnic theme here, and he'd be right. The original isn't quite as groovy, but a nice piece of minmal, understated funk all the same. A very mood--creating release.



Title: Deep, Love & Slaver
Artist: Uncle Deep
Label: Appetit
Cat Number:
Genre: Deep House

Deep And Love
Deep And Slaver

Nice stoned vibe to this one. Hardly surprising he's been picked up by Anton Zap. Keeps things simple and ploughs a nice, hazy deep/downtempo house furrow. Nice use of samples but why do they feel it necessary to point out that "he is over thirty" on the press release?



Title: DGT Is Shit
Artist: Alessio Pili & Nax Acid
Label: Aconito Records
Cat Number:
Genre: Techno

DGT Is Shit (Original)
DGT Is Shit (Edit)

Godawful title for a record. It pains me to say it but people making statements like this, sincere though they may be, really make themselves look like complete arses. Good, spacey stuff though. Prologuesque, and promising.



Title: Nobody Loves You/The Pressure
Artist: Tomas Malo
Label: Architech
Cat Number: ARC004
Genre: House

Nobody Loves You
No Pressure

Wonderful drums on 'Nobody Loves You' coulpled with some subtle, well-timed keys make for disco heaven. Filtered vocals really take it up a notch. 'No Pressure' makes good use of a spoken word over a very funky, bumpy beat and is just superb. Great stuff. Reminds me a bit of Roland Clarke. I wonder why.



Title: Numb Deaf & Dumb
Artist: Detroit Grand Pubahs
Label: Detelefunk
Cat Number: DET14
Genre: Electro

I say electro, but this is unashamedly commercial in its original form. Funny though. Like most Grand Pubah's stuff it's got a good, distinctive vocal. I have to say I was expecting more from the Space DJs, their version sounds quite watered down. DJ Pierre doesn't bring much to the party either but maybe turns in the best effort with some trademark acid squelches and a distorted vocal. It's hardly groundbreaking though and feels very lazy. Disappointing overall.



Title: Real Talk
Artist: Matt Tolfrey & Christopher Sylvester
Label: Murmur
Cat Number: mur016
Genre: House

Real Talk Feat. Kevin Knapp
Real Talk (Ryan Crosson's Post Up remix)
Reality

Very good. This release and the previous one on Murmur - ? have upped the quality on this label. More balls and depth, a greqt combination. Difficult to choose a fave between the original mix and Crosson's version. The remix gets it because of its energy.' Reality' holds its own too with some lovely synth washes amidst the muscular drumming.




Title: Ride The Rhythm
Artist: This Ain't Chicago
Label: Wonk
Cat Number: WONK002
Genre: House

Ride The Rhythm (Danny Mekanik Anniversary mix)
Ride The Rhythm (Derrick Carter remix)

Just brilliant. Still sounds fresh today. I remember it the first time around. Good choice re Derrick Carter to remix, and while he offers a typically bumpty interpretation and chops things up nicely, it's no improvement on the original whose charm resides in it's very raw, primitive acid lines.





Title: Samplers Parts 1 & 2
Artist: VA
Label: Gigolo
Cat Number: GIGOLO269/271
Genre: Various Electronic Bits

Part 1:
Soy Como Soy - Makossa & Megablast
Hall Of Shame (Skatebard mix) - Diskokaine

Part 2:
This City I Love - Nick Coleman
Are You Ready - DJ Linus
All Alone - Henrik Schwartz

Have to applaud DJ Hell for his reinvention of Gigolo and realisation that electroclash was a blind alley. Having said that this is proff that he hasn't completely abandoned his roots. Two releases to choose from and five very interesting bits. Pity about the sample on what is otherwise a good track from DJ Linus. Henrik Schwartz turns in a lo-fi acid smash which is just about the best thing on here.



Title: Serious Bitch
Artist: Zdenko Grbavac
Label: FTW Recordingz
Cat Number: FTW015
Genre: Techno

Serious Bitch
Serious Bitch (Daniel Sender remix)
Serious Bitch (Ambivalent remix)

Sorry, but the titles a turn off. Anyone who calls a track "Serious Bitch" lacks imagination and deals in cliches. The music tries a bit too hard, but this producer has potential. The D Sender remix has obviously been listening to Queen Atom's "Refuse Greed." Ambivalent's is the best, and definitely playable.