Planet Spanner – Andy Mac & Jay L

This massive record just dropped through my letter box and wow! I couldn’t not share this! What an absolute monster.

Andy Mac & Jay L run a record label based out of Bristol called Deep Street, which has put out three records so far and this is the latest offering from them. The first record that they put out featured tracks by Andy Mac & Zennor and were two great examples the breadth of techno, one deep and crisp and the other equally deep but with a shifting atmosphere of synths over the top. The second was an EP by Jay L with two incredible tracks that capture the classic house sound perfectly.

Planet Spanner is the first collaborative release from the two and it is a seriously killer cut. A bouncing rasping bass, punctuated by crisp claps and carried by the occasional bongo sample, start the track before some wonderful floating synths are dropped over the top in complete contrast to the moving parts below. After a few moments there’s the addition of the squelch of acid which, combines all these brilliantly moving parts into an absolute mind melter.

Can not recommend this highly enough to you. It’s available to buy on bandcamp here

https://deepstreetrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/andy-mac-jay-l-planet-spanner-dst003-12-vinyl-single

Shade Without Colour – The Dialectics of Logic

Where to start with this one? This is possibly one my favourite finds ever, I only got it because one of the records I ordered off discogs had already been sold and the seller gave me this instead. Unbelievably happy that they did that because this is a hundred times better than the initial record.

Shade Without Colour was a project made up of Terry Moore & Mark Bradley, so far as I’m aware this is the only release that they made together. This record was released in 1992 and comprises of the original version of the track and Steve Rodway remix – which is well worth a listen as well.

Starting off with some stabbed chords with some haunting vocals asking if “everyone is on board”, once this dies down the drums come kicking in with some choppy female vocals overlayed and the mayhem starts. Upwardly looping swirls of synths drop in and out over the chord stabs before a driving lead comes in, which has a very progressive and trancey feel to it. Interestingly this song seems to change direction about 3 times as it progresses but, always comes back to that driving main trance line.

Enough talk – only your ears can do this track justice.

You can buy The Dialectics of Logic on discogs here

https://www.discogs.com/Shade-Without-Colour-The-Dialectics-Of-Logic/release/374272

Underworld – Born Slippy (Melokolektiv Remix)

If you haven’t heard of Born Slippy (by which I mean the famous NUXX mix in Trainspotting), then go and listen to it now. It is, probably, considered to be one of the quintessential trance tracks from the late 90’s to early 00’s, with lyrics about Lads, Lager & various substances. The NUXX version ranks highly across the board and came in at #2 in the charts when released, despite being a B-side largely thanks to Trainspotting.

Melokolektiv, have taken all the key elements of what made the Nuxx version great and made it into a euphoric house track (if there is such a thing). It retains the euphoric breakdown with the chords echoing behind the lyrics, but brings in a simple house kick drum slowed down to around 126 bpm. The simplicity of the remix works well, with a suitably 90’s synth bass line added to it but only softly so to add to the euphoric light feeling of the song as a whole. Melokolektiv, have done sterling work in managing to take the “hands in the air” feeling of the trance breakdown and create a whole song with that elated feeling. They’ve not only managed to do that, but they have done so whilst also remaining true to an absolute classic.

Maybe the only criticism of the song is that it is too euphoric, and leaves the listener always waiting for the bass to come thundering in which, it never does. However, having seen Hot Since 82 drop it, it doesn’t really matter because when the crowd realises what’s playing, hands are in the air and people spread their arms to full wingspan.

Best bit about this track? It’s a free download on their soundcloud.

Hercules and Love Affair – Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)

Hercules & Love Affair is a rotating line up of DJ’s & artists who produce Disco and house music. Artists such as Kim Ann Foxmann and Andy Butler count themselves amongst contributors to the project, and currently the group has released four albums with the most recent released in 2016. Frankie Knuckles hardly needs any introduction, probably one of the most inspirational DJ/Producers ever. He is widely regarded as the Godfather of House Music, through the parties he would curate in Chicago during the 80’s and his creation of seminal track, Your Love which is considered the first House music track. Frankie has even had a road in Chicago named after him.

Blind is the first Hercules & Lover Affair song to have been written and was released in 2008. The remix by Frankie Knuckles takes, the vocal line and adds some progressive synth lines and piano; it also takes the original song’s breakdown trumpet line and makes it a larger more integral part of the music from the off. By adding these elements and making the bassline sound bigger and more vibrant, through a clever use of samples from the original, Frankie Knuckles has made this tune in to a big 80’s sounding House/Disco tune. A criticism of this remix however, is that the up beat sounding remix, somewhat takes away from the emotive nature of the original. However, it is done in such a way that perfectly compliments the vocal range, whilst some clever re-arrangements of the vocals creates a more up tempo feeling in the song. This helps to take the song out of the club setting and makes it accessible to anyone and means that it would be as at home played in a club, as it would being played during the middle of the day with it’s warm sound.

Definitely worth a listen, and a must for Disco lovers keen to hear how the sound has evolved with the times. A great song, made better by the late, great, Frankie Knuckles.

https://www.traxsource.com/track/2542153/blind-frankie-knuckles-remix

Eamonn Doyle – Rangefinder

Eamonn Doyle is an Irish DJ and Producer, who owns the record label D1. Alongside this he also finds time to be a photographer whose self released a trilogy of photo books about Dublin.

Rangefinder is the A side of an EP called The Long Game which, is fantastic EP. Highly recommend it. It starts with some pulsating bongos and a simple backing melody that sounds almost like a xylophone before the more electronic claps and waves of synth stabs come crashing over the top.

Eventually the electronic synths take over with just the bongos remaining from the initial onslaught, and it becomes a fully fledged dark room banger, with all of the elements feeling like they speed up before it almost gets played in reverse and slips to a very minimal bongo and synth pattern to break up the track and keep the listener guessing about which direction the track is going to take next. The whole track feels a bit shamanic in the way that this never ending wave of music and elements consuming you and I definitely can’t listen to this without my mind drifting to images of captivated dance floors.

You can buy Rangefinder on Bandcamp

https://lunardisko.com/album/eamonn-doyle-the-long-game

Malcolm Moore – Way of the City

Got such a lot of time for Malcolm Moore’s productions, so wonderfully deep and layered the sort of music that you can sit back and lose yourself in for hours.

Malcolm Moore is an American DJ and Producer, who runs Altered Moods Recordings which he uses as a platform to help artists showcase their productions rather than a tool to be able to release his own music. He’s got a particular way with making deep house tracks and using pads to create this really warm dreamy sound, which I, personally, really love.

Way of the City starts with some thumping kicks before some wooden blocks and hats start making their way in the mix creating an instant groove, before some synths come floating in over the top. Eventually the bounce of an acid bassline comes creeping in and drifting out before eventually growing into the track and becoming the main focus of it building in a crescendo which, peaks by dropping back into just kick drums and floating synths before rebuilding back into a floating acidic percussive track. The flipside of this EP by John Heckle – Emerald 66 is also really worth checking out, both are absolutely great examples of how to make really deep acid house.

Buy the Emerald City EP here

https://www.deejay.de/John_Heckle_Malcolm_Moore_The_Emerald_Cities_Project_12_AMR28E_Vinyl__142556

Sad City – Steady Jam (DJ Nature Dub)

Sad City, is an Irish producer called Gary Caruth, whose got an innate ability to make these song which are an incredible mix of ambient and house. His use of sampling in his tracks is really incredible and his first release, Gestures, show cases this to great effect.

DJ Nature, is an American DJ and producer called Milo Johnson. His productions initially came under the pseudonym Natureboy in the late 80’s and early 90’s with productions before the DJ Nature moniker comes into being in 2010.

Steady Jam starts with some muted bongos gently conducting the rhythm while some stabbed chords over the top, which switch between having a long release and being short and to the point. Before long a twisting vocal sample lifts through the mids which precludes the short sample blasts of jazzy pianos.

It’s the management of the samples of the jazzy piano which, make this track so special – it sounds almost like someone’s teasing you by mixing in and out another track, leaving you only with that one bar taster of what is to come.

A really lovely downtempo number that is simplistic yet showcases both artists talents to absolute perfection. If you like Nightmares on Wax type sets or something to play when you’re back home after a night out then I can not recommend this to you enough.

You can buy Sad City – Steady Jam (DJ Nature Dub) on band camp or beatport

https://emotional-response.bandcamp.com/track/steady-jam-dj-nature-dub

https://www.beatport.com/track/steady-jam-dj-nature-dub/9517998

India Jordan – Bulbasaur Shuffle

India Jordan is a London based DJ and Producer who is one of the co-founders of the New Atlantis label, along with Deadboy. New Atlantis is a record label which focuses on the ambient side of music, it started out like as an “ambient social” with the idea being less clubby, more sit down and let the music wash over you.

However, Bulbasaur Shuffle is anything but ambient – its an absolute monster and is probably one my favourite new tracks. After hearing it on Bandcamp, I immediately bought both of her EPs which is a decision I definitely did not regret.

Bulbasaur Shuffle starts with some muted chords over the backdrop of some cicadas before the clicks of a woodblock join in, along with some chattering high hats which builds tension that is finally released with rolling high hat into the most filthy bassline you’ve ever heard. The bassline is two quick muted notes before one elongated note to give a shuffling rhythm to the track, the two quick muted notes are squelchy with the elongated note a much duller thicker sound. Whilst this is going on the high hats change from chattering to a much tighter quick 4/4 with the occasional crash cymbal to add to the feeling of the swaying, shuffling rhythm. Such a cool track – I really hope that this one blows up and gets the attention it deserves.

You can buy Bulbasaur Shuffle on Bandcamp, as well as her other fantastic EP DNT STP MY LV

https://indiajordan.bandcamp.com/album/warper-bulbasaur-shuffle

Charanjit Singh – Raga Bhupali

Charanjit Singh was an Indian musician, who often provided guitar or synths to the soundtracks of numerous Bollywood films between the 1960’s and 1980’s. He released a couple of albums of which Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat is probably the most famous, although when it was released it was a commercial failure. It was rediscovered in 2002 and eventually re-issued in 2010 and has drawn lots of comparisons with Acid House due to the sounds and the fact it was made using a Roland 808 and a Roland 303, which are synonymous with the genre. Interestingly this album actually pre-dates Acid Tracks by Phuture which is widely regarded as the first acid house song.

To be honest I could have picked anyone of the tracks from this album but, I’ve gone with Raga Bhupali. It starts with three long piercing synth notes repeating over and over and over before a bouncing borderline acid baseline kicks in. A quick roll and then the kick drums and snares kick in while some high pitched synths twist and turn over the top of the bassline with some constantly playing the same melody while others interplay over the and lead the song in different directions. A real worldy gem – the same as the whole album.

You can buy Synthesizing – Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat on Discogs but, the prices may make you want to cry.

https://www.discogs.com/Charanjit-Singh-Synthesizing-Ten-Ragas-To-A-Disco-Beat/master/225128

Anthony Hamilton – Cornbread, Fish and Collard Greens

Anthony Hamilton is an American singer, songwriter and producer who mostly sings R&B and soul music. He rose to prominence with his second album, Comin’ Where I’m From, which was released in 2003 and is where this track is taken from.

This song is probably one that you’ll know best from the fact that it was sampled by Ben Pearce for his standout hit What I Might Do in 2013. It starts with an electric guitar being strummed over a slapping bass line giving the feel of a 70’s funk track, while Anthony Hamilton hums and mmm over the top before breaking into those now infamous lyrics “do just what I had to be, when I heard you say what you said to me”. Absolute cracker of a track, one to put on when you want to just relax or if you’re wanting to warm up into a set.

You can buy Anthony Hamilton – Cornbread, Fish and Collard Greens here

https://www.beatport.com/track/cornbread-fish-and-collard-greens-original-mix/4776651