Delusions Of Grandeur News

Warehouse Find! Test Pressing!

It's Toby Tobias time folks! Ahead of his brilliant LP which will be dropping here on DOG in September we give you a little reminder of why he's one of the heroes of the underground UK house scene. Toby has been honing his skills as a producer, DJ, promoter and all round nice guy for years now and we're very happy to be offering up fresh new club business from the man himself in the form of The Rising EP. Never one to go for the obvious, he always puts his neck on the line and pushes his productions in an interesting and often unexpected direction, making full use of his fully analogue studio to get those 'happy accidents' into his tracks which gives him the edge over so many others on the scene today.

Even with a straight up club banger like The Rising, Toby makes sure things stay edgy, raw and just a little bit mental. At the end of the day this is a Chi-town influenced filter disco banger but with fresh spin that'll make sure it creates the perfect vibe when you drop it in the clubs.

Taking things in a deeper direction we have Jitterbug on the remix, keeping the pace and drive but dipping the original in a vat of thick, syrupy treacle which gives us an altogether more heady, spaced out vibe for those moments when only the trippiest shit will suffice.

Flip over for Toby's own dub version of The Rising which strips it all back and warps it out for a loopey, Soundstream influenced take on the original. Full of attitude but keeping the bags of fun times feel with more punch than Frank Bruno (in his heyday!)

Warehouse Find

As well as being able to introduce and push brilliant up and coming artists such as Ben Sun or Tornado Wallace, we're equally proud to bring you brand new material from a bona fide master of his trade here on Delusions Of Grandeur. Someone who has been releasing amazing music for almost two decades and a man whose integrity, ingenuity and raw talent have seen him rise to the upper echelons of underground dance music. With releases on esteemed labels such as Rush Hour, Peacefrog, Planet E and Sonar Kollektiv, Matt 'Recloose' Chicoine continues to impress ensuring he stays in demand whether it be as a DJ, live as Recloose or as part of Carl Craig's Innerzone Orchestra. On top of this he still manages to find time to provide the revered weekly radio show Hit It And Quit It on his home town of Auckland's George FM.

Warehouse Find!

Zepp001 returns to Delusions for our first release of 2011 and what a way to start the new year! The Seattle based disco obsessive has been holed up in his recently completed studio in Delphia (a city located on Antarctica's southern shore) and its easy to hear the influence this strange and otherworldly place has had on the two original tracks here on this release.

Warehouse Find - Test Press!

Jimpster dons his Franc Spangler cap and joins forces with up and coming London-based producer and DJ Hudson’s Choice for a four track EP entitled Myatts Field. Touching on trippy slo-mo electronic grooves, tropical moods and percussive house jams it brings a more experimental and left field sound to Delusions Of Grandeur which we’re sure you’re going to love!

Opening track AcidMan sets the tone of the EP with a bubbling 303 line taking centre stage while pitched down vocals add a hint of menace, heightening the psychedelic mood. Dubby FX and analogue synth lines drift in and out of focus and give a live jam feel to the arrangement reminding us of something that might grace the decks of A Love From Outer Space. Heavily Percussed continues offering up a crazy percussion tool loaded with wonky cross rhythms, glitchy found sounds and a hypnotic synth sequence for good measure.
Flip over for Myatts Field, another slower tempo mutant discoid house groove which takes us on a deep trip into the jungle. Echoing sax and hazy vocals transport us to another world where Weather Report experimented with rolling four on the floor grooves and spacious dub.

Closing out the EP Roots picks up the pace with another percussion-heavy slice of tropical sounds which doffs a cap to masters such as Gregory and Osunlade. Steel pan melodic lines intersperse with chiming synth sequences making for an unusual yet hooky club track which will lock the dancers into its incessant groove.

Warehouse Find!

Tornado Wallace has made a rather rapid climb up the hype list since his debut release here on Delusions Of Grandeur in 2010 and deservedly so. Definitely one to push quality as opposed to quantity, the Melborne wunderkind has chosen to focus on just a select few remixes and releases which has stood him in very good stead and created demand as a DJ and producer with genuine integrity as well as talent. In addition to his two EPs on D.O.G he also released an EP for Instruments Of Rapture as well as making remixes for Home Taping Is Killing Music, Kolour Ltd and Future Classic. He is also responsible for one of RAs best and most popular podcasts this year.

Warehouse Find - Test Pressing!

Warehouse Find!

Son Of Sound aka Henry Maldonado has been producing influential house music dating back right back to 1991.
He has released on Strictly Rhythm as House 2 House, Maxi Records as Deja Vu and MAW Records as Rhythm Section.
Son Of Sound has recently appeared on Tirk and Local Talk before dropping the bomb that is Jewel Eye Nights on Jus Ed's Underground Quality. He also has releases scheduled for later in the year on Razor n Tape and City Fly.
Currently working on a collaboration EP with Recloose for his own District 30 Label. Henry is also host of the highly regarded 'Hit It and Quit It' radio show on The Lot and East Village radio with Recloose and Private Panther.

For our 50th release on Delusions Of Grandeur we're pleased to bring you seven exclusive tracks from a mighty-fine collection of both existing DOG artists and veritable newcomers alike.
Part Two opens with Underground Quality key player Son Of Sound who brings a bucketful of attitude on Under The Son, laying down a rough-edged groove and getting on one with his vintage keys.
Up next we have Sebastien Vorhaus & Ponty Mython who bring us the beast that is I'm The Slime. Easing us into things with gentle rhodes samples and a skippy groove, Vorhaus (of Soul Of Hex fame) and Mython soon develop things with hints of acid before unleashing a jazz piano riff that can be best described as unhinged.
Flipping over the mysterious Zepp001 hunt and gatherer brings us Enemy. There's elements of disco with bouncing syndrum fills and a mysterious mood prevails as shakers rattle, bells chime and congas slap but when the bassline drops it's clear we're into some serious future s**t here.
Finally, we have our very own Norm De Plume who lays down a bad-boy groove with a rocking bassline, clattering cowbells and tension-building pads bringing an intense build and rounding off our 50th release in fine fashion, we hope you agree.

For our 50th release on Delusions Of Grandeur we're pleased to bring you seven exclusive tracks from a mighty-fine collection of both existing DOG artists and veritable newcomers alike.
Kicking off Part One we have Rush Hour regular Nebraska who manages to successfully combine elements of wait for it... trance and broken beat into an altogether more exciting and amazing way than that actually sounds on paper. Organic, sampled drums with plenty of grit and dirt lay down a groove whilst spacey synth arps and an almighty break (in a subtle way) make this something of an epic which all of us here have fallen for in a big way.
Quintessentials and Kolour LTD favourite Ugly Drums steps up next digging deep in his seemingly bottomless collection of brilliant of disco and soul to mine some killer samples and conjuring up a masterclass in deepest ravehouse in the process.
Rounding off Part One DOG mainstays and bona fide Retreaters Session Victim do what they do best on Came To Be Alive, turning in a completely blissed-out, dusty soul jam tailor-made as much for cozy nights in front of a log fire as for antipodean BBQ's under a hazy sun.

Warehouse Find!

With Toby Tobias' debut LP for Delusions Of Grandeur dropping on the 16th October we wanted to give you a little taste of what to expect with a couple of tracks plus a brilliant remix from DOG regular Franc Spangler.

Kicking things off we have the twisted machine funk of The Wonder featuring vocals from Atwell. 808 beats bringing the vintage electro vibes whilst Atwell's vocal hints at the golden era of Chicago house, adding a soulful touch to the rigid groove. Next up is Only Getting Better, diving into deeper waters with bubbling pads and pulsing bass line. Finally, we have Franc Spangler getting busy on the remix, turning in a floor focused jam which brings the vocal to the fore and a big beefy bassline to bounce to.

Warehouse Find!

Time to welcome Soul 223 to the label with his debut Delusions EP entitled Fear Of Stopping. Something of a complete legend in our eyes and ears, Steve Pickton has been releasing top drawer tuneage for over two decades both as Stasis on influential labels such as B12 and Peacefrog and more recently as Soul 223 on equally well regarded imprints like Delsin, Soul Jazz and Neroli. Always one to shy away from any limelight or self promotion it's true to say that this underrated British producer remains something of an anomaly, staying true to his underground roots where faceless, shadowy and obscure reigns supreme over the latest over-exposed cover star. This ethos naturally carries through into his music where you will always find both expansive beauty and unrefined rawness in equal measures ensuring his tracks always sound fresh rather than over produced or contrived.

Fear Of Stopping opens the EP with a low-slung disco groove providing the backbone for intermittent pad washes and reversing stabs. The focus here is firmly on the drums and simple conga riff with thankfully very little else to deter you from this sublime slice of abstract dance music.

Next up we have a remix from another ridiculously talented producer who chooses quality over quantity, having only ever had one release under his own name, albeit for one of the most respected labels in the world; Rush Hour. Maxi Mill came to our attention having released one of the tracks of 2011 namely To The Next. On this, his first ever solo remix he brings a brilliant bump to the EP with a raw, warehousey and bass-heavy workout. Just the right amount of strings and pads keep the deep vibe intact but the filtering bass and jacking drums definitely take this one to the floor.

Flipping over we have Walberswick in it's Hoist Covert Mix incarnation. Almost thirteen minutes of spaced out, deep Detroit house music awaits you, ready to lure you in and cocoon you with it's warm and hypnotizing machine funk. Lovely to hear the old Stasis influence working it's way into this one sounding both decidedly old-school and completely futuristic and otherworldly as only the best tracks ever do.

Closing the EP we have Birdbrook Rain dropping the BPM's for a beautifully sparse track that brings with it an almost desolate and disconnected feeling, echoing synths providing a naive melody while a dusty pad shifts simply beneath. A little slice of magic concluding a fresh and interesting EP, we hope you agree.

Warehouse Find!

Dersu and Diego Figueura are Basel-based brothers also known as Alma Negra and have been responsible for some seriously fresh and funky, afro-inspired dance music since their inception a decade ago. With releases on Heist, Lumberjacks In Hell, Basic Fingers and their own Alma Negra imprint, the duo wear their Cape Verdean roots proudly on their sleeves ensuring a warm, tropical sound emanates through their productions. For their Delusions debut Alma Negra have delivered a compelling and well-rounded EP which shows off their skills across two original tracks, a dub version and a brilliant remix from Yuksek.

Title track Madrugada takes us directly to the afterparty. More specifically, the kitchen of the house party where the action invariably continues to the early hours. Live horns, guitar, percussion and bass all bring a big sound and real band groove to the production making for a feel good modern-day boogie tune guaranteed to lift the spirits.

Next up we have the aptly named Funky Fever which treads a similar path with big horn parts rubbing up alongside Moog synth lines and punctuated with 80’s tom fills and a rock solid rhythm guitar riff. The real star of the show is the vocal which is unashamedly raw and unpolished giving an authentic and endearing hook to the track.

French producer Yuksek is someone whose productions we’ve been loving for some time and really happy to finally have him onboard for a remix for what we feel is the perfect project for him. Like Alma Negra, Yuksek is another talent who is difficult to pigeonhole and enjoys mashing up genres and incorporating many outernational influences into his sound. On his remix of Madrugada he keeps many of the live parts intact but generally ‘houses’ up the drums and mix which increases the energy without losing the overall vibe of the original.

Closing out the EP we have Alma Negra’s own Dub Mix of Madrugaga which goes for a classic dub approach; pairing back the parts, muting the vocals and creating space for the groove to shine, all making for a perfect track to warm up the dance floor early doors.

Session Victim return to Jimpster's ' Delusions Of Grandeur' imprint with a third studio album. 'Listen To Your Heart' is the result of a year of cross-continental scripting, started in their Hamburg studio and wrapped up stateside in San Francisco's Room G Studios where the duo had worked on their 2014 LP 'See you When You Get There'.
Sampling still remains an ever present backbone throughout the album. Session Victim have dug deep for sounds, resulting in a richly detailed and organic sound collage that goes hand-in-hand with their live instrumentation, this time enhanced through several guest musician appearances, most notably Carsten "Erobique" Meyer (ex-International Pony). Smooth guitar samples are built up on 'Over and Over' while on 'Moons & Flowers' the live instrumentals that Session Victim do so well come to the fore.

The treasure trove of San Francisco's record shops proved to be a hard bait to resist and the pair spent a large part of their Californian time hunting for records to sample. Three new tracks emerged from these digging sessions, with the sweeping disco string arrangements on 'Shadows' standing out as a prime ode to days spent combing through bargain bins.

Listen To Your Heart is equally a product of the road. While heavy touring is often cited as a hindrance to the creativity of artists, Session Victim see their live shows as a catalyst to their creativity. Two US tours in 2016 gave the Hamburg duo the opportunity to take track sketches and fragments on the road to incorporate into their live shows and then digest them back in the studio. The playful funk soaked groove of 'Matching Half' captures the sense of movement present throughout Listen To Your Heart and the LP mix of 'Up To Rise', which caused heavy ripples when it dropped as part of 2016's Matching Half EP is an extension of the upbeat and euphoric groove that permeates the album.

Underground house and disco maestro Mark E makes a welcome return to Delusions following hot on the heels of last years Leaning Into The Light EP. The revered producer has been steadily doing his thing for almost two
decades now, racking up releases on Running Back, Golf Channel and Spectral Sound to name just a few. His sound is a unique, sublime vision of US deep house which transcends the dance floor and he proves his salt once again on the four new tracks that make up this stunning EP.

Title track Enchantment Under The Sea sets the mood with a minimal, low slung drum machine groove laying the foundation for layers of Rhodes and synth chords conjuring up images of a sub-aquatic vision of depth and beauty. Up next we have Zone Tonight, the epitome of a late night city scape driving track utilising heavily saturated drums, subtle acid line, distant piano melody and moody Detroit pads to draw you into its deep confines.

Flipping over we have Vertigo which treads a similar sonic path as Mark effortlessly fuses rich harmonies and entrancing melodies, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its depths. Closing out this blissful journey we have Bodymap which drops the BPM a little more with simple understated drums, melancholic string line and pulsating bassline.

The Zone Tonight EP is a testament to Mark E's unparalleled prowess in crafting immersive, uncompromising and emotive soundscapes for your aural pleasure. He also created the original artwork for this release.

Keita Sano is a prolific Japanese producer who has released on revered labels such as Mister Saturday Night, Lets Play House, Morris Audio and 1080P. His fusion of dark, distorted, acidic textures and crunchy disco beats gives his produc tions a unique sound which works perfectly for Delusions Of Grandeur and the label is proud to welcome him for his debut DOG EP entitled Love Is Emotion.

The title track comes on like a proverbial runaway train with heavy, pounding beats and bassline forging things ahead while the most twisted, tripped out FX rise and fall creating an absolute juggernaut of a track which takes no prisoners. A decept ively simple DJ tool which is loaded with drama for maximum impact on the more left of centre dance floors.

Up next we have Violet which takes a low-slung deep house approach but with the grit and dirt that Keita always brings to the party. The first half of the track teases with tension-building chords and syncopated bassline which bounces around a massive four on the floor kick drum. Things fall away in the middle of the track to reveal a beautiful, heartwarming piano part, setting the scene before things get truly epic with orchestral strings bringing a touch of the film noir to proceedings.

I’m A Man picks up the pace again for an intense acid work out which pushes the sonic boundaries to the limits with seriously warped FX creating mayhem around a simple, percussive disco groove. As secret weapon DJ tools go, this is right up there.

Closing out this mind-bending release Keita remains in experimental mode on Love Is Emotion offsetting melodic arpeggios and sweet chords with off-kilter sonic madness ensuring things remain dark, dirty and deep.

Jimpster makes a welcome return to Delusions, donning his Franc Spangler cap and serving up three funked-up, disco-infused tracks to get down to.

Opening up the release we have party starter Fight The Feeling which sees Spangler work up a rolling groove laced with dubby percussion, horn solos and souring lead synth.

Powerslide goes full retro with clav and guitar chops, hammond slides and an irresistible bassline bringing the funk, making for a high energy club cut to nice up the dance floor.

Closing out the release we have the deeper, lo-slung bounce of Dance The Funk which comes complete with Prelude-inspired synth stabs, heavy Moog bassline and crunchy house drums.

Time to welcome Session Victim back to Delusions Of Grandeur following some heavyweight releases on Toytonics and Rhythm Section International. The German duo show absolutely no signs of slowing down continuing to impress with their unique sound which combines organic live elements, fat, floor-filling beats and a deep, musical approach. Here on The Intangibles EP we’re treated to three original tracks spanning high energy jazz disco meets techno, soulful uplifting house and downtempo blunted beats.

Opener Motivation features spoken word from Ras Stimulant backed by urgent looping Rhodes stabs and an uptempo disco groove. An instant Session Victim dance-floor shaker if ever there was one, the energy cranked up to the maximum without losing sight of that all important groove.

Next up we have Dromedary Twist which keeps up the pace but goes deeper on the jazzy organ chords and lays down a heavy syncopated bass- line which ensures the funk factor remains present and correct.

Rounding out the EP in fine style, Green Run drops the BPM’s as we head into lazy, hazy, blissed-out jazzed-up beats territory. Lush strings and layers of analogue synths come together on this simple yet enchanting little tune which compliments the other tracks perfectly and will appeal to fans of SV’s more home-listening output from their 2020 LP Needledrop.

We’re stoked to welcome back Medlar to Delusions for his third EP on the label and you’re in for a proper treat! One of the unsung heroes of UK underground house music, Medlar has released on Wolf Music, Wah Wah 45’s and West Friends. His remixes and edits for the likes of West End, Kon, Dele Sosimi, Glenn Astro, Disclosure and Billy Cobham always hit the spot with an authentic, raw and crunchy sound that work magic on the dance floor.

Here on his Interruptor EP we have 4 tracks which show off his range as a producer, taking in percussive tools, deep and dusty basement jams and blissful late night atmospherics. Lead track Interruptor is deceptively simple but devastating on a big system. Chopped up percussion, speaker wobbling bass and a heavy kick lay the foundation for crazy timbales and filtering syn-toms, all topped off with a familiar sample from back in the rave days.

Next up we have I Wish which features Kim Anh who delivers a brilliant vocal complimenting the low-slung disco drums, 808 percussion and fat bassline perfectly. This is our idea of what a modern day house hit should sound like. Raw and unpolished with a loose, un-quantized groove so you can feel the funk and a dynamic arrangement which keeps the energy high throughout.

Flipping over we have Cable Street which cranks things up with a techy house jam perfect for more peaks time sets. Once again, Medlar knows ex- actly how to make more with less and keeps the shuffling drums stripped back and simple stabs and modulating FX front and centre for maximum im- pact.

Finally, Turn Things Around brings a more 90’s deep NYC feel to the EP with floating pads, bouncing bassline, piano stabs and organ riff. Subtley epic and grandiose without being showy, this is a slow-burner that could just be one of those B2 tracks which become your favourite of the release.