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It's always a treat here at Circus Company to be able to shed the light on a lesser known talent. After all, it's a philosophy we have built the label on, but there's no denying we need to have that personal connection with the artists whose music we release. In the case of San Francisco act Moniker, our own dear Dave Aju has a previous history with Kenneth Scott from the duo, having lent some vocals to his 2009 jam 'What Do I Do' So it is that we come to release this, the first fully fledged vinyl offering from Scott and his studio partner Emilio Orlandi after years spent treating Californian crowds to their live, hardware-driven sound. The machines definitely rule the roost in the world of Moniker, but unlike so much of the current obsession with analogue noise and the lo-fi aesthetic, Scott and Orlandi instead coax heartfelt emotion and hand-crafted grooves from an array of beat boxes and synthesisers without making any self-conscious moves to demonstrate how .undigita' they are. Instead, the music takes priority, coming forth in soothing waves of harmonious chords, captivating leads and understated drums that speak volumes for simplicity and soul within deep house. The live aspect of Moniker's mission undoubtedly shines through, manifesting itself in smart switch-ups and breakdowns, impulsive edits and subtle variations that can only result from an on-the-fly jam. Mainly though, this is an exercise in satisfaction, speaking to the same pleasure neurons that would have been tickled the first time you heard Metro Area. In keeping with the warm tones of the original material, Patrice Scott makes for a thoroughly welcome addition to the fold.

Fresh from the success of the Guilty Pleasures EP by Satin Jackets & Ejeca, next up from the ever growing House of Disco Records is Finnebassen's - 'Baby' EP. Boasting make overs from Monitor 66, Ron Basejam and Debonair along with the original track itself, this is a vinyl with credentials that speak for themselves.

The EP opens with the original track 'Baby' from the Norwegian born producer Finnebassen. With previous releases titled 'Babies' 'Footsteps' and 'Bleedin out' I'm starting to wonder if there's some sort of subliminal message at work. However with the rate at which he's been outputting releases lately there are no signs that he has anything other than more music on the way. 'Baby' is not what we have become accustomed to expecting from Finnebassen, it strays away from his usual deep poignant echoing house tracks. Instead it's a rich funk filled gem of a track that he's shown he is capable of through his 'silly pilly edit' of It's gonna take a long time. With bluesy lead guitar riffs and his trademark bass line it's the perfect soundtrack for a blossoming summer season.

The first remix of the EP comes from Swedish trio Monitor 66 who produce under the ethos of creating ''music for sunsets.' The track certainly embodies that motif as gorgeous saxophone licks and chiming synths over a shifting bassline give it a deep tropical feel. Next up is the remix from James Baron, or as the anagram works and we know him as, Ron Basejam. His remix is more of a straight up boogie house track letting the echoing vocals do a lot of the work whilst being complimented by sprinkles of playful keys. The sliced vocals work a treat and he manages to maintain the tracks strong groove throughout. The final remix of the EP comes from London based artist Debonair who strips down the track into a deep atmospheric affair making it the perfect weapon of choice for an after hour set. Ominous kicks and the spades of tension and atmosphere will make sure that fists are pumping well into the early hours of the morning.

The whole EP is brimming with groove and if you find yourself missing Finnebassens deep echoing trademark sound from the original track then you can find essence of it in the remixes. This release speaks volumes for the trajectory of 'House of Disco Records' as a label that's constantly maturing and sidestepping pigeonholes.

Raudive a.k.a. Oliver Ho heads home with two guilty dancefloor pleasures. Gritty surface, smoove bottom. For those damp, dimly lit cellar clubs: low ceilings, fog, smoke and all that. 'Ruins' runs a relentless groove against angular guitar overtones, blowing out the valves of its amplifier. Metal sheets, rusty strings, sweaty bodies. 'Visitor' is built on a naughty percussion sequence and is elevated by a morphed girl's inquiring voice straight out of a 1984 Shibuya version of Blade Runner. Kinky. Essential 2013.

With the homespun warmth of his album still keeping us toasty as the temperature drops in the Northern hemisphere, Dave Aju offers up two choice cuts from Heirlooms to receive surgical treatment at the hands of dear friends and respected practitioners in our beloved corner of electronic music. The divine boogie-fuelled electro pop of 'Caller#7' stood out as one of the most flamboyant and earsnagging tracks on the album, so who better to entrust the remix to than Seth Troxler and Subb-an Seth of course is a long-time partner of Circus Company, stretching back to 2008 when he first recorded an EP for us with Patrick Russell. Subb-an may be a new cat to us, but there's no denying the impact he has made with his releases for some of the strongest tech house labels around. In the hands of this formidable duo, 'Caller#7' gets sharpened and honed into a peak-time floor-filler. The vocals from Dave and dOP's Jaw and that inimitable bassline remain intact, with the focus switched to boosting the rhythms that propel this party-starter while a disgruntled caller drops in on Radio KAJU to speak her mind like a true soul sister should. On the flipside, we take great pleasure in inviting the maverick Swede Axel Boman to work his magic on 'Away Away'. After exploding onto the scene in a flurry of hedonistic imagination and cheeky originality, Axel has charmed all that come before him with his releases and his Studio Barnhus label. He treats us to a glorious, soaring version of Dave's track that shuns shortening days and worsening weather, and instead places you at the top of a mountain as the sun rises in a cloudless sky, gently building but never peaking in a truly life-affirming concoction of house music for the heart.

Coming out with one of the most anticipated and long-awaited albums so far on Brainfeeder is Samiyam aka Sam Baker. 'Sam Baker's Album' is 40 minutes of pure listening pleasure, a series of woozy, off-centre hip hop instrumentals drawing heavily on Baker's love of electronic funk but never in hock to it. Intensely detailed and carrying considerable emotional weight, this is not 'Rap Beats Volume 2' but an album of fully-realised pieces of music which stand on their own without the need for an MC's intervention.
Ann Arbor native, Samiyam (born Sam Baker) moved to Los Angeles in 2006. In his short time out West, he has become one of the city's most progressive and recognized producers, a man who has spearheaded the revival of interest in instrumental hip-hop music over the last few years. Baker's 'Rap Beats Vol.1' collection was the very first release on Brainfeeder. He has also collaborated with old friend Flying Lotus as Flyamsam as well as having releases on Hyperdub and Poo-Bah records.Samiyam describes the work contained in his "Debut album" simply as, 'my favourite stuff' - and what could be better than that