Buscar:dance style

Taken from the acclaimed "Migration" album, "Kypoli" sees Poirier sharing production duties with fellow Ninja Tune alumni and hot property Machinedrum. Taking vocal samples from Aleisha Lee (co-writer of Tinie Tempah's recent smash "Girls Like" amongst others) and twisting, chopping and manipulating them into a completely new composition, the pair create a brooding post-dancehall/soul fusion, gaining the perfect balance between ethereal beauty and heavy dancefloor menace. Bukem-esque pads and deep dub elegance give way to pounding kicks and floating harmonies, relentlessly building a wall of sonic beauty.

Remixes come from France's dub mad scientist Moresounds, who ups the jungle influence with a classic Reese-style bassline and signature rolling snare chops, whilst retaining the balance between dark & light and Montreal-based newcomer Thomas White who flips the vibe completely for a slo-mo Soulection style builder.

Veteran dub techno producer Brendon Moeller dons his Echologist alias on 'The Flame' EP.

The title track is the most experimental, opening the record with tripped-out machine melodies and off-beat drum hits. 'Kavorka' follows in the same vein but is more obviously dancefloor-focused. Its arps build up the tension until a thick 303 line takes things to tipping point and eventually release. On the B-side, 'Dirtbox' is a fast-paced, Echologist take on warehouse techno and a deep, atmospheric cut 'Candy Mountain' finishes the record in Moeller's signature style.

Mastered by Neel (EnissLab Studio, Rome). Pressed on 180g, 12' vinyl at Optimal Media, Germany. Packaged in a house sleeve. All artwork designed by Christopher Honeywell.

The debut vinyl release of Detroit underground mainstay Sterling Toles features tracks produced between 1998 and 2006, recently unearthed by Sector 7-G Recordings. Sterling emerges from a scene of producers that prided themselves on sampling distressed vinyl and lo-fi analog production as a reflection of the mental and physical environment of the post-industrial city. Sterling carries that sonic dialect with him as he nomadically incorporates the language of other genres, variously exploring soul, ambient, Detroit techno, and folk sensibilities. From the ambient/folk impressions of "grace, i will now let go..." to "inga 135" sounding like 90's jazz-inspired hip-hop having a ghettotech dream, "Archival Arteries" is grounded in the sonic palette associated with Detroit's ethereal and minimalist boom bap hip-hop style. These tracks hold the imprints of Detroit's expansive musical institutions such as The Electrifying Mojo, The New Dance Show, and CBC radio's Brave New Waves. Created with just an Ensonic EPS sampler and a VS 1880, this EP captures the fluid musings of this indelible artist

Gerd Janson and Phillip Lauer are creatures of habit. Every week, the two club veterans meet up at Phillip's studio and spend an entire day making tunes. And while Gerd often likes to joke that his role in the arrangement is limited to making coffee and looking at his cell phone, it's clear that the two men have forged a potent partnership, one that's been responsible for an astonishing amount of dancefloor heat over the past few years.

Incredibly, this German pair has managed to maintain a relatively low profile, despite the steady stream of music they've released via well-respected labels like Unterton, Delsin, Internasjonal, Permanent Vacation and Live at Robert Johnson. And then there are the remixes—Azari & III, Scuba, The Juan Maclean, Fort Romeau, Avalon Emerson, Massimiliano Pagliara and Sinkane are just a small sampling of the artists who've enlisted Tuff City Kids to work their studio magic.

Throughout it all, there have been whispers of a proper Tuff City Kids album, and now that Adoldesscent has arrived, it will be all but impossible for the duo to linger in the background. After all, the LP is anything but shy—thanks in part to hooky vocal turns from the likes of Annie, Joe Goddard, Kelley Polar and Jasnau—and even the album's instrumental cuts feature some clear nods to various eras of dance-pop, from the boogie-inflected funk of 'Wake People' to the breakbeat techno of 'Boilered' and the tweaky rave nostalgia of 'Nordo.' Elsewhere, first single 'Labyrinth' is an infectious bit of new wave, while the guitar-driven 'Scared' recalls the gloomier side of '80s pop and 'Tell Me' is perhaps the record's most playfully soulful moment.

DJs will likely gravitate toward the darting strings of 'Aska' and breezy vibes of 'Farewell House,' yet Adoldesscent isn't entirely focused on the dancefloor. Dreamy opener 'Ophmar' evokes the legacy of John Carpenter, while the crunchy 'R-Mancer' offers up a sort of psychedelic synth freakout.

Much like the Tuff City Kids themselves, Adoldesscent isn't about any one style or sound in particular. It is, however, a cohesive effort, along with proof that the different corners of the electronic spectrum have a lot more in common than we'd all like to admit. More importantly, it's a whole lot of fun, and isn't that what dance music is supposed to be about anyways

For the second and last EP of Contemporary Spaces remixes, Dynamic Reflection welcomes yet another batch of talented producers to the label. Just like the first remix EP, it is a mix between household names, and up and comers. First off, it's Perc's interpretation of Glide. The UK based artist, who is known for his use of distortion and aggressiveness, takes it down a notch on this occasion. He has made Glide into a echoing and glitchy track that doesn't reach its energy peak until the last couple of minutes. Matrixxman takes overwith his Biohazard mix of Future Existence, which contains a tensive synth, confined by a filter that gradually opens,and than closes again, retaining your attention at all times. On the Bside, SHDW and Obscure Shape reshaped The Hunt to provide the first outright dance floor track of the EP. With its thumping kick and epic pads around the breaks, it's bound to win crowds over in the club. Dutch talent Ben Buitendijk also remixed Future Existence, in his own distinctive, hypnotic style. A deep, though energetic track with a very mature sound. Lastly, as a digital bonus, Matrixxman remixed Immersion as well. The subby kick, old school rides and uplifting lead, make it into one of those secret weapons, waiting to be used on the night's most workedup moments.

Third release of Dancing like Quagmire, italian white label (vinyl only) born to make you dance shouting 'GIGGITY GIGGITY GO'!!! Mini-album with five tracks deeply rooted in 20th century Russian culture in which Neotnas is showing his poetic music style wandering between rough drum patterns, old dusty samples (hard to dig for sure) and hypnotics saxophone melodies. A-side starts with dreamy downtempo intro Elin, followed by crispy broken rhythms of Colourful Tension and closes with breezy and fluffy Don't Rush with Dubjazz. B-side contains mighty deep house trip Morning Way, and outro Come, where the main character is undoubtedly Ivan Pona's magic sax which created an illusory atmosphere over Neotnas's soul beat.

Based out of San Francisco, Extra Classic is a unique live band formed with a keen appreciation of vintage reggae & vintage sounds. The aesthetic, and certainly the skilled method of their production, is an ode to the art of that classic style as referenced to the term coined by the Cool Ruler himself. Recording in their own studio, Nopal Recording, the band employs a taster's choice of analog equipment and is devotedly tracked, spliced and mixed in-house direct to tape. However, as the group's name itself implies, there is a dose of something extra and new in this swirling mixture of space echo, heavy phase, and emotive, psychedelic California-soul.Built upon the rock of an early-era dancehall swing, their first single in conjunction with Brooklyn-based imprint Names You Can Trust entitled In This Life, is a perfect slice of lover's rock gone sideways, a decidedly left-coast piece of roots and bliss driven by Adrianne deLanda's lovely lead vocals and the steady, dusty echoes of the locked in players. Presented in the traditional format with a version as per NYCT fashion, the dub mix incorporates a soothing dose of synare beams and underwater instrumental dreams.

Pliant, jazz inflected techno meets mutated off-beat breaks and alien electro from New Yorker and co-founder of Exotic Dance Records Jiovanni Nadal aka J. Albert. This is gritty urban techno reflecting on street life in Gotham City. On the A side we got the squealing and hissing grind of "Bloo N Red" followed by the sublime and broken house of "Ting Waan", absolutely loved this bittersweet and emotive piece. On the flip "Dyslexia" has that haunting and dusty attic jam style, much like fellow NYC hero Patricia and then "Earring", equally nailing that particular aesthetic too but with more of an industrial edge with its textured and metallic rhythms doing a fine job. 12" Vinyl 140g.

Boris Werner returns with 'Daymare Dreamer EP' featuring collaborations with noisemaker 'Gretz & Rival of Mars' as well as 'Cinema Royale' and two fresh solo tracks 'Dance of the Hump Back Whale' and 'Frustration (No Strings Attached'). This EP by Werner, known for his infamous 23 hour DJ set in Amsterdam, kicks off with the title tune 'Daymare Dreamer' riding it's way in at 7min40secs in total for a breezy welcome of classic Werner style house beats. This opening track bubbles with roots influence that fans will be familiar with as well as some slick vocal slices drifting in and out. Having previously realised mixes and podcasts alongside the likes of beat creators and funky jammers such as Dj Buck, Lazare Hoche & Malin Génie, William Djoko, and Dj Deeon this new release comes after many live shows and events including his live set from an old wine bodega. His summer calendar is booked up with international tour dates at some of the most spot on locales for dance floor showdowns. This wealth of tour experiences, inspiration and excitement can be felt from the jazzy Dance of the Hump Back Whale' through to the funky pulsations of 'Frustration (No Strings Attached). 'King Hassan a track created with 'Cinema Royale' features superb 80s style house/electro cow-bell samples, mysterious murky baselines and forward motion keyboard funk.

In 1997, a quiet, unassuming man of 59 years old named Victor Tavares - better know as Bitori - walks into a studio for the very first time to record a masterpiece which many Cabo Verdean consider to be the best Funaná album ever made. Bitori´s musical adventure had begun long before this point. It was 1954 when he embarked on a journey across the seas to the island of Sao Tomé & Principe. The young man´s hope was to return to Cabo Verde with an accordion.

Following two years of hard labour Bitori had succeeded in saving enough money to acquire what was to become his most valued possession, his cherished instrument. The two month journey back to Santiago, his island of birth, proved time enough to master it. Self taught, Bitori developed his own style, an infectious blaze, that quickly caught the attention of the older generation. Before long Bitori was being asked to share his musical talents, igniting the local festivities around Praia with his music.

But not everybody welcomed the rural accordion-based sound. Perceived as a symbol of the struggle for Cape Verdean independence and frowned upon as music of uneducated peasants, Funaná was prohibited by the Portuguese colonial rulers. Performing it in public or in urban centres had serious consequences - often jail time and torture awaited musicians that were caught in the act'. In light of such persecution the genre of Funaná began to slowly disappear.

In 1975 Cabo Verde achieved independence from Portuguese colonial rule. Along with Cabo Verde's independence came a lifting of the ban placed on Funaná. The musical repercussions in Cabo Verde were plenty - many upcoming artists embraced Funaná, translating and adapting its musical form in new ways. It was not to be until the mid-1990's, however, that Funaná in its traditional form was actually recorded. It was a young singer from Tarafal, Chando Graciosa, who was to play a key role in this event. Upon hearing Bitori, Graciosa immediately felt drawn to Bitori's unique playing style - a raw and passionate sound accompanied by honest lyrics that reflected the harsh reality of the Cabo Verdean working class. He eagerly approached Bitori suggesting they join forces and travel overseas with the objective of taking Funaná beyond its rural roots. The two of them, with others in tow, achieved their goal and travelled to Europe, introducing a receptive European audience to the vibrant energy of Funaná.

Eventually Bitori returned to his beloved Cabo Verde. Graciosa opted to settle in Rotterdam in order to pursue his career - he vowed, however, to bring Bitori across to Holland at a later date to record an album.

In 1997 the time was ripe to immortalise the sound Bitori had shaped over a time span of four decades. Built around a formidable rhythm section, formed of drummer Grace Evora and bass player Danilo Tavares, "Bitori Nha Bibinha" was recorded. The recording catapulted Chando Graciosa to stardom, making him Cabo Verde´s No.1 interpreter of Funaná.

The success in Cabo Verde was phenomenal and Funaná rapidly gained the recognition it deserved, especially in urban dance clubs. Bitori´s songs quickly became standards - classics known and loved throughout the country. The musical success, however, was solely limited to the Cabo Verdean islands - until now!
Analog Africa is proud to contribute to the worldwide promotion of Funaná - the once forbidden sound of the Cabo Verde archipelago - by releasing a worldwide re-issue of Bitori and Chando Graciosa´s legendary recording.

The release will herald Bitori´s first European tour taking place during the summer of 2016. Watch this space! And listen!

Peng Sound Records kick off the year 2016 with their first set of 10' discs - the original dubplate format does seem rather fitting for what is perhaps one of the biggest and most in-demand cuts from Ishan Sound & Gorgon Sound in recent years, a big contribution to their unstoppable rise in soundsystem music territory. Trojan, the grime-tinged steppers is reminiscent of the seminal 'Find Jah Way' by his peers Gorgon Sound, yet it's still an unmistakeable Ishan Sound production, in the way it's sonics are laid out and presented. In perfect combination fellow Young Echo cohort Rider Shafique steps up in authoritative style, going full charge at the walls of babylon with lyrical firepower. The Ishan Instrumental and the Gorgon Remix have been staples in sets from the likes of Iration Steppas, Kahn & Neek (aka 'Gorgon Sound') Mala, Dubkasm and and of course Ishan Sound himself. The list of selectors who have played this is small but refined, this one has been kept close to the chest, in true tradition to the dubplate ethos of exclusivity. In addition to the instrumental cuts, Peng Sound Records present the burning vocal cut with Rider Shafique. Flip the disc, and the Version awaits, letting the rhythm take full control, for extended dubwise pressure. For all the selectors out there, this release comes packed with enough version excursion to keep the fire burning 'til the dance is charred and dusted by means of frequency. The second disc comes loaded with the infamous Gorgon Sound remix, sonically pretty much exactly between the sounds of Bandulu and Gorgon, with their extra overdriven low-end and amplified, multiplied kick drum pattern, their version of Trojan is arguably the most explosive of them all. The combination of Ishan, Gorgon and Dubkasm is something we've come to expect from Peng Sound now, but this is the first Record that combines all three on one plate - the final cut on this set of Trojan interpretations gives us an exclusive, brand new Dubkasm counteraction - flipping the energetic steppers on it's head in favour of an uplifting one-drop beat, giving the vocal and rhythm a brand new space and presence. If the first three cuts were there to mash down the place with unhinged, dangerous soundsystem attitude, then the Dubkasm cut could be seen as the cool and easy soundboy burial, cementing Rider Shafique's message with deadly effect.

On Scissor and Thread's fourth release of 2016, newcomer Villete takes a turn in the spotlight on their deep house stunner, 'Girl Next Door'. The A-side opens with the swelling pads and earnest hi-hat of Dreams". A distant voice declares everyone is devoted to their emotion, it's me and my imagination' before a springy bass line drops in, ushering in the mantra never be afraid to dream". A brassy synth further envelops the listener into the track's warm embrace as layers of percussion skitter in and out of focus. September' takes a turn for the cerebral with its' skipping hi-hats and airy pads. A springy bass line is accompanied by celestial synths that envelop the senses, making this psychedelic cut primed for after hours devastation. Villete goes even more cerebral on their introspective title cut, dialing back on the BPM, but keeping the energy high. A hushed bass and thudding kick take the backseat, allowing the hypnotizing, submerged pads and swirling, reverbed synths to take center stage, transporting dancers into eye-closed euphoria. The EP closes with the murky drum tones of Rillia". Droning pads, delicate claps, and a shy, skittering shaker keep things bubbling and light above the track's thicker than molasses kicks. Deep house maestro Darand Land takes his turn on the aforementioned track, lifting it out of the murk and straight up to the heavens and drenching it in his sun-kissed, euphoric style.

Chances are you've already danced to one of his sets at Panorama Bar - Matthew Styles has been a regular guest DJ at the club for several years -, but you've probably also come across at least one record with music that went through the Englishman's meticulous hands. While Matthew has released great but small numbers of 12"es on various labels since 2007, his credits in mixing, engineering and mastering exceed his solo discography by far.
With the Metro EP we're finally offering a full solo release by Matthew Styles on Ostgut Ton, accounting for his consistent productional finesse, especially with his original track "Liquid Sky" (on Nick Höppner's Panorama Bar 04, 2012) and his 'Dub Mix' of Dinky's "Planes" (on Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015).
"I've never worked on a sequential set of songs that came out on the same record," Matthew commented on this 12". As with his productional approach in general, the Metro EP has a certain timelessness: "One piece is from 8 years ago, one from 3 years ago and another from around the time of the recent birth of my second son. I'll leave it up to the listener to guess which is which."
The eponymous "Metro" on A is an elated seven-minute, trippy, meandering analogue synth exploration in House and Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" opens the flipside with a simple yet beguiling melody: 6 notes dancing completely beatless in 5/4 time, meandering repetitively and escalating towards a blissful - yet only anticipated - climax. "Border" on B2 is a solid addition to the long history of Dub Techno - smooth, steady, super layed back, but also offering many colorful melodic elements.
(de) Gut möglich, dass du schon einmal zu einem seiner DJ-Sets in der Panorama Bar getanzt hast - Matthew Styles spielt seit Jahren regelmäßig am Wriezener Bahnhof -, aber sicherlich hast du wenigstens eine Platte gehört, die vorher durch die akribischen Hände des Engländers gegangen ist. Obwohl Matthew seit 2007 tolle aber wenige 12"es auf verschiedenen Labels veröffentlicht hat, übertreffen seine Credits als Mixer, Engineer und in Mastering seine Solodiskografie bei weitem.
Mit der Metro EP hat Ostgut Ton nun endlich ein volles Solorelease von Matthew Styles im Angebot, das seiner konsistenten Produktionfinesse - besonders bei seinem Track "Liquid Sky" (auf Nick Höppners Panorama Bar 04, 2012) und seinem 'Dub Mix' von Dinkys "Planes" (auf Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015) - Rechnung trägt.
"Ich habe noch nie aufeinanderfolgend Stücke produziert, die dann auf derselben Platte erschienen wären", kommentierte Matthew diese 12". Wie generell bei seinen Produktionen besticht die Metro EP durch eine gewisse Zeitlosigkeit: "Ein Stück ist acht Jahre alt, eines von vor drei Jahren, ein anderes von kurz nach der Geburt meines zweiten Sohnes. Die zeitliche Einordnung möchte ich dem Hörer überlassen."
Das gleichbetitelte "Metro" auf A ist eine beschwingte 7-minütige, trippige, mäandernde Analog-Synth-Erkundung in House und Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" beginnt die B-Seite mit einer einfachen aber betörenden Melodie: 6 Noten tanzen beatbefreit im 5/4-Takt, treiben repetitiv und ansteigend auf einen beseelten - aber nur erhofften - Höhepunkt zu. "Border" auf B2 ist eine solide Dreingabe zur langen Geschichte von Dub Techno: sanft, stetig, super entspannt, aber mit vielen melodischen Elementen.

De Sluwe Vos (Dutch for 'The Sly Fox', a name derived from Aesop's fable of the Fox and the Crow) is the newest addition to the Dutch house and techno scene. His productions are supported by artists such as DJ Sneak, Joy Orbison, Boddika andBicep. Moreover, De Sluwe Vos has a packed tour schedule and travels many miles for all his national and international gigs.

With strong hooks and dirty kicks as his specialities, De Sluwe Vos has released multiple tracks on labels like 4Lux and Slapfunk. Lately, this cheerful producer from Dutch city of Deventer has even been gaining a foothold in the pop scene. His gig at Noorderslag did not go unnoticed: national music platform 3voor12 named him the best act of the festival.

De Sluwe Vos mixes various styles to create his own 'signature sound' with which he manages to constantly keep himself at the center of attention. His 'OG Anthem' is possibly one of the most notable tracks of the moment, this underground hit found its way to the surface and received airplay on both Dutch radio station 3FM and BBC Radio1.

With his discography, De Sluwe Vos is constructing a steady career. But he's not one to stay hidden away in the studio: he's at his best when dominating dance floors in clubs and at festivals. His ultimate goal is to bring the crowd to a higher state of mind, where worries simply disappear and the music takes over. Time and time again, De Sluwe Vosprovides proof for the big bang theory with his performances. Whether it's at Awakenings Festival in the Netherlands or at Together Festival in Cardiff: during his shows he is pure energy. His duet between his Roland TR- 909 drum computer and turntables is always a bold endeavor, just like his stage diving.

The fact that he is a fixture of the club scene is proven by his monthly international gigs, his own night The Core and his notorious live act. With the audiovisual show 'Kontra live', De Sluwe Vos is well underway to becoming 'one of the greats'. And that's no fable!

The incomparable Mark Henning blasts back on Soma with yet another dose of machine funk as he drops the Jaguar EP. Mark has consistently been one of Soma's top artists due to his amazing sound design and keen knowledge of exactly what make a top dance floor track and this latest EP really shows him operating at his highest level.

Mark doesn't waste anytime in getting down business with the elastic funk of title tack Jaguar. Classic drums and one catchy synth hook does the absolute damage on this opener. Ink brings a bit of Chicago style jack to the EP with Henning really working the percussive elements before letting loose with some screaming synth work. On Yes yes, Mark delivers the most melodic sounds of the EP so far, simple and effect percussion backs a extremely well crafted, bouncing hook. Closing of the EP is Atomic and Mark really picks up the pace with this one, definitely heading down a more Techno path. More direct and intensive drums keep the stride whilst subtle vocals, sequenced tones and raw sythn stab delivers the groove.

Henning has once again delivered a very diverse EP that straddles the boundaries between House and Techno perfectly, all brought together with his unique and altogether striking production

Dusky's 17 Steps present Floor To Floor. Featuring tracks from Velvit, Trevino, Lo Shea, Hugo Massein and Alan Fitzpatrick, Floor To Floor compiles 12 tracks that approach the modern house and techno aesthetic with a UK edge.
Joining the dots between electronica-leaning sounds, melodic house and warm-up grooves to moody techno, looping tech house tools and broken beats, Floor To Floor represents a snapshot of current UK House and Techno sound worlds - all heavily road tested in Dusky's DJ sets. Carefully compiled over a 12 month period, each track combines artistic individuality with dancefloor utility. On the second sampler, UK techno powerhouse Alan Fitzpatrick delivers a nostalgic nosebleed rave banger in a modern style on 'Where Haus', XL signing Hugo Massein deals in rolling tech nastiness on 'Restart The Sun', Lo Shea's shuffling, sci-fi beats elevate 'Thousand Foot Waves' while Moniker take things deeper on 'Moving'.

After making some massive claims regarding electronic music last year which caused a stir in the dance music community, Mat Zo had a lot to live up to with his long awaited second album "Self Assemble". What didn't help was the fact that his first album, "Damage Control" was critically acclaimed by many within dance music and is now considered a modern-day masterpiece with mesmerising tracks such as The Sky and the massive Easy with Porter Robinson.Blending genres and sounds in a way only Zo can achieve, this record flows incredibly well as the tracks move from one to the other almost telling a story of the different styles of electronic music. At times the album is reminiscent of Zo's incredible Essential Mix from back in 2013 in the way that it progresses and constantly surprises the listeners. A lot funkier than Damage Control, it's no less incredible.
Beginning with the beautifully atmospheric "Order out of Chaos" which starts with an absolute wall of sound that boggles the mind in how Zo even went about designing something so complex, this sets the tone for the rest of the record in a cracking way. The melody soon crescendos and we're introduced in to the meat of the album with "The Enemy". Bringing out all the good funky vibes on this track, again Zo exhibits his insane production talents which are a staple of the album. Featuring vocals from the wonderful Sinead Egan, this is a great uplifting tune that'll no doubt have you dancing in your chair or in the club.
'Sinful" acts to continue the funky good-time vibes and transports us to a cool summertime drive. It has us yearning for happier times and again the guest vocals from I SEE MONSTAS go a long way in getting across this happy vibe. Featuring an uplifting almost french house inspired bassline and squelch synths that wouldn't look out of place on a Daft Punk or Madeon record, this is another stunning track from the record. "Patterns Emerging" feels like a bridge into the next section of the album and is unfortunately short. The orchestral element really brings out the emotion on this track and we only wish it was longer. "Killing Time" has those classic chopped up vocals that Zo uses to great effect and some nicely programmed drums that could be a nod to the drum and bass he used to put out under MRSA.'Smacked up on Jack" features some cool middle eastern sounds and a wacky vocal sample that helps to progress the album and keep the listener interested, again though we feel like it's a bit too short and are left wanting more. The next tune "Ruffneck Bad Boy VIP" is an absolute mammoth and one of our favourites off the record. Opening with an immense rhodes melodic sequence and after some nice vocals, the track rips into the electro house and dubstep infused banger that it really is. Some dirty, dirty sound design and drum production will have the dance floors going wild and shows us again why Zo is so good, it's a far cry from the funkier elements of the earlier stuff on the album and shows how Zo can show off a range of electronic sounds. "Lights Out" is a straight up hard hitting electro banger with an infectious vocal sample that only needs to be heard to be understood. Not much more needs to be said about it! Coming into the last section of the record, "Soul Food" returns us to the groove with an astonishing house beat and bass line that have us questioning how Zo makes it so hard not to smile listening to this album."Stereo no Aware" starts sounding like it's taken straight from a space movie epic and soon transforms into a goose bump inducing melody with a driving growling bass line that bring back the epic dubstep we all used to love a couple of years ago. Skrillex eat your heart out. Finishing off this record on a more emotional note, "Too Late" starts off like a guitar ballad and then transforms into something totally different. Egan's melancholic vocals enhance this track to great effect and is all backed by Zo's lovely downbeat production until we're treated to a monster of a climax around half way through the track which will surely blow the cobwebs right off you. Zo says goodbye to us with the phenomenal "The Last Transmission" and what a way this is to close out an incredible sophmore album for the English producer. The melancholic piano chords are a subtle and pleasing way to close out this journey of a record. Mat Zo really has outdone himself here and we're really looking forward to hearing some of these bombs dropped live. Surely a contender for album of the year at such an early stage, yet again it's only the best delivered by Mat Zo.
Latest album, Damage Control was Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album last year

The Sound Of Young Jamaica - More Early Cuts From The Vaults Of Studio One 1959-63

This is the second collection to bring together many of the visionary producer Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd's early recordings made with Jamaica's most exciting young artists and musicians who helped define the world of reggae music over the decades following Jamaican Independence. These recordings were made when Sir Coxsone ruled the dancehalls of Kingston in the late 1950s and early 1960s with his number one Downbeat Sound System, where songs were tested out on dub plates at a dance to see a crowd's reaction - the most popular of which were then released commercially. Featuring early material by Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Tommy McCook (all of whom would form The Skatalites), Toots and The Maytals, young singers such as Bob Marley and The Wailers, Delroy Wilson, Owen Gray all captured in their formative days. The music here spans a wealth of styles - Jamaican rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, proto-ska, Rastafarian - all of which were drawn upon to create the future sounds of Jamaican reggae that Sir Coxsone and the artists featured would soon create at Studio One which opened its doors in 1963. This collection is released on heavyweight triple-vinyl plus download code and double CD with slipcase. Sleevenotes and text is by the author Noel Hawks.

At this moment, Global Bass music is an intimate circuit in the electronic music landscape. Airplane tickets and the internet serve to connect producers and artists in every imaginable combination. Spanning across Africa, Europe, India, the Caribbean, and the Americas, allowing for the birth of new forms of collaboration. At the nexus of the Tropical music monsoon is producer Thor Partridge, aka Thornato. Born in Sweden, Thor grew up in a household filled with traditional Greek, African, and Carribbean music. Moving in early childhood to Queens, New York, the borough's diversity further influenced his style and taste. Thor added to his rich musical palette by studying classical piano, jazz guitar, and bluegrass banjo. A passion for electronic music production, remixing, and music of the entire globe soon developed. Thor's debut EP "Things Will Change" is an amalgamation of his global influence, coupled with strong roots in dance music culture. His music is not a product of samples downloaded from the internet, but from his driving wanderlust and ability to hand select musicians to work with on location in the countries where they are from. By recording in the field with a mobile studio, Thor captures the real essence and soul of the music and where it's coming from. The EP kicks off with "Chapinero", a bass heavy joint with an infectious Colombian Gaita melody. Handclaps and chopped vocal samples make for a booming floor rocker. "Deux a Duex" turns towards the African dancefloor incorporating infectious guitars and beautiful vocal harmonies courtesy of Kongo Electro from Cape Town. "Koz Kazah" heads to the Middle East with it's violin melodies, thick sub-bass, and Arabic vocals courtesy of Karen Be. Finally, "Tera Dewana" lands us in the Indian subcontinent with it's driving beat, tablas, and Hindi vocals from Vasanth S & AKS. Thornato's "Things Will Change" EP shows that while indeed the music does change, the soul and the heart of sounds from all over the world remain consistent, and that dancefloor music is universal - no matter where in the world you are!