RECORD OF THE WEEK: Studio Mule feat. Miyako Kouda - Carnaval [Studio Mule]

Before Christmas Tokyo label Mule Musiq launched Studio Mule an experimental sub-label, providing a festive gift which we all had to wait a while to play with.  

Their third offering is ‘Carnivale’, featuring Miyako Kouda. The saturated record is a revival of Japanese 80’s dance classic ‘Carnaval’, by Taeko Ohnuki, coming out all those years ago in 1980, on RCA records. The rehashing brings with it new rolling hats, which compliment the energy that only Studio Mule could bring with their in-depth knowledge of Japanese Nu-Wave and Nu-Disco.

The EP boasting dance and extended edits are the work of Kuniyuki Takahashi, the only regular fixture in the new Mule project, collaborators like Kouda come and go.

Distributed by Cologne label Kompakt, the dance edit plays homage to the original, with the dreamy extended edit on the flip providing a more club-friendly house version, according to Takahashi.

Buy: Vinyl

Words: Will

PREMIERE: Ichisan - Terminal E (Piano Version) [Bordello A Parigi]

Ichisan's Aperitiv, released last year, was so good that Amsterdam based Bordello A Parigi decided to return for a second helping from his sumptuous debut album. Four choice cuts have been selected and reworked with a specific instrument focus. The harpsicord version of 'Hotel Jama' keeps the intoxicating melody of the original but allows beats to relax as notes shine with an incandescent brilliance. Drums put their feet up for the Rhodes version of 'Modri Tunel'. Deep strings and lounging lines mingle in this work of smoke swirling seduction. 'Kozmetika (Trumpet Version)' dances to a different tune. Rich bass is again central but this time brash and bold brass intertwine with funk filled bars. The last waltz arrives with the piano version of 'Terminal E'. Alluring notes ascend, rising and falling against heartwrenching guitar strings for a finale to end this ballroom inspired beauty.

Earliest musical influence? 

I: Mostly funk and disco music from the 80’s. Giorgio Moroder, Sly and the Family Stone, Red Hot Chili Peppers early albums...

Ideal setting to listen to this?

I: Cozy living room, with a glass of wine after a good Italian dinner.

File it next to?

I: Billy Cobham - Spectrum

Buy: Vinyl

RECORD OF THE WEEK: Tessela / Lanark Artefax - Blue 01 [Whities]

'Blue 01' is a dazzling record, a split 12” featuring Tessela’s 'Glisten' and Lanark Artefax’s 'Touch Absence'. The release comes from Whiti.es, a London based label that since it’s birth in 2014 has been making waves in the scene with gritty and imaginative music that hovers somewhere around the experimental techno and house area. The mischievous younger sibling of the hugely successful label Young Turks, Whiti.es has been in the rare position of having clout from the moment of its inception. Perhaps for this reason, or maybe because of the renegade attitude and excellent taste of the label’s head Nic Tasker, Whiti.es has been releasing fantastically inventive music from the get go, including records from Avalon Emerson, Reckonwrong and Kowton.

'Blue 01' is no exception. Although the tracks were not written to be a pair, they complement one another incredibly well. The first, 'Glisten', was picked up by Whiti.es when Joy Orbison dropped it into his 2016 essential mix. It is a glitchy, bass-heavy track that is begging to be played out in a big, sweaty room. The trippy, thundering low end storms in within the first few bars, and roots the track throughout, as it is embroidered with a bleepy high end, distorted vocal samples and rattling high-hats. Although the track follows a traditional structure, with a breakdown in the middle leading into a climactic rebuilding of the different layers, the track’s sound is thrillingly unfamiliar. Melody changes come at unexpected times, and different sounds rise and fall into and out of dominance almost imperceptibly.

'Touch Absence' was released as a dubplate a year or so back by Whiti.es, but, like 'Glisten', has been remastered for this release. Also characterised by deep, sturdy drums, the track has a drum and bass-like percussion pattern. The track is fast paced and changes constantly, never allowing you to settle into one rhythm for too long before something is altered. Unearthly vocals creep in at points, and a gorgeously disruptive, gritty drum hammers out a fluctuating rhythm whilst plucky synths fade in and out in the background. Overall the track is truly unique, and builds slowly in intensity throughout, constantly keeping you on your toes as it chops and changes, somehow never losing its momentum.

Coupled up, these two tunes form a true tyrant of a record. It’s no wonder the vinyl sold out soon after its release-keep your fingers crossed for a reissue and get this into your collection.

Buy: Vinyl / Digital

Words: Dora

Review: Sade - Flower of the Universe

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When it was announced a few weeks ago that Sade and her eponymous band would be returning from a seven year hiatus to record the soundtrack for the Disney film ‘A Wrinkle in Time’, some of us feared that the queen of smooth’s untainted legacy would be butchered by a rushed, corporately-led grab at a chart hit. 'Flower of the Universe', however, is a gift of a track in which Sade’s style is uncompromisingly familiar, strongly resembling much of the music on her last album, Soldiers of Love. The combination of Sade’s signature haunting, alluring voice, and the production magic of No I.D- a don of the game who has worked with the likes of Common, Alicia Keys and Jay Z- deliver us a rich, velvety dose of deliciousness.

It is fitting that such an iconic woman should soundtrack this film, which has been adapted by Ava Duvernay from the critically acclaimed children’s book of the same name. The book was written in 1962, and in its lifetime has been banned several times in the USA for containing anti-Christian messages, due to its focus, essentially, on magic and the possibility of parallel universes. Strikingly ahead of its time, the book has been graced with an adaptation with diverse and imaginative casting, and a stunning soundtrack. Hopefully the film will do all of this justice.

More than 30 years after her first album, Sade remains one of the most universally loved and admired singers. Her first album, Diamond Life was released in 1984 and was an instant classic that is still praised for its deliciously jazzy, soul filled sounds that include tracks such as 'Smooth Operator' and 'Hang On to you Love'. 'Flower of the Universe' is proof of her timelessness as an artist. Opened by a harmonised, lyric-less chorus set over a rocking acoustic guitar melody, the song is a lilting, lullaby-like ode to wonder and imagination. The track is woven through with dreamlike harmonies, and, in typical Sade style, nothing is too lyrically complex, but the beauty and nakedness of her voice elevates the words from potentially sugary to genuinely beautiful. The periodic return to the simple, wordless chorus roots the song down, preventing it from being over the top and creating a tranquil, deep and moving track. Have a listen and let the dreamy tones wrap you in warmth and transport you back to your childhood.
 

Words: Dora

PREMIERE: Copenema - Te Faz Bem (Kenneth Bager Coma Club Mix) [Music For Dreams]

Copenema is the latest incarnation of Music For Dreams' label boss Kenneth Bager in collaboration with friends, Rodrigo Sha, Troels Hammer & Thomas Schultz.

Copenema is a collaboration between Denmark and Brazil – Copenhagen vs Ipanema = Copenema. The album was partly recorded in Rio De Janeiro in the living room of Rodrigo Sha and in Copenhagen at Volmers studio.

Following the release of original, 'Te Faz Bem', Bager has created an extended, sun-kissed, dance floor focused version.

Highlights of 2017: Albums

Highlights of 2017: EP's

Highlights of 2017: Labels

PREMIERE: DJ Koyote - France 'n' Trance [Supergenius Records]

DJ Koyote has long been a dab hand at discerning house music. Thankfully, his latest offers more of the same. Seeing the light of day on his own Supergenius Records imprint, ‘France ’n’ Trance’ sees the French producer perk up with no less than five original cuts, each of which boasts its own inimitable charm.

Premiering on YO and opening up the release is the sounds of the title track . A melancholy effort full of warm, hazy vibes, its skipping, playful ethos is characterised by its twinkling, charming melodies. A smile-inducing track that’s sure to prompt delirium on the ‘floor, it gets us underway with some distinction.

Label Heat: Timedance

Timedance is 2 years and 12 releases old, and is perched on the precipice of blowing up. The Bristol based label is headed up by Dj and Producer Batu, whose exceptional talent and keen ear for genius have seen the label accumulate an excellent set of producers and host label nights with Objekt, Pearson Sound, Ben UFO, and Skee Mask at the Pickle Factory, Corsica Studios and OHM Berlin.

The influence of Bristol’s music scene can be clearly heard in Timedance’s truly original sound, which could be described as a hybrid between industrial techno and dubstep. Listening back through their discography is a love letter to bass music. From the deep, tribal sounds of Ploy’s ‘Ironlungs’ through Bruce’s startlingly frenetic ‘I’m Alright Mate / Post Rave Wrestle’, to Batu’s minimal and ethereal ‘Murmur’, the label has built a staggeringly strong and varied catalogue of music in such a short space of time. It is comfortably carving out its own space within UK techno and bass music, and would be well within its depth conquering the hedonistic European club and festival scene.

Timedance’s dark and mechanical sound is not for the faint hearted. Dip your toe into ‘Remixes-1’ and ‘Remixes-2’, releases from earlier this year, which invited some of the label’s favourite artists to remix previous Timedance tracks. If this takes your fancy, then allow yourself to tumble into the Timedance rabbit hole- you will not be disappointed.

 

Words by Dora T

RECORD OF THE WEEK: Nackt - Private Property Created Crime [Left Hand Path]

It’s now a year on from the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse, a DIY art space in Oakland, California. The hear-breaking incident occurred during a DIY night put on by local label, 100% Silk. The disastrous event not only left the whole artistic community in mourning with the deaths of thirty-six artists, but also brought to light the desperate and now unavoidable issue of maintaining safe artistic spaces. Oakland is suffering from a housing crisis and without government attention, the lack of artistic spaces forces the creative community to cut corners and settle for totally unsafe project spaces and living quarters. With no project spaces, where can the city’s creative energy flourish? 

It’s been incredibly hard for the Bay Area arts scene to swallow such an enormous loss to their community, especially losing artists who were just embarking on what were set to be incredibly promising careers – one of whom was Johnny Igaz (Nackt), who was DJ-ing that night. Paying due respect, San Francisco based label, Left Hand Path posthumously releases Igaz’s ‘Private Property Created Crime’. Every track on the EP has its own distinct vibrancy and together they display the wonderful range of emotion Igaz was posed to express. Take this EP both as a memorial and a celebration of the incredibly talented producer’s short-lived career. 

On the A-side, ‘Blight Town’ is a haunting acid track with shady dance floor energy. Thudding kicks are melded with eerie arpeggiated keys and acidic dissonance. 

The second track, ‘Septic Acid’ is proper chug. Swampy, slow motion acid that’s tinged with body music sensation. It starts out gritty and sexy, but melodic keys and celestial organs turn this into an awesomely touching groove. 

On the flip, the EP becomes more euphoric with the much applauded, ‘Let's Go Shopping’.  Built around whirling tribal percussions and a jacking kick, the track is wholey uplifting. More arpeggiated synths and a sensational bass line make it super tingling, playful disco. Finally, Michael Claus’s remix of ‘Balboa Park’ is definitely the deepest track. Yet it’s still got bouncy loose rhythm, overlaid with more melodic keys and quirky bleeps.

Keep an eye out next February for 100% Silk’s release, Silk to Dry The Tears, a compilation dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the incident and those effected, which contains more of Nackt’s unreleased work. 

4.0/5

Buy: Vinyl

 

Words by Fred D

PREMIERE: Peter Croce - Made In China [Razor-N-Tape]

Peter Croce has been making some noise lately with his Rocksteady Disco party and record label, and here he brings his burgeoning rework sensibilities to Razor-N-Tape with a varied pack of revisions straight from Detroit!

On the ecstatic uptempo face-melting tip, we have 'Spirit Dance' and 'Get Up And Boogie', either of which are sure to burn down any disco. Then there’s the hard-working, grown-ass groove of 'Proletariat Blues', and 'Made In China', a beautiful slow-burner for those early evening spins or late-night comedowns.

Listen to the full release

Label Heat: Full Pupp

Scandi synth-wave, Norwegian fruit pop or Lapland laser disco. Prins Thomas’ baby has become a go to for many crate diggers seeking surprises. Whilst there is a variety of different sounds that come from the snowy Scandinavian peak, Full Pupp has managed to carve out a niche over the past 12 years as the go to place for spacey disco. With Prins Thomas manning the wheel it has meant the rest of the label has kept treading this distinct musical path. As a label, it embodies this Norwegian disco, inspired by 1970’s New York, which is very hard to pin down - but it is expressed through terms like psychedelia, krautrock and cosmic. Obviously, this is quite a large umbrella they have opened but the sound they really work towards has this kind of thinking in mind.

After 50 releases, already it has been another big year for Full Pupp. With Magnus International ‘Synths of Jupiter’, Pandreas ‘Back to School’ and Laars ‘None’. Even today Prins Thomas released his fifth album - which is testament to the passion that goes into the productions up North. All releases are great in that they are almost their own takes on what the Full Pupp sound is, yet it still is maintained within the original parameters set up by Prins Thomas. A melee of bpm’s, sounds and filters, but the music is still original. There’s more to look forward to in early January with ‘Auto Remixes 1 & 2’ from Chmmr. 

At its core, Full Pupp is a group of really talented, passionate, local artists. Throughout its time there have been artists like Prins Thomas and Magnus International churning out some exquisite EP’s over the years. But it has also become a place to nurture new home-grown talent with the likes of Laars and Andre Bratten. This is what gives Full Pupp a really distinctive feel, by keeping it local they are almost flying the flag of originality from their region. For me it almost feels like a continuation of the group of teenagers from Tromsø in the North of the country. The place is famous for being the birth of Norwegian disco started by artists like Bjørn Torsk, Mental Overdrive and the legendary Erot. This meteoric rise from Tromsø has been captured by Ben Davies’ (Paper Recordings) recent documentary, Northern Disco Lights. And I may be wrong but I feel like Full Pupp has been born out of this movement and could be a representation of what the movement that began in Tromsø would look like today.

It’s also quite pleasant to think that these out-of-space sounds are coming from some of the most Northern societies in the world - almost looking down on the rest of us, almost in contact with space. Or it may be the physical environment of the Arctic landscape that makes their music almost other-worldly. Either way they have had a great year and I hope will have many more.

 

Words by Jack A

PREMIERE: Bosconi Soundsystem - Eclipsed [Bosconi]

Months after their debut release, Bosconi Soundsystem is back with another killer package. The Italian production trio, consisting of Rufus, Mass Prod and Bosconi boss Fabio Della Torre, perk up here with 'Unrequested States of Bliss', a 2 x 12" offering that's packed from start to finish with dancefloor-ready cuts. The title reflects the contents of the album: psychedelic and minimal techno and electro music on a deep and dark tip. Introducing track 2 of the EP, 'Eclipsed'.

RECORD OF THE WEEK: Fouk - Butterfunk EP [Outplay]

Daniel Leseman and Hans Peeman are credited producers and DJs in their own right. Childhood friends, the Dutchmen decided to join forces to make the delightful combination of Fouk. This came after years of spending time in the studio together since the age of 15, as well as their shared appreciation and deep commitment to funk music, old and new.

Signed to Heist Recordings in 2015 after their recognition from Detroit Swindle, the duo have affirmed themselves on the scene with tracks that gained rapid popularity; ‘Kill Frenzy’, ‘Gruff’ and ‘Heavy On The Bacon’ to name a few. They have released their music through a variety of labels such as Room With A View, Heist, Razor-N-Tape, as well as their very own, Outplay, which has sponsored their most recent release, ‘Butterfunk’ EP. I would imagine that this record was coined at Han’s parents summer house on the Dutch coast where they have set up a pop-up studio and claim to be their most creative.

The 'Butterfunk' EP is brilliant, and has something for everyone. It’s a four-track EP loaded with contagious dance floor funk. For a change they have strayed away from their usual style of heavy sampling and focussed more on original instrumentation and production. The stand out track for me is the opener ‘Organ Freeman’, which is just pure feel good. As a closing track ‘Winter’ winds the whole production down in a very calming manner. All in all, definitely worth picking this record up as it possesses both tracks for the dance floor and the bedroom.

3.7/5

Buy: Vinyl

Words by Alex M

PREMIERE: Elon & David Scuba - Last Call [ReSolute]

NYC label ReSolute has long been renowned for classy house and techno fare. They repeat the trick on their latest, as label head Elon draws on a veritable array of top-drawer talent for the label’s 10th release, 'The Nest' EP. Titled in homage to the Brooklyn-based studio where each track was produced, the EP is a collaborative project that showcases vintage gear such as the TR-808, 909, Prophet 6, TB-303 and SH-101 to name but a few. It also features a suitably diverse cast, with KiNK, mass_prod, ADNY (Alexi Delano) and David Scuba among those who Elon collaborates with.

Premiering on YO is the digi-only tip, Elon hooks up with Mr C collaborator, David Scuba. ‘Last Call’ sees the pair delve to deep, techy pastures, with the end result proving a fitting track with which to sign off a release that’s impressive throughout.