This Zurich duo churns out a sci-fi breakbeat killer that blasts huge synth stabs and vacuum bass, and riddles the driving percussion with drum & bass-style fills. On the flip, EK ups the ante with his remix, keeping the d&b touches while dubbing up the bassline and touching it with some electro. On point, like those watches they make.
Various Sound-Off 2 Sampler
Here comes Salim Rafiq, who’s infused his previously straight-ahead Miami Bass sound with some adventurous shit by picking tracks like these two for Fuel’s second Sound Off mix. Cold Fusion boosts “Rinds Gulasch” with some hearty and complex electro programming, while The Dexorcist’s “Connect One” runs some classic electro with fanatically big bass.
Matthias ‘Matty’ Heilbronn Ridddim Part 1
Before you purists razz the rash of house and techno DJ/producers rediscovering dub, check this slab, the flipside of which finds our Matty taking this reggae-tinged tech-house tune into the modern downbeat echo chamber `a la Zion Train. An epic ting.
Various Osrltd001
Brooklyn-based DJ Clever brings together some heavies for this spotlight on his leftfield d&b imprint. On the a-side, Deep Blue’s elegant “Do You Voodoo” draws spindly percussion and warm bass tones in the atmosphere, while Justice bumps traces of Amens against some rumbling low-end. On the flip, Pieter K’s tentative “Rapport” flutters its drums and wows its bassline through emotive piano lines, while Graphic’s off-balance percussion on “1000” proves almost sensual, though who knows whether it’ll work on the dancefloor. As usual, Offshore takes risks .
Goapele Closer
Folks are just getting a listen to this Oakland soul chanteuse, and this slab (from “Even Closer”, the remix version of her “Closer”) finds rubs by Zion I’s Amp Live and his man Mike Tiger. The title track’s minimalist downbeats and warm atmosphere do it right, and the duo then surprises with a bumpin’ 2-step mix. The flip’s “Childhood Drama” sees producer Johnson giving the track fat hip-hop beats and a nice Peruvian flute riff. Charged.
Matthew Dear Ep 1 & 2
You can’t help but think you’re listening to some strange history on these two bits of vinyl. Ann Arbor boy Dear neatly disabuses techno of its orthodoxy, either by sucking it into the void ? la Coil on “Laguna Madre,” snapping it like a sugar pea on “Reae,” stuffing it into a cave on “Lakonic,” or simply muffling the whole whiny mess under his shoe on “Pinch & Pillage.” Ten tracks for the whispered end of history.
Kananga Booty Breaks
The Play label launches its breaks imprint with a couple tunes by a guy who earlier this year well thumped up Mikey Gallagher’s house track “What Does It Mean.” The b-side wins on this, because although the weirdly titled a-side’s got epic nu-breaks nuances galore, “Inner Feeling”‘s boomin’ bass, insightful vocal samples and emotive breakdown take the cake. Thick.
12 Superstars Gangsta Disco
The irreverent Sosumi juggernaut seems to be rolling at an energized pace lately, which is great to see. 12″ Superstar’s debut hits you off with an A-side of tightly contained breaks thump with a dead-funky rhythm guitar sample and some bad-ass synth chords. The flip’s “Electrick” runs a 4/4 break under more synths and a bushel of vocoder chanting, making for a hard, block-is-hot kinda sound. Sosumi up!
Novo Tempo & Koichi Ozaki Novo Teempo Meets Eurasian Suite
Tokyo Latin-jazz band Novo Tempo sandwich Eurasian Suite boss Ozaki’s jaunty, piano-based bossa instrumental with the gentle, flute- and vocal-imbued “bossa of Kagaribi,” and the contemplative jazz-hop of “Moss.” One of many releases that evinces a generally delicate-and Latin-oriented-Japanese take on ’00 nu-jazz.
Bent Coppa The Payoff
Your boy Coppa follows up his debut for Proper from last year, “Break In,” with another electro-infused party-rocking bit on this title track, which is reminiscent of a more bombastic Elite Force. The flip’s “Pimps” rolls with a more ’80s feel, but is still pretty mean with its sliced-up streetside vocal samples. Thumpy.
