hello all::
after a hiatus over the winter, the ones & twos spring reviews
have finally bloomed ::
April Techno/House Reviews
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
the following are reviews of promotional material
written by: Scott Lazaruk and Thomas Robbs (ones & twos)
http://www.techno.ca/dj/ones_and_twos
(artist :: release :: label :: cat # )
T e c h n o
+++++++++++
Daniel Lui :: white label :: Chair Recordings :: CHAIR007
Classic Chair material here -- Dan's back at it with a
vengeance. Crisp percussion, bouncing melodies, and maniacal
crescendos can all be found here. As always there's a lot
of abstract rhythms and oddness -- this one's aimed squarely
at the techno purists. 5/5
Submania/Ekmoah :: Zylacanth Ep :: Background Records:: BG004
Dusseldorf's Background Records delivers 4 minimal ass-shakers on
their fourth release courtesy of the duo 'Submania / Ekmoah'. This
piece is a fine addition to any crate, with two fairly experimental
cuts, and two aimed solidly at the floor. 4/5
Submania/Ekmoah :: Low Voltage :: Background Records :: BG005
German duo Submania / Ekmoah drop another finely tuned techno tool,
this time a double pack of deep dubby experimental techno. Might
be too abstract for every dancefloor, but superb material for a
deeper context 4/5
LA Williams / Chunky Tracks / Chisel
LA drops a whole album of deep techno and tech-house, something
fans of the sound he's been chiseling out with his new label
have been awaiting. From deep & pumping to hard and banging,
it's all here. Lots of raw tracky mixing tools, in addition to
the more abstract and melodic pieces, make the album a joy to mix
with as well as to take a long listen to. 5/5
Mike Parker :: Drain Hum :: Geophone Records :: GEO 005
Mike Parker sends us another release on his Buffalo, New York
Geophone Records label which delivers his signature sub-bass
minimal workout. Mike works his deep sub-bass stabs with a
set of crisp mid-range samples that sets a heavy bottom-end
atmosphere. Get set for a bowel movement on a large system.
4/5
H o u s e
+++++++++
Daniel Lui :: Big Smoker Nights Vol 1 :: Chair Recordings :: CHAIR007
Chair does house. It hasn't happened before, and unsurprisingly,
it's a bit different. The a-side is a bumping guitar loop and odd,
lilting melodies slide suspiciously underneath. The floor friendly
percussion and bassline hold the oddness and pull the track together
into a great mixing tool that could be worked in a variety of ways.
The b-side gets a bit loungier, conjuring up cocktail dresses,
tuxedos, and cigar smoke. Warbling melodies come and go like
faces in a crowd, while a brooding bassline holds tension throughout.
5/5
Teknostep :: 416 Shuffletrax Vol 1 :: Undaground Therapy/Bangin
Traxx :: BTM-006
Toronto's own Stephane Vera, known for his work on Roy Davis Jr's eps,
drops a solo ep on Roy's label. Big shuffling beats and disco samples
make for superb peak hour material on "Loft", while two more driving
hustles make up the b-side. Keep an eye on his constant changes in
percussion and rhythms -- they make superb material for cutting and
playing in the mix
5/5
Rick Wade :: Deep Threats :: A Touch of Class :: ATC001
Rick Wade, one of the deepest men in house music, kicks off this new
German house label with the kind of quality, gritty, jazzed out
house we've come to expect from Rick's Harmonie Park label. All
four tracks rely on a deep pumping kick, funk sample loops and nice
high end percussion to carry the groove. Very nice work indeed.
4.5/5
V/A :: Soul: Often Imitated, Never Duplicated :: Moods & Grooves
Records :: MG 007
A stacked set of deepness from Mike Grant's Moods & Grooves label,
packed full of sweet instrumental grooves and well chosen vocals.
Nubian Shuffle rocks the house with sweet keyboard riffs and driving
percussion -- peak-hour house from Chicago's Brian Harden.
Mike Grant's 'Late Nite' describes its context fairly well, a
throbbing kick, cool vocals from Blake Baxter, and vibes providing the
love.
Alton Miller provides a beautiful morning groove, 'First Light' that
keeps it dreamy and funky at the same time .. wonderful stuff.
Brett Dancer closes out the ep on a pounding but melodic tip, with
lots of snappy percussion and interweaving melodies. Great
work from some of the finest house producers in North America.
5/5
Da Sampla :: Sampaholic :: Moods & Grooves Records :: MG 008
The latest from the Moods & Grooves camp is a three track 12" which
takes... "Pop" drops a throbbing bass kick in with a filter
workout that adds nicely in the mix. On the flip, "The Rider"
will catch your ear as it takes you down an eerie late-night
drive while "Lamenated" takes some old-school samples and
reworks them into a moody hip-hop style. 4.5/5
Norm Talley :: The Mystic EP :: Trackmode Recordings :: TM-15
Late nite grooves from Norm Talley that are not to be missed.
Every time I hear something from this man, it's gold. Pounding
bass, riding chords, and just enough snap in the highs to keep
butts wiggling and heads nodding. The full length, "Circles",
takes things up just a notch, with great samples .. 'perfect
love' indeed. Keep an eye out for Mr. Talley's releases,
they will bring you love. 5/5
Silicone Soul :: Nosferatu :: Soma Recordings :: SOMA 93
Reedie and Morrison come together as Silicone Soul for another
great release on Soma Recordings. The title track, "Nosferatu",
dishes up a heavy dose of sub-bass cut up with a monsterous
top-end that expands the sound to every nook and cranny in the
dancefloor. Beware of cracked window panes! "Gimme Danger"
takes steps to brighten the mood with a bubbling disco ride
to the top. Closing out the ride is "In Your Own Sweet Time"
that oozes soul compliments of Chippy on guitar. This is
the cut for deep house heads. 4.5/5
Johnny Fiasco :: Clicktrax Vol. 1 :: UC Afterhours :: AH-136
This 12" has been out for a short while but it's worth mentioning
twice. What I enjoy most about this 12" is it's ability to be
worked into many different contexts ranging from a minimal techno
setting through to a late night house sweatfest. The rhythmic
expertise of Mr. Fiasco comes through with every click and tweak,
pushin' every ass to and fro! 5/5
Mateo & Matos :: Got a Message :: Glasgow Underground :: GU 52
DJ Sneak remixes Mateo & Matos with that big bumpin' house
vibe that Sneak fans will instantly indentify with. His
"Messenger Mix" fills the A-side and puts the bassline on
the shelf through the shuffling percussion mix before thumping
it down, message intact. For those needing a second reading,
Sneak's "Biggie Size Dub" will get your groove on. 4/5
Moloko :: The Time is Now :: Echo :: ECDJ 881
In what will surely be a follow-up hit for Moloko, "The Time is Now"
drops with one of house music's biggest names getting in on the mix.
Francois K drops the main vocal mix which brings up the sun with
a melody that you'll be grinning to for months -- spring has
definitely arrived! Can 7 lays down two solid remixes alongside
a mix from DJ Plankton and the original full length cut. Francois
K closes the doublepack out with his "Blissed Out Dub". 5/5
Pure Science :: Bare Knuckle Bassix Vol 1 :: PS Communications :: PS
005
Dim the lights low and wrap your butt around that tech-house
groove that is Pure Science. Back on his own PS Communications,
Pure Science drops a 4-track 12" that delivers a complete toolbox
for the DJ. His subtle loop-mixing style results in a different
workout with every cut. 4.5/5
Steve O'Sullivan & John Beer :: Undercurrents :: Mosaic :: MOS 023
Harris and Solomon "refreak" Sullivan and Beers "X-Rated
President" into a slower deep house groove, while the original
on the flip offers a snappier attack at the dancefloor. Skipping
hi-hats and a solid bassline offer the foundation for deep and
funky hook. "Breeze" rounds things out with a deep rhythm
section and subtle change-ups that keeps the dancefloor bumpin'.
5/5
Cricco Castelli :: Escape From Rome EP :: NRK Sound Division :: NRK
029
Simply a juicy SIX track double pack from Germany's NRK Sound
Division. Every track carries the shuffling beats of Cricco
Castelli that are just screaming to decimate a dancefloor. From
the grooving saxophone in "First Love" to the ass-shakin' bassline
in "Very Stylish Jazz", each and every cut is a pleasure. 5/5
M i s c .
+++++++++
Various Artists :: Statra's Paradigm Shift :: Statra Recordings ::
STATLP 2000
New from the Statra label is a 2x12" compilation featuring the
broad range of Statra styles. The breadth of sounds in this
compilation will surely appeal to even the most discriminating
of electronic music tastes be it "down-tempo", "IDM", or techno.
The stand-outs for me were Lypid's "Uptown" and Denver McCarthy's
"First Reflections". All in all, some nice work from the Statra
camp that makes for a great aural soundscape. 4/5
Lypid :: Stratospheric :: Statra Recordings :: STAT2001-12
A nice mixture of sounds for all tastes on this latest from
Statra recordings. The title cut, 'Stratospheric', is a nice deep
drum & bass cut, with a beautiful intro and hectic percussion.
Henrik B provides a remix on the bangin techno tip. Spacetime
Continuum delivers a great downtempo instrumental, full of funk
and groove. 'Pensiero Tardivo' closes out the ep on a very
spacey, abstract note -- great for a listen after a long night out.
4.5/5
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