Here's some records I've been enjoying recently - most have been around for a few weeks...
New Sector Movements - No Tricks (Virgin) The first fruits of IG Culture's deal with Virgin, and a taster for the album due in the new year. Four tracks of streetwise jazz, the standout being the sublime 'Only One' - big strings, killer vocals, IG's trademark ultra- syncopated beats and a serious groove. Not as experimental on the whole as some of his People and Main Squeeze output but the production is impeccable, the musicianship breathtaking and it's still well ahead of the pack. Mark De Clive-Lowe - Move On Up (Bitasweet) Fantastic cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic. Mark's original mix is pleasant enough in the jazzy broken beats style, there's a slamming Bugz house mix, but the only version I'm playing is the Bugz Opaque mix, where Seiji and co strip it down to a serious Rhodes hook and tough breaks, with the vocals and other keys sitting perfectly on top. Big dancefloor action guaranteed, and a home-listening headnodder of serious proportions. Pure Filth/Ne-grove - Should Have Been You (People) Very strong mid-tempo epic from the unstoppable People camp. Driven by an infectious pizzicato string hook which will stick in your head for days, the track builds from nothing with multiple layers of powerful breaks, warm strings, deep bass and subtle funk guitar licks - by the time the male vocal drops at the first break you're mesmerised. Excellent futuristic dance music from the leaders of the pack. Aardvarck - Ludiek (Delsin) Forthcoming release (out early 2001) from this fantastic Dutch label who are going from strength to strength at the moment. Six tracks on offer, ranging in style from Nubian Mindz/Bugz-style West London breaks to beatless ambient and downtempo electronica. Strong stuff. Newworldaquarium - Trespassers (Delsin) Second release from this artist on Delsin, with more ultra-deep tracky house along the lines of Theo Parrish, Carl Craig and Moodymann. Heavy, hypnotic and repetitive, with heaps of soul, this isn't exactly peak-time club tackle (well I guess it depends on the club!) but connoisseurs of Detroit-style house will love it. Future Beat Alliance - Audio Photos (Delsin) Four tracks of excellent deep techno from Matthew Puffet, best known for his releases on Void and Ferox. A lot of his output sounds like lost early-90s Detroit-influenced techno classics along the lines of B12, Black Dog and early Kirk DeGiorgio, but with a contemporary twist - think warm strings and pads, plenty of melodies and laid-back grooves. This EP is some of his best work to date and one of my favourite records of the year. The Moderator EP (Ground Zero) Various - Follow The Beat (Technotourist) Two four-track EPs on two new labels from list-member and international techno playboy Otto Koppius. The Ground Zero release features 4 tracks of classic Detroit-styled quality techno, cut at NSC for maximum authenticity. While not really breaking any new ground, the tracks on offer are excellent, and have grown on me with each listen. The Technotourist release is more diverse, and the strongest for me is the b-side from TV-99-AD - lush, string-heavy deepness which would be right at home on Transmat. Great stuff, and a promising start. John Tejada - The Matrix of Us (Defocus) The latest full-length album from Clair's pack-leading UK electronica imprint comes from veteran US techno producer John Tejada, whose records on Palette, Ferox, A13 and countless more have won him a loyal core of supporters worldwide. This LP covers a range of styles, from subtle, melodic minimalism to downbeat electronica, and the undoubted standout is the collaboration with rapper Divine Styler and Carmen Tejada (John's opera singer mother!) on 'Genetical Love' - beautifully orchestrated and arranged electronic hip-hop which will see a 12" release with remixes soon. Fine stuff. Uusitalo - Vapaa Muurari (Force Inc) Luomo - Vocalcity (Force Tracks) Two full length albums from two Vladislav Delay alter-egos. The Luomo stuff has quietly been causing a stir on the underground for a while now and it's easy to see why - six long tracks of impeccable electronic house falling somewhere between Maurizio/Main Street, Herbert, and the Playhouse camp. Beautiful vocal treatments, warm atmospheres, quirky but tracky beats and great arrangements. The Uusitalo album falls somewhere between this and the more experimental Vladislav Delay stuff - it loses the vocals and strips things down somewhat, almost like a skeletal dub version of the Luomo tracks in places. Excellent futuristic electronic dance music - fresh and unique but not up its own arse. Cheers, Tom
