ANALOGUE SYNTHS

Will DiMaggio – Fusion (Broadcast Mix) [HOUSE]

Will DiMaggio - Fusion (Broadcast Mix) [HOUSE] Funky, deep house from the USA producer that takes groovy vibes and analogue synths. Great listen to demonstrate the producers potential. Check out the DJ on his Discogs or Resident Advisor for more. This is a banger.
Will DiMaggio – Fusion (Broadcast Mix)

When asked by The Ransom Note, Brooklyn producer Will DiMaggio responded ‘I’ll puree soups or sauces in it — works great. I’ve mixed dough in one of those joints, you can do whatever with them.’ As outlandish it may seem to mix dough it comes as no surprise. His audacity to mix elements of Jazz, Boogie, Soul, Hip Hop and Deep house could’ve gone wrong. In this case it’s earned him dividends. His first breakout ‘Fusion( Broadcast Mix)’ is a deep dive into the mind of a man who loves to jam. A 2016 release on Future Times, it’s also a breakaway from his volatile Bass cuts as JAW JAM. Like these Pharrell or NEXT bootlegs, R&B takes the centre stage as it blossoms into a classy appetiser.

Built around a 112’s ‘Anywhere‘ sample, it’s a delightful boogie down track as the vocal repeats ‘Until Your Body Fails’. It’s poignant, stirring about real laid back vibes. The drums, sounding completely live, underscore the desire to have this as a free-jazz session. It’s still a jam that can be used on the dancefloor regardless of its rogue nature. Some insane keyboard work is on display using what it seems the most Casio-like synthesiser in existence. It all feels very late 80s, which would make sense as he lives with fellow House music oddball producers hailing from the States such as Anthony Naples. The spurts and random jazz throes that have that futuristic tinge are complemented beautifully with the live bass tones. Ambient synth chords as well as descending horns help with the sunny aura. It’s like Koop & The Gang wanted to make their infamous jam a bit jacked. Continue reading →

Matt Whitehead ‎– We’re Bombing (Original Mix) [ELECTRO]

Matt Whitehead ‎– We're Bombing (Original Mix) [ELECTRO] Coming from his Bombing EP released on Super Rhythm Trax features a 1980s spirit of production.
Matt Whitehead ‎– We’re Bombing

Matt Whitehead fooled us all. If you play ‘We’re Bombing’ with an absence of context, you’ll most like guess the release year to be situated in the early 1980s. Roland TR 808 drum patterns. Check. Miami Vice soundtrack inspired synths. Check. Toms akin to Nairobi’s 1982 release ‘Funky Soul Makossa‘ are also to be found. Above all, closest similarities can be drawn to the New York-raised DJ Hashim’s production. The computerised use of processed robotic vocals played a major part in the Electro scene, justifying the name of the subgenre. Collectively, this Super Rhythm Trax release just like the label aims to bring back the old school sound while ironing out the unpolished lapses of its predecessors.

Coming from his Bombing EP, the track brings the raw thud kindred to the distant cousin genre of Miami Bass. Drum loops intervene in rotation like breakbeats. The slaphappy snare drums are given room to exercise their drive. Yet, just as important to the track’s identity are the neon atmosphere created by the soundscapes. Deep analogue strings & an arpeggio that sounds like it comes from PPG Wave synthesiser, unite together to give the track its soul. In such, ‘We’re Bombing’ avoids falling into the trap of sounding like a bootleg of a rejected Robocop soundtrack compilation. Music Radar has published a breakdown of tips for creating a electro banger. It demonstrates the amount of detail is required behind the scenes. Blawan has placed his stamp of approval on Matt Whitehead’s production before, and that’s an endorsement to treasure. Continue reading →

I:Cube – Y.O.U.R.O.C.K (Original Mix) [TECH-HO– USE]

I:Cube - Y.O.U.R.O.C.K (Original Mix) [TECH-HO-- USE] Parisian French disco vibes with a heavy bass and a funky synth. The DJ and Producer from Paris gives an extended edit to this track from his Megamix release on Versatile Records.
I:Cube – Y.O.U.R.O.C.K

If you looked up genius in the dictionary, a picture if I:Cube would come up next to it. His Megamix album was stuff of legends, with so many different styles that showed how many awesome strings he has to his bows. Many of the tracks on that album were quite short, however Y.O.U.R.O.C.K. was given an extended treatment just for DJs. Released in 2012 on Versatile Records it is a fun jam. It could also be considered as an insurance policy for any DJ, like a maccas is for punters trying to go to bed happy ensuring their heads don’t hate them as much after a night out.

Anyone who knows I:Cube will know he loves French Disco/Rock drums and hats and it’s no different here. Chirpy Divas add to the glitz shouting out ‘You!’ in unison. Then all of the sudden the heavily distorted plucked bass rumbles in ensuring dancers will start swaying wildly, with heads down of course. It’s a druggy vibe, and a fretting, glitching synth over the top brings a panic to the track. Congos in the back keep it lively in the way it gives a swirly, light touch feel to counteract the grogginess. Continue reading →

Timothy J. Fairplay – Pure Hex (Original Mix) [ELECTRO]

Timothy J. Fairplay - Pure Hex (Original Mix) [ELECTRO] Analogue synth heavy track that's a perfect companion to the strobe lighting of a peak time clubbing experience. The DJ and Producer proves that left field production influenced by Legowelt and sci-fi horror B-movies can groove the masses.
Timothy J. Fairplay – Pure Hex (Original Mix)

Timothy J. Fairplay has always considered himself to be an outsider. In the 2013 interview with FACT magazine, Fairplay claimed to be a contrarian. Such a left field approach is none more evident than in his musical output, which plated in eccentricity and outré. Pure Hex retains such signature caprice while offering a bangers that’s a universal floor-filler. Released last year on the Nocta Numerica label, its unashamedly extraterrestrial. Like other label’s contemporary releases, the ambience created by the track is akin to a Nicolas Winding Refn OST. All the while maintaining an energy that is enticing in vein similar to Smith N Hack’s track ‘Falling Stars‘

The artwork featuring a 1980s television set up is a perfect embodiment of the track’s substance. Immediately you’re introduced to synths that sound similar to a martian raygun. The production is a love letter to the decade’s now infamous B-side sci-fi flicks.  Continue reading →