Dimi Angélis & Jeroen Search ‎– Our Life With The Wave (Original Mix) [DEEP HOUSE]

Dimi Angélis & Jeroen Search ‎– Our Life With The Wave

Russian poet Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov hits the spot when he writes ‘The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea.’ Creatively speaking, this can translate to one inspiration inspiring an infinite amount. According to VICE, Mike Huckaby’s first My Life With The Wave sample CD provided 128 AIFF samples of a synth enthusiast favourite, the Waldorf Wave. There’s even a Discogs list of releases that was made with the first edition, listing 31 EPs alone. It lists some seminal Deep House producers such as Ernie, Dubbyman, Rick Wade and Tonni Lionni to use the pack. It’s Dimi Angelis and Joreon Search’s names however that raises the most eyebrows. Being two Techno leaning producers, you wouldn’t have coupled the pair with Deep House. However, the 2009 release on Hamburg label Smallville, is a glorious excursion in meticulous yet driving music.

Little White Earbuds describes the track as being ‘music so entrancing it becomes possible to lose all sense of time, until the dawn light begins to seep through the blinds‘. Earlier collaborations between the two, like ‘Sleepless‘ though in the more Detroit end of Techno, show that this duo are adept at both the discombobulating and functional spectrums. ‘Our Life With The Wave’ though is as powerful as two planets colliding. The verbose bass is wide and punching humming along with grace. Lower acid squelches melodically sit perfectly with the sub ass rumbles. The hats hiss panoramically, hypnotically spaced out distempering a place to get lost in. Dramatically, billowing chords are then delayed and panned, to then be held down theatrically. It’s an incredible contrast between the bass and mids that deserves true applause. Continue reading →

iO Mulen – Na Latnem (Original Mix) [MINIMAL]

iO Mulen – Na Latnem

iO Mulen is part of a cabal of producers that includes Janaret, Ion Ludwig & Lowris, who straddle the line between the Romanian interpretation of Minimal and Deep House. Bewitching as much as it is functional, the sound is a certified crowd pleaser at its best. iO also part of a faction of DJs like like Tommy Vicari Jnr, East End Dubs and Traumprinz who tend to release purchase-on-sight records coveted by Discogs fiends. Listening to any of these producers’ tracks makes it’s pretty easy to see why. Having previously featured on labels such as Apollonia and Diynamic to name a few, it comes as no surprise that the Ukrainian found his way to One Records. Introduced by the great John Dimas, it surely is a shrewd move by Adam Shelton and Subb-an. ‘Na Latnem’ had already been signed to another label, but it was so good that Shelton begged for it to be released on his own outlet. Coming out in 2015, though it served as a B side you’d be satisfied if it had a full A side to itself.

The track kicks off with energetic drums and hats that resemble a live feel. Bursts of whistled air plumes give it a light tone. However, it’s deceiving in form as what comes next is bone-rattling. Replicating many of his other tracks, the bass is punishing, bulldozing the ears opting to be held rather than staccato’d. It’s the definition of what one may refer to as a ‘dance floor roller’. “I love to work with samples for arrangements by adding Roland Juno-60 synthesizer and Roland TR-909″ the Ukrainian told Magazine Sixty. Utilising horned samples, Mulen then elevates the track with pads drenched in reverb that permeate the Ibizan sun at dusk. Yes it’s a tool, but an epizootic one at that. Continue reading →

Mystic Bill – U Wont C Me (Original Mix) [HOUSE]

Mystic Bill – U Wont C Me

In the early 90’s, the UK underground scene was all about Acid House. The ‘Second Summer of Love‘ that coloured the summers of 1988 & 1989 saw the rise of Danny Rampling and Paul Oakenfold, with the trademark TR-303 sound squelching away to pulp away clubbers minds. Ibiza acted as the middle man of sorts, introducing the sound to the European audience. Though Chicagoans Ron Hardy and DJ Pierre can be attested as the founders, William Torres best known as Mystic Bill formed part of the second wave to push the sound. The artist was present at parties such as Phuture Shock and Medusa’s, central to Chicago’s Acid House history. However his sound doesn’t just stop there. After taking a 10 year hiatus from releasing output, it seems Mystic Bill is enjoying a second wind. Taking cues from Larry Heard, akin to our previously reviewed Satoshi Tomiie‘s ‘Bassline’ sees ‘U Wont C Me’ as a obligatory House track for all DJs.

‘You Won’t C Me’ was released in 2015 on Snuff Tracks found on the EP of the same name. Phonica Records describes it perfectly a being a ‘powerful spoken word chant greater than the sum of it’s parts‘. The track begins in a familiar fashion to ‘Bassline’, with it’s bassline however using a major chord change in the final 8 beats of a 16 bar. Oscillating hats bring a frenetic contrast to the tracks 120bpm nature, having hollow percussive jabs add the jack. With ogling eyeballs donning the front cover of the EP, it fits the eery pads which pirouette slowly. This forma a sound taken out of a 1970’s horror movie. Dense on the reverb, an echoed keyline adds to the heady nature. A hypnotic vocal then speaks in a monotone way repeating ‘You See Me I’ll Be Gone, Thought Your Love For Me Was Strong, Now The Love You Had Is Gone, Now I Must Be Moving On.’ It’s very vanilla, yet insanely powerful alongside the myriad of sounds. Continue reading →

Frank & Tony feat. Bob Moses – Marigold (Original Mix) [DEEP HOUSE]

Frank & Tony feat. Bob Moses – Marigold

Brooklyn old-timers Francis Harris and Anthony Collins were a prolific production partnership under the guise of Frank & Tony in the mid 2010s. Part-owners of the taste-making New York label Scissor & Thread, their output was a melange of mature, tender interpretation of Deep House. Harris brought the exhaling texturing that complimented Collins’ percussion finesse. Pitchfork adequately claims duo were more “concerned with the sound of House music than its function“. In such, their tracks serve well for listening sessions and in-store DJ sets. Their 2012 track ‘Marigold’ found the perfect vocalist suitors in Bob Moses, a Vancouver duo that was christened by them. The NY veterans gave the Canadians their name, and their support on ‘Marigold’ kindly returned the favour.

Frank & Tony’s production notably interpreted the lower ends of EQ in a number of creative ways . While releases such as ‘What You Believe‘ & ‘Amedeo‘ brought a much more restrained approach, ‘Modest Season‘ & ‘Harmonium‘ came freshly baked from the academy of Basic Channel. In ‘Marigold’ they opted for a chugging bassline that is rich in flavour to open the track. True to form, however, soft keys reverberate in rotation to create a serene ambience. ‘All the way, all the way, all the way, watching this burn” the vocals repeat. Bob Moses’ mellifluous sging has made them a headlining act in the Underground scene, and a desired collaborator. Frank & Tony were blessed with an album’s worth of features back in early 2010s. The pads that eventually enter feel like a substitute for the Pacific wind, gently caressing the listeners ears. The vibe almost be described as a slower tempo, Western approach to Nu & Jo Ke’s – ‘Who Loves The Sun‘. It would comes as no surprise, therefore, to hear it feature at a sunset mix of Jose Padilla. Continue reading →

Brett Johnson – Missing You (Original Mix) [DEEP HOUSE]

Brett Johnson – Missing You

Though it might be known as the home state of Rodeos, Ford F150s and the Republican party, Texas has also birthed a number of accomplished producers. Unrelated to the Canadian techno–maverick Mathew Jonson, Brett Jonson is part of a cabal of DJs hailing from the Southern state that includes Maceo Plex and Convextion. Speaking candidly with XLR8R about the state of the underground scene, Jonson observes that ‘We live in strange times, where people are famous for being famous, and a person’s hype often outweighs their actual talent‘. Commenting on dilating issues such as ghost production and pay-for plays gigs, he’s a music man. There’s clearly a special vitality in Brett’s productions. With a prolific amount of releases on labels such as Freerange, Cynosure and F Communications, Brett’s productions are a combination of moreish, euphoric and funky. And none more so than his 2009 release on the EP of the same name, ‘Missing You’.

Tracks like his remix of My Favourite Robot’s ‘Still In My Heart‘, or his own release ‘Get It Together (5am Dub)‘ showcase unbridled skills at walloping Tech-House bass. Brett’s versatility is on full blast in ‘Missing You’. Eight Tracks describe the track as ‘a gloriously melancholy cut that successfully bridges Brett’s affinity for potent house rhythms, Detroit-bred bass lines, and decidedly deeper intentions‘. It starts off with a timid kick and cymbal partnership that synergises with a crunchy percussion sample. Similarly to Andre Lodemann’s ‘Where Are You Now‘, measured bells are chimed. Sequenced stringed pads add to the melancholic nature with the plodding bassline allowing the rest of the track elements to shine. Brett speaks about being influenced by R&B in an interview with the Dallas Observer. Here, a vocal sample akin to 112 can be heard as the bass jumps an octave. What follow is truly mesmeric, as the strings caramelise, drooping with subtlety. Like his Visionquest EP ‘The Secret Place‘, ‘Missing You’ is elegantly eerie. Continue reading →

tINI – Awakenings Easter Special 2015 [MIX]

tINI – Awakenings Easter Special

If you’re a Techno pilgrim walking down the annual path of brain-warpdom to each major festival, up near the peak of the list will be the Dutch Awakenings Festival. Based in a club that hosts parties, the event is located in Eindhoven, usually at the gloriously imposing and mammoth venue of Gashouder. If you come across tINI & The Gang videos that have featured Daniela La Luz, Bill Patrick or any others of the crew, where tINI made her name, you’ll discover a completely different setting. In this set, however, she delivers an enchanting warm-up set which is more gloopy lava than a forceful flamethrower.

In her recent interview with RA Exchange, the Munich-born DJ states ‘I don’t do sub genre’s, just House and Techno‘. Clinging to the fundamentals, her style transcends all labels and is sedative, if not immersive, at times. Weaving through the dub techno leanings of Moreon and Baffa’s ‘Cloud 15th‘, Terekke’s ‘Bank 3‘ brings a lo-fi filtered Deep House to bring comfort to the ears. An ID-less track on 26 mins brings a East End Dubs like buoyancy that operates with a sensuality due to it’s nonchalant vocal sample. Looking by the amount of ‘Track ID’ comments on Soundcloud, it’s a track which some may sell a liver for. Going a bit left-field on the 40 minute mark is the classic Underground Resistance mix of Maurizio’s ‘Ploy‘. The second half of the mix get’s a bit more jacking and viscous on the drums with bangers by EMG, Mr Tophat & Art Alfie and Paul Jackson. Scattering flakes of trippyness on top, tINI finishes with Josh Wink’s classic ‘Don’t Laugh‘, a track that ironically features a vocal of a guy laughing his head off. Continue reading →

Mike Grant – My Soul, My Spirit (Mr G’s Freedom Train Mix) [HOUSE]

Mike Grant – My Soul, My Spirit (Mr G’s Freedom Train Mix)

Born in Derby but now local to London, Mr. G is a true legend of the game. With releases on Rekids, Defected, Bass Culture, Holic Traxx, as well as his own label Phoenix G, the number of his releases is astronomical. None of these come at the cost of quality however. Cassy best sums up his production style in her description of his remix of Fred P‘s ‘Mystery of Fantasy’. ‘He’s in between house and techno, so for me, whichever direction I want to go in, he gets me there. Often if I’m unsure what to play next, it’s the ever-reliable Mr. G I turn to‘ she told fabric. His productions are the archetype for those which straddle House and Techno, much like Radio Slave & Joris Voorn. In their Machine Love feature Resident Advisor crowned him as ‘the literal definition of tech-house‘. His sound is as tough & punchy as MMA fighter Anderson “The Spider” Silva on the world’s most potent steroids. G’s output is consistently heavy on the drums to keep the jack moving like a marching band. At times, upon first listen of some of his tracks you would be forgiven for thinking you were listening to any Detroit producer of the Rick Wade and Delano Smith cloth. This remix of ‘My Soul, My Spirit’ is yet another capstone of his treasured discography.

Released in 2003 on Grant’s own Mood & Grooves label, it was G’s second remix of the very same track. ‘The Struggle of My People (Mr. G’s There’s Hope Mix)‘ was an inspirational call echoing the pulpits sourced from the DJ booth. A preaching from the biblical text James 1 so to speak. ‘My Soul, My Spirit’ is an effigy on freedom. Sublime swelling horns radiate providing an instant buoyant air. Coming from a West Indian background, G has a love for heavy sound-systems. This can be heard on the tough as a nail sub-bass. A dedicated fan of Akai MPC’s and Korg MS2000’s, the hats are capacious and built for Big Room play. Speaking with Ibiza Voice about his time spent working in the Derby record shop R.E.Records, he recalls opening up to music styles that included jazz, blues, boogies, soul, funk and disco. Saturated in funk, the bassline is one that The Sylvesters or Boney M would be proud of. A stringed pad that floats on top adds rays of sunlight. The breakdown features a whispering female vocalist preaching about liberty that compliments a dolloping of arpped keys, before shuttling back into the kick and bassline. A truly uplifting track. Continue reading →

David Alvarado – My Plea (Original Mix) [DEEP HOUSE]

David Alvarado – My Plea

‘There’s deep and then there’s David Alvarado‘ pronounced Resident Advisor on their review of his 2005 album ‘Transfiguration’, released on NRK Music. Checking out any of his releases that trace all the way back to 1993, you’d be hard pressed not to agree. Hailing from Los Angeles, David’s productions vary in form, yet maintain the same underlining semblance of Deep. ‘Worship’, the release under his Las Americas alias was picked up by Plus 8 Records founders Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva. There’s a hint of tribalism in many of his productions that echoes the sound of Peace Division. His productions have seen him remix U2, as well as release on Strictly Rhythm, Ovum Recordings and Peacefrog Records. The 2002 LP ‘Mayasongs‘, however, surely is the apex of his musical mastery. The quintessential tracklist is of such high standard, we were at pains on selecting which song should be highlighted. ‘My Plea’, however, takes the crown due to its timeless eminence.

‘Beautification‘, another of the tracks from the ‘Mayasongs’ LP ended up being featured on The Lab 03 by Seth Troxler. A series which also featured mixes by Steve Bug, Loco Dice and Paul Woolford is acclaimed for the supreme cuts it features. Alvarador’s track is a cutting-edge, spaced out affair, bolstering rotating drums and spacey pads. Therefore, it is unsurprising that in conversation with Droid Behaviour David described his sound as ‘very delicate fragile… waiting to fill every corner of that space‘. ‘My Plea’ is the embodiment of such ethos, hitting you with lashings of a Mediterranean sunset party. From the offset you can notice the producer’s piquancy to obliterate the listener with delays and reverb, as the track’s introduction features a female vocal breathing. Layered on top is a Latin drum pattern, similar to one found on his 1998 release ‘La Selva‘. A single note jazz hat oscillates with filter astutely, while a female vocal echoes in as a guitar sample is strummed in. The pads that eventually enter are stringently applied, rising elegantly as a sonar zip completes the soundscape of an aquatic journey. Continue reading →

Premiesku – Live at Neversea [MINIMAL MIX]

Premiesku (live) at Neversea

Neversea, like Sunwaves is the annual mecca for all Minimal Techno aficionados. Neighbouring the Black Sea, both festivals are in the beating heart of the scene Romania. Mixmag chronicles “the compelling power of Romanian minimal, a lean and intricate style popularised by frequent Ricardo Villalobos-collaborators RPR Soundsystem (Petre Inspirescu, Raresh and Rhadoo)”. It comes as no surprise therefore that the country has become the “staple in the planet’s finest dance parties, placing the nation firmly on the dance music map‘. This Premiesku set, recorded live by the Mixmag team in 2018 is a mirror reflection of such grand depiction. Celebrating the scene, the mix is infectiously groovy.

Livio, Roby & George G comprise Priemesku and bring an avant-garde perspective when it comes to the ‘Live’ performance DJs. Speaking with Electronic Groove they asserted to ‘really believe that a live act should be based on live jamming and using real instruments‘. Well these fellas take it to the supreme by designing three distinctive, custom-made hardware consoles. Each consists of parts from various machines that have been completely rewired, modified and re-patched. The recording first starts out with some intricate filtered synths and a muddied rolling bass. After some Chicago House influenced jams, at 16th minute comes their own release ‘And Other‘. It opens up with fluttering delayed horn stabs with echoed sonar sounds to create an epic soundscape. Continue reading →

Massimiliano Pagliara – Everything That Happens Is Supposed To Happen (Original Mix) [DEEP HOUSE]

Massimiliano Pagliara – Everything That Happens Is Supposed To Happen

Establishing an equilibrium between the downtempo and the groove is feat not easily attained. Maintaining intensity at the expense of a higher BPM requires high level of prowess. Young Marco, John Talabot & DJ Koze are just some of the producers we’ve covered who deserve accolade in this respect. Although the speed of the track can arbitrary (after all Marcel Dettmann savours playing Techno at a lower BPM), certain producers make the conscious choice to release their originals in such form. Massimilano Pagliara is another, with his 2009 Live At Robert Johnson release ‘Sometimes At Night‘ establishing him as a connoisseur of slower tempo production that maintains the vibes of a memorable party. ‘Everything That Happens Is Supposed To Happen’ is a 2014 release coming from his ‘With One Another‘ LP. Paying ‘homage to the past while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of dance music into the future‘, it is a deserving introduction to a DJ who finds comfort in his own lane.

The symphonies of Pagliara are often characterised by their Mediterranean flair. ‘Harmonize‘ is a prime example of his use of mellifluent strings that carry the legacy of Italo Dream House. His love for vintage drum machines is put on display here as the loops sounds unrefined by processing. The analogue bassline used looks to be revived in his recent release ‘Feel Like‘, coming from his latest LP. The DJ professes to becoming “addicted to machines” upon buying his ‘first analog synth, a Roland SH-101‘. Massimiliano’s track titles are often poetic in tone, with ‘Flying Away From You‘ & ‘As The Night Breathes’ being some of the names amongst a richly lyrical list. The elegiac melody of ‘Everything That Happens Is Supposed To Happen’ reflects such undertone. The cadence and the contagious rhythm, however, prevents the track from being desolate. As the Juno main chord pads enter with relentless rhythm, the listener becomes fully immersed in the musical world of Massimiliano Pagliara. Continue reading →

This Is A Banger

Strictly Authentic. Strictly Underground.

Deep House