Hermannstadt Collective – Raw Fruit EP (Immigrant Records)
The title track ‘Raw Fruit’ sets the standard straight off the bat. In an almost late 90s UK tech-house (think Nathan Coles) vibe it is bouncy, tight and funky without being too clubby. Nice percussion, chords and drop-outs give it an urgency which always works on dance floors. ‘Flash Gordon’ is straight out of the Blade Runner music category for me – sick, gritty, futuristic tech-house the sort of which are so hard to find when you feel the need. With it’s classic Detroit style ride and hat it does the damage without fail. Two more tracks on this EP including a deep-tech Mr. Statik remix of Raw Fruit. Nice!
Milton Jackson – Never Be Wrong (Dark Energy)
Milton Jackson’s new release doesn't disappoint – he never does. "Never Be Wrong" is a deep, techy number which has a nice hook and a futuristic vibe to it. Definitely a tune to please fans of deeper styles without boring those who need a bit more energy to get going. The alternate track, "Never Be Right", rolls along similar lines but has a gritty, overdriven sound which reminds me of the old Convextion and Deep Chord sound. Its hypnotic and doesn't try to flash-bang too much, just enough to create the groove and get your head nodding. Cracker release.
M.in & Spedro - My Way (Höhenregler)
Straight out of the deepest crates comes this brilliant release, a dubby tribal influenced track with Ricardo Villalobos written all over it. It’s got chanting, ethnic drums and soulfulness mashed together into a really hypnotic groove. A Basti Grub remix turns the track into a ten minute ride which is a bit more glitchy and clubby but without overdoing it one bit.
Finley – Supernatural EP (Slanted Black)
Miami talent Finley drops a quirky, original release which caught me a bit by surprise. The first ten seconds sound like the beginnings of a shit-arse electro track - but no, this is well worth a closer listen. Mixing percussive house and freaky futuristic sounds ‘Movement’ jacks along nicely with tweaked vocal snippets and drop-outs. ‘M.I.A’ again takes the jacking groove and adds more freaked out snippets plus a surprising guitar stab with great effect. Two more solid tracks on the EP show Finley as one to watch in the future.
Submerge 101 - Sickness EP (Prosthetic Pressings)
Calling this sick understates it a bit. The Sickness EP is big-room blasting techno which rocks. The main mix is a hard-techno Carl Cox style ripper with the classic big-room drop-outs, distorted vocal snippets and groove change-ups to keep it pumping along the whole way. The Bas Mooy rework has a groove akin to an old-style Jeff Mills tracks, more of a DJ tool - dark, gritty and mean. A few cut-out here and there and subtle keys. Angel Alanis adds a really infectious, buzzing tech-house remix which makes more use of the “Bang the Box” vocals to nice effect.
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