Rob's Music Reviews - September 2009

A few gems which made it into the Our House Magazine review section. Techno is on fire this year as is a quiet resurgence of deep, dubby prog.

Orlando Voorn – Angles (Nice & Nasty)

‘Angles’ is the next in line for Irish techno label who've turned to some locals for remixes. The original is magic - as you'd expect from Voorn - a morphing of house and techno with raw rhythms and a hypnotic synth which hooks you in without resorting to any bells or whistles. Dave Ellesmere’s remix retains much of the soul but goes for an almost pounding tribal rhythm which will definitely work on the dance floor while Manuel Perez takes the cake with a deeper version which morphs and twists through a distorted synth and a stark piano line. It all fits together so so well. Simplicity has always been the magic of Voorn’s releases and this is no different. More remixes by Itokim, Fran Hartnett and Jamie Behan due shortly. Angles @ Junodownload

Markus Wesen – Kindergarten EP (Ohral Recordings)

Kindergarten sampling minimal house is the name of the game here. The original is a bouncy sparse groovy with various cut up samples of children talking and singing. It’s actually not as odd as it sounds and makes for a quite infectious groove. The killer here is the M.in remix which is no surprise at all – 2009 has been a breakthrough year for the German. In his usual hooky, percussive style he builds a great vibe using subtle delays and thumping deep bassline. When the vocals finally feed into the mix half way through they add that extra hook to seal the deal. Very quirky. Kindergarten EP @ Beatport

Serial Smokers – Talk = Cheap (Fatal Music)

The label which lives and breathes tribal rhythms returns with a stormer. The meshing of Spanish tribal sounds into more modern minimal style of tribal house makes this record bouncy, funky and very infectious. Nicely cut up vocals complete the hook and a well-paced arrangement make the ride a good one. Jaimy's remix serves up an even more current sound which has the sort of bite which is so lacking in most so-called tribal records. His mix adds plenty of twists and turns to make it a sure winner on any open minded dance floor. Talk = Cheap @ Beatport

Daniel Kyo – Synecdoque (Ready Mix Records)

Daniel Kyo has hit the mark a couple of times with his remixes so it’s good to hear his debut on Ready Mix. Synecdoque is sort of futuristic deep house in a similar vein to Stan Kolev. It has summery vibes and sits at the deep and progressive crossover point with good results. It floats and morphs with subtle changes rather than big drops and grooves along nicely. Da Fun's remix takes the idea and twists it into a steppy electro-tech version with a more peak-time vibe. Edwin & Ferdy’s remix is almost a reprise with the focus taken off the kick/snare. It oozes the vibe of a day by a pool chilling and grooving with subtle keys, claps and vocal snippets. Nice! Synecdoque @ Beatport

Check out my Junodownload Future Garage chart for September.