Best New Releases from July
by Irina Kotik
The month of July brought an amazing array of impressive albums, stunning releases and fantastic remixes from the likes of DJ Bone, Cleveland, JMII, Ripperton, Jonathan Kusuma, &Me, Dixon, Copyrider, Argoman and Trikk released via Life & Death, Permanent Vacation, Innervisions, ESP Institute, Correspondant, Lossless & Something Happening Somewhere, Diesel Eyewear, Endless, Beans and Beacon and Keinemusik. Tracks are listed in no particular order.
The/Das
Drug Dilling (DJ Bone Remix)
Life & Death
The latest EP on DJ Tennis’s admired imprint Life & Death comes from the incredibly talented Berlin duo Fabian Fenk and Philipp Koller (a.k.a. The/Das).
Following 2013’s three-track ‘Outfashioned’ EP, the ‘Drug Dilling’ EP is their first offering on the label. The powerful four-track package showcases a mesmerizing raw energy and is ‘aimed to capture the often-overlooked club-friendly side of their project’.
Detroit producer DJ Bone builds upon the beautifully twisted original, expertly infusing the track with a haunting synth which slithers its way into the listener’s mind with dark, intense energy that shines atop the driving groove.
Cleveland
Kyoto
ESP Institute
Luxemburgian producer Cleveland, brings his signature sound to Lovefinger’s forward-thinking ESP Institute imprint. With releases on prominent record labels such as Permanent Vacation, Hivern Discs, Biologic Records, White Music, CitySlang, he is making his mark on the world of the underground electronic music.
Inspired by the magical city of Kyoto, the former Imperial Capital of Japan for over a thousand years and "the city of knowledge" Coimbra, the medieval capital of Portugal, the two-track eponymous EP is an enchanting musical journey through time and space.
The playfully introspective 'Kyoto' transports the listener into a magical ephemeral world replete with a dancing flute melody, Japanese Taiko drums, and pulsing rhythms under the lace parasol of flickering marimba arpeggios.
Zopelar
Origini (Ripperton Remix)
Endless
Brazilian analog guru and In Their Feeling label co-head Pedro Zopelar (a.k.a. Zopelar) rears his head in emphatic fashion with his latest release ’Origini’ EP on Luca Bacchetti’s Endless imprint. His single ‘Origini,’ with two powerful remixes by Swiss producer Ripperton is for lovers of sophisticated hypnotic techno and superb deep house.
Ripperton’s remix version of ‘Origini’ puts an incredible spin on the track, focusing on the powerful rhythmic textures and cosmic distorted synth lines. The original elements from ‘Origini’ are reworked into a state-of-the-art production only this Swiss maestro can muster.
JMII
Pisco Laundromat
Diesel Eyewear
Italian fashion house, Diesel Eyewear, celebrates summer with a tour and a video series featuring incredibly talented producers like French artist Abstraxtion, Italian duo Marvin & Guy, German producer Lauer and Spanish stalwart JMII. During the tour, each artist will perform live alongside a not-to-be missed interactive installation.
Exclusively contributed by JMII, ‘Pisco Laundromat' is a blissful and thrilling musical expression of funky driving rhythms and gorgeous melodies. This tune is a perfect choice for Diesel Eyewear's summer celebration!
Jonathan Kusuma
Motor Melodies
Correspondant
Jennifer Cardini’s Corresponant label hits sixth birthday in style with a new ‘Compilation 5’ LP that draws on the label’s many impressive newcomers and veterans. The 15-track package features selections from the likes of Axel Boman, Marvin & Guy, Fort Romeau, Red Axes, Man Power, Jonathan Kusuma, Zombies in Miami, and Colli Alban among others to “show the world that Correspondant has a synthetic heart of punk which pumps glacial disco through its frozen veins,” the label explains.
Jakarta-based musician, producer, and DJ Jonathan Kusuma serves up a big room dusty number with emotive hypnotic elements and an irresistible groove.
Argoman
Chimicalissimo
Permanent Vacation
Munich-based label Permanent Vacation continues to mine gold with their latest release from Argoman. This is a new enigmatic project is "inspired by the 1960s B-movie super hero Argoman. The name literally means "lazy man" however, it's also a combination of three Italian producers' names. "Chimicalissimo" merges the vibrant rhythms of disco with the emotional approach of modern electronic music, produced with analog synths and drum machines. It's a proper voyage between syncopated rhythms and heavy basslines.
"Chimicalissimo" is backed by an utterly gorgeous disco version from Black Spuma (a.k.a Lauer and Fabrizio Mammarella).
Copyrider
Robots taking over
Beans and Beacon
Keep your eye on a talented new artist by the name of Copyrider. The Mannheim based label Beans & Bacon recently released his breathtaking 'Flying Birds And Dancing Robots' EP, which features two original tracks, 'Amsel 'and 'Robots Taking Over’.
'Robots Taking Over' is charged with energy and intriguing percussive rhythms. It's a deep and moody tour de force awash with hypnoticly emotive melody, slow building dramatic tension, and a catchy baseline with a club-ready conviction.
King Britt presents Obafunke
‘Uzoamaka’ (Dixon Update)
Lossless x Something Happening Somewhere
Lossless & Something Happening Somewhere labels unite again to present an utterly gorgeous goose-bump generator Pt.2 of King Britt presents Obafunke ‘Uzomaka’ release. The package consists of a masterful update from Innervisions honcho Dixon, twisted bonus beats by the SoHaSo label boss Nuno Dos Santos and another powerful edit by Lossless co-founder Mathias Schober. The press release describes this record as "the result of an undeniable desire to uncover a once lost and forgotten gem from beyond the dust. To recover the magic underneath, that has never grown nor subsided and doesn’t belong to anything but itself. A love story between two music labels that found each other in this blissful journey, Lossless and Something Happening Somewhere are here to presents the next chapter in their findings.
Uzoamaka is an original track by King Britt from 2002, that still remains as fresh and uplifting as it was 15 years ago. Nuno dos Santos (SoHaSo) has been in love with the sonic narrative since it was released but felt the urge to bring the transformative beauty to a wider audience. In an attempt to recover the original, the original master and pre-master turned out to be lost by the waves of time. Calyx mastering has remastered the music straight from vinyl, keeping the raw charm of the original but giving it a sonic facelift to fit with modern standards, also making it available in the digital format for the first time since its release.
The original by King Britt is an ode to the ritual of dance music in its purest form. With vocals panning across the stereo field that preaches ‘Sing, dance, be, free to dance’, it resonates with the primordial human playfulness, joy, and expression in all of us. Teasing with a melodic bassline, almost reaching twelve minutes running time, it’s a modern hymn that never fails to mesmerize and bring peoples’ spirits together.
Besides remastering the original, it gave the opportunity to invite other artists to retell the story. This time the mighty Dixon gives the original track an update for modern dance floors. Pushing the groove to the foreground, adding some extra percussion and drive while letting the choir guide you to a monumental break in which the chord suspends in the air. “Free to… Free to… Free to…”
&Me
The Rapture
Keinemusik
Exceptionally talented producer &Me is back in the hot seat at his own label Keinemusik with the impressive ‘Avalon’ EP that conveys tasteful music and artistic vision. The skillfully crafted ’The Rapture’ is a compelling musical alchemy with emotionally evocative harmonies, an expansive widescreen mood, and effortless elegance.
The Avalon EP’s B-side became an open air, big crowd summer anthem allowing the listener's mind to wonder and never return!
Manoo and Raoul K feat. Ahmed Sosso
Toukan (Trikk Dub Mix)
Innervisions
Innervisions next release will see a long awaited three remixes of Manoo and Raoul K’s track ‘Toukan’, featuring Ahmet Sosso. The impressive remix-package of two versions by Innervisions label boss Dixon and Portuguese producer Trikk is a deep and percussive workout.
Trikk’s reinterpretation invites the listener to an African techno journey with a powerful instrumental dub palette with a percussive twist.