June 2021 New Records

Well, things are definitely happening again. I’ve had two indoor DJ gigs in the last two weeks, plus our outdoor joints and I joined Selecta on his Twitch feed for the first time (and I will be doing so every other Wednesday, next one is June 30 on here…) all of which means I’ve been busier than I have in quite a long while. It feels good to be out here playing music, and the response has been good every time. I know it’s sad to see “the industry” being roused out of its slumber and all of the same old same old bullshit happening again, but fuck all that nonsense. The music I play is timeless and it (and I) will still be around long after these clowns fuck off.

Anyway.

Lots of nice new sounds this month, many thanks to artists I really dig who aren’t typically very prolific. Let’s run them all down…

Dave Maze & Spike Rebel – Trance Dance EP – D&e Recordings 12”

Yes the title says “trance”, but no, this is not trance music in any way. I’d guess the reference was to the great “Transdance” by Night Moves which was a big hit in Chicago and whose DNA is apparent in these tracks. “Spaced Out” begins as a very heavy Italo influenced cut with the big funky bass synth and electronic drums. Somewhere along the way, Spike Rebel brings in Clavinet and then flute, turning it into some kind of hybrid italo-soulful house. Absolutely outstanding, and sure to be big on the best dancefloors, this is just next level shit. “Trance O’Funk” kicks off with a distorted bass guitar line and drums straight out of a Ron Hardy mix, again touching on those roots that are so distinctively Chicago before launching into synth solos that feel vaguely middle eastern. Again it’s hard to precisely say what genre this might be, but it definitely has that vibe of house before it was a genre that artists made to sound like other house records. Another total killer. “Enter Da Maze” slows the BPM down but keeps that same kind of off kilter synth pop/italo instrumental vibe. Overall, this is a stunningly good release that really doesn’t sound like anything else out there.

I already had the Chicago EP by Dave Maze on this label, which was a sleeper from a few years back so I took this opportunity to get the rest of the back catalog of D&e and I must say, it is all outstanding. From italo to disco edits to soulful afro house, every single cut is interesting and funky. It’s definitely worth digging into their back catalog if you dig this kind of music.

Malik Alston – “Halftime/In The Dance” – Globally Limited lathe cut 7”

Malik Alston is consistently one of the secret weapons in my collection. His music leans towards lean, uncluttered arrangements, but always with strong instrumental performances that make them stand out while still hitting the right energy for strong dancefloor reaction. This release contains half of the digital I Need You EP that Globally Limited released last year, and both jams are sure-fire killers. “Halftime” contrasts the live horn, organ, and flute with funky house drums and an acidic bassline to craft an excellent hi tech jazz cut. On “In The Dance”, he builds energy up from a Beatdown style synth and piano intro into an ecstatic climax, with horns, strings, and organ all contributing. I’m looking forward to what Globally Limited does next, as this is quite a stunning debut.

Jason Hogans – Malletts Creek – Sound Signature 12”

This also came out previously on digital release (as seems to be the case with a lot of pandemic era music), but new Sound Signature music is always welcome on the format it is best suited to.

I have been evangelizing for Jason Hogans for a number of years now, as his mix of beats and house is always bass heavy, funky, and very different from other producers out there. For this six track EP on Sound Signature, the beats aspect of his music is more prominent than the house side. Sometimes jazzy and sometimes weird, Jason’s music combines the textures of sampled records with the futuristic sounds of synthesizers in a way that appeals greatly to those who came up in the late 90s and early 00s. That era is not so easily categorized or copied, with house, techno, soul, jazz, hiphop, and broken beats all seemingly having equal sway inside of the deep dance music scene. These influences all still work in 2021, and even more impressively still sound like the future.

Strictlybutters – “That Richard & Karen Funk/Wake Up” – Galaxy Sound Co. 7”

I’ve had the test press of this one for a while but was waiting for it’s full release to talk about it. For me, this is just incredible music. There are a lot of people out there making music that on its surface sounds like golden era hiphop, but so few are able to truly capture that same feeling. When I listen to this, it reminds me of being a kid and hearing Pete Rock for the first time. The A Side’s sample opening is sure to be a heavy throwback for everybody, but then it quickly gets flipped on its head into one of the most soulful and jazzy beats you’re going to hear. No matter how many times I hear this, it never fails to bring a smile to my face. On the flip, heavy chops of Rhodes, vocals, and horns form the basis of another feel good beat, and the droning strings make it perfect for driving around in the summer with the windows down and the breeze blowing your hair around. The man Strictlybutters also has a great IG account which features his old school studio filled to the brim with records and posters and the small amount of equipment it takes to turn old records into something undeniable. I really hope to hear more from him soon.

313 Acid Queen x Sickboy – Buildings EP – Detroit Underground 12”

Rebecca Goldberg aka 313 Acid Queen has been steadily dropping a series of EPs on Detroit Underground over the last four years, utilizing her own visual artwork to take the concepts behind her music to a higher level. On this release, however, she works with Italian producer Stefano Piseddu and leaves the artwork up to the label’s Detroit Map series, but the music remains strong and you can hear her sound quite clearly. This EP touches on a number of different rhythms from the electro of “Guardian” to the breakbeat house of “Structure”, which is an especially nice contrast to the standard acid percussion. My favorite tracks though are the inside cuts. “MCS” is a minimal but uptempo techno jam with nice staccato chord work that would sound great pitched up in a ghetto tech style as wel. On the B side it is “Renaissance” whose deep chords and slower tempo really work nicely with the acidic bassline. This is exactly the kind of record you would hear pounding at high volumes on the shop system at Detroit Threads over festival weekend.

Andrés – “Sweetest Pain/Sweetest Moaning” – Papaya Records 12”

Hazmat Live – “Dance With Me/1983” – Papaya Records 7”

Papaya is a new label out of Detroit, and they came out on fire. Andrés gives them what is easily his best record in a number of years for their very first release. “Sweetest Pain” combined hard drum machine rhythms with deep soul samples for what is sure to be a huge summertime track and one of the year’s biggest anthems. On “Sweetest Moaning” he gives us a ghetto tech tempo track that keeps the soul at the forefront, reminiscent of the best Mr. De tracks from twenty years ago. The halftime breakdown seals the deal, making this an essential 2021 record. For his 7” Hazmat also gives us some of his best work. Combining boogie funk synths with hard drums, “1983” sounds like one of the best proto-house Prelude instrumentals that never came out. “Dance With Me” slows down the funk a bit but doesn’t sacrifice the musicality, you could easily see a vocal version of this being a modern funk hit.

NCW – NCW on NCW – Apartment Records 12”

New releases by NCW don’t come along all that often, but they are always worth waiting for. His previous outings on Apartment have gone from grimy deep house to spiritual jazz samples to synth tweaking heavy techno, so you never know what you’re gonna get but it’s always interesting. Here, it’s a kind of dark deep techno, but honestly that is selling it short. “Cluffy’s Dream” features vocal chanting and warbly synths over a deep bassline and punchy drums. This would also mix well with early Trax records type Chicago jams. “Shut Up Dennis” seems to take its cues from deep NYC house and “Knights of the Jaguar” simultaneously, building the chord work and melodies into something that is both raw and oddly uplifting without being easily categorized. “Lilt4Kenzo” uses big strings and rhythm heavy techno chords, while “Silkworm Rising” is a trippy acidic banger. This EP as a whole is a reminder that techno hasn’t always meant “bland, melodyless, joyless crap for big room clubs”. Really idiosyncratic music here for people who dig being different.

Joaquin Joe Claussell – Raw Tones – Rekids 2xLP

Over the pandemic, Joe Claussell released a three part collection of tapes that were made using an old cassette multitrack. These tracks are beautiful examples of less being more, with the atmosphere from using lofi tape adding a much needed element into the mix. Thankfully Rekids have stepped in to issue 9 of the tracks on a double LP (with another limited 10” of a couple tracks more coming soon from Claussell’s own Sacred Rhythm label to complete the collection) for us DJs who still love vinyl. If you are a fan of the old Instant House material, this will be right up your alley. Soulful but grimy, this is a balance of musicianship and bedroom production values that you don’t see nearly enough of in these days of computer produced everything.