March record reviews

Friday, March 30th, 2012 | Sounds

Yet more great releases to check out.

Since it’s inception in 2009, Eglo have released a lot of great material. Of course Floating Points has been responsible for many of the labels most well known releases, however their growing roster are adding to those highlights. Eglo’s latest signing, LA’s Gifted & Blessed gives us three tracks under The Abstract Eye moniker, which was slated for a late March release (but still no sign of it yet). Like last years excellent ‘Cool Warm Divine’ EP, it’s another slice of Detroit infused electro and techno, which fits in perfectly with label mates FunkinEven and ARP.101 - highly recommended. Another London based label, Don’t Be Afraid, gives us their latest offering from Mr. Beatnick. The ‘Sun Goddess’ EP, is four deep house cuts, with my personal favourite, ‘Shifting Sands’, having a distinct Theo vibe to it. King Britt also sees a release via yet another UK label, this time being the always interesting Hyperdub. The release under Britt’s Fhloston Paradigm alias, is by far the best material I’ve heard from him in a while. Forward thinking unclassifiable music, with a similar vibe to some of the Actress material - not to be missed.

On the other side of the pond, Aybee gives us his first release of 2012, ‘Astral Metronome’, via his Deepblak imprint - three transmissions of deep techno that picks things up from where ‘11:11′ left off - as usual, highly recommended. Also on the deep techno tip is the forthcoming ‘Subsequent’ EP, the first in a series of vinyl only Episodes from Chicago based Ike Release. All four cuts (including the Hakim Murphy remix) are stellar, with ‘Puntigam’ being the stand out for myself. From new Chicago to old, Black Market re-issues The Housefactors’ ‘Play It Loud’ EP. Original produced by Larry Heard back in 1988, the EP is a lesson in raw jacking house - essential stuff. Another vital release seeing a re-issue is the excellent ‘In The Dark’ album from 2005. One of the strongest releases in Still Music’s excellent catalogue, it compiles some of Detroit’s finest producers, including Marcellus Pittman, Mike Huckaby and Delano Smith.

Mo Kolours gives us the second in a trilogy of EP’s, ‘Banana Wine’, released on One Handed Music. Following up from last years excellent ‘Drum Talking’ EP, ‘Banana Wine’ treads a similar unclassifiable path with percussion heavy dub infused beats, that somehow capture both Mo Kolour’s Mauritian roots as well as his current home of South London. Also included on the EP, a remix from DC based duo Beautiful Swimmers, of one of the EP’s highlights ‘Mini Culcha’. All of the Mo Kolours material thus far seems ripe for some remixes, so hopefully we’ll be hearing more soon. The EP is available on vinyl as well as a free download from One Handed Music’s Bandcamp page.