[vinyl] Premiesku - Constant EP

Artist(s): Premiesku
Name: Constant
Genre: tech-house, house
Label: Desolat
Catalog: Desolat023
No. of tracks: 4 (vinyl), 5 (digital)
Type: unmixed + bonus mix (digital)


Tracklist:


01. Constant
02. Personificarea lui Talker
03. O Lozinca
04. Odd Stuff
05. Oarecum Astral (digital bonus)


Opinion:


For those who don`t know, Premiesku is a Romanian trio composed of Livio & Roby (with works released on prestigious labels like Desolat, Cecille Numbers, VIVa, Monique Musique, Supernature, SCI+TEC, Vakant) and George G. Desolat X-Sampler (Red) featured the fist appearance of the project, formerly known as Monochome, based more on progressive house.

[vinyl] Markus Homm - What do they want (Remixes) EP

Artist(s): Markus Homm; remixes by Chris Carrier, L. Leal & A. Garza, Alex Celler, Carlos Sanchez
Name: What do they want (Remixes)
Genre: tech-house, deep-house, house
Label: Unike Muzik
Catalog: UNIKEMUZIK002
No. of tracks: 4
Type: unmixed

Tracklist:

01 Keyframe signal (Chris Carrier Remix)

02 What do they want (L. Leal & A. Garza Rmx)

03 Take off (Alex Celler Toronto Dub)

04 What do they want (Carlos Sanchez Remix)

Opinion:

Following the first release of Unike Muzik, a 3 tracked EP signed by Markus Homm (positive feedback from Lee Burridge, Maceo Plex, Danny Howells, Ellen Allien, Sis, and many more), the second installment from this label brings 4 fresh remixes from big names like Chris Carrier and Alex Celler. 

[vinyl] Paul van Dyk - Evolution LP

Artist(s): Paul van Dyk
Name: Evolution
Genre: trance
Label: Vandit 
Catalog: VAN2050V
No. of vinyls: 2
Type: dj friendly edition

Tracklist:

A1: Symmetries (Club Mix)(feat. Austin Leeds)
A2: Verano (PvD's Full Fire Mix)(feat. Austin Leeds)B1: A Wonderful Day (Extended Version)(feat. Giuseppe Ottaviani)
B2: Dae Yor (Club Mix)(feat. Ummet Ozcan)
C1: The Ocean (Club Mix)(feat. Arty)C2: Open Your Eyes (Directors Cut Mix)(feat. Kyau & Albert)
D1: I Don't Deserve You (Extended Version)(feat. Plumb)
D2: Everywhere (Extended Version)(feat. Fieldwork)


Opinion:


Spanning over 50 international awards, 26 EPs and singles, 10 compilation mixes, Paul van Dyk is one of the biggest superstars of electronic music today. Besides creating soundtracks for a multitude of movies and videogames, he also created 5 albums (not to count the 2 remix ones). Now he is back with his 6th, 5 years after the previous one, the critically acclaimed In Between.

[vinyl] Laps - Joyful Process EP

Artist(s): Laps
Name: Joyful Process
Genre: tech-house, techno
Label:Cadenza 
Catalog:Cadenza 75
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A: Joyful Process
B: This Broken Heart


Opinion:


Laps, 1/2 of Digitaline, is not a stranger to Cadenza & Cadenza Lab, and now he`s back with the usual 2-tracked EP. You can check him out as he released just a few weeks ago some good stuff at his label, Raoul (find a review here).

[vinyl/digital] Echonomist / Andrade - Obstacles/Dancing EP

Artist(s): Echonomist, Andrade; remixes by Quell, Pol_On
Name: Obstacles/Dancing
Genre: deep-house, tech-house
Label: Back and Forth
Catalog: BAF004
No. of tracks: 4
Type: unmixed

Tracklist:


01. Echonomist - Obstacles
02. Echonomist - Obstacles (Pol_On Remix)
03. Andrade - Dancing
04. Andrade - Dancing (Quell 'The Grind' Remix)


Opinion:


The first vinyl from Back and Forth for 2012 brings the usual format, with the sides being split, one to the Echonomist, and the other to Andrade. Both bring on an original mix, and also a remix, to fill the whole record. 

[vinyl] Terry Lee Brown Junior - Baltimore EP

Artist(s): Terry Lee Brown Junior; remixes by Aki Bergen, Bas Amro
Name: Baltimore
Genre: deep-house
Label: Plastic City
Catalog: PLAX 0926
No. of tracks: 3
Type: unmixed

Tracklist:

01. Baltimore (Bas Amro Remix)
02. Baltimore (Aki Bergen Remix)
03. Baltimore (Dub Mix)


Opinion:


Since I heard him on Loco Dice`s Lab (find it here), his name stuck in my mind, and now I saw his new release on Plastic City, that includes an original track and 2 remixes.

[vinyl][CD] V.A. - FAT 5zig (Limited Edition Box Set)

Artist(s): Douglas Greed, Monkey Maffia, Mathias Kaden, Daniel Stefanik, Marek Hemmann, Kadebostan, Krause Duo, Taron-Trekka, Robag Wruhme, Juno6, No Accident In Paradise
Name: FAT 5zig
Genre: tech-house, house, techno, deep-house, minimal
Label: Freude Am Tanzen
Catalog: FAT050
No. of tracks: 8 (vinyl), 12 (CD)
Type: Limited Edition Box Set


Tracklist:

A1. Douglas Greed feat. Delhia De France - Back Room Deal
A2. Monkey Maffia - Cruciate Ligament Dub
B1. Mathias Kaden - Red Walls
B2. Daniel Stefanik - Tension In Leipzig
C1. Marek Hemmann feat. Fabian Reichelt - Pictures
C2. Kadebostan - Mon Petit Soleil D`Algerie
D1. Krause Duo - Drunkie Skunkie
D2. Taron- Trekka - Noo Sun

CD1. Kadebostan - Mother Cries
CD2. Robag Wruhme - Haftbolle
CD3. Juno6 - Guununk
CD4. No Accident in Paradise - Exit9

Opinion:

Freude Am Tanzen is a label that keeps its quality standards that high, and because of that it has only 50 releases in 13 years of existence. And quality you should expect in this limited box album, containing 2 vinyl, a 12-track CD including the tracks on the vinyl and 4 bonus ones, a 2-sided poster and some stickers. The motto is "cook your own soup". And before you ask me about that weird slogan, I`ll tell you that it is a German figure of speech, encompassing the fact that you add your own unique flavor to what you are doing.

[vinyl][digital] V.A. - Trapez Ltd 100 (Anniversary Edition) - Part 1

Artist(s): Butch, Mihalis Safras, Ryan Crosson, Italoboyz, Worthy, Blind Minded, Lucio Aquilina; remixes by Remerc, Roland M Dill & Mozambeat, Deep´A & Biri, Mihalis Safras, Marcus Sur, Fabrice Lig
Name: Trapez Ltd 100 (Anniversary Edition) - Part 1
Genre: tech-house
Label: Trapez Ltd
Catalog: TRAPEZ ltd 100
No. of tracks: 4 (vinyl), 8 (digital)
Type: unmixed

Tracklist:


01. Butch – Muskatnuss (Remerc remix)(A1)
02. Mihalis Safras – Interafrica (Roland M Dill & Mozambeat remix)(A2)
03. Ryan Crosson – Gotham Road (Deep´A & Biri remix)(B1)
04. Butch – Earth (Mihalis Safras remix)(B2)
05. Italoboyz – Rosa Fresquissima
06. Worthy – Ah Chord (Marcus Sur remix)
07. Blind Minded – Vu Le Vous Parle
08. Lucio Aquilina – Disco Bus (Fabrice Lig remix)

Opinion:

The last few weeks we celebrated 5 years of 8bit, with two compilations full of tech and deep house (reviews are here and here). Now, another one of my favorite labels, Trapez Ltd, sub-label of Traum Schallplatten, has a motive for celebration, after almost 10 years of existence and 100 of releases. So, we have 2 parts (the second counted as Trapez Ltd 101), 17 tracks (of which 8 are on 100) and a vinyl (the songs on it are marked with their place on the record, on the right side of the playlist).

[vinyl] Mathias Kaden - Studio 10 LP

Artist(s): Mathias Kaden
Name: Studio 10
Genre: tech-house, deep-house, house
Label: Vakant
Catalog: VA030
No. of vinyls: 2
Type: gatefold

Tracklist:


A1. Intro Ducing (feat. Florian Schirmacher) *
A2. 1981 (feat. Gjaezon)
A3. Mascleta
B1. Ikenga
B2. Defender *
B3. Chazz
C1. State of Stasis (feat. Gjaezon)
C2. Roots *
C3. Kawaba (feat. Tomomi Ukomori)
D1. Panic Stricken (feat. Ian Simmonds)
D2. Lowrey
D3. Re Menor (feat. Florian Schirmacher)

Opinion:

Lately, Mathias Kaden won my respect and my appreciation with his original music. And after I heard his album, out on Onur Ozer`s Vakant, I knew it had to be in my vinyl collection. It consists of 12 tracks and it can be found also as a CD and as a digital download. Three of the tracks are really short (marked with a *), Intro Ducing having 4 minutes and Defender and Roots under one minute. That explains how 12 tracks could fit on just 2 vinyl.

[vinyl] Alex Picone - Furby Floppy EP

Specs:

Artist(s): Alex Picone
Name: Furby Floppy
Genre: tech-house
Label: Cadenza
Catalog: Cadenza 27
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A: Floppy
B: Furby


Opinion:


I really dig Alex Picone`s style, that`s why his Motherland EP was among the first items reviewed on my blog (refresh your memory by clicking here). He`s got only 6 releases but I`m sure we will hear from him again. Furby Floppy is my favorite one, and I searched many months for this release, out of stock at almost every shop. And no wonder why...

[digital][vinyl] Loco Dice - The Lab 01

Artist(s): V.A., including artist like Jay Haze, Joseph Malik, Onur Ozer, Loco Dice, Robert Dietz, Terry Lee Brown Jr., Lopazz, Guti, Damian Schwartz & remixes by Mathias Kaden, Damian Schwartz, Loco Dice
Name: The Lab 01
Genre: techno, deep-house, tech-house, minimal
Label: NRK Sound Division
Catalog: LAB001DJ
No. of tracks: 19 (digital & CD), 12(3 x vinyl)
Type: unmixed + mixed by Loco Dice





Tracklist:

01. Sascha Dive – Deepest America (Samuel Davis Dark Soul Mix)   ***
02. Nick Holder – Inside Your Soul (Sirus Remix)   **
03. Daso & Pawas – Det
04. Terrence Dixon – Below Radar (Mathias Kaden's Rhythm Is Rhythm Remix)   **
05. Jay Haze – Mama Coca
06. Joseph Malik – Believe & See (Plastic Avengers Remix)   ***
07. Damian Schwartz & Guti  – Salsón   *
08. Önur Ozer – Eclipse (Loco Dice Remix)  **
09. Someone Else  – You Don't Got Me   *
10. Akiko Kiyama – Hakobi
11. Loco Dice – Black Truffles In The Snow (Mike Huckaby's The Jazzed Out S Y N T H Remix)
12. Audio Soul Project – Song For Fred
13. DJ Ali – You Don't Know (Ruff Cut)   *
14. Robert Dietz – Klondike
15. Terry Lee Brown Jr. In A Deep Session With The Timewriter – Everyday   ***
16. Alex Flatner Feat. Lopazz – Perfect Circles (Damian Schwartz Remix)
17. MHM 1 – Bubububadub   **
18. 95 North – Forever Underground (Bass Dub)   ***
19. Second-Hand Satellites – Orbit 1.3    *     

Note: the * mark the tracks that were also released on vinyl, and their number indicates the number of the sampler


Opinion:

Loco Dice is one of my favorite artists when it comes to production (the review for his 7 Dunham Place album you can find here, and for the two Desolat samplers where he is present, here and here) but also when we`re talking about selecting high quality tracks. This compilation, released at UK based label NRK Sound Division, demonstrates that fact.

[vinyl] Paul van Dyk - Reflections (Special Edition)

Specs:

Artist(s): Paul van Dyk
Name: Reflections
Genre: trance
Label: Vandit
Catalog: Vandit 035
No. of vinyls: 2
Type: special edition (dj friendly)

Tracklist:

A1: Buenaventura (Reflections Vinyl Remix)
A2: Crush (PvD Album Remix)
B1: That's Life (PvD Mix)
B2: Reflections (Club Mix)
C1: Nothing But You (Berlin Mix)
C2: Kaleidoscope (Vinyl Mix)
D1: Time Of Our Lives (UK Club Mix)
D2: Like A Friend (Vandit Club Mix)

Opinion:

Paul van Dyk's fourth studio album continues his personal trance style, although Reflections has a brighter, slightly calmer atmosphere than his former works.  The LP has long dj friendly tracks and retains 8 out of the 13 tracks present on the CD, including the work that made me fall in love with PvD`s music, namely Time of our Lives.

[vinyl] Sebo K & Metro - Saxtrack

Specs:

Artist(s): Sebo K & Metro; remix by Reboot
Name: Saxtrack
Genre: tech-house, deep-house
Label: Cecille
Catalog: CEC012
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A1: Saxtrack (Original)
A2: Saxtrack (Feel Dub)
B  : Saxtrack (Reboots Twisted Fist Rmx)


Opinion:

The three versions of this track are out on a vinyl from Cecille, and they sound so nice. The original mix is  a slow building song, with some organ sounds counteracted near the middle of the song by a beautiful sax and a female voice stating that: "sometimes you want to say something that you feel".

[vinyl] Ethyl & Huxley - Sassanids

Specs:

Artist(s): Ethyl & Huxley
Name: Sassanids
Genre: house, deep-house, tech-house
Label: Cecille Numbers
Catalog: CEN007
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A1: Ethyl & Huxley – Byzantine
A2: Ethyl – Catch Up
B1: Huxley – With You
B2: Ethyl & Huxley – Ten.1

Opinion:

This is the second review of a  Cecille Numbers release, following Part 1 by Livio & Roby vs. George G (which you can find here). If that was pure tech-house, here we have to deal with groovy awesome deep-house. I really never heard about Ethyl & Huxley until I listened to this. And after that it became clear that I had to have this piece of vinyl in my collection.

[vinyl] Booka Shade - Charlotte

Specs:

Artist(s): Booka Shade; remixes by Dubfire, Matchbox
Name: Charlotte
Genre: tech-house, techno, electro
Label: Get Physical Music
Catalog: GPM090
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A1: Charlotte (Remix)
A2: Charlotte (Booka's No Pain No Gain Mix)
B1: Charlotte (Dubfire Remix)
B2: Charlotte (Matchbox's Right Or Wrong Mix)

Opinion:

Waiting for the weekend dj set by duo Booka Shade (which I will attend) I wanted to review a remix EP of one of my favorite tracks from the German producers, entitled Charlotte. It was featured on their LP, The Sun & The Neon Light, which hit the shelves in 2008. Also I did attend their live performance tour when they were in Bucharest.

[vinyl] Livio & Roby vs. George G - Part 1

Specs:

Artist(s): Livio & Roby, George G
Name: Part 1
Genre: tech-house
Label: Cecille Numbers
Catalog: CEN005A
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A1: Diverse
A2: Invers De Palma
B1: Kidney Shot (vs Hipo)
B2: Atumen

Opinion:

As I stated many times, there`s no better  tech-house in Romania than that made by Livio, Roby & George G. A big step in their career was the collaboration with Nick Curly`s label, Cecille, where they released no less than 10 tracks on 3 vinyls, entitled Part 1,2 & 3 (who would have though? :)) ). New doors opened after this, and they released more stuff on Desolat and Vakant.

[vinyl] Above & Beyond - Home

Specs:

Artist(s): Above & Beyond; remix by The Timewriter
Name: Home
Genre: trance, progressive house
Label: Anjunabeats
Catalog: ANJ-094
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A: Home (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
B: Home (The Timewriter Remix)


Opinion:

The 94th release of Anjunabeats features a pure trance hit from the Above & Beyond trio on one side, and a progressive house remix by The Timewriter on the other. Visually, it is arranged just like other Anjuna releases, with the title and the logo on the front, and the playlist and credits on the back.

[vinyl] Desolat X-Sampler (Blue)

Specs:

Artist(s): Loco Dice, Martin Buttrich, Premiesku, Guti, Audiofly, Yaya, Dj Sneak, Franck Roger
Name: Desolat X-Sampler (Blue)
Genre: techno, tech-house, house
Label: Desolat 
Catalog: DESOLAT 015
No. of vinyls: 2
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A1: Martin Buttrich - Roads
A2: Livio & Roby - Rai Root
B1: Guti & Audiofly - Speechless Theory 11
B2: Yaya - Talk to your Heart
C1: Loco Dice - Don't Make Signal
C2: Franck Roger  -  Egotrippin
D1: Premiesku - Garey
D2: Dj Sneak - No Challenge


 Opinion:

If you missed the review for the red sampler, that appeared one year ahead of the blue compilation, you can find it here. This is the second Christmas present from Desolat, that appeared just a few months ago in the stores. Most of the people from the previous sampler are present (except for tINI), and a good news is that the vinyls are filled with 8 tracks instead of 6 (remember how I complained because of the unused space). So my dream came true, with the help of Dj Sneak, Audiofly and Franck Roger. Another good thing is that Livio & Roby have 2 tracks on this LP (one released under their other name, Premiesku, the name of the project created by them and George G).

[vinyl] Kollektiv Turmstrasse - Luechtoorn

Specs:

Artist(s): Kollektiv Turmstrasse; remix by Dominik Eulberg
Name: Luechtoorn
Genre: techno, tech-house
Label: Musik Gewinnt Freunde
Catalog: MGF 010
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A:		Luechtoorn (Original)
B:		Luechtoorn (Dominik Eulberg Remix)

Opinion:

Remember my review of Holunderbaum EP (found here)? There I said, and I quote: "Nico & Christian produce is, in my opinion, the most "sentimental" type of techno around". And I was refering especially to the sound of the Herz aus Hotz Mix. The same sound can be found on the original mix of Luechtoorn.

[vinyl] Dj. T - Time Out

Specs:

Artist(s): Dj. T
Name: Time Out
Genre: house, electro
Label: Get Physical
Catalog: GPM 017
No. of vinyls: 1
Type: normal

Tracklist:

A1: Time Out (Original)
A2: Time Out (Random Factor Mix)
B:   Time Out (Acid Dub)

Opinion:

Dj. T a.k.a. Thomas Koch is a great producer. Also a great dj. Also a great club and label owner. And not to mention jurnalist and producer. Having over 20 years in the field of music, Thomas uses on this EP an old italo house track and transforms it into modern electronic music.