The winter months are here and if you thought that the world of music would slow down - then think again. We've been back from our holidays for under a month and we've already been given some tasty sonic treats to digest in January, from shadowy, elusive techno to digital grime albums. And of course, we've listened to them all and delivered you our weekly staff picks on a Friday - now,as we enter deep winter in February, we've compiled our definitive list of tracks and why we came to our conclusions. Sit back, relax and have a dig through our top ten of the month - this is our representation of electronic and dance music in January.
Death on the Balcony – Long Ago (Free Download, Airdrop Records)
Death
on the Balcony’s deep disco ethics and bubbling, rolling house ethics are
quickly earning them a reputation as one of the UK’s most in demand deep house
production duos. And with this track Long Ago, they kick off with rumbling,
growling minor tones, bass and chunky kicks before breaking into a beefy disco
number doused in cosmic sensibilities and cosmic tones. Every loves a free
download – especially if it’s a quality piece of sexy, dancefloor fare - and if
you like what you hear, come and check them out for yourself tomorrow at DT is
4 at East Village!
Objekt – Cactus/Porcupine (Hessle)
Objekt started life as a series of mysterious 12”
white labels coming out of Berlin studio TJ hertz. After a few releases, the
Berlin producer has now been picked up by Hessle Audio for his first proper
labelled EP. Fusing staunch techno beats and sub weighted bass, Porcupine /
Cactus. Up front, no thrills and meaty, heavy dance music that’s built for the
dancefloor, It’s hypnotic, drum driven trance feels like a breath of fresh air
despite its growling tone and basement ethics. Shying away from over
compression and production, it speak for itself – spiky, full force and ready
to bite.
The 2 Bears – Work (Taken from new album ‘Be Strong’) (Southern Fried)
If dance music
is in need of some serious humour being rammed into it, then The 2 Bears are on
hand to deliver it. With a sense of fun and unifying party spirit running throughout
the album, coupled with a serious appreciation for quality, well producer
music, the new album is the right side of absurd. Fun, frolicking and weighted
down with some killer hooks, b-lines and pop-laced vocals, Work has been a
solid staple of the office stereo since it featured on the Southern fried &
Tested Vol 3’ compilation last year. Fun, easy going and groovy – three things
that are synonymous with ‘dance’.
Waze & Odyssey - Ah Baby (No Artificial Colours Remix) (petFOOD)
These guys - a fast rising
new duo consisting of some shadowy figures - are absolutely smashing it right
now, and to have equally fast rising No Artificial Colours turn their hands to
a remix of your tune spells double trouble on the dancefloor. The skippy, US
garage inspired beat and percussion and squelchy bass of the original are taken
down a notch on this fantastic, hazy, slow jam number. Murky bass, muffled
vocal chops and slippery, flowing, retro-synth melodies push the track into the
early hours of the morning. We can’t wait for NAC to tear the speaker system of
East village this forthcoming Saturday night.
June Miller - Snapcase/Walls Of Jericho (Critical
Modulations)
These guys have returned with a vengeance in recent
months, churning out incredible releases and mixes all over the shop. But this
particular EP is an absolute show-stopper and one of the finest examples of
‘heavy’ music done just right. Snapcase is an indulgently sinister number, rife
with techy little glitches, clattering percussion and a groaning bassline.
Walls Of Jericho is frankly ridiculous. Introduced with an epic overture the
track rolls through thunderous drum beats, metallic clangors and a relentless
burning lead. June Miller’s latest output easily rivals the very best of Noisia
in terms of quality of productions, while the musical content actually easily
surpasses them.
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