Aeroplane - We Can't Fly

Just a quick reminder to everyone that Aeroplane's fantastic new album comes out today (27/9/10). A top-draw effort from one of the most exciting artists in dance music today.

Buy from Amazon UK
Buy from 7 Digital

Mount Kimbie - Carbonated

Mount Kimbie are on paper a dubstep duo from London, but their sound is far from the 'wobble-fest' most people have come to expect from the new darlingof the mainstream.

Off their deubt album 'Crooks & Lovers', 'Carbonated' is a bubblingly fresh song that takes its inspiration from the roots of dubstep, a sound now being forced to the fringes of dubstep's varied spectrum.

The track itself is a sumptuous piece of minimalist music. With elements of deep house, tech house, minimal, dub as well as dubstep (of course), the track manipulates each component to create a flowing song which transports the listener's mind to another planet for four minutes and twenty seconds.

A lavish buildup of 80's electro flicks and blips are then hit with an understated but none-the-less effective low sub bassline. the entrance of the chords only enhance the euphoric aura. It's at 02.22 that Carbonated takes the leap from good track to great track. Chopped up vocals (from a sample that sounds suspicously similar to Beyonce) are neatly interwoven to an already established beat. For the final two minutes, the track is as close to musical perfection as the album gets, and boy does it get close with Carbonated.

A stunning song from a stunning album, well worth an investment for any fan of dubstep/house music, to be honest - it's a good investment for anyone who likes music!

Buy Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers at Amazon
Buy Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers at 7Digital

Jean Claude Ades - Vallée De Larmes (Pleasurekraft 'Sideshow' Remix)

Pleasurekraft may just be the most exciting thing in dance music. The tech-house innovators made a big splash with their Beatport topper 'Tarantula'. Now the boys from Stockholm are back to wow us some more. Their latest effort, a remix of Jean Claude Ades' 'Vallée De Larmes' is a triumph of talent and form.

The stabs of the track are electro inspired, the drum pattern is quintessential tech-house and the background riffs have a hint of 90's dub music. Drawing from all these various strands of the musical spectrum, Pleasurekraft manages to create some rump-rattling beats that are effortlessly, understatedly cool.

Buy Jean Claude Ades - Vallée De Larmes (Pleasurekraft 'Sideshow' Remix)

Sanya Shelest - Wings EP

Sanya Shelest is a criminally-unknown producer/DJ from Russia. Despite some recognition in his homeland and a host of releases on various small labels, Shelest is still yet to make the kind of impact his melodic, uplifting tracks deserve.

His latest EP 'Wings', was released recently and it is another feather in the young Russian's cap.

The opening track is 'Get Back To Tech'. A rhythmically hypnotic tune, the drum selection helps lull you into the dancing mood, before an array of sultry voice samples hit home the fact that you are listening to some top-draw tech house.

Following on from Get Back To Tech is the atmospheric 'Kill Me'. A combination of progressive and electro house, the song throws you straight into the anthem feeling, building the atmosphere with every given second. A selection of haunting chords and soft echoes enhance the impression before hitting you with a drop that any DJ would be proud of. Without a doubt Kill Me is the stand out track on the EP.

'Dalliance' sounds closer to straight house than Kill Me but once again Shelest impresses with a nice if slightly underwhelming song. An enjoyable build-up leaves you waiting for a drop that never fully arrives. Whilst this is a dampner, the lack of impact on the drop can't spoil what is a nice melody nonetheless.

The EP ends with 'Wings'. Wings holds a close resemblance to Kill Me in its musical style but it manages to stand on its own two feet. Nice chords and effective drums hold your interest but it's the drop which steals the show. Classic house piano over a dirty electro bassline - you can't help but like it.

If you wan't an EP containing tunes for all sets, you can't do much better than Wings. It's a selection of well made house tracks that hopefully, with luck, will get Sanya Shelest some of the exposure his undoubted talent deserves.

Buy Sanya Shelest - Wings EP from Beatport

Sanya Shelest's MySpace

Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner - Animal Rights

Two titans of Electro-House combine as Wolfgang and the Mau5 join forces to create 'Animal Rights'.

A heavy bassline lead number, the track sprinkles a selection of blips and bleeps that we have come to expect from Wolfgang Gartner's productions. Deadmau5 also contributes his trademark musical feature which is a selection of lush chords piled one on top of the other in perfect sync.

The track does not grab you with the immediate authority of their past tracks (à la 'Wolfgang's 5th Symphony' and 'The Reward is Cheese'), however it is without a doubt a quick grower. As mentioned earlier, it's the wildly groovy bass which keeps the song together and it's the bass which allows the track to be endearing.

Although not their best work, it is certainly worthy of your attention. A solid foundation has been laid for even more exciting collaborations between the two in the future.

Buy Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner - Animal Rights from Beatport

Meroz - Summertime Shandy

Meroz has just released his latest French house single 'Summertime Shandy'. The track is a quirky but equally catchy affair, but could not sound more french if it had Serge and Jane murmuring over the top of it.

Drawing subtle inspirations from funk & French chanson, the track wanders through obscure nostalgia. The quintessential French Hammond Organ melody is the lynchpin of the song, immediately catching your attention. The slap bassline cannot be forgotten however, adding a healthy pace and rhythm to what normally would be a slightly slow melody.

Meroz is for me one of the finest purveyors of French house. He understands the sound completely and is always willing to take it to its far flung corners. The song's samples in particular highlight this love of the obscure. A feast of funk for the ears, Summertime Shandy reminds us of the creativity in French house, a genre which can sadly become a victim of bland, repetitive sounds all too fast. Bravo Meroz!

Buy Meroz - Summertime Shandy From Beatport

Meroz - Summertime Shandy by Meroz

Aron Bas - Philly EP

English producer Aron Bas has just released his latest deep house EP 'Philly'. Containing two tracks, 'Philly' and the sublime 'Lilly B', Bas has created a euphoric and engrossing sound that slowly draws you in rather than grabbing you by the ear at first listen.

Philly is a rather 'trippy' track featuring an array of lucid pads and echoed chords. Stabbing keys run rampant throughout the song but never hog your attention - instead blending gracefully into the background to provide some subtle variety.

As nice as Philly is, Lilly B is without a doubt the star of the show. The track steals the limelight like a diva on the Oscars red carpet. Sharing a host of sounds and patterns with Philly, Lilly B builds upon them to create a great new song. The inclusion of a further melody and a faint acoustic guitar enhance the relaxed-feel and create a somewhat more immersive atmosphere.

Definetly keep your eye out for Aron Bas, his continental styling with English roots looks likely to throw up some more winners in the future.

Buy Aron Bas - Philly EP (Digital)


Philly EP (OUT NOW ON BEATPORT!) by Aron Bas

Classic Track #001: Étienne de Crécy - Fast Track (Vocal Mix)

Released in 2005, 'Fast Track' was the product of a collaboration between French House Gods Étienne de Crécy, Julien Delfaud and Alex Gopher. Originally intended as an instrumental (as is the album version on 'Super Discount 2'), vocals were later added upon it's release as a single.

Normally, when vocals are hurriedly slammed onto a dance track, the result is the souring of the original instrumental. In this case however, Camille's raspy, exacerbated tone is the perfect compliment to the driving bassline. The track takes the form of a progressive number, pounding away as more and more instruments are chucked into the mix. Though this might have created a chaotic noise with no clear definition, the choice of sounds and tones work in perfect harmony to inspire an anthem-like quality.

Upon its release, the BBC described Fast Track as 'ultra addictive, the new wave of French techno has an anthem in the making'. However the pre-release hype didn't materialise into sales with the song failing to chart. None-the-less, it is a great track and one that deserves another listen.

Buy Fast Track (Vocal Mix) (Digital)
Buy Fast Track (Vocal Mix) (CD & 12")
Buy Super Discount 2

Vocoders And Vocals

Remember when the vocoder (a forerunner for autotune) was a novelty not the norm? Remember back in the day - when people who could actually sing used it for effect or just for a bit of a laugh. I'm not laughing anymore! Vocoders and their use in autotuners have become a nightmare, as every tone-deaf tit smothers their vocals in 'auto-tune goodness' to mask their vast failings as singers. Let's reclaim the vocoder!!! Pitch alteration wasn't intended as a supplement for those who lack talent (ahem...T-Pain, Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha), it was designed to add an atmospheric and original twist to a track. Creating weird wibbles and wobbles and sending a few tingles down your spine in the process.

Kito - LFO Feat Reija Lee



Kito's 'LFO' has been banding about for more than a year now without a release. All that is set to change though, as the single goes on sale at the end of September. The vocals were born to be twisted up and 'robotified', matching the sinister dubstep beat. The chopped and chewed chorus is most definetly a 'hands in the air' moment.

Cassette Club - 4 Me (Quinten 909 & Livian Remix)



Quinten 909 & Livian's remix makes the most of the singing talents of the original, whilst feeding a highly vocoded voice into the background. Imagine if you will, a drunken old-aged R2-D2 providing backing vocals. A nu-disco track that is another feather in the cap of one of the hottest duos in dance music.

Daft Punk - One More Time



Is there any need for a description of this song. I know it, you know it, we all love it. The vocoder used at its finest.

Crookers - We Love Animals (TAAR Remix)

Back in April, Crookers' album 'Tons Of Friends' was released in Japan. As well as the standard issue CD, lucky Japanese fans got a bonus disc full of remixes by a host of artists. Amongst them was a remix of 'We Love Animals' by TAAR.

TAAR is the younger brother of DEXPISTOLS' DJ MAAR and is attached to his brothers' label, ROCK TRAX. Being the younger sibling of such a big name in Japanese house might be overwhelming, but TAAR's remix proves he's more than up to the challenge of following his family's footsteps.

Jazzy elements are seemlessly infused with traditional house drums whilst a freestly piano runs a mock throughout the song. Samba twists and played off against electro-esque stabs, whilst trademarks of 60's lounge music tinge the track. It's crazy yet controlled, structed yet freeform. The track even breaks off for a few seconds towards the end - to a man telling us he "doesn't give a shit", just for good measure.

TAAR is young but he certainly ain't dumb; and this impressive remix shows the world he has all the potential to carry the torch for Japanese house in future years.

Buy Crookers - Tons Of Friends from Amazon JP

MySpace - Listen to Crookers - We Love Animals (TAAR Remix)

Kyla - Don't Play With My Heart (Paleface Remix)

The days of DJ Paleface as a 'Northern Bassline' spinner and producer seem well and truly dead (thank God). The Londoner looks now to be firmly focused on the UK Funky House scene. His latest offering is a remix of Kyla's 'Don't Play With My Heart'. The track proves to be a sparse, smooth house number that ripples from the speakers with a low bass tone. Luscious atmospheric background chords complement the understated, driving beat. A remix that far surpasses the original. It's also the best track on a single jam-packed with UK urban talent - top work Paleface!

Kyla - Don't Play With My Heart is released September 5th.

Buy single from 7Digital