So what do I think of records I am Sent To Review?
I am sent around 10-15 records to review each month. Here are my full list of reviews from the last few months.
September 2000
Reviews from 09/09/00
Free State - Different Ways [Anjuna Beats]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 1
Additional Comments: Lovely Uplifting Shuffly Signum Style Trancer. A Real Crowdpleaser!
Overall Rating: 10
Full Review: This tune has been sitting at No 1 in my chart for a long time. A strong contender for tune of the year in my opinion. It's a tune that will certainly be building up a lot of good press this year I think. Strong pounding kick drums, hints of the riff getting dropped in and a bouncy bass with weird brass-type loops. Then it all drops down to the bass and a vocal sample which sounds like it's from "The Matrix". Some Lush Choirs fade in and the riff builds up and it all goes mad from there. One hell of a bouncy tune that really gets me going, then some hi strings are added as an underlay with the riff. This tune is definitely the best thing I've heard for a long long time. Keep it coming and when this tune is released then this tune has a very strong recommendation from me.
Release Date: 26/10/00
Reviews from 17/09/00
Cassini - Infinity [Part Of The Deal 014]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 8
Additional Comments:
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: Bas Kunnen (Noisefloor)'s latest project is an interesting trancey tune which lives up to the part of the deal label's usual mechanical inspired tunes. The breakdown in the Kunnen & Vantijk has some warm strings and a two note melody with some mechanical noises in the background and a very nice bassline. Then the riff comes in and it all gets very energetic. With more mechanical noises added during the second breakdown. The original mix is more lacklustre but still would please a club crowd. A good package!
Release Date: 16/10/00
Jaimy & Kenny D - Night Sessions Part 1 [Part Of The Deal 015]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 14
Additional Comments: Funky Club Grooves That Are Simple yet Effective.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: A two part E.P from two of Holland's most liked producers. Immediately drawing my attention is opener "Room Service From Hell". With a conga loop underpinned with a groovy beat, bassline, some synth stabs and other FX, this tune is simple and very funky. It then brings in some overflanged pad which progressive house fans would no doubt love. "I Wander" starts off with some Mac Zimms type synths combined with some rides and is yet again another simple but effective club track. This track has one good point with some weird and dark synths before the end.
Release Date: 16/10/00
Jaimy & Kenny D - Night Sessions Part 2 [Part Of The Deal 016]
Favourite Track: B
Future Chart Position: Yes - 14
Additional Comments: More funky club grooves with some vocals and weird melodies.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: Part two of Jaimy & Kenny D's EP starts with the harder edged "What Did Your Mama Say?" similar to "I Wonder" but this one has an interesting riff and very trance-like drums. This track is very weird but this time I think this is a good point. "Hungry Highway" is a more calmer track with funky drum programming and odd conga loops. Vocals and flanged strings are added in the breakdown. The reaction form says this is a "Pounding Groove" and I don't think I can disagree at all! All in all this EP is good and if you like your music funky then I'd recommend you to go and buy it straight away.
Release Date: 23/10/00
Noisefloor - Ultrawave [Combined Forces 028]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 16
Additional Comments: Two Deep Club Tracks,
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: The official release this time with the huge Club System on the B-Side. Noisefloor has a distorted saw wave bass which combined with the breakbeat give it that tech trance feel. The tune has a very simple 1 note lead, which is also very odd yet nice. This is one I'd play if I was doing more techno/tech-trance based sets. Club System takes it more deeper with harder progressive melodies. Out of the two I'd go for Club System. A nice package all the same though.
Release Date: 18/09/00
Ferry Salee & Norman Harinck - Release Yourself [Rotate 009]
Favourite Track: B2
Future Chart Position: Yes - 5
Additional Comments: Signum Styled Dance Track. Excellent Follow Up To The Last Rotate Release.
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: Release yourself is an interesting Signum style track, similar in style to the other Rotate releases but this one feels more accessible. The "Back II Back Mix" contains Shuffled Loops and Atlantic Ocean style drum fills occur throughout the track. It has a nice vocal too and a Signum Style Lead. The most surprising element is that the tune actually turns into another tune and feels as if it is being mixed by a DJ! "Norman's Effect Mix" sounds like something DJ Jean would produce and is most probably the mix that more commercial styled DJ's would play. My favourite mix is the Original though, it adds a brilliant underlay and then after a strong drum roll switches to the riff which is completely different to the underlay. It then gets better after using the "Atlantic Ocean" drumfill. Going to be in my chart for a long time. A very odd but brilliant track.
Release Date: 30/10/00
Don Diablo - Elysium [Refuse 002]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 9
Additional Comments: Harder Grooves Only For The Headstrong
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: Don Diablo gives us another Hard House track that is definitely for the Headstrong among you only! Similar to "Casa Del Diablo" but this one has a cheeky sample recorded off the TV and some really frenzied Mauro Picotto Style Snare Rolls. B-Side "Crowdpleaser" has some really weird 2 tone stabs and a "Hey!" vocal sample. The track breaks down into some half speed drums then a loud Chainsaw type lead comes in and it all goes mad. The track title will no doubt please many crowds and Refuse are going to be a very interesting label to watch.
Release Date: 02/10/00
Reviews from 23/09/00
Kid Vicious - Re Form [Tsunami 6024]
What Do You Think (Slamming/Good/Bad/Ugly) - Slamming
DJ and/or Company Name - Louk/S-N-L Productions
Full Review: Ronald Van Gelderen hits us with another Kid Vicious track. The original of this is a very energetic track. The DJ Tiesto Remix takes a different approach from his usual remixes. The riff instrument differs from the one used on the original mix and some cool strings and drum programming is at hand. It's the original of this track that does it for me, with strong drums and pounding bass this track would be hard not to dance to. More synths are added with a very energetic riff which Ronald's no stranger to making considering his stuff as Formologic. Then some weird supersaw synths come in and the track just goes mad from there. This track would be really good as an opener as it would easily warm the crowds up.
Release Date: Check www.purple-eye.nl for info.
October 2000
Reviews from 03/10/00
Medicen Men - Electric Voodoo [Carnals 002]
What Do You Think (Slamming - Good - Bad - Ugly): Good
DJ/Company Name: Louk/S-n-l Productions
Remarks: Spooky Mauro Picotto style tracks from newly established label Carnal.
Full Review: The Carnal label deliver another delight (or two copies of it in this case! heheh) into my letterbox. This time from the Medicen Men. Electric Voodoo has a typical picotto warble bass and a very annoyingly catchy lead and strong drum programming. The second breakdown of the tune goes and alters the timing, which sounds very similar to Lock n Load but that isn't a bad thing in this case. Clearly aimed straight at the more weirder clubbers. B Side "Player of The Game" is similar in style of the rhythm and bass of "Electric Voodoo" but has a much more spookier, darker feel to it with weird eerie synths and other things. A good two tracker which combined with RBA - No Alternative gives an impression that good things are to come from it. Keep up the good work.
Release Date: 09/10/00
Reviews from 30/10/00
Van Gelderen - Konga [Polar State 009]
What Do You Think (Slamming - Good - Bad - Ugly): Slamming
DJ/Company Name: Louk/S-n-l Productions
Remarks: Weird but Interesting track from Polar!
Full Review: Due to a mix up with me getting two copies of the Medicen Men track, I received a copy of this nice Polar tune. Polar State return with another weird and groovy track. Surprisingly this is another tune by Ronald Van Gelderen (the bloke behind Kid Vicious/Formologic). It sounds nothing like his usual stuff! The breakdown slows the riff to half its speed then returns back to normal with an interesting snare drum pattern. Very minimal but very catchy. The "Full Clip mix" is more like Ronald's other tracks, including all the elements from the original but it doesn't feel so good. An interesting two sider from the Purple Eye productions team.
Release Date: Unknown
November 2000
Reviews from 04/11/00
Andrew Maas - Cum Rah[Unik Kyr 001]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 6
Additional Comments: Nice Timo Maas Styled Tracks which kick off the Unik KYR label.
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: Andrew Maas kicks off new Unik Kyr imprint. The A side starts with a simple drum pattern then hi hats and an AWEX style bassline, which fades in. Then some warm strings are added with some gated pads which Timo Maas fans would really like. The beat gets a bit more complex and all in all the track is very danceable, which will probably be in my chart till the end of the year at least. B Side "Handle With Care" starts very similar to a techno track with a monotonous bassline with some computer game styled fx. Strings fade in alongside more drums and then the strings are filtered while the other elements are faded in. This two tracker is a very good start to the KYR label. Watch out for other releases!
Release Date: 13/11/00
Solid Sessions - Fatal Morgana[Combined Forces 036]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 18
Additional Comments: Solid Sessions are back again with a deeper and weirder track.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: No doubt if you listen to Pete Tong or Paul Van Dyk's sets you'll have heard of "Janeiro." The producers behind it are back again with a completely different style of a track. "Fatal Morgana" begins with a breakbeat, that filters down and occasional synths come in and some rides. All this drops down again later and the weird riff comes in with the synth line. The breakbeats come in again and the track adds more rides. Then finally the breakbeat filters down and some different pads come in which are completely unexpected. This is the sort of thing that'd please clubbers that are more interested in the deeper side of things. Keep a look out for it.
Release Date: TBA
Reviews from 07/11/00
Vincent De Moor - Additional Works Volume 2[Combined Forces 039]
Favourite Track: D
Future Chart Position: Yes - 4
Additional Comments: The Man Returns In A Weird Form
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: A mixed bunch of tracks here from the "man with the master plan". Vincent De Moor is back on form with a 4 tracker that is completely different from other releases that I have heard him do. "Proceed" kicks the EP off with a very dark attack with some analogue pads and it even goes breakbeaty during one of the breakdowns while "Artic Duction" is definitely more the VDM sound I know of with some excellent rhythm programming and keeping minimalist but still maintains my interest. "Skindeep" appeals to me the same way that the Andrew Maas track I reviewed did, with a funky driving groove and some very interesting strings. Last track "Biophysica" is completely weird, containing a shuffled bouncy rhythm and some weird experimental noises, this track has a guitar style breakdown. The way the track is arranged reminds me of music from an Amiga game I used to own called "Fire & Ice" and although its hard to judge it is my favourite track of the four due to its weirdness. For those who think I've lost the plot or completely or for those who are interested then check this EP out. It comes with my recommendation.
Release Date: 04/12/00
Various Artists - The Ultimate DJ Serie [Combined Forces 038]
Favourite Track: B1
Future Chart Position: Yes - 14
Additional Comments: Very Surprising pack from UK and German artists.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: This 4 Tracker is "something pretty unusual." Damn Right. UK artists Lange And Aurora on Combined Forces?!? Surprising but brilliant all the same. If you are from the UK you will most probably know "Ordinary World" by Aurora and "Follow Me" by Lange (both on the Positiva label). They are 2 very high quality vocal trance productions with Aurora's track being an excellent copy of Duran Duran's song from 1993 and Lange's being nice and melodic. The other tracks on this ep are by DJ Alligator and Cosmic Gate. DJ alligator's track is pretty much standard with some amusing vocals which set it apart from other tracks in its style. Cosmic Gate's tune is unsurprisingly a copy of Somewhere over the rainbow. Pretty much chartbound cheese with some seriously dodgy singing but in a harder Drizzly style way. Interesting and varied package from the Combined Forces team.
Release Date: 20/11/00
Vincent De Moor - Fly Away Remixes[Combined Forces 035]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 9
Additional Comments: Fly Away is back Again with an excellent choice of remixers.
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: De Moor is back again this month. Combined Forces have chosen some of the strongest of their own artists to remix him giving Noisefloor, Don Diablo, Generation X and Havana the honours. Havana take the track into more layers, using lots of synth underlays and other sounds not included in the original. Noisefloor leave out the melody and turn it into a tech trance tune while Generation X's mix is the same one as on Additional Works Volume 1 and I still feel the same about it being dull. Don Diablo completely turns the track into something much harder and more trancier too. It doesn't feel like a remix to me though as not many elements from the original are there. However it can still do damage I bet. If you loved the original I have no doubt you'll like this. If you didn't then still give these remixes a chance.
Release Date: 30/11/00
Peter G & The Clubjock - Klubbstrings [DJ Records 002]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 20
Additional Comments: A melodic trance track with Hard House influences.
Overall Rating: 7
Full Review: This track is a club house and trance crossover track. Tidy Trax / Perfect Phase-like beeps combined with chopped up vocals carry the track into the breakdown with a very melodic and trancey lead. The Club mix is very similar in style to the original mix but is much more in the hard house style maintaining the beeps and the lead this track will please those who like it trancey and also those who like it harder. Keep up the good work.
Release Date: 13/11/00
Don Diablo - The Sound Of Fear [Refuse 003]
Favourite Track: B
Future Chart Position: Yes - 16
Additional Comments: Don Diablo knocks you out third time in a row.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: Don Diablo's back again. His brand of Madness is still evident in his third track. "The Sound of fear" is a track that has some hardcore samples and a sample all early Prodigy fans will recognise. It all goes mad from there with a simple, effective drum beat and a Mauro Picotto inspired bassline. B Side "Greetings from Mars" is similar in arrangement as "The Sound of fear." but as you can guess has some Alien answering messages and midway through the track uses a Distorted 909 Bassdrum. The reaction form comes with another warning of "Not to Put the Volume over the edge" as this will blow a hole in your speaker!
Release Date: 16/10/00
Eclipse - Dance 2 Da House [DJ Records 001]
Favourite Track: B1
Future Chart Position: Yes - 18
Additional Comments: Cool hard house track to kick off a new label
Overall Rating: 7
Full Review: Dance 2 Da House kicks off the New DJ Records label owned by Peter G. This track is a hard house track with some influences from Black Legend and a "Dance To The House" sample fans of UK act the Brainbashers will no doubt recognise. The "Klubbversion" is for the more minimal hard house fans, while the "Synthversion" includes some Club Caviar style synths and is just that bit better. I'm sure all you who are into your hard house will like this and will be goin' "Woop! Woop!" in time with this tune in no time at all. Stick with the "Synthversion mix" and you can't really go wrong.
Release Date: 27/11/00
P.I.K - Speaker Freak[Combined Forces 037]
Favourite Track: B2
Future Chart Position: Yes - 5
Additional Comments: The BMW track makes a return with a new mix.
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: At Last! The first promo I was sent from Combined Forces was this fine tune and it took me ages to find out what it was called. Sent out originally in May on a white label with a BMW logo on the centre of the record, this track confused everyone to what it was called and who made it. P.I.K are Pronti, DJ Isaac and Kalmani. These 3 are no strangers to music making and definitely deliver the goods with this 3 tracker. "Speaker Freak" is a very powerful track with some nice hard house rhythms and a Yomanda styled bassline. With scratches, spinbacks and vocals all over the place this new track is destined for big things. "Speaker F******" is the track that's received a lot of Hype being played by DJs such as Scott Mac, Paul Matthews, Tom Harding and Judge Jules. Very similar to "Speaker Freak" but it plays around with the riff more and adds a breakbeat element partway through the track. The best track on this 3 tracker is "Wooferfunk". This track is very much like what is being produced on the Vinyl Inside label with a simple riff but a good funky bassline and groove with "Come on everybody get down get loose" vocals too. Overall this is definitely one to watch and it deserves really big things!
Release Date: 27/11/00
Rene Ablaze & Sam-Pling Presents "Sunstar" - November Rain[Combined Forces 041]
Favourite Track: B
Future Chart Position: Yes - 12
Additional Comments: Sunstar Recreate November Rain for 2000!
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: Top producers Rene Ablaze & DJ Sam-pling are back again with their Sunstar outfit. This is apparently a Cover version of November Rain by Guns & Roses. This track has a very strong build up then the string pattern filters in. A nice piano melody and a very strong lead kicks in and it all carries on from there. Definitely worth checking out.
Release Date: T.B.A
Deja-Vu - Face Down[Rotate 010]
Favourite Track: B2
Future Chart Position: Yes - 7
Additional Comments: Don Diablo knocks you out third time in a row.
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: As soon as I received this I headed straight for the "Future State" mix. All those who know of Future State Should agree with me that "Now Is The Time" is one of the best tracks ever to come from Combined Forces! They provide a very interesting take on the Riff using something that sounds like a Juno 106 and the majority of the tune is covered in reverb but that's not a bad thing in this case. The Original Mix starts quite good then turns into one hell of a cheesy sounding track with a vocal that doesn't feel right in this mix. As soon as the riff comes in I am prone to taking the needle off before smashing the record into pieces, not because of the riff but because of the cheesy instrument used for it. Agghhhh Cheese. The mix by "Mike Heart" is much better, it turns the track into a funky house track playing around with disco loops and stabs while messing around with the vocal. The future state mix is definitely the best of the bunch and is the mix that gets this such a high chart placing.
Release Date: 20/11/00
Vincent De Moor - Fly Away (The Final Remixes) [Combined Forces 040]
Favourite Track: B1
Future Chart Position: Yes - 9
Additional Comments: The Final set of remixes of this track with a very nice B Side
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: Vincent De Moor's Fly Away track is now set to explode everywhere and has received such positive feedback all around. The Original mix I'm sure you all know of, if not where have you been! The "Extended Radio Edit" adds vocals to the track which work really well. The Noisefloor remix is also on this pack. Noisefloor successfully leave out the melody and turn it into a tech trance tune. "Can You Hear Me" is an excellent trance track. It's very dreamy and is similar to fly away but appeals to me more because of its synth lines and dreamy piano. An excellent package all in all and "Can you hear me" will be in my chart for some time!
Release Date: 20/11/00
December 2000
Reviews from 04/12/00
D Project - Squared[Tremolo 027]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 9
Additional Comments: Nice and simple Trance track from the Tremolo label.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: The Tremolo label has been very odd in terms of its output recently and this has to be the best release that's come from them. A very good build-up occurs in the A side with a cool drum beat, a good bass and reverbed "Key trigger" lead before the track breaks down to the reverbed lead and carries on adding more synths to it. Rob Fabrie did the B-Side mix and it isn't as good as the A side in my opinion. It features the "Key Trigger" lead pitched up a few notes with some more mad synths and weird snare patterns with a not so good drumloop. But one thing that I like about this mix is I have some samples from it! A nice two tracker though that should do quite well in sales.
Release Date: TBA
Tony Walker - Fields Of Joy [Tsunami 025]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 14
Additional Comments: Trance track which has received a lot of good feedback recently.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: Andre van de Bosch (De Bos) returns with another production. Why he's chosen "Tony Walker" as his name is beyond me but still it doesn't matter. The A Side has had a lot of positive feedback and is similar to something Veracocha would produce. Very well produced (nice and tight bass and drums) and definitely a good riff. However, the track does go on a little too long and is a bit overhyped in my opinion, it also lacks a string breakdown, which would have been ideal at one or two places in the track. The B Side is very similar to what De Bos has produced before (as De Bos and Sound Check). A very simple Juno 106 style drops down for a short, more accessible instrument for the riff and a string breakdown being added too which works really well. This carries on for the rest of the track, however the A side is my favourite mix of the track. It'd get 9 or 10 out of 10 if only it had a string breakdown and was not so long.
Release Date: TBA
Smiter - Both Places [Tsunami Special Blend 003]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: Yes - 6
Additional Comments: Rob "Generator" Smit returns with this effective trancer.
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: The new release on the very successful Tsunami Special Blend label comes from Robert Smit. Famed for his productions as "The Generator" and his collaboration with Ferry Corsten as "Starparty" he does the damage on a new track. The Original mix starts with a simple underlay synth melody on top of a bassline and drum track this track then moves on adding strings and a simple but very catchy and well thought up melody. The remix by John Johnson is more progressive and sounds completely different until the strings (altered by a few notes) come in keeping that Microwave bass sound fluent throughout the whole track with some harder progressive drums. Definitely one to look out for.
Release Date: 04/12/00
Chew-Fu Phat - Get It On [Bomboza 002]
Favourite Track: A
Future Chart Position: No
Additional Comments: Groovy House track
Overall Rating: 6/7
Full Review: Purple Eye's newest label Bomboza is producing some really funky house tracks at the moment. I have started to like house music a bit more now. This track starts with a disco beat and some singing is dropped in with a funky guitar riff and the vocal is combined with a saxophone to make the riff up. DJ Roog's Hardsoul remix is more uplifting and most probably the sort of thing Pete Tong would play. Similar to the Original but more funkier. The Erick E mix is very weird as it is nothing like the original at all apart from a synth that follows the change in notes of the vocal. A good package that will no doubt do well with house music fans.
Release Date: 04/12/00
Reviews from 16/12/00
Medicen Men - Electric Voodoo [Remixes] (Carnal 003)
What Do You Think: (Slammin / Good / Bad / Ugly): Good
DJ and/or Company Name: Loukas P-H
Full Review: Medicen Men are back! After the wicked 2 track I received a few months ago with the nice and dark "Electric Voodoo" comes the remixes provided by two big names at the moment, E-Craig (who has appeared on lots of Dutch labels and good:as in the UK) starts his mix with a cool drumloop which is added to by a Yomanda like bassline. Then it all drops down for a swirly synth pad and some chants of "Black Magic" and "Pray to the God of Electric Voodoo" with a siren to build everything up. After that you can guess it goes mad, on the 2nd breakdown the drums are flanged which will no doubt get you dancing (in my case it did!). Then it all carries on to the end with a nice build-out that DJs will find easy to mix with. Ronald Van Gelderen returns for the B Side mix, starting with a kick drum thats been given lots of helium with some nice drums and a good bassline and it drops to some very quiet "are you listening" vocals with him recreating the riff and carries on in that way. The riff is an octave higher then goes back to normal and back an octave higher, this works well on the track and altogether this is a very good remix package of the Electric Voodoo Track.
Release Date: TBA
Reviews from 18/12/00
Soulman - Commin' Up Strong (Rotate 011)
Favourite Track: B1
Future Chart Position: Yes - 7
Additional Comments: Uplifting Hard House by Producer Steve Morley! Definately Only For The Headstrong!
Overall Rating: 9
Full Review: Uplifting Hard House tune that follows up to last month's Deja Vu - Face Down release. Steve Morley at the controls on this track. The A side has A Klubbheads style bass with some sirens and some excellent hardcore stabs... this track is really full on! The "Dance Till You Drop Mix" of this release has it all I tell you! A catchy rap reminding me of the one used on Phatt B - And Da Drum Machine a nice 303 line, a very pounding beat, the same siren as on the A side and "Go" and "Whoo!" vocals to give you the better get daning feeling! Just make sure you keep the pitch on this mix up as it sounds even better and more up for it! Watch Your Speakers Melt Pretty Quickly - Ouch!
Release Date: TBA
Top Dogz - Gotta Get This Feeling (Combined Forces 042)
Favourite Track: A1
Future Chart Position: Yes - 18
Additional Comments: Funky House produced by Generation X and DJ Roog.... Filters at the ready on these tracks.
Overall Rating: 7
Full Review: This is a 4 tracker that's recieved a lot of hype from the acetate copies, immediately into the A side is the Mike Vandenberg remix. This is well twisted and that appeals to me in a very big way! Nice funky disco house music with nice uplifting twists and groovy rhythms [one particular loop from this track was used on Spiller - Groovejet for all you trainspotters!]. The Original Mix is more laid back and when I played it I thought I was stuck in a timewarp as it does sound like it is from the 70's! The C-Side is the Hardsoul remix of "Natural High". This reminds me of something French label Roule would put out nice and groovy yet filtered and keeping the disco feeling too. The Original of Natural High on side D is very groovy also, especially when the track filters up - it reminds me of a track called "Step into the rhythm" by "Clippers" and that track is wicked too. Altogether theres a variety of tracks which house DJs would have difficulty choosing as they are all good.
Release Date: TBA
Michael De Hay Vs Literon - Herogen (Area Code 070 Records 007)
Favourite Track: B1
Future Chart Position: Yes-13
Additional Comments: Area Code 070 follow up to the excellent "Lets Beuk" by Dulux Connection with this groovy "Progressive Tech-House Hybrid"
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: Area Code 070 are back. Their 7th release shows they are consistent with their darker releases. Michael De Hay And Literon have had releases before on Plink Plonk and EC if you are interested in their work, though I've never heard of them I'm sure they will become bigger in due course. "Hirogen" kicks off with a simple rhythm and a bassline, then open hi hats are added with some techy synth loops and some rides. This carries on with the synth loop being filtered then the beat becomes more complex and a really cool flanged synth comes in... talk about a weird track! B Side "Purple Flare" has a simple Kick and Clap rhythm with a 2 note bassline and the same flanged synth patch comes in and plays a really odd melody leading in to a more complex drum pattern. A nice melody comes in which teases in some strings and the whole track carries on with the drums progressing until the build-out. A really good 2 tracker which is definitely a cross between a "Tuff Party Track" and a "Smooth Groove". Nice!
Release Date: TBA
Mike Vandenberg - Flux Cpacaitor (Sadie Records 006)
Favourite Track: B1
Future Chart Position: Yes - 11
Additional Comments: Excellent 2 Tracker from the Sadie Label.
Overall Rating: 8
Full Review: The Producer behind "Generation X" Returns, this record was a real pain to get sorted because of the sticker on the record covering up the hole where the record is to be put on the decks. Also I'm put off by the title as all things electronic remind me of my bad test result in electronics. "Flux Capacitor" is a nice progressive track which has a strong kick drum and a nice waldorf microwave like bassline with some gated strings that carry on throughout the track and other pads, very nice and clean production. "Gemini" kicks off with the "Gouryella" drumloop that's making an appearence on quite a few tracks. The beat dies down into a synth pad that kicks in the beat and the kick drum and bassline, then the rest of the drums are added. The track breaks down again and the synth pad plays some more notes and its a very funky track. Excellent 2 Tracker from Mike / Generation X.
Release Date: TBA
Billy More - Up & Down (Combined Forces 043)
Favourite Track: A1
Future Chart Position: No
Additional Comments: Simple 3 Tracker that Caters For Most Tastes In Terms Of Club Music... Check it out
Overall Rating: 7
Full Review: Combined Forces Are on their 43rd release now in 18 months. This release has help from Pulsedriver, SM-Trax and Denis The Menace for remixes. The Pulsedriver mix starts off with some cool programmed drums and an interesting kick and bassline. Then some guitar/synth patch provides a nice underlay and it cuts into the riff with the "Get Up And Down" vocals. This mix doesn't grab me as much as Pulsedriver's other stuff has done.. The SM-Trax mix is an example of cheese which I avoided after the 2nd listen. Denis The Menaces mix is a funky house thats got commercial viability and has some groovy elements. Altogether an interesting 3 tracker that caters for Most tastes. Just missing a chart position.
Release Date: TBA