Slam – Azure (Carl Craig remix)

Last year saw a whole host of Slam and Soma material put through the remix ringer in celebration of 20 years of Soma but it seems they may have been saving the best till last.

Slam’s classic “Azure” has already seen remixes over the years from Radio Slave and The Black Dog but this brilliant rework from Detroit master Carl Craig stands head and shoulders above them all.

Over it’s 10 minute plus duration, Craig weaves the familiar hook around an early morning techno backing and manages to create an otherworldly soundscape that deserves its place in the collection of anyone with an ear for top quality beats.

Released on the 14th of May but you can pre-order this now over at the Soma Shop.

Slam – Azure (Carl Craig remix)

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Lazy Sundays: Django Django – Skies Over Cairo (Adrian Sherwood On U Sound Dub)

The debut album from Django Django has been quite rightly picking up plaudits left, right and centre but they’re not a band you’d expect to find normally within these electronically packed pages. Throw in On-U Sound System boss and all round dub hero Adrian Sherwood however and what you have in your hands is the perfect accompaniment to your Sunday head.

Released on 7″ as a Record Store Day special, you can now get your grubby mits on it via Rough Trade or digitally at iTunes.

Personal Space : Electronic Soul 1974 – 1984

To say I have been excited about this release for some time would be an understatement. “Personal Space” in a compilation of funk and soul track filled with hidden gems, rarities and filled with electronic influence.

Released on Chocolate Industries and compiled by Dante Carfagna (click on this link as its a great story) I can do no better that to quote their description.

If the independently-pressed record made the galaxy of recorded music that much larger, the burgeoning home studio became the black hole from which little escaped. Flowering in the mid-to-late ‘70s, affordable high-quality tape recorders, synthesizers, and simple drum machines permitted the aspiring artist to never leave his home, never request the assistance of another human being. In the world of American Black music, name artists such as Sly Stone, Timmy
Thomas, and Shuggie Otis had experimented with rudimentary electronic soul with a modicum of success, but on record what remains is scant. This collection presents the unheard underground of the self-produced, often solo, electronic soul world of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, offering a view into an ocean of sound that is in turn peaceful, bizarre, funky, and often humbly ahead of its time.

This album is 17 tracks of sheer quality with unusual twists and turns on every tune. Out now on vinyl and CD only we highly recommend getting your hands on this.

Inner City – Praise (The Future Sound Of London Conceptual)

While the likes of “Good Life” and “Big Fun” always pop up when people talk about Inner City classics, for me it was the slightly later early 90s material that sent my boat a-floating. Tunes like “Hallelujah” and “Praise” were firm favourites on my turntables and still are to this day.

This period also saw them drafting in some of electronic music’s finest on remix duties, the most notable of which is this phenomenal Future Sound of London remix, released in 1992.

At 15 minutes long, it’s not for the faint of heart but for those with the patience for the duration, the reward is a truly amazing piece of house music.

Inner City – Praise (The Future Sound Of London Conceptual)

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Production Unit – ICU Tracks

Production Unit has been a busy boy of late, fresh from his “Bridge EP” for our Phuturelabs imprint he’s just about to release the “ICU Tracks EP” for Broken20 and there’s news of an album in the pipeline for the label also.

For those unfamiliar with the story behind the bleeps contained within, it’s a quality homage to classic techno where the high pitched tones ruled the airwaves.

Spread across five different versions, the experience ranges from the intense minimalism of the lead track through to the more club friendly variants of versions 3 and 5 while two beat free versions provide breathing space.

It’s a powerful and personal piece of work that gives a small insight into some of the producer’s life experiences (read the press release for more info).

As an added bonus, the EP closes with two remixes – firstly Perc delivers a dark and doomy techno monster while Paul Purgas of Emptyset delivers an outstanding 3 minutes that stays away from the kick drums and manages to capture the intensity of the original track while remaining also bleep free.

Released 30th April and available at Boomkat.

Deadbeat & Danuel Tate – Lazy Jane

German producer Deadbeat has been responsible for some amazing dub driven electronica over the years and his latest outing sees him team up with Cobblestone Jazz’s Danuel Tate for his own BLKRTZ imprint.

The original sees Tate’s vocodered vox draped over a slab of dub rich in reverbs and ethereal echoes but the real treat lies in the 909 dub. With a house slant applied, this ticks all the right boxes for us and is sure to find support from those with a taste for deeper beats.

Released on the 30th of April and available at Boomkat.

Dubmonger – Experiments In Dub

Glasgow producer Morphy has long been a favourite of ours here at the Labs and the announcement of his new Dubmonger project quickly made us sit up and take notice.

Shaking off the shackles of genre restrictions, the first EP from the project entitled “Experiments in Dub” sees the producer move around the tempos freely while keeping proceedings thoroughly soaked in the dubby goodness that he’s become known for.

With the production quality as high as you’d expect, it’s a must have for anyone with a taste for the dubbier flavours and you can grab this now at dubmonger.com.

South London Ordinance – Sanctuary/Roofy EP

One of the big tips we have had for 2012 is South London Ordinance. Already signed to three labels in he has also done guest mixes for LuckyMe and Mary Anne Hobbs. Serious credentials for one relatively new to the scene but well deserved when you hear the productions.

The new two track release for 2nd Drop is full of dubby goodness driven by garage and experimental techno engine. These tunes will sound massive on the right systems. Highly recommended.

Hissy Fit rolls out a new Test Tube mix

Our man in Montreal Hissy Fit has been promising us a mix for some time. We’re sure you’ll agree it’s been worth the wait as he managed to fit it in around some mammoth studio sessions for his latest releases.

The new project sees him releasing six EP’s in six weeks (stream all the tracks via his Soundcloud and pick them up at his Bandcamp) and don’t forget that his free EP for us is still available.

You can download Hissy Fits’s Test Tube mix or stream via the nifty Mixcloud player below.

1. Ironside – Jack Dixon (Losing Suki)
2. Hoof Hearted – HxDB & Self Evident (Palms Out Sounds)
3. Thumper – Hissy Fit (unreleased)
4. Outer Twigs – Goldffinch (Saigon)
5. You Told – Jack Dixon (Losing Suki)
6. Creeper (album edit) – Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka (50 Weapons)
7. Jerk Out – Mark Broom (Saved)
8. Crossed Fingers – Hissy Fit (forthcoming Hissy Recordings)
9. Attention Seeker – Iron Galaxy (forthcoming Audio Culture)
10. Feels Like Magic feat. B Slade – Recloose (RushHour)
11. Froth – Boddika & Joy O (Sunknowun)
12. 24 – Conforce (Clone Basement Series)
13. Mace – SCB (Hotflush)
14. Easier To Be Elsewhere – Hissy Fit (forthcoming Hissy Recordings)

Here’s one of our favourites from the six week series to see you off.

Endian – Birdhouse/DBPLT01

With Boddika more than busy with his own output, you’d be forgiven for thinking his Nonplus imprint would take a bit of a backseat. You’d be wrong however as the quality keeps coming and the 19th release sees Endian behind the controls AKA George Levins of Commix.

With a hint towards what we can expect from new Commix material now it’s Levins working alone, both tracks keep the tempo far away from drum n bass and have their DNA firmly dipped in techno.

First track “Birdhouse” can best be described as “a bit of a chugger” and keeps things fairly chirpy (see what I did there) with its swirly pads and rollin sub bass.

While DBPLT01 on the flip is a darker affair with bubbly acid undertones and crystal clear percussion that once again shows off Levins’ outstanding production.

You can grab this 12″ from the 30th April through the Nonplus shop at Surus and the usual outlets.