Hello there! You might notice that I’ve been kinda taking a bit of a break from the reviewing…This is really to let you know I’m alive and kicking! Since my DJ mixer is currently in the shop, I’ve someone entangled myself in the deep, fathomless world of music production…And basically, I’ve been saving my ears for that. I have been going at it at least 3 hours a day, every day, for the past couple of weeks, and believe me, I am making progress…Or at least I think so! Tonight, my ears have been spared from the production, and with a little bit of track shopping (Haven’t done that for awhile either!) brought about by Paul Oakenfold’s ‘99 EM World Tour, I bought up some fresh tunes. These are a couple of aforementioned tunes.
Elsa Hill is making herself known around the scene as a vocalist(a good one at that, I believe!), DJ (Couldn’t tell ya, haven’t seen her in action), and producer, the trifecta rarely seen among female contributors to the scene. This offering sees her providing the vocals (I don’t know of an original mix) to two mixes: one from Jonas Steur, who has consistently worked wonders with vocal tracks, and the other from Lost Stories, who seem to be digging deeper into the scene’s share of exposure. Read on! Read more of this article »
With releases dating back to 2003, this fearless duo’s been honing their skill (most recently on Transatlantic by DJ Fire) and this latest release on Bonzai Music proves that progressive can indeed be forward thinking.
The very first offering on this release is titled ‘Fantastic’, and although it starts off rather slowly, it certainly snowballs into a fiery electro mess by the end. On the B-Side we’ve got a hot progressive number that shines, thanks to an amazing breakdown and buildup.
Read on past the break for some high quality links!
Brand new on the scene, Lost Stories comprises of Prayag Mehta and Rishab Joshi. Their first release finds its way onto a staple to all things trance, In Trance We Trust (ITWT). Though ITWT has remained a purely trance based label, they sometimes have a difficult time sticking to an over-arching theme, and I wonder if they’d find a better targeted success by branching out in sublabels. But I digress…
The original mix is lush and smooth. It reminds me of older Perry O’neil, or possibly Mark Otten. The track makes use of a simple synth based melody that you’ll find hard to easily forget. On remix duties you’ll find Setrise (aka Melle Bakker), who’s version is more club friendly.
The original takes a slight departure from Topher’s older sound, and I’d say he’s starting to combine some heavy tech elements (a la Jonas Steur) in his sound as of late. Dark and broody, the original provides an excellent base for the two remixes that are included in this release. Topher re-visits his own production and provides an intro friendly version that, although similar, is varied enough to warrant its inclusion. Capping off the release is Australia’s hottest import at the moment, tyDi, aka Tyson Diorr. His remix is decidedly more trancey, but it keeps the edge of the original to build it into a floor monster.
Ben’s been on fire lately (as you might have noticed on our site) and he’s not showing any signs of letting up. His latest effort on Lost Language, ‘Lake Nasser‘, has already been documented on our site, and is getting rave reviews from DJs and fans around the world. This time around, he returns to Tiesto’s camp with ‘Elizabeth’ on Songbird.
Another of my producers to watch out for in 2009, ‘Elizabeth’ is smooth progressive house with a hint of techno to give it just the right edge. It’s 100% danceable and the breakdown works on so many levels. On remix duties Ben’s attracted a heavy hitter in Jonas Steur, and Jonas delivers an epic rendition of the original. Jonas adds to the track his signature tech sound and turns the danceable original into a dancefloor destroyer.
Launched in 2006 by Deepak Sharma and partner Dieter Krause, Hidden Recordings offers the finest techno from the heart of New York City. The label’s diverse sounds range from deep techno to atmospheric chill-out with quirky, groovy bass lines and has been played in big room gigs, festivals, to smaller lounges and early morning terraces.
This latest offering, the 7th on Hidden Recordings, showcases the talented Monkey Brothers and Deepak & Dieter on remix duties. Both tracks are oozing with depth, glitch and spaced out instruments. The original is slightly more dancefloor friendly, while the B-Side provides a more experimental sound that is calming and sleep inducing.
Read on for my full take and high quality samples. We’ve even decided to give you a full Hi Quality copy of Deepak & Dieter’s remix!
Umek was the very first artist I stumbled upon when I decided to branch out into the darker side of techno. Five years have past since the Astrodisco project initiated, and although its novelty has certainly worn off by now, the same cannot be said of its creative potential.
Pioneering a new breed of techno – sometimes described as “discodelic electro” – Umek not only managed to form a promising crew of young deejays and producers but also, at the same time, created a new space in Slovenia’s clubbing scene reaching out for and attracting the attention of a somewhat unconventional crowd.
On Astrodisco’s latest release, Umek demonstrates why he’s the king of techno in Slovenia and across his local borders. ‘16th Century Japan’ is dark and, quite simply, chill inducing. On the B-Side we’ve got a slightly funkier number in ‘Before Violence’, a short little number that remains dancy and exotic.
If you haven’t heard Ad’s productions already, get ready for 2009. He’s at the top of my list of producers to watch for in ‘09, and this latest release on newly launched Fris! (Black Hole Sublabel) is a testimony to his sheer skill.
After a hugely successful first release on Fris! this latest, ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Chasing Rainbows’ are so well crafted that I’m reminded of old Nick Warren/GU/Northern Exposure progressive house. These two tracks are deep, chuggy and downright sexy to boot. Be sure to read on, I’ve included some high quality samples.
sidenote: I can’t dig anything up on this artist, and I sure hope I’ve made the right assumption when referring to the artist as a male. Can anyone help out here? Also, I used the wrong art cover, but I’ve not been given the latest fris! covers yet…
After her massive hit in 2007, Emma’s been relatively quiet in the dance scene, but it looks like 2009 might be her year yet. This time she’s teamed up with German superstars Cosmic Gate to deliver a sultry progressive trancer. Cosmic Gate have been around the block a few times, and in their 10th year producing, it’s easy to draw parallels between the duo and a fine wine.
Along for the ride are 3 other mixes of the original. The package includes a Club friendly version as well as remixes from Sied van Riel and Songbird staple Andy Duguid. Each remix showcases a different side of the remix, while retaining it’s original sound.
This release caught my eye simply by it’s amazingly talented, and young, roster of producers. Dr Willis teams up with Tyson Diorr (aka tyDi) to deliver a grungy techno track that gets remix treatments from Re-Ward and Buster Pooman (is that really his name???).
The original is dark and edgy with a driving kick that puts most current tech-trancers to shame. On the remix duties we’ve got Re-Ward that delivers two versions, one more trancey and the other more techno-ish. It’s a wonder how anyone understands me sometimes…but I digress. Finishing things off is Buster’s remix, which seems to make use of a tribal breakbeat to give it a primal feel. These two Aussies are clearly going places!
Read on for high quality samples and other picks we think you might like!
Read the First Comment | 110 views
Hello there! You might notice that I’ve been kinda taking a bit of a break from the reviewing…This is really to let you know I’m alive and kicking! Since my DJ mixer is currently in the shop, I’ve someone entangled myself in the deep, fathomless world of music production…And basically, I’ve been saving my ears for that. I have been going at it at least 3 hours a day, every day, for the past couple of weeks, and believe me, I am making progress…Or at least I think so! Tonight, my ears have been spared from the production, and with a little bit of track shopping (Haven’t done that for awhile either!) brought about by Paul Oakenfold’s ‘99 EM World Tour, I bought up some fresh tunes. These are a couple of aforementioned tunes.
Topher
Launched in 2006 by Deepak Sharma and partner Dieter Krause, Hidden Recordings offers the finest techno from the heart of New York City. The label’s diverse sounds range from deep techno to atmospheric chill-out with quirky, groovy bass lines and has been played in big room gigs, festivals, to smaller lounges and early morning terraces.
This release caught my eye simply by it’s amazingly talented, and young, roster of producers. 
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