Photos: Skudge at The Garage, Leeds 23/11/2012

Featuring XAMIGA

Hush House favourites Legowelt and Xosar recently put out their first joint EP as Xamiga on Rush Hour. It's a solid release packed full of all the dreamy synth sounds that we've come to expect from the duo. There is an EP's worth of other tracks on the Xamiga soundcloud as well so who knows, maybe we are due another release relatively soon.

Kermit's Day Out EP - Xamiga [Rush Hour]

The record is sold out already at Juno but is still available from most of the other major online retailers. The pairs outings as Trackman LaFonte and Bonquiqui on L.I.E.S and Creme Organization are also well worth checking out, where they take their analogue explorations on an entirely different tangent.

Featuring MIKE DEHNERT

Mike Dehnert runs the quite brilliant Fachwerk Records based out of Berlin. For his most recent outing though, he provides four solid tracks for Dutch label Delsin who released Dehnert's stunning LP Beatmatching last year.

Kickless 'Andruck' starts off the EP with sweeping synths and a catchy cowbell whilst the remaining three tracks pack some considerable punch. Personal favourite 'Refillable' features sharp synth chords and swinging claps. It's another top release from a stalwart of gritty techno.

95 DSR - Mike Dehnert [Delsin Holland]

Purchase the 12" on Juno.

Featuring TREVINO

2012 has been an incredibly prolific year for veteran producer Marcus Kaye under his Trevino alias with a string of outstanding releases that span right across the techno spectrum. Really demonstrating that he is still at the top of the game his next release takes no prisoners with three powerful, atmospheric and heavily layered tracks. Check out the audio below.

KW09 - Trevino [Klockworks]


The EP is forthcoming on Ben Klock's label Klockworks and will be available on vinyl and digital from all of the usual spots.

Featuring JOE COCHERELL

Who is Joe Cocherell? Good question. He's a techno producer from southern California. That's about all the info that you are likely to be able to find on him, but who cares as long as he is putting out quality music? His second release to date is forthcoming on Frozen Border and consists of three killer cuts of rolling and percussive techno. More driven and focused than his first outing on the label which had more of an upbeat jackin' feel to it (by Frozen Border standards anyway). Not a lot else to say really, check out the clips below.

Not sure on the release date, but won't be too long. On pre-order at Red Eye now.

Featuring LUCY

Luca Mortellaro, Lucy is on top form with his Finnegan EP release on Curle, his beautifully raw and analogue take on techno on full show.

Title track, 'Finnegan', doesn't suffer fools gladly. The pounding bassline and abrasive soundscape has all the makings of the perfect warehouse tune - slowly ebbing and flowing without a chance for the listener to relax - no holds barred with this one.

Finnegan - Lucy [Curle]


The two remixes, courtesy of Pariah, take on a slightly different approach. The techno framework still in place, the first remix, keeping all of the original rawness of the track, notches the tempo up and adds hypnotic pads to create a rather other worldly experience. The dub takes it back to that gritty sound Lucy's known for, whilst making sure Pariah's touch isn't forgotten; every way you turn the tune evolves and evolves - an altogether wonderful assault on the senses.

Finnegan (Pariah Dub Mix) - Lucy [Curle]


[CURLE041] will be available on vinyl and on Beatport on the 26th November.

HH MIX #037 - #19.21.3.11.21.20

Exclusive mix number 37 comes from the mysterious and unknown quantity #19.21.3.11.21.20. As you can imagine there is next to no information to be found on this anonymous Frozen Border affiliated producer. So we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions in an attempt to gain some insight into the man behind the number.

You only have the one release so far under your #19.21.3.11.21.20 guise. Have you ever produced under a different name, and if you have, do you feel that this alias allows you to explore other musical outlets or is it purely for the purpose of anonymity?

Yes I did and I still do. The #.19.21.3.11.21.20. is Frozen Border exclusive and of course those tracks are different, I would say a bit more relaxed and even more stripped down.

Frozen Border 11 B1 - #19.21.3.11.21.20 [Frozen Border]


On the subject of anonymity how do you feel about the relatively
recent explosion of DJ celebrity culture? Do you feel remaining
anonymous helps keep the focus on the music?

Well I always try to keep the focus on the music. That's everything which counts for me. So for me in person, names doesn't play a big role.

Do you have any favourite clubs that you tend to go to and have you
seen any DJs/live acts recently that have particularly impressed you?

No I don't like to go out for having party. But I saw Skudge live last year, that was impressive. A real liveact with hardware.

Where do you draw your influences from? Are there any producers in
particular that you look up to, past or present?

Everything I recognize influences me in a way. Of course there are a few guys I look up to.

Can you talk us through your thought process behind the mix?

I've recorded it on a lazy Sunday and I wanted to record something different, not just a typical club set.

The mix that you've done for us is vinyl only, where do you stand on
the vinyl versus digital debate?

I like vinyls and CDs. Those are my weapons of choice. Everyone should choose his own but to be honest, to press sync buttons isn't a challenge - I don't like perfect sets, that's not human.

And finally, can we expect to see anything from #.19.21.3.11.21.20. in the near future?

Maybe.

Thanks for taking the time to answer a few of our questions and for recording the mix for us.

Without doubt #19.21.3.11.21.20's contribution to the series is one of our favourite to date, great selections that slowly and subtly build up to a crescendo before crashing back down at the last minute. A mix best served late at night with a decent pair of headphones. No tracklist on this one so get commenting on those track i.d's!

HH MIX #037 - #19.21.3.11.21.20 [download]

SHEFFIELD: Flam presents Hush House, 16.11.2012

Born out of the hugely successful Drumro[ll], Sheffield's latest new night, Flam, will have its second outing this Friday. We'll be bringing plenty of vinyl delights with us so if you are local or just fancy a little adventure, make sure you get down to The Harley.

Click the flyer above to head to the Facebook event...we'll see you on Friday!

Featuring COTTAM

Cottam is back with his Relapse EP, his second release on AUS. His previous releases have shown off his versatility as an artist - from acid groovers to afrobeat inspired disco - and this release is no different.

Title track 'Relapse' is a beautifully well rounded techno track. At 112bpm, it builds and builds perfectly, with airy pads and horns creating a somewhat psychedelic atmosphere. Cosmin TRG is on remix duties, keeping the moody nature of the original tune but turning up the tempo and giving it that signature pumping beat that TRG's known for.

Relapse (Cosmin TRG Remix) - Cottam [AUS]


Cottam's range of inspirations are on full show with the B-side, 'I Remember'. Shuffling drums and euphoric synths lull the listener into a false sense of security, until half way through Cottam sends the tune into a squelching acid wig-out. None of the musicality is lost however, with the synths coming back in, rounding off an excellently executed track, and EP.

I Remember - Cottam [AUS]


[AUS1242] will be available exclusively via Beatport from 19th November and Juno soon after.

Introducing DENSE & PIKA

Not much can be revealed about Dense & Pika. They're two established artists who have featured on Planet E and are now releasing music on a series of white-labels. The duo cover a variety of styles; dubby and housey with a backbone of raw techno. Juno categorise their forthcoming Hotflush release as 'Dirty/Heavy Dubstep/Grime' which may not be a likely representation of the release, but it should rocket the duo into the forefront of the UK techno scene.

Who Cares Wins - Dense & Pika [dense&pika004]


In the meantime, make sure you dig through their existing releases. 'Who Cares Wins' features a lovely central synth that reminds us of Levon Vincent, whilst maintaining an infectious bouncey groove. Bass-heavy 'Morse Mode', on the other hand, hits hard with a rough beat and 60's era morse code advice.

Morse Mode - Dense & Pika [dense&pika004]


Their back catalogue is becoming scarcer by the day, so be sure to check availabilty at Juno.

Featuring INITIALS

The third release from Initials - the bourgeoning imprint headed by Hypercolour chiefs Alex Jones and Ste Roberts - offers up two fresh cuts from Romania’s Boola and Roberts himself, in addition to a loyal reworking of DJ Linus’ 1997 work 'K.B.’s Groove' by everyone’s favourite Italian renegades, The Analogue Cops.

Boola is first up to bat with 'Ren’tors', a driving, 909-based jam complete with guttural sub bass and a snake charmer of a synth line almost reminiscent of Luciano & Quenum’s 'Orange Mistake' – definitely a change of pace from his previous, more minimal output on labels such as [ar:pi:ar].

Ren'tors - Boola [Initials]


Up next is Ste Roberts with 'Milde Shag' (the title suggesting a certain affinity for Drum tobacco, perhaps?) – a slightly more sedate affair that calls to mind the dubbed-out house excursions of Levon Vincent and his chums; though its swinging hats inject more than enough energy to ensure the dancefloor stays moving.

Milde Shag - Ste Roberts [Initials]


The ‘Cops provide the real treat here, contorting 'K.B.’s Groove' into a twisted, unrepentant roller in their own typically idiosyncratic style - laced with unintelligible vocal chops and thudding cinder blocks of kick drums.

K.B.'s Groove (Analogue Cops Remix One) - DJ Linus [Initials]


[INITIALS004] is available on vinyl from Juno, with a digital release planned for the near future.

It's hard to know when you don't understand...

artwork: Gareth Lloyd
The name Essáy has cropped up here and there over the past couple of years, and usually the words deep, beautiful, emotional are somewhere nearby. This time he's collaborated with CoMa who we believe is also responsible for that epic track titled 'Raindrops'. Listen here if you haven't already. If this belief is correct (they're both from Germany and the name on Beatport is the same) then this combination was always destined to produce great things. Here we have something for the fans of The xx. Deep, beautiful, emotional - play this one to your girlfriend.

Deceptive - Essáy & CoMa

Get following. Essáy here. CoMa here.

Mustang x Quarion

Featuring TWO DOGS IN A HOUSE

L.I.E.S always put out quality music, whether it's dreamy synth jams from the likes of Legowelt or if it's brutal, gut wrenching techno as was seen on Sean O'Sullivans solo outing as Vapauteen. Last month the sixteenth release in the series came from label boss Ron Morelli and Jason Letkiewicz (aka Steve Summers) under their Two Dogs in a House guise.

The A side 'Eliminator' is raw, gritty and viscerally acidic, steadily growing in ferocity as it grinds along for its fourteen minute duration. The sequentially named B side ('Eliminator 2') delves deep into the realms of paranoia with off kilter synths and industrial crashes, making for an altogether unnerving experience.

The EP is currently only available on wax but seeing as it hasn't been denoted as one of the .5 releases it should be making its way into cyber space at some point in the future.

Oh yes we were...

Bleak is normally known for his dark, industrial style techno but he has turned that on its head with this slow, sexy disco number. It features a couple of vocal snippets which seem to relate to a change of circumstance, an addictive, hypnotic lead guitar line and a groovy bassline certain to get any kind of mindset lifted. Interesting contradiction.

Simple Things - Bleak

If you haven't checked it yet, get his mix for us on the download and save it for one of those solitary late night journeys.

HH MIX #036 - VOYEUR

Next up in the series is the Leeds upstarts Voyeur who we introduced back in June last year. Their success story continues as they've just stepped up for a release on Kerri Chandler's new digital imprint MadTech Records. Previous to that was the remix of Bombay Bicycle Club which you can hear below.

How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep (Voyeur Remix) - BBC [Island]


This mix brings a slight switch up to recent HH mixes, exploring the techier side of house alongside a few deeper treats from the likes of Smallpeople, Gerry Read & Mike Dehnert. Enjoy.

HH MIX #036 - Voyeur [download]


01. Grace - Darling Farah [Civil Music]
02. Black Ice - Smallpeople [Smallville Records]
03. Callisto (Replika Remix) - Rick Leonard [Trendy Mullet]
04. Bozza - Gerry Read [Delsin Records]
05. Spinning Top (Detroit Swindle Remix) - Homework [Exploited]
06. Wanna Be There - Joyce Muniz [2020 Vision]
07. Three Feet High - Ethyl & Huxley [Saints & Sonnets]
08. Untitled - Voyeur [unreleased]
09. Ask Yourself - Homework [Exploited]
10. The L Word - Archie Hamilton [unreleased]
11. Isolateur - Mike Dehnert [Fachwerk Digital]
12. Hands Together - M. Senna & P. Zohdy [Black & White Orange]
13. Blame It On The Youth (Kerri Chandler Club Mix) - Voyeur [MadTech]

We look forward to where these boys go next with their productions - keep up to date with them on Soundcloud and Facebook.

Not gonna sing unless somebody's holding on...

Back when this blog started, we focused on scanning the web for free downloads which we then scrutinised and re-upped if suitable. We have since moved away from this style for a number of reasons, mainly because free music is generally used as a tool to promote a release/artist/label and therefore is of a lower quality. Not quality in terms of bit rate; although that also often plays a part, we're talking quality in terms of musical content and production. In the next few weeks we have decided to resume the giveaways, simply because over the last year or so we've still been collecting the downloads and now have a few which we'd like to share.

First up we've got this beauty from Trevino. He's taken the debut single from Ultraísta (a new project from the producer of Radiohead), stripped it back and slowed it down way below his usual pace. It leaves us with something slightly reminiscent of that Fever Ray remix from Martyn back in 2009. Appropriate.

Bad Insect (Trevino Remix) - Ultraísta

This track is probably being given away for one of the reasons mentioned above so, on that note, make sure you check out Ultraísta's debut LP which came out on 15 October. Or perhaps this is an unofficial remix - you can pick up the parts over on their Soundcloud. There's a Four Tet remix over there too.