Featuring JOEY ANDERSON

Hush House favourite Joey Anderson has steadily been making a name for himself over the past few years. His style of house verges into the realm of the avant-garde, and sometimes defies categorisation entirely. He's also done some exceptional mixes as a DJ, including a special one for us, which predates both his RA and XLR8R efforts.

HH MIX #041 - Joey Anderson [download]

It's with great pleasure that we get to introduce his first solo LP, entitled 'After Forever'. Upon full listening, some people may find that the album is less accessible than your typical dance LP, but that's what makes it standout in a market saturated with disposable releases.

For example, the ethereal synth washes and gurgling lines of the track 'Space Colors Ideas' sound as though they might have kinship with artists on labels like Editions Mego or Warp. The track is entirely beatless, and shows just how far the artist is willing to push his sound left of centre. Again, 'Maidens Response' combines the sonic aesthetic of experimental music, with that of traditional house music. Sparse use of snare drums accounts for an extremely murky and cerebral sound, breaking down the mould and solidifying Anderson's sound.

In all of Joey's work subtlety is key, but in this album in particular, he demonstrates that philosophy to great effect. 'Brass Chest Plate' begins life as little more than a fast kick drum, hats and a drony bassline. But soon the track builds piece-by-piece and unfurls into a dancing sonic array of delayed kit sounds and almost trance-like detuned synth arpeggios.

Be sure to give the album a few listens, as it will take time for some to adapt to Joey's idiosyncratic sound. But without a doubt, this will be an album remembered to have captured the zeitgeist of contemporary house music in 2014.

After Forever LP - Joey Anderson [Dekmantel]


Pre-order [DKMNTL017] at Rush Hour.

Words by: Ethan Becker

Introducing SLAPFUNK RECORDS

The Discogs profile page for SlapFunk Records doesn't beat around the bush, describing them as a 'Dutch based label foccused [sic] on RAW house music'. This much is evidenced on their latest release, 'Raw Joints #3'.

Contained within four tracks by four different artists is an adept summary of the SlapFunk aesthetic - jacking, techno-fuelled deep house rhythms that maintain a heavily-European flavour. There's a noticeably Dutch / Germanic styling to all four tunes, especially the opener, 'Splittin' Atoms' by Larry De Kat. It's punchy and straight to the point, dancefloor stuff that's full of soul.

Second is Samuel Deep's 'Djoembat', a bustling jiver that continues with the narrow focus laid out in the previous track. Reversed-hats mingle erratically with frenetic percussion to ensure the mood stays deftly on point.

This carries smoothly through to 'Old Stomping Grounds' by Anil Aras. All three tracks to this point maintain a concrete intention: to get people dancing. And they do this well. What's interesting however, is the broad sample of styles collated for this release; it's a smorgasbord of European, Detroit and UKG sounds, which all combine to pack a punch.

Closing the package is 'Stackin Papers' by U Know The Drill. This one is an out-and-out whomper, like early Objekt material sprinkled over a meaty 4x4 template - vicious basslines combining with a fat, analog percussion track. This is definitely the cut of the release, but all four tracks deserve airplay.

Raw Joints #3 - VA [SlapFunk Records]

[SLPFNK006] is available now from Juno.

Featuring A MADE UP SOUND

Livity Sound is racing through 2014 in much the same way as last year, gaining a vast number of fans by releasing its very own distinctive brand of tribal, totemic house. The momentum doesn't cease, with the label's remix series presenting two remixes of Asusu's 'Velez' by none other than A Made Up Sound aka 2562.

The perfect candidate to rework 'Velez', in his first remix, the Dutchman applies the sort of growling, bassy manoeuvres we've become accustomed to, albeit smattered with an oddly-hypnotic, disconcerting chime, which dips in and out of the entire track. The whole thing's gritty and full of life, embodying the characteristic AMUS swing, but retaining the unique texture that typifies the Livity Sound vibe.

Remix number two is a darker, and more cavernous affair, which ups the tempo and intersplices reverberating tribal-drums with zippy synth stabs. The latter are turbo-charged with static energy and the whole track feels as if it's ready to leap from its source - a flurry of electrons imbued with the power of some seriously shady juju.

Velez (A Made Up Sound Remixes) - Asusu [Livity Sound]

Two stunning reworks of an excellent tune as Livity Sound moves from strength to strength. Do the right thing and support the crew at Idle Hands.

A Made Up Sound plays at Soup Kitchen in Manchester on 24th May.

Introducing NOT SO MUCH

photo credit: Dan Reid

Mosca has come a long way since bursting onto the scene with the Night Slugs crew in 2010, gradually modulating his sound away from the grimey, garage-licked flavours of those early records towards a more direct, strictly-defined house and techno style. This change was typified in the excellent ‘A Thousand Years’ Wait’ on Delsin offshoot Ann Aimee late last year, and is further displayed here in the 'No Splice No Playback' two-tracker on his new label, Not So Much.

The first track is ‘Suckle (Twenties)’, six minutes of deep, driving house that could be mistaken for early Levon Vincent work - stomping, marching percussion punches out around a whirling synth. Though the metamorphosis towards 4x4 territory is in full-effect, the vibrant catchiness of earlier releases (‘Bax’ et al.) is still on show - the melodious ring to that main synth embodying what’s quickly becoming the ‘typical’ Mosca sound.

On the flip is ‘Vinny (Flamingo)’. An even more direct offering than the former, this one is a brooding basement lurker that pumps a stifled, padded kick through ringing bells and shuffling hats. Slightly more subtle, there’s scope for this to operate as a transitionary moment from lighter sounds towards the after-hours vibe.

No Splice No Playback EP - Mosca [Not So Much]


Overall, a strong start for Not So Much - check the vinyl on April 28th and the digital on June 2nd.

Words by: Matt Woods

Featuring AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA

Brian Shimkovitz unearths some of Africa’s finest musical gems. Sharing his discoveries on his blog and label of the same name, Awesome Tapes from Africa facilitates a beautiful journey from cassette to wax. Interestingly, its latest offering, 'Shaka Bundu' by Penny Penny, is something of an exception. A massive hit in South Africa, the album actually sold over 250,000 copies during its first run in the early 90s.

Riding unashamedly poppy keyboard hooks and call-and-response vocals, Penny is undoubtedly the star of the show. Having risen from janitor to politician, the South African also stands as a leading figure of the Tsonga disco scene. Penny’s trademark laugh and almost slurred delivery is at its best on key anthems ‘Zirimini’ and ‘Shichangani’. Alongside bright female chants, Penny’s own wails and yelps are just as infectious as the tracks' feel-good synths. Indeed, it would be a shame to only shower Penny with praise; his producer, Joe Shirimani, clothes the album with its distinctive slow house rhythms and resultant summer warmth.

For a taste of Awesome Tapes check out Brian's marvellous Beats in Space mix and his Boiler Room appearance, featuring two tape decks and a mixer.

Shaka Bundu LP - Penny Penny [Awesome Tapes From Africa]

Penny Penny's 'Shaka Bundu' is available from Juno.

Words by: Isaac Rangaswami

Featuring AL GOBI

'Pueblo Grande' is the debut release from new UK-based label Constant State. This first 12" comes from label heads Al Gobi (Ian Blevins and Phil Moody). The pair had a pretty stellar 2013 with releases on Disco Bloodbath, Rothmans and Audio Parallax.

First up in this instance is 'Cup Of Tea', a fantastic example of imaginative track-naming if ever we saw one. A heady piano score rolls onerously through proceedings and a host of timpani back things up percussion-wise. Underneath it all is a subtle and wobbly bassline that ensures the groove remains firmly on track.

Cottam takes over the entire A-side of the record. Dismantling Gobi's efforts for his 'Ruff Treatment' remix, he chops that bassline and dips it into a healthy amount of acid, morphing it into something of a monster. Bigger and ballsier than in the original, the bass now gnaws its way through a thickly-padded kick drum. That same piano roll makes an appearance, in a seemingly more morose guise.

The second of Al Gobi's tunes to make it onto the release is title track, 'Pueblo Grande'. They've perhaps done a better job in naming this one - think sandy ruins and desert heat as stunted drum beats and stuttering bass weight play out across the landscape. Straightforward deepness with no frills, that now familiar piano makes an appearance again, except its use is sparser, lending itself to the track's barren and ritualistic feel.

Pueblo Grande EP - Al Gobi [Constant State]

[CSV001] is available soon via Juno.

Featuring LEGOWELT

Legendary Dutch producer Legowelt's latest LP adds a new chapter to the recent influx of nostalgia-driven albums, and pays homage to the tech-noir films of the 80s. Its title can be broken down to probe the three techniques that give the album its distinctive sound.

The “Crystal” is the compression Danny Wolfers employs - the director's signature in film terms - to make his music sound so unique. The record's sound palette creates the feeling of walking through a misty forest at midnight.

The “Cult” is fashioned through eerie vocal samples scattered throughout the LP, with phrases such as “you will be reborn” in ‘Excalibur R8MK2’ and a request to “explore Cyberspace” in ‘Cyberspace is Still Happenin’ For Real’. Instrumentally, the cult is exemplified through different elements of acid, techno, house and ambience, especially in the grittier cuts, such as ‘Psychotic Endurance’, and 'The Future of Myself', and the title track, 'Crystal Cult 2080'.

As for the “2080”, Wolfers has utilised a second-hand Roland JV2080. A legendary synthesiser he acquired in Tokyo to pioneer the atmosphere of the LP. A minute into the opening track Wolfers has already lured you to his neon electric dream world.

There are no stand-alone tracks per se, instead a series of ideas and stories, each with their own theme and journey. In order to get full satisfaction, I recommend listening to it in full. However, if you're after a 'trailer', ‘Fundamental Superstition’ hints at what to expect.

Crystal Cult 2080 - Legowelt [Crème Organization]


Pre-order [CRLP11] from Delsin.

Words by: Stephen Daniels

HH MIX #050 - ACHTERBAHN D'AMOUR

Berlin's Achterbahn D’Amour are Johannes Paluka and Jurgen Albert, aka Iron Curtis and Jool. They released their stunning debut album 'Odd Movements' last month on Acid Test, matching emotionally-tinged funk with acid basslines and tinny drums from Roland's stalwarts - the 303 and 606.

Fortunately, they also found time to deliver the fiftieth mix in our series, Achterbahn D'Amour deliver an acid-fuelled 45 minutes of machine music, old and new. No tracklist, so get digging!

HH MIX #050 - Achterbahn D'Amour [download]


Here's to the next fifty!