Sex Judas - Monter Sur Le Cochon Norvégien N'est Pas Facile - The Norwegian Remixes (Cymasonic)

Barcelona-based Cymasonic is a musical imprint, platform and collaboration between longtime friends Trulz & Robin (Trulz Kvam, Robin Crafoord) and Arildo (Arild Lopez) with stellar releases by Robomatic, Usmev, and Camilla Luna, among others. Cymasonic returns with “Monter Sur Le Cochon Norwégien N'est Pas Facil – The Norwegian Remixes” by Sex Judas (Tore Gjedrem), one half of Ost & Kjex, whose prior output spans everything from Dyinamic releases, leftfield Norwegian trash, ‘90s doom metal bands, and avant-disco funk.

In his restless quest for the funk, Sex Judas invites label-mates as well as players from the Norwegian underground scene—Blackbelt Andersen, Human Inferno, Charlotte Bendiks, Magnus international, Melkeveien—to re-imagine originals culled from 2011-2015 releases on Tim Paris’ Marketing label. The mixes are infused with the vigilante attitude, grit, and funk of the current northern scene, as well as analog, slinky, and abstract house. After this scintillating tease, stay tuned for Sex Judas’ full album drop later this winter.

Flash Atkins (Paper Recordings) – “Yes yes yes, it’s a win for me!”
Tyler Stadius (Dialtone Records) – “Tripped out tracks. I’ll play the Charlotte Bendiks Remix.”
Jaymz Nylon (Adult Selections Radio Show) – “The Blackbelt Anderson Remix is a feel good track that’s funky in all the right places.”
Lee Jones / Country Gents (Buslife) – “Wow, what a journey this is. The Magnus International remix floats my boat.”
Robot84 (Paper Recordings) – “Lots of super remixes on here. Blackbelt Anderson is the one for me, I love it!”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “Love the variety on this release. Very enjoyable.”
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy / Large Music) – “Some fresh vibes here. Really feeling Charlotte’s remix.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Fantastic release – the Magnus International remix is so good. Dancefloor Devistation!”
DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory radio show) – “Truly bonkers stuff, but it’s up my tree so I dig it! Top crazy.”
Taigo Onez (Bang Le’ Dex Radio Show) – “Arildo, Trulz & Robin come through in the clutch on this! They complement the release for sure. Great body of work here!”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, Spotify, And iTunes.

Ivaylo - Manga (Bogota Records)

Oslo’s Bogota Records finds Ivaylo mining deep house with the Manga EP. “Magnatronic” ascends a slow build from minimal drums to washes of warm synth, while the re-work by Arildo adds slow-burning percussive strains to the original. “Nectar” balances dark bass with hi-hat strains, while the Danny Kotz remix amplifies the original with driving locomotion. Throughout, the production swims in the deep end of the house pool without feeling dark, and manages a palatial dive into sonic atmospherics while maintaining an afterhours dancefloor vibe.

Ivaylo hails from Bulgaria, where he explored jazz before diving into electronic genres. As Bulgaria shook off the last of its communist sensibilities and became a republic, Ivaylo took to the beaches of his hometown in Varna and fell in love with the deep house sound floating over from the States. He went on to perform everywhere from London to Moscow before settling in Oslo, where he established Bogota Records in 2014.

Vanilla Ace (OFF Recordings) – “Nice chilled vibes.”
Atish (Desert Hearts) – “Deep and groovy.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “Lovely lovely work. High fives all around!”
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) – “Arildo's Remix is a deep slow burner. Will support.”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) – “So many good tracks and versions in here! Lovely release all around.”
Olle Abstract (Fisk & Vilt) – “Great release. I really like Arildo’s bouncy remix of Magnatronic.”
Jarle Bråthen (Full Pupp) – “Great release! Nectar (Danny Kotz Remix) is the favorite. Will play out.”
Deron Delgado (Paradise / Dirtybird) – “Lovely. Both versions of Nectar are great.”
Jon Manley (hOUSEwORX) – “Love the original mix of Magnatronic. Sultry deep house vibes.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Yes! This is superb. Arildo’s remix of Magnatronic is my favorite with that killer hypnotic vibe. Classy.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.

Ivaylo & Slammer feat. Renate - Breathe Easy (Bogota Records)

Bogota Records return with a follow up to their truly special summer hit “Guide Line”. Where that was a statement of intent, their new single “Breathe Easy” aims to cement the winning combination of producers Ivaylo and Slammer with singer Renate. It’s another thick mix of Bogota style balanced by perfectly arranged remixes, each molded into their own strong identity and building on the solid foundation set by the original.

Ivaylo is a Bulgarian native based in Oslo, at the head of Bogota Records, and Slammer is the label’s sound technician. “Breathe Easy” is the latest of their numerous planned projects. Renate is a good friend of Ivaylo and they have worked together previously, highlighting her delicate vocal delivery over smooth house productions. Their coupling has already proven itself to be a memorable and enduring collaboration, so it’s not surprising the two have set a goal of eventually performing live together.

Let’s start off by noting how clear it’s becoming that Renate’s voice has a uniquely, distinguishing personality that is hard to place, but easy to love. She always delivers with an understated sweetness characteristic of what the music world has come to treasure in Scandinavian pop with indie and experimental leanings. Where it gets tricky is the smoothed over, soulful diva accents that bring to mind wonderful jazz and chill out performances. On “Breathe Easy”, Renate’s vocal nuances work to completely pull the listener in once again, teetering on the wait for her to deliver closure while also hoping it never ends. Meanwhile, the production efforts of Ivaylo and Slammer depend on hard drum programming and a murky low end while the synths take an elevator softly towards a bright, arpeggiated climax.

The remixes flow from Oslo to Bulgaria, from the Bay Area to Barcelona. Kelvin K (Lost My Dog) is a transplant between England and the States’ West Coast. He’s very well versed in the American house music sound, having performed with a lot of its key DJs and producers (Larry Heard, King Britt, Jovonn, and more). His Playin’ Old School Mix does what it says on the tin with a perfectly rounded bass line, lovely Rhodes keys, and sharp horn stabs that bring to mind better times for the musicality of house productions. Norwegian Jarle Bråthen‘s productions have made their way onto a few releases for Prins Thoms’ Full Pupp label. That should lend a clue as to the squelchy, somewhere between acid and Italo disco direction of his cosmically inclined remix. It makes for a very spacious club tune. Sound Solutions is a two years running meeting of the minds between Bulgarian DJ / producer Ognyan Gurkov and musician / composer Iasmin Issinov. Together they start their remix of “Breathe Easy” with lush strings before introducing a futuristic soundscape with their synth work, contrasting this with vibrant piano notes. It builds up into a euphoric release. Arildo, a good friend of the Bogota label and owner of Cymasonic Recordings, finishes off the release with a mechanical, but funky remix. There’s a springy, percussive shuffle on top of a bludgeoning bass sound as well as deep, dusty pads that mirror the low end flow.

Abicah Soul - “I like this Arildo remix … super!”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - “Delicate yet powerful. Another bomb on Bogota Records. I’ll be playing all of these.”
Natural Rhythm - “The dreamy vibe on the Arildo mix is very nice!”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Fantastic release once again. I’m loving Bogota Records right now!”
Hollis P Monroe (Renaissance Infinity / The Black 80s) - “I like all of these and the vocal is sweet. Looking forward to trying them out.”
Spettro (Bedrock / Crosstown Rebels) - “I’m really diggin’ the vibe and production on Kelvin K’s Playin’ Old School Mix … it’s perfect for deep sets or pool side.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) - “Modern, soulful, and funky equal the perfect ingredients. The original and the Arildo remix are my favorites and satisfy both sides of my DJ brain.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Very cool release. A tough call here between the Jarle Bråthen and Arildo remixes … both really superb deep works.”
Tyler Stadius (Proton Radio) - “Good choice of mixes. Jarle Bråthen’s acid mix works for me.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music / SSRadio) - “It’s difficult to choose between the Sound Solutions and the Kelvin K mixes … both are fantastic. I also love the hypnotic original.”
Louis Hughes (6th Sense Music) - “It’s always nice to see a Kelvin K mix and this one is really great. Another strong release. Well done.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “Kelvin K’s gorgeous and melodious remix is the one for me.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Real deep feeling in the Arildo mix … I will be playing this for sure.”
Bogdan Taran (Dance Box radio show) - “The Arildo remix is a good piece of deep underground house.”
Jamie Topham (CD Pool) - “Dope original track from Iyalo & Slammer … very UK-centric and current in sound with a beautiful vocal performance from Renate. Cool remixes, too, with that emotive Sound Solutions remix sounding pure genius in arrangement. A seriously good release from Bogota.”

Now available from Beatport and Juno Download.

Ivaylo - Themes (Bogota Records)

Bogota Records is pleased to introduce their inaugural release Themes, the deep house work of Ivaylo. A Bulgarian native based in Oslo, Ivaylo has produced two original tracks: “Innerself” featuring Norwegian singer Renate and “Pelican.” Remixes come by way of Johnny Fiasco, a renowned artist from Chicago with a range of production credits to his name, and Cymasonic Recordings label owner Arildo Dildo collaborating with Barcelona native Usmev.

While “Innerself” is only their second time working together, Ivaylo and Renate are old friends. Delicate and slow, the song came about when Ivaylo, knowing Renate’s love for depth, played it for her and she began writing lyrics over coffee. An online back and forth ensued resulting in the final product: a deeply moody, but impactful groove with plenty of melody. Johnny Fiasco’s remix ups the tempo while rinsing the original synths and vocals in his own treatment, complete with hats that quite literally click.

The second original, “Pelican,” is a chuggy house track with nu-disco flavor. The synths are slick and sleazy and the vocal chops are full of attitude. For their remix, Arildo and Usmev take the tempo down and open a revolving door of delay and filter effects.

The Bogota label and Ivaylo have put their best foot forward for this debut release.

Brett Johnson (Bang The Box / Cynosure) - “Deep sexiness … cool!”
Tensnake - “I like both versions of ‘Innerself.’”
Audiojack (Gruuv) - “Lovely stuff!”
Giom - “‘Pelican’ is cool.”
Moony Me (Maesonic / Apparel Music) - “Mmm … gotta love the chords in ‘Innerself.’”
Manuel Sahagun (Candy Music / Drop Music) - “Smooth textures … I’m diggin’ it!”
Murray Richardson (Rebel Waltz / Baker Street) - “I love the Johnny Fiasco mix of this … sounding really good.”
Satoshi Fumi - “Nice pack!”
Motorcitysoul (Cocoon / Stir15) - “Shouts to Johnny Fiasco … wicked remix!”
Spettro (Bush / King Street Sounds) - “I’m digging the original mix of ‘Innerself’ … great pads and chords, lush and deep.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) - “This is nice and moody.”
Marcia Carr (Mi-Soul Radio / Ladyz) - “Two solid house floor shakers from Ivaylo … the Arido & Usmev of ‘Pelican’ being my choice cut with its soul percussive action. Fiyah!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “There’s a classy feel to the Johnny Fiasco mix. I love all the sweeping synths and swirls bubbling through it.”
Kadabra (The House Hookup Radio Show) - “Fantastic release. ”Innerself“ is my favorite cut but they all have their own flavor.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music) - “Nice, dreamy classic deep house on the original of ‘Innerself’ and the Johnny Fiasco mix continues in the same vibe.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Fantastic debut. This is truly a special release. I can’t wait to hear what’s next from Bogota.”

Available now from Juno Download and Traxsource.