Braulio Motus - Bodyrock (Handmade Recordings)

San Francisco house music imprint Handmade Recordings turns to label familiar Braulio Motus once again for a new EP in the form of Bodyrock. Braulio is a Filipino-born transplant to the New York and San Francisco rave scenes. Settling in NYC, his productions have found their way onto other labels like Agua Y Sed, White Island, and Honeywax. First on the EP, vocalist Devi Genuone of Oakland, California, lends her nuanced singing and sweet lyrical sentiments to "Till Next" which Braulio goes on to mold as a bass-driven house music piece with just the slightest electro tinge … he uses minor touches to accent an otherwise deep affair. Favoring a nastier, acid-rounded approach, fellow New York production project Destronauts transform "Till Next" with a snarling but smooth and melodic techno take. Aiming more clearly for the '80s electro sound this time around, "Bodyrock" is a funky slice of dance floor business which Spaniard Ato Rodriguez builds out extensively, even switching up the bass riff at the midway mark, slipping the vibe into something much more comfortable. "Eastern Blue Bird" follows in much the same vein as the previous offerings, but with a somewhat dreamy flavor as it staggers along. Finally, the release finishes with an instrumental of the electrified club banger "Prolly On The Molly", a gritty track for the turn up crowd. Be on the look-out for a vocal version of this last track, featuring Bronx rapper Hu$tle Hendrix delivering hard rhymes to match the tongue-in-cheek title.

Tensnake - "That 'Bodyrock' remix by Ato Rodriguez is nice."
SlanG (Spring Tube / Movement) - "The Braulio Motus mix of 'Till Next' is the one here … pretty good old school sound and a nice vocal."
Phonatics (Housesession Records) - "Vibing this."
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy / Large Music) - "Braulio Motus's remix is the one for me - good bass line and a sleazy vibe."
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) - "The Destronauts Warehouse Mix of 'Till Next' is magic. Love it."
Deron Delgado (Stompy) - "The Braulio Motus mix of 'Till Next' is dope!"
Cadatta (DeepWit / Etoka) - "I like the Destronauts remix … it reminds me of good times from the past."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "A quirky and jacking sound … I like the groove to this."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Great stuff here. From the originals it's 'Eastern Blue Bird' which is the winner, but overall I'm digging Ato Rodriguez's remix of 'Bodyrock' the most. Wicked."
Jero Nougues (Savoir Faire Musique / DeepClass Records) -"Brilliant release. Overall it sounds really good … powerful bass lines and deep synths."
Ben Gomori (Data Transmission) - "Lovely remix from Braulio Motus on 'Till Next' … very smooth."
Radha Kotliarsky (The EDM Network) - "Massive release."
Velanche (Club 91 Radio Show) - "Some pretty solid beats from remixes to originals."
Neil McCall (Spandex Sessions Radio Show) - "Awesome underground sounds."

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Ato Rodriguez - Walking On Dholpur (Handmade Recordings)

Handmade Records has picked up Ato Rodriguez, a new artist from Madrid, Spain. Further fueling an early passion for music from his time spent at a young age enrolled in the conservatory, Ato eventually solidified his interest in electronic music by way of late '90s Madrid clubs. Over a decade of Ato honing his skills behind the decks has informed his very personal production style with clear influences from tried and true North American sounds peaking at the end of the '90s and beginning of the noughties. These moments in time are captured by his blend of house, funk, disco, and electro, all molded to today's pace whether solo or as half of Photone74.

His debut release for the label, "Walking On Dholpur", incorporates NY house hand percussion, deep and dubby techno stabs, guttural bass, and elements of minimal sound design. It's in the short moments of energetic outburst, and in the lead synth keys later introduced, that one of Ato's inspirations -- Danny Tenaglia -- is made ever-so-clear. Braulio Motus, a Filipino-born turned NY and San Fran raver transplant, fattens up Ato's work in his remix, creating a slower, heavier, and more menacing groove. The other original on this release, "Greg Chicago", layers the same note sequence of different instruments on top of each other, all from the starting foundation of a bass line. As the track progresses, it builds with a piano that slowly disappears into a more synthetic lead. It balances out the release with a light playfulness.

Craig Stewart (Montana & Stewart / DCSTrax) - “‘Greg Chicago’ is absolutely stunning … great work!”
Orde Meikle (Slam / Soma) - "Cool grooves."
Tyree Cooper - “‘Greg Chicago’ is hot!”
Spesh (Jondi & Spesh / Loöq Records) - "Solid stuff. I can't wait to hear more from Ato Rodriguez."
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) - "Cool release. The Braulio Motus mix is super deep and dark, and 'Greg Chicago' has a funky old school groove."
Daniel Bortz (Suol) - “The Braulio Motus remix of ‘Walking On Dholpur’ is very nice!”
Stacey Pullen - “Cool … I’ll try out ‘Walking On Dholpur’.”
Nick Warren (Hope Recordings / Way Out West) - “A lovely record … support”
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy Recordings) - “The Braulio Motus remix has a more housey vibe that should warm up floors nicely.”
Adam Collins (Euphoria Records) - “Late night vibe on the Braulio Motus remix.”
DJ Dennis (Selekta Recordings) - “‘Greg Chicago’ is simple, but super powerful … can't wait to drop this one on some heads!”
Louis Hughes (6th Sense Music) - “Nice, moody deep house music here.”
Deron Delgado (Paradise / Stompy) - “This is quality deep house!”
Aldrin (Zouk Club / One With Music) - “Diggin' the deep dubby groove of ‘Walking On Dholpur’.”
Jamie Topham (CDPool, UK) - “Feeling the slower, retro flavor of ‘Greg Chicago’ the most from this release.”
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show, Croatia) - “Solid release … love all three tracks.”
Bobi (City Radio 94.7 FM, Macedonia) - “Delectable slice of deep house coming with a selection of tasty remixes.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.