Soulspace - Remixes (Wind Horse Records)

Two tracks from Soulspace's brilliant and highly acclaimed self-titled album have received the remix treatment, resulting in a package of compelling collaborations from across India's electronic music sphere. This 2014 album on Wind Horse Records from Soulspace – AKA New Delhi's Vishnu PS – captivated listeners from the worlds of deep house, 'chill out', and abstract electronica and the remixed single also appeals across this spectrum. Soulspace has taken album cuts "C'est La Vie" and "You" and placed them into the hands of a variety of Indian producers, including those working outside of deep house for a more eclectic, 'alternative' direction.

The emotive track "You" receives a trio of versions, led by a gentle downtempo interpretation from Mumbai's Sandunes. The project of Sanaya Ardeshir, Sandunes wraps "You" in complex breakbeat rhythms and clever manipulations of the original's trademark vocal phrase. The Sine Painter (comprised of the Bangalore-based Jayanth Ramachandra) arrives next, giving the track a forlorn four-on-the-four treatment, including echoey plucked melodies for an exotic effect. When Pandas Attack then provide the third remix of "You", enveloping the track in thick pads and chiming tones, as breezy downbeat drums and stereo-swirling vocal snippets combine in a mesmerizing manner.

Soulspace's "C'est La Vie" also receives the remix treatment, earning a pair of pleasantly diverse versions. Bangalore DJ duo Audio Units – familiar to followers of Wind Horse Records – have revealed a lush deep house revision of Soulspace's track. It features a bouncing, buzzy bass line and melodic arpeggiations alongside a flurry of atmospheric treatments. Late night bliss. Rohan Ramanna, known here as ROH, next reinterprets "C'est La Vie" as a cinematic downtempo soundscape, masterfully capturing a dreamy feeling with layers of sparkling sound and an insistent, slow motion rhythm. This one demands to be listened to on headphones.

These remixes of "C'est La Vie" and "You" show Wind Horse Records moving into new and exciting directions while embracing more diverse players in India's burgeoning electronic music scene. Stay tuned for what most certainly will be fascinating developments in the near future.

Laurent Garnier - "The Sandunes remix is great."
Nick Warren - "Great release guys … some very cool mixes here."
Denite (Diynamic / Get Physical) - "The Audio Units remix is the one for me."
Gene Farris - "Great music!"
André Gardeja (Freizeitglauben / Blaq) - "Nice release … deep tunes for chilled moments."
Claes Rosén (Local Talk / Spring Tube) - "Perfect!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Excellent and varied grooves here. It's actually the slower When Pandas Attack remix that's the one for me."
Pumpkin (Jumpsuit Records / Vermin Street) - "Quality!"
Jose Marquez (Tribe Records / Djoon Experience) - "I'm really feeling the Audio Units remix … nice!"
Noel Sanger (Dissident Music / Spinnin) - "Cool remixes."
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "Great work! Always stand out music from Wind Horse."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "The Sine Painter mix is doing it for me … a dreamy and atmospheric feel."
Pathaan (Globetronica) - "Dig!"
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA) - "Amazing stuff all round … music with soul and originality."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "I love everything that Wind Horse Records put out … its always so musically rich and here again its jaw dropping stuff. In particular, the When Pandas Attack remix is brilliant."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Various Artists - 5 Year Anniversary Sampler (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records’ evolution on the world stage never fails to captivate. The label has helped develop India’s many talented resources for export to the outside world while pioneering the deep house movement in its own country with releases, parties, and ground-breaking collaborations. Inspired by his own travels and life on three different continents (South Asia, Europe, and North America), Hamza is the guiding light behind Wind Horse. Hamza’s musical mission has been to seamlessly merge floor-driving house music styles with a reverent helping of more traditional south Asian influences.

Under his vision the label has reached its most important release to date and a comprehensive representation of their progress, the 5 Year Anniversary Sampler. Not just a showcase for the label, the compilation also celebrates the success of Indian producers in achieving a cocktail of world sounds without fully assimilating, keeping with the common thread of a culture that has so much history and such a rich musical heritage. The artists are honoring the same aesthetic and passion as their elders have in their classical, traditional forms of music – the same medium and feel, but with different paints and processes. These are exactly the sort of intangibles that raise labels above the foray of an over-run market place of commodities for sale and grants camps the staying power and weight of a true cultural force.

In five years the label has gone beyond even their highest expectations to reach the level they’re at today. To celebrate, Wind Horse Records has gathered from their full range of music. They go from worldly, in a collaboration of Hamza with celebrated international Danish jazz pianist Niels Ian Doky and renowned Tibetan vocalist Yunchen Lhamo, to other-worldly, with Yidam’s new analog techno alias 5volts; from soulful, in working with DeepWit artist Alvaro Hylander to include the fine track “Change”, to soul-escaping, in the hypnotically deep and atmospheric qualities of Priyesh Patel’s productions; from the ambient “Lonesome Train” by Vinayak A to the ambiance of far out beats by Aman Anand and Soulspace. Staple Wind Horse artists like Kartech and Audio Units are joined by the debut of Mumbai producer Farhan Rahman and the Bangalore-based southern India transplant Stalvart John to hammer in the foundations of the label: a distinctly Indian sound naturally swallowed in deep, tech-house stylings and a knack for harboring an established crew while always introducing new talent.

It’s easy to feel like Wind Horse Records has been blessed in their ability to release music from such a wide range of artists from all corners of the globe, with some folk tale-like stories to prove it. Decidedly capturing and presenting the label’s growth on the 5 Year Anniversary Sampler, supporters and new fans alike can feel confident that there’s even more on the horizon for the next five.

Laurent Garnier - "Some superb tracks in here … great release."
Nick Warren - "Wonderful album from a label to be proud of."
Nick Holder - "Dope!"
Pablo Bolivar (AvantRoots) - "This is very nice."
Jose Marquez (Tribe Records / Djoon Experience) - "Great release with a wide variety of sounds to fill the needs of the dance floor."
Massimiliano Pagliara (Live At Robert Johnson) - "Nice compilation."
Adam Collins (Euphoria Records / Omni A.M.) - "This is a really beautiful collection of music. 'Enlightenment' is unreal. So magical."
Ejaz Ahamed (Pacha Dubai / Disclosure UK) - "I love this release … it's the bomb!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "This compilation demonstrates the variety of the label and is a superb collection of high quality beats. Always a pleasure to listen to and play out."
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "Beautiful music. I look forward to giving these many more listens."
Ivan Garci (Great Stuff / Deepwit) - "Fantastic tracks here … I love it."
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - "Outstanding package. I'm loving the layers and the depth of this entire release. I'm truly enchanted."
Robert Lochmann (Jazzmadass Radio Show) - "This is the sound of the beach in summer 2015."
Jean Jérome (Radio FG) - "Just fantastic … well done."

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Hamza & Audio Units - Chez Guru (Wind Horse Records)

New Delhi’s Wind Horse Records has established itself as an Indian house music staple. As such, collaborations and wonderful guest remixers sometimes just seem to fall into place. These circumstances lead to Hamza and Audio Units linking up during an extended stay while Hamza was on tour, resulting in a week-long studio session that birthed two unexpected but totally organic deep house originals in "Chez Guru" and "La Lune". Likewise, Indian remixer Satya Hinduja crossed paths with Hamza spontaneously in NYC. Meanwhile, Spirit Catcher's introduction to the label as remixers is more deliberately part of an effort by Wind Horse to incorporate more remixers from the west in a two-way global relationship.

Audio Units consists of Bangalore-based brothers Ashwin Baburao (AKA Inferno) and Ashrith Baburao. They've been developing their sound impressively and at a fast pace with previous releases and remixes on the likes of 3am Recordings, Bermudos, and Dutchie Music as well as Wind Horse. The pair have been active for ten years DJ’ing at festivals and venues throughout India, making them some of the top ambassadors for the deep house sound. Wind Horse records owner Hamza's productions have been inspired by his own travels and life on three different continents. These sounds have led to a prolific five years for the Indian producer, with over a hundred recorded tracks, and singles for the likes of legendary German label Kompakt and New York-based deep house imprints King Street, Nite Grooves, and Open Bar Music.

With their backgrounds in mind, the meeting between Audio Units and Hamza is that of two Indian house heavy weights, if not royalty, and the results reflect this. "Chez Guru" gets its title from Ashrith's nickname 'Guru' and the french word for 'in the home of,' basically a stamp for the place of the studio meeting. The vocals are also in French, which somehow always seems to lend an understated cool to any track, but when accompanied by slick productions such as these collaborators' it becomes undeniably clear. The bass sounds are the foundation for "Chez Guru", with two different levels responding to, and sometimes talking over, each other. The pads and key stabs are swirling, funky, and deep as ever except for wild, climatic moments perfectly paced throughout. Hand percussion finishes things off with a NY house style groove.

What "La Lune" doesn't have in backstory, it makes up for in bounce. It is the edgier cousin to "Chez Guru", once again dominated by a wonderfully rich bass sound. The drums are crisp and the highest percussive elements are sharp. A deep, echo-drenched synth line haunts most of the song. Leads and other rhythmic effects are introduced to accent the bass line. Tension is heaviest at the track's two breaking points, both of which the full groove absolutely explodes out of, clearing the way for dancing frenzies.

The Belgian duo of Jean Vanesse and Thomas Sohet, better known as Spirit Catcher, have an impressive production career spanning labels like 20/20 Vision, NRK, and Freerange. Fans of Wind Horse are likely to be familiar with the two, and they look to further connect with their Indian followers on their remix of "Chez Guru". A lot of elements from the original remain, but they are more drawn out in a way that really highlights the funky nature of the song. This is the true magic of remixes, when they exaggerate themes which leave the listener's perception of the original forever changed. Highlighting another exciting aspect of remixes, Satya Hinduja delivers the release's icebreaker when she enters "La Lune" into a totally dreamy state -- a much moodier and completely different direction from the original. Satya is a renaissance woman, combining her passion for music into the roles of composer, film scorer, educator, DJ / promoter, and now deep house and techno producer. She currently splits her time between her home town of Mumbai and New York. While her artistic footprint has evolved from eastern traditional to underground deep house and techno, her spiritual vision is molded by a flawless blend of the two. Her remix is an ethereal evolution of melodies that is sure to send any listener over the moon. It is cinematic and beautiful for any moment, but will likely prove extremely touching in late night DJ sets.

Marques Wyatt - “Tight!”
Miguel Migs - “Some nice sounds.”
Giom - “‘Chez Guru’ is a cool track.”
Inland Knights - “Nice.”
Groove Assassin - “Spirit Catcher mix is heavy!”
Craig Stewart (Montana & Stewart / DCSTrax) - “Original ‘Chez Guru’ mix is one of the best tracks I've heard all year. It really is that good … great work.”
Distant People (SSRadio / Foliage) - “Slamming, bright, and spacey feel … future audio!”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - “Every shade of house and flavor in one package. It doesn't get better than that … fantastic!”
CJ Mackintosh - "'Chez Guru' is working!"
Slok (My Favorite Robot / One Records) - “The Spirit Catcher remix of ‘Chez Guru’ is my favorite, but the original is also great!”
Tom Lown (Savoir Faire / Lost My Dog) - “Some nice tunage here … especially liking the deep spacey vibes on Satya Hinduja remix.”
Carlo Gambino (Midnight Social Recordings / Hot Waves) - “Nice release from Hamza and Audio Units … one of their best to date.”
Grigory Melikhov (Esthetics Records / Minimo Records) - “Amazing, intelligent sound.”
Steve Mill (Madhouse Records / Large Music) - “Who doesn't love a little bit of Spirit Catcher? A great remix of a really excellent original.”
Holosound (CITRIC Recordings) - “‘Chez Guru’ original is probably my favorite although the ‘La Lune’ Satya Hinduja remix is some progressive deepness.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Fabric) - “Another really awesome release on Wind Horse. The two originals are the picks for me -- both oozing quality -- with the cheeky swagger of ‘La Lune’ getting the thumbs-up overall.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - "Killer tunes -- deep, but meaty -- and great remixes. Also, it's dope to hear some great house from India!"
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio Show) - "Man, these guys are doing it right. Great release."

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download .

Various Artists - Wind Horse Sampler 02 (Wind Horse Records)

India’s very own Wind Horse Records gathers five tracks from both familiar label artists and new names for the imprint’s second sampler. Each selection furthers the Wind Horse mission of combining global influences with tech-driven deep house foundations. Listeners wouldn’t be wrong to pick up hints of a cohesive ‘house sound of India,’ with the majority of the producers hailing from the South Asian country.

Kartech’s early keyboard apprenticeship is put to good use on “Samurai Funk” where he shows precision in production technique while practicing restraint, pushing the melodic elements to their limits, but never overboard. “Revolve” trickles like blood, flowing from the deep reservoirs of Llewellyn Hilt’s veins with thick, liquid pads, pulsing techno stabs, and rhythmic staccato tones. Once a nomad who has since found a home within music, Oma bungee jumps into the abyss propelled back by rubbery synths with adrenaline driven bass on “Glass Cliff.” Sleazy lows, percussive ripples, and cosmic synths back the pitched vocals of Bangalore brothers Audio Units and their fine contribution, “Sleep Talkin’.” Having released with labels like Kompakt, King Street, and Nite Grooves, expectations are always high for Hamza who finishes off the release with a wailing piano-filled remix of “Lonesome Beat” by California DJ / producer Sparkinzi.

Together these Indian producers are helping to shape a vibrant deep tech scene that is spreading its sound throughout South Asia and the globe. The artists all started their craft independent of each other but quickly banded together under a common goal to further house music in India. These are the main producers of a scene that is growing swiftly, and Wind Horse Records has created an exceptional snapshot of where things are now with this solid set of ambitious tunes. Dig in.

Nick Warren - “A lovely release … all the tracks are great.”
Giom - “Some really cool tracks here.”
Tensnake - “‘Revolve’ is nice and deep.”
Randall Jones (Audio Therapy / Baroque) - “Excellent compilation. I will play Audio Units’ ‘Sleep Talkin’’ in my sets for sure.”
Inland Knights - “Cool grooves … I’ll play it for sure.”
Steve Mill (Madhouse Records / Large Music) - “Hamza’s remix has the soul and groove that I like for my summer nights.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Another sterling release from Wind Horse … wicked.”
Pete Moss - “Killer release!”
Nick Holder - “Nice and deep!”
Hippie Torrales - “Real smooth grooves.”
Jaymz Nylon - “A nice ride.”
Tyler Stadius - “Super nice groovy tunes as expected from Wind Horse.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “Hamza knocks it out of the park … home run!”
Bruno Lepretre (Ibiza Global Radio) - “Great deep house music.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “Full of dreamy sounds … fantastic, euphoric, and uplifting.”
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - “I’m feeling this package so much … full of quality, classy, deep house sounds. Perfect for the summer season.”
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio Show) - “Hot damm. Wind Horse continues to impress me. If this is just a sample, then I definitely want to taste more.”
DJ Naz (Buddha Bar) - “I absolutely love this new wave of Indian house. Clean and elegant, with enough melody and drive, it will sound great in many scenarios and I can definitely see it capturing many sunsets around the world.”

Available now from Juno Download and Traxsource.