Blue Soul - Hedonic Adaption (Aphorism Recordings)

Before relocating to New Zealand, Blue Soul (AKA Scott Boutin) left a mark on the distinctive house music scene in San Francisco. Over 15 years, Blue Soul was found DJ’ing at celebrated SF parties like Sunset Soundsystem Campout and the long-winning Housepitality, and releasing records on his own imprints, Divine Resonance and Aphorism Recordings. Blue Soul’s sound was — and is — an amalgamation of underground dance music styles, incorporating elements of deep house, breakbeat, techno, and disco. In addition to his own labels, over the past 20 years Blue Soul’s releases have appeared on imprints like Roam Recordings, Whiskey Pickle, and 3AM Devices.

Now Blue Soul unleashes a spectacular 8 song album that is an intimate and psychedelic trek through his underground influences. Titled Hedonic Adaptation, the album leans toward analog acid and electro flavors without eschewing the sonic diversity and uplifting melodic sense that Blue Soul is known for. The opening tune, “Juno Communication,” quickly sets the tone. Comprised entirely of sounds sourced from a Juno-106 synthesizer, this breezy tune wouldn’t be out of place on Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series. Another highlight is “The Future We Didn’t Get” — a dancefloor-focused affair, including a disco rhythm, intoxicating synth sequences, and move-inspiring vocal drops. And the album’s title track shows yet another side, immersing the listener in full-on acid electro-techno with groovedelic results. The other tunes continue to deliver electrifying surprises for the headspace — dive deep into Blue Soul’s Hedonic Adaptation.

Piiit (Septante Sept) – “Back to electro funk: Nice!”
DJ H4L 9000 (Excuse Me? Club) – “Great EP! It’s difficult to choose a favorite.”
Gold Code (Omakase) – “Great album, room for all of these tracks in my sets! Favorites are Hedonic Adaptation and Acid Transcendence.”
Jackmaster Flash (Book Called Galanta) – “Each of these describes a certain drama meticulously in their own unique way. The overall sound quality of every song is great.”
Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Haunted folklore is on the way. Acid and Indie slow tempo virus!”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “I’m in love with this!”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel show) – “Music like this is a ray of light right now. I’ll give this some radio play.”
Salah Sadeq (The Crate Radioshow) – “This is brilliant! Love it.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z 95.8, Nuremberg) – “Yummy acid-flavored electro snacks!”
Jon Fugler (XLNT Radio Show) – “Fascinating collection of tracks. Always a pleasure to hear some variety in the tempo ranges.”

Available Now From: Juno Download, Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Blue Soul - Deeper Inside (Roam Recordings)

Scott Boutin aka Blue Soul returns to San Francisco's Roam Recordings with a diverse EP that shows his talent for creating timeless dance music. Great beats, stylish synths, and dreamy soundscapes adorn this release throughout. The title track, "Deeper Inside", is a banging blend of acid and dub elements combined in a way that takes two classic styles and refreshingly makes them new again. "The Wiggle" follows as a sweet, summery downtempo track with whimsical melodies making up a jingle-like feel that could be used to sell you just about anything under the sun. Breakbeat drums cut through and the bass delivers a dynamic funk feel. "1980 Something" is an unassumingly euphoric acid tune with a nod to the sounds of '80s electro, combined in a classic way that would not sound out of place as an underground anthem to some of the more tasteful festivals taking over the music landscape these days. As a special bonus, the Sleight of Hands duo of Phil Collis and DJ M3 bring their different backgrounds to the foreground on this release with their remix of "Deeper Inside." Classical elements provide drama while UK bass breakdowns give it a dance floor edge while space age synth explorations reveal something more rave ready. An exceptional release with many distinct flavors … and fortunately for wax lovers, Roam Recordings will also be issuing this one on 12" vinyl.

Hollis P Monroe - "There is so much to like about these originals … unique and well-done. Great release."
Vanilla Ace - "Cool sounds all round here."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "A really nice warm stash of tunes here … I'm liking all of them."
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - "The title track is cool but I think '1980 Something' is my favorite. Blame the 303."
ALTZ (Altzmusica / DFA) - "I love this deep acid sh%t!"
ROBOT84 (Paper Recordings) - "Brilliant release. Some quality tunes on here. The Sleight of Hands remix is the cut for me, but '1980 Something' is pretty special."
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "Some pretty fun tracks here."
Belabouche (Midnight Riot / DiscoDat) - "Wicked stuff!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Great EP … Sleight Of Hands drop a wicked remix, while the originals are class, '1980 Something' in particular. Top!"
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "I love 'Deeper Inside' … I will play this out right away."
Scheibosan (Shanti Roots) - "I'm liking 'The Wiggle' … good groove."
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA music blog) - "'Deeper Inside' is a slice of techy breaks magic … in fact, every track on this EP is sheer class."
Galen (Pacificsound / Dirtybird) - "Blue Soul rules! Quality goodness every time."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Blue Soul - Sinister Ana / The Menacing (Roam Recordings)

A cornerstone of the Roam Recordings revival, Scott Boutin (aka Blue Soul) is an extremely talented and versatile producer. He has been spotted issuing singles for the likes of Whiskey Pickle, Thoughtless, and 3AM Devices as well as more experimental music under the moniker Archetypewriter. In his previous on Roam, "Summer Trip," Scott showed us his smoother '80s infused house sound. This new EP could not be more different, both tracks are mid-tempo, moody acid techno with a lot of attitude. The name of the first cut, "Sinister Ana," says it all; this track meticulously seeps in with an edgy acid bass line, gothic synths, and Arp synths that take mental prisoners through calculated transmutations. "The Menacing" is also aptly named, beckoning in all its glory with twisted horns and relentless acid notes while at the same time proving damn funky. In fact, both of these tunes maintain an 'evil' edge with grooves sure to creep into the body. This is not an EP for the fainthearted, but instead for those more adventurous DJs and dance floors ... dig in.

Nick Warren (Hope Recordings / Way Out West) - “Two amazing tracks. Well done.”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Deep and dirty!”
Sleazy McQueen - “This sh%t is wild!”
Terry Francis - “‘Sinister Ana’ for me.”
Rodion (Alien Alien) - “Super. Very beautiful stuff indeed.”
Stacey Pullen - “This is cool.”
Chrissy Murderbot (Planet Mu / Loose Squares) - ’Yes! I will play the sh%t out of this.“
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - ”‘Sinister Ana’ is great … totally a slow groover.“
Jarle Bråthen (Full Pupp) - ”Nice feel on ‘Sinister Ana’!“
Irregular Disco Workers (Disco Volante) - ”A really obscure and gothic soundsphere. I like the acid sound of ‘The Menacing’.“
The Zars (Till2012 Records / Progrezo Records) - ”Very cinematographic soundscapes.“
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) - ”‘Sinister Ana’ is brilliant. Great track.“
Tee Cardaci (Low Down Grooves / Sine Qua Non) - ”Mid-tempo acid! A pleasant surprise. ‘The Menacing’ is just that … but a bit playful as well. Trippy!“
Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - ”From the opening squelchy beats it was pretty obvious this was going to be mint. Both cuts are superb … the acid-wiggle of ‘Sinister Ana’, the punchy beats and twisted groove of ‘The Menacing’ – wicked release.“
Danuta Kurkowski (Acid Ted Blog) - ”Dark, pulsating acid techno … fat beats, neurotic synths and all über-danceable."

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Keine Moniker - I'm A Freak (Whiskey Pickle)

Austin transplant Lonnie Burnside aka Keine Moniker swoops in with his debut release for resident dance crusaders, Whiskey Pickle Records. “I’m A Freak” injects a deep and brooding edge not typical of the local imprint, yet keeping with the label’s eclectic and varied tastes.

A chunky bass line and some spooky synth work carry the original cut like a dark horse, riding through the night in search of freaky happenings and freakier company … it’s a freaky, freaky scene, man. Schizophrenic Texan Jake Childs takes a break from the shadowy recesses to snuff out some studio time and offer a truly spine shattering remix. This version could be the soundtrack to Buffalo Bill’s infamous ‘tuck’ scene from Silence of the Lambs had it been shot in a night club versus a fleshy sweatshop.

The flipside showcases a bit of East Coast flavor coupled with some West Coast sounds via a collection of soulful individuals. St. Petersburg, Florida locals No Soul To Sell & Ratzenboeck twist the original into an 808-laden, melancholic masterpiece that features the devilish stylings of Ratzenboeck’s golden fiddle. Bay Area boogieman Blue Soul graces the hallowed grounds of Whiskey Pickle once again with his first appearance on the label since 2009. His time-warped Electrofreq Remix is a fitting addition that pays homage to the freaky progenitors of the electro sound.

Oh, you need a FREAK? Whiskey Pickle’s got ‘em right here!

Ursula 1000 - “H.O.T.”
Alexander Robotnick - “Good!”
Mould (Con+ainer / Tiefblau Records) - “The Jake Childs Remix is epic! And the No Soul To Sell & Ratzenboeck remix is also very trippy.”
Spettro (Crosstown Rebels / Team Records) - “The Jake Childs mix all the way for me. The Blue Soul remix is also very well done.”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “A very good sound!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Get in there! Every track is awesome and, despite being four versions of one track, it sounds like an EP of all different cuts. Wicked stuff .”
Irregular Disco Workers (Disco Volante) - “The original mix is a real dance floor stomper!”
Manuel Sahagun (Candy Music / Drop Music) - “Freaky release!”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - “The No Soul To Sell & Ratzenboeck remix is very cool. I like the cinematic feel of it.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Twisted and rough … I like it.”
Velanche (Velanche’s Playtime Radio Show) - “I like Blue Soul’s ‘Electrofreq’ Remix … funky and very ’80s.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The No Soul To Sell & Ratzenboeck remix is stellar - the string are beautiful and add a layer of complexity to the tune - and Blue Soul’s stripped down, dark electro mix is dope!”
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - “Tight sounds … Jake Childs turns in a perfect mix for the dance floor.”
[sic] (Balls Deep / Fnoob Radio) - “Great original track with good energy and enough drum delays to last a lifetime! The Jake Childs remix gives a slightly darker edge which works really well.”
DJ Lolly (Freek FM / Ruff Diamond) - “Loving the energy of the Blue Soul remix … makes me want to do some popping!”

Available now from Beatport and iTunes.