Reed & Radley - Bongo Lover (Grass Green Recordings)

The latest Grass Green Recordings release is of a style that has traversed from Manhattan to Manchester, from Brooklyn to Bradford - with love. For some mad reason garage, the dominant sound of the buzzy New York and New Jersey scenes, found a willing underground audience in northern England in the early ’90s. Clubs like the Hacienda and Hard Times embraced garage gurus such as Todd Terry and Tony Humphries much like they were their own. Reed & Radley were amongst that crowd, spending many nights lost to the dance floor and many paychecks lost to shrink-wrapped gems on labels like Strictly Rhythm and Easy Street. Now living in New Zealand, the Bongo Lover EP is their tribute to the NY and NJ garage sounds of that day, filtered through the styles and scenes that followed - both of a time and capable of going off like a bang now.

“Keep On” - A motto of the relentless, “Keep On” kicks things off with a crunchy four-to-the-floor beat complimented by skipping snares, hopping hats, and a deep, bubbling bass. The meat of the track is built around smooth pads and an ever-morphing rubbery synth riff which, with some jiggery-pokery of the filter, is eventually set free, sending fizzing, twisted stabs whizzing through the mix. There’s a hint of Wild Pitch about the reversed stabs, rides, and vocal refrain but the complexity of the main refrain and panned toms bring things right up to date.

“Don’t Let Me Down”- Even the most underground dance floors need a piano anthem now and again - here’s one that won’t let them down. Bright, simple chords are underpinned by a bouncing bass, hypnotic Korg organ motif, and cut-up vocal line. If that’s the ‘then,’ the ‘now’ comes direct from a Detroit basement in the form of pitched-down stabs. And it’s all enveloped by a string so warm it could be used to advertise Horlicks.

“Keep On (Shallow Taxi Club Hard Dub)” - What’s a Shallow Taxi Club without a showy driver? This Hard Dub of “Keep On” is an uncompromising and aggressive take from the self-pronounced producer-not-DJ. It’s verging on Mr G-style techno but retains enough swing and bounce to appeal to peak-time, bigger room garage floors.

Inland Knights - “All cuts are strong. Good stuff!”
Paolo Rocco (Real Tone / Klasse) - “Dope music!”
Graeme Park - “Groovy, baby.”
Giom - “Nicely done!”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Pretty cool stuff.”
Spettro - “‘Keep On’ is simply amazing. Full support.”
Nick Holder (DNH Records) - “This is fire!”
Tyler Stadius - “Feeling all three. Great timeless sound.”
Cyclist (Homebreakin / Punchout!) - “Quality stuff!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “This grabbed me as soon as the groove hit, There’s a really infectious feel to this … made me smile right away.”
Sebastian Davidson (Seamless / Night Drive) - “Classic and raw!”
Phonatics (Housesession Records) - “This is sex house!”
Craig Stewart (DCSTrax / Montana & Stewart) - “I’m feeling the original of ‘Keep On’ … those synth stabs are hot!”
Bruce Tantum (Time Out NY / Resident Advisor) - “Three winners! All right up my alley … fantastic, thumping-yet-deep house all around.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “Gorgeous old skool inspired late night gem guaranteed to put a spell on you.”
Black Mighty Wax (Irma Records) - “Reed & Radley show great love for those good ol’ days … house music all night long!”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Darren Clark - Suzy (Grass Green Recordings)

Maybe it’s the fresh air or maybe there’s nothing else to do. Whatever the reason, New Zealand has some serious talent if Grass Green Recordings’ growing roster is anything to go by. After number one Juno releases from Monkey Boots and Shallow Taxi Club, Darren Clark’s debut for the label is another statement of intent. With previous releases on the likes of Them On The Hill, Omi Tutu, and Grooveadelica, Darren has proven himself to be a trusted proponent quality, after hours DJ action. On the Suzy EP one will find three tracks occupying a space of their own between deep house, disco, and Balearic sounds with arrangements built on rock-solid foundations allowing deceptively complex arrangements. Three flavors characterized by judicious layering of sounds and subtle tweaks.

“Suzy”: Like an architect wearing an iPod, this one builds and grooves. With a hypnotic two-note bass line and multiple complementary drum loops, “Suzy” is the track for a floor locked in tighter than a fat man’s belt. Fluttering stabs and washes of sound herald a vocal refrain used so well it never outstays its welcome. And after a pause for breath there’s welcome wonkiness with some woozy synth action. There’s also an instrumental version available in this package for further DJ dalliance.

“Memory Lane”: Balearic bubble bath, this. Like being soothed at sunrise by the seashore after a hard night on the dance floor. All burbling synth lines, groovy effects, and snatches of string, underpinned by shuffling drums full of bongos and cowbells. The trump card is the looped choir vocal, drenched in reverb and drifting in and out of the arrangement from halfway through. Smooth as.

“Shape”: From the sun-kissed to the subterranean, shape is a low-slung head-nodder with more than a hint of Detroit about it. It’s driven by a pulsing, filtered chord, percussive male vocal line, and clever clap programming before crisp 909 hats and a fractured drum loop lift things at midpoint. Clever use of loops, filters, and effects ensure things nod but never plod.

Peter Kruder (Kruder & Dorfmeister) - “‘Suzy’ is hot … I will play this. ‘Memory Lane’ and ‘Shape’ are great as well.”
Nick Warren - “A really lovely release … very cool indeed.”
Tensnake - “Beautiful disco and deep housey vibes.”
CJ Mackintosh - “‘Suzy’ is working!”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Nice to hear a more atmospheric sound with solid rhythms.”
Inland Knights - “Cool EP … ‘Memory Lane’ is my pick.”
Mousse T. - “Very nice.”
Erik Rug - “Cool … will play this ‘Suzy’ track!”
Giom - “Nicely done.”
Rocco (Real Tone / Freerange) - “Nice EP … ‘Memory Lane’ is the kind of music I want to listen to all the time.”
Sarah Favouritizm - “This is wicked!”
Tom Lown - “This is totally lush. ‘Suzy’ and ‘Memory Lane’ are absolute quality … they both build in really nice ways.”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “How I love this release, let me count the ways. Right up my alley.”
Richie Hartness (untitledmusic) - “Epic, buildng, swirling intense mellowness!”
Hippie Torrales - “Nice package. ‘Memory Lane’ is my flavor.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “‘Suzy’ is utterly gorgeous, as is ‘Memory Lane’ … totally up my street. Impressive stuff.”
Vincent Kwok - “Nice deep tracks. ‘Memory Lane’ is great.”
Christos Kedras (Kapa Music) - “Great package … groovy, balearic, and dreamy.”
Velanche (Velanche’s Playtime Radio Show) - “Pretty dope EP; like a slow burn! Really good.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “What an awe-inspiring deep’n’moody late night house gem.”
Ornette (Radial Blur Radio Show) - “Three minutes into the first cut and this is already the best release I’ve heard all week … gorgeous!”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Shallow Taxi Club - Nights Turn Brighter (Grass Green Recordings)

Grass Green Recordings sends another Kiwi-branded transmission of funky four-on-the-floor disco, this time courtesy of Auckland-based producer Shallow Taxi Club. A bit of an enigma, Shallow Taxi Club has absorbed inspiration from years of vintage house music and disco history and locked himself in the studio, never to be seen again. The only evidence of his existence are random sound files send forth to the Grass Green offices, some recent examples contained on this release. With a little help from DJ duo Monkey Boots (who the great Greg Wilson recently referred to as one of his favorite acts of last year) the Nights Turn Brighter EP has been assembled, featuring four meaty cuts ready to (strobe)light up global dance floors.

“Flashback” - Sometimes one needs to sack the subtle and mainline a shot of pure four-to-the-floor adrenaline. Sometimes one needs an anthem. Well, hello “Flashback.” Not so much embracing the ‘90s garage resurgence as bending it over a table and knocking it up, Shallow Taxi Club goes for the jugular. It’s got dynamic drums and a tripped-out arpeggio before a monster ’Haven’t-I-Heard-This-Before’ piano line and rousing vocals signal dance floor delirium. Monster.

“Mark My Words (Monkey Boots Mix)” - Hey, hey they’re the Monkeys, but there’s no monkeying about. The Boots boys hit the spot straight up on their first remix commission with an edgy, epic take on the original. Built on a rock-solid groove, this is the sound of very late night deep disco tomfoolery. Gone is the original vocal and the guitar solo, replaced - at first - with fluttering synth chords and an automated, arpeggiated analogue line. Then a breakdown, a breath or two, and . filtered mayhem. The guitar loop is augmented by the return of the arpeggios and nagging, stabbing chords. A new vocal lifts things even further before a twinkling organ motif, trippy effects, and spacy chords send everyone home happy.

“Mark My Words (Disco Edit)” - One for the swaggers. An infectious guitar groove gets the full Shallow Taxi Club treatment. Some serious additional production spins this track on its head and boots it onto the floor. The pared-back yet ever-building intro doesn’t really suggest what’s coming. Then there’s a sudden, neat drum fill and we’re off. Beefed-up beats and a rolling bass lay the foundation while Rhodes stabs and synth washes add texture and drive before tripped-out brass and a twisted synth line seal the deal. Plus there’s an epic guitar solo and a f*-you vocal. It’s got everything. Like a 2 AM cab ride round the maddest clubland in history.

“Melody Of Creed (Monkey Boots Remix)” - Warm like a good hug, the Monkey Boots mix of “Melody of Creed” is proper smile tackle. Lush pads, smooth washes, and skittering bongos are layered over an old-school bass line before a dreamy, uplifting vocal leaves one feeling, well, a little better about the world. Smooth analog synth stabs lift things further before tricky vocal FX and a dubby acid line leaves everyone snug as a club in a dub.
The track ”Melody Of Creed (Monkey Boots Remix)” is available exclusively from Juno Download as part of the full EP package.

James Curd (Greenskeepers) - “Nice EP!”
Tensnake - “Very nice disco cuts … my favorite is ‘Mark My Words.’”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Beautiful.”
Giom - “The Monkey Boots mix of ‘Mark My Words’ is cool.”
Diz (Vizual, Classic) - “Sexy disco!”
Mousse T. - “Dope!”
Erik Rug - “I’m really digging ‘Flashback’ and ‘Mark My Words’ … cool stuff!”
Vincent Kwok - “I’m really feeling ‘Melody Of Creed.’”
Hippie Torrales - “Great disco feel.”
Jim Stanton (Horse Meat Disco) - “Perfect for the minute, a fresh summer feel. I like this.”
Nick Holder - “I’m digging ‘Flashback.’”
Robbie Hardkiss - “I’m digging the sweet, spacey, soft disco vibe of ‘Melody of Creed.’”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Super funky disco romp … I like the laid back vibe on the Monkey Boots remix. Great mood created.”
Sarah Favouritizm - “Yeah … really cool!”
Tony D’Onghia (Radio Koper-Capodistria) - “I really dig the Monkey Boots remixes … the sound of summer 2013!”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Monkey Boots - Hold Back The Night / Whitworth Strut (Grass Green Recordings)

New Zealand’s Green Grass Recordings welcomes Monkey Boots, a mysterious production duo based in Auckland creating swirling, dramatic disco-inspired house business. This debut single from the combo features a pair of brilliant cuts that fits fabulously in a post-nu-disco world, building snakey, mid-tempo house rhythms under layers of cosmic melody. “Hold Back The Night” uses a chiming guitar loop that’s manipulated to accentuate three sections of the evolving groove. Strong vocal snippets and echoing treatments herald the arrival of a Moog-style bass line that drives the track into peak time territory. Bouncing bongos hold on to the momentum until string stabs punctuate the final hypnotic phase. “Whitworth Strut” was inspired in part by the sounds of the Manchester indie-dance revolution of the late 1980s. It’s based around a lolloping groove tailor-made for those who want to get a swagger on as shiny arpeggiations and a filtered, anthemic synth riff roll over a simple vocal refrain. An ever-building wall of strings, a blunted Rhodes, and a tremelo guitar add to the remarkable concoction. Monkey vibes are definitely in the area.

Nick Warren - “‘Whitworth Strut’ is the one for me. Very cool.”
Djuma Soundsystem - “Two strong Kiwi tracks here.”
Pete Herbert - “Great dance floor tracks … me like!”
DJ Rocca (Ajello) - “Love it!”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Amazing.”
Sleazy McQueen - “Yeah, I’m into it!”
Hippie Torrales - “Nice groove. Laid back and musical.”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Serious stuff here; undeniable grooves and quality new (not ‘nu’) disco. Both tracks simmer, but ‘Whitworth Strut’ slightly edges. Many plays to ensue.”
Gavin Hardkiss (Hawke) - “Hella good!”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - “Two classic-sounding, fun house tracks here.”
Stereo 77 - “Cosmic, mid-tempo scorchers … I love it!”
Will SumSuch (DeepWit / Etoka) - “Really saucy, sleazy, low slung vibes … will support!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Heavyweight mirror ball action.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Outstanding release! Both tracks are absolute bombs and, as a Hacienda regular between ’89 & ’96, I’ve a particular fondness for ‘Whitworth Strut,’ which is a move I did most weekends in my youth wandering down that street. Fantastic stuff all round.”

Additional support from 6th Borough Project, Moodymanc, Erik Rug, Inland Knights, Ben Mono, Makossa & Megablast, Time “Love” Lee, Deadly Sins, Tiago, Eman, Hardway Bros, Dr. Dunks, Flash Atkins, Doc Link, and DJ MFR.

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.