Knoe1 - Deep Nation EP (Life Music)

Los Angeles warehouse DJ veteran Jason Blakemore relaunched his seminal Life Music label over a year ago. It's acknowledged as having helped document the California house music sound alongside his other label ventures, Bassex Records and Fiveleg. Blakemore knows his stuff; he started as a DJ in Los Angeles’ then-burgeoning scene as early as 1992 and has been a fixture of the North American house music family since.

Admittedly a product of those very same late night underground warehouse parties in L.A., Knoe1 makes tracks directly for use on their dance floors, delivering the latest offering for Life Music in the form of his debut EP. The Southern California resident and artist has over a decade of DJing under his belt as well as previous productions made up of remixes for labels like Smash Hit Music and Rong.

His Deep Nation EP starts from the top with the title track's driving bass line and propelling rhythm before introducing winding acid notes run through the filter, bright ambient pads, and cutting strings. "Housedrumbreaka" follows with initially misleading disco hand percussion which gives way to sick and twisted electro acid, making this the release's most devastating cut. A similar groove takes place on "Never Gunna Leave You", but this time the other elements remain within the disco umbrella, especially the pumping bass. The rhythmic guitars and vocal give off a Western attitude though, albeit fitting when considering the outlaw nature behind the best parties and music.

DJ Sneak - “Super jackin' mode.”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe / Treehouse Muzique) - “Yay for ‘Never Gunna Leave You’.”
Diz (Iz & Diz / Vizual Recordings) - “Deep!”
Jacques Renault (Runaway / On The Prowl) - “Sounding good … going to test them out for sure.”
Tensnake - "Cool stuff."
Chris Fortier (Fade / Mindwarp) - “I like ‘Deep Nation'.”
Danny Ward (Moodymanc / Dubble D) - “‘Never Gunna Leave You’ has the funk for me.”
Severino (HorseMeatDisco / Dalston Superstore) - “Oh yeah, love it.”
Hard Ton (Gigolo / Permanent Vacation) - “Loving ‘Housedrumbreaka’ and its acid touch.”
Jason Hodges (Sampled Recordings / APT) - “So dope!”
Distant People (SSRadio / Foliage) - “‘Never Gunna Leave You’ is a nice twist on a disco vibe.”
Thomas PM (Ubiquity Records) - “Very nice work on these! I’m a huge fan of Knoe1!”
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse / Various Club) - “Really solid west coast-inspired house music with an old school feel … funky and effective.”
Fine Cut Bodies (Chi Recordings / MR2 Hungarian National Radio) - “I love the rolling acid vibes on ‘Housedrumbreaka'.”
The Zars (Till2012 Records / Progrezo Records) - “Good pack of sweaty house tracks.”
Chris Harris (Tronicsole / Nordic Trax) - “I really like the spaced out disco of ‘Deep Nation'!”
Amit Shoham (Tarantic / Noice! Show) - “These sounds are clearly steeped in the history of house music and yet still fresh for today … I love it!.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Various Artists - The Remixes Vol. 1 (Whiskey Pickle)

The concept behind The Remixes Vol. 1 is simple: take some tunes that mostly did not have remixes on the official release and enlist some high profile talent to put their special stamp on them -- and that's exactly what's happening here. Bundled with the premiere of Whiskey Pickle's brand new logo redesigned by Austin artist Mez-One (of The Royal Mark Makers and TITS Crew), this pack has the label family brimming with excitement.

Up first, Sixth Avenue Express takes on the mighty "Nu Funk" by Abstrakt Audio. He twists the hypnotic swirl of the original into a slick lounge affair that features a gorgeous, roof-raising breakdown. Making his second appearance on WP, Dallas based producer Redsean utterly destroys "Does She Want You Now" by Zack Highwire in the best possible way, churning out some mean dance floor revenge. Cosmic funksters The New Black sought the expertise of The Dead Rose Music Company to beef up their "Stone Cold Groove" with some shuffling percussion and a Moog bass line that would make Bernie Worrell proud.

On the flip-side, label founder Adam Warped dons his Johnny Blackouts guise and bucks all convention by taking "I'm A Freak" into Nordic-house territory. Jason Blakemore, formerly known as DJ Trance, injects Zack Highwire's "Mind, Hearts, Lies" with a classic analogue kick that just won't quit. Titled the Lurky Dub, it's just that: deep, brooding, and seriously dubbed out, sure to leave listeners stuck in the groove and eager to move. Lastly, Austin, TX, mainstay Keine Moniker puts "Traps" by P-Rez in a blender filled with heavy Rhodes chords and a rolling bass, pouring out smooth deepness on his Jazzme Edit. He's had a busy year with heavily lauded releases on Cream Couture, Bush Records, Dead Funk Music, and StayFly Records. His remix shows why, taking the original to a whole new time and place. 

Mark Farina - “This is nice!”
Sleazy McQueen - “A really diverse package … I’m sure I’ll fit a few of these in.”
Robbie Hardkiss - “Stone cold groovy.”
Irregular Disco Workers (Disco Volante) - “The Dead Rose Music Company do the job!”
Hippie Torrales - “A nice package of diverse tunes.”
Alkalino (Estimativa / Audaz Recordings) - “The Sixth Avenue Express remix for Abstrakt Audio is my pick.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Fabric) - “Cracking beats from one of my favorite labels … all tracks here are top notch. Reckon I’ll pour me a quick Famous Grouse over ice to mark the occasion.”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - “The Dead Rose Music Company remix is terrific! I can’t wait to test drive it tonight.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Funky and chunky vibes … real nice.”
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - “Stellar pack. The Sixth Avenue Express Remix is tremendous.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “One of the best labels around in the world at the moment! This package of remixes is awesome.”
Corbin Dooley (Electric Feel Radio Show) - “A great compilation of funky selections … big support!”
Mygaff (Play FM Dublin) - “I honestly don’t know which track stands out more on this album, as like a good team they stand out together. I’ll play them all and let the listeners decide!”
Chris Keys (Another Night On Earth Blog) - “Top marks to The Dead Rose Music Company … that’s gonna light up some dancefloors.”
Black Alley (In Control Radio Show) - “What’s not to like here? Go and play ’em out!”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

DOOD - Hypnotik (Life Music)

Los Angeles warehouse DJ legend Jason Blakemore has relaunched his seminal Life Music label which helped document the California house music sound along with his other label ventures, Bassex Records and Fiveleg. Blakemore knows his stuff; he started DJ’ing in Los Angeles’ then-burgeoning scene as early as 1992 and has been a fixture of the North American house music family since.

This new Life Music offering involves the mysterious producer who simply goes by DOOD. Blakemore first noticed DOOD several years ago, as the young producer would usually be found sitting outside the entrance of some of the biggest ‘rave’ parties (perhaps too broke to get in?) furiously working on a rudimentary hardware sequencer or outdated laptop. After seeing this person dozens of times before and after parties, Blakemore decided to investigate. He found that DOOD was actually creating tracks inspired by the sounds floating out into the parking lots of these events, and had amassed quite a bit of releasable material.

As can be expected from this story, DOOD’s tracks are outwardly inspired by the sounds of the downtown Los Angeles underground scene. The sweatier sets of regular L.A. players like Doc Martin, Wicked’s Garth, and even Blakemore himself seem to figure into DOOD’s cool sound. The cut “Hypnotik” gets a few rubs here, including fellow warehouse denizen Knoe1’s Acid House Mix featuring an appropriately out-of-control 303, a slinky bass-heavy version from Austin duo Estupidos Borachos (of the Whiskey Pickle label), and a solid, dubby after-hours Lurky Dub courtesy of Jason Blakemore himself. As a bonus, there’s also “Vision Impaired” from DOOD, showcasing his in-the-red, fog machine drenched L.A. techno sound. These cuts are tailor-made with the west coast warehouse in mind; heavy dance floor movers and head shakers for the craziest of the crazies. The general public need not apply.

Luke Solomon - “I’m loving this loads.”
Alexander Robotnick - “I like Knoe1’s Acid House Mix and ‘Vision Impaired.’”
Dr. Dunks (Still Going / Rub-n-Tug) - “Love it!”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Mad stuff here.”
Orde Meikle (Slam / Soma) - “Nice tunes … road testing this over the weekend.”
Bear Who? - “‘Vision Impaired’ is sick!”
Cosmo Vitelli - “I like Jason Blakemore’s dub.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “I love_Knoe1’s Acid House Mix_ as well as Jason Blakemore’s dub. Good stuff here for sure.”
W. Jeremy (House of Stank) - “The whole release is sick! Jason Blakemore’s Lurky Dub definitely a killer track.”
Tyler Stadius - “I love Knoe1’s Acid House Mix!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Strong bass-heavy grooves here. The Knoe1 and Estupidos Borachos mixes working best for me.”
Louis Hughes (6th Sense Music) - “This is nice for those twisted moments!”
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle) - “Knoe1’s Acid House Mix has been slaying my dance floors. Stoked for the return of Life Music!”
Raymundo Rodriguez - “Strong vibes!”
[sic] (mu-sic / Fnoob Radio) - “Great release but it’s Knoe1’s Acid House Mix that is the shining light here. Lovely momentum and a really good crossover vibe that will appeal to those who like to play slightly more twisted deep house.”
Iain Rejekt (The Rejekts) - “Love it … aciiiiiid!”

Available now from Beatport.

DOOD - I'm Gone EP (Fiveleg)

Fiveleg Records is the third label in the illustrious career of Los Angeles DJ legend Jason Blakemore. Bassex Records in the 90s and Life Music in the 00s both helped document the California house music sound for their respective decades, and now Fiveleg aims to do the same for the 10s. Blakemore knows his stuff; he started DJ’ing in Los Angeles’ then-burgeoning scene as early as 1992 and has been a fixture of the North American house music family since.

Fiveleg’s latest release introduces an interesting discovery: the mysterious producer who simply goes by DOOD. Blakemore first noticed DOOD several years ago, as the young producer would usually be found sitting outside the entrance of some of the biggest ‘rave’ parties (perhaps too broke to get in?) furiously working on a rudimentary hardware sequencer or outdated laptop. After seeing this person dozens of times before and after parties, Blakemore decided to investigate. He found that DOOD was actually creating tracks inspired by the sounds floating out into the parking lots of these events, and had amassed quite a bit of releasable material.

As can be expected from this story, DOOD’s tracks are outwardly inspired by the sounds of the downtown Los Angeles underground scene. The sweatier sets of regular L.A. players like Doc Martin, Wicked’s Garth, and even Blakemore himself seem to figure into DOOD’s cool sound. There’s “I’m Gone,” a totally trippy west coast nightclub excursion filled with effected percussion, squelchy bass, and dramatic build-ups. “Backbay Dub" and "Backbay Tech" both feature ominous late-night vibrations with a prominent dubby techno backbone. "Felinta" gets a tad funkier, as a rolling bass line and a sharp snare point the way to the dance floor. On the remix front there are two versions of "I’m Gone" … Blakemore himself provides a shuffling dub while L.A.-via-midwest duo Power PC create a bit of a Plastikman-inspired version with analog gear and drum machines powering the drive. These cuts are tailor-made with the west coast warehouse in mind; heavy dance floor movers and head shakers for the craziest of the crazies. The general public need not apply.

Orde Meikle (Slam) - “Cool EP … will spin!”
Andrew Grant (Circoloco / Barraca Music) - “Bumping!”
Tyler Stadius - “Cool tracks. Not easy to hear something a little different these days, but this release pulls it off.”
Cheets (Global Dance Sessions) - “Loving ‘Im Gone,’ especially the Blakemore Dub. Reminds me of past girl friends - a bit f**ked up and growls a lot. That must be the attraction!”
DK Watts (Short Bus Kids) - “This EP takes me back to the 90s!”
Dean Facer (United Colors Of House) - “Quality release … I’m on this.”
Velanche (Urban Landscapes) - “I’m sold on this; the originals and the remixes are pretty spot on. Very pleasing to my ears and groovy at that!”
Mozaic (Travieso) - “A very welcome flashback.”
SimonG (Deep South Audio) - “Bad boy beats, true house music or at least where it should be coming from; place where the spirit is free. I expect summer madness all over the globe with this!”
Russell Deeks (This Is Why We Dance) - “Clubby techno … three tracks in six mixes with the deep acid sleaze of ‘Backbay Dub’ the standout for me. Some freaky-deeky sounds going on.”
TJ Norris (Resident Advisor/Igloo) - “Dood has a knack for mixing the good stuff into something even a bit more sublime. ‘I’m Gone’ is a trip; fast forward, full speed ahead. Power PC’s mix slows it down, spreads it out, warps the goings-on into something slightly more freaky. When Jason Blakemore is employed to mix the track, keeping everything quite tight and streamline, it comes alive with fat beats and tiny, beveled percussion. It’s insular but somehow works.”

Also supported by Claude Von Stroke, Richie Hawtin, Luciano, and Omid 16B.

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.