Krystian Shek - Best Of FAX +49 - 69 / 450464 (Thai Dust Red)

Frankfurt-based electronic music artist Krystian Shek appeared on the scene in 2003 with his first of three artist albums on the late Pete Namlook’s FAX +49 – 69 / 450464 label. Impressively prolific, other albums appeared on labels such as the Indonesian imprint UTC Wired, Diventa Recordings, and Cold Busted. Since the unfortunate passing of Namlook a few years ago the FAX material has fallen out of print, and Shek has worked to reissue these evocative albums on his own Thai Dust (Red) label. This compilation collects Shek's personal favorite tracks from those albums, highlighting a compositional style that is both melodic and atmospheric but still built upon a rhythmic foundation. Early inspiration from Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre is evident as well as the solid beats of '90s downtempo electronica. These cuts groove as sounds shimmer and float through cerebral layers of synthesized texture. Highlights include the dark and pulsating "Quan", the cinematic "Cherry Girl", and the sci-fi pseudo-soundtrack of "Love Liptease & 808". There's much more to explore here.

Nick Warren - "Amazing work from Krystian. An excellent artist."
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - "Beautiful."
Mojo Rising (Cold Busted) - "Absolutely lovely melodic electronic goodness here. I'm so happy Krystian was able to get this material back into circulation."
Quincy Jointz - Great music. It sounds really good after all these years."
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - "Cinematic, yet groovy at times."
Pathaan (Globetronica) - "A great listen!"
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) - "I love love love all of these!"
MadameFLY (BeatConcious) - "A solid abstract set that celebrates the ominous side of the FAX sound."
DJ Doubles (Freestyle Fusion) - "This is just so beautiful."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "It's a collage of downtempo and slo-mo electronica, and tastes like a bitter sweet dark chocolate."
Diesler (A Little Something Radio) - "I really enjoyed 'Splashin'' … deep."
Clairvo (Tilos Radio, Hungary) - "So glad to hear these melodies and harmonies … they all pet the listener's mind!"

Available now from Bandcamp and Beatport.

Val De Mossa & DJ Gotsoul - Deep Water EP (Thai Dust Red)

Eclectic German label Thai Dust Records reserves its ‘(Red)’ sub-label for their deeper, more chill-oriented work. The Deep Water EP is a deep house production through and through. The background of Krystian Shek, AKA DJ Gotsoul, is definitely beats-oriented with his previous releases on Thai Dust (Black) and a recent downtempo album on the Cold Busted label. For those that remember his club-smasher “Acapulco Nude,” Krystian’s new deep house moniker should come as no surprise … it’s just another step forward in showcasing his diverse capabilities. For this release he has teamed up with German Radio Galaxy host and DJ Val De Mossa as well as regular collaborator Surya, an Argentinian vocalist currently based in Spain.

Starting things off, “Pasadena" is a smooth to swallow - and oh so easy to dance to - deep house pill. The song’s bass has a dark edge to it and is complimented by haunting piano notes that are spectral in nature. Surya delivers a brilliant vocal performance, with a moodiness sure to halt any fans of the lovely Bajka in their tracks. A take-no-prisoners remix comes from BDLX, also known as Krystian’s fellow Cold Busted artist Bahia Deluxe. He rounds the low end into something punchier, turning it into a devastating lead. The other two originals on the release, “La Isla Blanca" and "Senses Of The Islands,” employ islander percussion in evocatively melodic progressions, with the latter being cinematic enough to close the eyes to as the imagination travels far. Just like that, Thai Dust (Red) has an EP on its hands capable moving dance floors in dramatic fashion.

Tony Humphries - “Great deep house tracks!”
Jask (Thaisoul / Soulfuric) - “Love it!”
Hippie Torrales - “‘Senses Of The Islands’ for me … nice mid-tempo groove.”
Vincent Kwok - “Great tracks! I’m loving the vocals on ‘Pasadena.’”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “‘Pasadena’ and ‘Sense of the Islands’ are truly lovely. These will get a lot of summer support from me!”
Sarah Favouritizm (Southport Weekender) - “This is lovely … great voice, too!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “I’m into ‘La Isla Blanca’ .. summer is all over this breezy and driving sound.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Really cool bass-led vibes here … I’m feeling the original ‘Pasadena,’ plus ‘La Isla Blanca,’ the latter being a really cool deep groove with smart keys. Strong EP.”
Igor Marijuan (Ibiza Sonica FM) - “Great stuff.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “Awesome summer vibe on this one!”
Niksa Dragolin (Eurostar Radio, Croatia) - “Hell yeah, this water is really deep! I love ‘Pasadena.’”
Alan Powell (The Midnight Mix on Solar Radio) - “Beautiful selection of deep house grooves with a touch of soul.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “Deep, sexy and truly mesmerizing.”

Available now from Beatport.

Krystian Shek - Destroy & Rebuild V2 (Cold Busted)

The Cold Busted label returns with German producer Krystian Shek for the new album Destroy & Rebuild V2. Krystian appeared on the scene in 2003 with his first of three artist albums on the late Pete Namlook’s FAX +49–69/450464 label. Impressively prolific, other albums appeared on labels such as the Indonesian imprint UTC Wired and Diventa Recordings while singles have found their way onto Berettamusic and previous Cold Busted releases. Destroy & Rebuild V2 takes on world influences matched with sharply percussive downtempo beats. Highlights include the sweet sounds found sifting through the South East Asia-inspired “Soi Honey,” the funky breaks, spaced-out Middle East synth melodies, and grinding bass line that make up “Muammar Al Gaddafi,” and the glitchy acid-tinged “Sunshine." The latter wouldn’t feel out of place as the theme to a dramatic special agent movie scene shot in some exotic location (music licensors for action films take note). A solid collection.

Quincy Jointz (Timewarp Music) - “Fresh beats and fat production with a taste of the golden age of downbeats. Good one.”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - “There are some really cool things happening here … another Cold Busted classic!”
Basement Freaks - “Lovely.”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “The track ‘Sunshine’ rules!”
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show, Germany) - “Some different styles on this one, but all rockin’ fresh with some hip hop feeling.”
Doc Proof (Funkanomics) - “Great chill vibes … I love it.”
DJ Nartak (Nightflight / Klassik Lounge) - “Diverse in style and sound … downtempo as it should be.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The variety here is refreshing. The melodic tracks are beautiful, and the more beat-heavy tracks are bangers!”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) - “Eclectic beats and sounds to astound the senses.”
Marc Lacasse (sHIFT Radio / Jackhouse) - “There are a lot of happy sounds revolving around each track. It’s springtime and these jams will get people in the mood.”
Clairvo (Tilos Radio, Hungary) - “I’m enjoying the fresh sounds and the far east elements.”
DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory / Radio Campus) - “Superb tracks in here … totally up my alley. They are lovely and zany and exotic at times.”

Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop.

Krystian Shek - The Best Of Lounge & Chillout (Thai Dust Red)

German turntablism label Thai Dust Records reserves its ‘(Red)’ sub-label for high quality chill-out, lounge, and downtempo releases. The latest release from this imprint comes from producer Krystian Shek, gathering fifteen tracks from his extensive catalog under the banner of The Best Of Lounge & Chillout. Krystian appeared on the scene in 2003 with his first of three artist albums on the late Pete Namlook’s FAX +49–69/450464 label. Impressively prolific, other albums appeared on labels such as the Indonesian imprint UTC Wired and Diventa Recordings and singles have been released through the likes of Cold Busted and Berettamusic. With so much material to choose from Krystian has assembled a top notch collection of tracks spanning the years, touching on styles from cinematic downtempo to sci-fi trip hop to jazzy lounge beats. Highlights such as “Samarkand,” featuring the lovely vocals of Nina Ramsby, the mid-tempo breaks of “Embassy Ghost,” and the beat-head jazz funk of “Cake Daddy” show the diversity on display in this set. Light up and dig in … this one will keep you swinging.

Kid Loco - “Cool stuff and nice grooves.”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “This is so good.”
Danny Massure (Spring Strut) - “Soulful, groovy, sexy, and musically interesting.”
Stereo 77 - “Fat headphone grooves!”
Mojo Rising (Cold Busted) - “This release is sublime. All the tracks work for me … nice balance between dope beats and harmonic chilled vibes.”
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show, Germany) - “Easy … low and slow … great summer vibes … letz get lazy!”
riccicomoto (Ibiza Global Radio) - “Very nice electronica with a soul-ambience.”
Angelos (Timewarp) - “A great downtempo release!”
Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - “Excellent stuff here. The whole release oozes quality from start to finish. Class.”
DJ Tomas (Friday Night Session, ForwardEver) - “Solidly produced tracks. I like the dub and percussive elements and melodic consistency.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show, UK) - “A totally salubrious set of tunes!”
Sharif Galal (Triple J Radio, Australia) - “Cruisy beats for a lazy afternoon.”

Available now from Beatport.