AM Version - For Our Love (Roam Recordings)

Roam Recordings is bringing another heavy dose of west coast vibes, this time from San Francisco’s Eric Kozak, recording under the name AM Version, with a remix by Black Catalog’s Monty Luke. The For Our Love EP is dirty and moody, crafted in an analog studio with the classic MPC–60 being the center of it all. The title track is reminiscent of a ’90s era basement love song featuring the in-demand and sultry voice of Alona as the object of desire. Monty Luke, a bay area transient and Detroit transplant, provides his Westcoastluvmix which adds bounce to the original with its ‘less is more’ approach and a seductively slinky after-hours feel. The curiously titled “I Called, Isn’t That Enough?” follows … it ebbs and flows, highlighted by a striking bass line and moments of infectious claps and some evocative elements carved straight out of the San Francisco fog. Completing the EP is “Labyrinths And Canals”, a Berlin-inspired piece that starts with a strange interlude before taking a gritty spiral into a synth abyss. The For Our Love EP, issued on vinyl as well as digital formats, has a distinctive range and timeless feel that makes it a release well-suited for DJs of many stripes.

Lars Behrenroth (Deeper Shades of House) - “Nice release … I’m feeling it!”
Alland Byallo - “All about Monty’s remix for me … that cat knows what’s up! Always quality and class.”
Colin Dale (Abstrakt Dance) - “Very cool EP. The track that is touching me the most is ‘I Called, Isn’t That Enough?’ Great sound.”
Robert Owens - “The Monty Luke remix … great track.”
Tensnake - “I like ‘Labyrinths And Canals’.”
Brett Johnson (Bang The Box / Cynosure) - “Oh my God … ‘I Called, Isn’t That Enough?’ is brilliant!”
Adam Shelton (One Records / Visionquest) - “Top release! Very classy. I love the Monty Luke remix and the original of ‘For Our Love’ is great, too!”
Adam Collins (Euphoria / Omni A.M.) - “‘Labyrinths And Canals’ is dreamy with sparkles and flashing lights.”
Giom - “I really like the Monty Luke mix … nicely done.”
Ant Plate (Rhythm Plate / YSE) - “Deep and subby. I like each track equally … all have their own time, style, and qualities, proving diversity works.”
Chris Fortier - “Monty Luke is the man … I’m loving all that he’s touching.”
Hippie Torrales - “Nice, deep groove.”
Kev Obrien (Stranjjur) - “It’s hard to pick a favorite here … a solid EP through and through. Nice one!”
Danny Howells - “I’m loving Monty Luke’s mix.”
Stacey Pullen - “This is cool.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Simply sensational! This is such a brilliant EP, it seems unfair to pick a favorite track. The three originals are all excellent and Monty Luke drops a stellar remix. Just brilliant, simple as that!”
Daz-I-Kue - “Cool stuff. I’m loving the ethereal broken beat styling of ‘I Called, Isn’t That Enough?’”
Christos Kedras (Beat Philosophy / Kapa Music) - “‘For Our Love’ is nice … I’m feeling the old school analog sound.”
Spettro - “I’m loving the Monty Luke remix. Dope beats and the vocal is just right. Full support.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “A moody beauty here from AM Version. I’m loving ‘Labyrinths And Canals.’ Stunning.”
Andrew Duke (In The Mix) - “Deep business that is right up my alley.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “This has a hypnotic funk and power, offering something something mysterious and exceptional.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “The title track is an amazing old school-infused late night gem bringing memories from back in the day.”
Simon Caldwell (Mad Racket) - “Really cool late night soul bumps.”
Jeannie Hopper (Liquid Sound Lounge) - “An ode to the Man Friday vibe … sweet.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Monty Luke - Bomb On Bomb EP (Full Flavor Music)

Detroit’s Monty Luke delivers Full Flavor Music's seventeenth release, the Bomb On Bomb EP. Other than being Carl Craig’s right-hand man at Planet E Communications, Monty Luke has been building quite the reputation lately with solid releases on labels like Planet E, Mothership, and his own Black Catalogue imprint. Monty brings a funky, raw eclectic sound to the techno underground, melding his upfront, cut-up DJ mix style and electrifying presence to dance floors worldwide.The Bomb On Bomb EP consists of three originals that cross the boundaries from acid house to funky techno to four-on-the-floor downtempo. In Monty’s words: “The EP is an experiment in contemporary styles of house music with a couple of tracks that were the House of NOW, or slightly ahead of right now.” “In Love With A Dancer" is the EP’s total driver, with meaty synth stabs, teasing builds, and cleverly processed vocal treatments that scatter thoughout the mix. There’s a sparse Dub of this track as well for an evocative late night DJ tool. “Bomb On Bomb" is a sly combination of classic-sounding acid house keys, pulsating rhythms, and a soulful vocal going on about a sexy lady. "13th City Stranger" is a sleek, downtempo house track and one of the first things Monty recorded after moving to Detroit from San Francisco. The title refers to the fact that Detroit was known at a time as the nation’s 13th largest city. Solid stuff all around from Monty Luke and Full Flavor Music … enjoy!

Stacey Pullen - “Cool vibes on this.”
Colin Dale - “‘In Love With The Dancer’ is my favorite here … a killer that’s right on the money. Will be playing and charting this to death. Support!”
Christian Martin - “‘Bomb On Bomb’ is dope!”
Ewan Pearson - “Love the slow burn of ‘13th City Stranger.’”
Sebastian Doering (Lovebirds) - “Really nice!”
Soul Minority - “Awesome EP, into all tracks here. Quality house music!”
Alland Byallo - “Monty’s the man! A man that’s unstoppable at the moment, at that. Top form here with some old school vibes. Love it!”
Orde Meikle (Slam) - “Will try this out this weekend.”
Jay West - “Lovely motor city flavor here, Will play for sure!”
DJ Schwa (Shades Of Gray) - “‘Bomb on Bomb’ is the BOMB!”
Nick Harris (NRK) - “Wow, serious house music here. This is my kind of stuff. Great energy, pumping and deep.”
Leo Portela - “As soon as I first heard this I found myself immersed in the fantastic, unexpected sound.”
Giom - “The ML Tronik Edit is awesome!”
Neil Quigley - “Excellent EP. Loving the ML Future Dub especially.”
Spettro - “‘Bomb Ob Bomb!’ Bouncy, sexy, driving - hot vocal. Outstanding!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Wow! And again, WOW! This is definitely one of the best releases I’ve received this year, just stunningly good. Everything that is right about electronic music is here.”

Additional support from Dubfire, Luciano, Richie Hawtin, Claude Von Stroke, Groove Armada, Djuma Soundsystem, Chris Fortier, Omid 16B, Onionz, Moodymanc, Chris Carrier, DJ T., Three, Robert Owens, Makossa & Megablast, Pete Moss, Agent X, Benji Candelario, Jota Wagner, DJ Harri, Beg to Differ, Tyler Stadius, Raymundo Rodriguez, and Manuel Sahagun.

Available now from Beatport,

AM/TM - Who's Afraid Of Monty Luke (Aniligital Music) →

AM/TM are San Francisco pro bros Anthony Mansfield and Tal M Klein. “Who’s Afraid Of Monty Luke” is a VERY SERIOUS song Anthony and Tal wrote about their friend Monty Luke who left San Francisco and moved to Detroit so he could live closer to his techno friends and run A&R at Planet-E Communications for someone named Carl Craig who AM/TM think may be related to Carl Cox because they have the same first name. It’s a song about house music, or possibly This Old House, and it might be a tribute to Bob Villa whose last name actually means ‘house’ in Latin. When Monty Luke heard this song he got really scared and locked himself in a dark room which, as his eyes adjusted, he realized was a recording studio. As we all know, the best way to overcome one’s fears is to confront them, and so Monty Luke made a remix for the B-side and submitted it to AM/TM with assurances that he isn’t actually afraid of himself.

Doc Martin - “Freaky deeky work!”
Trevor Jackson (Output / Playgroup) - “The Monty Luke Remix is great.”
Sleazy McQueen (Whiskey Disco / Bear Funk) - “Frighteningly good…”
Joshua Iz (Vizual) - “Seriously … This is dope! Carl Cox or Carl Craig would approve.”
Cosmic Boogie - “Wobbly goodness.”
Three (Hallucination Limited) - “Mr. Mansfield has got the touch these days. The Monty Luke Remix is super good and I will play it a lot.”
Bruce Tantum (Time Out NY) - “Nicely kooky tune from two of my favorite Bay Area producers! I’m loving the toughened-up remix, as well.”
Monsieur Monod (SleazyBeats blog) - “Sterling stuff. The original is incredible and I can’t wait to try it out on a big system.”
Lee Jarvis (MyCuppaT blog) - “Heavy! Will definitely play the original a lot.”
Black Alley (In Control Radio Show) - “Good to see someone putting the fun back into the house.”

Also supported by Maceo Plex, Makossa & Megablast, Richie Hawtin, Onionz, Inland Knights, Horse Meat Disco, Flash Atkins, DJ Sabo, Jota Wagner, and Stereo 77.

Available now from Juno Download, Beatport and Traxsource