Asvajit - Wait A Minute (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records serves as a champion of India’s many talented resources for export to the outside world, all the while pioneering the deep house movement in its own country with releases, parties, and ground-breaking collaborations. Their newest release sees the label pairing up with an artist not far removed from India and of a similar mindset. Asvajit, a hardworking producer, label owner, and party thrower from Sri Lanka, has made a name for himself in and outside of his country through the always quality Bang Bang collective events and Jambutek Recordings platform which mirrors its independent underground artists. As a producer he has seen success molding the dub, house, and techno sounds to his own sensibilities, releasing on an assortment of international labels. Asvajit has received a global reception often proceeded by acclaim, like with his underground steamrolling collaboration with Soul Phiction, "Waran Dub".

Asvajit's take on the world-influenced deep house and tech sensibilities Wind Horse has defined itself by comes in chunky form. "Wait A Minute" places exotic leads, percussion, and ambience over a punchy groove, then shakes it up with nu-disco flair. It comes with all the bells and whistles, but heavy with tech upgrades. Its companion track, "Laptodyctalycus", also features a powerful backbone in the kick and bass departments and makes for a more emotionally charged and somber piece melodically. It contrasts the natural world of bird song with glitchy synthesized sounds to provide a lush landscape that can't be completely traversed with just one listen.

As is part of Wind Horse's charm, the cast of remixers is carefully crafted from all corners of the world. Steve Mill is a Greek-born Londoner with the backing of New Jersey's house master Kerri Chandler as part of the Madhouse Records family. To have that kind of pillar in support is a stamp of the highest 'house scene' approval and Mill's remix of "Wait A Minute" shows it. Made to dance, it features body-jacking snares, a full-bodied bass line, and plenty of mentally stimulating pops and clicks. In another flawless reworking of the source material, California's Sparkinzi turns "Laptodyctalycus" into a mesmerizing labyrinth of pianos and pads that winds itself into a deep acid trip. Finally, the trans-dimensional Indian artist Aaryan puts his vision to work creating an equally hypnotic and orchestrally rich rendition of "Laptodyctalycus”. All of this makes for another Wind Horse Records release for the ages.

Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) - “‘Wait A Minute’ has that bounce…”
Hollis P Monroe - "The original and Aaryan's remix do it for me."
Darin Epsilon (Perfecto / Baroque) - "Good remixes here by Steve Mill and Sparkinzi."
Jay West (Candy Music / Off Recordings) - “Steve Mill nailed it!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Fabric) - “I’m loving this … both originals sparkle with high-end deepness and wicked bass vibes, but Sparkinzi turns in the cut for me here. I love the flow and acid elements … superb stuff.”
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) - “Aaryan’s remix is a smooth, tropical dream.”
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy / Large Music) - “He smashed the groove on ‘Wait A Minute’ with super chunky production. I like Steve Mill’s different remix vibe too … good stuff!”
Distant People (SSRadio / Foliage) - “Steve Mill remix of ‘Wait A Minute’ has a nice elastic bass line … funky and deep.”
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse / Various Club) - “Tracks that take you on a ride. Asvajit has a unique arrangement style all to his own … dig it.”
Kohra (Qilla Records / Sui Generiz) - “Nice work from Asvajit here … I’m also digging Aaryan's deep interpretation!”
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) - “Sparkinzi's Deep Tech Soul Remix of ‘Laptodyctalycus’ stands out, but love original too.”
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - “Another excellent release from Wind Horse! Pure class.”
Adnan Sharif (D-Edge / PR2 Recordings) - "Deep feelings for that dance floor."
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The original mix of ‘Wait a Minute’ is killer … I love the subtle use of Asian samples.”
xyddhartha (Digital Gathering Radio Show, India) - “Wind Horse Records is turning into one of my favorite Indian labels … such variety of vibes.”
Jamie Topham (CD Pool) - “Once again the quality shines through on a Wind Horse release. Asjavit and company provide a five-some of lush deep / tech sounds.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "What else? The evergreen sound of acid, of course, Sparkinzi's Deep Tech Soul Remix of 'Laptodyctalycus' is more juicy than an orange!"
Kadabra (House Hookup Radio Show) - “Wind Horse has finished 2014 incredibly strong. I love the deep acid groove of Sparkinzi’s mix.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Various Artists - Wind Horse Sampler 02 (Wind Horse Records)

India’s very own Wind Horse Records gathers five tracks from both familiar label artists and new names for the imprint’s second sampler. Each selection furthers the Wind Horse mission of combining global influences with tech-driven deep house foundations. Listeners wouldn’t be wrong to pick up hints of a cohesive ‘house sound of India,’ with the majority of the producers hailing from the South Asian country.

Kartech’s early keyboard apprenticeship is put to good use on “Samurai Funk” where he shows precision in production technique while practicing restraint, pushing the melodic elements to their limits, but never overboard. “Revolve” trickles like blood, flowing from the deep reservoirs of Llewellyn Hilt’s veins with thick, liquid pads, pulsing techno stabs, and rhythmic staccato tones. Once a nomad who has since found a home within music, Oma bungee jumps into the abyss propelled back by rubbery synths with adrenaline driven bass on “Glass Cliff.” Sleazy lows, percussive ripples, and cosmic synths back the pitched vocals of Bangalore brothers Audio Units and their fine contribution, “Sleep Talkin’.” Having released with labels like Kompakt, King Street, and Nite Grooves, expectations are always high for Hamza who finishes off the release with a wailing piano-filled remix of “Lonesome Beat” by California DJ / producer Sparkinzi.

Together these Indian producers are helping to shape a vibrant deep tech scene that is spreading its sound throughout South Asia and the globe. The artists all started their craft independent of each other but quickly banded together under a common goal to further house music in India. These are the main producers of a scene that is growing swiftly, and Wind Horse Records has created an exceptional snapshot of where things are now with this solid set of ambitious tunes. Dig in.

Nick Warren - “A lovely release … all the tracks are great.”
Giom - “Some really cool tracks here.”
Tensnake - “‘Revolve’ is nice and deep.”
Randall Jones (Audio Therapy / Baroque) - “Excellent compilation. I will play Audio Units’ ‘Sleep Talkin’’ in my sets for sure.”
Inland Knights - “Cool grooves … I’ll play it for sure.”
Steve Mill (Madhouse Records / Large Music) - “Hamza’s remix has the soul and groove that I like for my summer nights.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Another sterling release from Wind Horse … wicked.”
Pete Moss - “Killer release!”
Nick Holder - “Nice and deep!”
Hippie Torrales - “Real smooth grooves.”
Jaymz Nylon - “A nice ride.”
Tyler Stadius - “Super nice groovy tunes as expected from Wind Horse.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “Hamza knocks it out of the park … home run!”
Bruno Lepretre (Ibiza Global Radio) - “Great deep house music.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “Full of dreamy sounds … fantastic, euphoric, and uplifting.”
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - “I’m feeling this package so much … full of quality, classy, deep house sounds. Perfect for the summer season.”
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio Show) - “Hot damm. Wind Horse continues to impress me. If this is just a sample, then I definitely want to taste more.”
DJ Naz (Buddha Bar) - “I absolutely love this new wave of Indian house. Clean and elegant, with enough melody and drive, it will sound great in many scenarios and I can definitely see it capturing many sunsets around the world.”

Available now from Juno Download and Traxsource.

Sulli & 5657 feat. The Skatt Bros - Walk the Night Remixes (Hype & Soul Recordings)

Hot on the heels of Hype & Soul Recordings’ well received single from Jeromy Nail comes a special sonic surprise for dance music denizens high and low. After months of detective work and negotiation, Hype & Soul forged a relationship with Richie Fontana, one of the last remaining members of renowned disco-era act The Skatt Bros, and were granted permission to release this updated version of the classic track “Walk The Night.” This is one of those cool cuts that gets nods of recognition whenever it’s heard; a slinky, dark groove with rousing vocals, hefty guitar, and serious late night appeal. Hype & Soul’s in-house production team Sulli & 5657 boldly tackle to tune with an aim to bring it to underground house music dance floors, full stop. While keeping the original vibe intact, S&5’s version pumps up the BPM and layers a stronger kick under some snappy house music rhythms making for an effective peak time version. For a take that’s closer to the original, look no further than Rong Music’s NYC disco champion DJ Spun. Spun’s Disco Edit is just that, elongating the intro and outro and keeping the depraved low slung vibe of “Walk The Night” in place. For a more mangled treatment, Spun also presents his Rong Music Distorto Mix which dubs out the original adding heaps of low end and an electric, gritty feel. Prime after hours basement tackle, here. San Francisco bay area DJ/producer Sparkinzi (Selekta Recordings) is on hand for a dubbed-out driving house music version in a Sound Factory-esque dark room vibe. Deep house elements share the stage with thick drums and a pounding bass line making for a definite DJ set enhancer. Philadelphia’s DJ Dennis, proprietor of Selekta Recordings, also tackles “Walk The Night” with big house music energy in his sights. Like Sulli & 5657, Dennis uses the vocal, surrounding it with beefier house music rhythms and a rolling, solid low end to update the cut for today’s nightclub speakers. Finally, TekFreaks are a duo based in San Francisco but also frequent inhabitants of Burning Man’s Black Rock City. They take the jam onto the playa and hang it outside during a sandstorm resulting in a ragged-edged electro rumbler that shows elements of the original now ordained with pink fur boots and giant steam punk goggles. All in all, these six tracks make up a diverse and exciting package that confidently thrusts The Skatt Bros into the year 2012.

Nick Warren - “Wonderful stuff. Spun’s disco edit is like the `glitter band on E.”
Ewan Pearson - “It’s such a classic - so it’s Spun’s Disco edit for me here.”
Justin Robertson - “The DJ Spun edit is top revival pressure. I’ve been playing this a lot again recently.”
Jim Stanton (Horse Meat Disco) - “At last someone who knows what they’re doing with an untouchable record like this! Bravo SPUN on his disco edit and dark dubby thing. 5 stars!”
Mark Farina - “Great. Classic tune.”
Phat Phil Cooper - “Great, loved the original … nice freshen up of the classic track.”
Chris Duckenfield - “Spun manfully handles this big beast!”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Major release! DJ Spun’s edit is my fave, and the Sparkinzi mix is very good, too.”
JD Twitch (Optimo) - “All time classic that I feared was untouchable but some nice reworks here.”
OOFT! - “Spun’s Disco Edit will come in handy for sure. Also digging the Sparkinzi remix - big house!”
DJ Rocca (Ajello) - “Great remix package on this timeless classic.”
Cosmo Vitelli - “This is forever in my box. The 2 Spun remixes/edits will be very useful.”
Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - “At first we thought ‘oh no- you just can’t!’ A few listens to both of Spun’s mixes changed that. True to the original - this is the key. Also, Tekfreaks make a valiant effort to modernise the sound.”
DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory) - “I loved and played the original version to bits, but the DJ Spun mixes, and the DJ Sulli & 5657 mix, and the excellent breakbeat mix from Sparkinzi are all adding something fresh to the old classic. Top stuff!”
Michael Stukes (Mystic Vybes Radio Show) - “This is how you revisit a classic!”

Additional support from Rayko, Robin Lee (Faze Action), Sleazy McQueen, Dirt Crew, Tiago, Justin Harris (Freaks), Gavin Hardkiss, Social Disco Club, DJ Schwa (Shades Of Gray), Makossa & Megablast, Eric Duncan (Still Going), Stereo 77, Nico De Ceglia, Jota Wagner (Colors Sound System), Rick Preston, and Psychemagik.

Available now from Beatport.