Various Artists - Neon Grooves (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records is elated to announce a new EP - Neon Grooves. This is the 33rd EP by Wind Horse Records and the inspiration behind it has been taken from a label showcase that happened in Goa in December 2016. In an effort to spread quality house music across India, the label launched a party called the ‘The Wind Horse Experience’ and the ‘Neon Grooves’ edition in Goa was the first time they had organized an event such as this. The label’s party soon became the place for all house music lovers, especially those searching for a more groovy, funky, and ethnic vibe, complimented of course by Goan sunsets and starry nights. Wind Horse were were thrilled to see the reaction of people to their sound given that Goa is more known for a harder vibe. The line up consisted of DJs that have produced music for Wind Horse over the years and a couple of international guests. After the success of ‘Neon Grooves’ Wind Horse decided to make an EP around this party to remember the magical moment and keep the memory alive. The label invited the artists that performed at the party to borrow from the energy cultivated then and create a beautiful journey to embark on the now.


The EP opens with the dutch maestro Thee J Johanz and his remix of “Agama” by Umeme. A real intricate work of art here with its afro vocal vibe weaved into more raw analog elements that evolve and alternate in the midst of a drum-tastic, exotic, and tribal-influenced disco bomb. “Neon Afro” by Hamza goes deeper into the tropics with the thrilling combination of percussion and drums with a sprinkling of sweet melodic uplifting elements, teleporting the listener to a sunny beach. “Khawatta Ceremony” by Farhan Rehman (Mumbai) and Stalvart John (Bangalore) is a bit harder, a bit darker. This synth-track will have the dance floor grooving with its refreshing vocals and echoey chord progressions. “Antares” (also the name of the place Wind Horse hosted Neon Grooves in Goa) by Troja (Mumbai) is a change of tempo with a beautiful, ethereal sort of sound formed by warm Indian ethnic instruments and meditative melodies. Oma (Delhi) turns his track up with “One Shade Brighter”. A happy bouncy bass with solid vocals teleports the listener back to the beach party, but with a deeper edge. “Whisky Flask” by Nigel Perera (Sri Lanka) changes up the beat with a groovy number consisting of beautiful chords and twisted sounds, the perfect beach-side sunset tune. To end the journey, Priyesh Patil (Mumbai) brings “Vagabond” with smooth beats and beautiful sax samples and a deep bass to guide the floor right into the horizon.

Nick Warren (The Soundgarden) – “Cracking EP. Khawatta Ceremony is brilliant!”
Sebastian Voigt (Visionquest) – “Agama - Thee J Johanz Remix is dope!”
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) – “Solid world house grooves. Neon Afro will sound great at pool and beach parties. Can't wait to drop it!”
Tyler Stadius (Dialtone Records) – “Too tough to choose a favorite. Wind Horse never fails to impress. These are real unique beauties!”
Simon Fknhndsm (Radio X 97.7 FM, Reykjavik) – “I really like Whisky Flask, it’s groovy.”
Joey Silvero / Distant People (Soul Elements Radio Show) – “I’m a sucker for a good track with strong percussion and this is wicked.”
DJ eMe (Tunnel FM – Stockholm) – “Outstanding compilation.”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing) – “Sweet blend of worldly sounds and irresistible beats.”
Steve 'Griffo' Griffiths aka F (Freak Da Funk radio show) – “Stand out track for me is the deep, grooving Vagabond.”
Bob Duskis (Six Degrees Records) – “As usual, the folks at Wind Horse have deftly mixed up quality grooves with global textures for a crowd-pleasing sound.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Juno Download, iTunes, And Spotify.

Various Artists - Wind Horse Sampler 6 (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records bursts forth once again with another edition of the Indian deep house label’s yearly sampler series. These samplers have served as an exciting platform for showcasing Wind Horse’s more experimental side and to introduce some new producers that will be working with the label. Wind Horse Sampler 6 features eleven deep and exotic house music tracks from up-and-coming artists hailing from South Asia and around the world.

Most of the sampler’s producers are based across India, as Wind Horse works to discover and expose electronic music from within its home country. But, as the label has an eye on the global house movement, artists from Jamaica (David Marston), Russia (Igor Gonya), South Africa (Master Kenton) and Morocco (Kali G) are also included. Wind Horse aims to cover all points of the globe, to show that forward-thinking electronic music can spring from any city or country, whether from somewhere in India or any other as-yet-revealed locale.

Stalvart John opens the compilation on a thoughtful note with “A Dream I Can’t Remember”, setting the mood for this diverse sampler with an ethereal yet somewhat jazzy soundscape. Then on “Ragamuffin” David Marston blends his deep house proclivity with an Indian influence, introducing a siren-like ‘eastern’ female vocal to the swinging four-on-the-floor beats. Igor Gonya (Lisztomania Records) delivers an old school Chicago-sounding house cut named “Morning Cake And Tea”, featuring enough skippy rhythms and staccato chords to get the nightclub jumping. “Cyclic” is a contribution by Mumbai’s Farhan Rehman, and it’s a rolling house number with floaty keys, vocal hits, and creaking percussion. Master Kenton keeps things firmly in his pocket with the mesmerizing “Brain Waves”, a track that touches the sonic pleasure center using its sublime textures. Next up is Hans Séance with the deep and especially dreamy “Paragon of Virtue”. Warm pads, arpeggiations, and bell-like tones flow steadily above a subdued four-on-the-floor beat.

Folic State moves things into the techno realm with “Mashita” and its echoey synth lines, mysterious spoken samples, and sci-fi atmosphere. The growling tech-house of Bangalore’s Synister whose “Eastern Dream” brings a dark mood utilizing busy percussion, transformed vocal hits, and a prominent low end. Tatsama’s “Empathy” follows, with a taste of the deep, exquisitely layered, and punchy house music that Wind Horse is known for. The ‘dream’ theme is revisited by Tasnneem, who states “It Was All Just A Dream” in her bass-heavy but gentle house music exploration. Finally, Wind Horse Records’ own Kali G tackles Troja’s recent track “Shanti”, going for a dubby treatment that plays with splashes of percussion and echoed instrumentation to create a satisfying aural journey.

Wind Horse Sampler 6 continues the high production quality, ambitious musicality, and deep beats that is the label’s hallmark. The collection sets up the fantastic releases yet to come in the next year, and proves Wind Horse Records is one of the big labels to watch.

Tyler Stadius (Deepsite) – “Classy tracks. Wind Horse always delivers.”
Alexander Robotnick (Hot Elephant Music) – “Some good tracks here.”
Dean Serafini (Frisky Rhythms Radio Show) – “Lots of goodness in this little lot. Ragamuffin sounds particularly alluring. The deep vibe of Brain Waves has also made an instant impression.”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing on WRCT 88.3 FM) – “Deep and creative. I love all of these.”
Robert Lochmann (The Jazzmadass Radio Show – Frankfurt) – “Fantastic Tracks, Fantastic label.”
Deli G (Future Sound Of House radio shows) – “Music for headz with open minds.”
Farhan Rehman (Bombay, India) – “Diverse selections. Loving Ragamuffin & A Dream That I Can’t Remember.”
Deep South Audio (Volcano Radio) – “Such an inspiring collection. Love this labels work.”
Bob Duskis (Six Degrees Records) – “Always happy when there's a new release from Wind Horse. Their music strikes that hard to hit balance between ‘world’ traditions and dance-floor beats.”
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) – “A Dream I Can’t Remember is a perfect fit for my Strange Days show, I love it!”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.

Various Artists - Wind Horse Sampler 5 (Wind Horse Records)

India's Wind Horse Records has unveiled its latest artist compilation focusing on the emerging talent that orbits around the label's sphere. Internationally recognized as a tastemaker of sophisticated deep house styles, often with an exotic worldly twist, Wind Horse and its samplers are often looked to for the discovery of exciting new producers by DJs and punters alike. This latest collection will be no exception as eleven high quality tracks are presented, showcasing the dynamic, well-produced electronic sound that this ambitious label excels at.

Contributions from familiar names from previous Wind Horse releases – such as Soulspace, Vinayak^A, Stalvart John, JFunc, Hamza, and 5volts – confidently sit alongside tracks by newer additions to the roster. Jay Pei, Leon Russell, Doktor Daniel, EJAZ, Subandrio, and Tatsama all give shimmering contributions that provide their introductions to followers of the label.

The swirling deep house of Jay Pei's "Michigan" and Tatsama's "June Bug" accompany techier entries like 5Volts' expansive "Cemani" and EJAZ & Subandrio's "Before the Storm", showing the breadth of the sampler. New tracks by recurring Wind Horse artists – such as Hamza's spacey and thumping "Indigo Activation" and Stalwart John's hypnotic "It's Just A Matter Of Time" – join gems from the catalog that may have been overlooked. Vinayak^A's "Pleading To Be Forgiven" and the ROH remix of Soulspace's "C'est La Vie" are two past Wind Horse highlights that certainly deserve a second listen. Glasgow's JFunc appears as one of the only non-Indian producers on the compilation with the lush and flowing "Ek Sien n' Ses". Doktor Daniel's funky "Prime" and Leon Russell's tough "Reform" round out the sampler … two more cool cuts from seasoned Indian DJs, now ready to infiltrate the world.

With five samplers now under its belt and a wealth of promising music-makers within its family, Wind Horse Records continues the path of being a consistent source of deep house discoveries. Stay tuned to this refreshing New Delhi-based imprint to hear the sonic treasures it has yet to uncover.

Nick Holder - "Dope!"
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "A smooth-as-silk selection from a brilliant label. Lovely!"
Aki Bergen & Richter (Neurotraxx Recordings) - "Nice one."
Denite (Diynamic / Get Physical) - "5volts' 'Cemani' is the one for me."
Marques Wyatt - "Solid!"
Sean Danke (Affin / Dialtone) - "The JFunc track sounds phat. Nice compilation."
Ivan Garci (Vlosfer Records / Deepwit) - "Great tracks here … I love it."
DJ Harri (Sub Club) - "Lots to like here … full support."
Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings) - "A brilliant compilation with some cool tracks … my favorite is 'Ek Sien n'Ses' by JFunc. I love the way it builds … solid, deep, and driving stuff."
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "Excellent release, as expected. There are a couple here I'll play out soon."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Rarely if ever does something this good come in such quantity … truly extraordinary sonic talent. An amazing release once again from this unique label."
Ornette (Radial Blur Radio Show) - "All sorts of awesome all over this sampler. Wind Horse Records is very consistently good!"
Sean-Michael Yoder (Ibiza Voice) - "These Wind Horse samplers are always pure quality."
Matthias Kirsch (JazzRadio 106.8 FM, Berlin) - "Exhilarating, uplifting deep house with twists and turns. Pure delight."
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective) - "Wow … Wind Horse hits a home run. Spot on vibes … brilliantly deep."

Available now from Beatport, Traxsource, and iTunes.

Hamza - Thar (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records returns to the roots of the label with Hamza's worldly new single "Thar". Since founding Wind Horse over six years ago Hamza has released a number of expressive singles for his growing imprint, as well as on the likes of Colour and Pitch, Freizeitglauben Berlin, Grouper, and Savoir Faire Musique. The foundation of Hamza's 'modus operandi' has been the combination of western and eastern sounds, resulting in a timeless melding of deep house with global instrumentation such as those found in his native India. The two originals on this single certainly display this aesthetic, creating dance floor moments with a distinctive amount of depth.

"Thar" is named after a desert in the Rajasthan state of India, known as a place inhabited by gypsies. These same gypsies travelled south to Spain and influenced the flamenco sound, as referenced in the track. Hamza has been playing with Rajasthani gypsy musicians for many years, and "Thar" stands as a shining example of the fusion of their traditional sounds with deep house. Touching on a different spot in the world, the b-side track "Afro Turk" is inspired by Turkey and Hamza's travels to Istanbul. The rhythm maintains an African influence which inspires the title. Exotic instrumentation and intriguing environmental sounds melt over the layers of percussion and low, growling bass line. The gorgeous extended breakdown could soundtrack a leisurely stroll through the famous Grand Bazaar.

The second half of the single presents a trio of fantastic remixes of "Thar" by members of the extended Wind Horse family. Miami's Juan Mejia (Dutchie Music) is first, delivering a cool and bouncy rendition that balances the dramatic strums with gentle piano notes, all underpinned by some serious house beats. The New Delhi-based Oma is next, adding a touch of darkness to the proceedings. A pulsing low end and a clicky rhythm track propel the track's vision as the dream-like sonic space is wrapped in the more exotic textures from the original. Stalvart John, a DJ / producer from Bangalore, closes out the single with a sparse, dubbier treatment of "Thar." Anchored by a crisp four-on-the-floor, this remix is a heady journey, taking the listener to quite a few different places within its hypnotic seven and a half minutes.

Nick Warren - "I love Hamza's original tracks."
Ben Mono (Undertones Gang / Plant Music) - "Huge release."
Marques Wyatt - "I'm digging this."
Benji Candelario - "'Thar' is a funky tune."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "More excellent vibes from Hamza. I'm particularly digging 'Afro Turk' … I love the percussion and the flow. Remix-wise, Stalvart John turns in a cracker, but the whole EP is great overall."
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit) - "Pretty cool original mixes here, and I also like Juan Mejia's more straight forward version."
Dutchican Soul (Strictly Rhythm / Salted Music) - "Cool tracks and remixes!"
Scheibosan (Shanti Roots / FM4) - "Great tracks … I will play them for sure."
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy / Large Music) - "I love the percussion on 'Afro Turk' … this'll sizzle at sunset!"
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "I'm a big fan of the exotic eastern sound and here it's done with such a cool, deep twist. The Oma mix just drives and drives with that bass line … fantastic."
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) - "'Thar' is really something special and will definitely be getting a lot of play from me for quite some time."
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - "Quality release once again on Wind Horse Records. Hamza offers two excellent and truly intriguing mysterious tales. My top pick though is Juan Mejia's remix on 'Thar' … he really managed to enrich the beauty of the track in a whole new level."
Jon Manley (hOUSEwORX) - "Wow, this is superb stuff from Hamza. That breakdown on 'Afro Turk' is stunning. Top marks."
Joshua Jacobs (Music You Need) - "With Middle-Eastern and Asian influences galore, this release makes you feel like you're in the middle of the desert. Groovy, eclectic, and soulful all at once."
DJ Naz (Buddha Bar) - "This release just reminded me why I love this label so much. A return to the melodic warm sound. All the tracks are totally playable and have enough beautiful elements, nice bass lines, strings, and they progress very nicely. Absolutely great!"

Available now from Beatport, Traxsource, and iTunes.