Plimsoll Records is a vinyl-only label created in 2009 as on off-shoot of the highly popular Shoes Edit imprint. Plimsoll specializes in classic tracks rebuilt for futuristically funky dance floors via disco, soul, house, dub, and Afro-Latin rhythms. Space Ranger, Onur Engin, and Kompleks are among those who have contributed to past releases, and this latest issue welcomes the addition of Florida’s rising beat-slinger Stereo 77.
Stereo 77 sprouted forth from central Florida’s vibrant electronic music scene in 1998, launching his popular Filtered Sunshine radio show on broadcast FM in 2004 (and it still goes on today). In the past few years he’s become a prolific rhythm scientist, with previous, well-received EPs on Research Deluxe and remixes for the likes of Tal M. Klein, Empresarios, Quincy Jointz, and Colors Sound System. Stereo 77’s sound is a heavy mix of salsa, Latin funk, and Miami bass influences honed and primed for underground nightclub speakers.
Stereo 77’s Ricanstructions EP is a five track selection based on his self-monikered ‘ricanstruction’ process of remixing. It’s a personal collection of tracks representing Stereo 77’s adoration for the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Puerto Rican salsa and bomba that he grew up listening to, sonically laced with elements of dub, samba, mid-tempo beats, and live instrumentation. The EP’s five tracks make up a building exploration of exotic beats, featuring the Afro-Cuban jazz meets Balearica of “Mi Camino,” “Como Un Payaso" and its combination of Bolero Montuno with a haunting chant based on the Santeria religion, and "Alegria,” which harks back to early Mo’ Wax and Ninja Tune efforts with its heavy vibe, samba vocals, and mashed up elements of Latin funk and disco. Stereo 77’s Ricanstructions EP is indeed a stunning collection of songs destined to turn heads and move feet.
Ohmega Watts - “I love all the joints here as they capture a bit of a straight dance-floor latin vibe, along with breakbeat/hip-hop elements on the drum side of a few tracks. Great work and hats off to Stereo 77.”
All Good Funk Alliance - “Cool jams that will most definitely get some rub.”
Ashley Beedle - “A great EP. Something different! Big support from me.”
Tal M. Klein (Aniligital Music) - “A wonderful release with truly original sounds. My favorite release of the year so far!”
Danny Massure (Spring Strut) - “It’s hard to choose a favorite. They’re all fantastic tracks, as you would expect from Stereo 77.”
Phat Phil Cooper - “A great package… summer vibes a plenty on these tracks.”
Chris Coco (Melodica) - ” Really nice funky stuff here. Great vibes, perfect for the sunny times.”
Psychemagik - “Dope chunky beats and psych-ey Latin tinged breaks, what’s not to like?”
Nickodemus (Turntables On The Hudson) - “Fantastico!”
Also supported by Kid Loco, Rainer Trueby, Tim “Love” Lee, Sleazy McQueen, Faze Action, Makossa & Megablast, Rune Lindbæk, Recloose, Gavin Hardkiss, and Quincy Jointz.
Available now from Groovedis and Juno Records.
Colors Sound System - Director's Cut (Lunatic Jazz) →
Sao Paulo scene staple Colors Sound System is quickly evolving from a floor-rocking DJ duo to a more eclectic, risk-taking production team. Comprised of brothers Jota Wagner and Captain Wander, their tracks not only transmit house music feelings but include doses of funk, indie-rock, and Brazillian rhythms. They refer to themselves as “weird house music composers” as their tracks often veer off into psychedelic, swerving directions. This third release from Colors Sound System on their own Lunatic Jazz label, titled Director’s Cut EP, is no exception.
Two original tracks are present, backed by a corresponding pair of wild remixes. “Road Movement" goes the somewhat Balearic route, featuring organic elements, trippy but melodic guitar work, and high doses of "Brazilians’ confused sense of urban beats" (their words). San Francisco beat burglars Anthony Mansfield and Sneak-E Pete (collectively known as Corsican Brothers) provide the remix, sounding like a bass-heavy stroll through darkened city streets. Equal parts slinky and sleazy, this mid-tempo groove fiend switches unexpectedly from a breakbeat bop to a four-on-the-floor cruise.
The B-side cut, “Steampunk Salvador,” introduces seven minutes of scratchy guitar, swirling hints of surreal sound, and a bit of sixties “Tropicália” feel. Exotic percussion and rhythmic bass hits drive the cut as its strange melodies drift in and out like some dance floor dream. Orlando’s Stereo 77 (Research Deluxe / Plimsoll Records) continues his rising trajectory with a flavorful remix that capitalizes on the original’s tasty percussion by adding heavy broken beats and an infectious latin vibe. The bass is booming here, signaling a hipster conga line to form around the edges of the nightclub.
Ashley Beedle - “‘Road Movement’ original mix is a real beauty. Nice and leftfield!”
James Flavour (Dirt Crew) - “Oh, this is so good! I can’t wait to play that out. This release made my day!”
Mixmaster Morris - “Stereo 77 Ricanstruction … chunky funky!”
Chris Todd (Crazy P / Hot Toddy) - “The Corsican Brothers mix is out there! Unique.”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Musically very good, indeed!”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Yep … the Brazilearic ‘Road Movement’ for me, and also digging the bump of Stereo 77’s take on ‘Steampunk Salvador.’ Sweet!”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - “Four cool tracks. The Corsican Bros remix is my favorite but all are solid.”
Blair Stafford (Straightup Radio) - “Stereo 77 rocks my world. Can’t touch him for remixes. Great Cumbia … vibe right on!”
Velanche (Urban Landscapes Radio Show) - “Really sublime and excellent originals: leftfield, adventurous, and nails it! The remixes are also pretty uncanny.”
DJ Tomas (Friday Night Session Radio Show, SF) - “The grooves are strong as organic coffee on this EP, great mid-tempo bubblers with superb textures and percussion.”
Gavin Hardkiss (Hawke) - “So f**king good!”
Additional support from Rune Lindbæk, Ray Mang, Sleazy McQueen, Makossa & Megablast, Justin Harris (Freaks), Murray Richardson, Johnwaynes, DJ Harri (Sub Club), Recloose, Hardway Bros, Nacho Marco, and Tim “Love” Lee.
Available from Beatport and Juno Download
Ryan Sullivan - Blue Label Series #4 (Eighth Dimension Records) →
For the fourth installment of the Blue Label Series, Eighth Dimension sets its sights on the burgeoning house music scene of South Africa and an accomplished Cape Town-based DJ/producer by the name of Ryan Sullivan. With singles on various labels (including his own Gut Feel imprint) dating back to 2005, and the recent release of his debut artist album No One Will Ever Know (on Triplefire Music), Ryan Sullivan is certainly no stranger to the recording studio or DJ’s playlists. He approached Eighth Dimension with a pair of tough, polished house music tracks that exhibited a unique mix of rhythmic ingenuity and melodic know-how, immediately grabbing the label’s interest. The two tracks, leading off this latest Blue Label Series release, are “MDH" and "The Chase.”
”MDH“‘s opening four-on-the-floor kick drum may seem to signal standard house fare, but the cut quickly opens to a more intriguing tone. Warm, scintillating key pads driven by a reservedly funky bass guitar create a floor-pleasing and hypnotic deep house groove. An echoed, percussive synth line lays out an infectious melody countered by a subtle, but enticing guitar riff. It’s quite masterful how Ryan Sullivan pieced this one together, and his clear, reverb-tinged production assures a huge, wide sound over club systems.
This first track is craftily complimented by “The Chase" which is a building drum work-out featuring intricate percussion over a booming kick. Fuzzy staccato pads increase in volume as the track plays and an eerie bell-like melody chimes overhead. At times things get quite explosive and the synths filter upwards in intensity while still maintaining rhythmic bounce. This one really captured Blue Label Series curator Q-Burns Abstract Message’s attention and has been a major highlight of his recent sets.
"The Chase" has been remixed by renowned Brooklyn-based producer Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) who lent his signature afro-tech fingerprint to the sound. In an ambitious turn, Jaymz also supplied a new spoken vocal part (accented by his rhythmic chant of “chase … chase …”) turning the song into a broken beat-ish reflection on chasing “the illusion of a brighter light.” Swirling keyboard pads and sustained bass notes give extra ‘oomph’ to the cut, kept intact in Jaymz’s accompanying, pared-down Dub version. Up-and-coming Orlando producer Stereo 77 (Research Deluxe / Plimsoll Records) is also on hand for his own version of “The Chase,” focusing on the percussion of the track while bringing the tempo slightly down to that of a tropical tribal dance. Synth sounds and ghostly echoes fly through the sonic field, imagining a careful trespass through the rainforest by torch-light.
"MDH" is also revisited with Toronto’s Iron Horse supplying a sweeping, otherworldly remix. Iron Horse is Marc de Breyne, releasing tracks for his own Pawn Shop Records imprint as well as remixes for a host of others. His version of “MDH” is nearly ten minutes of cosmic bliss, bubbling with spacey synths, ramshackle percussion, ascending layers of bass, and faraway hints of melody and vocal. Iron Horse also treats us to a Drum Mix, which, as you might guess, is a variation that focuses on the thick blanket of percussion that permeates his remix. It’s a wild mixing tool for adventurous DJs, closing out Ryan Sullivan’s varied and energetic contribution to Eighth Dimension’s Blue Label Series.
Pezzner - “The original version of ‘The Chase’ and Iron Horse’s Drums Mix of ‘MDH’ are definitely going to get club plays from me. Haven’t heard stuff this good in a while.”
Tony Humphries - “Different shades of solid deep house music! Full support.”
Glenn Underground - “Very dope and I can move a crowd with the beats alone. Pure hotness.”
Brothers’ Vibe - “Love this release!! Outstanding mixes, great package!”
DJ Rocca (Ajello) - “Iron Horse’s Drum Mix of ‘MDH’ is fantastic.”
Daz-I-Kue (Bugz In the Attic) - “I really like the percussive deepness of ‘The Chase (Stereo 77 Ricanstruction Mix)’.”
Makossa & Megablast - “Excellent. Killer original version of ‘The Chase’ as well as the Jaymz Nylon mixes. Will definitely play.”
Hippie Torrales - “Truly interesting grooves and catchy melodies.”
Jota Wagner (Lunatic Jazz) - “Top stuff. Great remixes but original ‘MDH’ is the best of the pack. Super!”
Will SumSuch - “Fantastic, atmospheric, moody originals, showing some proper production chops. Remixes are all great, too.”
Available now from Beatport.
Cover Art By awareinjustice.com