Spettro and Trent Johnson feat. T-Rent $ - Side by Side / Bring It Back (DingBat Records)

DingBat Records claims to have the “best in baroque funk” but, until now, no one has really been sure what that means. If such a sound actually exists it’s manifested in the new EP from Spettro and Trent Johnson, Side by Side. With past releases between them for the likes of King Street, Bush Records, and Nightshade Music, the veteran Texas house music duo has been making waves with cool dance floor cuts running the gamut from deep house to big room breaks. Joined on this single by the mysterious vocalist T-Rent $ (though you can probably unravel the mystery), Spettro and Trent have busted forth with two totally powerful and effective after hours jams. First off, there’s “Side by Side,” rich in color, mood, and space, moving from dark to light. It’s got all the best elements of deep tech-house with a tribal underbelly. This is followed by “Bring It Back” which is part electro acid robot noise and part tribal hip-house. This is the dirty house sound of the South, ready to bump in the Jeep as well as the club. On the remix tip newcomer Ian Bortolotti, a staple of the mid-west DJ scene and part of the DingBat family, unveils a version of “Bring It Back” that captures the sound of the newborn offspring of a Korg M1 and a TB–303. This mix has a totally different vibe from the original and is something for seedy basement clubs and dark warehouse parties where people like to do bad things. DingBat approved!

Johnny Fiasco - “Slammin’!”
Leigh Morgan (Urban Torque) - “‘Side by Side’ is a quirky little thing. I dig and will play.”
Tyler Stadius - “‘Side By Side’ … always loved that Aphrohead beat!”
Tensnake - “‘Side By Side’ is quite nice!”
Louk (Compulzion / Druck) - “That ‘Bring It Back’ remix is definitely my favorite … Korg M1, 303 vibes, and lovely choir chords a-plenty! Yes, mate!”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Really loving Spettro and Trent Johnson’s recent output and this is no exception. ‘Side By Side’ is huge! I’m really liking the Ian Bortolotti acid remix, too … can’t wait to play these!”
Manuel Sahagun - “Loving it!”
MIke Clark / Agent X (Strictly Beatdown) - “Nice and groovy … I love the energy in ‘Side By Side.’”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “This is a funky sound that’ll make you move.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Cool vibes right across the release here. I’m feeling the stabby ‘Side By Side’ and Ian’s acid tinged remix of ‘Bring It Back,’ but the original ‘Bring It Back’ is the pick for me - quality freaky beats!”
Bogdan Taran (Dance Box Radio Show) - “This reminds a bit of the Spirit Catcher sound … very nice EP.”
Still Rob G (Smoke N Mirrors / Om Records) - “‘Side by Side’ is nice, but I really dig the more eccentric ‘Bring it Back.’ Ian did a nice job combining the acid and garage genres on the remix.”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Spettro & Trent Johnson - Hooked On You / Work For Dubs (Nightshade Music)

Spettro and Trent Johnson, two renowned veterans of the Texas house music scene, have joined forces for the latest release on Nightshade Music, “Hooked On You,” backed by “Work For Dubs.” Spettro’s been known for releases on Bush Recordings and Uniform, as well as collaborative tracks with Alex Clavijo released on King Street Sounds and Boo. Trent Johnson began DJ’ing at legendary clubs Proteus and Ohm in the early ’90s, and released records soon after under the monikers Galaxy 21 and The Disco Kid, pioneering the acid-techno sound of the day. Since 2012 Spettro and Trent have been been crafting everything from deep house to big room breaks, their vision and production experience clicking like a special menthol cigarette. The two tracks on their Nightshade release showcases the deeper side of the duo mixed with a solid, floor-pleasing tech-house drive. “Hooked On You” rolls tightly with processed vocal bits filling the stereo spectrum in a psychedelic fashion as hefty bass lines, percussion embellishments, and reverbed key melodies round things out. A touch on the dark side, the track is perfect for after-hours affairs. “Work For Dubs” lowers the tempo just a tad and presents a slinky groove beneath a meaty analog synth line and a subtle, effected, familiar vocal hook. The breakdown in this one comes with an unexpected surprise for the dance floor, potentially betraying the song’s inspiration … but in quite a good way. Most definitely a top notch package from Nightshade Music and a promising beginning for the duo of Spettro and Trent Johnson.

Tensnake - “‘Work For Dubs’ is nice.”
Robbie Hardkiss - “I love ‘Hooked On You’ … it’s some dirty, spooky, funkin’ house!”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Slinky bass lines and dark synth action throughout … giving these some plays, for sure.”
Asad Rizvi - “I’m feeling ‘Work For Dubs!’”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Pretty cool stuff here.”
Dave Mothersole - “I like ‘Hooked On You.’”
Will SumSuch (DeepWit / Etoka) - “I’m loving the dark atmospheres on both tracks here. Perfect for that late night vibe.”
Alland Byallo - “‘Work For Dubs’ is pretty cool.”
Blacksoul - “This is my favorite release for my sets for some time. Hell yeah!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Cracking vibes! Wicked deepness and rough stab grooves … both tracks are excellent.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “I’m feeling ‘Hooked On You’ … gonna give it a bang!”
Cheets (Global Dance Sessions) - “‘Work For Dubs’ is naughty … love that!”

Available now from Beatport.