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.

Troja - Shanti (Wind Horse Records)

The latest release from Wind Horse Records dips once again into India’s fertile deep house movement, this time exposing Mumbai-based DJ / producer Troja to an awaiting global audience. The Shanti EP, consisting of three top notch house tracks, should handily further this goal.

“Shanti” leads the three originals on the EP, instantly mesmerizing with its ringing sitars and vocal chants led forward by a heartbeat-like rhythm. Tabla percussion flourishes and chiming synth melodies add to the deep house cut’s eastern appeal. This sound is expanded with “Ghats”, which adds mystical flute lines and churning layers of percussion to the dance floor equation. The track builds to an exotic bounce as plucked strings and a rising synth drone work to charm the listener. “Mantra” features a deeper, punchier rhythm and intriguing vocals of a magical persuasion. The hypnotic combination of the languid bass line and sparse beats make this one an after-hours treat for intimate venues.

Three fantastic remixes compliment Troja’s addictive originals. Berlin duo Gudio Schneider and Daniel Dreier (Highgrade, Moon Harbour) present their ‘Aztecs Explore India’ remix of “Shanti” which blends the original’s textures into a 14 minute masterwork. The voices and instruments fade in and out of the mix while the remixers’ solid house rhythm and melodic arpeggiation lines confidently anchor the production. Wind Horse Records’ own Kali G also tackles “Shanti”, going for a dubbier treatment that plays with splashes of percussion and echoed instrumentation to create a satisfying aural journey. Another duo, Bahrain’s Zone+ & Usif, are on hand for a version of “Ghats” that may be the deepest effort on the EP. Calming key pads and hand-drum heavy beats combine with smooth sub-bass and swelling snatches of the original cut. It’s a lovely remix, showing the depth of deep house through its continuing global exchange of sound and ideas.

Nick Warren (Hope Recordings) – “Bloody wonderful release, very very good!”
Bruno From Ibiza (Ibiza Global Radio) – “Nice ethnic vibes.”
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite) – “Amazing release! I love the out there, unique sounds and feel of these.”
Chris Fortier (Fade / Mindwarp) – “Great remix from Guido Schneider and Daniel Dreier.”
Larry Tee (Carnage Music) – “Really sweet.”
Hippie Torrales (Cyberjamz Radio) – “Digging this groove.”
Dean Serafini (JjazproJect) – “Mantra hits the spot very nicely.”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing) – “Wild, seductive cuts!”
Charl Chaka (Radio 1 Dubai) – “This simply awesome. Perfect for my HOUSEofAFRIKA sets.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On radio show) – “These are beautiful. I love Mantra, Shanti and the Zone + Usif remix of Ghats. I will play them all.”

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