Kartech - House Shift (Wind Horse Records)

Following two previous compilation tracks under his Kartech moniker on Wind Horse Records, Thakur Kartik is now primed to release his debut EP, House Shift. The label is excited to showcase this out-of-the-box deep house producer and mix engineer who has already done much to help shape the Wind Horse sound with his technical knowledge and musical background. Kartech has also proven himself as a talented DJ on the New Delhi scene, and fits right into the Wind Horse Records family as the label continues to push the promising new house music talent of India.

Kartech provides two melodic and provocative deep tech originals for the release. “House Shift” has slight psychedelic accordion-like flurries over warm keys and echoing stabs, all propelled by a rubbery bass line. Light touches of dub effects round the track off nicely. Still undoubtedly deep, “Saturn's Solution” rings true within its minimal electronic groove. A jacking snare cuts through the ebb of synthesizers as the track travels through unchartered sci-fi territory.

Wind Horse enlists three familiar names from the label’s roster to compliment “House Shift” with remixes, a tough task as the original is already impressive. Label owner Hamza gets loopy with the melodies, embellishing the low end through the reverberating vibrations of a fat bass guitar riff. House music soldier Steve Conlan also goes for the funky bass, even further testing the elasticity of the original with plenty of movement. Hailing out of Mumbai with a promisingly mature sound, Priyesh Patil provides the bounciest of the remixes with the use of short, impactful notes, all while maintaining an impressive atmosphere – the Wind Horse signature.

Djuma Soundsystem (Get Physical / Toolroom) - “Quality from India!”
Fabricio Peçanha (Moodmusic / Definition Records) - “Stunning!”
Pete Moss - “Great release. I really like the Priyesh Patil remix.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “Every Wind Horse release has been a burner. This one’s just as hot!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “A really excellent selection of grooves here. ‘Saturn’s Solution’ in particular is superb … I love the effects flowing through the rhythms.”
Tyler Stadius - “Sweet, warm grooves. It’s tough to choose a favorite.”
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy Recordings) - “Damn! ‘Saturn’s Solution’ is frikken’ bad ass! Love it to bits! Very clever musically. The Priyesh Patil mix is also very good.”
Vincent Kwok - “Great deep house!”
Phonatics (Housesession Records) - “So much goodness in this release!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “A fresh, funky feel … strong summer sounds.”
Kenny Substance (Pure Substance / Redflux) - “Another good release from Wind Horse. Both originals are wicked and the remixes are solid, too.”
Kadabra (House Hookup Radio Show) - “Really nice textures, especially ‘Saturn’s Solution’. Just all around great bass lines. Very warm.”
Dean Serafini (JJazproJect) - “Excellent work. Hamza’s mix stands out above the others a little but all sound pretty tasty to me.”
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - “Another great Wind Horse release. Quality productions all round with Priyesh Patil just nicking the remix honors for me.”
Niksa Dragolin (Eurostar Radio, Croatia) - “Wind Horse are starting to open up new frontiers in deep house … this is the latest example.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

King Mono - Straight to VHS (Tummy Touch)

King Mono is the band / production duo of Little Shalimar (né Torbitt Schwartz) and Jeremy Wilms. The two met doing time in the rhythm section of the legendary Afrobeat unit Antibalas. In the early 2000s they founded the sophisticated disco soul machine Chin Chin who put out two records on the now defunct Definitive Jux record label. Yearning for an outlet for their more contemporary and quirky electronic impulses they began work on a new series of tunes based around a bunch of analog synths and drum machines, modern programing, and psychedelic mushrooms. Combining elements of funk, RnB, house, dance hall, hip hop, and '70s big beat rock, King Mono’s sound should be welcomed by fans of other genre bending futurists like Pharrell Williams and Little Dragon.

With Shalimar and Wilms' eccentric backgrounds, one must be prepared for their work to reflect this. King Mono's new EP, Straight to VHS, handled by the equally eclectic Tummy Touch label, is off-kilter but hits the mark. As this is in preparation of their forthcoming debut album Bump In The Night, any kind of guess as to what will happen on the full length would be frivolous. Plenty of character abounds on this new EP which serves as a first taste of what's coming with tunes featuring vocal appearances from Tiombe Lockhart, Chico Mann, Micah Gaugh, and -- yes -- David Lee Roth and Notorious B.I.G.. "Tiger Tiger" is the DJs highlight, an electro funk track with sly vocals that exude unequivocal cool all with an '80s sleaze. "Mosca" follows with breakbeat and booty bass wrapped up in Latin flavor. Curveballs like "Corriendo Con El Diablo" and "Can I Get Wit Cha" are thrown in for good effect. A strange twist of salsa and classic American rock, "Corriendo Con El Diablo" is hard to explain, but easy to shake the hips to. Equally surprising, a classic piano swing fit for an old time saloon underlays big hip-hop vocals sure to make "Can I Get Wit Cha" notorious for all those who listen. In addition, the EP also features the bleepy, subdued techno of "Room," once again featuring vocals one would not imagine, this time a disillusioned croon.

ALTZ (Altzmusica / DFA) - “Yeah … super summer breeze!”
Tee Cardaci (Low Down Grooves / Sine Qua Non) - “This sh%t is mental! Every cut is from its own freaky planet. Looking forward to dropping Mosca in the middle of a house set at an upcoming gig in Buenos Aires. It will either go over massive or there will be a lot of head scratching. Either way, looking forward to it!”
Tony D’Onghia (Radio Koper-Capodistria) - “So strange, it’s brilliant!”
Ennio Styles (Stylin’ Radio Show) - “I miss Chin Chin, so its good to hear a new project from these guys. Tiombe Lockhart, Chico Mann, David Lee Roth and Notorious BIG on one EP … now there’s a lineup!”
Mojo Rising (Cold Busted / F.A.M.I.L.Y.) - “A very unique and diverse release here. The real win for me here is ‘Tiger Tiger’ … funky beat with kick ass bass, and those slinky vocals.”
Niksa Dragolin (Eurostar Radio, Croatia) - “Nice twists, and an interesting combination.”
Corbin Dooley (Electric Feel Radio Show) - “Great fun. It brings back memories of the electroclash days.”
Velanche (Velanche’s Playtime Radio Show) - “Things that just should never go together somehow result in a sly bit of brilliance. This. Is. Great.”
Borja Señorlobo (Lovemonk) - “King Mono rocks!”

Now available as a free download from The Tummy Touch Shop.

DJ Pippi & Sandro S - Fatal (Cold Busted)

Italian by name, German by trade, and with a career forged by Ibiza, DJ Pippi once again has hooked up with Sandro S, the name behind one of Italy's top house labels, CibiCaldi Recordings. Together, along with a short vocal feature by Laurance B, they have created a vibe-laden, breezy and jazzy cut for Cold Busted. Chilled, but not lacking in groove, "Fatal" is a rhythmic and classy killer with impeccable timing, landing during a summer where much of the world's attention is focused on Brazil. Using bells, shakers, and a hiccup of vocal chants, a tinge of samba gives way to the refined cool of a balearic touch, both reflective of paradise settings.

Moving on to the remixes, Green Street are three production minded friends that host the Str8 Busted Podcast out of the southeastern United States. Their Dub ups the funk with more prominent guitars and the introduction of a wailing organ melody and stabs. Mojo Rising hails from a Los Angeles rave DJ background, having taken that initial spark and channeled it into academia in order to grow as a downtempo and trip-hop producer. He adds smooth, rhythmic glitches, more booming -- but deep -- bass, and an angelic vocal hymn to the breakdown. Finally, Polish Cold Busted fam LoopMaffia takes a complete departure from the original heading towards experimental electronica with mutating synths, hard-to-place percussive elements, and strange voices fitting of the 'Grim Void' remix title. An included instrumental of the original rounds off another hot Cold Busted release sure to kickstart an idyllic summer.

Bill Brewster (djhistory.com) - “I really like the original and the Green Street dub.”
Basement Freaks (Goodgroove / SunsetSoul) - “Cool … I like the quica!”
Kid Loco - “The Green Street dub … nice one!”
Jask - “This is very nice.”
All Good Funk Alliance - “Cool jam … and I’m loving the remixes.”
Inland Knights - “Love it!”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp Music) - “All good, it’s hard to choose a favorite. I think the Green Street dub is the one for my DJ sets but I also dig the spaced-out version by LoopMaffia.”
Robin Parris (Parris & Vanucci / Dancefloor Outlaws) - “The Green Street dub sounds like the ghost of Morcheeba’s ‘Big Calm’. Cool for hot, lazy summer evenings.”
Pathaan (Globetronica) - “Groovy!”
Black Mighty Wax (Irma Records) - “Great vibes for the summer!”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) - “I like the original’s pulsating rhythm and driving bass.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The LoopMaffia remix is a solid left field number.”
Clairvo (Tilos Radio, Hungary) - “Each song here has its own character, and all will get played!”
Niksa Dragolin (Eurostar Radio, Croatia) - “Very hot stuff. I love the original tune … it’s perfect for what I’m playing at beach parties. Yeahhh!”
Roger Cowell (The Joint Sessions, Barcelona) - “Very nice. I’m going for the original version for this summer’s beach party sessions … it will fit in perfectly, with the Brazilian vibes.”

Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop.

DJ Rusty - Brick Dance (Not So Fast Records)

Not So Fast Records is a San Francisco house music label founded in 2006 by DK Watts (Short Bus Kids) and DJ Naz Vartianian, meant as a sub-label of Bounce House Recordings. Releases from the likes of Giano, Short Bus Kids, p-rez, and Bon Johnson established the label in the bay area house community. Today DJ Naz is still at the helm of NSF Records, but somewhere along the way he was joined by Fresno-based DJ/producer P-REZ in managing the label.

Now presenting its eighth release, the label acts as a springboard for the solo debut of Oakland's DJ Rusty. He's previously collaborated with P-REZ as Dos Banditos, making NSF Records a fitting home. Diving right in, the "Brick Dance" single has an unequivocal California feel with a shaker, tom, and rim-filled rhythm, a rockin' bass line, and accented vocals that all combine into house music with lowrider appeal. Three included remixes take the track into different territories. Ezra Osborn is the owner of Voluptuous Recordings and one half of Da Basspushers with Giano. Producing as EZO, he turns in a spacier interpretation with minimal tech flair and sparse synth chords. P-REZ (real name Steve Perez) is a label mate of EZO's and production partner of Rusty's making his remix the glue to this release. He ups the original's sleaze with additional Cali flavor by way of Fresno, adding bong hits and buzzed synths. Completing the release, Arturo Garces is a San Jose label manager for Jump Recordings, Beat Bum Music, and Resource Records with plenty of productions released on other widely recognized labels like Robsoul Recordings. His Zone Mix is full of shuffling elements from the percussion to the bass line and all the additional effects, giving life to a deep, but energetic, groove.

DJ Mes (Guesthouse) - “Rusty and P-Rez on da mix! Nice release.”
Giom - “The P-Rez mix is cool.”
Hippie Torrales - “Rocking.”
Tommy Largo (Lost My Dog / Kolour) - “Cool stuff! The Arturo Garces remix is my pick.”
Robbie Hardkiss - “I like that P-Rez mix!”
Carlo Gambino (Midnight Social Recordings) - “Nice release all round … the ‘Brick Dance’ original is lovely.”
Vanilla Ace (OFF Recordings) - “The EZO mix is good!”
Tyler Stadius - “I’m loving Arturo Garces’s mix. This one bumps!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Wicked stuff! All four are strong, but the original and EZO versions get the main vote from me. EZO in particular lays down a superb groove.”
Andrew Macari (Greenhouse / Tastie) - “Solid jackin’ house vibe … proper club jams!”
Daniel Poli (Suspect Package Records) - “Cool release. At first listen, I really like the P-Rez remix. Nice one.”
J. Caprice (High Maintenance) - “Nice set of tracks here! I’m all about the Arturo Garces remix for me.”
Chris Harris (Tronicsole / Nordic Trax) - “I’m digging the techno feel of EZO remix!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Quirky feel but works nicely … catchy little hooky rhythm.”
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm Music) - “The Arturo Garces mix is a serious deep banger! My pick for sure.”
Still Rob G (Smoke n Mirrors / Om Records) - “The P-Rez mix is really cool. Nice and funky and lighthearted. Arturo Garces’s mix is nice as well. Very west coast.”
Marcia Carr (Mi-Soul Radio / Ladyz) - “Deep went into deeper; Arturo Garces’s Zone Mix captures hard and soulful elements … just the right balance. Bellissimo!”

Available now from Beatport and Amazon.