Other2Sides - Back Then (Muskox Records)

Muskox Records reaches into its hometown talent pool to proudly present Other2Sides' first single "Back Then". Hailing from Cheltenham, UK, Other2Sides introduces himself with a British house music sound that is nostalgic and bouncy with many of the characteristics of garage and the current bass scene. Sweetly pitched, chopped up vocals scurry about alongside percussive pitter patter. A strong kick and powerful bass line shadowed by a filtered lead organ really propel the track. Fernan Dust provides a different take on "Back Then" with his remix, following up on a recent EP on Muskox. A Venezuelan currently based in Berlin, Fernan deepens the mood with a slower tempo and more subdued sounds. Lovely, melancholic keys are responded to by brass stabs, and the rhythm is rearranged to provide a more rolling groove. The two versions accomplish different vibes, but both are just perfect for the summer season.

Graeme Park - "This is wonderful."
Chuck Love - "I love this chord change! Pads and pulse for mind and rump."
Vanilla Ace - "Cool tracks."
Gene Hunt (Rush Hour / Dope Wax) - "Nice outdoor vibe … I'm going to bang this next week in San Francisco."
Nick Holder (DNH Records) - "I'm digging it!"
Q-Burns Abstract Message - "Sharp stuff. I'm totally partial to the Fernan Dust remix … so deep, melodic, and emotive."
Natural Rhythm - "Bubbly deep vibe. Nice vocal and stab work."
Fabricio Peçanha (Moodmusic / Definition Records) - "I love this!"
Vincent Kwok - "Great deep house!"
Alexander East (Planet East) - "This groove … I dig."
Alkalino (Estimativa / Audaz Recordings) - "Summer vibes … nice one!"
DK Watts (Short Bus Kids) - "I dig Fernan Dust the remix … super deep with killer chords."
Jeff Berger (Dope Den / Fr33dom People) - "The Fernan Dust mix is a wonderful, deep journey … it's got a lovely and attentive arrangement, plenty of character, and something quite raw and simple. Very nice."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "A sure-fire dance floor weapon oozing with a delectable contemporary garage vibe."
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - "Slamming feel … I will be playing this at the Strawberry Fields Festival."
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective) - "The great old skool vibe hits it on the nose."
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - "Smooth bumping beats … house music with soul."
DJ Nartak (Nightflight / Klassik Radio) - "I like both mixes, especially the original with its retro-charm and cool synth-bass grooves. The girls will love it!"

Available now from Beatport.

Bordland - Phantom / Know It All (Dimentique)

Bristol, UK, based label Dimentique is pleased to present the latest single from in-house DJ and artist Bordland, the double A-side of "Phantom" and "Know It All". With five releases under the label's belt from producers such as Koala, UFOS, and Wicked Habits, Dimentique certainly presents a Bristol-born sound, casually mixing up deep house, bass, garage, and nu-disco -- sometimes within the same song. Bordland focuses more on the deep house side of the spectrum, and this single's two tracks come from months of inspiration and preparation. "Phantom" seduces with its warm chord structure, emotive vocal phrases, and somewhat retro UK house appeal. "Know It All" follows, adding a touch of swing to Bordland's sound while still inhabiting the deep zone. Melodic pads and echoed synths abound while the soulful samples add a slight garage flavor. These cuts are tuned to the dead of night, primed and ready for intimate dance floors surrounded by bass-heavy speakers.

Nick Holder (DNH Records) - “This is dope!”
Tom Findlay (Groove Armada) - “I love a big sounding -- yet deep -- track like ‘Phantom’ … wicked work.”
Carlo Gambino (Midnight Social Recordings / 3am Recordings) - “'Phantom' is lovely and features great warm up vibes … it has my support.”
Robert Owens - "Cool track!"
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Lovely brace of tracks in ‘Phantom’ and ‘Know It All’ … will play both!”
Vanilla Ace - "Nice early set tunes."
Craig Stewart (Montana & Stewart / DCSTrax) - "I'm feeling this two tracker … it's perfect to set the mood."
Vincent Kwok - "Nice and deep!"
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) - “‘Phantom’ has a great old school vibe with a nu-school feel.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music) - “Two classy tracks with old school influences … impossible to choose between them. Full support from me!”
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle) - “These are quite nice. I’m diggin' the deeper vibes of ‘Know It All’, but will definitely play both cuts.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The laid back b-side ‘Know It All’ is a definite keeper; I love the bubbly synths and the late night vibe.”
Jean Jérome (Radio FG, France) - “These are some classic deep house tracks on this release … ‘Phantom’ and ‘Know It All’ are well produced.”
Marq Walsh (Dance On Red Radio Show, Ireland) - “Lovely tracks … I will definitely be using them.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z, Germany) - “A superb release, love both tunes!”
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective Radio Show) - “Excellent production with this release … quality tunes. ‘Phantom’ hits all the buttons for me.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "It's so nice, especially 'Know It All'. A deep, magical sound with dreamy piano keys and a beach-dusted Balearic vibe on the breakdown."
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - “‘Phantom’ reminds me of those days when I lived in Bristol and would hit up the house sounds at Lakota … quality!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House Web Zine) -  “‘Phantom’ is a killer late night track with tantalizing melodies.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Ivaylo & Slammer feat. Renate - Breathe Easy (Bogota Records)

Bogota Records return with a follow up to their truly special summer hit “Guide Line”. Where that was a statement of intent, their new single “Breathe Easy” aims to cement the winning combination of producers Ivaylo and Slammer with singer Renate. It’s another thick mix of Bogota style balanced by perfectly arranged remixes, each molded into their own strong identity and building on the solid foundation set by the original.

Ivaylo is a Bulgarian native based in Oslo, at the head of Bogota Records, and Slammer is the label’s sound technician. “Breathe Easy” is the latest of their numerous planned projects. Renate is a good friend of Ivaylo and they have worked together previously, highlighting her delicate vocal delivery over smooth house productions. Their coupling has already proven itself to be a memorable and enduring collaboration, so it’s not surprising the two have set a goal of eventually performing live together.

Let’s start off by noting how clear it’s becoming that Renate’s voice has a uniquely, distinguishing personality that is hard to place, but easy to love. She always delivers with an understated sweetness characteristic of what the music world has come to treasure in Scandinavian pop with indie and experimental leanings. Where it gets tricky is the smoothed over, soulful diva accents that bring to mind wonderful jazz and chill out performances. On “Breathe Easy”, Renate’s vocal nuances work to completely pull the listener in once again, teetering on the wait for her to deliver closure while also hoping it never ends. Meanwhile, the production efforts of Ivaylo and Slammer depend on hard drum programming and a murky low end while the synths take an elevator softly towards a bright, arpeggiated climax.

The remixes flow from Oslo to Bulgaria, from the Bay Area to Barcelona. Kelvin K (Lost My Dog) is a transplant between England and the States’ West Coast. He’s very well versed in the American house music sound, having performed with a lot of its key DJs and producers (Larry Heard, King Britt, Jovonn, and more). His Playin’ Old School Mix does what it says on the tin with a perfectly rounded bass line, lovely Rhodes keys, and sharp horn stabs that bring to mind better times for the musicality of house productions. Norwegian Jarle Bråthen‘s productions have made their way onto a few releases for Prins Thoms’ Full Pupp label. That should lend a clue as to the squelchy, somewhere between acid and Italo disco direction of his cosmically inclined remix. It makes for a very spacious club tune. Sound Solutions is a two years running meeting of the minds between Bulgarian DJ / producer Ognyan Gurkov and musician / composer Iasmin Issinov. Together they start their remix of “Breathe Easy” with lush strings before introducing a futuristic soundscape with their synth work, contrasting this with vibrant piano notes. It builds up into a euphoric release. Arildo, a good friend of the Bogota label and owner of Cymasonic Recordings, finishes off the release with a mechanical, but funky remix. There’s a springy, percussive shuffle on top of a bludgeoning bass sound as well as deep, dusty pads that mirror the low end flow.

Abicah Soul - “I like this Arildo remix … super!”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - “Delicate yet powerful. Another bomb on Bogota Records. I’ll be playing all of these.”
Natural Rhythm - “The dreamy vibe on the Arildo mix is very nice!”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Fantastic release once again. I’m loving Bogota Records right now!”
Hollis P Monroe (Renaissance Infinity / The Black 80s) - “I like all of these and the vocal is sweet. Looking forward to trying them out.”
Spettro (Bedrock / Crosstown Rebels) - “I’m really diggin’ the vibe and production on Kelvin K’s Playin’ Old School Mix … it’s perfect for deep sets or pool side.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) - “Modern, soulful, and funky equal the perfect ingredients. The original and the Arildo remix are my favorites and satisfy both sides of my DJ brain.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Very cool release. A tough call here between the Jarle Bråthen and Arildo remixes … both really superb deep works.”
Tyler Stadius (Proton Radio) - “Good choice of mixes. Jarle Bråthen’s acid mix works for me.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music / SSRadio) - “It’s difficult to choose between the Sound Solutions and the Kelvin K mixes … both are fantastic. I also love the hypnotic original.”
Louis Hughes (6th Sense Music) - “It’s always nice to see a Kelvin K mix and this one is really great. Another strong release. Well done.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “Kelvin K’s gorgeous and melodious remix is the one for me.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Real deep feeling in the Arildo mix … I will be playing this for sure.”
Bogdan Taran (Dance Box radio show) - “The Arildo remix is a good piece of deep underground house.”
Jamie Topham (CD Pool) - “Dope original track from Iyalo & Slammer … very UK-centric and current in sound with a beautiful vocal performance from Renate. Cool remixes, too, with that emotive Sound Solutions remix sounding pure genius in arrangement. A seriously good release from Bogota.”

Now available from Beatport and Juno Download.

Yellowjacket - The Spectrum Of Day (Cold Busted)

The Cold Busted label is pleased to present the very first release from the bright, young producer Yellowjacket. Hailing from Porter, Indiana, the 19-year-old shows a lot of maturity on The Spectrum Of Day album. Warm melodies buzz about strong drum patterns, tying together tight hip-hop beats tuned in to various vibes, often feeling both fresh and instantly familiar at the same time. Tracks like the funky ringer “Blazing Noon”, the hypnotic and folkish “Begin The Day”, and the electric guitar slathered “Dead Of Night” are stingingly sharp in their percussive rhythms, making up the more aggressive examples of the release. Progressively lightening up, “Cold Sweats” is delicately strung while “Grocery Choppin’” and “The Track Of Dawn” make use of soft keys, buoyant bass lines, and soothing atmospheres for a peaceful effect. These beats will be nesting in quite a few downtempo DJ crates, promising much more to look forward to from this young artist.

Nightmares On Wax - “Nice vibez all round. I will be supporting.”
DJ Moneyshot (Solid Steel Radio / NinjaTune) - “Smooth as eggs. I can see the early beats here in a film … well cinematic.”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp) - “Good and fresh downbeat stuff. This Yellowjacket guy is talented.”
DJ BMF (Phat N’ Jazzy) - “I dig it! It reminds me of Krush & Shadow in the ‘90s.“
Inland Knights - ”Cool jams!“
Ben Mono (Undertones Gang / Plant Music) - ”Nice one … straight into the crates.“
Azaxx (Tru Thoughts) - ”Very good vibes … exiting and cool downtempo spirit.“
tOtALcULt (Cult Music / NuFunk) - ”Beautiful, funky, and brilliant. One to watch!“
DJ F (Breakshop / Focus@Will) - ”This release is amazing. I can’t believe this kid is only 19! Seriously well thought-out vibes and feelings throughout the release.“
Clairvo (Tilos Radio 90.3 FM, Hungary) - ”Deep and thoughtful … the beats are smooth and soft as the autumn rain falls down. Supporting this one!“
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio Show) - ”Anyone who’s said instrumental hip-hop is dead hasn’t heard Yellowjacket. These tracks stand on their own and are nice to kick back to.“
Marc Lacasse (Urbnet / sHIFT Radio) - ”There’s a lot of cinematic movements in here that I enjoy … solid production techniques and manipulation of sounds with a couple having a bit of darkness injected.“
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - ”Nice construction of sounds … reminds me of Fila Brazillia. Catchy summery grooves.“
DJ Chewy (Alphabeatsoup blog) - ”With ‘Track of Dawn’ on one of the recent Bust Free compilations I’ve had a good taste of Yellowjacket. I’m impressed with the production on this EP. Tight drums especially … and I love the slightly jazzier vibe to ‘Grocery Choppin’’. What a tune.”
Found Sounds (DJ Magazine) - “No fuss, no drama … just straight-forward Instrumental hip hop beats.”

Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop.