Tropicall - I Just Can't Stop (Tree Sixty One)

Summer chasers with one foot in Brazil and the other in Barcelona, the Tree Sixty One label is pleased to present a new EP and highlight a couple of shifts. The artwork on the cover is a fresh look for them and the sounds contained within likewise incorporate a new style for Brazilian duo Tropicall, comprised of Ariel Haller and Fabio PSK who each have over two decades of production experience. Hoping to glorify the old and new school essence of disco, funk, and house music, the label's aim is to provide a mix of classic and traditional soulful house blended with the most modern deep and garage takes on the sound. So far feedback has been solid, gaining support and play from house legends like Kerri Chandler, Danny Krivit, Tyree Cooper, and more. The I Just Can't Stop EP with Tropicall featuring singers Bárbara Nay and Sabrina C is also sure to hit the mark.

The title track contains instantly familiar vocals and piano stabs that harken back to the good ol' days while the rubbery bass line is in tune with the most forward sounds of today. In much the same ivory light, Bárbara Nay's diva vocals on "Nightlife" are accompanied by classic pianos and a show-stealing bass display with responsive layered chords that share its slightly old school edge. "Sambahouse" is a serious percussive workout, as to be expected, making full use of Brazilian rhythms and once again giving way to a hybrid low end that also serves as a lead. Taking a darker turn, "Getaway" makes use of some rougher stylistic elements often found in the grimier corners of the UK. Sabrina C's vocals are embellished and would not sound out of place in a pop song, but -- make no mistakes about it -- this one is headed straight for the underground clubs. Overall the release looks to the past while making forward progress, a tug of war in which the DJs and clubgoers will both win.

Graeme Park - "Highly appealing."
Lenny Fontana (Ministry Of Sound / Kult) - "I like the cool MK feel with the vocal cut ups. This will work in my deeper sets."
Tyree Cooper - "Good late night music!"
Vincent Kwok - "Great tracks!"
Marques Wyatt - "Good vibes."
DJ Craig C (Pound Boys) - "Holy hotness … I love the vibe on this one."
Hippie Torrales - "Funky grooves."
Davidson Ospina - "Great summer tunes."
Leo Portela (PMB / Soulstar) - "Very well done!"
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "A filthy bounce on this … I like the retro feel and the rock solid drums."
Soulfulbros - "Very nice EP. All the cuts are great and different, but with a connecting deep atmosphere with great vibe."
Chris Soulplate (Soulplate Records) - "Tidy production on 'Getaway' … I'm feeling this groove."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "Four party monsters, all in old school directions. The Batucada storm of 'Sambahouse' is ready for crazy nights on both hemispheres!"
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA) - "This is so good. The pianos, bass, timeless house sounds … what a great release!"
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "A spellbinding slice of old school-inspired underground house."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Nonfiction - All You Got (Get Up Recordings)

L.A. is back in the house of Get Up Recordings with a new release from Nonfiction. This DJ / producer is no stranger to the label -- he did a banging remix of Honey Dijon’s “Tonight” back in 2011, and now he’s back with a mega track called “All You Got”. Chicago and New York City legends Gene Farris and Joeski join Nonfiction on the package by giving the remix treatment 'all they got.'

Born and raised in L.A., Nonfiction started to DJ in 1997 when he moved to Orange County. Originally a hip-hop DJ, he made the transition to house and started to play local parties. In 2004 he was added to the Focus OC DJ roster, whose weekly parties host top house DJ’s such as Derrick Carter, Doc Martin, DJ Heather, Diz, and Mark Farina. On the production end, he has had original tracks and remixes out on such labels as Relief, Lost My Dog, Uniting Souls, Farris Wheel, and Jump Recordings. His track for Get Up Recordings is a hard-hitting, nine-minute floor filler. The heavy kick and driving bass, layered with industrial accents, show his love of Chicago and tech house. The production reflects his style of DJ'ing: full of life and constant movement.

The two remixers on the package need very little introduction. First up is Chicago house legend Gene Farris. He has toured the world over as a DJ, holding long time residencies in both Chicago and Amsterdam during his career. His production work for Cajual, Relief Records, Defected Records, Soma Recordings, and his own breakout label, Farris Wheel Recordings, has solidified him as a true hit maker. He had three number ones in 2014 with “Phoenix” (Guest House), “Jackin” (Farris Wheel Recordings), and “Along Came The Spider” (Relief Records). His take on “All You Got” is evident of his depth as a producer. It has a classic Chicago deep house sound with syncopated plucked electric bass, backwards deep organ keys, and swinging percussion. He gets deep, melodic, and hypnotic with his angle on the joint.

House main-man Joeski got his start in NYC in the early '90s, DJ'ing clubs and parties such as The Tunnel, Limelight, Palladium, Save The Robots, and NASA, as well as his own Friday night party at the Roxy, Together. As with Gene, Joeski has also toured the world and further made his mark when he started heavily producing in the 2000s for such labels as Siesta, Junior Boys Own, Ministry of Sound, Tango, and his own homegrown label, Maya Records. He has really built such a solid production style. Joeski gives “All You Got” his sub heavy, grooving touch along with big room drumbeats, calling it his Tech Work Mix because it simply is just that. The track swells and builds into a frenzy, ultimately unleashing everything it’s got.

Todd Terry - The original's a slamming track."
Tensnake - "That Gene Farris remix is nice."
Catz'n Dogz (3 Channels) - "Gene Farris's deep version is my favorite here."
Stacey Pullen - "This is cool."
Tony Humphries - "Nice hyped track!"
Chris Fortier (Fade) - "Super stuff. The original good, but having two legends on the remixes makes it better."
Mark Farina - "Nice!"
Joris Voorn (Green / Rejected) - "Joeski's remix … yeah!"
Louis Osbourne (Mija Recordings) - "All mixes are bad-ass … Joeski's is probably on the top for me."
Lupe Fuentes (Inhouse Records) - "I can't wait to play this out!"
Luke Solomon (Classic Music Co) - "Liking this."
Clive Henry (Crosstown Rebels / Circo Loco) - "The Gene Farris mix is cool."
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "Strong release … all mixes are awesome."
Diz (Iz & Diz / Vizual Recordings) - "Really nice jackin' business!"
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "Gene Farris all the way … that bass is filthy and I'm into those dreamy pads."
Spettro (Bedrock / Crosstown Rebels) - "Excellent single here. The original mix is techno, Gene Farris' remix is super slick deep house, and Joeski delivers chugging heat, per the usual. Full support."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Fede Zerdan - Low Boost EP (Cymawax)

Cymasonic's offshoot vinyl-only label returns with the enigmatic Argentinian artist Fede Zerdan contributing to Cymawax's second outing. Originally from Tucumán, but currently living in Barcelona, Zerdan has established himself as a member of the Discos Paradiso Crew. It's always the heads-down types that are the ones to watch out for and Zerdan exemplifies letting the music do the talking. So what is he saying with the Low Boost EP? Techno is unrivaled when it's at its most deep and immersive.

The first track, "PTN-SONG", features a full-bodied bass that chugs away over atmospheric sounds. Pads establish the mood and delayed notes on the keys mesmerize the listener. "New House" follows with a dubbed-out sci-fi techno experience, depending heavily on the chords and reverb drenched build-ups of LFO synth tension. Continuing the futurism, "One Live Jam" and its acid squelches sound like the distant ping of satellite computers, washed over by a multi-voiced synth wandering through space and time. Finally, "Low Boost" wraps the EP up with its most hypnotic effort hammering the message home. The layers and interplay of the synth tones bring to mind a deeper, slowed-down classic, but really -- it's a work all to its own.

A must have … this techno artifact was meant for wax.

Tensnake - "Nice atmospheric stuff."
Nick Warren - "Excellent release … I love al the tracks."
Colin Dale - "Original sounding … refreshingly different."
Mark Farina - "I dig it."
Mathias Schaffhäuser (Ware Records) - "Good release, and 'PTN-Song' is very cool."
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "An amazing sound."
Jaymz Nylon - "'PTN-Song' is my favorite and I could just listen to it over and over again."
Linas Fresh Tee (Dubinsky / Drumpoet Community) - "Catchy grooves … this goes straight to my DJ bag."
Chris Fortier (Fade) - "These are so good."
Pablo Bolivar (AvantRoots / Seven Villas) - "I'm a big fan of Fede's music … this EP is ace."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Absolutely wicked EP … faultless as deep, analog sounds go. Timeless, classic-sounding tech-edged deepness."
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit) - "Hypnotic and powerful sounds all around."
Vincent Kwok - "I love these dark tech beats."
Jarle Bråthen (Full Pupp) - "'One Live Jam' rocks."
Shane Johnson (Fish Go Deep) - "Great raw sound across the whole EP … all cuts working well."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "The tech-soul infused 'New House' is a sure-fire late night bomb."

Available now on vinyl 12" from Red Eye Records, deejay.de, Decks Records, and Juno Records.

Alessandro Otiz - Deep Transform EP (Blue Bass Records)

Blue Bass Records welcomes Alessandro Otiz, a music producer, DJ, and vocalist originally from Thessaloniki, Greece. Alessandro's music is focused on the deeper and more underground sounds of electronic dance music, covering a wide sonic spectrum from nu-disco to deep and tech house. He has had a string of successful releases on record labels around the world and his work has been receiving support from many international tastemaker DJs, including the likes of John Digweed and Inland Knights. For Blue Bass he delivers the Deep Transform EP, a collection of four underground tracks that will pressurize any dance floor.

Possibly the most techno-facing of the four, "Parasomnia" unleashes a dark groove with skittering percussion that includes a mechanical castanet which leaves its sharpened, cerebral imprint on the brain. Much of the track's effects and sounds encase the listener inside a maniacal boiler room. "To The Edge" is the release's club-forward cut, as close to perfection as utilitarian track constructions go, covered in a completely moody kind of cool. Nothing like its predecessors, "Crying Angel" takes things in an atmospheric direction full of dramatically melodic story telling, drowned in emotional wails that draw the listener further into the narrative. Finally, "Shico Runner" rounds off the release operating as a hybrid of the EP's first two cuts, proving that sort of club-honed, machine-like edge exposed in the earlier half of the project was no fluke. As dark as it is at points, there's an overall funk feeling that permeates these tracks as they teeter between a house and techno balance, making for an overall exciting release.

Daniel Bortz (Suol / Pastamusik) - "Cool."
Al Mackenzie ( (Untitled) / Brassneck) - "I really like this."
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "I love this EP. Vibey tracks. I'll play the first two soon."
Cooccer (Pesto Music / Deepclass) - "Nice EP."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "A subtle and chunky mix of rolling bass and drums … cool dance floor ammo."
Diz (Iz & Diz / Vizual Recordings) - "Deep, sexy joints."
Carlo Gambino (Midnight Social Recordings) - "It's all about 'Shico Runner' on this release … great little groover."
Greg Eversoul (Elektek / Evasive) - "I love this. Class act, deep vibes."
Craig Whitfield (The HHA / Restless Soul) - "I really like the 'Crying Angel' track … deep moody house music. Very nice."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Wicked EP. All four cuts are ace, but the chuggy low-slung beats on 'Shico Runner' is the pick for me."
Rob Warner (Ibiza Voice) - "'Parasomnia' is dope … cool EP all round."
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - "I'm feeling the more sinister vibes of 'To The Edge' and 'Shico Runner'."
DJ Deelay (Underground Sessions) - "Moody tech business … I'm loving the steady flow throughout the track. Nice sub-bass once the drop hits."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Outstanding EP. Alessandro delivers something special on each of these tracks. I can't wait to try them on a room."
Corbin Dooley (Electric Feel Radio Show) - "Intriguing EP with great soundscapes and perfectly subtle builds."

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.