Urian Hackney - The Box (Cold Busted)

This new double A-side single, collectively titled The Box, is a meticulously recorded funky solo effort by Urian Hackney. Envelope-pushing sounds come natural to Urian as his father and uncles were members of cult Detroit proto-punk band Death, as profiled in the acclaimed documentary A Band Called Death. As noted in the film, Urian and his own brothers continued the legacy of Death by forming their own tribute to the band. This evolved into the band Rough Francis, self-described as "channeling live energy from '60s garage rock, Motown, and '80s hardcore."

With The Box – named after his studio in Burlington, Vermont – Urian Hackney presents two songs intended to send the listener back in time to the smooth, funky sonic realm of the '70s. All instruments were played by Urian, multi-tracked one-by-one to a tape machine through microphones aimed at amplifier cones and drum heads. It comes together sounding like some rare 7" that might be found in DJ Shadow's record bag.

"Caramel" leads the single with its live dusty breakbeat, spacey synth flourishes, rumbling bass line, and funky wah-wah guitar. The combination is captivating, serving as a superlative dance floor moment or a soundtrack to accompany some cool struttin'. "Red Circles" follows, owing a bit more to the influence of Urian's father's band with its frenzied drum rhythm and chunky guitar, complemented by subtle, melodic bells and some atmospheric embellishments. These tracks make a solid duo of tunes, fitting right into Cold Busted's catalog … a nod to the past while looking towards a funky future.

Kid Loco - "I love 'Caramel' … great funk s&%t."
Dogu (Ancient Astronauts / Switchstance) - "Dope s&%t right here! I love this organic handmade breakbeat funk with live instruments."
Ohmega Watts - "The winner between the two tracks is hard to say. Being from the son of one of the 'Death' band members out of Detroit and a multi-instrumentalist, I'm not surprised by the quality of the offering here. Mega solid!"
Scrimshire (Wah Wah 45s) - "Yep, I'm into this. It's rough and it's lovely."
All Good Funk Alliance - "Nicely done."
Basement Freaks (Jalapeno Records) - "Gimmie some more of this soul ting, brother!"
Renegades Of Jazz (Agogo Records / Mojo Club) - "Nice one … 'Caramel' sounds good."
Brandon Bass (Luv Boutique) - "'Caramel' is dope. I could totally hear Inspectah Deck from Wu Tang flowing over this and it would fit perfectly."
mister T. (Cold Busted) - "I love this unique funky psychedelia … a really nostalgic sound."
DJ Wash (Funk The System) - "Nice beats here."
NoWay DJ (Sub-Zero Radio Show) - "Amazing music! It was worthwhile to record it the way he did … the organic groove is just great."
Frank Foreal (Expedition Radio Show) - "Great release! I'm a big fan of Cold Busted, and knowing Urian's family history makes this even better. Great funk rock sounds and super crispy drums. Can't wait to play this!"
Diesler (A LIttle Something Radio / Here & Now Recordings) - "Another wonderful Cold Busted release … full support!"
DJ Doubles (Freestyle Fusion) - "This is funkier than a mosquito's tweeter!"

Available now from The Cold Busted Shop, Beatport, and iTunes.

Anthony Mansfield + JP Soul - Whatchu Know About Acid? (Roam Recordings)

San Francisco disco warriors Anthony Mansfield and JP Soul are triumphant after the success of the Ode To Moulton EP, and their collaboration continues to yield funky fruit, most recently with the top track "Everything Is Real." No laurel-resting for these two … they've already bounced back with a brand new release for Roam Recordings, the tauntingly titled Whatchu Know About Acid? EP. 303-fueled mischief abounds as the pair fries circuit boards and brain cells alike with three tracks firmly planted in acid house territory. The title track launches the release, grooving to a sexy beat as drum machines and acid lines conspire with a refreshingly human feel. "Two Girlfriends" follows, getting down and gritty into a rhythmic, psychedelic romp driven by an insistent and heavy bass synth pulse. "Time-lapse" closes out the proceedings, delving deeper into a moody hypnotic world of distorted and tripped-out sounds. These three cuts all masterfully weave together into a deep and exquisite acid journey … Roam Recordings certainly knows its acid.

Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - "JP Soul and Anthony Mansfield are flippin' amazing. 'Whatchu Know Bout Acid' and 'Two Girlfriends' are stunners."
Sleazy McQueen - "'Whatchu Know Bout Acid' is the sickest acid jam I've heard in a while. It's comfortably akin to Abe Duque and old Chicago."
Gene Farris - "These are all great tracks!"
Hard Ton (Gigolo / Permanent Vacation) - "Love it! 'Time-lapse' is the one … rave on!"
Bing Ji Ling (The Phenomenal Handclap Band) - "Yeah, man … acid!"
Larry Tee - "Nice one!"
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "A great sound, indeed."
Rory Hoy (Howlin' Records / Super Hi-Fi) - "Everybody loves a 303!"
Benjamin Roeder (Kong / Spectacle) - "I love your acid!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Another utter stunner from the Roam camp. All three are superb, but 'Two Girlfriends' really is phenomenal. I can't wait to drop this!"
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) - "Brilliant! I love all three tracks."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "Cosmic edges, sharp builds, weird and intoxicating electronics … I'm in."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

An Interview With James Benedict

Rising Glaswegian house music talent James Benedict has hooked up with Tom Lown's Lucky Sun Recordings label, spawning the deep and evocative In Time And Place EP. This fifth release for the label features three sparkling originals – "Midnight at Riverside", "Rockabeat", and the title cut – as well as fantastic remixes from Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) and Nico Mendez (Underground Sounds / UM Records). We recently caught up with James to talk about this new release and other recent activities:

How did you manage to hook up with Lucky Sun Recordings?

JB: Tom approached me and asked me if I’d like to get involved in the label and I agreed! I knew that Lucky Sun was quite new and I checked out the releases in detail and really liked the sound Tom was putting out there. I like getting involved in new labels, and being part of a growing project. If I can contribute in some positive way then it’s all good.

What can you tell us about the In Time & Place EP? The title sounds almost mystical. Are there any stories or meanings behind its songs?

JB: It does sound a bit mystical, actually! The title track I suppose was about where I was in my musical life when I made it and about how I was feeling at the time. "Midnight at Riverside" is named after a museum down the road from where I was living when I made it, and "Rockabeat" is just a random one!

I probably spend more time coming up with names of songs than I do making them to be fair! I like to be quite original with them and sometimes they have a meaning and sometimes they don’t.

Is there anything you do in the studio – as far as hardware or software you use, or creative processes or quirks – that you feel is somewhat unique, or might be of interest to an outsider?

JB: In terms of my studio, I try to keep things as simple as possible, which helps me be creative. I use Ableton, a couple of digital synths (which vary depending on the sound I’m after), a MIDI keyboard, Ableton Push, occasionally the Roland TR-8. I also like using samples and recycling them in a way that suits my sound and the particular type of track I’m going for at the time. In terms of creative processes, I normally have a rough idea of what I want to make, try and find a loop that works (which can take a while sometimes), then eventually something will click and then I’ll arrange everything.

Listening to music is a massive part of the process for me as well, which can be anything, not just house music. Sometimes I’ll spend a week or two just listening to stuff to get inspiration, particularly if I feel I need to take a step back from the production. Also anything that I think is creative inspires me – films, art, photography.

How would you describe your sound to, say, a classic rock fan who knows nothing about deep house?

JB: I’d say it’s deep, funky, bouncy and underground. You may not like it if you don’t like electronic based music. But hopefully you’ll appreciate and respect it. The main thing I try to add to my tracks is some sort of feeling and soul. I think that’s important, and if I feel like a track doesn’t have that, I’ll scrap it and start again. Hopefully that’s passed on to the listener – that’s the goal!

What are you most excited about right now?

JB: I’m getting married at the end of the year which is exciting! A lot of work to organize everything but it's going to be worth it. I’m also buzzing about the new Star Wars film coming out in December (had to get that in – I’m a bit of a geek!). And I’m always excited about music, and stuff generally.

What’s next on the agenda for James Benedict?

JB: I have a four track EP coming out soon on LA based Good For You Records which I’m excited about, so watch out for that. I’m also working on a follow up EP for new label Delve Deeper Recordings (they’ve been pumping out some top tracks). And i’ve got a remix coming out In November on cool label sinnmusik* which I’m really looking forward to. Lots of other stuff going on in the pipeline, too!

Here's an audio preview of the In Time And Place EP (available now from Traxsource), as well as a top notch DJ mix from James Benedict:

Venntaur - Just Once (DeepWit Recordings)

Acclaimed deep house imprint DeepWit Recordings returns with a superb new single from Finnish artist Venntaur. Based in the city of Tampere, Venntaur is a rising DJ and producer specializing in the deep, sophisticated, and melodic, with a rich history of genre experimentation. Here he presents two floor-approved cuts, leading with the rousing "You Got Feeling". A solid kick drum accompanied by a Detroit-flavored bass line opens the track, and things soon get spicy as warm pads, a swingy hi-hat, and a garage-style vocal hook enter the scene. It's elegant stuff, sure to give good vibes to many late nights. Tokyo's Datakestra (Adaptation Music / UNKNOWN Season) is on hand to give "You Got Feeling" a classy rub-down, providing a modern interpretation that shimmies and shakes with sublime confidence.

"Just Once" follows, taking things a into a more submerged, sexier sonic realm. A rumbling low end is complimented with gentle chords, floating synth strings, and breathy vocal phrases, driven along by a crisp rhythm track. Australia's Jason Mitchell – of the Deep House Aficionado label – is on hand for a sparser but energetic remix of "Just Once" that features a prominent bass line and well-placed vocal hits. The drum track is of a slightly quicker tempo and is embellished with nicely syncopated claps.

Venntaur's two tracks and their remixes make for a fine single that will rightly suit DJs in an after-hours mood. The release continues DeepWit's string of high quality house music releases, showing the label to be an ambitious and consistent player on the scene. Dive in.

Lars Behrenroth (Deeper Shades Of House) - "I'm digging the Datakestra remix and 'Just Once' is really nice as well."
Satoshi Fumi - "I love them all … quality!"
Hollis P Monroe - "'Just Once' and Datakestra's remix of 'You Got Feeling' are sweet."
Nick Holder - "I'm digging it!"
Pete Moss - "'You Got Feeling' is wicked."
Vanilla Ace - "Both originals are really good."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Cracking stuff … possibly my fave DeepWit release for a little while. It's really strong all round."
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "All four cuts are good, but loving the groovy remix from Datakestra the most."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "'Just Once' is such a nice track … I will give it a spin."
Loz Goddard (Large Music / Kolour Recordings) - "I'm a big fan of the pads and chords throughout this release … top stuff."
Hamza (Wind Horse Records) - "I love the whole single! Deep Wit Recordings has become one of my favorite labels."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "Great tension, deep pads, and a cool vocal sample really give 'You Got Feeling' character."
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective) - "Big Tunes from Deepwit. Venntaur has a real ear for production and a great talent for creating a quality vibe."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Deepwit are clearly a label that puts out music they are passionate about. Forget trends and whims, this is sophisticated, true house music for the discerning."
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - "Very Impressive. A smoking hot release from Deepwit cementing why this label is a serious player."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.