Poldoore - The Day After (Cold Busted)

Belgian producer Poldoore (born Tom Schillebeeckx) has revealed The Day After, handily providing a sequel to his well-received previous album on Cold Busted, The Day Off. Within its eleven distinctive tracks Poldoore has further developed his vibe-rich sound, creating deft blends of funk, soul, lounge, and reggae topped with punchy drum breaks.

The Day After is filled with highlights and shows Poldoore's keen ability at crafting floor-effective instrumental head-nodders as well as delicate melodic arrangements featuring talented guest vocalists. "No Face" and "A Higher Intelligence" (featuring Kabanjak of Ancient Astronauts) are examples of Poldoore's fine-tuned beatology, mixing hip hop samples and tough DJ-ready rhythms over impressively produced musical elements. The result is much headier than the usual 'instrumental hip hop' fare, with cuts equally at home in the clubs as in the earphones. But it's with the vocal tracks that The Day After really shines. The lovely and soulful "Midnight In Saigon" presents vocalist Astrid who entices the listener with her intoxicating melodies, while London-based rapper Barney Artist adds compelling verses to Poldoore's proper beats on "Broke For A Minute". A pleasant surprise also comes in the form of "The Road", a skankin' reggae prime-mover featuring Thievery Corporation collaborator Sleepy Wonder, as well as sax and flute from Garrett Kobsef who recently recorded with Grammy winners Morgan Heritage. These ambitious moments heighten the resonance of Poldoore's The Day After, placing it firmly in the realm of something special.

Danny Massure (Spring Strut) - "Poldoore is amazing … one of the only producers to successfully blend '70s soul with with modern downtempo while keeping the vintage feeling intact, yet taking it to a dreamy place of bliss."
DJ Moneyshot (Solid Steel) - "Sublime beats to get you in the right mood … no fakin'."
Fort Knox Five - "The sound of contemporary downtempo! Solid beats and beautiful melodies."
Dogu (Ancient Astronauts / Switchstance) - "Nice!"
Belabouche (Midnight Riot / DiscoDat) - "I am feeling this!"
Tim "Love" Lee (Tummy Touch) - "I dig the dub vibe of 'The Road'."
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp Music) - "Yeah … so good to get new dope music from Poldoore. I love his sound."
DJ Tomas (Google Play / ForwardEver) - "A great evolution on Poldoore's already rich and layered sound. The production is clear and full of sparkling ideas. A producer at the top of his game."
DJ BMF (Phat N' Jazzy) - "Good stuff! I like how Cold Busted is keeping the classic acid jazz vibe alive."
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show) - "Rockin' fresh with all styles here … dope!"
Aja Allsop (Ketch-A-Vibe Radio Show) - "The sweetest of grooves."
Bruno From Ibiza (Ibiza Global Radio) - "Super good. I will play most of these tracks."
DJ Krimi (Radio Krimi) - "Poldoore … toujours aussi efficace. Big up!"

Available now from Bandcamp, Beatport, iTunes, and Spotify.

Krystian Shek - Best Of FAX +49 - 69 / 450464 (Thai Dust Red)

Frankfurt-based electronic music artist Krystian Shek appeared on the scene in 2003 with his first of three artist albums on the late Pete Namlook’s FAX +49 – 69 / 450464 label. Impressively prolific, other albums appeared on labels such as the Indonesian imprint UTC Wired, Diventa Recordings, and Cold Busted. Since the unfortunate passing of Namlook a few years ago the FAX material has fallen out of print, and Shek has worked to reissue these evocative albums on his own Thai Dust (Red) label. This compilation collects Shek's personal favorite tracks from those albums, highlighting a compositional style that is both melodic and atmospheric but still built upon a rhythmic foundation. Early inspiration from Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre is evident as well as the solid beats of '90s downtempo electronica. These cuts groove as sounds shimmer and float through cerebral layers of synthesized texture. Highlights include the dark and pulsating "Quan", the cinematic "Cherry Girl", and the sci-fi pseudo-soundtrack of "Love Liptease & 808". There's much more to explore here.

Nick Warren - "Amazing work from Krystian. An excellent artist."
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - "Beautiful."
Mojo Rising (Cold Busted) - "Absolutely lovely melodic electronic goodness here. I'm so happy Krystian was able to get this material back into circulation."
Quincy Jointz - Great music. It sounds really good after all these years."
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - "Cinematic, yet groovy at times."
Pathaan (Globetronica) - "A great listen!"
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) - "I love love love all of these!"
MadameFLY (BeatConcious) - "A solid abstract set that celebrates the ominous side of the FAX sound."
DJ Doubles (Freestyle Fusion) - "This is just so beautiful."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "It's a collage of downtempo and slo-mo electronica, and tastes like a bitter sweet dark chocolate."
Diesler (A Little Something Radio) - "I really enjoyed 'Splashin'' … deep."
Clairvo (Tilos Radio, Hungary) - "So glad to hear these melodies and harmonies … they all pet the listener's mind!"

Available now from Bandcamp and Beatport.

Joe Bellingham - Drawing Animals EP (Uniting Souls Music)

Seattle native Joe Bellingham earned his chops as a member of the Shameless collective, responsible for legendary underground parties including The Breakfast Club and the My Bloody Valentine series. He is also a co-founding member of the Shameless Audio record label whose inaugural release "Our Reflection Blues" features a Joe Bellingham original with Germany's Smash TV and San Francisco's Ghosts on Tape on remix duties.

With a trusty field recorder at his side no personal moment is safe from sample. Honing his skills as a producer, Bellingham has been on a roll with several consecutive top-notch releases on labels like Innerflight and Activated. His innovative live sets earned him a spot to perform at the 2015 Dirtybird Campout. Joe Bellingham's Drawing Animals EP on Uniting Souls Music is no exception to this remarkable string of accomplishments. Featured are a trio of dreamy, melodic tracks with a groove that'll enchant the dance floor into a deep journey of pure dance floor bliss. Included are "Knife Fight" with its driving urgency and plucked melodic phrases, the bass-heavy nightclub stomper "Drawing Animals", and "O"'s deep, dubby percussive journey of a track. Joe Bellingham's Drawing Animals EP is another fine showcase from Seattle's impressive pool of electronic music talent.

Pezzner - "I'm a fan of this whole record! 'Drawing Animals' is a particularly excellent tune."
Chris Fortier (Fade) - "Great stuff."
Randall Jones (Audio Therapy / Baroque) - "Uniting Souls' music is always dope and deep! Maximum respect."
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) - "The 'O' track is oh-so-good … jazzy vibes."
Tommy D Funk (DJ Times Magazine) - "All hot. And 'Drawing Animals' … whoa!"
Jaymz Nylon - "'O' yeah!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "All three are solid, with 'O' standing out for me … really sumptuous vibes!"
Bart Ricardo (Farris Wheel / Gourmand Music) - "Warm and deep."
Steve 'Griffo' Griffiths (Freak Da Funk Radio Show) - "Quality EP. 'Knife Fight' is my favorite, bringing to mind The Drum Club on Guerilla in the early '90s."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "Feelin' … a reminder of eclectic West Coast house weirdness."
Jon Manley (hOUSEwORX Radio Show) - "'Knife Fight' is the pick for me … hauntingly lovely house music."
Bogdan Taran (Dance Box) - "'Drawing Animals' and 'O' are my favorites here … sampling Jocelyn Brown is always good idea in my opinion."
Simon Iddol (MOARRR) - "Superb, haunting and groovy."
Tee Cardaci (Low Down Grooves) - "Top notch, deep and techy house choons. Another winner from the Uniting Souls camp!"

Available now from Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, and Spotify.

Christy Love - Flashback (Get Up Recordings)

ACID is in the house at Get Up Recordings and it comes in the form of “Flashback”, the latest offering from label owner Christy Love. This incredible package includes the fiery original and remixes coming from NYC’s Eli Escobar and London’s Local Group.

Christy Love has been immersed in the house music scene for more than two decades and is one of the most sought-after DJs in NYC because she consistently destroys dance floors all over the city and beyond. Her distinct sets comprise of a clever mixture of classic and modern house bursting with driving tech beats and funky bass lines; she plays a pivotal role in defining the current underground sound of New York. This DJ prowess, combined with her individual production work, in addition to her work as House of Stank with long-time collaborator W. Jeremy and the success of their label Get Up Recordings, has transformed Christy into a house music triple threat. “Flashback” is a tech acid psychedelic groove, filled with driving drums and a smooth bass line that build into a classic hypnotic rhythm.

First up on remix duties is fellow NYC DJ and producer Eli Escobar. This house and disco evangelist has been a familiar face on the city’s scene for the last two decades. Whether tearing it up at clubs across the capital or throwing down super-charged disco bombs on labels like Nervous and Strictly Rhythm, Escobar rarely steps out of his four-four beat. As one third of the Tiki Disco parties in Bushwick, as well as running his own Night People label, Escobar has been putting his own twist on the city’s house and disco soundtrack, joining the dots between yesterday’s golden era classics and today’s club anthems. Eli’s remix takes the original to a place that's almost reminiscent of early '90s rave, but keeps things real tight. Big drums, echoing hits, and a big evolving bass line keep this mix moving. A super sweet surprise for the dance floor.

The second remix of “Flashback” comes courtesy of London’s Local Group (AKA Joe Roberts and Louis Major) who formed in an East London basement while reading a book about the stars. Former DJ Mag editor Joe Roberts has been DJ'ing since the turn of the millennium, playing alongside everyone from Fatboy Slim in the Brazilian rainforest to the likes of Duke Dumont and Night Slugs. He is currently a resident at White Leather Viper Club at Dalston Superstore and Jim Warboy’s roving techno rave party, Sabojaq. Louis Major works as a sound engineer and is part of the liquid drum and bass trio Broken Drum, who have released on labels such as Sheer Velocity and Subfuzion. Their I Gotta Big Kick name for the remix is undoubtedly what it is … a hard house kick coupled with stabs of acid, spacey vocals, and splashes of breakbeat drums make this mix an added highlight to an already illuminating release.

Louis Osbourne - "The original is ace!"
Lupe Fuentes (Inhouse Records) - "The Eli Escobar remix is dope."
Chris Fortier (Fade) - "Both remixes on here are good."
Nick Catchdubs (Fool's Gold) - "Eli Escobar is always on point."
Linas Fresh Tee (Dubinsky / Drumpoet Community) - "Dance floor bangers!"
Dr. Motte (PRAXXIZ) - "Loving the Local Group remix!"
Iain Rejekt (The Rejekts / Sankeys) - "Eli Escobar's mix is cracking! Great work."
Golf Clap - "The Local Group remix is tight."
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) - "That Eli Escobar remix is superb!"
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Massive, heavy duty gear … love it."
DJ Tronic (Dancefloor Mayhem) - "A hot slice of acid house goodness."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, iTunes, and Spotify.