Terry Farley - Die 4 U (Bonanza Records)

Bonanza Records is proud to welcome UK house music legend Terry Farley to the label for the exuberant new single “Die 4 U”. Terry’s musical history is long and storied, from his beginnings co-founding Boys Own with the likes of Andrew Weatherall, to his classic productions with Roach Motel, Bocca Juniors, and Heller & Farley, to his spellbinding DJ sets at Fabric, Ministry Of Sound, and other iconic venues … indeed Terry is royalty of the scene. “Die 4 U” showcases these credentials with a riveting peak time track containing all the best features of classic house music. The insistent four-on-the-floor, the bass line bounce, the acid embellishments, and the soulful vocal imploring “lie for me / cry for me / die for me” … it’s a potent stomper that’ll likely be heard at many club sessions from here on out.

The classy remix duo of Severino (Horse Meat Disco) and Nico De Ceglia (Hyena Stomp) proceed to twist “Die 4 U” into a bass heavy after hours banger, adding an ominous sheen and some serious beats. Next up, the prolific Lisbon-bred Munich-based DJ / producer Alkalino delivers a version that raises the funk quotient and boosts the acid a tad as well. A filtered arpeggio line adds a bit of extra drama to the dance floor. Bonanza’s own Handzoff gives the snare drum a rolling workout in his remix, which lends a sparser but more dynamic feel to “Die 4 U” while inserting even more classic house elements. The extended breakdown should really get the club hollering. This package is pure foot-food for house music enthusiasts everywhere.

Dean Facer (Resident Advisor) – “The legend continues … great release yet again from Terry.”
Murray Richardson (Electrica Salsa) – “All mixes are cool, but I’m really into the original. Loving the sound of this!”
Billie Ray Martin (Disco Activisto Records) – “I love all the tracks equally. The Nico and Severino mix rules the most, but the Alkalino and Handzoff mixes are equally kicking while having an eye on the future. Well done!”
Jask (Thaisoul) – “Very nice!”
Graeme Park (The Graeme Park Radio Show) – “Love it!”
Booker T. (Kings Of Soul) – “Heavy vibes from Terry, will support.”
Jeannie Hopper (WBAI FM – New York) – “Fabulousness! Fierce.”
Marcia Carr (Mi-Soul Radio / Ladyz) – “Solid floor filler, this hits the mark!”
Andrew Duke (Cognition Audioworks) – “The Original Mix is great.”
Randall Jones (Audio Therapy) – “Terry Farley is still as big a boss as always. The Original and Handzoff mixes are fire!”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.

Jeffrey Tice - Aurora (Harmonious Discord)

San Francisco native Jeffrey Tice has a talent for seeing color in the blank spaces. Jeff’s roots are in early electronica but that doesn’t stop him from adopting the methods of the future. The Aurora EP is Jeff’s sophomore release on Harmonious Discord Recordings following the success of his first project, “Where Do You Go?”. Four outstanding original cuts – the title track, “What’s Going On?”, “Been Alone”, and “Cape Tape Leisure” – comprise this musically minded dance floor collection. Austin resident and Denied Music boss Daniel Allen provides us a blissful reprise, and longtime contributor of sonic oddities Plastic Pope returns to the label with a signature of strange.

“Aurora” provides a great balance between floaty ethereal accents and driving funk bass. A snappy rhythm section helps move the experience forward with jovial flare. “What’s Going On?” changes tone with a serious intro, built-in tension, and masterful dub design. Rich in texture and methodical in structure this tune is an essential dance floor tool. Daniel Allen returns to deliver an inspiring heater that elevates the mood to euphoric atmospheres with rich chord interplay and spacious arpeggiations. “Been Alone” delivers immediately on thick garage and deep house constructs, including a building analog bass pattern that begs for foot movement. HD’s mysterious but ever consistent provider of strangeness Plastic Pope makes a much anticipated return, offering a small slice of insanity with hints of breakbeat, jackin’ Chicago house, and quirk. Jeff ends the EP with a disco-inspired whale sonnet named “Table Cape Leisure”. Pressed with rim shots and summer fair this funk jam session can fit within the borders of a diverse set of music.

Tensnake (Defected / Permanent Vacation) – “Originals are nice.”
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) – “Very advanced sounds, production and arrangements. Really pro job.”
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) – “Cleverly produced pack of tunes. Table Cape Leisure is really special. Aurora is extra nice as well.”
DJ P-Rez (Not So Fast Records) – “Wow, this release is solid!! The originals and the remixes are dope. Some of these will definitely be in this weekend's sets!”
Edground (Grooveland Music) – “Very nice release.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z) – “Table Cape Leisure is my favorite here.”
Jon Manley (hOUSEwORX) – “Lovely EP from Jeffrey Tice, difficult to pick a favourite, a strong EP!”
Marcia Carr (Mi-Soul Radio) – “Nice assembly of grooves and varying tensions of house - workable for club floors!”
Deepshizzol (MyHouse YourHouse) – “Daniel Allen’s remix of “What’s Going On?” is top draw!”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM 95 / Nova Planet Radio Show) – "Rich package! Funky tracks full of lush pads, punchy basslines and catchy vocals which will move everyone.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.

Gavin Hardkiss Has a Master Plan

Gavin Hardkiss has recorded this video broadcast from his studio in San Rafael, California, and dishes the dirt on his two latest singles – "Sunshine People" and "WarPeace" – and the much-anticipated forthcoming album Love In Stars.

I'm Gavin Hardkiss, but I make music often under the name Hawke. Hawke is like a band project of mine that includes soundclashes and collaborations with friends and other musicians.

I like dance music when it's outdoors in the park. I like daytime music. I'm kind of nerdy about not wanting club music in the day time and I think there's a time and a place for different types of music.

I love DJ'ing, but I don't want to be confined to the nightclubs, and I don't want to be confined to the night time. So, putting this {Hawke} live show together will hopefully open up some opportunities to play my music and spread my message of love, peace, unity, harmony, and having fun.

Visit Hardkiss Music at www.hardkissmusic.com

Various Artists - Wind Horse Sampler 6 (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records bursts forth once again with another edition of the Indian deep house label’s yearly sampler series. These samplers have served as an exciting platform for showcasing Wind Horse’s more experimental side and to introduce some new producers that will be working with the label. Wind Horse Sampler 6 features eleven deep and exotic house music tracks from up-and-coming artists hailing from South Asia and around the world.

Most of the sampler’s producers are based across India, as Wind Horse works to discover and expose electronic music from within its home country. But, as the label has an eye on the global house movement, artists from Jamaica (David Marston), Russia (Igor Gonya), South Africa (Master Kenton) and Morocco (Kali G) are also included. Wind Horse aims to cover all points of the globe, to show that forward-thinking electronic music can spring from any city or country, whether from somewhere in India or any other as-yet-revealed locale.

Stalvart John opens the compilation on a thoughtful note with “A Dream I Can’t Remember”, setting the mood for this diverse sampler with an ethereal yet somewhat jazzy soundscape. Then on “Ragamuffin” David Marston blends his deep house proclivity with an Indian influence, introducing a siren-like ‘eastern’ female vocal to the swinging four-on-the-floor beats. Igor Gonya (Lisztomania Records) delivers an old school Chicago-sounding house cut named “Morning Cake And Tea”, featuring enough skippy rhythms and staccato chords to get the nightclub jumping. “Cyclic” is a contribution by Mumbai’s Farhan Rehman, and it’s a rolling house number with floaty keys, vocal hits, and creaking percussion. Master Kenton keeps things firmly in his pocket with the mesmerizing “Brain Waves”, a track that touches the sonic pleasure center using its sublime textures. Next up is Hans Séance with the deep and especially dreamy “Paragon of Virtue”. Warm pads, arpeggiations, and bell-like tones flow steadily above a subdued four-on-the-floor beat.

Folic State moves things into the techno realm with “Mashita” and its echoey synth lines, mysterious spoken samples, and sci-fi atmosphere. The growling tech-house of Bangalore’s Synister whose “Eastern Dream” brings a dark mood utilizing busy percussion, transformed vocal hits, and a prominent low end. Tatsama’s “Empathy” follows, with a taste of the deep, exquisitely layered, and punchy house music that Wind Horse is known for. The ‘dream’ theme is revisited by Tasnneem, who states “It Was All Just A Dream” in her bass-heavy but gentle house music exploration. Finally, Wind Horse Records’ own Kali G tackles Troja’s recent track “Shanti”, going for a dubby treatment that plays with splashes of percussion and echoed instrumentation to create a satisfying aural journey.

Wind Horse Sampler 6 continues the high production quality, ambitious musicality, and deep beats that is the label’s hallmark. The collection sets up the fantastic releases yet to come in the next year, and proves Wind Horse Records is one of the big labels to watch.

Tyler Stadius (Deepsite) – “Classy tracks. Wind Horse always delivers.”
Alexander Robotnick (Hot Elephant Music) – “Some good tracks here.”
Dean Serafini (Frisky Rhythms Radio Show) – “Lots of goodness in this little lot. Ragamuffin sounds particularly alluring. The deep vibe of Brain Waves has also made an instant impression.”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing on WRCT 88.3 FM) – “Deep and creative. I love all of these.”
Robert Lochmann (The Jazzmadass Radio Show – Frankfurt) – “Fantastic Tracks, Fantastic label.”
Deli G (Future Sound Of House radio shows) – “Music for headz with open minds.”
Farhan Rehman (Bombay, India) – “Diverse selections. Loving Ragamuffin & A Dream That I Can’t Remember.”
Deep South Audio (Volcano Radio) – “Such an inspiring collection. Love this labels work.”
Bob Duskis (Six Degrees Records) – “Always happy when there's a new release from Wind Horse. Their music strikes that hard to hit balance between ‘world’ traditions and dance-floor beats.”
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) – “A Dream I Can’t Remember is a perfect fit for my Strange Days show, I love it!”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.