W. Jeremy - Phantasy (Get Up Recordings)

Get Up Recordings label owner W. Jeremy is back again with a new EP titled “Phantasy”. The EP includes two original tracks and two pumping remixes from the multi-talented Canadian DJ/producer export Karsten Sollors and Chi-town’s Andrew Emil.

W. Jeremy is a NYC based DJ/producer whose history of working for DJs and record labels in the ’90s – ranging from Angel Moraes to Tony Humphries – has greatly influenced his DJ sets and production/remix style. His Get Up Recordings label is also clearly influenced by his musical past as well, with a colorful spectrum of artists and remixers including Kim Ann Foxman, Tedd Patterson, MATRiXXMAN, Rennie Foster, Gavin Russom, and Snuff Crew. The EP kicks off with the original version of “Phantasy”, a bumping house jam with bass driven percussion and euphoric breaks.

First up on remix duties is Karsten Sollors, who has earned the attention of electronic music’s finest thanks to a resume of well-rounded accomplishments. With releases on Toolroom Records, Nervous, and Farris Wheel Recordings, Sollors is breaking boundaries within the house music pool. Outside of the studio, Sollors’ profile has immersed itself across clubs since his relocation to Chicago. Playing alongside the likes of Jay Lumen, Sante, Gene Farris, and Nick Warren, he has dropped an immense collection of music at his Saturday Sound-Bar residency in Chicago and also regularly at Primary, Spybar, and Annex. His remix of “Phantasy”, much like his DJ’ing, brings a superb driving tech house element to the package.

Next up on the remix end is Andrew Emil, who has been a well-respected fixture in Chicago’s music scene for over a decade and a half. A concert-trained percussionist, Emil eventually moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College and study audio engineering and music composition. Emil, who has been deeply entrenched in Chicago’s thriving house music scene since the 1990s, has a sound that reflects an eclectic and mature marriage of classic and contemporary elements of Chicago house, infused with jazz and soul undercurrents. Not only has he put out releases on some of house music’s most elite labels, including OM Records, Seasons, four play music, Farris Wheel, Gallery Music Group, Look At You, .dotbleep, Kompute, Roam Recordings, Industry Recordings, Classic, and Panhandle, but Emil remains one of Chicago’s most respected and lauded DJs. He is a Resident DJ at Nu: The Outer Space Disco Dancing Society of Chicago, 2016 Primary Nightclub, and a featured resident at First Saturdays at the legendary Gramaphone Records. His remix here is a full-on Chi-town funk jazz vibe and an ode to Strictly Jaz Unit, a collective that included members such as Boo Williams and Glenn Underground.

Rounding out the EP is the second original, “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter”, a lusciously hypnotic house track with swirling soundscapes, pulsating rhythms, and an acid-inspired arpeggiated lead.

DJ Heather (Blackcherry Recordings) – “Diggin’ “Heart” and the Andrew Emil Jaz Dub too. Great EP!”
Anthony Pappa (Red Light District - “The best mix is the Karsten Sollors Remix. I will support it!” Distant People (Soul Elements Radio Show) – “Cool lively bounce on Andrew Emil’s Jaz Dub.” Blueshift (Nurvous Records) – “Karsten’s mix is my pick!” J. Caprice (High Maintenance) – “Very nice tracks. It’s really hard to pick a favorite!” Edground (Grooveland Music) – “This Andrew Emil Jaz Dub is amazing.” Kane Ian (Dustpan Recordings) – “Liking Andrew Emil’s Jaz Dub and The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter.” Kadabra (The House Hookup Radio Show) – “Holy Crap, the Heart Is A Lonely Hunter is fantastic.” Velanche (Club 91 Radio Show) – “Hard to beat the original, but the remixes are good too.” Kosta** (Vibe FM, Bucharest) – “Summer grooves right here! I enjoyed every track.”

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

Various Artists Book Of Shadows: Various Spells Vol. 1 (Occultists)

Occultists is a label concept born out of the idea of playing with the polarities of finding the light within the darkness and curating a musical output of techno that has an esoteric flair. After making some noise with the imprint’s freshman release from Dugong, label founder James Demon continued on the hunt for some fresh new artists to officially join the Occultists family. Finding just that, the label is proud to present its sophomore release Book Of Shadows: Various Spells Vol. 1.

Starting off the journey is Adra, an old time friend of James Demon – the two met as young ravers in the underground scene of Las Vegas as teenagers. Though reconnecting in their adult techno lives while based in San Francisco, it was finally when James moved to Berlin that he discovered Adra as a techno producer. Bringing a pure techno approach to her track “Ami”, she adds a special flair that is destined to create magic on the dance floor.

Following Adra is none other than Occultists artist Dugong who made her debut on the label with last year’s well-received Dead Man Rising EP. This time around Dugong shows her diversity as a producer by delivering a techno-friendly track while still being true to herself with her one-of-a-kind voice and songwriting style. The track “Heart Of War” takes the listener on a journey through the world of Dugong while remaining ready for those special moments in the club.

Turning the pages of the book of shadows brings the listener to James Demon, the founder Occultists. Taking inspiration from his favorite horror and sci-fi films James creates a club ready track “Old Magick” that tells a tale from the dark side that is sure to bring out the light within.

In the beginning stages of the label when James was looking for artists that fit the vibe of the occult concept, a friend from Berlin reached out to introduce the next artist, F600. When James heard this music he was immediately sold on his eerie approach to techno and chose the track “CH2=CH2” for this little book of spells.

Rounding out the EP is the only non-techno track on the release, creating a sense of diversity in the line-up of artists. Berlin based duo Zoid^ was discovered by James after meeting artist Ze Royale at one of his events in Berlin. After seeing the unique performance of Zoid^ with production and visuals from Misster Mystery James instantly knew he wanted them to be part of the Occultists concept. Their track “Freak” takes the listener on a journey through an android’s exploration of something or someone strange.

Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) – “Digging the funky, driving ‘Old Magick’ by James Demon.”
Jon Fugler (Fluke / XLNT radio show) – “Some very subtle and hypnotic things occurring here.”
Anri (Tokyo Redlight) – “These tracks are very cool and amazing. I will love playing these in my set.”
DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory Radio Show) – “Freak by Zoid^ is excellent!”
Rob Warner (Ibiza Voice) – “Heart Of War is fantastic.”
Iron Curtis (Mule Electronic) – “Old Magick sounds excellent!”
Darrell Stout (Next Level) – “Mind altering and haunting.”
Henderick AKA Thelonious Funk (Thelonious Funk Sessions) – “Very cool EP. I will definitely play these tracks on the show.”
Project Gestalten (ARAAA Records) – “Another consistent release by the label. I loved the first one and this is really great. I love the dark yet danceable approach. Definitely supporting this.”
Tiago Onez (Bane Le’ Dex Radio Show) – “What a wonderful release! Truly wonderful! I LOVE every single track. Fantastic release from the Occultists label.”

Available Now From: Beatport, What People Play, iTunes, And Spotify.

DJ Mix: Chris Fortier Live at The Basement

Atnarko's Viva Recordings single "This Feeling" has been remixed by Chris Fortier under his Approved Electronic Device moniker, taking the tune down a deep, tribal path and eliciting many late night DJ set inclusions. One of those sets is this recent one from Chris Fortier himself, recorded live and featuring his remix at the mid-point. Have a listen and check out Chris's thoughts at the bottom of the page:

Track List:

1. Ability II - Pressure (Luca Lozano Remix) (Major Problems)
2. Sossa - Dust (Mobius Strum Remix) (Chronovision)
3. Kevin Yost - Message Of Peace (i Records)
4. Ananda Project - Free Me (Doug Gomez Merecumbe Soul Drumz Mix) (Nite Grooves)
5. 3lias & Ali Ajami - Audio Culture (John Debo Remix) (Mindwarp)
6. Aniie - Desert God (Kimball Collins & Rudiment Remix) (Magician On Duty)
7. Atnarko - This Feeling (Chris Fortier Remix) (Viva Recordings)
8. atish - Peculiar Colors (Dance Spirit Remix) (Manjumasi)
9. Jay Tripwire - Down With The System (promo)
10. Cosmonauts - Ramble (LNOE)
11. Depeche Mode - Where's the Revolution (Patrice Baumel Remix) (Columbia)
12. BOg - 0901 (Bedrock)
13. Approved Electronic Device – Sleight Of Hand (unsigned promo)

Chris Fortier on this DJ mix: "This is a recording of a recent gig. It's the first hour of a set that builds over three hours. I am always trying to showcase the best new music and sounds that I can, trying to inspire the dance floor and myself. There are a lot of cool tracks from artists that are fairly new as well as ones that have been staples in my sets for 20 years, like Kevin Yost and Ananda Project. The first record is a new remix of an early '90s techno classic. In the mix is a track from my first DJ inspiration, Kimball Collins, who is back to making music again in the last year and really smashing it with his partner Rudiment. Also, there's John Debo remixing things up from his Mindwarp label with his delicate touch, and so much more. Hope those that listen will get a taste of this night and find themselves getting locked into the groove."

On his AED project: "Approved Electronic Device – or AED as it is sometimes known – happened a bit by chance. After a remix under that name caught on I decided to expand on it and do a full EP as AED. It did well with DJs and press, so from there I knew I was on to something and, at the core, I dug the name. The sound is on the deeper and dubbier side of house … I have made tracks and remixes similar under my own name in years past, so it isn't anything like a new sound, but more like a fresh artist start to see where it can take me."

On Atnarko: "I have known Atnarko for 20 years now, I think. We were both in Orlando and he was making breakbeat-oriented tracks under another name. He shifted away from breaks and made his first four-on-the-floor track which I ended up signing to Fade. I was always impressed with his tracks and also that he was carving out his own sound in Orlando. My remix of "This Feeling" is part of our continuing relationship, in work and friendship. Kindred spirits, I guess."

Atnarko - This Feeling (Approved Electronic Device Remixes) is out now on Viva Recordings. Check it out HERE.

Jeromy Nail - Don't You (Feel Me) (Uniting Souls Music)

Seattle’s Uniting Souls Music returns for its second release in 2017 with Jeromy Nail’s “Don’t You (Feel Me)” featuring remixes by Brett Johnson and Mikey V.

As part of the Uniting Souls Music collective since the early 2000s, Jeromy sharpened his DJ’ing skills on many late night dance floors, including residencies at the seminal Flammable Sundays – the West Coast’s longest running house weekly twenty years strong – and the (now defunct) electronic dance music haven See Sound Lounge. With releases and remixes for the likes of Viva Recordings, Build It Records, Bomb Recordings, Hype & Soul, House Call, and, of course, the Uniting Souls label, Jeromy’s been busy on the scene.

First up, Jeromy’s original takes the listener on a quirky, tech-house inspired journey built on layers of vocal stabs sprinkled over tinges of acid-flavored synths. With its snappy drum programming and uplifting vibe, the original mix is a unique ride from start to finish.

Next up, veteran DJ / producer Brett Johnson (Classic Music Company, Get Physical) goes a little deeper into the underground, offering up a stripped down and moody version full of lush synths, warm chords, and a thick bass line. With his distinctive style and superb production, Brett’s mix is sure to please.

Closing things out is up-and-coming talent Mikey V. Making waves recently with a slew of originals, remixes, and collaborations on labels such as Classic Music, Electrik Soul, and Salted Music, Mikey raises the energy a few notches with a funky tech-house remix that’s aimed squarely at the dance floor.

DJ Heather (Blackcherry Recordings) – “Diggin’ the original quite a bit. Jeromy is one of Seattle’s best.”
Fer Ferrari (Deepclass Records) – “Bretts mix for me!”
DELLA (No Dial Tone) – “How can one go wrong with this EP? Brett Johnson and Mikey V on the remixes, hell yeah!”
Distant People / Joey Silvero (Seamless) – “I like the subtle build up on this. The bass is wicked.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) – “This will surely brighten up many dance floors.”
Pete Moss (Recline Records) – “Beautiful release. I love it.”
Makossa (Makossa & Megablast) – “Solid Brett Johnson remix.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “I love all 3 versions. Great single!”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) – “I will be playing this!”
Lee Jones / Country Gents (Buslife) – “This release is f’ing amazing. The original mix I’ve been playing over and over again. For the record, I love all 3 mixes and will be using them constantly at summer parties here in the UK.”

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