Kovacs The Hun - Mirror World (The Content Label)

The Content Label travels to Budapest to enlist Kovacs the Hun, for an evocative new album titled Mirror World. Born Nándor Kürtössy in the northern Hungarian town Balassagyarmat, Kovacs is known for his Mana Mana Records imprint, his groundbreaking album Five Finger Discount under the name Savages, and his projects Savages y Suefo and Vega Ass. A talented trumpet player, Kovacs dips into a well of varied musical styles for Mirror World. In his sonic palette, hip hop, jazz, and eerie soundtracks mix colorfully with experimental treatments and European musical influences. The Mirror World reflects all of Kovacs' fascinations — sounds and genres coming together on a collective surface.

At times, the Mirror World resembles chamber jazz — or, perhaps, ‘murder jazz’ — with brushed drums, lurking horns, and cunning keys providing the backbone. Flavored drops of percussion, turntable scratches, or rhythm hints glimpse at contemporary roots, but Kovacs presents something that’s outside-of-time. He stretches out on the instrumental tracks, displaying moods that move freely from ominous to reassuring. Guest artists add to this bubbling concoction: jazz musician Andras Wohorn adds instrumentation to the creeping strut of “Manimals” and “Glimpse of Hope,” The Audible One drops urgent verses on “Phoney,” guitarist Marton Suto plays spacious guitar on the worldly “The Countdown,” and MC/poets Guante and See More Perspective inject social commentary into “Long March.”

Kovacs' Mirror World is a distinctive statement, not quite sounding like anything else. The album’s ten tracks, impeccably produced and musically proficient, are an adventure in listening. Embark now on a sonic journey.

Danny Ward (Moodymanc) – “I really like this release. Great vibes all around.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) – “This LP is a crucial piece of music.”
Kid Loco (Flor) – “Brilliant & Haunting. This is a really good record.”
Mr. Bristow (Subtek) – “Dusty & Crunchy – just the way I like it. Great work!”
Quincy Jointz (Ibiza Global Radio) – “Nice one. I like Phoney and New Dawn Coming.”
Crate Invader (Point Blank FM London) – “This is a work of genius.”
Floored Capri (Kane FM) – “This has an almost spiritual, cosmic jazz kinda vibe. Really feeling it.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z, Germany) – “Wow, this is a really nice album.”
Linos Pascal (Linos On Canvas Radio Show) – “Full support from Greece!”
Jon Fugler (XLNT Radio Show) - “This is good, quite outstanding actually. Almost impossible to date, it’s quite unique, and has been on repeat here.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, Beatport, And Spotify.

Vuèrs - Odyssey 19 - (Harmonious Discord)

Harmonious Discord is primed for a dense and celebratory 20-year anniversary with monthly releases from label familiars and new faces. There’s none fresher than this debut from Italian producer Vuèrs (Deepfix, Lucky Sun) spotlighting his criminally-intelligent depth and tonal maneuvering. HD is excited to host this abstract collection along with dancefloor translations from Nik Thrine, Ross Mt Park, and hometown hero Merrick Brown.

This journey blasts off with “Lizard,” a swung selection with mellow chords commanded by constantly evolving percussion. Found sound atmospheres flutter in-and-out giving the cut a playful vibe. “Fibonacci” is a powerful tune imploring thoughtful percussion atop tension-filled synthesizer components. It comes to life with sliced samples, a driving bass foundation, and periodic pitch variations. “Odyssey 19” embarks to more musical galaxies with a jazz feeling married to subversive drum programming. It’s a heady tune with powerful manipulations as deep as space communications powering the imagination. For the first of three “Odyssey 19“ remixes, longtime HD contributor Merrick Brown delivers a broken slow burn that teases the jazz influences into a well-choreographed mixture of organics and spacey synthetic leads. Ross Mt Park (Denied) brings a rumbling dancefloor take, focusing on the tense soundscapes and glitching out the cosmic vibe. Park’s reassembly perfectly lives in the corners of sweaty warehouses. Nik Thrine (Staybad, Denied) perfectly tempers the dreamy nature of the original but gives it more power under the covers. Sexy Rhodes patterns and flirty effect fills complete this well-balanced remixture.

Taigo Onez (Bang Le’ Dex) – “This is absolutely wonderful. Loving this body of work. It’s hard to pick a favorite here.”
Nick Warren (Global Underground) – “A very cool release.”
Colin Dale (Abstrakt Dance Records) – “Excellent tracks!”
Gianluca Pandullo (I-Robots) – “I-Robots approved!”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies) – “Fibonacci and the Nik Thrine Remix for me.”
Richard Hardcastle (Solid State) – “I think I need to crank these for max effect. Some dope bass end and nice, subtle touches.”
Lönya (Asymmetric Recordings) – “Some good stuff here.”
Soundkrampf (Cloud of Silence) – “The Merrick Brown Remix is great.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Love Odyssey 19. The strings are beautiful, and cool sampled dialogue too.”
Jon Fugler (XLNT radio show) – “Quite simply a wonderful selection of tracks & mixes. Superb!”

Out Now And Available From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Traxsource, And Spotify.

Monte Hilleman - Winter Blues / Soul Music (Vino Recordings)

Monte Hilleman has waved the flag for soulful house music long before the 2003 launch of his Minneapolis-based label Vino Recordings. The label’s catalog of releases — including some of the earliest releases by Chuck Love — celebrates the deeper, funkier, and vocal-laced side of the house music genre. Monte’s latest is an uplifting double A-side single with meaning and message. “Winter Blues (MLK Day Edit)” features a snapping, groovy drum track, a sub-bass bounce, and vibrant pads guiding the track to the dancefloor. Over the top are the wise words of Martin Luther King, Jr., urging the listener towards hope and light in the face of hate and fear: “… the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The flip side brings “Soul Music,” delving into heavy disco vibes with a cosmic touch. Cool rhythm patterns, a punchy bass, and swirling pads are accented with an infectious, effected vocal phrase.

With this release, Vino pays tribute to the themes of freedom of expression, social justice. and protest inherent in house music since its beginning. 100% of the proceeds from this single will benefit Du Nord Foundation. Du Nord Craft Spirits is a black-owned distillery in Minneapolis that was damaged following the murder of George Floyd. They rebuilt through community support, and now Du Nord Craft Spirits is returning the favor with this foundation, aiding other black and brown-owned businesses needing help.

Tyler Stadius (Deepsite) – “Good tracks here. Soul Music is my pick.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) “You can’t go wrong with the presence of our ancestors.”
DJ P-REZ (Not So Fast Records) – “Dope release. Tracks like Winter Blues are so important these days, and need to be played.”
Griffo (Freak Da Funk show) – “Soul Music is my fave here. Big and bouncy house music!”
Mike Solus (Housemasters Radio) – “I dig this. Deeeeep!”
Deepshizzol (MyHouse YourHouse Radio) – “Soul Music is very different. Proper rush material.”
DJ Jazzy L (Jazzy Lounge Radio) – “The thunderous beat combined with the message has me hooked.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Such a great feel on Winter Blues. Full support.”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel) – “Soul Music is superb. Lovely and infectious stuff. I’ll fit it in to the radio show here.”
Richard Hardcastle (All Out War Radio Show) – “Quality deepness with a message. Great stuff!”

Available Now From: Traxsource, And Beatport.

Of Norway & Linnea Dale - Heart & Soul (Beatservice Records)

In 2019, Linnea Dale and Of Norway released Pets, an album collecting the pair’s beguiling collaborative tracks. Now Beatservice is releasing two sets of EPs featuring cool remixes of songs from this album. “Heart & Soul” — the cosmic cover of the Joy Division classic — is the topic of this second EP. In addition to the original mix, this set includes a revamp from Manchester's talented Lovebreak, as well as two reworks from Norway's ambient mastermind Mind Over MIDI.

A guitar-strewn, downtempo ballad across barren vastness, “Heart & Soul” makes for a slow-burning invitation to withdraw oneself from the binary frenzy of our tech-weary world. Both warm and cold at heart and seeking depth amidst an oceanic width of superficiality, Of Norway and Dale bring a lost harmony to life. Linnea Dale's vocals cast a spell of tranquility upon the sore souls, and Of Norway cloak it in the most delicate, bespoke bower.

Lovebreak's Trance Mixx does exactly what's written on it, morphing the original's faded vibe into a concert of elated beauty and teleporting the listener to a positive-minded 90s-like atmosphere. The Manchester-based producer succeeds superbly in giving that crucial upswing that makes a real difference, whilst preserving the track's unique character.

What is the distance between a remix and a reshape? Mind Over MIDI answers that question with the gameness for which he's known. MoM’s remix remains true to the matrix's essential spirit, extrapolating elements and reconfiguring the ballad into something of an even more incandescent ride. Meanwhile, his reshape steers closer to the all-engulfing calm and introspective force of his own compositions, rendering Of Norway and Dale's attributes in all their ambivalence and complexity.

Kid Loco (Flor) – “This is huge. Love the Original and the Mind Over Midi Remix.”
Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s) – “This is amazing, I think I love this. OG version for me.”
Sonic Union (Lowbit Records) – “The original is lovely. Amazing vocals. I’m also digging the Lovebreak Remix.”
Joe Silva (Purespace) – “Digging the catchy original and the beautiful Mind Over Midi Rework. Great sound overall.”
Rory Hoy (Super Hi-Fi) – “This is a great release, thanks for sending.”
Eric Shans (3Bridge Records) – “Nice one! I’m digging this a lot.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z, Nuremburg) – “The Lovebreak Trance Remix is my favorite on this one.”
Riz Rollins (KEXP) – “This is lovely, thanks.”
Floored Capri (Kane FM) – “The ambient rework by Mind Over Midi is incredible. Seriously atmospheric. Good for the soul.”
Jon Fugler (Fluke) – “Always a tricky one covering a Joy Division classic, but personally I think this is a lovely version. Superb.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.