monotropa. - Inmovilidad (Tremulant)

Lockdown. Shut in. Claustrophobic. Inmovilidad.

What can we learn about ourselves in moments of immobility? So much of our daily activity is full of movement, and within those moments where our movement is restricted, we become faced with discomfort, sometimes pain, and we are forced to be with ourselves in permanence.

These sentiments inspired "Inmovilidad," recorded by Seattle's monotropa. in the early months of the 2020 covid lockdown. The track sonically details an expression of anger regarding a relationship that was no longer beneficial and when anger helps one to understand there is something going on that is crossing a boundary. Loping and techy, the tune starts with a pulsing bass line and a punchy and somewhat tribal drum track. Dark and cinematic layers of synths melodically play up the treacherous vibe — this is moody late night business that'll more than satisfy the dancers on the floor.

The Golden Hour remix from Just Emma (Katermukke, Hanse Hertz) extracts the deepest elements from "Inmovilidad" and reworks them for a hypnotizing extended version. The mix's many twists and turns evoke the intricate thoughts behind the original. Hector J Rodriguez (Underscore Recordings) spotlights the tribal hand percussion hinted at in the original and rounds out the stereo field with arpeggiated synths, piano stabs, and dramatic transitions. A top notch release from Tremulant, a label that claims it's 'not of this world.'

Rory Hoy (Super Hi-Fi) – “Great downtempo release. Supporting!”
FineCutBodies (Chi Recordings) – “Love the production of the Just Emma remix. Great lush vibes!”
Anders Lyngen (Utzekatze) – “All of these tracks are floorfillers. Especially at my Sunday club – Utzekatze. Bangin’ and chill all at the same time.”
Andreas Kinzl (play.fm) – “Deep vibes. Well done.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “Love it! Original and remixes are dope.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “Excellent for afterhours for sure. I like both mixes. Nice production and deep vibes.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Juno Download, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Various Artists - SoundSAM Bootleg Remixes (Beatservice Records)

Norwegian producer SoundSAM punches the clock with four revamps of some of Beatservice Records' most iconic cuts from the vault. Initially designed as tools for SoundSAM's own DJ sets, the first two remixes instantly caught the attention of the Beatservice Records staff, and two more reworks were commissioned to wrap up the SoundSAM Bootleg Remixes EP.

A bouncy take on Mind over MIDI's "Elektrical Aktivity", SoundSAM's first revamp, beams proper exhilarating galactic vibes and does exactly what SoundSAM originally tailored it for: knocking dancefloors askew. Flush with sizzling bass bravura and soaring synth alchemy, the track hops with seamless ease from no-nonsense shuffle to spaced-out escapism in a jiffy.

Meanwhile, Fenomenon's "Lucy Said" gets tweaked into a bubblin' n steppin' housey pop delight, tinged with a hint of R&B suavity for good measure. A catchy love tune primed for sweaty boogie-down sessions by the boudoir, or the ideal track to detect the darling of your life in a crowd of unknown faces. Either way, a blast of cheeky, half Chicagoan/half UK-informed house to crank the heat levels up to incendiary summits.

A minutely carved-out DJ tool in the smartest sense of the term, Motion Control's "Digits 3" gets all turned up into a stealth and loopy acid weapon, laced with a funk-savvy dose of filtered house to keep things jiggy from the minute you enter the club up until the lights go off. The epitome of a robot's greasy and oily honeymoon soundtrack, sure to get some nuts and bolts flying off the fuselage along the way.

Topping it all is Mind over MIDI's "E. Scape", which does exactly what's written on the tin, i.e. taking us to far-flung vistas where Middle-Eastern riffs coalesce with nasty 303 swashes and brooding harmonic tides to shape a distinctively mind-boggling symphony of faux-organic, cross-pollinated escapism that will have one flying off to another dimension effortlessly.

Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings) – “Lucy Said is something special. Love how the chords flow over the cool production.”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) – “Digits 3 is a great track!”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “E. Scape (SoundSAM With Love Remix) is tidy!“
Tommy D Funk (Good For You Records) – “Yeah! Great stuff right here.”
DJ Deelay (Underground Sessions) – “Wow. Lucy Said is hypnotic.”
DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory radio show) – “I like the remix of Mind over MIDI’s Elektrical Aktivity best here. It’s flowing right!”

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

UNA - It's OK (The Movement Tribe Goes Dubbing) [Cool Jewel Records]

The past couple years have brought UNA inspiration and time to think, write, create. As UNA searches for breaks in the clouds and embrace the changes that have taken place, they are hopeful. With this hope UNA brings you The Movement Tribe's Goes Dubbing remix of "It's OK," UNA's second single from their forthcoming album The Look in Their Eyes.

Veteran DJ and current 'life ninja' Jacob Okino Benson heads up The Movement Tribe, producing a bass-prone version of "It's OK" that fuses UNA's jazz-inflected female vocal with a downtempo dub pulse. Cool percussive flourishes, reverb splash, shimmering effects, and sparse, ringing keys combine into an atmospheric treat that's as sonically potent as it is evocative. This vibe is a heartbeat.

Velanche (Soul Dust Productions) – “Cool, dark and sublime. Digging it.”
Piiit (So Watt) – “Perfect chill vibes. Beautiful voice.”
Kid Loco (Flor) – “This is pretty cool.”
Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Poetic minimalism.”
Jon Fugler (Fluke) – “Really rather beautiful.”
misterG (Green Arrow Radio Show) – “Love UNA in every shape, color or form.”

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

Sim Nagai - Palm Dreams (Cold Busted)

Sim Nagai, the Belgian maven of sonic traveling, brings a Latin-influenced flair to the latest installment in Cold Busted's Jet Set series. Either by plane or the flight of the pelicans on the cover art, Nagai's Palm Dreams seeks to transport the listener to warmly resonating climes. "In Rotation" opens the EP with choppy electric piano chords that are soon joined by a strutting breakbeat and sunshine guitar riffs. Next up is the spacey "Cuban Delirium," adding drama to the release with vibrating key pads, flavorful percussion, and flashes of flamenco. The title cut imagines a bossa-getaway, as an angelic female voice croons over a crackling downtempo beat, celestial effects, and loungey guitar strums. The EP closes out with the beachy "Copacabana Sun," adding uptempo and uplifting instrumentation that sparkles over halftime rhythms.

Pillow Talk (PillowTalk Music) – “Cool summer vibes.”
Kid Loco (Flor) – “Great grooves and moods.”
ALTZ (DFA) – “Love the Copacabana Sand mood.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “A delightful 4 some of musical goodness.”
Dr. Rubberfunk (Funkydown) – “Lovely Rhodes on ‘In Rotation’, sets this EP up nicely. Definitely sunshine sounds!”
Floored Capri (Kane FM) – “This is a smooth smooth release. Some much needed coconutty/greenleaf/blue sky/warm sand relief for someone who's not seen palm trees for a long long time.”

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