Top five tracks are no better or worse than the other 10 Hits, just chose to write about them. Same for the Misses.
Hits
01. Stardiver, “Another Moment of Silence” [Kompakt Extra]
What a leap up since Burger’s last Speicher appearance. This is what this moniker should do best: unfolding shimmering melodies over a smart, rambling arpeggios. A cosmic warm-up to a stellar DJ set.
02. Kalabrese, “Not the Same Shoes” (ft. Kate Wax) [Stattmusik]
Kalabrese is anything but a sure bet for me, but here he nails it. Kate Wax’s gritty pipes provide great contrast to the tune, which itself is a clever mix of sleek and gnarled. Bass flares, free-spirited synth vamps, konk drums and Kalabrese’s effortless vocals — it all fills a need I didn’t know I had.
03. Sebbo, “Beirut Boogie” [Liebe Detail]
Now that “Fizheuer Zieheuer” is on the table, horns are liberated from the semi-exclusive hands of house. There’s a bit of nastiness I love about the track; it’s chorus (if you want to call it that) is so fierce it makes the blip percussion seem puny. A little out of balance, still essential.
04. Cold, “Strobelight Network” (Eulberg & Ananda remix) [Exacta.udio]
This track is like a normal, everyday walk to work, but along the way you walk through two parades of hippie drone musicians who are especially happy about life. A brave DJ would hit a crowded floor with this to see what happens.
05. Lindstrøm & Solale, “Let’s Practise” [Feedelity]
This revises a demo Lindstrom posted on his Myspace earlier this year. Crisp space disco with psychedelic arpeggios and sultry vocals that, while appearing simple on the surface next to some of Prins Thomas’ recent productions, is a strong argument for Hans-Peter sticking with the genre for a while.
06. Jona, “Smart Cats vs Dumb Dogs” [Get Physical] (review forthcoming)
07. Kaliber “12.1” [Kaliber]
08. Joel Pryde, “Slow Burn” [none]
09. The Rice Twins, “Can I Say” [Kompakt]
10. Thomas P. Heckmann, “Violent Stains” [Rasputin]
11. Matthew Dear, “Deserter” (Four Tet remix) [Ghostly Intl]
12. Mark August, “Warm” [Innervisions]
13. Substance & Vainqueur, “Reverberation” [Scion Versions]
14. Marc Antona, “X-Tension” [Freak ‘n Chic]
15. Lusine, “Flat For You” (Matthew Dear remix) [Ghostly Intl]
Misses:
01. Luke Solomon, “Ghouls” (Claude VonStroke’s Beats From the Grave) [Rekids]
I can’t play this until my next Halloween rave and I’m not sure I like that. Glad to see VonStroke is still having fun, I guess.
02. All of the “Fancy Footwork” remixes [Turbo Recordings]
03. Booka Shade, “Tickle/Karma Car” [Get Physical Recordings]
04. Robert Babicz, “Sin (Remixes)” [Systematic]
05. Sid LeRock, ” Naked” [Cereal/Killer]
Nice charts im surprised you but booka shade in the misses part , karma car is not all that good but im liking tickle ,but one mans pleasure is anothers poison.
Jona’s effort just arrived on a platter today in my first ever foray into a batch of vinyl. Really digging it.
Nice chart, keep up the good work.
I haven’t heard Sid Le Rock’s ‘Naked’ but i have heard the Dj Koze Remix, which i think is really great. would u agree or do u dislike the whole record?
Jona’s effort is incredible. Classic already.
Honestly, the whole Sid LeRock album did nothing for me. The DJ Koze remix was a little more palatable. Thanks for reading, all!
The new Booka Shade is no ‘Darko’ but it’s not all bad — although for me, it’s all about ‘Karma Car’ which has a nice sneaky sound (and seems like the techno equivalent of Fuxa’s ‘Karmaloop’) . . . the drum stutters that kick off ‘Tickle’ just make me want to listen to Plastikman’s ‘Spastik’ and then suddenly all those chords seem out of place and, in parts, dangerously close to a steel drum.
Beirut Boogie is choooon. YES!