For those looking to dive deep into the kind of airy, long-form grooves Stephan Laubner does so well, At Disconnected Moments is a gold mine.
smallville records
Steven Tang, Disconnect to Connect
Steven Tang’s debut album, Disconnect to Connect, was 14 years in the making, but thankfully bears a timeless quality as it presents the best of his deep house sound.
Lawrence, In A Rush
Peter Kersten returns to Smallville for the first time in two years for In A Rush, a two-tracker which feels timid and, at times, unfinished.
Christopher Rau, Two
Arriving just a year after Christopher Rau’s debut LP, Two follows its predecessor in breeziness, but with markedly less success.
STL, Flying Saucer Attack
STL’s first two contributions to Smallvile were incredible refinements of his somber, druggy sound, and his latest, Flying Saucer Attack, offers its own eccentric beatdown house sound.
Juniper/Arnaldo, We Met in Manchester
Juniper and Arnaldo are still relatively unknown, but deliver impressive tracks on their Smallville debut that will have clubbers learning their names.
Bon & Rau, Morning Funk
Rau & Bon return to Hamburg’s Smallville for their second collaborative EP, Morning Funk, but make few advancements in their sound together.
Moomin, Sweet Sweet
In advance of his forthcoming debut LP, Moomin drops Sweet Sweet for the same label, Smallville Records.
Lawrence, Sorry Sun
Sorry Sun is not your typical Lawrence release, and given the generally high standard of Lawrence releases, that’s got to mean something.
Melchior & Pronsato, Puerto Rican Girls
Throughout Puerto Rican Girls it’s evident Pronsato and Melchior have musical chemistry, yet at times their sonic revelry comes across as hubris and a lack of editing.
Various Artists, And Suddenly It’s Morning
“Smallville ist nicht Dial.” A De:Bug review of an early Smallville release (DJ Swap’s superb “The Walk”) made this clear, but until last year, many people still persisted in treating it as a mere sub-label of the more established Hamburg imprint. Of course, this is understandable, given Peter Kersten (Lawrence/Sten)’s involvement in both, not to mention the similar influences and palettes. Both have grown out of the Hamburg scene, share a reverence for Afro-American music, and have a sophisticated yet melancholy European air, but this past year has seen Smallville come gloriously out of Dial’s shadow. Where Dial releases music as much for the couch or even concert hall as the club, Smallville is more firmly dance floor-orientated. Still, as this CD compilation And Suddenly It’s Morning proves, their music is equally at home, well, at home.