Audio Love 7.4.14

The first week of our fully functioning new baby (that's the R$N to those that aren't obsessed with how the bloody thing looks all the time) we pour love over the following audio…

Omar S – Romancing the Stone (FXHE)

I remember when I first heard Omar S and it wasn’t one of those instantly falling in love moments. I’d not heard about him via mates but had come across the FXHE page while browsing records online and I started to check out the music. Like a lot of the music that’s stuck with me over the years I have to say that I didn’t really like it at first but there was something that made me keep coming back and eventually things click and you’re smitten. That’s not to say everything this guys does is amazing, but for the most part his tracks are raw, exciting and inspirational.

Anyway, this new double 12” is exceptionally good in my humble opinion. He’s spread 4 tracks out over 2 vinyl to make the best possible cut to wax and I salute this (but my wallet sadly doesn’t agree). He’s a multifaceted artist and you get a little taste of a number of his different sides here from lush forward thinking techno, soulful house and raw afro acid. Side A is pure fire.

Out now on wax

Red Rack'em – Zoned EP (City Fly)

If you've read this column for long enough then you'll know that the Leicester based City Fly are a favourite of mine and to see them team up with one of Nottingham's best exports is a little overdue. What’s more, this match made in heaven has been given a little extra zing with the addition of a DJ Nature mix. 

The title track has a weird stop start thing going on which I really like, overlaying expectant chords with a beat that keeps coming in and out, building up the energy in the track without ever quite dropping. “Brazilian Nuts” also has a broken and expectant feel to it but has more of a flow. I really love the mixture of dark wobble baseline and the snippets of Brazilian samples coming in here and there. The two originals are great tracks and offer something a bit different but the whole thing is tied together with the DJ Nature mix of “Zoned”. This track has more flow to it, and will be the more pleasing to most ears. It also has some very cheeky little key licks which always help.

Out 21^st April on wax and digi

Al Gobi – Pueblo Grande (Constant State)

Constant State is the new label run by David Kenney who already can be very proud of his achievements at the helm of Audio Parallax. This new venture sees him move away from the slow-mo disco and Balearic vibes of Parallax into rougher electronic territory. The first vinyl is brought to us by the duo Al Gobi who have worked with David before on Parallax and also a whole host of other labels. This release is impressive in its scope, ranging from the broken and slightly paranoid “Pueblo Grande” (which is only available on the vinyl – not on the digital release) to the slow builder of  “Cup of Tea”. The Cottam mix of the latter is outstanding and is the one I’ll be working the crowd with down the local disco in Catford during my epic 30 hour sets.

Out end of April on wax and digi

Pre order

Joe Europe

Wil's One Liners

Man Power – Kiloton EP – Correspondant
The excellent Man Power with his debut on Jennifer Cardini's Correspondant (recent Label Lovers here). 

Tempelhof – Defrost EP

R$N favouirtes, Tempelhof getting a right good going over on the mighty fine Hell Yeah. Young Marco remixes Drake and Willie Burns Remix takes on Nothing on the Horizon. Gert lush!