29.5.2007 von mk.

With the release of I Love You - Live at the Bimhuis (SK051CD) by BENNY SINGS in spring 2005 on Sonar Kollektiv, the label saw an especially important release in its catalogue for various reasons. For one thing the Dutchman BENNY SINGS is a gifted songwriter and performer, for another the release came at just the right time.
I Love You - Live at the Bimhuis was exactly that: a concise collection of no-frills jazz-pop songs presented in a sunny west coast easy-listening vibe reminiscent of BURT BACHARACH, SUPERTRAMP or even STEELY DAN.
In some way BENNY SINGS really is returning home with his new album Album Benny …at home. For the acoustic instrumentation that dominated I Love You, Benny …at home now takes back seat to a much more urban sound.
Still present is the light hearted and seeming effortless way BENNY SINGS presents his compositions. The tracks are built on solid foundations of tight back-beats and bouncy grooves - the Dutchman, who is originally a bass-player, seems to have remembered his hip hop roots.
Which is why SINGS and SUÈR place the emphasis on a much more urban aesthetic in order to create a bridge between genres and so avoid any obvious repetition of what’s gone before - instead they place an accent on the future. Once again they have managed with the supercool understatement that only those who are completely confident doing what they do to produce with Benny …at home a perfect symbiosis between originality and a commercially viable product. It is nothing less than that all too seldom reached goal: sublime pop music, which is at one and the same time accessible and yet never superficial.

Label: Sonar Kollektiv

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27.5.2007 von mk.

Hot on the heels of Victor Davies’ critically-acclaimed third album ‘Hear the Sound’ comes this fresh and exciting remix album . ‘Hear the Sound: Remixed’ is comprised of contributions from Louie Vega, Afro Gigolo, Domu, DJ Kawasaki, Yukihiro Fukutomi, UFO, Smolik, Yam Who, Rainy City, Atjazz, and Sleep Walker.
‘Hear the Sound: Remixed’ kicks off with Louie Vega’s reinterpretation of the title track . Louie’s stunning concoction of Latin percussion and house beats incorporates the vocals of Anane along with sophiscated keyboards and funky brass.
Louie is not the only remixer to have emphasised the special combination of latin and funkiness found in Victor’s original tracks. DJ Kawasaki’s reworking of ‘Gold & Diamonds’, Yam Who’s ‘So Good for Me’ and UFO’s ‘One More Time’ are wonderful examples of Latin-influenced dance music.
Some remixers have picked up on, and emphasised, the jazzier elements of Victor’s music. Sleep Walker’s version of ‘Don’t Believe a Word’ and Rainy City’s ‘End of Time’ display their own well-known jazz-influenced sounds.
There is a strong soulful element in Yukihiro Fukutomi’s ‘Til You Come Home’ and Smolik’s ‘Girl’.
Other contributors have taken their own completely original route. See Atjazz’s mesmerising ‘Missing World’ and Domu’s ‘Would You Believe in Me’ for great examples of twisted experimentation. Afro Gigolo’s own remixes have a distinctly Drum & Bass flavour on the Bebel Gilberto duet ‘Comigo’ and ‘If I Ruled the World’.
Label: Afro Gigolo

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18.5.2007 von mk.

The 100th GOMMA release: a very own mix of Spacedisco, Garagetechno & NewWaveFunk in a cosmic, pitched down, freaked out, psychadelic style! It’s not a normal DJ MIX, but a 22 track mix collage including recent hits by HEADMAN, WHOMADEWHO, MUNK, TOMBOY, Cosmicdisco Legend BALDELLI and BOX CODAX (Nick from FRANZ FERDINAND!).
Besides rmxs from EROL ALKAN (aka Mustapha 3000), PLAYGROUP, STEPHAN DEWEALE from Soulwax, SUPERDISCOUNT, METRONOMY, O.KOLETZKI !
Incl. a 20 page mini picture book! After 80 single and 20 CDs Gomma is still fresher then most of
the others quite one - dimensional dance labels . London’s NME recently described Gomma as “the German DFA” and was not so wrong. Apart of the fact that JAMES MURPHY from DFA is a big fan and has cooperated with the guys - there are only a few companys that have a similar freestyle music/design/ disco approach: Ed Banger, Kitsune, Tigersushi in Paris, Eskimo in Belgium and yes: DFA records in New York.
The new post - minimal generation.
Gomma’s artists are quite established acts of the new DiscoRockRaveElectronica scene: WhoMadeWho have been touring as support for SOULWAX though all Europe, their singles (Satisfaction, Flat beat) are still a hit in UK’s indie discos and their song SPACE FOR RENT has been covered by QUEENS OF THE STONEAGE on their concerts. HEADMAN is the remixer of choice for stars like ROXY MUSIC, RADIO 4, SCISSOR SISTERS and TOMBOY and MUNK are demanded DJs and released much acclaimed albums. (”superb future disco and psychosoul!” London’s i - D magazin about Munks last album)

Label: gomma records

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9.5.2007 von mk.

Second album from Munich based producer Ben Mono! Feat. guest appearances by Capitol A, Killa Kela, Jemini, Studio R, Jason Todd, Shane Fontane, Yo Majesty … “Hit The Bit” is the antithesis the current minimal techno sound, slowing down the tempo and merging stripped down hip hop, techno sounds and booming electro. Ben Mono calls it ‘bit hop’ …
Ben Mono - ambitious multi-player, producer, remixer and in demand DJ from Munich - has built himself a solid reputation in the world of advanced diskotainment during the past years. His debut album “Dual” was praised by critics for being “complex, deep, tight and authentic at the same time” (De:Bug). His tracks can be found constantly on heavy rotation in the playlists of supporters like Dave Clarke, Jazzanova, Funkstörung or Zombie Nation and - not enough name dropping yet - have been remixed by people like John Tejada, Sirius Mo, Landslide, Jean-Paul Bondy and Bell. Finally, after carefully polishing his latest compositions, Ben Mono is about to drop his long awaited sophomore effort: “Hit The Bit”
The new album is a manifestation of a new and unique style labelled by himself as Bit-Hop! While the majority of party people in Germany are attached to minimal techno grooves, Ben Mono draws a deliberately counterdraft to this predominant sound pattern. He slows down the tempo and adds some abundance - bit hop means less beats per minute but more density in sound. Bit hop also means the digital merging of different styles, a symbiosis of stripped down hip hop and booming electro. Remember when in the late 80s hip house was the catalyst for the fusion of rap vocals with electric dance music? It initiated a continuing metamorphose of sound steadily giving birth to new styles like ghetto tech, grime, dubstep, hollertronix or most recently neu rave.
Bit hop is the youngest offspring in this family tree. Based on catchy hooks and old school synth lines it can be described best as an amalgamtion of ingredients Ed Banger or Spank Rock would probably feel tasty too. Just listen to “Don’t Stop”, “Pull Em Down” or the rocking title track “Hit The Bit” for comprehension. Ben Mono creates a new sound aesthetic a bit off from the current minimal affection defining the German electronic music scene. Considering this, Bit hop furthermore represents a break out, a metaphor for movement, progression and aggregation. On this mission he gets support by aspiring artists from all around the world like Bay Area MC Capitol A, the Miami Bass queens from Yo Majesty from Tampa Florida, Weather Girls’ backround singer Kerry L. Dooley, caribbean bred Jemini who is guiding through the album, electro crunk general Shane Fontane, Bliss & Main Flow (of Mood) or British multi vocalist Killa Kela. - new friends and collaborators found while being a globetrotting DJ.
Over 80 DJ bookings during a year take him to cities like Buenos Aires, Taipei, San Francisco, Bangkok, Dubai, Sydney, Beijing or Manila. All those different places have local scenes of their own posing new challenges for Ben Mono. Don’t expect him to play a straight DJ set when he rocks a party. Wherever he spins records he comes up with new variations in tempo and style while not forgetting about the sureshot bangers. But although it gets a little bit adventurous sometimes - like him being shot at with plastic bullets by some American street kids or being attacked by an organ trading taxi driver in Argentina - Ben Mono won’t stop his worldwide quest for the quintessence of sound to embed it into his universal Bit hop formula. All this experiences have been aggregated and transformed into his new album: “Hit the Bit”. So please pump up the volume and enjoy

Label: Compost Records

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9.5.2007 von mk.

Surfing an all watersports action from all around Hawaii and the North Shore mixed with good music and packaged like a surf video. Hawaii Surf Session Report is the first and the best video surf podcast. Visit the website for free photos, daily updates, slideshows and giveaways.

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9.5.2007 von mk.

After a long hiatus, while remixing some local Aussie acts & finding his new sound, REGAL has finally returned to the melting pot, with his debut solo album ‘LOOP DREAMS’. Recorded at Regal’s then ad-hoc home studio (now in limbo), over an intense 4 month period in 2006, ‘Loop Dreams’ is a little gem from the one-time original founding member of both THE WISEGUYS (Wall Of Sound) & BRONX DOGS (Heavenly/Marble Bar), two of the UK’s most revered underground acts of the ’90’s.
Encompassing Regal’s Hip Hop roots and a fresh batch of dusty breaks, this album delivers solid beats with a great blend of Funk-Fusion samples, a dash of Psychedelia, deep grooves & a touch of the Avant-Garde. Focusing on a more reflective sound, which rewards the listener with each new listen, Regal has crafted an original, daring, and beautiful album of B-Boy music as part-homage to the brilliance of the 70’s Jazz-Fusion scene, his major inspiration these last few years.
Tracks like ‘THE VILLAGE CALLING’, ‘KEEP ON’, ‘OLD FRIENDS’ & ‘SEARCHIN’ FOR PEACE’ represent Regal going back to his Wiseguys’ roots & dropping some beautiful downtempo smokers, packed with multiple layers of drums, basslines, strings, electronic effects & each with a distinctly individual theme and sound. ‘POLAR ICE’ is a wistful but funky, uptempo jazz-dance track, with some great live keys from his studio engineer and talented musician JIMI POLAR, while ‘CAPT. AHAB’ & ‘LOOP DREAMS’, deliver looped-up psychedelics and a more free-thinking approach to the Hip Hop Instrumental.
‘Shock Ya’ Mind’ & ‘The Mack’ weigh in with Regal’s more renowned B-Boy funk style, but even here they are deceptive, as each of these rocks the floor with dark Jazz & edgy Funk at their core, that enable them to merge with the rest of the album…
…And this, ultimately, is the beauty of ‘Loop Dreams’ - that such an open palate of Jazz, Funk, Rock & Fusion sounds, with a wide array of B-Boy breaks & individualistic themes, some great old-school studio gear & cutting edge new software - can meld together so well… clocking in at the 45 min mark, ‘Loop Dreams’ is relatively concise by today’s standards, but this only serves to make the album an even more addictive listen - you just wanna keep hittin’ repeat!

Label: unique

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3.5.2007 von mk.

The release of the …broad casting compilation (SK092CD) in summer 2006 was the logical (and over due) conclusion of JAZZANOVA’s year long radio work. Their “JAZZANOVA Radio Show” enjoys cult status with its listeners and the playlists are torn from their hands. When is came to the question of who should do the second issue of …broad casting they immediately turned to DJ, radio presenter and producer DIRK RUMPFF; he is after all a “extended family member” (ALEX BARCK’s own words) of the JAZZANOVA family.
With his OFFtrack-Projekt DIRK RUMPFF has found the perfect vehicle for his sincere devotion to music: his goal is about beating a path through the unthinkably big jungle that is contemporary music, to seek out the pearls that really mean something, and at the same time creating a platform for his extensive network of music and friends. A place in the virtual space where bridges are built and a multiplicity of musical currents can come into contact with one another. Its a place where that which has long since ceased to take place in conventional radio can happen: dramaturgy, adventure and surprising changes.
All this can be found in a condensed form on the new …broad casting compilation which takes in a spectrum of sound ranging from everything from Broken Beat via soulful downbeat to hip hop. And one of the most important red threads that runs throughout this selection is folk orientated song writing. No wonder as for DIRK RUMPFF it’s all about a certain kind of timelessness, he’s interested in already seasoned tracks which although they have been around for a while already have by no means yet reached their half life.
In his compilation which is as flowing as it is exciting can be hard contributions by TRICKSKI, OUTLINES, MARK PRITCHARD, CLARA HILL, FAT FREDDYS DROP, DEYAMPERT and many more.

Label: Sonar Kollektiv

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