I’m always looking for that straight-up funky-ass no-bullshit jackin’ wonk groove… And it’s not always easy to find just what I’m looking for, but recently I was graced with a forwarded email from Klangekstase Records and was way too happy with the outcome. The email regarded Campbell’s new EP “Check It,” which came out early last month. All three of the original tracks on the EP (“Check It,” “Make It Bump,” and “Slush Puppy”) fulfill exactly what I’m talking about. When I listen to or even just think about these tracks, my mind becomes too boggled with excitement and fixation to even speak. And yet here I am trying to do so. The words that I can come up with to give you a picture of Campbell’s bouncy, bangin’ productions are: delicately juicy percussion textures; a REALLY fresh-sounding bass synth; long exhilarating breakdowns; very well-chosen samples such as those in “Slush Puppy” that are from the Beastie Boys’ “Body Movin’.”
The remixers on the Check It EP all deliver fun, crafty work as well. I’d like to point you towards Whack Flava’s “Check It” remix in particular.
Meet Claire Bradford. (I urge you to check out her soundcloud..she has recently posted some remixes for WoNK and Kid Komas. Talk about killin it!) She is the mastermind behind the ever-so-fidgety record label, Bone Idle Records. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a big fan of their stuff and will continue to support their awesome collective of artists.
Here is a little background information on the wonder woman from Brighton. Carbon Parlour hit the highs when her 2008 track ‘We Would Like’ saw a release on the revered Jack Union Records. The creation of We Would Like also saw a switch in production styles for CP who previously found herself firmly working the Electro and Breakbeat camps. Her early influences of Digitalism, Justice and Evil Nine worked their way into the studio but she soon found a need to find her own style and this was soon answered when she heard her first Solid Groove track. With a love of big bass, big beats and looped samples she soon started working on an unknown piece of music that within a day worked its way into the giant We Would Like track that eventually made Charles Feelgood’s must buy list on Beatport.
Carbon Parlour has releases on Jack Union, Baboon Tunes, Finger Tache Records, 2 Bubblin’, Big Alliance Records and a debut EP on Bone Idle.
CP sticks to her jackin’ house style on all three tracks with a very strong opening production. Flipside has gained huge support on Soundcloud, most played most loved and most wanted on her page. This track leads on its strong beat which has been cut up to give tiny fragmented bouts of silence giving it the jackin’ style we know it for. Flipside uses short bursts of vocal mixed with a strong low end bass that throws the dancefloor into a shape throwing frenzy.
Box 1 is slightly darker than Flipside and warrants a serious listen, however its status in the mixtapes shows its a strong contender for second place. Taking a slightly crudded, scratched up counting sample, throwing it over a siren synth layered with vinyl affected beats, and then mashing it all together, CP works to provide another jumped up sample cruncher.
Finally, Calibre requires a cigar and some serious head nodding. This track focuses on its use of beats, layered claps, dutch snares and thudding kicks. CP heads deep into her audio bank here and comes up big with some fine audio chopping. Small snippets of vocal bass and percussion make Calibre a fidget funk fest!
And hey, it’s not over yet! Claire is giving out this Crookk remix of Box 1. Quick, gravitate that mouse cursor to the download link and slurp this one up!
February saw the drop of Schenk’s latest release, a 4 track EP entitled “OK” featuring his very tasty original, and three remixes to accompany the release. The original mix of Ok! is a fine example of what you can expect from a Schenk track, stripped back jackin’ funk with crisp clean mixing and production. Like all music, house can fall into so many different sub genres and one thing we look for in our signings (Bone Idle Records) is something a little different. You won’t find a saw or wobble bass here, but what you will find is a floor shaking sub and kick which keeps the track ebbing and flowing throughout. Expect funky fidgety synth/guitar/vocal stabs and breakdowns with a very creative alternative to a white noise build. Don’t sleep on the remixes either, Carbon Parlour, Bassion & Shyne, and 6T9 all put their respective twists on the track, rounding out the release with a bit of electro and some alternative housed up interpretations.
And you can pick up some free downloads accompanying the release from Riggers and Dala (visit the Soundcloud for a download):
And up next, we have a totally free EP with three tasty tracks for your listening pleasure. Schenk truly exhibits his maturing style here, giving us that signature pop in his work, while not overpowering these smooth tech-house grooves. He walks the line between softened synths and the choppiness of Chicago house to deliver a toned down jacking sound. I feel like some of these tracks are just what I need in my earlier/opening sets — tech with some bark, no bite!
Say Hello to Motez. This Australian-based producer is originally from Baghdad, but made his journey to the big island in 2006 to continue pushing his music. He’s been makin’ tunes since 1998 (granted these fell under the Trance/Progressive feel — but hey, WHO wasn’t producing that kind of stuff in 98?) and is now thick in the game, producing tracks that have garnered support from Miles Dyson, Frederik Mooij, Geht’s Noch?, Audiobotz, Carbon Parlour, Andru Pozzatron, and many more! He’s quite the busy guy, with releases on Plasmapool, Backzide and Loudroom Records. Of the latter (for his “A Trick or Two EP”), we saw some quality remixes from Nick Supply, Jackinori, and Frederick Mooij.
His latest “No Need to Panic” EP has been released on Plasmapool and is some real quality high energy jack. Being that this genre coincides so closely with the fidget movement, you’ll get a taste of some wonky bass and chunked out vocals — just what you need to twerk that booty like a club rat allstar! The actual tune ‘No Need to Panic’ is superb. His alternating bass chops give the track some real bounce, and once the second drop hits, you’re eardrums are blessed with some crazy upward-bending synths that really step up the intensity of the track.
Little late on posting this, but in case you missed it, Geht’s Noch recently did a new mix for OMGITM. It has some real serious tunes in it, including my new favorite from Wongo ‘Hiiimmmiiiaaannniii.’ Finishes off hard with Prince’s ‘Raspberry Beret’..haha!
1. Tom EQ – Shake (OMGITM Intro Edit)
2. Robert Boogert – Throw Up
3. Campbell & Detnum – Bit of That (GN? We Don’t Care Edit)
4. Armand Van Helden -Je T’aime (Switch Remix)
5. Crookers – Massive
6. Induceve – Stay Cool
7. Bart B More – Gilles
8. Trevor Loveys & Switch – Get Ya Dub on Pt. 2 (Hijack Remix)
9. Tom Staar – It Excites Me
10. Redsquad – Make Some Noise (Motez Remix)
11. TJR ft. DJ Gant-Man – Juke It (TJR For the Heads Remix)
12. Afrojack – Polkadots (Oliver Twizt remix)
13. Carbon Parlour – We Would Like (Hijack Remix)
14. Geht’s Noch? – Body Jack
15. Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love (Jeff Doubleu Bootleg)
16. Simian Mobile Disco – I Believe (Switch Remix)
17. Wongo – Hiiimmmiiiaaannniii
18. Crookers – Bumble Bees
19. Cracker Jack – Samurai Jack
20. Rah Band – Clouds Across the Moon (Mastiksoul Remix)
21. Haezer – Who The Fuck Is (Geht’s Noch? Remix)
22. Tom EQ – Off Limits
23. Hervé – See Me
24. Hijack, Santiago & Bushido – Puttin’ It Down
25. Prince – Raspberry Beret
Signal Drivers, Miles Dyson – Summer Rain (Stupid Fresh Remix)
Not that they weren’t already some of the best dance producers in the world, but shit’s gotten way fresher since Stupid Fresh split into Nom de Strip and the newly designated Stupid Fresh (singular). Creative freedom has done them well, and now we’re getting double the stupid and double the fresh week in and week out!
