Lando Kal ‘Let You in The Sky’ / Icee Hot / Released November 5th 2012
Antaeus Roy, AKA Lando Kal, here nods to Chicago ghetto funk but also more progressive tones too. Both originals- Let You In The Sky and Help Myself- are also redone well, with Grown Folk offering rough, tough four fours and expansive, hypnotic atmospherics making for futurist house, whilst Anthony Shakir gets all dubsteppy breaks on our ears.
Old Parents & Maceo Plex ‘Get Enough’ / Leftroom Limited / Released November 5th 2012
Arguably the most prolific UK house imprint of 2012 closes the year with another quality release. Think elasticated bass arpeggios, all manner of chopped and changing effects, along with a heavy focus on rolling hooks for the lead tune. Other than that, Mark E’s two remixes straddle hip-house and peak time builds, both of which are also great.
Cottam ‘Relapse EP’ / AUS Music / Released November 12th 2012
There’s a slight Kruder & Dorfmeister style d’n’b edge to the harmonies offered in the title track, which drops into a warm, reflective piece of interesting dancefloor house. If that’s not your bag not to worry, though, as Cosmin TRG is in solid space-tech-funk effect on his remix, with B-side Remember a far smoother, sunkissed percussive creature.
Luciano ‘Rise Of Angel’ / Cadenza / Released November 19th 2012
Anyone that ventured close to our sandy shores this summer will likely have heard this monster dropped by the skilled craftsman himself. Broken snares, melodic pianos and a typical focus on repetition being the driving forces behind what can only be described as a tempting appetiser ahead of his forthcoming album.
Various Artists ‘Sampler One’ / Initials / Released November 26th 2012
A heavyweight line up comes together for this heavy collection of music. DJ Linus’ K.B.’s Groove, or rather the Analogue Cops reworking that was featured on these pages last month makes a re-appearance, along with its deep, sparse house vibes. Meanwhile, Initials and Hypercolour A&R Ste Roberts also excels with his tough, dubby 4x4 cut Milde Shag.
Mooryc ‘Dive EP’ / Stem Records / Released November 26th 2012
Manchester’s Stem Records presents its inaugural release, and promises plenty for the future. Stem is an offbeat, downtempo treat, full of melancholic vocals and stabbed strings. Deep groove fans may prefer the Mind Against Remix, though, wherein shades of Circulation can be heard. Oh, and B-side At The Bottom gets an epic Avatism reworking.
Luke Solomon & Roual Galloway feat. Cassio Ware and Vangella Crowe ‘Dance With Me’ / Little Creatures/ Released November 26th 2012
Freakishly danceable house music coming direct from Mr Solomon’s new-ish imprint, as if we needed to explain. Full on party moods saturate every version of the track, which in the Original and Wild guises veers from shuffling and funk fuelled to gospel-tipped work. Galloway’s edit is a little more sedate, but really only by comparison.
Inland Knights ‘The Break Out EP’ / Outcross Records / Released November 26th 2012
Sometimes it’s good to hear a familiar name, and in the case of these British stalwarts that’s certainly true. Bounce is inspired by the likes of Cajmere and Derrick Carter, at least in terms of the MC vocals, and on the other side Broken Up is a kind of disco-electro hybrid, with the MAM remix thereafter stripping that sound back to keep those heads down.
Floppy Sounds ‘Those Voices’ / Wave Music / Released November 27th 2012
Solid stuff courtesy of Francois K's label, Those Voices is a spoken word techno outing that will cause mayhem on the ‘floor. Warehouse in attitude, it’s relentless, very, very dirty, and very much in line with the imprint owner’s approach to the genre. Discombobulated, on the other hand, remains propellant but opts for computer synth patterns instead.
Chris James ‘Kind of Heavy’ / Klangkultur Schallplatten / Released November 30th 2012
Chris James, of Birmingham, UK, seems to wear his past on sleeve here, betraying a DJ history featuring some prime English house venues- the sorely missed Turnmills and Ministry of Sound to name but two. Here expect sexy vocals, reversed harmonies, and classic fours in the vein of simpler days gone by, offering a welcome dose of aural nostalgia.
