Record reviews - May 2005

ARTIST - TRACK [LABEL] Metta & Mr Blurry - The Little Robot EP [Flip-Flop] OK so it been out for a couple of months but I a DJ who guilty of being scatty enough to let this gem tune slip behind too many other records in my collection. The A side is a sharp layout of bouncy jacking tech grooves and an accordingly wobbly b-line. On the flip Nasty injects some wobbly jelly into his remix giving even the most metallic of robots something squishy to aspire to. Lastly the eat Tricks for Beatrix mix takes our aluminium acquaintance back to where he, she or it feels most comfortable; liquid crystal bliss along with all other computerised beings. 4/5 Lo/Rez - You Don Win Friends with Salad [Flat and Round] Proving that salad is not the basis of friendship, Willis and Hodge (aka Lo/Rez) bung their sandwich onto a stick in a suck it and see fashion. 'Stickwich' is the first result with its retro clap-licked synths and bubbling sequence. 'S11' strips things back to the bone through the use of a drowsy melody line and loitering drums. In an austere behaviour the third track trips gently back to circa 1990 with an uncomplicated but sophisticated organ hook. Finally 'Slimline' is of a similar nature with its deep and sultry groove. 3/5 Dexter - Rhodes to Nowhere/Wino Man [Conceive] Gideon Jackson label hits release number six and there no denying that it a fine delivery of head down music. In 'Rhodes to Nowhere' Dexter serves us up with some no-nonsense, quick paced tech grooves. Aimed directly at the dancefloor it would sit nicely in an Eddie Richards set. Shaking claps and hats go hand in hand with a phat bass line giving the tune an inescapable groove. 'Wino Man' is a lurid and just as irresistible conception as the A side. Both tracks are suitably loopy with an addictive flow that only the challenged groover could recoil. 4/5 Edan Everywhere & Carlo Del - I So Well [Listen To Reason] Listen To Reason, also reaching release number six, proves it is a label of varying thought as opposed to one particular sound. Chris Udoh's Tigerhook Corp take on 'I Duddit' is truly a peak timer. Percussive action and floor-shaking rhythms together with a constant variant of arrangement means it never stops to dance on the spot. Over to side B for the intricately formed original which comes with a warning not to leep in the bass-bin. The reason for this becomes apparent when after the drop the unsuspecting drowser is bombarded with a tribal bassline that chants a mantra to take you prisoner and burn you at the stake should you again be found slumbering at any point! 4/5 Alex Smoke - Brian Lung [Soma] Sometimes it seems that electronic house music moves faster than the punters can keep pace. Alex Smoke is leading the race with his nose at the front on par with the other micro-techno producers. The Inflated mix of "Brian's Lung" is a disjointed creation that sprints all the way to the finish line throwing in some rather elaborate noise manipulation along the way. "Dont See the Point" is taken by Henrik Schwarz and turned into a slow-tempo house song. This is one for those who like music that thinks outside the box 2/5 Eddie Richards & Terry Francis, Brett Johnson, Mastik Soul - Call / I Ate Cat food / Trailer [Household Recordings] Four artists and three very contrasting tunes. Eddie and Terry get their heads together in creating the hastily paced 'Call'. It'a full of funk guitar riffs that are light and fluffy like a whipped cream cake. Added to this are some sweet vocals laid over the top like sugar icing. The theme is underpinned by driving percussion making it tech-house with a dash of sugary soul. As if warning you off eating cat food, Brett Johnson rather spasmodic piece digests badly with an unusual set of audio over his trademark beats. Completing the EP on side B 4 Kenzo head honcho, Mastik Soul offers an expertly laid out dancefloor track. Full of nodding beats and compelling sounds this is the winner of the bunch. 3/5 Stop 11 - The Eleven EP [Stompa Phunk] Four of Brighton Stompa Phunk crew members team up for this EP making it their eleventh release. First on the list is David Parr with his sluggish yet alluring 'Release Yourself'. Tula's 'I Jus' is next which boasts a smart and funky bassline. It rolls fluently alongside some irresistible hip-wiggling grooves and for me this track shines above the rest. Also make sure you check Sege Santiago's 'Take the Journey' with its atypical combination of elements and Ben Burns melancholic journey in his atmospheric 'Blue Boat'. Does Brighton rock? This EP proves to us that it does. [End]

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