Various – Autem 02

Only the second release here from Sarp Yilmaz & co's fledgling Autem Audio label, based in Chicago, and again it's a V/A affair showing off the production talents of the label bosses.

The EP kicks off with Gvk's Moonshine, a no-nonsense deep/tech throbber that unexpectedly breaks down into the vocal from Superstitious in the middle… drop this one at the right time and it could absolutely slay 'em! Dark Blue is up next, a deeper, housier groove coming from DJ Da, known for releases on King Street and Yoshitoshi, while finally Sarp gives us Krumbz, a head-mangling journey that fuses deep, twisted techno with the organs and breathy female vocal snips of deep NJ garage.

Two releases in and two winners to date, then…

Out: This week

About: You can find Autem Audio here.

Sarp Yilmaz – Spread Love/Various - Autem 001

Two releases here from Sarp Yilmaz… one under his own steam, one on the debut EP from new Chicago label Autem Audio.

Looking at the solo effort first, Spread Love is taken from his recent album As If I Care. I must admit I didn't hear the album but the version presented here is a very now-sounding, shuffling deep/tech houser with soulful male vocal elements, crisp percussion and an underlying chordal throb thoughout.

But Sarp is also one of the co-owners of new label Autem Audio, and his Down On Me is offered up as the A1 track on the label's debut V/A ep. It's a more thoughtful, melancholic kinda groove than Spread Love, its sparse rhythms and warm atmos' topped with anguished diva wails in a manner that makes me think of old Terrence Parker records, only without the pianos. Elsewhere on the the EP you'll find Be Someone Else and Funkass, from co-owners Hearthug and Gvk respectively. Be Someone Else is another atmospheric deep/tech groove but this time laced with acid, while Funkass is a more uptempo and slightly sunnier affair, but with pleasingly filthy synth-bass squelching away underneath.

The two releases together are further evidence that this Turkish producer is one to keep an eye on, while the Autem EP marks a very promising start for the label.

Out: This week for Spread Love; Autem 001 was out last week but it came in a wee bit late, hence it's getting squeezed in now.

About: Spread Love comes on Apparel Music while you can find out all about Chicago-based Autem Audio at their website.

GVK – C Love

A great man once asked – or it might just have been the bloke out of Sha Na Na in Grease – "how low can you go?" But that's not the question tonight. The question tonight is "how deep can you go?" And if GVK and assorted remixing chums were asked that questions, the answer would have to be, "Pretty fucking deep, actually".

C Love would come under the 'deep house' heading to start with anyway (just about): it's a midtempo groover with chopped-up female vocal snips and one of those squelchy, filtered synth stabs that always remind me of Akabu's Ride The Storm. But the remixes take us deeper still. First there's the Leif Remix, which mutes the synths somewhat and lets the warm bassline shine through, replaces the vocal with some mournful male wahs and woohs, and has a somewhat more laidback, horizontal vibe generally.

Even that's as nothing, however, compared to the DJ Da Remix… with production that truly warrants the term 'cavernous', this is as sparse and echo-y as the most demanding of deeper heads could possibly ask for. It's probably best suited to listening purposes, but there is a surprisingly insistent 4/4 which means, on the right floors – and you'd have to pick them carefully – this would absolutely slay 'em.

So while all the mixes are certainly playable, it's DJ Da's rub all the way for me: it's as beautiful and involving a piece of sonic meandering as you'll hear all week.

Out: This week

About: This comes on the always-checkable Trendy Mullet… that's about as much as I can tell you. I don't know who GVK is/are, cos no-one's told me… and I'm not sure what the Courtney Love connection is either, though I'm sure it all makes sense to someone. But anyway, you can find out more about Trendy Mullet (and maybe ask them yourself!) by hitting up their website, Facebook or Soundcloud pages.