Umek & Mike Vale – My House

Long the househead's favourite techno producer thanks to his funky, loopy take on the genre, Umek has of late reinvented himself as a fully-fledged tech-house purveyor par excellence.

That transformation continues apace with this latest offering, as Umek teams up with fellow Slovenian producer Mike Vale to create a tech-house floor-shaker that leaves you in no doubt, thanks to the endlessly looping "my house" vocal, exactly which side of the equation it leans towards – a head-frying techno synth breakdown five minutes in notwithstanding.

Tech-house of the highest calibre is what we've come to expect from Umek, and it's what he delivers here. It might not do anything massively innovative or clever but it'll move bodies on the dancefloor without a doubt… which is probably why they stuck to just the one mix!

Out: This week

About: This comes on the mighty Great Stuff, a label who can likewise generally be relied upon!

ALBUM Great Stuff Grooves Winter Edition

Right then, I'm notoriously rubbish at finding the time to do enough album reviews and there's a few of the blighters this week, so let's start as we mean to go on and kick the week's reviews off with this latest label comp from Munich's mighty Great Stuff stable.

There are 12 tracks in total, coming from such familiar names as David Penn, David Amo & Julio Navas, Filthy Rich and Roy RosenfelD, as well as various newcomers. Obviously with 12 tracks from 12 (or more, given that some are collabs) artists there's gonna be some degree of variation on offer but overall, Great Stuff's trademark blend of rollin', chuggin', party-friendly tech-house is the order of the day.

Special mention needs to be made of Filthy Rich's Rave In A Cave with its big n' dirty speed garage-style bassline, but basically yeah: if you're a Great Stuff fan (whieh I am) then this won't disappoint one iota. It might not have any great surprises in store either, but it won't disappoint.

Out: This week

About: You can find Great Stuff here.

Kiko & Mihalis Safras – Mentos EP

And we stay on the tougher side with this latest from Munich stalwarts Great Stuff, the result of a team-up by two producers who are no strangers to this blog individually.

It's a simple two-track affair. Mentos starts with near-tribal percussion before a big synth/organ riff (it actually sounds a bit like a Wurlitzer, though I'm pretty sure it isn't) emerges out of the background to be topped off with distorted vocal snatches, the overall effect being somewhat akin to being chased around a Scooby Doo haunted fairground ride while on FAR too many stimulants. On the B, Back'N Trax ain't nothing but an endlessly building, pulsing, pushing groove… definite echoes of vintage Belgian techno on this one, and something of a druggy, nu-NRGish feel as well.

Two very solid peaktime cuts for the floors that like it a notch or three tougher.

Out: This week

About: You can find Great Stuff Music at their own website.

Dosem – Durum

And we stay on a slightly tuffer tip with this latest from Munich stalwarts Great Stuff.

There's just the two mixes of Durum to choose from. In its Original form, it's typically bouncy, upbeat Great Stuff fare, complete with a big synthy breakdown in the middle that's thankfully non-cheesy, and underpinned with a phat, walking b-line. On the flip, the Mark Reeve Techdub is fairly self-explanatory, a more heads-down, techno-leaning mix with far busier percussion.

I'm liking the Mission Control samples applied so subtly on the latter that you hardly notice them, but the A still pips it for me.

Out: This week

About: You can find Great Stuff here.

Anthony Attala – Bump Dump Hump

Well, I said we were going a bit more pumping tonight… here's a release then that doesn't just pump, it pumps, humps, dumps and bumps. Although not necessarily in that order.

"That's all well and good, Russ," I hear you say. "But how does it hump? In what manner does it bump? And in what wise does it pump? Could you be just a little more specific?" So I will. It does ALL those things – including the dumping that you so cruelly overlooked – in fairly typical Great Stuff rollicking tech-house fashion, but with a little added disco-house sparkle. Basically.

And there's a slightly less spangly remix from Uto Karem, too. That is all.

Out: This week

About: As the quicker-off-the-mark among you will have realised by now, this comes on Great Stuff.

D.Ramirez – Fragile Tension EP

You can always rely on Great Stuff for some solid tech-house vibes and this offering from Dean Marriott, AKA D.Ramirez, doesn't disappoint.

There's two tracks to choose from. Fragile Tension itself is mid-paced and bouncy with a touch of disco and some distinctly head-fried synth wibbles, but it's Like It Like That that wins out for me… suffice to say, Jack is truly back on this one, and he's getting his Afro groove on too.

Quality stuff from a very reliable label and a very dependable producer… keep on jumpin'! Tee hee.

Out: This week

About: Here's where Great Stuff live online.

So many tunes, so little time 18

And so another week goes by, and it's time for another round-up of more musical goodness we didn't quite get round to this week…

Greg Fenton – Friends Electric EP
A sterling three-tracker of forward-thinking sparse, electronic dancefloor grooves from Megacity 0161 native Greg, that you can file under deep house, techno, tech-house or minimal as you see fit! It's quality stuff however you want to classify it, and an impressively varied EP overall – though it might be a bit too "heads down and boys-y" for some.
More info 

DJ Renat – Aye Aye Aye
An energetically chugging, party-oriented tech-houser that veers a little bit too close towards Ibiza-style prog-lite at times, but don't worry, the Anton Liss Dub should see you right. Comes on new-ish (est Aug 2011) Russian label Red Stars Records.
More info

Jay Lumen – Rendez Vous EP

Jay Lumen on Great Stuff… you kinda know what you're gonna be gettting here, admittedly, but fans (and I'm one of them) won't be disappointed. Boomrush The Show hijacks a hip-hop vocal and puts it atop tuff, chuggin' tech-house beats, while Rendez Vous goes down a slightly deeper path; both are well worth checking. 

More info 

Ivan Barbero & Juan Varez – Stick
More tough tech-house action here on Spanish label Akusah. There's a lot of this stuff about, admittedly, but this pair do it as well as anyone else! Bingo works lively finger-percussion, accordions and a big room, almost Vasquez-y feel while To Stick is more funktified, with a disco-house b-line and a peacock strut.
More info

Jesse Futerman – Fuse The Witches EP
Seven tracks of lazy, dusty, jazzy lo-fi hip-hop and leftfield beats. Yes it's been done, but Futerman steers his ship between the rock of being too twee and "nice" and the hard place of being pointlessly twisted, malevolent and head-fucky better than most, making this something of a smoker's Sunday afternoon treat. The lad's only 20, as well, which bodes well for the future.
More info 

PS Oh, and it's a free download as well, so rude not to really…

Taran + Lomov – Basta! 
Coming on Stripped Digital, the six mixes of this instrumental electronic groover take in various shades of deep, progressive and tech house. Jini Cowan and Paul Alexander's rubs stand out for me.
More info

Various – House Of Ibiza 2012
A seven-track EP from Street King built with one particular island in mind. Artists include Nacho Marco, John Rivera, From P60, Ivan Iacobucci and more, with the emphasis on sun-drenched house grooves and tuff, terrace-friendly drum trax. Mr Kavalicious's bumpin', west coast-y Deception stands out for me.
More info

Thanks also this week to: Cera Alba, Paskal Daze, The Bulletz, Soulrack, Yariv Bernstein, Andy Kneale, Da Fresh + Maverickz, Ignacy Rome, Javier Perez + David Bort, Johannes Regnier, John Lee + Damage Brigade, Kill Your TV, Lerio Corrado + Max Coseglia, Nigel Hayes, Ricardo Ferri, Sergio Marini + Luciano Manci and Vanyano. As ever, sorry if you didn't make it this time but see the title of this post!

Oliver Knight & Hugo Jones - Great Stuff Grooves Vol 2

Great Stuff's series of Great Stuff Grooves EPs continues, each EP showcasing the talents of a particular artist or artists associated with the Munich-based label.

This time out, it's the turn of Oliver Knight and Hugo Jones to step up to the plate, and they deliver a three-track EP of tough, driving tech-house aimed fair and square at peaktime dancefloors. And it's all very solid stuff… if there's a criticism, it's that Deja Vu and Terrorkawa do sound rather similar, riding a nearly identical beat. But both are strong dancefloor tracks in their own right, and Knight's solo effort Hour Glass does flip the script somewhat, working a more shuffle-y rhythm and being somewhat 'busier' overall.

But generally speaking, yeah – solid, chugging tech-house grooves are the order of the day here, and that's exactly what we count on from Great Stuff… oder?

Out: This week

About: Knight and Jones, you may recall, recently also appeared on GU Music with Navajo. For more information on all things Great Stuff, meanwhile, you need to head here.

ALBUM Munich Disco Tech - The Final Chapter

"Nothing is forever," as Ultracynic sang back in those halcyon rave days of yore. And sadly, that's a truism that applies right now in the case of one of the best EP series of recent years.

Yep, Great Stuff Recordings' superb Munich Disco Tech series is coming to an end with this 14th installment. But what a way to go out, because on this album-length release are no less than 13 tracks, all of them made for moving bodies on dancefloors – no more, no less.

Given that there ARE 13 tracks, I'm not going into each one individually. Suffice to say that the kind of funky, jackin', party-oriented house/tech-house you've come to expect is the order of the day, from 22 artists in total (there are quite a lot of collabs y'see) some of whom you'll have heard of (Christian Cambas, Marco Lys, Mihalis Safras & Kiko), must of whom you won't… yet.

More bounce to the ounce indeed. MDT RIP, but thanks, it's been good!

Out: This week

About: You can keep up with the rest of Great Stuff's adventures in the worlds of house and techno here.

Solo - Pumpnickel EP

There was a point where, much as I was loving the stuff coming out of Munich's Great Stuff stable, there did seem to be a risk of them getting stuck in something of a 'bouncy tech-house' rut. I needn't have worried, as this latest release eschews such vibes for a more straight-up house feel.

The original mix of Pumpernickel, in fact, with its diva vox and pumping kicks, sounds like it could have come straight out of a New York house club circa 1993-95… and I mean that as a compliment. It comes accompanied by a Marco Lys Remix, which has slightly more of a techy edge but retains the overall nostalgic vibe… you could have dropped this one at the likes of Vague or Luvdup back in the day, no problem.

And then finally, there's more retro fun in the form of the liberally piano-sprinkled Take A Look, though here the Berlin-ish chopped n' looped vocal gives the track a slightly more contemporary feel than the title track.

All told, a very strong offering indeed… I've been something of a Great Stuff fan generally this past couple of years, but this is one of their best in a while. So you know what to do…

Out: This week

About: Just in case we weren't clear, this comes on Munich's finest Great Stuff. Look out soon as well for a Marco Lys single on which Solo returns the remix favour – but more on that one when it's out…

Tahloula - We Play House

And from some cool stuff yesterday, to some great stuff today. This being the latest from Munich's Great Stuff Recordings, y'see…

Down n' dirty house music is the order of the day here, generally. Notice that I didn't say 'deep, down and dirty', because while this is credible enough to work on deep house floors, it's also driving and, yes, accessible enough that it needn't be limited to such play. That's assuming the deeper floors can handle the vocal, that is – it might be a bit too punk-funky/Hoxton-y for some, though personally I can handle it in this instance.

Mix-wise, you can choose from the cheeky, lo-slung funk of the original, the rolling tech-house of Chris Lattner's remix, a more spacey, druggy rub from NICe7 or a Sweatbox Remix from M.A.N.D.Y that, to these ears at least, sits somewhere between deep techno and the more chilled-out end of prog (the hype sheet has it down as "treading the line precariously between haunting and moody and curiously euphoric," which I guess is another way of saying the same thing).

Great stuff? Great's a big word and I'd want to see how a floor reacted before I committed to it. But very solid stuff, certainly.

Out: This week

About: Great Stuff should need no introduction by now, but here's the usual Facebook, MySpace and Soundcloud links. I'm told this first came out on Copenhagen's Tartelet Records, though whether we're to infer from that that Tahloula is/are Danish, I've no idea.

NiCe7 – Gray Piano

Seeing as I mentioned Great Stuff a couple of times in the course of yesterday's reviews, it'd seem harsh to overlook their latest offering, which comes from Italian duo NiCe7, who've already clocked up releases on Gruuv, Cr2, Noir and Apparel.

Gray Piano in its Original form is a funk-fuelled deep/tech-house ride, and not as piano-led as you might suspect – in fact, it's more about the arse-shaking bassline than anything, though the keys do bring the track to a series of crescendoes. You then get two remixes by Tiger Stripes (also mentioned yesterday), who adds crowd noise, a Casio-ish rhythm, organs and marimbas for a party-hearty, busy and slightly Balearic-sounding Deep Night At The Copa Mix, then goes deeper n' dubbier (but still with that same Casio rhythm) on his Paradise Remix.

But as is often the case, the standout for me here is the bonus track, Everything Everything. It's a more straight-up tech-house affair than Gray Piano, topped off with speech samples from… I dunno, Scarface or Carlito's Way or some such. But never mind what the film is, it's just a crackin' track and it'll move the floor for sure.

Out: This week

About: So yeah, once more for the truly hard-of-understanding… this is on the mighty Great Stuff – the best little house and techno label in Munich.

Various - Munich Disco Tech Vol 12

After all last night's shenanigans across the UK – including right here in Bristol, right on my own girlfriend's road! – it seems odd to be talking about house music on here... but the show must go on, eh?

And so to this, the latest in Great Stuff's pretty much essential Munich Disco Tech series. After what I said a few posts back I feel it's only fair to point out that there's NO oompah-loompah beats and cheesy swing samples here… just five cuts of underground house/tech-house jackery from (deep breath) DJ Chus & D-Unity (with Burn In Hell in two mixes), Anthony Attala & Tone Depth, Rainer Weichold & NIck Olivetti, and Solo. Mostly familiar names this time out, then, but that's no bad thing cos in this instance it makes for a very strong EP.

Not gonna go into all the tracks individually cos we'd be here all day. Suffice to say there's not a duff cut among 'em, but if pushed I'd pick Attala & Tone Depth's weirdly-named Lionel Cookie as a highlight.

Out: This week

About: Find Great Stuff online here… over the past couple of years they've become one of my favourite labels of the moment and like I said, pretty much all the MDT releases are must-haves. You can HEAR most of the tracks from this one at their Soundcloud as well.

Nick Olivetti & Chase Buch - Last Beats From Twickenham EP

A six-track EP that straddles the house/techno border and should keep ’em moving nicely. There's nothing here that does anything especially groundbreaking, admittedly, but between them Essa Hei, Don't Stop, Bebop and the three mixes of Tu Droga (Original, Acumen, Danilo Vigorito) should do the damage on the floor, with Tu Droga leaning more towards the techno side of the equation while the soulful inflections of Bebop and discoid flourishes of Don't Stop make those the picks for the house crew.

Out: This week

About: London duo Olivetti & Buch have previously appeared on the Munich Disco Tech series on Germany's Great Stuff, but this is on sister label Kling Klong. As well as the website you can find Kling Klong on MySpace and on Soundcloud