Norm Talley – Travlin' EP

Okay, TIWWD is now back, back, BACK!* after a long and most relaxing weekend in sunny Wales. Remind me that I still owe you a round-up of the rest of last week's releases that I didn't get around to before I went, but right now time, tides and release schedules wait for no man, so let's crack on with this week's releases, starting with this three-tracker from Norm Talley.

Talley is a Detroit producer who's been in the game for over 25 years, and his experience and production knowledge certainly shine through here. Analog Dreams works a VERY familiar vocal sample (I won't spoil it) over militant snare-heavy riddims, ION is a deeper, more late-night houser with a jazzy kinda vibe and finally Travlin' itself sees the Detroit influences come to the fore beats-wise while a meandering, mournful sax line brings the musicality.

Three very different tracks, then, but all three are of the highest quality, making this something of a must-check for all lovers of the deep.

Out: This week on vinyl, next week digitally

About: This is only the fifth release from London-based label Landed Records… to find out more about 'em visit their website or hit 'em up on Facebook.

*Cheesy phrasing © Smash Hits, 1980s

Moodymanc - Father EP

A predictably high-quality release here from Moodymanc, AKA Danny 'Dubble D' Ward of 2020Soundsystem fame.

Father itself is a shimmering, midtempo house cut with spoken vocals – whose source is unclear, but which are in the vein of the dub poetry of Mutabaruka or LKJ – and a few E2/E4-like sprinkles. Proper deepness! It's 'proper lush' as they say down here in the west country, but the more dancefloor remix from Detroit hero Rick Wade is possibly even better, his Daddy's Disco Mix doing what it says on the tin with considerable aplomb.

On the B, Sugar Hill is a slightly techier number, with another spoken vocal – "Cocaine, Sugarhill/New York City, Sugarhill/the music is black, Sugarhill", tuff, bouncy beats and some ker-razy freeform jazz saxophony. It comes accompanied by a DJ Tool mix that's a whole six minutes long.

Like I said… high-quality stuff indeed. The EP, I mean, not the cocaine.

Out: This week

About: This is the fourth release from new London-based label Landed Records (click the link for their website or find 'em on Facebook).

Zumo - Dutch Dub EP

Okay, after that brief detour into breaks and dubstep territory, we're back on a deeper tip now with this offering from Zumo, which comes complete with a remix from France's Chris Carrier.

Dutch Dub itself is a chugging midtempo cut, with an organ line that recalls the most stripped-down of vintage Jersey garage from the early 90s. Nice! Deranged is in a similar vein but a tad slower, with a barely-there female vocal and all kinds of trippy, techy synth washes going on in the background, and then finally Carrier's remix of Deranged is Deranged is a slightly more upbeat affair, with a fat, squelchy bassline and some lovely echoing keys.

It's between Dutch Dub and Carrier's mix of Deranged as to which is my favourite, but all three cuts are strong.

Out: This week

About: This comes on a new label called Landed Records, and is only their second release. So get on the case early and check 'em out here.