Souki - The Jack EP

After our first review of the debut Extended Play of Souki (Carina Lohmeyer) on Einmaleins Musik (Click here to check it!), it was pretty certain there would be just a matter of time until we found another release from her to confirm our bet and her immense potential. That release came again on Einmaleins Musik, one of our favourite labels, and it's name was "Monkey Sun EP". Unfortunately we didn't review it because it passed by somehow, however, now deserves some reference! With Souki sweet voice, clean and gasping bassline and a mumbling timbale, she produced a true minimalistic and powerfull driven track. So now, to honor her and minimaland as well, since we are really proud of "baptizing" her first release, we thought it could come handy to review her first release on Zaubermilch Records, run by Manou de Jean, wich in German means something like "clean milk", spelled in a crazy way. Well, since they're trying to re-invent the "pasteurizing" within the electronic music world, nothing better than picking such an awesome producer as Souki is and release a great EP with remix credits to Mr. Frank Martiniq, a producer we embraced since minimaland start, back in 2005.

So, presentations done, even if they're not really needed with this lady (in fact, we love her minimal style since the beggining), time to "drop the needle" and check out how these spicy condiments and ingredients sound together in this release.

"Jack", first track to be hit, in fact hits the listener. Hits and punches right on the chest, probably the weakest part! Starting with a fade up, haves as much of the right amount of bass as it haves of the perfect sound to be always skipping on behind, a very own Souki sound, corrugated and deeply dark with nostalgic feelings that go back to the beggining of underground electronic music. As it develops, each detail is kindly added in a subtle way, as always with Souki, with voices, reverbs, electronic little grasps and synth melodical patterns along the mesh. It seems simple but is in fact very hard to produce a track like this, so soothing and thunderous at the same time, revolving the listener in a one way path, embraced by all Souki's kindness and violence at the same time!

So, with a track like this, nothing better than calling Mr. Frank Martiniq to apply the remix it deserves and develop another view upon such a brilliant track from Souki. Applying some more layers of sounds and varying the bass to a mumbling pattern, Frank masters the illusion of making the remix of "Jack"seem another complete new track, just in the same level of quality and not distorting it too much while creating almost everything new. These are the kind of remixes we like and Mr. Frank deserves congratulations for this one.

Ending the EP, a more private side of Souki, with a heavy, dark and countoured bassline track followed by a distorted ancient organ sound, in a little creepy way, called "Nothing", so let's not forget Souki haves 4 faces! As the track evolves, we are kindly embraced by some ambience sounds, some espiritual sounds and some voices, relieving the heavy ambience while maintaining the same dark compass which creates something of a opposite forces struglling along it's evolution.

This is another brilliant masterpiece from Souki, confirming that sometimes is not the amount of releases, it's the quality each one of them possess individually! Also, let's not confuse Souki with Soukie (of Soukie & Windish), this Souki, the first one we met it's the true one and we're still in love with her productions overhere after 3 years passed.. And we kinda think we'll still be in the future... :)

Released: 09/12/2011
Catalog: ZMR019
Format: Vinyl/Digital

Tracklisting

A1 - Souki - Jack
B1 - Souki - Jack (Frank Martiniq Remix)
B2 - Souki - Nothing

Matt Star - Rhodesse EP

In 2011 there's a name that catched up our ears! It is Matthias Schildger (aka Matt Star), which seems to be one of the greatest talents coming from Offenbach (Frankfurt Am Mainz). Needless to say the connection between Offenbach and Electronic Music, it's only a question of naming the underground club "Live At Robert Johnson" and then things get more clear. Btw, Their Label is now about to release a special book in March with all the histories and important moments that marked the 13 years of Robert Johnson club in Offenbach, a probably not to miss one. In any case, it's Mr. Matt Star, also from Offenbach, that we have the pleasure of presenting today, probably influenced by the Offenbach scene during his growth and probably as well, influenced it in the last years.

Goes the story that Matt Star started playing in small parties at the age of 12, and besides his youth, there's no doubt that when the word quality is adopted, Matthias is really a Star! Clean and accurate grooves are his mark, but it would be pretty far any definition of his work just saying this, so, referring to releases on Cocoon, Meleon or Kling Klong will keep ideas more clear. He's also a master of the cadence and the hypnothic derivatives, making his productions being among the best (at least in our humble ears). After a perfect grooved track on Meleon's 3 year, a release intended to celebrate 3 years existence of Danjel's Esperanza label, we then focused our ears on him as a space radar looking for stars does. And it seems we found one.

This release, on Spur Recordings, a Italian based label that seems to start with the right foot, provides a glimpse of the kind of variation, clean cutted basslines and variable creative sounds Matt Star is capable, embracing the listener in a very spicy and smashing trip either on the groove frequencies or the harmonic details.

Naming the Ep, we have "Rhodesse", a 4 minutes track, Tribal and melodic paths within the rhythm are probably the best approximation to define it, and his clean bassline sticks to it like glue, a nice delight to hear in about any ambience! 

Then comes "Im Garten" a nice experience in the spacy chords frequences, ripping and popping any dancefloor to another level. Die Haustiere vision applies a more rugged and violent bassline, keeping its dorsal spine, which again can only signify the quality of construction of Matt Star tracks.

"Matterdron", with Candy Csonka is just one of those you start listening and then kidnapps you to another world, maybe a better one, where deep senses, cadence and harmonic trips define the listener's horizon, being a little bit undefinable, which always means a really nice one! Finishing the row, we have Metrica remix, adopting a more heavy groove and space aged synthethizers which sound to things we've used to hear back in the end of 90's in the underground german techno/trance culture with a different approach and some boiling deep chords. It closes the release as a crown over Spur and Matt Star.

Release Date: 18/11/2011
Catalogue: SPR002

Tracklisting:

1 - Matt Star - Rhodesse
2 - Matt Star - Im Garten
3 - Matt Star - Im Garten (Die Haustiere remix)
4 - Matt Star, Candy Csonka - Matterdron
5 - Matt Star, Candy Csonka - Matterdron (Metrica remix)

VA - Desolat X Sampler (Purple)

Desolat’s 
third
 edition 
of 
its 
Christmas
 sampler
 is 
a 
bumper
 tribute
 to 
a 
year 
of
 fine
 music, where undoubtly "Patio de Juegos" from Guti pinpointed the year
 and 
is 
arguably
 its 
best
 edition
 to 
date and in one of Desolat best years.
 With
 this 
many
 goodies 
included, mirroring an incredible year for Desolat,
you
 won’t 
need
 to 
look 
under 
the
 tree 
for 
anything 
else!




Desolat
 assembled 
some 
stellar 
talents
 for
 this 
compilation, but even better, interstellar tracks starting with Desolat
 co-owner
 Martin 
Buttrich himself,
who 
teams 
up 
with 
Davide 
Squillace
 on 
a 
power 
session
 of
 polished 
grooves and xylophonic frequencies; 
to 
the 
promising
 pairing
 of 
up
 & 
coming
 London
 DJ
 and 
producer
 Hector
 with
 Alexkid 
on 
a 
slice 
of 
finely 
observed 
and 
bittersweet
 deephouse. 
Rising
 talent
 Anthea, mostly known for tunes along with Alex Celler (Anthea & Celler) 
also
 makes
 an 
appearance, 
offering
 soul-drenched
 vocal
 shards
 on
 a 
heart-breaking 
experimental house
 tune 
by 
versatile
 Argentinean 
Guti,
 replete
 with
 addictive 
bassline.
 Reboot 
steps
 up 
with 
the
 sprawling
 and
 catchy 
14 
minute
 analogue jam
 that’s 
sure 
to 
slay
 dancefloors not only in the silly season. If all the tracks and artists listed before already made it juicy, Reboot's "Daddy" is one of those tracks that usually sticks like glue in the listeners memory and never leaves again, thankfully due to a variable "flute", it's like we're the snake and Reboot haves the power to enchant. Perfect tune.




Two
 tracks 
are 
aimed 
especially
 at 
those 
who 
like 
to 
throw 
shapes:
 straight 
outta 
NYC, following 
remarkable
 releases
 and
 remixes
 on 
Shelter’s
 Restricted 
and
 Un-Restricted
 Access,
Yoruba 
or 
Simple
Sound,
 Filsonik
 comes
 good
 on 
a 
shimmying 
jam
 with
 shades of 
Chicago
house, 
while 
Funk
 E 
steps 
out 
of
 the
 shadows
 with
 an 
effervescent 
cut 
that 
plays
 with
 hip
house
 and
 electro
 atmospheres.
 Meanwhile 
Danny
 Ocean
 returns 
after
 “Lights 
In
 My
 Dark
 World”
 with
 a
 thoroughly 
contemporary 
and
 elegant
 take
 on 
some of
 those
 sounds 
that 
made
 up 
the 
hey day
 of 
90's 
techno. There’s
 plenty
 to
 celebrate 
round 
the 
Desolat
 offices,
 and
 2012
 looks
 set
 to 
be
 a 
corker.


After an excellent 2011, we can expect nothing less from Desolat!!

Even if lost in Christmas sweets, this is a release that deserved its proper space in minimaland suitcase. Highly recommended by its quality and variety of shakes and grooves!

Catalogue: DESOLAT020
Format: 2xSingle/Digital
Release Date (Vinyl): 05-12-2011

Tracklist:

A1: Hector & Alexkid - Ontra
A2: Danny Ocean - Backstage
B1: Funk E - Goostep
B2: Filsonik - Tamur
C1: Reboot - Daddy
D1: Martin Buttrich & Davide Squilace - Mishima
D2: Guti feat. Anthea - Option One