Retreat

Woodland sets the tone for the whole ep: a reduced and droney House tune that makes great use of vinylinduced noise. Constantly moving hi-hats combine with a subterranean bass to provide a super-tight groove that is highly addictive. With only a chord stab and some extra percussion altering the groove from time to time, Woodland is definitely a deep and hypnotic affair, somehow reminiscent of Photek’s early output but with an unmistakable Reiling twist.

Matthias’ Hip-Hop influences particularly shine through on the heavy 100 bpm banger Kalkskar. This pretty reduced track showcases a medieval-sounding guitar loop build upon a skippy beat. But when most producers would be happy with the main loop playing straight through the whole song, Matthias never lets it rest: the guitar gets filtered, halved, echoed or reversed before finally fading into oblivion.

The Hissing is pure excitement on wax and proves the age-old saying that “The B-Side Wins again”: the drama unfolds on a slow House tempo as strident strings get beefed up by pounding drums and a low bassline. The pressure kicks it up a notch during the break when a character informs us about incoming pain and the sound of hissing. The beat then drops back in with extra string riffs and spooky organ touches. Tension rises when additional percussion creeps in to slowly introduce another dramatic monolog breakdown. But the hissing stops as soon as the groove returns, keeping the track alive for another minute before it’s ineluctable fate.

As the ep’s closer, Malachai is a masterfully crafted tune that rolls with the tightest of basslines. This Hip-Hop/ Drum ’n’ Bass hybrid begins with a warning about upcoming terror scenes before letting loose a stateof- the-art beat workout. Weird synths and percussive elements help keep the excitement levels in check before the song experiences a proper Hip-Hop changeover. The drums move back in while a faint melody calmly drivesthis refined track to its conclusion.

A1 – Woodland
A2 –Kalkskar
B1 – The Hissing
B2 – Malachai

Release: October 5th 2011
(RTR-10_Releasesheet)

We may share the ultimate bond with the moon Europa: the presumption of oceans underneath its crust of ice as well as an atmosphere that is mostly filled with oxygen make this satellite a good candidate for possible extra-terrestrial life (more micro-organisms than 3-eyed aliens though). Quarion’s »Europa« hopes to reveal the secrets underneath the ice layer: beginning with a skippy beat and a tinkling piano, the track evolves rapidly as subtle keys and a cosmic choir appear from beyond. The voices morph into pure excitement during the breakdown while gorgeous new chords are being introduced. The bassline drops and an irresistible groove settles in, soon followed by a catchy synth melody. The song rises to its apex only to be brought down immediately with a new set of Boogie drums. Extra analogue synths make a welcome entry while the main chords rise again from the background. That is until the reappearance of the Boogie beat which tones the music down and brings the mysterious »Europa« to its conclusion.

The moon Ganymede has much in common with Europa but scientists agree that it is impossible for the former to harbour life. This is why »Ganymede« is the beatapella version of »Europa«, a short but effective rework with only the basic drum elements…

The moon Callisto is the furthest away from Jupiter’s radiation. It is said to be highly suitable for a human base, in case we intend to explore this part of the solar system one day. »Callisto« is therefore Quarion’s ode to space travel in the form of lush organ chords, heavy drums and ethereal pads. The track is a deep and dreamy journey that flows effortlessly as cosmic rhodes melodies and detroitish synths move around the stereophonic landscape.

The moon Io has over 400 active volcanoes and its atmosphere is made up of sulphuric dioxide. A very, very dangerous place indeed, which inspires Quarion to show his rougher side via a raw and heavy 110 bpm workout. The sounds are kept to a minimum (weird pads, strings and a heavy bassline) but »Io« is full of surprises, the best of all being a minute long break where the listener feels suddenly lost in deep space … before »Io’s« gravity pulls him back on its perilous grounds.

A1 – Europa
A2 – Ganymede
B1 – Callisto
B2 – Io

Release: December 15th 2010
(Releasesheet)

SESSION VICTIM start things off with the magical »Danish Daughters«, a slow groover that begins in a gentle but assured way, sparking your interest with its infectious guitar and piano loop until the beat kicks in and makes you irrepressibly shake that thang. Adding a synth line here or a bell sound there, the duo keep the pace of the track steady until a startling guitar riff breaks it down, giving way to the original loop to return in its full glory, complete with extra organ dashes!

Closing off the A-side is the sweaty »Midnight Hour«, an ode to down and dirty Soul music, complete with gritty guitars, rhodes licks, smoky vocals and those sweet SVM chords. The track is masterfully arranged, with each sound taking the right space at the right time although always leaving room for the unexpected. The biggest surprise of all comes in a subtle but definitely Dj-unfriendly ending. Prepare to ride that pitch knob!

On the flipside, we find QUARION venturing in new territories with the boogie-influenced »Pepper Candy«. The first part consists of a dense mixture of House stabs, shuffling hi-hats, a piercing synth pad and a seldom but devastating sub bass. As the tension reaches its apex, »Pepper Candy« suddenly evolves into a Boogie tune, with gorgeous rhodes chords, a liquid bassline and loud handclaps!
But as soon as you’re about to get carried away by clapping along, the track switches back to its original state, this time with more pressure and some mysterious percussion. A few minutes in and the song breaks down once again for another dose of sweet boogie, this time with an extra melody thrown in for good measure!

A1 – Danish Daughters
A2 – Midnight Hour (I Feel It Fade)
B1 – Pepper Candy

Release: March 17th 2010
(RTR_releasesheet-05)

Rufus & Chaka – Masterjam (LP – 1979) – MCA: Seems like I’m having a little fixation with everything that involved the pairing of producer Quincy Jones and writer Rod Temperton in the late 70′s/early 80′s…these two legends had a  chemistry that was seldom matched in showbiz. Add the slick groove of the Rufus band with the vocal acrobatics of Chaka Khan and you come up with “Masterjam”, another perfect Funk/pop album. My song-writing partner Jules Etienne knows how hooked I am on “Live In Me”…

KiNK – Trevoga – Undertones: This is off his “Psyche Funk EP” and it’s a monster. A very raw track that blurs the boundaries between House, Hip-Hop, Dubstep and Drum n’ Bass, thanks to its prominent old-school breakbeat. From what I heard of his upcoming tracks, you can expect much more madness from KiNK.

Session Victim – The Keyboarder – Delusions Of Grandeur: The Hamburg-Berlin connection is once again in full swing on this cut-up funk masterpiece due out in a few weeks on Jimpster’s label. The groove is undeniable and the disco strings are catchy as hell !

Sigha – Rawww – Hot Flush 2: This is exactly the sort of hybrid track I knew somebody would come up with : a slowed-down dubstep tune that fits in any House or Techno set. The production is so heavy that you’ll feel the whole dancefloor shaking.

Marcello Napoletano – House Class – Reincarnation: Marcello has been getting a lot of praise these last few months and it’s easy to see why : the man has a lot of bounce in his music! « House Class » is a superb party track that manages to update a formula once mastered by Ron & Chez.

Jayson Brothers – Keep On Dancin’ – Drumpoet Community: a little secret project from the hardest working (young) man in showbusiness that’s due to come out next spring on DPC. My Zürich fam have been hammering the A-side (“The Game”) to death already but in my opinion, the B-side wins again and again. The basic synth loop is infectious and the bassline is just massive!

Lusine – A Certain Distance (LP) – Ghostly International: this release has generated a lot of buzz from all sides of the biz and it’s highly justified. Jeff McIlwain has a very defined sound  and knows how to craft pop songs on a canvas of glitchy and hi-tech productions. A beautiful album that is contemporary yet timeless.

Langenberg – Times (Manuel Tur’s Ground Glass Reflex) – Mild Pitch: To be honest, I often think that the Essen boys release a bit too much stuff and that the quality is not always there. But this one is definitely a winner. Thanks to Iron Curtis, I heard Manuel’s remix for the first time on Horst‘s heavy soundsystem and was immediatly hooked by the bassline and the building vocal samples. The ruff, grainy production adds an extra depth to this fine piece of wax.

Jose James – Blackmagic (Joy Orbison Remix) – Brownswood: a beautiful slice of Dubstep-Soul, Joy Orbison’s remix once again proves why he’s one of the new darlings of the scene. The long vocal intro is perfect to set you in the mood until the beats and detroitish pads arrive to take you that bit higher. The Untold remix on the flipside is very good too!

Databoy 78 – Thursday (Lexx Remix) –Running Back: my homeboy Lexx has been adding his subtle but magic touch on this new act coming out on Running Back. The groove will keep you going for days and the bassline will stay in your head forever!

Chiapet – Tick Tock (War Of The Worlds Mix) – Yoshitoshi: this is an old Mood II Swing production I’ve digged from my collection and it hasn’t left my case since a few weeks…I can’t believe I forgot how dramatic, heavy and downright funky this track was! The vibe is so intense, it seems to annihilate every track that was played before it and makes you feel like the party has just started. Get it while you still can!

John Daly – Aurora – IRR: John is the master of slo-mo discoid house and this EP on International Records Recordings (one of the best label names ever!) does not disappoint. The loose beats and “broken” pads give the track a very live feel while the bassline keeps the whole thing steady.

Kasper – Dub 106 – Esperanza: there’s a lot of dub-techno or dub-house tracks these days but this one is definitely one of the best, despite its uninspired name. I discovered this track thanks to Mark and immediately got lost in its perfect loop and panoramic production.

Falty DL – Party – Ramp: Another great Dubstep/House hybrid (this time with the groove changing about 2/3 of the track). This one just rolls and rolls, helped by a very exciting vocal. Also recommended is Falty’s sweet and sour EP on Planet Mu.

Shinedoe – No Boundaries (Martin Buttrich RMX) – Intacto: this tune is more on the minimal side of things but the production is just top notch. The sub bass creeps under your skin while the track builds in intensity with shuffling sounds until everything breaks down in a detroitish break. Great stuff!

The B-side begins with the polyrhythmic action of Barrio Payment: layers and layers of percussion, scattered drums and marimba licks. Is this really House Music? Does anyone care? Similar to the beat freakings of Tony Allen or IG Culture, Barrio Payment rolls and rolls with a solid bassline anchoring the groove. But just when you think it’s just a drum & bass workout, Detroit-style stabs warp the track in another new dimension and turn it into the official soundtrack to Nigeria’s upcoming space program.

To finish off an already amazing ep, Hunee comes through with the super erotic Funk of Amiadar. With its slow groove and hot vocal snippets, Amiadar begs to be played as the last track of the night, before couples continue their dance behind closed doors … Sexy but never vulgar, the tune unfolds at it’s own pace, thanks to moody chords and offbeat percussion. The break is truly ecstatic: with a majestic synth bassline rising from the background and intense moaning, you can only let yourself go as the break resolves in a sweaty beat. Amiadar then reaches its conclusion in a gentle manner while the sexual tension never drops …

A1 – Foundation
B1 – Barrio Payment
B2 – Amiadar

Release: November 4th 2009
(RTR04_releasesheet)

but enough of the talk, here are the tracks/albums that move me in october 2009:

George Benson – Give Me The Night (LP – 1980) – Warner: thanks to marathon man Jules Etienne, I’ve rediscovered this untouchable piece of Pop/Funk perfection. Produced by Quincy Jones and composed mostly by Rod Temperton, “Give Me The Night” is flawless and showcases the talent of a musical team that will forever change the history of record production 2 years later with the release of a little album named Thriller…As soon as I wake up,I treat myself with the bliss of “love X Love” and I feel like everything is going well in the world.

Floating Points – Vacuum EP – Eglo: one of the most vital discoveries I’ve done this year (props to Mitch from Melting point for digging this one out). Floating Points make House music with a  Dubstep twist and beautiful Jazz influences…plus they come from the Dilla school of beatmaking so their stuff has more bounce than a basketball court.

Nina Kraviz – Free – Underground Quality: this track kinda traumatized me when I heard it at Tape club during the UQ night. There’s really not much going on but a deep organ chord that gets louder and louder and louder…and never reaches it’s apex! It sounds deceiving on “paper”, but trust me, when this track is played at the right time, the dancefloor explodes.

Hunee – Barrio Payment EP – Retreat: Yes, I know it’s one of our own, but this EP is simply amazing. Hands down, the best Retreat we’re putting out so far! All tracks are killers, although I have a soft spot for “Foundation” which always manages to get shouts from the crowd.

Joy Orbison – Wet look – Hotflush: Warrr, this is exactly the type of dubstep that turns me on: Detroit pads, Hip-hop vocal samples and skipping beats. Wicked tune!

Nitin – Silent Scales (Osunlade Remix) – No 19 Music: a promo that I’ve been playing out for a few weeks, always to an amazing response. This is more the techno-influenced Osunlade that refreaks the track, but the groove stays infectious and could easily go on for ages. The breakdown is massive and the Rej-like synth melody then takes the track even further.

6th Borough Project – Miss World (Soultourist Remix) – Delusions Of Grandeur: forthcoming on Jimpster’s new imprint, this remix from Zürich’s finest is just top-notch. The boys have perfected their disco-boogie-house formula and are ready to conquer the galaxy…

Ben Klock/Precious System – In A While/Voice From Planet Love (Dixon Edit)- Innervisions: another Tape trauma, this edit/coupling from Dixon is super, super heavy and combines the best both worlds (techno and disco).

Hardrive – Deep Inside – Strictly Rhythm: I’ve unearthed this MAW classic again and it works as if it came out last week. The organ gimmick is sick and the vocal just stays in your head forever, not to mention the floor shaking bassline and typical MPC beats that bring a bit more funk.

A Made Up Sound – Archive EP – Clone: Apparently these are old tracks that were in 2562′s harddrive for a few years. As to why it wasn’t released before is a complete mystery to me because these cuts are HUGE. My Favorites are “Wire” and the shuffling madness of “On and On”.

Johannes Lehner – No Matter – Unreleased: not sure when or where this is coming out but this is solid dance music and works amazingly on the floor. It’s a bit more on the minimal tip but the chords and well arranged vocals give the track a fresh perspective.

Enola – Lost In Shibuya (Quarion’s Usuki Shinrin Dub) – Initial Cuts: a very deep, very reduced remix I’ve just finished for this french label. Seems to be working well so far

Dachshund vs Modeste – Split Pump EP – Sthlmaudio: my homeboys from Geneva revisit king Tubby’s heritage for 2009 and come up with two cuts of killer dub techno. Tuuuuune!

Wax – 20002 – White Label: this track has been in EVERY set of mine in the last month or so and I can’t get it out of my Bag. It seems like Shed is behind this super-heavy, super-reduced and super-bouncy project.

Jouem – Levitation EP – Just Another Beat: two slowed-down, twisted and deep as uff house cuts on a promising new label.

Filippo Moscatello – Houz (Trickski Remix) – Moodmusic: a very cool slowed-down and pumping remix from the Tricksi Jungs. The wild piano solo crashing in the middle deserves an extra point!

James Blake – Air & Lack Thereof – Hemlock: one of the most amazing piece of music I’ve heard in a while, this is dubstep with a strong experimental edge. The beats are so sparse that it almost hurts when the snare comes in.

Luna City Express – Roughneck (Matthias Tanzmann remix) – Moon Harbour: super effective and groovy rework from Leipzig’s finest. Nothing really new here but every sound has it’s place and the arrangement is perfect.

John Roberts – Blame – Laid: Another tune that I’ve been playing for a while and that I can’t get rid of. It has all the “classic” deep house sounds but John Roberts manages to breath new life into these elements and comes up with a mindblowing track.