Autumn Chart

1 - Lowtec ‘Workshop 06’ (Workshop) – Lowtec were responsible for the debut single on Workshop, another one of those lovely German deep-house Hardwax related labels with hand stamped artwork. Almost 2 years later they are back with the labels sixth release and deliver superbly atmospheric, moody deep tech bomb, that sounds a lot like it was recorded in a submarine. It’s one of those records that makes just stick the needles back to the beginning every time ends – everything house music should be about 2008. Listen to a clip >>here<<

2 - D-Flex ‘Waltz’ (Tiny Sticks) – Man of the moment Dave Aju turns in a remix on one side of this 12, which is nice enough but for me it’s all about Alex Storrer’s Kawabata remix on the flip. Hypnotic deep house laden with beautiful but subtle pianos. Sounds a bit like a lost track from the Grand Lodge of Luxor (Thebes) EP on Prescription – it’s that good. >>clip<<

3 - Dan Curtin ‘Interstellar Perception’ (Metamorphic) - Dusted this one off recently and was really pleasantly surprised at how fresh it feels. From Dan Curtin’s debut EP ‘Space’ it sounds a bit like a cross between a R-Tyme and a Red Planet record, frantic beats, quick fire snares, spacey synths and legions of androids on strings. This is the sort of shit that would have made Philip K.Dick dream of electric sheep and Alvin Toffler mess his pants - a gtheme tune for the Third Wave. Unfortunately, the Third Wave neglected to put a sound clip on the web, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

4 - Ray Okpara ‘Loving Moonbuah’ (Drumpoet Commuity) - This is the latest offering from the ever reliable Drumpoet Community label out of Switzerland. The original mix is okay but nothing to write home about unlike the absolutely stonking Nekes remix on the other side. Don’t really know who Nekes is but this mix kills it, throbbing yet bouncy with looped up vocal snippets, this is the sound of being lost in the music at 5am. >>clip<<

5 - Ron Trent ‘It’s Hot’ (Future Vision) - Ron Trent has be one of the greatest house producers of all time. He is just so good and whereas some other producers fade with time, run out of ideas or get stuck in a rut, Ron gets stucjk in the groove and just keeps on giving. This track has so many layers but doesn’t disappear up its own arse. A sophisticated sound that still retains an element of rawness, it would work in pretty much any house set you could imagine. A master class. Oh and the A-side’s not too shabby either! >>clip<<

6 - Mandolay ‘La Flavour’ (Sweet City) - This record probably slightly incongruous with the rest of this chart because it’s so bloody different. I think the best way to describe it is freestyle disco, kinda latin but not latin but outta Cleveland Ohio, rather than somewhere like Miami. The production is really choppy and make sit sound a bit like an edit but the best thing about this record, other than the sleeve which is pure disco, are the drums, which I’m fairly sure SWAG nicked for their re-rub of BSO ’New Jersey Deep’. Check out the full track on >>youtube<<

7 - Reggie Dokes ‘Love’ (Philpott) – Tune alert! The whole Rain Redemptive Love EP is really strong but the A side ‘Love’ is a mad jackin’ mash up of sounds – rough drums, strings, pianos, but all slightly off kilter. The modern house sound of Detroit via Germany. The sound of now!>>clip<<

8 - K.A.Posse ‘Our Love Stops and Goes’ (Pheerce Citi) - A relatively obscure K Alexi production on a relatively obscure KMS sub label, this is hidden little acid gem from 1989. Rough as fuck, 303s, and backward strings it came out just as acid was passing from fashion, so maybe isn’t remembered with the fondness it really should be. Play it now though and it you WILL separate the men from the boys. Makes you want to turn on a smoke machine for an hour. Check it >>on youtube<< And ‘Tell Alexi’ on the flip is pretty solid too >>youtube<<

9 - Prosumer ‘Brownstone’ (Running Back) – This record is actually a year old now. Whilst I’ve been aware of Panorama Bar resident abilities as DJ for a while now I hadn’t paid too much attention to his production until recently. My friend, Dave Stenton, recently interviewed the man for Faith Fanzine and in the article he recommended this record as one of the essential Prosumer productions. And who I am I to disagree, it’s a corker – a powerful sound that I can only imagine destroying dance floors at disused power stations across East Germany. Schlagende techno Musik, ja?! >>clip<<

10 - Koxo ‘Step by Step’ (Zafiro) - Brilliant old Italo tune (although I’ve got Spanish pressing), catchy as fuck with an absolutely cracking piano break, cheesy vocals and a woman oo-eh-oo-eh. What more do you want, eh? Also was recently picked up on one of them Disco Spectrum comps, which was disappointing for me but great for you CD lovers out there, you lucky, lucky bastards. >>youtube<<

11 - Move-D ‘Heidelberg Gals’ (Running) - Move-D is one of the hottest producers of the last couple of years and this show why everyone loves him, simple yet effective hooky house music. When you can listen to music this good who the hell needs Babs Tucker nobwash?! >>clip<<

12 - Watanabe ‘Odoru‘ (Clubhouse) - Another one pulled form the vaults at Beyond the Stars Towers (aka the shelves n my bedroom) this is pure mentalist. On Clubhouse, which has to be THE most underrated Chicago house label of all time, this is one of those tracks that makes you want to go out and get on it every time you hear it. I just looked on Discogs and it is 4.1 out of 5, which is madness! This is a 6 out of 5 record. SLAMMIN! >>youtube<<