Hot Creations recruits Italian duo ItaloBros as the pair deliver three vibrant tracks across their latest EP, ‘Gosadera’

Hailing from Scalea, Italy, ItaloBros have been riding the wave of success, captivating dancefloors worldwide at venues like Ushuaia Ibiza, Motion Bristol, and PM Open Air in Buenos Aires and boasting releases on Circus, Material and Knee Deep In Sound, amongst others. With 2022 seeing the pair team up with Jerëmie for the release of their single 'Attention' on Hot Creations sister label' Hottrax, February now sees the duo step into the limelight as they drop their solo debut EP on the renowned Hot Creations with a trio of blazing tracks across 'Gosadera’.

Already becoming a mainstay in Marco Carola’s sets, ‘Gosadera’ kicks off with an orchestra of vibrant
trumpets and lively bongos layered on top of a relentless, grooving bassline. Next, ‘Story’ takes on their old-school roots, teasing lush piano chords complete with vibrant, punchy drums. Closing out the EP, ‘Amira’ showcases a deeper, sultry vibe with alluring male vocals at the core.

City To City: Johannesburg is the first in a new series of V/A releases which will shine a light on exciting producers from a different city for each edition. What better place to start than The City Of Gold, somewhere synonymous with deep and soulful house and whose scene and artists have finally begun to get global recognition despite the relative geographical isolation. Labels such as Kid Fonque’s Stay True Sounds have been an important platform for South African artists and who can deny the incredible journey of Black Coffee. Deep house really is a way of life for many young people growing up in often challenging conditions and it’s been exciting to see many becoming known outside of their own country and starting to gig internationally.

Here on the debut City To City we showcase 6 tracks from 6 different artists hailing from Johannesburg, relative newcomers rubbing shoulders with more established names. Kicking off the release we have one such producer who has been slowly but surely stamping his mark over the last 10 years: KaySoul. With output having appeared on labels such as Shall Not Fade, Dirt Crew, Lazy Days and Tribe KaySoul is definitely making waves with his soulful take on the South African deep sound. Icey Baby featuring Mr Beale keeps things raw and minimal, letting the vocal stay front and centre, a naivety and playfulness giving an almost demo-feel to the production.

Sculpturedmusic steps up next with Midnight Talk. Another SA artist who has earned his stripes with some huge tracks including Sad To Think which deservedly became a substantial hit, Sculpturedmusic’s contribution to the release keeps things deep, percussive and rolling with an African vocal sample backed up by pensive piano chords.

With just a handful of releases on his own Herbal Soundz label as well as the much lauded vinyl label Adeen, SizLeCaude is one of the exciting up and coming artists worthy of attention. Taking a classic early 00’s deep house approach on Far Apart he reminds us of the output Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly sounding both timeless and contemporary with buckets of warmth and soul.

Flipping over we have Love (Kinda Thing) from Radic The Myth whose harmonically rich take on house music brings a floating yet punchy feel to the release.

Persie Botta joins forces with Jade Nickels on the next track entitled They Never Loved Us. The duo deliver a sublime slice of true Joburg-style deep house with lush layers of pads, reverb-soaked pads, snaking sub bass and a powerful, low slung groove.

Last but not least we close out the release with Thabang Baloyi who joins fresh from releases on established SA labels Just Move and Basement Art. Lost In goes in DEEP with a syncopated snare groove and simple, repeating vocal line.

Mark Broom returns to Rekids with the ‘Showtime’ EP.

Mark Broom’s return to Radio Slave’s Rekids imprint takes in four tracks that showcase the UK techno legend’s sample-twisting style of house and techno. With a slew of EPs, LPs and remixes for Rekids and sister label RSPSX in recent years, Broom is one of the label’s core roster and most in-demand artists.

Tough drums meet soulful, recognisable strings in ‘Klashjamz’, a real blast to the past chopped up in creatively funky ways. The title track ‘Showtime’ is next, its groove skipping and stuttering before breaking out into jazzy electro swing done right.

On the flip, broom brings in ‘HIGHNRG’, a percussive, peak-time treat that expertly does what it says on the tin via a pulsating, rolling bassline accompanied by hypnotic vocals and infectious rhythm. ‘Jazz Ting’ then closes Mark Broom’s ‘Showtime’ EP, a hyped-up number with an earworm, classic & classy melody.

Techno, house, hardgroove and rave, Mark Broom is one of UK dance music’s legends and has a myriad of production credits to his name dating back to 1989. Warp, M-Plant, Hardgroove, and his own Pure Plastic and Beardman imprints are just a handful of the labels he’s worked with, while studio collaborations with the likes of Baby Ford and James Ruskin have cemented his reputation as a storied and vital part of electronic music culture.

Brasilian Producer Apoena kicks off 2024 in style for Hudd Traxx following an impressive back catalogue of releases on labels like Jimpster's Freerange and Jus Ed's Underground Quality.

Pure Feeling opens up proceedings in a deep and hypnotic style reminiscent of Ron Trent and Chez Damier's early releases on Prescription. Rico Balanço follows in a similar vain oozing with raw Berlin vibes, which is where Apoena currently resides.

The B side features In between the beat and the title track Mystic which are melodic trippy groovers for early hour vibes. 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for Hudd Traxx keep em' peeled.

ALL DAY I DREAM COMMENCES THE NEW YEAR WITH A BANG, RELEASING A WINTER SAMPLER VI COMPILATION
Lee Burridge’s All Day I Dream imprint is thrilled to kick off 2024 with the latest addition to its semi-annual compilation series, A Winter Sampler VI, releasing January 26. Serving as a testament to the label’s commitment to fostering emerging talent and highlighting the cutting edge of melodic house music, A Winter Sampler VI is a curated selection of tracks that showcase the diverse and vibrant sounds within the All Day I Dream family.

A Winter Sampler VI brings together an impressive consortium of artists from around the globe to put together a 12 track offering. The compilation kicks off with Simon Vuarambon's remix of St Germain’s 2000 hit ‘So Flute’, the euphoric and driving track setting the tone for a journey through the innovative and cutting-edge sounds of the compilation. From Wassu and Bona Fide’s deep yet playful collaborative track ‘Threshold’ to Nathan Katz’s serene and uplifting ‘For You’ to Seth Schwarz and Solidmind’s beautifully spiritual collaboration ‘Create The Universe’, each contribution adds a unique flavor to the sonic tapestry, resulting in a must-listen body of work from beginning to end.

A Winter Sampler VI serves as a testament to All Day I Dream's dedication to providing cutting edge melodic house from select talent across the globe, providing a platform for both emerging and established artists to shine.

All Day I Dream invites music lovers to dive into the next edition of their compilation series with A Winter Sampler VI

Made By Pete makes a highly anticipated return to Crosstown Rebels with ‘Fires’, accompanied by remixes from Bushwacka! and Victor Calderone & Mykol.

With the likes of Black Coffee, Solomun, and Damian Lazarus remixing his music and support from artists such as Sasha, Bedouin, the Keinemusik crew and Pete Tong, Made By Pete’s ascent across recent years has seen his global demand soar. Following on from his anthem ‘Horizon Red’ alongside Zoe Kypri, with the captivating record picking up international acclaim and featuring in DJ Mag’s Top Tracks of 2023’ the London-based DJ/producer makes a welcome return to Lazarus’ renowned Crosstown Rebels imprint as he unveils his latest single ‘Fires’.

Emerging via a warping bassline and his own intoxicating vocals before launching into a twisting, heady trip, ‘Fires’ showcases a darker side to the exciting producer’s sound as he serves up a rousing cut crafted for hazy hours. UK house icon Bushwacka! delivers his ‘Magic Mix’ next, stripping the track back to work a tunnelling, snaking groove in amongst dreamy melodies, while NYC legend Victor Calderone and Mykol toughen the production up with reinforced kicks before layering trippy effects on top of the vocals. Not finished there, the package is rounded out with a Dub mix, providing another go-to dancefloor anthem across yet another stacked offering on Crosstown.

Robert and Lyric Hood aka Floorplan return to Classic with two-track release ‘The Curse Breaker / What You Need’, further demonstrating their unique gospel house sound. With their growing catalogue of previous Classic releases gaining extensive club support from tastemakers such as Dan Shake, TSHA, Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler to name a small few, as well as widespread specialist radio support, the appetite for Floorplan’s Classic output is evident. Now the father and daughter duo return with another adventurous vocal sample for their latest release; ‘The Curse Breaker’ combines a religious sermon with expertly produced house, building from a small flame to its euphoric, blazing climax. Next up, ‘What You Need’ displays the duo’s disco influences with a heavy dose of classic 20th century soul.

Canadian artist Jay Tripwire delivers his new three-track EP ‘Gone Insane’ via Jamie Clarke’s Either imprint this February.

Vancouver, Canada’s Jay Tripwire has long been a beloved producer in the world of stripped back house and techno with releases dating back to the turn of the millennium on the likes of Steve Bug’s Pokerflat, D’Julz’ Bass Culture, Roger Gerressen’s Irenic and of course his own Witching Hour among many others. Here though, we see him joining the roster of Irish artist Jamie Clarke’s Either imprint which has played host to numerous releases from the label boss himself and featured remixes from Silverlining, Ryan Crosson, Barac and more.

Title track ‘Gone Insane’ opens the release and perfectly sets the tone with Tripwire’s signature murky atmospheric style, crisp driving rhythm, gritty bass and intricately programmed effects. ‘Workhorse’ follows next and diverges into haunting minimal realms with swirling synth textures, glitched out bass flutters and crunchy low-slung drums.

‘Still A Raver’ then rounds out the EP, shifting things back up a gear with bouncy, twitchy synth melodies, twisted vocal murmurs and pulsating subs all underpinned by heavily shuffled, raw percussion.

MATE, HAVE YOU HEARD THE SUMGII REMIX? JHEEEZ! LAD, YOU HEARD WHAT TRACES DID WITH IT? BBZ, HAVE YOU LISTENED TO PETE'S AMIGA VERSION!?! GEEEEZ, YOU HEARD HOW PATRICE FLIPPED IT?

Lone returns to Greco-Roman with a two track 12” of some of his finest work to date. A’-side Waterfall Reverse’ is an ecstatic hardcore song that ascends into a utopian dream. Resident Advisor called it "A fresh reinterpretation of Lone's dayglo breakbeat hardcore.....one of Cutler’s best moments"

AA-side Triton serves as a companion piece and keeps things leaner and focused on a 4/4 club sound. Both tracks are peak Lone; mind bendingly, breathtaking machine funk!

V.I.V.E.K returns to SYSTEM MUSIC with a 3 track EP exploring new grooves within the 140 scope. Following on from his SHAPES EP he continues to try something different within the boundaries of tempo.

U Dub harks back to old school jungle territory, ambient synths with heavy distorted 808 bassline.

Voices explores an Amapiano style at 140 with heavy log drum bass and whispering synths .

While 108 works to bashment style bounce but is heavy on the bass .

Following her contribution to this Spring’s Gudu & Friends Vol. 1 compilation, Lady Blacktronika steps out with a full EP for Peggy Gou’s Gudu label.

Whether operating as Lady Blacktronika or her Femanyst alias, Akua Grant has built a deserved reputation as one of house and techno’s most daring and unique artists - one that dates back 25 years now, when she first debuted as a vocalist.

“House and techno” can be a cliched catch-all term, but in Grant’s case, she really has explored the extremes of both sides. Her early Lady Blacktronika work, when she earned the nickname The First Lady of Beatdown, saw her produce and narrate a style of deep house that was both sensitive and transgressive, while as Femanyst, she explores some of techno’s darkest corners, all distorted kicks and serrated edges.

Her EP for Gudu kicks off with some serious intent: ‘Baby I Got It’ chops its vocals rough and raw, pairing them with marching drums and the sort of idiosyncratic synth-work that feels like a Blacktronika signature at this point. ‘Sing the Blues’ and ‘Hold My Hand’ take things smoother, but without ever deferring to type — as ever with Grant’s music, she works with such sleight of hand that it’s easy to skip back three minutes previous and wonder how the hell we got here. Her tracks are just that hypnotic and hallucinatory.

Closing the EP, Octo Octa provides a remix of ‘Hold My Hand’ that extends things to a full 12 minutes (note: slightly shorter on the vinyl due to time constraints), taking us out with crushed percs and held pads over some undeniable drum work.

This EP marks the final release of Gudu’s busiest year to date, with music on the label in 2023 coming from Special Request, Matisa, Mogwaa, Hiver, Matrefakt, DMX Krew, Dukwa, Brain de Palma, Lady Blacktronika, Salamanda and Closet Yi.

For their first album, Seth Troxler and Phil Moffa joined forces and became multidimensional creative dissidents Lost Souls Of Saturn. This time, even further into the vortex, they’ve metamorphosed into sci-fi AR comic characters John and Frank who’ve explored the galaxy and returned with this perception-melting new LP.

Although ‘Reality’ still possesses the wigged-out conceptual brilliance which garnered installations and performances at Saatchi Gallery (London), Fondation Beyeler (Basel), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, plus live sets at Field Day, Glastonbury and Kappa Futur, as its title might suggest, there’s vividness amidst the mind-bending. Where its predecessor was a murky exploration of weird and dark cerebral passageways, this album – though still fathoms deep – has a dazzling clarity of sound, as if listeners are beginning to crack the arcane codes, and reach for enlightenment.

A prime example of these newfound beams of light guiding participants through the maze is their recent single; the chugging cosmic techno synth pop of ‘Mirage’, featuring the voice of Adam Ohr. Also guesting on the album is Lvv Gvn, whose honeyed Billie-Holiday-meets-Rickie-Lee-Jones tones adorn the tranquil pixelated broken beat of ‘Click’, Greg Paulus’s trumpet sessions on ‘Zorg Arrival’ and ‘Scram City’, and Protomartyr’s vocalist Joe Casey and guitarist Greg Ahee, who grace the liminal drifting celestial plane of ‘Lilac Chasers’. Sitarist Rishab Sharma, the last disciple of guru Ravi Shankar, also shreds on ‘Scram City’.

Elsewhere, across the LP’s immensely inventive instrumental passages techno, dub, house, jazz, psych and ambient are vapourised into an expansive yet pleasingly concise series of morphing dream states. Fans of Air Liquide, Ravi Shankar, Ray Manzarek, Carl Craig, Pole, The Orb and ‘Son Of A Lung’ era FSOL should find much to like.

Speak to most musicians about their motivations, inspirations and processes and you will, generally, get variations on a similar, broadly consensual, theme. Natasha Pirard is genuinely different. Her interest in sound goes way beyond the superficial and the ephemeral. She is fascinated by how and why sound makes us feel, the political implications of sound, noise pollution and the everyday sounds embedded in our immediate environment.

Contextually, this makes a lot of sense when confronted with her debut release for DEEWEE, Dream Cycles. A 120-minute exploration of sounds, loops, frequencies and waves, it’s an eight- part musical cycle split into 15-minute sections across four cassettes, she believes, reflects on this notion of cyclical, rather than linear, time. The eight song cycles are repetitive. They start off basic and functional and build over time. They begin with one sound but soon you hear other sounds. From there you get taken to another point, where you hear something else and so on and so forth. The circle is never-ending.

Natasha Pirard is a musicologist and composer from Ghent. She will be releasing her album Dream Cycles on February 21st, as a limited edition four cassette box set (with download code), marking her debut on the Ghent-based label DEEWEE.

'Son of a beatnik' - an absolutely monster record getting some well deserved reissue love!
Produced in Chicago by the well loved and late DJ Chunk-A-Bud aka Adam Malian (RIP) all the way back in the mists of 1994 on Rick Lenoir's coveted House Jam label this 12" undoubtedly takes it's cue from the cities vast, rich and deep heritage of DJ's and predecessors. This record proudly contains the spirit of the Music box, The Warehouse and all the other like-minded spaces that fuel it's Disco thrusting beats, anyone with a passing interest will know the elements that make up 'Son of a beatnik', they are classics in Chicago and beyond! This is one of those records that just doesn't stop, it's still getting caned today by those lucky enough to own a copy. A true blue cult classic, real deal house music from the windy city. A truly rare 12" that doesn't show up very often 'Son of a beatnik' is an essential release from a particularly fertile period in house music, chopped up, sampled, looped and programmed with LOVE! A surefire winner, this record will cause infinite damage on any dance-floor. Truly essential stuff here, this reissue has been realised with the full involvement of Rick Lenoir and is 100% legit! Don't snooze, this one deserves a spot in any self respecting House heads record bag or DJ set, classic material made available again for 2017!

Today – Friday 9th July – artist, producer, DJ and club culture icon Peggy Gou releases the second of a pair of summer singles. Released via Gou’s own Gudu Records, “I Go” is an incredible piece of club-focused electronic music and showcases a very different sound to previous single “Nabi”.

Described by The FADER as “the kind of dazzlement you get from light dancing off of ocean water on a hot day: pure dopamine activating bliss” and Resident Advisor as “a refreshingly low-key jam”, “Nabi” was an evocative piece of slow-burning, 98bpm electronic pop, inspired by 80s synth classics, the piano pieces of renowned composer Erik Satie and the 80s and 90s Korean songs Gou's mother used to play at home during her childhood.

“I Go” takes inspiration from a similar era but this time the energy comes from Gou’s love of 90’s dance anthems, many of which she revisited during lockdown and an enforced break from touring. Both retain the hallmarks of Peggy Gou’s unique take on electronic music; at once both nostalgic and totally modern. But on “I Go”, the tempo, 808s and 909s are dialled right up for a self-motivating anthem that is set to soundtrack a summer when we can all hopefully dance together in our thousands again.

Talking about “I Go”, Peggy says:

“When I was a teenager in Korea, we didn’t have rave culture like there was in the UK. “I Go” is a tribute to that era, my own reimagination of the sounds I grew up loving. The lyrics are inspired by a note I wrote on my phone in 2019, staring at myself in the mirror of an airport toilet – I looked so exhausted but there was no way I wasn’t going to keep going! “I Go” is basically me motivating myself, finding courage and returning to a feeling of innocence. I hope people feel the same sense of positivity when they hear it”

Meanwhile, Peggy Gou is set to make a handful of DJ appearances in Europe over the summer. These include a huge sold out London event in August in the form of The Pleasure Gardens; an outdoor party in Finsbury Park created and curated by Gou herself and featuring a stellar supporting line up including DJ Harvey, Anz and Spencer.

Track List:

A1. I Go
B1. I Go (Instrumental)
B2. I Go (Acapella)

It may have won the DJ Awards Track Of The Season in Ibiza this summer, but the lasting impression left by Roberto Surace’s ‘Joys’ has stretched far beyond the island. As it topped the Shazam Ibiza Dance Chart for eleven consecutive weeks, it was also championed by heavyweight DJs like Marco Carola, Andrea Oliva, wAFF and Joseph Capriati, and made it to the Radio 1 A-List. Now this sought-after track will be available on wax, after the limited edition white label sold out before its official release. Defected label-mate and consistent hit-maker OFFAIAH’s storming Club Mix joins Roberto’s stellar original on the A-Side, while on the flip master remixer Purple Disco Machine introduces his disco-tinged grooves to the record, before house legend Todd Terry employs deep, swelling synths and an adrenaline fuelled bassline on his remix to round off this essential 12” delivery.

Coming as the third edition, ‘EP3’ stays true to the series, committing Defected’s biggest digital releases to wax, and delivering upfront packages of house heat previously unavailable on vinyl. The A-Side is comprised of classic tracks that have been given fresh life for with new remixes, kicking off with Mousse T.’s re-work of Dennis Ferrer’s ‘Hey Hey’, followed by Dario D’Attis’ remix of Kings Of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’. The B-Side opens with one of the label’s current biggest releases, Purple Disco Machine’s remix of the unmistakable ‘Praise You’ by Fatboy Slim, an effortlessly sophisticated re-work and guaranteed dancefloor knockout. Closing the release is Mattei & Omich’s ‘I’ll House U’, maintaining the theme this series has established, celebrating Defected’s classic house roots in time for label’s 20th anniversary year.

Unlimted Happiness Records is presenting their first Various Artist series “Needs Vol.1”. Inspired by the eager to discover, the need for new electronics day after day. A Fast pasted A-side by Lamont Stigler and Anci, steady and smooth on the B-side with Redray and Mills Boogie. The diamond city delivers.

New school Tech House hero Ben Sterling makes his debut on Oblong with the "Step Forward" EP as an ode to late great Nathan Coles. The title track is a peak time rolling groover which is complimented by label boss Bushwacka! remixing it in his trademark Breaks style. The EP is completed with 2 more late night floor fillers "Outtaspace" and "Derp-Ous" which would definitely not be out of place at the legendary Wiggle parties run by Nathan.

Defected’s vinyl series continues to commit the label’s biggest digital releases to wax for the first time, and this special twentieth edition has been created in partnership with Shelter, the housing and homeless charity.

In July 2023, Defected and Shelter launched ‘From House To Home’, a campaign using music as a positive force for change; as part of these fundraising activities, £1 from each sale of EP20 will help tackle unfit housing and homelessness.

Opening this exclusive 12” coloured vinyl, Germany’s Jonathan Kaspar and his remix of Breach’s revered deep house anthem, ‘Jack’. Mason Collective collaborate with fellow Mancunian Bipolar Sunshine for ‘People In Love’, a Defected favourite from late 2023, followed by Arielle Free’s eclectic club hit ‘Feels So Good’ which made waves last year. Closing out the vinyl, a generational collaboration between production pioneers Bob Sinclar, A-Trak, and Melé with ‘Deep Inside Of Me’.

Defected Records are proud to give £1 from each EP20 record sold by retailers, to Shelter (charity no. 263710 England and SC002327 Scotland). In Northern Ireland, Shelter will subsequently donate 5% of the total amount to Housing Rights (charity no. NIC 105735) and in Wales will donate 5% to Shelter Cymru (515902).

© 2024 Shelter, the National Campaign for Homeless People Limited.

After a hiatus of nearly two years, LoveHrtz return with another prime-time slice of disco drenched house grooves on their vinyl only label. ‘Waiting For Your Love’ comes laced with a soulful vocal, deep organ work and pacey garage drums, with an alternate Dub Mix to be found on the flip.

LoveHrtz Vol. 4 offers up another indispensable party starter that demands quick attention, with previous LoveHrtz vinyl runs selling out in days and racking up silly Discogs prices, so as the saying goes, “you snooze, you lose”!

LoveHrtz “LoveHrtz Vol. 4” is released on 12” vinyl only from 9th February 2024.

Optimo (Espacio) started life as a weekly club night. It was born at The Sub Club in Glasgow on a wet, windy, wintry November Sunday night in 1997. Run by JD Twitch and partner in crime Jonnie Wilkes. Optimo was a reaction against what felt like an increasingly conservative musical soundtrack in clubs here at that time. Clubland felt as if it had become very bland and a bit too serious; it was the era of the dawn of the Superstar DJ. Clubs often felt like bastions of male energy. It seemed dance music and culture was going somewhere far, far away from where it was meant to be. The notion of fun had got lost.

It was no longer the world they had devoted ten years of their lives to already, and lots of their friends felt the same. When the opportunity came up to do a Sunday night at The Sub Club it felt like the perfect opportunity to rip it all up and start again. So they did. There was nothing in the city (or possibly anywhere) like it. As the club believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing, there was no pressure from The Sub Club to fill the club. So, they embraced the freedom. Groups of people who had never been in the same room at the same time before came together. A community of kindred spirits started to emerge.

Word spread, slowly. Lots of people checked it out. Many loved it, some hated it. The core of the Optimo idea was to embrace music they loved that might work on the dancefloor from whatever era or genre they thought felt right. It might not seem very radical now but at that time it was revolutionary.

After about a year and a half, the club went from having 100 people attending most nights to suddenly one week having 500 people turn up. It was very weird. It was as if a collective light bulb went off in people’s heads in Glasgow. From that week on, until the very last weekly Sunday night at the Sub Club, in 2010, over a decade later, it was packed.

There were 550 Sunday Optimo nights. A LOT of music was played. So, what was the music? People often find it hard to pin down exactly what Optimo is. This has been a positive but also a negative as we live in a world where people want easily defined “brand identities”. The simplest definition of the music played is “music for dancing”, which of course is a very broad definition. Even better than trying to define it in words, we have these 2 volumes of music that give a hint of what that might be.

This is not a “Best of Optimo” or a “Greatest Hits of Optimo” compilation. For people who come to, or used to come to the nights there are of course “Greatest Hits”. But, over such a long timespan they are “hits” belonging to a certain moment in time and space. Someone who came to Optimo in 1997 would have a completely different notion of the big tracks at the club to someone coming in 2003, or 2010, or today. This compilation is just a snap shot missing several genres that might make up the DNA of Optimo. There is though a broad sweep through lots of music Optimo loves, that they believe is amazing. Music that they know will rock a dancefloor, that they have played between 1997 and 2023. Of course Optimo nights were not all about rocking the dancefloor. The first hour was always a time for them to play music they loved that often was far removed from the dance. Side 1, Volume 1 of this compilation is the kind of music one might hear at the very start of an Optimo night.

Optimo have always loved a good slogan. The most long lived, and fitting Optimo slogan is "We Love Your Ears", which is in essence what it is all about to them.

Optimo (Espacio) started life as a weekly club night. It was born at The Sub Club in Glasgow on a wet, windy, wintry November Sunday night in 1997. Run by JD Twitch and partner in crime Jonnie Wilkes. Optimo was a reaction against what felt like an increasingly conservative musical soundtrack in clubs here at that time. Clubland felt as if it had become very bland and a bit too serious; it was the era of the dawn of the Superstar DJ. Clubs often felt like bastions of male energy. It seemed dance music and culture was going somewhere far, far away from where it was meant to be. The notion of fun had got lost.

It was no longer the world they had devoted ten years of their lives to already, and lots of their friends felt the same. When the opportunity came up to do a Sunday night at The Sub Club it felt like the perfect opportunity to rip it all up and start again. So they did. There was nothing in the city (or possibly anywhere) like it. As the club believed wholeheartedly in what they were doing, there was no pressure from The Sub Club to fill the club. So, they embraced the freedom. Groups of people who had never been in the same room at the same time before came together. A community of kindred spirits started to emerge.

Word spread, slowly. Lots of people checked it out. Many loved it, some hated it. The core of the Optimo idea was to embrace music they loved that might work on the dancefloor from whatever era or genre they thought felt right. It might not seem very radical now but at that time it was revolutionary.

After about a year and a half, the club went from having 100 people attending most nights to suddenly one week having 500 people turn up. It was very weird. It was as if a collective light bulb went off in people’s heads in Glasgow. From that week on, until the very last weekly Sunday night at the Sub Club, in 2010, over a decade later, it was packed.

There were 550 Sunday Optimo nights. A LOT of music was played. So, what was the music? People often find it hard to pin down exactly what Optimo is. This has been a positive but also a negative as we live in a world where people want easily defined “brand identities”. The simplest definition of the music played is “music for dancing”, which of course is a very broad definition. Even better than trying to define it in words, we have these 2 volumes of music that give a hint of what that might be.

This is not a “Best of Optimo” or a “Greatest Hits of Optimo” compilation. For people who come to, or used to come to the nights there are of course “Greatest Hits”. But, over such a long timespan they are “hits” belonging to a certain moment in time and space. Someone who came to Optimo in 1997 would have a completely different notion of the big tracks at the club to someone coming in 2003, or 2010, or today. This compilation is just a snap shot missing several genres that might make up the DNA of Optimo. There is though a broad sweep through lots of music Optimo loves, that they believe is amazing. Music that they know will rock a dancefloor, that they have played between 1997 and 2023. Of course Optimo nights were not all about rocking the dancefloor. The first hour was always a time for them to play music they loved that often was far removed from the dance. Side 1, Volume 1 of this compilation is the kind of music one might hear at the very start of an Optimo night.

Optimo have always loved a good slogan. The most long lived, and fitting Optimo slogan is "We Love Your Ears", which is in essence what it is all about to them.

Established in Iceland and now based in Berlin, Árni’s NIX label takes pride in unveiling its inaugural V/A, NIX005. This collection comprises four meticulously curated tracks, each focussed on the dance floor. The compilation seamlessly blends the work of new acts and familiar faces, offering listeners a preview of the label's forthcoming releases. Consistent with its predecessors, NIX005 reaffirms the label's ethos of showcasing fresh and singular material.

Francois Kevorkian is a name that should need no introduction. With over 40 years in the game FK has occupied numerous roles in his long and storied career - drummer, DJ, A&R man, remixer and producer - his skills know no boundaries. Having DJ-ed during the nascent days of club culture in NYC alongside Walter Gibbons, Larry Levan and more, Kevorkian has been there from day one. Years spent in the seminal clubs of the day sharpened his ears and his prowess behind the mixing desk saw him become the A&R man at the legendary Prelude records in the early 80's, this in turn led to him working with everyone from The Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, Erasure, D-Train, Yazoo, The Smiths, Kraftwerk and many many more. A true NYC original and legend, Kevorkian is still active today and the respect he commands amongst his peers has never waned, his adventurous extended DJ sets, seminal mixes and remixes and his open ears and open mind have ensured that he will go down in history as a musical pioneer.

Rewind to 1995. Kevorkian's 'Wave Music' imprint has come into existence with a handful of releases. No-one could imagine that his self-produced 'FK EP' - the next release on the label - would be a stone cold classic. Easily one of the most consistent, exciting and solid EP's to come out of NYC during this golden era of dance music. Across 4 tracks we are taken on a sound journey through a world that is undoubtedly informed by FK's time as an engineer, DJ and most importantly, a music lover.

EP opener 'Hypnodelic' brings us into this world, a deep, driving cut that fuses the dubbed out vocals of Freddie Turner against FK's keyboards and immaculate drum programming, oozing cosmic electronic soul, this track was destined to be a future classic. 'Mindspeak' also boasts some tough drums and with a respectful nod to Chicago is an incredibly mixed and arranged peak-time cut that will drive your dancefloor into deep space again and again. 'Edge Of Time' welcomes us to the flipside of the EP, wild Latin percussions, tablas and old school horn stabs drive this monstrous cut, not to mention cavernous dub FX and that huge bassline that just doesn't let up. Essential. 'Moov' rounds things out on a more subdued, stripped back vibe. Reversed percussions and spaced-out synth chords lace this beautifully understated and warm track, one that builds into a crescendo of melodies and hypnotic rhythms and the perfect way to close what has been a truly special musical journey.

This essential reissue of the 'FK EP' has been fully licensed, sanctioned and remastered in conjunction with FK from the original master sources by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK, repressed onto high quality vinyl and packaged as the 1995 release was. A truly classic record indeed, available again for 2018. Welcome back Wave Music!

The word 'classic' gets thrown around a lot these days, often abused and attached to things that don't deserve the tag.
 
I think we can all agree that an outfit like Earth, Wind & Fire are truly deserving of such an accolade, since their first tentative steps in the early 1970's as an outfit the Chicago, IL pioneers have made themselves a force to be reckoned with and have sold over 90,000,000 units worldwide! Fusing together Jazz, Funk, Soul, African and Brazilian sounds EWF have been at the top of their game for decades, seeing them inducted into the legendary 'rock n roll hall of fame' at the turn of the millennium. Respect due. On this special, legit 12" reissue we are treated to 2 stellar reworkings by one of Disco and modern dance music's most respected names - Danny Krivit. Danny's tenure in dance music has almost been as long as EWF's themselves so it makes sense that he's on deck to breathe some dancefloor magic into their cult classics 'Brazilian Rhyme' and 'Runnin'. Both tracks are massive club anthems with them being generously sampled over the years and featuring in the playlists of too numerous to mention DJ's and selectors. Both of these amazing edits are extremely sought after and have been legally reissued by Above Board Distribution in conjunction with Danny Krivit and the legal rights holders - Sony Music Entertainment. This high quality repress features original Columbia white label Disco promo artwork and has been remastered from Sony's original sources by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.