#35 Feat. Hype in Deep House

Shir Khan Presents Welt Am Draht - a collection of Exploited dancefloor weapons from 2023! Shubostar's colorful update on cosmic disco fits perfectly with the charms of Budakid's 'Milestones', with a bouncing off-beat bass line driving under heavily reverbed kicks and snares and a flurry of ascending arpeggios. Brazil's Renato Cohen is a perfect match for Sandhog's 'Accent', bringing his new school electro/Italo touch to the proceedings. With a knowing nod to New Order's monumental classic 'Blue Monday' in its snare fills and chord progression, his remix gets to work immediately with a snaking arpeggiated bassline weaving its way through and snappy drums, eventually unfolding into that familiar melody as bright pads glisten and live handclaps add an organic touch. 'Alte Liebe' by Berlin's Micropacer will send you over the edge. An absolutely stunning melodic progression underpins the undulating bass and relentless piano stomp of this one, recalling classic Italo / piano house with its jubilant feel and soaring pads. Huge. Joyce Muniz delivers a dark Italo slammer, produced alongside rising Mexican star, Theus Mago. 'Building Up' by Enduro Disco is built on a solid foundation of nu disco texture but with a chunkier house edge. Old skool piano rave stabs mix with thick lashings of undulating bass and swirling pad loops while urgent percussion drives the track forward. A dramatic, pitched-down German spoken vocal adds an unexpected twist, channeling the lineage of the likes of Kraftwerk in the process. On 'High Energy' by Mexican producer Levantine, distorted kicks suck at a tense synth arpeggio while in the distance a dramatic melody plays amidst a church-like reverb. Techno-tinged hi-hats push things forward more before we strip back in stark style and vox synths arrive to increase the haunting feel further still. Barcelona's Baldo revisits the gorgeously colorful 'Dream Of You' from Istanbul's rising talent Zeynep Erbay, taking it on one hell of a trip. Rocking a classic breakbeat under his tight house foundations, he gives his remix a rolling feel that's counteracted by the insistence of the three-note bassline which morphs into acidic resonance as the track evolves. NEAT's 'DYR' is a beautiful, delicate, unhurried gem of a track, dripping in sensuality. Shimmering percussion and delayed claps lay a foundation atop sorrowful sustained organ-esque pads. 'Fantasia' by Kadosh from Tel Aviv builds slowly through a dramatic minor key bass line and shimmering metallic fuzz to suddenly explode into life with a stunning, sorrowful main riff that rocks a distorted 8-bit electro vibe. Spacey pads swirl in the subtly spine-tingling breakdown which teases before exploding back into the good stuff via a powerful clap fill. Madrid duo Depaart rock with a slick, acidic cut with a real air of sophistication about it. 'And You' juxtaposes phat bottom end with twinkling acid resonance, dreamy pads and a bold '80s synth motif that shimmers with crystalline edges. Studio Barnhus affiliates Måns Glaeser (from swedish techno boyband Off The Meds) and Basement Space team up for 'Hollywood Cole' - a cute breakbeat track peppered with old skool rap & diva vocals, shimmering electric piano chords and a thick, undulating bassline. Marvin & Guy up the tempo for Joyce Muniz & Theus Mago's track 'Balin Bali' to a pacey house bounce and lay on some gentle electro textures. London duo Make A Dance go deeper on their rework for Budakid's 'Milestones', building through gated snips of the vocal, pulsing pads, Latin snare patterns and subtle bleep riffs and delays to reach a heady, hypnotic place. Fabrizio Mammarella does the damage on his version of 'Nechama' by Sandhog, teasing us slowly with ticking techno percussion that ebbs and flows, he gradually reveals the synth chords amidst giant snare hits and pulsing cymbal rides. Atlanta-based Sejva closes the compilation with 'We Only Want To Be Bad', flexing Hi-NRG muscle with its off-beat bassline, snazzy melodies and campy vocals.  A masterclass in retro revivalism. All in all this is a great eclectic dance compilation.

Budakid, Sandhog, Micropacer, Joyce Muniz, Theus Mago, Enduro Disco, Levantine, Zeynep Erbay, NEAT (Stockholm), Kadosh (IL), Depaart, Mans Glaeser, Sejva

#74 Feat. Staff Picks in Indie Dance

Budakid is back on Exploited with a charming 2-tracker that exudes confidence and style. In 'Milestones' - which is the title track, he catched up with the highly talented vocalist 'Bad Actor' whose voice mesmerizes and hijacks your attention. Channeling early '80s 'new pop' (Simple Minds and the like) in a modern way with its vocal stylings, signature glitching sounds, soaring synths and realistic rolling bass. A sequenced melody descends and ascends in perfect harmony with the indie-ish low end and with some stadium-sized leads coursing through the veins of this expansive-sounding production, it's like stepping into a time machine.

Budakid