Month: March 2014

Carl Hanaghan – Strings Of Life

So, about a month ago I thought to myself about how refreshing it would be to hear a fresh new version of Strings Of Life. Obviously the original Derrick May version was amazing, then the Danny Krivit Edit of the Soul Central version was outstanding back in the day, and even still today. It got absolutely hammered in the clubs everywhere! This time around, producer Carl Hanaghan has brought it right up to date with this really nice version. During the breakdown of this he has used the original keys, with a few slight tweaks and those awesome strings playing the original melody, eventually the filters kick in and a huge riser raises the track up to an almighty organ drop and keeping those strings in. So much love for this! This was released on 21st April on Zulu Records! Check it..

Click here to buy on Beatport:



D33P – Apollo 18 (Redub Mix) [Free Download]

I’m gonna keep this one short & sweet, up for a free download on Soundcloud. I heard it, I loved it and I downloaded it! I will definitely be featuring this in some of my dj sets, quality tune. Grab your free copy before they take it down!..

Check out the Soundcloud link and download for free!

Alex Wolf & DJ Gray – Turn Perfect

I have done a few reviews in the past of tracks by Slovenian producer DJ Gray and have followed his work closely. My best way to describe him is simply to say that he’s a conveyor belt of great music, track after track he never disappoints! For this track he’s teamed up with known producer Alex Wolf. If this track doesn’t get you moving then you simply can’t be hearing what I do! From the bouncy low bass riff and expertly chopped up vocals to the big tech drums and huge snare fills, this tune is a monster! It’s just come out on big German label ‘Attractive Music’ and is guaranteed to cause a stir. Prepare yourselves!

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Emeskay – Searchin

New out on Zulu’s sister label ‘Vudu Records’ is this meaty release from Emeskay. This is on a deeper bouncy tip and comes with an amazing remix by Zoltan Kontes. The original has an addictive bassline, some pitched down vocals and nice deep sketchy drums. The breakdown is immense with a synth pattern that builds up then vanishes before the almighty drop, back into the bassline pattern. The remix is a lot tougher, with a big punchy, warpy bassline and some really nice hats too. The breakdown on this has a real dark old skool bass riff sitting under the distinctive pitched down vocal from the original and again builds nicely into a great drop. Great release on a great label! This is out NOW!

Check out the Beatport link and support the artist by buying the track:

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Dmarco – Her Tribe EP

This EP has been in my review list for a few days now and only the fact that I’m moving house at the moment has stopped me from ranting about it. Fresh out on Arcko Digital is this quality two-track tech house EP from Dmarco. As you press play on the sample below you may think this sounds familiar, and that would be because I actually featured the title track ‘Her Tribe’ in the March edition of the phuk podcast series. Her Tribe is a huge main room tech banger with some nice twitchy chopped vocals laid over some complex drums and percussion. In the breakdown there is a nice filtered piano riff with various whooshes, and then the vocals filters back in and builds back into the drop. I really like this tune and look forward to playing it out. Next up is the track ‘Pump it Up’. Now this is a lot more tribal sounding than the previous tune, with some nice bongo hits and a repetitive bassline pattern all sat nicely along with a rap style vocal chopped up over the top. This one likes to build up, drop out and smash back in quite frequently which definitely keeps you on your toes. All round this is a great release for Arcko Digital. Check it out and get your copy now!

Check out the Beatport link and support the artist by buying the track:

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PHUK Podcast No 5 mixed by Lawrence Friend

The fifth podcast of the series, this is the March edition, showcasing some of Public House UK’s blogged tracks and a few exclusives. Starting off quite deep and ending up techy and main room. We were sent so many amazing tracks this month, it was really difficult to filter it down to just 15, but these are the ones that really stood out for us this month.

Tracklisting (click on the individual tracks to buy on Beatport/Traxsource):
01. Monk & Saunders – Unfathomable (Original Mix)[Kinetic Groove – Exclusive]
02. Heartik – Cocoa (Coyu Edit)[Suara Records]
03. Leftwing & Kody – Missing (Original Mix)[Lapsus Music – Exclusive]
04. Vanilla Ace & Funkin L – In For The Kill (Original Mix)[Tropical Heat Records]
05. Larry Cadge – Vicious Circle (Original Mix)[Smiley Fingers]
06. James Silk – Talk Dirty (Original Mix)[Erase Records]
07. Emeskay – Searchin (Zoltan Kontes Remix)[Vudu Records]
08. Soulmagic ft J-Sun – I Wonder (Original Mix)[Soulmagic Records]
09. Mark Wilkinson & Mikalis – House Music Baby (Original Mix)[Kidology London]
10. Sweet LA ft Bronte Shande – Music (Frater & Stent Remix)[Fear Unknown Records – Exclusive]
11. Dany Cohiba – Mjuma (RanchaTek Remix)[Family Grooves]
12. Schuhmacher & Daniele Petronelli – Bounce! (Jorge Montia Remix)[Sphera Records]
13. Dmarco – Her Tribe (Original Mix)[Arcko Digital]
14. Siwell – Wheel Of Fortune (Original Mix)[Sphera Records]
15. Noise Tribe – In The Future (Franz Johann’s Here & Now Remix)[GTA Records]

Check out the Soundcloud link:

Area 94 Records – Various Artists – South Beach EP

A nice new EP released for the Miami WMC on Area 94 Records, consisting of four huge tracks. I recently reviewed a track on this label that was remixed by Federico Scavo and it’s still doing it for me. Let’s go through this EP individually.

First up is ‘Alex Kenji & Federico Scavo – Never Give Up‘, this is a very lively old skool sounding, funky house track. They use a high noted string stab which repeats throughout, and a big funky bass rhythm. Very bouncy with a one-liner vocal sitting on top.
Then there’s ‘Rhythmoholia – Sing It Again‘, this is another old skool sounding track with a great female vocal. I really enjoy the first breakdown where it has a nice 80’s funk feel then a build into a big twitchy tech track, I love it!
The third track on the EP is ‘Flynn Nolan & The Satori Sound – Only You‘. This track has a punchy deep warpy bassline sat under some nice 909 hats and some good vocals. I’d definitely drop this one in a set!
Finally there’s ‘Michael Clark – Broadway‘. In complete honesty, this one isn’t for me! I like the idea and the feel of it but its probably a little too ‘euro-commercial’ for me. I could imagine this going off in a club though, it’s got some big stabby bass synths and a punchy deep bassline which I do like.

Good times 🙂

Check out the Beatport link and support the artist by buying the track:

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DJ Licious – People (inc. Funkerman Remix)

This is something forthcoming on Can You Feel It Records by DJ Licious. I haven’t really followed much of DJ Licious’s former productions but this one caught my eye as it features a remix by Funkerman. This one verges on the electro tip with both mixes, the original has a dark bass pattern with some stabby synths laid over the top. The key feature to this one is the rap vocal that flows with the rhythm. Very nice. The Funkerman remix uses the same pattern but has changed the sound to a more sawtoothed synth, the builds are a lot bigger and some nice little elements are added. All round this is a great release, the original mix just about wins it for me. See what you think..

Click here to buy on Beatport:



Soulmagic ft J-Sun – I Wonder

Now I was fortunate enough to be sent this little gem last week and I can only apologise that it’s taken me until now to feature it. This is forthcoming on Soulmagic Records by Soulmagic ft J-Sun and is a follow up to their smash ‘Someone Like You’ which was released on Strictly Rhythm last year and supported by big names such as Pete Tong. This track incorporates both an organ and a piano riff sitting together and working amazingly, then a great vocal sits over the top. This is destined to be huge! I played this on my radio show over the weekend and the response was massive. I haven’t done a great job in describing the track or giving it any justice, just listen to it and you’ll get what I mean. Awesome! This was released on 26th March exclusive to Traxsource as a Miami WMC promo, get it downloaded..

Click here to buy on Traxsource:



Siwell – Wheel Of Fortune

I am a massive supporter and follower of both Sphera Records and the producer Siwell, and this is something fresh from them. An absolute main room tech slammer! From the glitchy drums and percussion to the deep sub bassline and the pitched down eerie vocal. There is loads going on this tune, with breakdowns, builds, drops, it has everything! I was fortunate enough to grab a copy from the label before its general release, and I test drove it both on radio and out at a gig, it went down a storm! Well recommended!..

Check out the Beatport link and support the artist by buying the track:

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KillerBeatz – Like This Like That

Huge tech house track released on Tactical Records as a part of their Miami sampler for 2014, produced by producers Killerbeatz. This is the first release from Killerbeatz that we’ve featured on this website, however, we have been following them for a while and love their work. This track is absolutely awesome! There is a really nice old skool sounding chord stab pattern which is complimented by a talking male vocal, all sitting over some sketchy tech drums and a deep subby bassline. There are plenty of builds and side-chained sweeps throughout, which take the track to constant new levels. Very good, check it out..

Check out the Beatport link and support the artist by buying the track:

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