New Treats Week-04-2023

Sabo – Bomeno (Sol Selectas)

Release Date: Friday 24 February 2023
Format: Digital

Sabo’s record label, Sol Selectas is celebrating its 100th release with an Afro house track by Sabo alongside a remix from Hyenah.

Sol Selectas launched in 2006 and is one of the record labels that helped pioneer the downtempo/organic house sound that has become a global phenomenon in recent years with the help of events such as Burning Man.

Alongside Sabo’s own music, the label’s star-studded roster includes influential artists such as Satori, Be Svendsen, Armen Miran, Goldcap, Unders, and Namito,

Based in Los Angeles, America, Sabo is a globe-trotting headline DJ who has played everywhere from Coachella to Hi Ibiza to ADE in Amsterdam. His music takes influence from the different cultures he has experienced and this gives Sabo an exotic sound that radiates warmth like the hot desert sun.

Hyenah is part of the RISE CREW, which is also running the highly acclaimed RISE MUSIC label, and the imprints accosted party series at Watergate in Berlin. Well known within the Afro house community for his percussive flair and enchanting melodies, Hyenah’s tracks have been released by record labels ranging from John Digweed’s Bedrock to Jimpster’s Freerange Records.

The original mix of “Bomeno” opens the release with a shuffling groove and vibrant Afro percussion that fills the track with upbeat energy. Dramatic synth stabs stride forth to create tension while the vocals add trippy vibes with their muffled tones

Second on the release is Hyenah’s remix of Bomeno, which is a stripped-back version that focuses on the percussion sounds. Spiralling rhythms and a new bassline give the track a jackin’ flow that expands the original’s tribal influence.

The artwork by Helia Jamali shows the vast land of Bomé, with its divine mother Bomeno, meditating peacefully on the horizon.

VA – Unearthed Delights Part III (Earthly Delights)

Format: Digital

Earthly Delights presents the latest in its Unearthed Delights series, which is an eclectic compilation featuring tracks that range from deep/organic house to melodic house/techno.

The release is split in two halves that each feature 10 tracks, some of which are rereleases of classics from the labels and others are brand new productions.

This ten-track promo collects together the unreleased tracks from the full package. It includes eight originals by Aston Alba, Brian Don, Darper, Disalazar, Malia Nima, Michelangelo, Nüur and Sealtian. There are also new remixes of Raw Main track “Lux & Umbra” by Imáno and of Roi Okev’s track “Gosa” has been rework by Tayu.

Many of the artists featured on this sampler have previously released on Earthly Delights and will be familiar to fans of the record label, while others are making their debut on the imprint.

Individually, the artists who feature on this releases have also worked with other record labels such as Stil Vor Talent, Kindisch, Lost Miracle, Hoomidaas, Akbal Music, All Day I Dream, Bar 25, Anjunadeep, Harabe and Seven Villas.

It’s an epic selection of tracks that covers a range of tempos and styles, but all of the tracks have deep atmosphere and organic textures.

Aston Alba’s “Kairos” is a stripped back and techy cut with shuffling percussion and deep pads that wash across the track like waves crashing against the shore.

Brian Don’s “Nihilist” is a melodic house/techno track with spiralling rhythms, chunky percussion and trippy vocals layered with atmospheric pads.

Darper’s “AXU” is an ethereal track with breakbeat percussion and uplifting synths that give this mesmerising cut a dreamscape aesthetic.

Disalazar’s “Dreams Come True” is a soothing cut with twinkling melodies and a throbbing bassline that radiates heat through this spine-tingling track.

Malia Nima “Equator” is a melodic house/techno track with tribal percussion, sensual vocal textures and cosmic synths.

Michelangelo’s “Naccara” is melodic house/techno with pulsating synth lines and oriental vocals layered with gliding pads and crisp percussion.

Nüur’s “Macao” is atmospheric deep house with dramatic percussion, delicate piano melodies and string stabs layered with modulating synths.

Inámo’s remix of Raw Main’s track “Lux & Umbra” is downtempo melodic house with an enchanting xylophone melody that’s washed in reverb.

Tayu’s Dub Remix of Roi Okev’s track “Gosa” is a spellbinding deep house cut that blends fluttering melodies with swelling pads and a plodding bassline to create a sun-drenched groove.

Sealtian’s “Three” is a cinematic cut of organic house with breezy pads, sweeping strings and intricate melodies layered with flowing percussion.

DJ Feevos – Reflections (Nylon Recordings)

Rolling in off the Greek coast is the rhythmic Afro House vibes of ‘Reflections’ by DJ Feevos and Michael Delta. Through the magical percussion and the hypnotic keys, ‘Reflections’ reminds us that we have the power, freedom, and vision to guide our journey to a place of self-care, love, and gratitude.

Jaymz Nylon’s signature Afrotech ReShape is a piece of gritty brilliance reminiscing of 1990s after-hours that will keep you dancing through to sunrise.

Written by: Michael Delta
Produced by: DJ Feevos and Michael Delta
‘Reflections’ (Jaymz Nylon Afrotech ReShape) Mastered by James Thomas @ Nylon Trax Studio
Executive producer: Jaymz Nylon
Published by Man Made Nylon Music / BMG
(p) & (c) 2023 Nylon Recordings/Nylon Trax

Josh Richards – Anthurium (Flow Music)

Release Date: Thursday 16 February 2023
Format: Digital

Flow Music is an Australian record label and its new melodic house/techno release welcomes the return of Josh Richards, and also includes a remix by The Journey.

A talented young artist from Melbourne, Josh Richards dropped his first-ever official release via Flow Music in 2022 and since then he has been building unstoppable momentum. He is a master at finding the balance between organic textures and powerful synth sounds to create melodic grooves with an expansive atmosphere. Still in his early 20’s he already has a mature sound that showcases a natural talent for making music.

On remix duty, The Journey is a duo of Australian artists from Melbourne who together run the highly respected record label, UGENIUS. Not only have they featured many tracks and remixes on their own imprint, but their soaring style or enrapturing melodic house/techno can also be heard on imprints such as Stil Vor Talent and Bedrock.

“Anthurium” is the solo original track on this release and it unfolds with grace and beauty as the tranquil pads of the intro are joined by a throbbing bassline, melody-rich stabs and enchanting vocals. Its cinematic breakdown is a fusion of spiralling synths and delicate woodwind instruments, which subside when the drums come crashing back in for an impactful moment of release.

The Journey’s remix of Anthurium is a techy version that adds a new pulsating bassline and additional high-end percussion and explosive claps. After the epic breakdown section, they add an arpeggio synth line that compliments the original’s vocal.

Reggie Dokes – Detroit’s Linwood EP (Fluid Funk)

Overshadowed by the Detroit-Chicago twin holiness, Atlanta also happens to be a well-furnished bastion for house and techno talents, amongst which the mighty Reggie Dokes (though no longer based out of the motor city) reigns as an ever inspirational spearhead. Landing next on our Fluid Funk platform, the Georgia transplant who’s made a name for himself throughout two plus decades of relentless floor activism, treats us to one of his signature blends of deep house mellow, sun-streaked island vibrations and jazzed-up, multi-instrumental boogie on his newest, “Detroit’s Linwood EP”.

Nimbly walking the tightrope between solar-powered piano house and proper Latin-style swing, the eponymous lead-single is a soft-spoken, broad-angle slab that combines the cream from typical Balearic guitar chords and Caribbean steelpan folk, all generously laid over a prismatic cascade of fevered syncopations and classic, yet time-proof 4×4 rhythmic phrasings. Hopscotching his way across alternated sequences of urban oneirism and wider postcard vistas, Dokes boasts a flexile touch that never ceases to amaze.

Same goes with the further playful “Water and Stone”, a slice of out-there body music playing mind-games between Afro-tribalism and Easternmost sensibilities, all the while stretching out into loungey hedonism and futuristic funk with equal panache. Final number “Show Me” operates a more blatantly forward-facing type of electronic aesthetic and steady, chugging club dynamics, casting its net somewhere between pop-infused house and elements of cutting-edge abstraction, laced with a fun-loving, P-funk-style twist that’ll slap a smile on your face every time you press play.

Zalvador – Emotions LP (Clubsonica Records)

Presenting their first ever artist album, Clubsonica Records welcomes Zalvador to the label with his debut LP ‘Emotions’. Hailing from Colombia, Zalvador emerged from his country’s progressive music landscape in 2018. Noted for his poignant dance floor productions, Zalvador’s craft shines through vividly, making each one of his creations an emotive experience. Currently calling New York home, it was a debut on Soundteller Records which foreshadowed what has been a five-year creative swell for the rising phenom. A string of well-received projects for Mango Alley, Plattenbank, Proton Music, Siona Records and The Soundgarden, have yielded play and support from Hernan Cattaneo, Miss Monique and Nick Warren. With a contribution to The Soundgarden’s Winter Collection to begin the year, Zalvador now embarks on the biggest project of his career, making his much-anticipated Clubsonica debut with ‘Emotions’.

Comprised of seven distinctive and equally compelling creations, it is the infectious grooves and electric lines of ‘Anxiety’ which set the tone for the album. Instantly seductive, its panoramic synth textures create a colourful canopy for muscular beats and mountainous basslines to ignite the dance floor. A well-crafted break sits at the heart of the journey, flowing through youthful arp fragments and phasing noise, before uniting for an exhilarating drop and powerfully hypnotic finale. Selection two ‘Elevation’ finds Zalvador composing with a strong sense of space. With
each sound being an event in a slowly expanding landscape, zooming out to reveal a world of scale in which depth and contrast coax perfectly with rhythm and melody. The Colombian flexes his free-thinking muscles across a memorable break, as pitch-shifting structures and hypnotizing effects take centerstage, eventually transferring energy into a suitably cosmic conclusion.

Continuing on a darker monochrome with ‘Fear’, Zalvador diversifies his portfolio with a thought- provoking creation. The New York resident allows the listener to relish in the groove, as flashing percussive arrangements and striking effects provide a bridge into a therapeutic, arp-driven break and suitably unstated finale. Meanwhile, on ‘Love’ Zalvador shifts his modus operandi into one of deeper grooves and poignant musicality. In lightning the mood while remaining fluid within the confines of the release, its fresh aesthetics and eager optimism perfectly set the stage for the peak hour qualities of ‘Pride’. Collapsing under its own gravity as momentum builds and pyrotechnic synths steal the air, eventually breaking into a hyperventilating helium rush of hazy harmonics, buzzing rhythmic structures and emotive chord changes.

The album’s final stretch sees Zalvador furthering his pursuit of progressive music excellence with the fiery energy of ‘Shame’. Pitched somewhere comfortably between cosmic reverie and melodic bliss, its utopian style ecstasy proves once again that the most astute artists often find a way to the finish line, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While this looping hypnotism does not fail to command your attention, it also provides a segue in the collection’s final act, the aptly titled ‘Hope’. Sure to be celebrated for his progressive prowess, Zalvador places the final piece in this seven-track audio travelogue, as hopeful melodies ring out into timeless suspension, while a gentle flurry of effects sweep their way across a bed of pulsating beats and rebounding rhythms.

Zalvador creates a fascinating sonic ecosystem over the course of ‘Emotions’, a striking seven track odyssey that looks into the mind of an artist who masterfully balances rich production with fire-starting spontaneity.

Release date: March 3rd 2023

Format: Digital

Ransel – Phoenix (Beatservice Records)

Beatservice Records presents the latest single from Øivind Sjøvoll’s recently birthed Ransel moniker, the talented artist taking time out from his familiar Kohib project to craft the powerfully atmospheric brooder, “Phoenix.”

Sjøvoll launched the Ransel project in 2022 as an outlet for his more club-focused productions, maintaining his immaculate production aesthetic while constructing subtly new sounds with a kinetic charge at their core. Having released a dazzling body of work on some of the underground’s most revered labels as Kohib, he’s long been a key feature in Beatervice Record’s roundly compelling roster. His latest material is just as engaging as one comes to expect from this unique musical voice.

“Phoenix” launches with gorgeously evocative chords simmering over a percussive rhythm. Effortlessly building as the arrangement unfolds, haunting motifs and dubbed-out delays meander across the panorama, with sinister bass notes and grainy synth textures adding tension before the seductive groove resolves into a pulsating heads-down strut.

Deep, vivid, and gently poignant in tone, this is sublime work once again from Sjøvoll, his Ransel alter-ego demonstrating another string to his creative bow.

Label and Artist Links:
beatservice.no