Dirt Crew have a very special new artist for you from Berlin. Dutch native Pete Bandit relocated to Berlin some years ago where they first met in 2018 when he was part of the “Times Are Ruff” collective. They contributed a track on Dirt Crew for our “Deep Love 2018” compilation. Now recently going solo he developed his sound even more towards Detroit-ish house with dabs of techno and a bit of high tech jazz in there as well. This debut EP offers Loads of deep soulful grooves, spiritual “computer” music at it’s best!

The A-side “Wild Feelings” is such a beautiful opener to this record, with it’s lush spread out intro it paves the way with that perfect mood for what is to come, a mix of soul, funk and electronics and overall well crafted deepness. The keys on this one were contributed by the mysterious “Nelson of the East” topped with vocals by Pete himself. “It’s Happening Again” continues the story with soulful deep house textures and this one especially reminds us a lot of those early 90s Chicago/ New York House gems, the track is building towards a great breakdown key change and with its atmospheric strings and pads it’s a truly uplifting “Good Times” tune.

On the flip we have “Computer’s Creativity”. This track picks up the pace and is centered around a funky, almost slap like, bass line. Here again topped by a vocal add of Pete about “Computer’s Creativity” and with it’s cool break this one will also be a sure floor filler, guaranteed! The closing track on this record is the driving “Luv Your Body”, great percussion guides us through a loose set arrangement and make this one a perfect late hours or early mornings tune in any mix, it could go on forever!

Pre-order.

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Cet article Pete Bandit – Wild Feelings Ft. Nelson of the East [Dirt Crew] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

With previous releases on Dirt Crew Recordings, New Kanada and Häws, as well as on London’s X-Kalay, as one half of Cloudsteppers alongside fellow Toronto Producer Ciel, Dan Only is continuing to push the boundaries of his sound.

Dan Only’s Love Saturates EP is a look back into some of his earlier forays into the world of House music, with the original cut of “Love Saturates” having originated back in 2015. The Love Saturates EP sheds light on some of Dan Only’s productions that would have otherwise remained part of an already deep vault.

The EP kicks off with the title track “Love Saturates”. It’s a blissed-out house cut with shuffled drums, a hard-hitting bassline, lush pads, and a vocal to die for. It gets you up, moving, and working on the mainline to the dancefloor. The melodies wash over you and harken back memories of a packed dancefloor in your favorite intimate setting.

On the A2, Black Loops (Madhouse/Shall not fade/Toy tonics) steps up on remix duties and turns “Love Saturates” into a seriously deep and spacey remix that works perfectly for late night sets on Selections.

Setting off the B-Side we have “Leading Questions”, a snare happy slice of cheeky House music stacked with Dan Only’s signature drum programming and keys that just don’t stop! A meandering SH101 solo takes you through the entire journey.

The EP is rounded out with “Not That I Don’t Care” – a deep and laidback MPC workout with rolling drums, airy pads, and a haunting vocal.

Pre-order.

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Cet article Dan Only – Love Saturates (Original Mix) [Selections] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Dan Only returns for his third release on Dirt Crew Recordings with his “Deciduous Dubs EP”. This release sees the Toronto-native continuing to explore new musical territories, leaving behind the past to rebuilt his framework from scratch. Armed with Akai Samplers, 90s Romplers and some tried and true Roland classics, Dan explores sounds informed by Dubstep, Hardcore, House and Techno.

The release opens with “Gateway Shuffle”. The half-time drums and breakbeats harken back to early dubstep and reinforce the ghostly harmonies that glide throughout. Warping basses, deep subs and distant voices welcome you into this sonic world.

“Terraforming” gives you hope in the unknown. The digital pads wash in as the meandering melodies invite you to take a leap of faith out into the open. A deep sub emerges amongst familiar four-on-the-floor kick patterns, providing the foundation needed to lose yourself to the groove. By the end, you’ll be dancing across new ground in a trance-like state.

“It’s Inside You” gets to the root of it all. Stripped back and ever-evolving, the bouncing bass-line and shapeshifting landscape contort around you as this techno groover pummels forward. This one is heady and contemplative, inviting a sense of self-discovery on the dance floor.

We end our trip with “Macrodose”. Diving through twisting basses and breakbeat science, you’re taken deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, much farther than you anticipated. There’s a stark contrast between the reality you once knew and the one you are now in. If you can push through the peak, you’ll be welcomed by a euphoric afterglow and renewed sense of clarity.

Pre-order.

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Cet article Dan Only – It’s Inside You [Dirt Crew Recordings] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

On his newest EP, “We Should Chill on the Windowsill More,” Manchester-based producer Goddard refines his palette of Ambient, Downtempo, and Electro-Jazz, genres which he regularly showcases on his monthly Reform Radio Show, Downtown Groove Sessions. The result is an EP that, in its restless experimentation and attention to detail, recalls such pioneers of these sub-genres as Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher.

After opening A-side track, “Far from Home”, starts things off on a stripped-back, understated note, “Where You Gone” comes in on a harder, more driving tempo. The opening kick drums are something out of a hardcore Drum’n’Bass tune, but soon, swelling pads and orchestral keys arrive to relieve the heaviness. The track masterfully toes the line between outright propulsive House and lush, textured Ambient. As it reaches halfway, the chopped vocal sample, clattering hi-hats, and gorgeous ambient flourishes, suddenly morph into a synth-heavy jam-out, with multiple, subtle drops. As the track grows looser and more sparse towards the conclusion until all that is left is the lead piano melody, it feels as if Goddard wants us to look back and to take in this panorama of Downtempo Ambient-House majesty which we have just journeyed through. 

Releasing on London-based label, FINA Records, this is Goddard’s calling card as a meticulous craftsman of dreamy, laid-back, emotionally-resonant experimental House. Showcasing himself as an artist who is building upon his idols to create his own signature style, here, he provides his listeners a warm, adventurous environment to get lost in.

Pre-order.

Cet article Goddard – Where You Gone? [Fina Records] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Buy Dan Only’s new EP here: https://tinyurl.com/DIRT119-Shop

Cet article MIXED BY/ Dan Only est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

It’s time for some Dirt Crew action. This time the Berlin label showcase French artist S3A who is no stranger to Bolting Bits or to the world of electronic music production. With experience comes expertise, S3A has been producing for over 15 years and has released on the likes of Quartet Series, Lazare Hoche records, Concrete Music and Local Talk. He cut his teeth with a residence at Rex Club, Paris’s oldest and longest running club, before jumping ship to a regular slot at the three tier riverside club Concrete.

Today we have the pleasure of premiering the third track from the release titled Greed. The eleven track special is due out very soon in all good record stores. Greed is a smooth soulful number, coloured with vibey keys, loose but snappy drum breaks, shuffling hi-hats and to top it off some funk bass. It is very easy to get lost when making sample based music. You can choose a sample from any piece of audio that has ever been recorded and printed to wax or made available online. Samples can be taken from any era and from whichever corner of the plant you desire. The key aspect of sample based music is maintaining a unique sound. This is a key driver in S3As music and you can hear individuality all of this record.

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On the rest of the EP you can find tracks like “Fever”, “Friends, “Joint No. 5” and with similar all funk fuelled jams composed by Max, re-played and recorded again in several live jams with fellow musicians Nicolas Taite, Raphael Vallade and Pierre Vadon and edited in the studio by S3A afterwards, they breath this special Soul and Funk love Max got into by listening to “Masters at Work” and old Disco jams. The latter “Greed” has a special story, it is a cover of an early “Laurent Garnier” track that got reworked by “Avril” in the early 00’s, here Max wanted to present his own Jazz and Funk perspective on that same track.

The club stompers “First Day With Lucien”, “Lockwood”, “Clarence J. Boddicker” and “Leaving 19th” are the true party business on this album and range from Deep House to more classic edit style Disco tracks with live improvisations played on top of them. This is what made us love the S3A sound from the start and it has that unique cut up sample work Max is best at.

“Interlude for Marc”, “Obsession” and “Eaux Troubles” introduce a third vision of S3A’s musical universe. Cinematic, emotional and with an much more old school “Trip Hop” approach to them, in some parts even referring to 80s “Italo / Cosmic” and early French funk. These are some of our personal favourites on the album, especially “Eaux Troubles” is a 6 minutes dramatic string filled trip that is just the perfect ending to a beautiful album journey.

As a vinyl only bonus Max also added a very personal Intro and outro that consists of field recordings from his trips abroad and kids Eva and Bastien accompanied by Rhodes and strings recorded during the above mentioned live sessions.

Cet article S3A – Greed [Dirt Crew Recordings] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Dampé is a studio and live project from South East London. Since moving to the city, the producer has been intimately involved in its club culture – from running warehouse spaces and booking venues to DJing and performing in groups across the city and Europe, under a slew of different aliases.

March 2019 sees the release of Dampé’s self-titled debut EP on Berlin’s Dirt Crew – home to Detroit Swindle and Lorenz Rhode. Across five tracks, the EP explores weirder and worldlier ends of house music – all with a nod to undeniably UK sounds.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/premiere-dampe-peach-shuffle” /]

The lead track from the release is titled “Peach Shuffle,” and it had us absolutely hooked upon first listen. Through its combination of dusty analog gear, live instrumentation, and samples lifted from wax, Dampé’s old-school approach to beat making helps create an original that separates itself from the other African influenced sounds in dance music. Although its not the sort of anthem we asked for, its definitely the one we needed. Expect audiences to be floored by this song’s billowing synths, broken beat percussion, and mystical vocals wherever it is played!

Make sure to pre-order your copy of the record by following this link right here! The EP will ship on March 11th!

Cet article Dampé – Peach Shuffle [Dirt Crew Recordings] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Felix Leifur has seriously been putting in some hours in the studio. His new EP titled Hamburg 3011 will be released on the mighty Dirt Crew Recordings, available on wax on 26th October and digitally on the 29th. The EP in true Felix style is house music influenced by jazz and hip hop. We have the pleasure of presenting the premiere of the opening track, which gives a great introduction to the EP.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/premiere-felix-leifur-between-us” /]
The infectiously hazy first track of the Icelandic man’s newest EP is titled Between Us. The piece starts out with a spacey layering of tribal drums, which are looped to create an infectious rhythm. A hypnotic vocal floats into the mix to keep the tension spiralling, before a deep kick drum drops in and brings some order. A deep sustained almost disharmonic chord rings out to solidify a darker tone in the track, which is complimented by a groovy yet simple bass line at 1 minute 20 seconds.

The energy of the track swirls around in true Felix Leifur style, although this feels slightly different to his previous work, it feels more experimental, as if he is pushing the boundaries just a touch further. An open hat rings through the mix to get this track swinging and a distant jazz trumpet sings melodies in the distance, before hitching a ride from the outskirts to arrive at the forefront of the mix. The filter of a synth roars open to provide some grit, some dirt, and supplies some more emotion.

The eclectic feel of this EP is very powerful, and one to definitely check out. Pre-order it here.

Adam P.

Cet article Felix Leifur – Between Us [Dirt Crew Recordings] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Cet article PREMIERE : Ponty Mython – So What Did You Expect (BAL5000 back to 96 Remix) [wewillalwaysbealovesong] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

The journey for rising Dutch producer Nachtbraker (or “nighthawk” – soundcloud) has been positively linear thus far. After cutting his teeth as a promoter and local jockey, the Amsterdam-based producer has gone on to build an acclaimed yet almost concise discography rooted in quality over quality. Notable releases on Detroit Swindle’s Heist Recordings and Dirt Crew Recordings have paved the way for Nachtbraker (legal name Maurits Verwoerd) to become a quickly rising name in the deep house scene.

In 2016, Maurits entered the realm of label management, founding the concept imprint Quartet Series. The label boasts an obsessive template of fours: four tracks per release, four artists, four records per concept or “series”. The inaugural series presented vinyl heads with a battle between “Good Guys” and “Bad Guys” throughout the four releases, which were neatly decorated with original comic book-style art on fully printed sleeves. Artwork is of utmost importance to the imprint, as it is custom-made and clearly essential to the concepts at play.

Maurits has employed an evolving vision with Quartet Series. “[At first I wanted to] have everything in fours”, the Dutchman reveals, “four different artists, four tracks, four [records] and concepts.” However, after receiving demos from Scott Franka, Nachtbraker couldn’t resist the package of tracks and decided to forego the V/A concept in favor of an artist EP. And thus came Quartet’s first entry in Bodybuilder series, which features a live bodybuilder that’s been framed and painted in a variety of ways for each EP.

French producer Tell continued the interest in artist EPs after catching the A&R’s attention with a batch of tracks. So, to hell with the original concept, he said. “It can still be a Quartet if you have four tunes and four [records]”, Maurits explains with a smile, “[Some of my friends, like] Lars and Maarten [of Detroit Swindle] were [teasing] me, saying ‘you’ve made it quite hard for yourself with the [Quartet] concept, because now you have to stick to it”.

Nachtbraker seems to have found a way to navigate the shift, though by building two separate Quartets in the artist EP vein: the aforementioned Bodybuilder Series, and the Trophy Series, which Tell’s record kicked off. The latter appears to somewhat emulate the “Good Guys” vibe of the V/As more closely; leaning closer to warm, brighter house sounds. Meanwhile, the former strays closer to the darker and spacey-er sound of the “Bad”. However, Maurits concedes that the musical lines have definitely been blurred between the two sides with the two new series. In any case, it’s clear he’s employing the partitions to allow for the curation of a variety of different sounds and textures.

The upcoming QS release is another Bodybuilder, this time from the hands of Portamento Boys. “It’s actually only one guy”, Maurits reveals, “He’s an old friend of mine [from] when I started making music when I was 16 or 17. . . I always really loved his music and [we] became good friends”. Though it was originally intended for him to join Quartet at the V/A stage under his SAN2 alias, Koos (Portamento Boys) instead joins the roster with a full artist EP. The grip of playful and quirky italo-disco rooted tracks resonated hard with Nachtbraker, “it reflects the way he is [and his sense of humor]. . . and [embodies] a vision I try to put in my own music as well – that sometimes it’s nice to have a laugh”.

Deeper on the label end of things, Nachtbraker describes that WordandSound has been extremely supportive in fulfilling the vision of Quartet Series, and praises his labels of residency, Heist and Dirt Crew, for influencing his management approach with their professionalism. On the A&R side, Maurits cites LuvJam’s Blind Jacks Journey as a major inspiration to his approach to running QS. He explains that the deep and new find approach and perhaps not-obvious vibe of the label is extremely appealing to him, “I’m still finding [old BJJ] records now and listening back and thinking, ‘oh wow this is really good. It’s kind of what I wanted to do with Quartet Series; everyone [is] playing the Good Guys music and no one is playing the Bad Guys music. My hope is that in due time, people will be playing the Bad Guys music”.

The QS bossman reveals that he’ll be at the helm for the second entry of the Trophy Series, due out late Fall. And though it won’t complete a full concept quartet in 2017, it does total to a sum of four records, leaving two more records to go in the respective artist EP lanes. Maurits assures that 2018 will see closure to the Bodybuilder and Trophy Series, though it’s still a mystery as to who’s on board. However, Nachtbraker’s solo entry for QS won’t be the only release we see from him in this calendar year. He’s next on deck for a Heist EP as well; coming with two records after about a year-long pause in record output.

The brief detente was deliberate, he explains, as he indicates he wants to remain mindful of releasing with labels that are suited to his sound and vision. Moreover, Nachtbraker stresses that solo EPs are really the essential product for career advancement, rather than V/A appearances or remix credits. In regards to his own output, the Amsterdam beatsmith emphasizes tight control over his product, recalling, “I used to have a lot of unsigned tunes, and I would just send [labels] everything because I wanted to put out everything I had. But now, I’m much more selective in what I want to put out myself”. The producer also provides some insight on the dangers of saturation, especially in up-and-coming producers, positing that “the more you put out, [especially] in a short amount of time, the less special the tunes get. . . in the end it’s not a good [approach] because you’re scattering your music and maybe putting out some stuff you shouldn’t have put out”.

Indeed, in a game flooded with thirsty new talent, quality control and deliberated release frequency is absolutely paramount. Release too often or too monotonously in sound and you might fall off, release too little and people might forget about you. Nachtbraker seems to have found a balance in his production and label management; seeking to keep reinventing himself (and his Quartet Series) to stay fresh, and hoping to make you long for that next release.

Enough words for now, though, take a dive into our latest MIXED BY, courtesy of Nachtbraker!

Martín

Cet article MIXED BY/ Nachtbraker est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.