Little Helpers is a conceptual digital label courtesy of Andrew Rasse (a.k.a. Butane) and Sean O’Neal (a.k.a. Someone Else) launched in December 2009. Each track is a strong, reduced groove-tool aimed to satisfy the increasing number of digital DJs. Much like the traditional lockgroove vinyl, these tracks are suitable for looping, editing and layering. Yet at the same time, each track has enough variation to stand on its own. That is, each tune lies somewhere between a full track and a DJ tool — focusing solely on the rhythm or a singular idea rather than extraneous arrangements. On Little Helpers 05, label owners Butane + Someone Else represent the Little Helpers label to its full potential with six groove-tool tracks — offering elements of techhouse, techno, minimal and deep house.

Minimaland Feedback: If you’re looking for some tools or like to listen some of the most cutting edge minimal techno produced out there then this is a must buy. All the tracks are very enthusiastic, have a great rhythm and some groovy progressions. This will make some wonders in the dancefloors.

1. Little Helper 5-1

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2. Little Helper 5-2

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3. Little Helper 5-3

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4. Little Helper 5-4

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5. Little Helper 5-5

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6. Little Helper 5-6

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cat #: littlehelpers05
release date: March 9, 2010

For Remote Area’s 24th release we welcome back Amsterdam-based, DJ and producer, Lauhaus. Internationally known for his sounds as one half of Polder, his awesome solo productions also create a stir as he blends and clashes house and techno to produce his own exhilarating sound.
“Bring it” brings you a blend of digital vocals across disco feel undercurrents all pinned together with some hot percussive deep drum action. It’s guaranteed to bring the dance floor to a housey climax. Whereas “Moonshine” is a beautiful brew of unforgettable keyboard melodies that thread across, dive under and sweep over the driving beats and our favorite track of the Ep. “Cremita” brings nature to the fore with its relaxing vocals, bird song snippets and guitar riffs intertwined to create a chilled soundscape.

Minimaland Feedback: By now you should all know that both Remote Area and Lauhaus represent quality in the electronic musical world. Every thing this label launches is full of quality and every Lauhaus release follows the same pattern. This 3 track EP is a very exquisite one, with tunes to suit all of your different tastes, from the most deep  (you’ll certainly enjoy “Cremita”) to the most shaky dancefloor ones (”Bring It” is the one for you). Our fav  track – “Moonshine” –  stands in the middle of this two and it’s certainly a very nice one to be listened. Remote Area did it again.

a1 - Bring It

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b1 - Moonshine

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b2 - Cremita

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Remote#024
Release Date: End of March, 2010

Barem of minus and Foundsound fame finally delivers another bomb on foundsound records. and you get an emotive big room killer remix courtesy of paul ritch. plus you get two floor-pumping tech-house remixes courtesy of ronan portela and jorge savoretti.
on a1 – “heyday” – our argentinean friend Barem delivers an eleven-minute minimal anthem. both haunting and blissful, this track flows as if going from night into day. it starts off dark and groovy with reverberating vocal cuts, a bouncy bassline and captivating breakdowns. as the track progresses, it gently morphs into something perfect for any sunrise – with enchanting guitar chords, a perfect little house hihat, a perfect little clap, and an irresistible groove that heightens any party into the morning hours.on b1 – “heyday (paul ritch remix)” – you get just under nine minutes of club-storming tech-house with a remix from parisian paul ritch – known for releases on labels like get physical music, wagon repair, resopal schallware, drumcode, and the list goes on. this big room gem carries over the darkness of the vocal cuts from barem’s original version along with an almost proggy, early-morning intensity that is fueled by swirling melodies, enthralling delays and a groovy bassline that’ll have people bouncing and floating all over the dancefloor. on track 3 (digital only) – “heyday (ronan portela remix)” – argentina’s ronan portela makes a supersweet follow-up to his ep on Foundsound, piumino ep (found-22), which continues to be played and charted by super-duper djs like richie hawtin and others. on this remix, you get an uplifting, oh-so-fun-toplay, groovy-as-hell tech-house bomb that’ll have people bouncing through the roof. it’s powerful, delightfully intense, and perfectly groovy. on track 4 (digital only) – “heyday (jorge savoretti remix)” – jorge savoretti, another argentinean, of esperanza fame, delivers a deep and wondrously groovy tech-house nugget that’ll have peeps floating through a mesmerizing vocal loop, reverberated congas, a bouncy groove, and breakdowns that make ‘em go “wooooooo!”

Minimaland Feedback: Heyday is one of those anthems that all true minimal tech appreciators like and remixes like  this ones have always plenty to enjoy. Killer, like always on Foundsound..

a1 - Heyday

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b1 - Heyday (Paul Ritch rmx)

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Digital – Heyday (Ronan Portela rmx)

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Digital – Heyday (Jorge Savoretti rmx)

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Found#022
Release Date: 08.03.2010

Mobilee is back—or perhaps we should say back to Back to Back—with the fourth installment of its compilation and DJ-mix series. mobilee’s Back to Back compilation series has evolved significantly since its inception, with the second disc of each compilation presenting a unique take on mobilee’s music. Back to Back Volume Four, compiled and performed by And.id and B.A.N.D., continues this evolution with a two-disc extravaganza that is unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. While Disc 1 compiles highlights from mobilee’s discography over the past year, Disc 2 consists of jazz interpretations of classic mobilee tracks, all of which have been painstakingly recorded, arranged, and re-edited by And.id.

These refreshing takes on some of mobilee’s best tracks over the years were recorded during live studio sessions with jazz musicians, whose use of real instruments in performing mobilee tracks—not to mention And.id mixing and arranging—breathes new life into these time-tested anthems. Alongside this compilation release, And.id has also produced an exclusive live mix featuring his recent and also unreleased productions and edits. This exclusive mix is a perfect presentation of his live show which he is performing in clubs all around the world and it is only available to purchasers of the release via a free digital download code that comes with the CD.

The tracks selected for the first disc do well in showcasing mobilee’s current musical diversity, with hardhitting techno from Pan-Pot (“Confronted”), forward-thinking house from GummiHz (“Sleepless Nights”) and experimental downtempo from Exercise One (“No News Today”) being among the tracks that make the cut. Recent signees Dan Curtin and Hector rub up against new tracks from old-timers, amongst whom Anja Schneider, Marcin Czubala, and Sebo K are also included. An exclusive track courtesy of And.id also makes it debut on this disc.

The second disc is a ride entirely of its own as And.Id takes classic mobilee tracks and filters them through the lens of jazz with the help of his B.A.N.D., comprised of both recent Berklee College of Music as well as seasoned studio musicians. But don’t be fooled: these aren’t just jazz covers. And.id has gone one step further, editing and arranging the recorded instrumentals into an incredibly unique final product. Sebo K’s anthem “Horizons,” Pan-Pot’s lush, piano-led track “Faces,” and “Rancho Relaxo,” Anja Schneider’s collaboration with Sebo K, are just some of the tracks taken to new heights on this inventive new take on electronic dance music. But just in case that doesn’t fully satiate your appetite, we’ve also included the original versions of each of these tracks just for kicks.

Anyone’s who’s been paying attention to And.id knows he’s got the jazz in him: he was raised on jazz records and concerts and often integrates a trumpet into his live sets. What no one could have imagined, however, is how well this interest and passion for swung beats and brass instruments could
combine with his renowned skills behind the boards. Four to the floor beats get traded in for live instrumentation and creativity meets this classics on the newest volume of the Back to Back compilation, with the end product finally confirming everyone’s suspicions that house and techno are far from dead

Minimaland Feedback: We’ve always liked And.Id’s work as a producer and this 2xCD confirms all his talent. His selection of some of the best mobilee tracks over the last year is very exquisity and refined and the 2nd cd with all the jazzy performances of the label classics bring the cherry on top of the cake. Top quality release.

Tracklist:
CD1 – mobilee compiled by And.Id
1. And.Id – She Was There – EXCLUSIVE TRACK
2. GummiHz – Sleepless Nights
3. Hector – Got Fringe
4. Marcin Czubala – Day 1
5. Anja Schneider & Lee Van Dowski – Deseo
6. Dan Curtin – Sandwalk
7. Sebo K – Spirits
8. And.id – Ephoria
9. Pan-Pot – Confronted
10. Exercise One – No News Today feat. Argenis Brito

CD2 – mobilee recomposed by And.Id & B.A.N.D. And.Id & b.a.n.d. versions
1. Sebo K – Horizons (And.Id & B.A.N.D. Version)
2. Dan Curtin – Other (And.Id & B.A.N.D. Version)
3. GummiHz – Love Call (And.Id & B.A.N.D. Version)
4. Anja Schneider & Sebo K – Rancho Relaxo (And.Id & B.A.N.D. Version)
5. And.Id – First Talk (And.Id & B.A.N.D. Version)
6. Pan-Pot feat. Vincenzo – Faces (And.Id & B.A.N.D. Version)
the original versions
7. Sebo K – Horizons (Original)
8. Dan Curtin – Other (Original)
9. GummiHz – Love Call (Original)
10. Anja Schneider & Sebo K – Rancho Relaxo (Original)
11. And.Id – First Talk (Original)
12. Pan-Pot feat. Vincenzo – Faces (Original)

MobileeCD#009
Release Date: 12.02.2010

Kickboxer steps up for their first release during 2010 presenting “Ripcurl” a 12″ produced by Martin Eyerer and Ali Khalaj, aka Namito. This sublabel of Boxer Recordings has been running short in terms of releases, they’ve only add three last year and it would be great to have some more, because their releases normally are above the average. Like this one… “Ripcurl” is a monster techy house track that will shake up any dancefloor. It has a strong deep solid beat, a huge bassline, a tremendous pace and, in the middle, a kind of melancholic melody to give some kind of a feeling to the track.  Both Namito and Eyerer have been producing music for a long time and always had a great sense of appeal, this release show’s all their know how and experience that has been molded over the years. In the b side you’ll listen a remix of “Ripcurl” done by Ahmet Sendil who also is no newbie in the scene. He is a Turkish producer that we normally see doing this kind of work (remixes). This one show’s why this guy is so requested to this art of remixing… In this one he was able to make it even more shaky taking a little of the dry minimal feeling of the first and making it a more easy-listening track, with more power, but with less minimal techno appeal. Either way, both are great tracks and we’re very glad to see that Kickboxer is running good and healthy.

a1 – Ripcurl

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b1 – Ripcurl (Ahmet Sendil remix)

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KICKBOXER#026
Release Date: 15.02.2010

Plenty has happened since Cobblestone Jazz released their last album, 23 Seconds, in 2007. The group toured the world virtually non-stop, soaking up inspiration and refining its chops on stage and in the studio alike. Member Mathew Jonson moved from British Columbia to Berlin, setting up a studio headquarters spilling over with analog machines and oddball audio equipment.

And longtime friend and fellow traveler Colin de la Plante (aka the Mole), a collaborator with the Cobblestone trio in the live project The Modern Deep Left Quartet, became the official fourth member of Cobblestone Jazz’s studio lineup. Now, in anticipation of Cobblestone Jazz’s second album—appropriately enough, titled The Modern Deep Left Quartet—the group surfaces with a teaser 12″. “Chance Dub,” which opens the album, gives us a first taste of the gentler, more subdued sound that came out of last summer’s album sessions. In place of the monster riffs and psychedelic freakouts of tracks like “India in Me” and “Dump Truck” is something deeper, smoother, maybe more reflective. A lone chord progression leads the way, brooding but still nimble; around it build swelling synth pads, sub-bass pressure, sprightly bass sequences and of course the high-precision rhythm programming that gives the group such a formidable sense of funk. It’s a mellower side of Cobblestone Jazz, but it also displays the power of restraint. Mixed and recorded in real time, like all the band’s music, the track is always evolving and always in motion, but it never feels busy. It’s simply driving, sensual, properly analog house music, the way it was meant to be.

On the B-side, “Chance,” offers a radically different take on the same material. The groove remains the same, but in place of the looped chord changes of “Chance Dub,” Danuel Tate takes the lead on Rhodes piano, with a long, rippling solo that gives the tune its easy-going sense of exploration. That’s also Danuel behind the vocoder, dropping a haunting vocal melody that sinks deep into the subconscious. It’s as deep and as defiantly late-night as Cobblestone Jazz have ever gone. And it’s the perfect introduction for the rich, dynamic, all-encompassing album The Modern Deep Left Quartet—the next chapter in the Cobblestone saga.

Minimaland Feedback: Cobblestone Jazz ensure quality and this release is one of the strongest examples of that fact. This tracks has all you may require in music: progression, attitude, spirit, beat and lots of rhythm, also a brilliant artwork.  A must have, collectors stuff.

a1 - Chance Dub

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b1 - Chance

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Wag#060
Release Date: 22.02.2010

Tsuba Records has been one of the most impressive labels last year and, in 2010, they seem to have started pretty well, with a release from the label owner Kevin Griffiths and two remixes, by Afrilounge and Julien Chaptal. The original track of the UK producer is a quite good one… it has a great pumpy rhythm and a deep strong bass line, it will easily be a monster one in night clubs. The 2nd one of this EP comes by Chaptal “hands”, delivering a version of “Oh Yeah” flavoured up to minimal standards, with fewer elements, more sampling and some jazzy keys to complete it. A quite good one indeed. Ending up the release, in the b side, comes Afrilounge remix in what might be, to our hears, the most accomplished track of the EP, a step by step growing and a deep beat build a very good track to be enjoyed in some after-hours environment. If you don’t know Afrilounge by now (shame on you) this is your chance to listen his typical work.
As Tsuba founder Kevin has steered the label to be one of the most respected and consistent UK imprints (the 2nd most charted UK label on RA following Rekids). Recent label events include Tsuba showcases at Fabric in London and Watergate in Berlin with more events planned throughout 2010. The recent collaboration with Okain has become one of the Four:Twenty label’s best sellers and a new project with Justin Drake is to be released over the coming months. Be Aware

a1 - Oh Yeah

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a2 - Oh Yeah (Julien Chaptal remix)

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b1 - Oh Yeah (Afrilounge remix)

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TSUBA#038
Release Date: 01.02.2010