House House House

Forgetting novelty for a moment here's some great newish House:

Kassem Mosse's return to Nonplus features the scorching A-side 'Enoha' alongside three of his more experimental rhythmic cuts. Structure and tones are reminiscent of the Omar-S-impressing '578' but 'Enoha' is more reduced and downbeat


Mark Ernestus refines and polishes Basic Channels linear drive on his Shangaan remix for Honest Jon's


Slow squelchy throb from Gunnar Jonsson of Kontra Musik Records


UK Funky diehards Funkystepz keep the flag flying with 'Face Off', four kooky but eminently workable tracks


'Get Down' is your standard high-quality looped disco flange mantra from Kyle Hall, of which the non-youtubed B-Side 'Xero' is more interesting, a gorgeously sloppy instrumental chugger which keeps dying, then reviving, dying, reviving...


I've spoken of my fondness for Jared Wilson's 'Girl I'm Waiting' before but the A-Side is also a winner, more primitive and Chicago obsessed but also more gnarled and nasty


Mind Bomb beat me to the punch with praise for 100% Silk (and Johnny Turncoat dubstep traitors) but more praise is deserving. I'd previously felt ambivalent about the label's more Not Not Fun leaning releases, those cloaked in delay and fuzz, but the latest by Octa Octa is crisp and incredible, all four tracks utter killers. 'I'm Trying' is the winner


... which samples Amerie's mindblowing '1 Thing', a hit at a cheesy New Years Eve party I once held


Earlier came Ital's incredible 'Queens'


... and Magic Touch with the lovely rough-hewn Chicago of 'Clubhouse'


I could go on...

Detroit Nu Wav

Bought some records recently including the weirdly hyped Detroit Nu Wav collection on Planet E.

Unlike the above promo none of the tracks mindlessly slather the word 'Detroit' over them in a shallow attempt to gain cred, but they're all employ Detroit tropes - searing neon synths, heavy percussion, bleak electro-inspired melodic patterns - in varying degrees. 'Another Place' by Reference is particularly impressive:


But they're all solid:


Earlier tracks by Monty Luke and Ezana Harris also pretty good:




Detroit techno hardly needs my support, from the opposite arse-end of the world no less. I'd say that I'm immune to the promotional angle, actually antagonistic to it, but I do so like the music, as this tracklist attests.

Also picked up the latest on Steffi's Dolly label by another Detroit youngster, Jared Wilson. Four tracks of vintage Chicago-esque acid, the following is my pick. Vocal is kinda silly, inane club-set antics targeted to goofed up dancers, but tweaked into gloom and menace and very catchy.