Shonky
The Way It Goes EP

Gideon Jackson and Eddie Richards are bona fide tech house titans who have more than helped to shape the genre since day dot and the All Rise EP sees three of their finer past glories gathered together and remastered and pressed on lovely red wax. The excellent 'Biscuit Barrel Blues' opens with exactly the sort of compelling drum work you would expect and it is imbued with some prying synths and sultry vocals. There is an irresistible glitch and dryness to 'Pull Tab 2 Open' and its smeared pads that make it perfect body music then 'Crying' (Gideon Jackson remix) brings a more heavy tech house sound with extra dub weight. Perfection.

London-based imprint Alter Hour returns with a stripped back and dubby 4-track EP, skillfully curated by Massud Matin - an antique restorer hailing from Tehran and based in Bremen. As an artisan of both artifacts and beats, Massud seamlessly applies his craft to the music, restoring the essence of the old school with his unique blend. The EP is elevated even further with a remix by the unstoppable Romanian force, Direkt.

Interpret comes back with an all Montreal 3 piece interpretations

Nothing But Nice is back for round 4 with an EP from co-founder James Andrew. The 4 track excursion showcases James’ current sound palette, ranging from deep and dubby, to groovy and trippy, each guaranteed to do the do.Nicely!

Oslo collective Det Gode Selskab continue to expand on their artillery of refined club leaning music this summer as they invite Dutch artist Shakèd to the table. His versatile sound in the past decade, has led to his productions continuously evolving reaching this pinnacle point where he manages to construct a blend of distinct atmospheres tilting in sleek minimalistic direction. Stripped back sophistication throughout as the prolific artist shares the “Space Invader” EP.EP opener “Right Nothing” leads the way as it meanders between hypnotic textures and tight plucky drums. The elasticated bass line is the driving force of the track, as intricately arranged twisted bleeps wander in the haze of the night. The title track “Space Invader” is a futuristic blend of robotic movements, pensive vocoders and classic minimal energy. A masterfully arranged body of work to take the dance floor on a trip. Closing out the A side is “Space Invader (Earth Landing), an intermission from another galaxy, with a winding bass simmering on the surface.Still lurking in the realms of the darkness is “14143”, a progressive outing with a pulsating bass, and alien-like communications. Another otherworldly outing that lands you directly in underground rave territory. A quirky noughties house vibe in the final “Whatever”, punchy yet still pleasantly dusty drums tease you into the final lap. An enormous party-starting beat as the EP comes to an end. Making this a four out of four package for your record bag for various times of the night, and locations.The DGS label and events have built a solid foundation over the years for their passion and driven energy, curating a label that never shies from straining boundaries, and all inclusive parties in off kilter locations. The energy of artist and label is a perfect match here and is sure to be appearing on dance floors around the world.

Fabio Monesi teamed up with Tom Carruthers for a solid EP of pure house music.