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In addition to these reviews, this month Joel Armstrong and Ethan Bliss have provided us with mixes that feature many of the songs they reviewed for this issue. Feel free to download them. If any label or artist on either of these mixes would prefer that these mixes not be made public, they will be removed. All they need to do is ask.

• Joel Armstrong: MP3 / Track Listing
• Ethan Bliss: MP3 / Track Listing

Joel Armstrong / Manitoba, Canada

UNKLE, Petter & Sasha / These Days/What Are You to Me? (Mash Up) / Global Underground / Score: 8.9  

UNKLE vocals + Petter melodies = one of the best cross genre/style mash up I’ve heard. This is one of those tunes that will never grow old on me. Sasha was brilliant with this one. Petter's melodies always blow me away with their simple ability to drag me in. The vocals take you on a somber, reflective journey. Basically if you are into melancholy tinged sounds then this track will be right up your alley.  

Evan Marcus / The Bay of Toven / HunyaMunya Records / Score: 8.5  

Good music is flowing out of this able producer and label owner. Bay of Toven, one of Evan's early releases, is another melancholy piece with beautifully recorded violins. When I first heard Bay of Toven (Beethoven), I found myself humming the melody at work the next day. This track is simple, well constructed, and has an upbeat breakbeat section near the end of the track. I'm a sucker for good breaks.    

UNKLE / Reign (False Prophet Remix) / Global Underground / Score: 8.3  

The Reign "single" release is relatively new, even though the track was on their full release from last year. I thought all of the remixes were good, but this one stood out the most to me. It’s driven, aggressive, and simple. There is some good use of the vocals as sort of a filtered pad as the track builds up. It’s a great representation of the original and captures the dark moodiness of the lyrics well.    

Gwill Morris / Time (Trippy Dub) / Skyline Records / Score: 8.4  

I'm not as much of a fan of the vocal version of this song. The one thing that captured me in both of them was the melody. Again, it is very simple but effective. I enjoyed how the melody contributes to the groove of the song as I could get very lost dancing to it. Not a lot changes throughout the track other than various uses of percussion, be it filtered, distorted, or chopped up.    

Erick E / Ya Don't Stop / Little Mountain / Score: 8.3  

There's a reason why this track was one of the bestsellers on Beatport.com’s top 10 chart. It’s because it’s so infectious. The baseline grooves, it’s got a brass sample, it’s the goods … and a vox sample, and it’s the goods too. Heh, its just so danceable. I'll tell you what it is, its good dance music and succeeds at what it sets out to do... make you dance and enjoy it, unless you are uptight … then there is just no hope.

DJ Brian Babinec / Washington, USA

The Chemical Brothers featuring Q-Tip / Galvanize / Freestyle Dust / Score: 7.0

The track is not necessarily rich with production value, but it will have you grooving so hard you’ll easily forget it. What it lacks in musical quality, it makes up for in style, which is why I gave it the score I did. The track is thoughtfully embellished with old school sounding samples and a first-rate vocal track from Q-Tip. Definitely give this one a listen.

DK8 / Murder Was the Bass (Umek Recycled Remix) / ELP / Score: 8.5

Umek brings us one of the long awaited remixes of this past year’s highly acclaimed techno tune. The remix grasps the best of tribal and hard techno all in one. Umek clearly expresses his own style, while at the same time embracing the very best of the original mix. If you liked the original style of the song, you are sure to like this remix from Umek (found on Remixes Part II).

Max Linen / Flashback (Original Mix) / Phonetic / Score: 9.0

Keithen Carter narrates his own true story of coming home to Chicago from traveling in ’86-87 (he doesn’t know), to find his wife had rented out their house for a loft party where Frankie Knuckles was spinning. This is a must-have for any house DJ who is looking to add some fun to their set. Though it is dark, it manages to achieve a brilliantly funky atmosphere, needed to complete the overall sound of the song. I’ll be playing this one for a long time.

The Prodigy / Hot Ride (El Batori Mixes) / Maverick / Score: 7.0

This swift, banging remix of Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned’s Hot Ride is hard-hitting, edgy and most importantly, a good look at a very industrial side of The Prodigy. Providing a dub and a vocal mix, El Batori gives us the distorted guitars and synths from the original mix (also on the vinyl and worth checking out). You could almost call the track a rock song, but I wouldn’t go that far. In conclusion, the song is definitely not for everyone, but if you like The Prodigy’s older sounding industrial-like tracks, this one is for you.

Evol Intent / Horns & Halos / Barcode / Score: 9.0

I’m not sure how old the track itself is, but it has just been released on Barcode Recordings’ new sampler the Rowdy Time EP. This ingenious drum ‘n’ bass tune from our boys in Evol Intent opens quietly, with little sign of the ramped impending bass line. Following the early breakdown, and the samples within, comes the easily identifiable work of Evol Intent. The hook brings a series of hard, raunchy (in a good way) bass hits perfectly complimented with the expertly programmed drum sequence, peppered with rinses and glitches. The later part of the song brings a second hook and a tearing secondary bass line to carry you through the rest of the track.

Raiden / 44 Calibre Killer / Barcode / Score: 6.5

Also off of Barcode’s new Rowdy Time EP, Raiden lays down the raw, (very) synthetic bass line in 44 Calibre Killer. He gives you a brief touch of the bass line in the song’s intro, but you aren’t shown the extent of it until after the first breakdown. Haunted by an old sample talking about “the age of mass murder”, the song goes into the bass-packed madness. I would’ve given the track a higher score, but it seemed that its monstrous bass line was all the song had going for it. However, don’t get me wrong, the track is killer.

Bassment Jaxx / Good Luck (Brazilian Undercover Mix)/Reflections / White / A Score: 7.5 / B Score: 7.0

A. No, Bassment is not a typo. No, it’s not the Roni Size remix. To be honest, we still don’t know who is behind this well-kept secret of a remix of Basement Jaxx’s Good Luck. It is a funky, rolling drum ‘n’ bass remix known only as the “Brazilian Undercover Mix”. It includes all of the original song’s vocals, with some added flavor. Whoever is responsible for the remix went for a very repetitive feel, to add to the mood.

B. The B Side Reflections definitely possesses the same sound as the A Side, though without being quite as redundant. This song quickly caught my attention the first time I heard it. When that bass line drops, and those jazzy sounding elements come together with the vocals, not much more can be said about it, than “wow”. I’ve been playing the A Side for several weeks now and am slowly playing this side more and more.

Marcos / Cosmic String (Original Mix) / Vandit / Score: 6.0

I’ll start by forewarning you that Cosmic String does not compare to Marcos’ past works such as Red Bullet or Apache 7. I will also say it is a tad less hard than most of his work, but definitely worth the sacrifice. The song quickly progresses into a passionate pre-melody pad, which sets the structure for the full melody itself. After a first round of the hook, the track goes on into a somewhat meditative state, later to lead into the melody once more. To some it probably sounds like your typical trancer, but those who love a good melody will hear that there’s something special about this one.

Ronald Van Gelderen / Crying Out (F Massif Remix) / Tsunami / Score: 7.0

This Tsunami trance tune is a great follow up to Ronald Van Gelderen’s single Cold Storage. I chose to review the remix over the original mix because I felt like the original mix didn’t have enough of an original sound to it, it truly seemed like your typical trance song. However, both mixes had a very good male vocal track (provided by Ronald himself), which is very hard to come by these days. I liked the F Massif Remix primarily because it had more of a techie sound to it, and wasn’t as bland. The drum kit, for example, perfectly complemented the bass line throughout the whole song, ending with a good chance to hear the elements of the song work together.

DJ Ethan Bliss / Kansas, USA

White Collar Criminals / Delirious EP / Fetish / Score: 9  

All four tracks on this record (Broken Hearted, Novocain, Misunderstood, and No Habla Espanol) are quality productions that are slightly chilled, but with a great groove that could work well at any time during the night, depending what feel you're going for. In No Habla Espanol, the track from this release that I included in my mix, the dominant element is a jazzy guitar loop, along with some short Spanish vocals and a spoken word vocal during the breakdown.    

Born to Funk / Di Bamba / Knee Deep / Score: 9  

Here is another "happy" Latin-influenced release. This single features the Main Mix and the Poolside Mix, which is more of a dub version of the track. Both mixes feature the same repeated vocal in (I'm assuming) Spanish, and have a good swinging house groove to the percussion. As I said, the Poolside Mix is more of a dub version of the track, riffing on the same chord throughout the whole track, and feels slightly jazzier than the main mix. The main mix, on the other hand, has chord changes and introduces the feel of a verse/chorus division, so it would be a good track to drop when you really want to get people going as opposed to the Poolside Mix, which is better when you want to keep things down toward the beginning of a set or introduce tension as you're building to a plateau.    

Aroma Allstars / Jazz Chronicles EP / Aroma / Score: 8  

This release is collaboration between a number of producers, including Swirl People, Slater Hogan & John Larner, and No Assembly Required. On this release are original and one remix for each of the two tracks Jazz Chronicles and Episodes in Jazz. Jazz Chronicles generally has a "chilled-but-happy" vibe to it, whereas the original and remix of Episodes in Jazz have a similar feel to something you might find on G-Swing Records. My favorite track on this release (and the one I've been playing the most) is the remix of Episodes in Jazz because of the tight production, walking baseline, and forceful kick; although in my mix this month, I ended up using the original version of Jazz Chronicles because I thought it fit better with where I was in the mix.  

Alexander East / Testifi / Uniting Souls / Score: 8  

Alexander East may be familiar name to some of the people around here from his albums on N*Soul a (long) while back as Sonik Boom of Love. Since then he has been making out pretty well in the house scene, putting out a number of singles in the past few years on such labels as Amenti, Aroma, and Moody, and here is now with the inaugural release for new label Uniting Souls. This single features the original mix as well as a remix by Olivier Desmet. Both mixes of this track are fairly techie, with an understated feel that would work well toward the beginning of the night. Both mixes are decent, although I prefer the original mix as the production feels a little crisper.    

Swirl People feat. Heather / We Used to Party / Aroma / Score: 9  

This single is a great vocal track, again relatively understated and not too cheesy, but that sticks in your head. Featured on this single are the original mix of the song, along with a dubbier remix by the Lawnchair Generals; both mixes are great, although I usually tend to play the original version more often because I like the vocal quite a bit.    

Mario Fabriani / Cross Country EP / Fetish / Score: 8.5  

This release by Mario Fabriani (an alias of Joey Youngman's) for the most part shares the understated feel and crisp production of the previous two releases I've reviewed here, although it is perhaps a little more upbeat at points. Special Touch, the track from this record I used in my mix is the exception, having more of a chilled, jazzy vibe with a little bit of saxophone thrown in for good measure (fortunately it doesn't dominate the track). This track I think would work quite well near the end of the night or perhaps in a chill room.  

Junia Ovadose / Hubba Hubba EP / Greenhouse / Score: 7.5  

The three tracks on this release are Hubba, Blues Is Born, and About Time.Blues Is Born and About Time are reminiscent of theswing/jazz-based house you might hear on the G-Swing label. Hubba is a fun, quirky house track that makes great use of cartoony sounds. My favorite track on this release as far as production is concerned is About Time (I always like tracks to have a good, solid kick), but Hubba, which I used in my mix this month, is a lot of fun as well.    

Phil Weeks / Candela / Robsoul / Score: 8.5  

The version of this single I have features remixes by Yousef (from BBC Radio 1) and DJ Sneak. This is a melancholy track, with the DJ Sneak mix being an instrumental version, and the Yousef mix featuring female Spanish vocals. Both mixes are decent, although I like the DJ Sneak mix a little better because of the solid jackin'/Chicago-style house feel.    

Nancy Sinatra / Bang Bang (Radioslave Remix) / White / Score: 8.5  

This is a bootleg remix of the Nancy Sinatra song Bang Bang, which appeared near the beginning of the first Kill Bill movie. The original version of the song is much slower than the typical house tempo, and I think Radioslave does a nice job of working the song into the faster tempo without sounding completely cheesy. As an added bonus, this record also features a beatless version of the remix which can be a great DJ tool.

Dj Himmel / Hawaii, USA

Quivver / These Are The Days (Vocal Mix) / Boz Boz / Score: 7.0

I like this track more and more as I listen to it. The only thing that throws me is the title and the lack of a really effective hook in the song. It is well crafted and contains great effects with a solid beat and good vocals, but I had to adjust the score as I feel it is not a classic tune. Very laid back and mid-tempo, the song has a charm of it’s own but unfortunately may not see prime time.

Erick E / Ya Don’t Stop (Original Mix) / Little Mountain / Score: 6.5

I bought this track for the synth line. I like it, it’s catchy. The vocal sample is standard and fades in and out appropriately, but I get bored quickly and usually click to the next track. Well produced, love that synth line but it just goes nowhere for me. Funky and Tribal, this track is well produced but may find a marginal market in the dance scene.

Unkle / Reign (False Prophet Remix) /Global Underground / Score: 7.0

I fell in love with hard breaks on Shiloh ’s Dream On and have acquired a few tracks that remind me of it (in essence). I *might* squeeze this track in somewhere in a Progressive House set if I felt led and just see how the crowd reacts. Who knows? It could just work! I love the bass line and the beat is massive! Nice vocals, great song idea….a reference to the Almighty perhaps?

Lostep / Burma (Original Mix) / Global Underground / Score 6.0

I like the vocals. They are a nice idea that could’ve been more prominent in the mix. I like the overall idea of the track but the drum programming reminds me too much of BT or maybe Deepsky. Maybe I just don’t like the ultra-slick sound that Cubase ends up with or maybe it’s just me. It just sounds unoriginal and somewhat fake. Great attempt and I’m glad it’s done well on Beatport. I’ll be listening for more!

Iio / Runaway (Frank Bailey Mix) / Made Records / 8.0

I scored this one high because I feel it’s an exceptional remix of an exceptional track. It’s a Progressive mix with great vocal breakdowns and just an overall feeling of detachment. By detachment I mean I feel separated from the earthly cares of my life and meld into the song. The vocalist is pure freaking magic. She is so sexy and sultry I gotta go kiss my wife! I have been listening to Iio since Rapture came out a few years back and try to follow anything new that happens with them. They are a great duo and much deserving of any success that comes their way. I will spin this anywhere!