Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

One advantage of white label records is their potential to protect artists who experiment with derivative works from liability. Whether or not that’s the case with an upcoming edit of Peggy Lee‘s 1958 jazz rendition of the Little Willie John‘s “Fever,” the unnamed producer paid compelling homage of the source material. It releases via East End Edits on March 12th.

A vintage patina on Lee’s famous verses pairs curiously well with the warm sub bass of “EEE010.” The bass line gives way for several measures to horn solo that itself would have worked well in the original. Although a fairly straightforward DJ tool, the edit breathes enough new life into “Fever” to stand up on its own merit.

The track marks the tenth release of East End Edits, who since 2017 have delivered house edits of songs by the likes of Depeche Mode, Kelis, St Germain and The Doors on single-sided white label records. Rumors about as to the identities of the label boss and signees – or whether a single person is all of the above.

Preorder “EEE010” in single-sided, 12-inch vinyl record format via deejay.de.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

Youandewan has returned to U.K. label Butter Side Up with a compelling minimal house record. The Thyme Capsules EP is all the more impressive considering that all four tracks were purportedly “made purely on ’90s grooveboxes and recorded live to cassette.” No release date has been announced at the time of writing.

A common thread tying together each song on the EP is elastic, resonant synth plucks that stand out as the centerpiece of each arrangement. This element is perhaps less present in the melodious title track and “Beyond My Ken,” but the flip side sees it in full force. “Scissor Juice” and “Slow Down” featuring Art Feynman fully utilize it to take the listener on an aural journey through rhythm, timber and tone.

Youandewan (real name Ewan Smith) was born in Scotland, raised in Yorkshire, and has lived in Berlin since 2018. His discography extends back to 2009, however, with his music landing on imprints such as Moma Recordings, Aus Music and Eclipser Chaser.

Smith was previously enlisted to remix “Green” off of Christian Jay‘s Running EP, the first-ever Butter Side Up release. The label is run by Hugh Bailey and Hamish Cole, the latter of whom also does booking for Dimensions Festival in Croatia.

Preorder the Thyme Capsules EP in vinyl record format via Subwax.

The latest release of London producer Silverlining has arrived by way of his own Silverlining Dubs imprint. Simulacra, as its titled, comprises eight singles and marks the producer’s first-ever double LP. It released in digital and vinyl formats on February 15th.

Tracks like “▙ ■ Contracultura” and “▛ □ Observa” exhibit distinct electro influence, whereas “▚ ■ Aura” (which premiered via Trommel) and “▛ ■ Schema” fit noise elements and infectious synths into the four-on-the-floor formula. After “▞ ■ Tundra” pairs soulful vocals with subtle acids and retro synths, the effort closes out with the chilled-out breakbeat sound of “▞ □ Recognitia.”

Every Cloud

Silverlining (real name Asad Rizvi) began disc jockeying in 1993 and released his debut record, the Pearl Divers EP, in 1996. 25 years later, he is approaching the 200 release mark with some of his records fetching as much as £75 on Discogs. In addition to his own imprint, his music has found a home on such labels as Wiggle, Reverberations and Ing Recordings.

Simulacra is available for purchase in digital and vinyl format via Silverlining Dubs Bandcamp.

The fourth release on Parisian record label Chat Noir will arrive by way of eclectic DJ and producer Noiro. The Medievibes EP, as it’s titled, offers a four-song cross section of the French producer’s style of minimal house. It releases in vinyl record format March 5th.

The effort starts off with the laid-back yet dissonant “Reflex Track” before a higher tempo in the lively “Dorée Mie.” On the flip side, “Very Useful Human” exhibits a level of acid-tinged flair, followed by the breakbeat-infused 8 bit stylings of “Trop C’est Trop.” By and large, the Medievibes EP sees Noiro demonstrate his wide range of influences – even in the relatively narrow context of minimal house.

Although a young producer according to the release description, Noiro already boasts releases on respected labels. He appeared on the inaugural 2020 release of Truly Madly‘s Mindhelmet label and his music has been championed by French imprint Deep in Dis intl. Chat Noir, meanwhile, is a relatively new outfit itself, having signed music by Vitess, Occibel and Jo’Z since launching in 2019.

The Medievibes EP is available for pre-order in vinyl format via Chat Noir Bandcamp.

Berlin and London-based label Nothing But Nice Records has given a home to a single from a tongue-in-cheek project whose sound, meanwhile, is nothing to joke about. Arnold Schwarzy‘s “Pump It To The Über Max” released on the label January 20th.

“Pump It To The Über Max” starts off straightforward enough, but the song’s crisp, layered sonics are evident from the onset. A syncopated beat structure finds its way into the arrangement at intermittent segments, at which times the classic synth sounds give way to more contemplative atmospheres.

“To kick off the New Year we’ve got a digital release coming at you from the mysterious Arnold Schwarzy,” wrote the label in a lighthearted post. “All we know about him is that apparently he once lifted a dumbbell so heavy that he fell through the floor.”

Nothing But Nice was founded in 2020 by artists James Andrew and Charley. In addition to the label, the outfit promises “a multidisciplinary platform transcending music, arts and fashion.”

Purchase “Pump It To The Über Max” in digital format on the Nothing But Nice Records website.

Helium‘s 1993 EP, The Works, is held in high regard as a masterpiece of house and trance music. Now, the EP has been remastered and repressed via the Kalahari Oyster Cult imprint for a February 25th release.

For those who have never had the pleasure of experiencing The Works, the EP opens with a pensive house groove titled “Try Me” which remains as iconic and danceable today as it was in ’93. “Out There” takes a deeper approach, capitalizing on a vocal sample that drives the atmospheric energy forward. Side A of The Works is undoubtedly the more dance floor-oriented portion of the EP, as things shift toward a lounge-centric, ambient sound on the flip.

Side B opens with the dreamy “Clouds,” with airy pads setting the stage for the next two tracks. If released in the present day, “We Are The Future” would seem to be a great take on the ever-popular retrowave sound, but the track was ripe for 1993 with cinematic drum work and arpeggios indicative of the era in which it was actually created. To round the EP out, the acid-tinged “What Is The Human Machine?” continues the lounge theme to emphatically punctuate The Works and cement the EP’s status as a timeless and influential classic.

The re-release of Helium’s The Works EP is out now on Kalahari Oyster Cult and available exclusively through deejay.de.

Arriving on Trommel‘s Free Download series is a single from up-and-coming producer Antoine Santucci, known mononymously as Santucci. “Rebondir” sees the Parisian continue to build a discography thus far defined by a progressive-tinged style of minimal house.

“Rebondir” burns slowly, clocking in at nearly nine minutes. After ample mixing runway an introspective melody weaves its way into the arrangement, more pensive notes in the mid range with longer, atmospheric tones overhead. “Rebondir” is ideal for set placement early in the night – it engages the listener intellectually while still leaving room for what lies ahead.

Antoine Santucci inaugurated his current project with the Barbicaja EP, which came out on Stamp Records in the spring of 2020. Outside of that, he lists Nautilus Music among his associations, and towards the end of the year he self-released a sophomore EP titled Songe 1 via Bandcamp.

“Rebondir” is available for free download via SoundCloud.

The Moulinet imprint sees its fourth release with RWN‘s impressive new three-track EP, Plumo. The Parisian producer has made his debut on the label just after his previously unreleased “Gastmahl” was unleashed via MEOKO.

“Flug,” a cut off the A-side of the release premiered via Trommel, serves as the EP’s leadoff track. RWN laces the groove with impressively detailed synth work reminiscent of a fluttering flute, in addition to a groovy bass line sure to be a dance floor hit. Somber piano chords line the intro section, hinting at the deep and introspective melodies to come. Cleverly processed drums and delayed claps serve as the driving force of the rhythm. As the track progresses, all of the elements tie together wonderfully into more than just a song, but a story.

Also featured on Plumo are “Candles” on A2, and the title track on the flip side. The Moulinet label has seen previous releases from the likes of Barut, Idana, and Heerd. RWN’s Plumo serves as a fine addition to the catalogue, progressing the label’s sound in the stellar direction in which it’s already headed.

RWN’s Plumo EP is available exclusively at decks.de.

Lee Clement‘s TELUM imprint continues its tradition of releasing completely anonymous music – that is, records without track titles or artist identities included – with TELUM007. 

Also in line with that tradition is TELUM’s penchant for releasing top quality house music that’s garnered support from some of the genre’s foremost artists. 007 remains true to that notion with three groovy and inventive tracks.

Track A1 delivers a classic house sound with hip-hop vocal samples and funk-infused guitar riffs that play nicely against the swingy drum groove. B1 takes things a bit deeper. A less playful bass line centers the track, but it still delivers danceability. Eerie synth stabs round the song out in a more progressive manner than A1.

To round out TELUM007, B2 continues on the progressive tip, but moves in a more tech-oriented direction. It’s a wonderful counterpart to B1, and the perfect closer for a well-rounded release.

Order information for TELUM007 can be found via deejay.de.

“Pour les Danseurs” (“for the dancers” in English) is the slogan of London’s Nuances de Nuit imprint. It’s a very fitting motto, as the label has made its mark putting forth some irresistibly groovy house numbers like T. Jacques‘ techy “Context” and the breakbeat-infused “Legwork” from Huerta. Now, the fifth edition of the label’s eponymous series has arrived, and it’s packing four more dance floor delights to capitalize on that motto.

On the A-side, Mehlor and Le Louche deliver a big nod to the traditional house sound with “Chromium.” Mirroring that track’s energy is “More Pumpin (Ode To Joy Instrumental)” from Thyone Girls. It’s a stabby house stomper that doesn’t hold back with a memorable bass line best suited for peak time at an Ibiza beach party.

The flip side takes things a bit deeper, as Local Dub‘s entrancing “Moon Dog” impresses with its acid-tinged synths and spacey chord play. To round things out, Karaba returns to serve up steamy, tech-ridden melodies that bounce nicely off of the syncopation in the hi-hats and snares in “Hors Piste,” closing out Nuances de Nuit, Vol. 5 in impeccable fashion.

With Vol. 5, Nuances de Nuit have set a high bar for London dance music, and they continue to develop a roster of artists that suit the imprint’s vibrant personality while expanding on an already dialed-in sound. No coincidence here: Nuances de Nuit is indisputably for the dancers.

Nuances de Nuit, Vol. 5 is available for pre-order on vinyl through subwax bcn via deejay.de.