We Play Wax launched on November 1, 2013, as an online musical exhibition dedicated to the most enduring audio medium of all time: vinyl. In just over 3 years, WPW has grown slowly and steadily going through all from a record reviews site to a more robust, fully realized brand – replete with in-depth artist interviews and a monthly podcast, that has also expanded into event production in both Bucharest and Rotterdam. This spring, after the successful debut EP from 2015, We Play Wax brings you their second release: a showcase of one of Italy’s most talented new-kid-on-the-block: Degio’s, that also sees his good friend Alessio Collina on the remixing duties.
We Play Wax make a welcome return with their 2nd vinyl release. The series this time fronted by Italy’s Degio’s with his new EP - 'Questione Interiore'.
On the A1 we have Sigaretta, featuring a classic stabbing staccato piano that plays call and response with a beautifully resonate bassline allowing this track to ebb and flow making the playful energy of the track roll and roll. Moving into the A2 we find Alessio Collina on remix duties. The man brings a slightly more tripped-out take on the original allowing his effortlessly cool riff to meander whilst his snappy drum work and acid bassline punctuate the groove.
Flipping the record, we find Degio’s Civico 3, a more raw and tracky affair and surely a winning tool for dance floor action. Solid Machine groove vibes with a tough 909 hat complement the bubbly acid bassline set to carve any dance floor out. For the final track on the record, Binari Paralleli, we have a lovely dark twist on the genre as the producer strips back a Chicago inspired acid jam with some serious swagger about it. This record drops on the 12th of May just in time for the summer and those long hot parties that inspired this sun-drenched EP.
Nortasun - One [SAFT12] (2016)
It seems that manufacturing delays have plagued the entire record industry lately. Take the super select Spanish label SAFT for example: their 13rd release by Chris Gray has been out since April, but their 12th release, which was initially announced for March, is still nowhere to be found. Which is a real shame considering the release in question marks the debut of a highly mysterious figure about which we are unable to find any info at this moment. Maybe that's why there is not a single magazine or blog action on this release so far, even though the presence of Fudge Fingas on the remixing duties is worthy of a mention on its own...
Nortasun's 'One' is a mind-blowing example of what a good source of records, careful sampling and a penchant for deep house can do when combined together. The best example comes from the opening track 'Untitled 1' that introduces a steady latin groove to beefy bass riffs while glistening chords, ethereal strings and endless pads tell a tale of distant voyages. Up next comes the second track 'Untitled 2' that introduces a tribal-imbued deep swinging drum pattern that gets quickly overlaid with organic african percussions, fleeting windy swirls, a fluttering filtered pad and plenty of carefully placed folly-esque ambient dub shots.
Reigning supreme on the B side is Fudge Fingas' SAFT debut, an Edinburg-based artist who has been shaping the deeper side of the house scene as early as 1999. His remix for 'Untitled 1' brings a rather melancholic note to Nortasun's initial vision by introducing a sultry electric piano to the mix and mixing it up with a much needed-vocal sample. But this is not all, after the mid-track breakdown, Gavin gets insanely funky on the job and turns the deep and moody remix into a rhodes-centric solo piano love jam reminiscent of the golden age of soul and R&B.
As of writing this, the release date for Nortasun's 'One' seems to have been for July 1st, but make sure to keep an eye out on all major record stores for this beauty!
Nick Beringer - Sidewalk [ORG013] (WPW Exclusive Premiere)
Initially founded in 2007 as a daytime outdoor party spot, Organic-Music has grown especially well throughout the following years, gathering an impressive collective of DJs under its canopy. In 2011 it blossomed into as a fully-fledged imprint which matured quite nicely and attracted some of the most select deep house producers to its roster. For their lucky number thirteen release and their second EP of the year, they invited the young and talented rising star Nick Beringer to harvest the fruits of his hard labour. We covered Nick's accomplishments in a review for his Kase Kool release last autumn, and since then he managed to land a dancefloor-oriented release on Made Fresh Daily with his buddy Diego Krause and a super deep bass-heavy piece on Taverna Tracks just a couple months ago.
With 'Limehouse EP', Nick continues his deep dubby voyage by unleashing not two or three, but four heavyweight tracks that will soon wreck havoc on sound-systems across the entire galaxy. To celebrate the release, we've selected together with the nice folks at MIL-MGMT a premiere track, which we are confident will make even the most square lifeforms in the universe bend their corners and bang their heads (or tentacles for that matter) to the deep cosmic dopeness that 'Sidewalk' is.
'LImehouse EP' is out next Thursday on the 30th, features the usual trademark artwork signed by Staffan Larsson and can already be pre-ordered on Juno.
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Sello - Rhythm Poser EP [TFQ009] (2016)
Fresh off the press this very day comes the long-awaited summer release from our favourite label in the whole world: Tieffrequent. If you have been following this space from the early beginning, you know we are mad about this imprint. So crazy we are about it, that we reviewed almost every release they put out, but this time we're letting other platforms do the honours. But don't think for a moment you will get away without the usual read-up, so let's find out more about it.
The Dusseldorf-based, Baka Gajin resident DJ and proficient house producer, Sello first appeared on Tieffrequent 5 releases ago with a groovy remix for Mudegg's 'At Light'. Sello first caught our ears back in 2011 with the super deep 'Plombir', a track we still love and play as much as we can. What followed was a string of over 10 digital releases on Neovinyl Recordings, whose co-owner Carlo signed our latest podcast and the only vinyl action he got in the following years was as a collaborator and remixer on Compost Records and the newly founded Ourselves. This means that the 'Rhythm Poser EP' on Tieffrequent is probably Sello's first and only 100% personal EP, which you can easily tell from the four deep house cuts printed on the gorgeous otherworldly artwork done by the talented Vanessa Vadineanu.
And if this doesn't quench your deep house thirst, know that Sello is also being featured on a collaborative EP from a brand new upcoming label called Ourselves, which also stars Siggatunez & Jan Ketel, Braunbeck and Perel. And since we're feeling generous today, here's a nice bonus mix for you. Enjoy!
Obas Nenor - The Ceaper Buing EP [HEIST018] (2016)
Our favourite Dutch house imprint Heist Recordings is entering the sunny season with a super fresh and, quite frankly, long-anticipated release from one of the most creative rising stars of the past year. After an infectious mix of disco and detroit on Moodyman's Mahogani Music from last July followed by a sultry fusion of african and italo vibes on Sol Power Sound later that year and a quick remix action on Strictly Rhythm, the Israeli Obas Nenor finally catches Europe's interest with his weird and groovy MPC mashups. Together with Eyal Rob, Ronen landed a couple of heavy disco edits on the venerable Whiskey Disco under the RaBo & SnoB moniker and starting with this spring he even launched his very own and personal Nenorion Music.
And now it's time for Obas to put a well-suited floral shirt and straw hat vibes into our anxious hearts and sun scorched feet. 'The Ceaper Buing EP' features 4 original cuts and a remix by Swedish Mr. Tophat that take us through rich landscapes of sounds and emotions. From the groovy looped deep house shenanigans of 'The Door' to the vocal funked up distortions of 'Glipmse of Light' to the happy peak house hands waving times of 'UV Lights', to the stepped-down narcotic tribal synth affair of 'Wakee' and even to the demented minimalistic tech trip of Mr. Tophat's remix for 'The Door', the 18th Heist release by Obas Nenor is a veritable tour de force, a showcase of a rising talent and purveyor of all sounds sublime.