WAX ON/WAX OFF - GR Ant’s Floor Fillers

Hit Em’ Up is a classic sounding New Jersey house track, with dense drum work, bubbling bottom end and striking chords. Pezzner delivers two versions, rolling out a dubby groove that teases various elements of the original with nifty editing, delays and filtering before releasing the tension fully after the break. His ‘dub’ version channels a modern MAW dub vibe, percussive and slow burning with just enough of the original’s hooks to do the right kind of damage.

Various - Classic through the eyes of: Severino (COMP), (The Classic Music Company) Horse Meat Disco don Severino Panzetta follows on from Matt Tolfrey’s 2011 series to create a compilation of deep grooves without limit and, more importantly, fun. Classic Through The Eyes of Severino is a technicolour affair, kicking off with the heart-breaking melodies of Nail’s ‘Time For Change’ before sliding into the trippy energy of the first of three brand new exclusive Hyena Stomp remixes and then punching into the hyperactive throw-down of The Magi’s ‘Luke’s Surprise’. The rough, raw nature of the mix complements Severino’s selection – jagged funk with attitude. Tracks like Herbert’s remix of Rednail Kidz+1 and Joshua’s ‘Echo Chamber’ give just the right amount of traditional house melodies and grooves, while cuts like KiNK’s certifiable version of 3rd Face’s ‘Canto Della Liberta’ smash it.

Sven Kegel - Black Jack EP (Incl. Chris Carrier Remix), (Ama Recordings) Ray Okpara’s Ama Recordings is one of the best house labels out there and his November offering is a subterranean belter - Sven Kegel’s ‘Black Jack’ EP, featuring remixes from French house stalwart, Chris Carrier. The EP kicks off with ‘Black Jack’, a percussive, groove-led workout built around shuffling percussion with jangling metallic hits, heavily delayed crash cymbals, sporadic snare rolls and a hefty tom-driven bass line. ‘As Much As This’, applies similar drum programming tactics with a raw shuffled groove, but this time opting for an esoteric vocal line and smooth house pads to fuel a deeper melodic movement. Highly respected Robsoul artist Chris Carrier turns in a remix of ‘As Much As This’ to follow, stamping his signature French soul-laden house sound on the original cut. The track captures a 90s feel through 909 drums, loopy piano hooks and acid squeaks and bleeps.

GR Ant’s Fav: I’m divided between ‘As Much As This’ original mix and Carrier’s cut, it’s a track... perfectly hypnotic house groove - I love it.

TECHNO

Markantonio & Roberto Capuano - Pearl & Gem (inc Luigi Madonna remixes), (Unrilis) Rino Cerrone’s Italian techno imprint Unrilis returns with a brand new single from the heavyweight pairing of Markantonio and Roberto Capuano, featuring two driving remixes from Luigi Madonna. First up, ‘Pearl’ is a fine example of hypnotic, pulsing techno that fuses rumbling bass tones with skittering percussion to create a techno banger. ‘Gem’, is an outstanding piece of techno - layers of white noise rise over an industrial soundtrack, deep and aggressive.

ELECTRONICA

Tiger Stripes feat Pete Fij / My Favorite Robot & Silky - Out of Phase / Shout, (My Favorite Robot Records) Another gem for Toronto-based My Favorite Robot Records. First up, ‘Out of Phase’ is an electronic odyssey that draws on the thread of atmospheric deep house to provide the bed for Fij’s ethereal and emotive vocals - quality stuff. Like any good release, the b-side is the hidden beauty, in this case the dark-tinged rework of the 1984 Tear for Fears classic ‘Shout’. Dramatic synth lines, heavy delays and swirling FX create the soundbed for Voytek to deliver an impressive take on Roland Orzabal’s vocal parts and the end result is a quirky and genuinely unique version.

Headman - It Rough 2012 (inc. Chicken Lips, Scott Fraser & Remain remixes), (Relish Recordings) Back in 2003 the Gomma label released Headman’s ‘It Rough’ featuring a superb slice of post-punk disco from Headman producer Robi Insinna and a remix from production duo Chicken Lips. The record was a massive success for the label, with the Chicken Lips remix becoming an instant dancefloor classic and receiving a nomination from Groove Magazine as an ‘All time dance classic’. Chicken Lips take things back with an 808 and a 303, building a slow steady groove. Robi Insinna’s 2012 version has a funky post-punk disco vibe, with a superb moog bassline that bubbles and mutates... A true classic revived for 2012.