Alien Mutation – Starship Heart of Gold / Alqa 12″

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This is the 1994 Ambient Space Acid 12″ single for two tracks by the hyper-prolific Jake Stephenson.
The A side track ‘Starship Heart of Gold’ is an ambient/deep trance composition that builds layers of synth and samples atop a deep thumping beat, which starts and stops throughout, each time highlighting the different sound textures and movements within the composition. A prime example of this particular style from the mid 90’s.
The B side track ‘Alqa” takes the vibe of the A side and expands on it, moving into deeper ambient territory with a beat that’s sparse and less intrusive to the synthetic soundscape. This is an interesting work which stands as yet another testament to the proficiency and skill of the producer. Something for the head, for sure …
Both tracks are here for your listening enjoyment.

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Slacker – Corazon 12″

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This is the 2006 one-sided 12″ from Slacker. Long after the vinyl 12″ had become unfashionable and technically obsolete, Shem McCauley was releasing a string of tunes for the discerning DJs and collectors to scoop up via the “dead” medium. This is one of those precious few items and, one of the best to be released.
The cut is a tech-house inspired work that features a three step bassline and some interesting ethnic sounding vocals along with the ever present high production value of all Slacker tunes. To say this work has a bit of a retro sound to the early days of Slacker’s production would be obvious …

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Head Honcho – Horns / Walls / Waters of Jericho 12″

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HH-WoJ12

Hello and welcome to 2016.
For the first post of this year, I wanted to add something special to the blog …

This is the 1995 Good Boy Records release for the work by Simon Rogers and Shem McCauley under their short lived alias Head Honcho.
This single was exceptionally scarce and very much overlooked upon its release, in part, due to the label not having many releases and only lasting for a total of three years. This release in particular was very much out of place (musically) on the label, and I think it would be fair to guess that there weren’t a whole lot of copies for this piece of vinyl’s first (and only) pressing.
The A Side contains two mixes, both of which are exclusive to this release. The first “Horns of …” is a progressive groover that uses some of the underlying bassline to move the track forward, with the occasional grinding synthline interspersed for maximum effect. This is the most simplistic version on the single, but by no means underwhelming or uninspired.
The second track on the A side is the “Walls of …” mix. This is not the same version that was later released on the Jukebox In The Sky 2002 re-release. Some attentive listeners will recognize quite a few of the same basic sonic pieces in the track, but this is a much rougher (and shorter) version than the remixed edition that came out seven years later. An interesting listen, and a good slice of production history.
The B Side track is the famous “Waters of…” mix that was featured as the opening track on the second disc of the Sasha & John Digweed – Northern Exposure: Expeditions 2xCD (and is identical to the Jukebox In The Sky re-release). The track’s appearance on the mix CD is where all the buzz was created for the song, and where the ensuing surprise/confusion for some trainspotters started [with questions like: where the track was from, who produced it, how they could’ve missed out on it, and if they could even get a copy of it, etc etc etc]. Because of the presumably small initial pressing, this 12″ has become a bit of a challenge to come by, even nowadays.
So … here it is, for you. Enjoy.

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Josh Abrahams – Remixes From the Satyricon (Part 1) 12″

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JA12

This is the 1995 Worldwide Ultimatum release for the Slab remixes of one of the tracks from the debut LP by Australian producer Josh Abrahams.
Both remixes are of similar sound and style, with an added breakbeat and some new, more fluid sounding synth work woven throughout and a bombastic, gritty sounding guitar lick placed right up front. The arrangements are minimal, yet full and loud sounding, giving new breath to the aggressive techno-ish feel of the original track. These remixes are some of the more interesting pieces constructed by the Slab duo. Not techno, not breaks … somewhere in-between.

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Desert – Voices (remixes)

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This is the 1999 Glow Records release for the remixes of Desert‘s track “Voices”.
The first two versions are by the Desert boys themselves. Taking the essence of the original cut and beefing up the arrangements, they’ve adding some heavier percussion to the mixes, along with some new bass elements and a more progressive house arrangement … the mixes have a sleeker sound and seem to have been aimed directly at the dancefloor for this re-release.
The third mix featured on the vinyl is by Glow compatriot Andy Nicholson. He takes the cut into a new, more minimal direction. Keeping a bouncy bumping sound which adds a new twist to the song, giving it a wholly unfamiliar, but still appealing vibe – definitely for the late night, dark hours.

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Lighthouse Family – (I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be) Free/One (Brother Brown remixes)

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This is the 2001 Polydor Records 12″ release for the track by British duo Lighthouse Family. This particular vinyl comes with two mixes by noteworthy house producers Brother Brown. Their remixes take the soulful original song and turns it into two different versions of bubbling, hypnotic, pseudo-progressive house.
The A side remix is the longer of the two, using some distinct vocal pieces from the original song, while still giving the track an over all progressive vibe.
The B side dub takes all the essentials of the A side remix and distills them down into an even more hypnotic, driving version that cuts right to the point and gives the listen (or DJ) the opportunity to get lost in the sound for a few more minutes. Very good stuff …
Both remixes are here for your listening pleasure.
Enjoy.

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note: I was hesitant to post this vinyl, due to the inherent surface noise that seems to be part of the pressing of this particular 12″. Every copy I’ve had the chance to listen to seems to have the issue (of noticeable surface noise) – I did my best to clean it up and get rid of some of it, but there’s still an audible level.