Harry Romero returns to Crosstown Rebels as he links with vocalist Shyam P for ‘Mind Games’. With a catalogue as rich as any and continuing at the top of his game two decades after his emergence within New York’s fabled nightlife scene, Harry Romero continues to serve up his own take of Latin-inspired and percussive- driven house music via a long list of the industry’s leading imprints. Having previously remixed Chilean favourite Francisco Allendes on the label last year alongside his collaborative ‘It Hurts’ EP with Jessica Eve in 2021 and his contribution to the ‘Spirits III’ compilation before that, the Bambossa Records head honcho is back on Damian Lazarus’ revered Crosstown Rebels for his latest EP project, uniting London-bon, Dubai based singer/ songwriter Shyam P for the excellent ‘Mind Games’. Crafting a slick and heady groove before launching into a hypnotic haze accenting by a bubbling bassline, ‘Mind Games’ is an infectious and vibrant house cut as Shyam P’s alluring vocals take hold amongst emotive builds and breaks. Nest, ‘Mira’ is a classic Romero o?ering as the focus shifts to crisp organic percussion arrangements, carnival-esque whistles and hooky Latin vocals for a bustling terrace number, before ‘Analog Bugz’ takes cues from its title as crisp drum shots and sharp stabs unite to create a no-nonsense builder made for the main room. More

For the first release of 2019, the ever-consistent Play It Say It turns to an established producer who is launching an anonymous new alias. The music speaks of someone with a love of raw, analogue sounding house and techno with machine made soul. First out of the blocks is the brilliant and adventuring ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’. Built around expertly programmed drums that remain restless throughout, it has dynamic synths and acid twitches, moments of serenity and chord-based optimism all stitched in along the way. It’s the sort of expansive, cinematic track that envelops the whole club and oozes class and production know how. On the flip, ‘One Night Forever’ is a totally different but equally unique proposition: it has fizzing synth lines bringing a dystopian feel to dark bass and razor sharp hi hats. Broken drums amp up the energy levels, and the warped synths pump the party. This is a busy, urgent cut of fantastically realised future music that brings plenty of freshness to the dance floor. Whoever this artist is, they have a genuinely unique perspective and more than enough skills to realise their bold and brave new ideas. More

Play It Say It welcome New York artist David Berrie for a first EP on the label and one that offers three dynamite pieces of punchy, high impact and inventive house music. Raised amongst the diverse culture of NYC’s nightlife, Berrie started sneaking into clubs as a youngster and since then has risen through the ranks to have now played iconic rooms like Output NY and DC-10 Ibiza. Fusing his musical history with other genres to create his own, unique style of house and techno, David has taken his passion to the studio and served up essential tunes on Hot Creation and Cuttin’ Headz. Opening the account is ‘Revolution’, seven superbly programmed minutes of slick and involving house beats and knotted bass. It’s a restless, body shaking track to make the floor move with futuristic synths fleshing it out and bringing a vital sense of machine soul. The equally compelling ‘JB Loop’ is another dynamic bit of electronic house music. Rubbery drums bobble and bounce about with wild computer sounds and infectious bass all ramping up the energy levels and making for a standout track. Last but not least, ‘Rear End’ is a supple, intricately designed track with slippery synths, spinning hi hats and bass surges all wrapping around each other to make for real minimal funk. It’s a track that oozes Detroit vibes and cannot fail to sweep up the floor. More

Play It Say It welcome a trio of top talents in Luca M, JUST2 and Atapy for a new EP featuring four fresh dancefloor tracks that are destined for big things.
Romanian Luca M is a real techno talent who counts mainstays like Marco Carola and Richie Hawtin as fans. From Suara to Terminal M, he has released on the most vital labels and runs his own Get Funky Music in collaboration with JUST2, who he works with here on three of the tracks. A fellow Romanian of equally international repute, he can lock in a dancefloor for hours on end. Opener ‘Acid Ghetto’ is a masterfully slick house track with electrifying synths and restless, non-stop drums. The whole thing races along and sweeps you up with freaky vocal sounds, whirring machines and bendy pads that are as heady as they are dance friendly. The excellent ‘Restore’ is a supple groover with an elastic bassline and bright piano chords that will twist and turn the dancefloor out of shape and. Next up ‘Bechamel’ is more stripped back, with a dynamic deep house feeling permeated by dark chopped up vocals and the sort of slippery rhythm that hypnotises the whole club. The final track is from JUST2 & Atapy, a producer who has been making his mark since 2010 on the likes of Get Physical and working with artists such as Noir and Louisahhh!!!. Their ‘Levels’ is a perfectly bumping house track with rich, rubbery drums and tumbling synth chords that bring an off-kilter charm to the driving grooves. More

Seth Troxler’s definitive dance floor label Play It Say It has a real coup for their next single: a collaborative track from trendsetting and globally renowned brothers Nic Fanciulli and Mark Fanciulli, one that is likely to become an anthem for the months ahead. The high impact ‘Star’ is the sort of big, muscular main room tune that blows crowds away. Built around barreling drums and rubbery bass, the track is brought to life with a classic vocal sample from Rose Royce’s 1978 hit ‘Wishing on a Star’ that truly sets the whole thing on fire. Creeping synth sounds add another edge to things and the results are sure to sweep up even the biggest of dance floors. The superb dub version has even more focus on the monstrous drums and allows the synths to breath that bit more for extra euphoric effects. More

Seth Troxler’s club focussed label, Play It Say It, welcomes a master of stripped back and dubbed out tech grooves in the form of Seb Zito, while Fuse boss Enzo Siragusa steps up to remix. A core part of the world-renowned Fuse party crew, Zito's distilled productions are perfectly functional, boasting the sorts of subtle charms that make them truly irresistible to legions of dancers. His warm sound has landed on the Fuse and Infuse labels as well as Rawax and Kaoz Theory. He runs his own Seven Dials label and is as revered for his resident sets in London and Ibiza as he is his studio sounds. The excellent ‘On It’ opens things up with tightly coiled drums, adorned with bumping kicks that immediately get you moving. A soul infused vocal brings plenty of cool to the track whilst dreamy pads add warmth and depth. A dub is also included in the package for those darker, late night sets. Both versions are sure to become club mainstays. Remixing is Enzo Siragusa, the man behind the internationally renowned Fuse brand and a driving force in the contemporary house and techno scene. He DJs around the world, hosts parties across Europe and is known for digging deep. His version is more zoned out thanks to the swirling pads, with the orignal's vocal coming at you in a dreamlike fashion, as the knotted bass hammers home the groove. More

K’Alexi Shelby is one of the Windy City’s most venerated heroes. He’s put out six albums and almost 60 EPs since the late eighties, all of which have helped evolve and establish the Chicago house sound around the world. Next to remixing acts like The Pet Shop Boys and Derrick May, he runs his own K Klassik and 321 labels and remains as vital as ever. The perfectly titled ‘Groove With Us’ opens up with a cut and paste style, funky disco loops and plenty of filters all bringing the loose house funk. It’s a playful and timeless tune that is designed to blow up the ‘floor and most certainly will thanks to its unbridled energy. The dynamic and driving ‘So Chicago’ then slips into a slick house groove, with great percussion, more big string samples lighting up the track and a knotted bassline that keeps you on your toes. Suspenseful and explosive, it’s filled with authentic party vibes and a real sense of fun that will ignite any set. Last but not least is the excellent ‘Black Sunday’, which takes uplifting preacher vocals from a church sermon and backs it with gospel singing, an old school baseline and raw energy that will get hands in the air. It’s a definitive piece of authentic house music with real heart and soul. This is an expressive EP of house tracks that embody the instinctive and emotive spirit of the genre to perfection. More

After a brief time away from releasing music in 2017 to refresh his ears, essential house artist Argy is back with a bang in 2018, as this debut EP on Play It Say It proves. the excellent title track ‘The Way of Kings’ opens up the EP with seven standout minutes of surging house. Slick, powerful kicks drive it along as expertly crafted synths bring real drama and tension up top. It’s a tasteful bit of hi-tech soul for the peak of the night and is as essential as the title suggests. Switching up the mood is the vibrant ‘Los Animales’, which has a busier, afro tinged groove and tribal percussive energy. Lithe synths dart about to add dynamism and movement as vocal chants get you on your toes and the whole thing is sure to make a huge impact in the club. Last of all, ‘Move Like A Panther’ featuring the New Yorker in Berlin, Elbee Bad, shows another side to Argy. It’s a perfectly raw house cut with plenty of jacking Chicago spirit. The drums hit hard, the synths are trippy and the snares force you to move. Add in a dark bassline and spoken word mantras and you have a real piece of explosive club dynamite. More

Sean Miller makes a triumphant return to Seth Troxler’s Play It Say It imprint with a new single that has already been getting played by tastemakers like Luciano. In addition to the original, K’Alexi Shelby serves up a fine remix that makes this another vital package. Canadian producer Miller last released on this label in 2016 with Tiger Spirit, and has also put out essential tunes on labels like Supernature, Ovum and most recently Cadenza. Always making music with integrity and soul, he’s been active since 2003 and had plenty of Beatport hits in his time. This new release is sure to be another. Entitled ‘Birds Do It,’ the track is seven big and explosive minutes of exuberant drums and tribal percussion. Meandering bird calls burrow deep into your brain and the rawest of hits add drive and edginess to this supersized house tune. All in all, it’s destined to blow up even the largest festival crowds this summer. Remixer K-Alexi is a true Chicago great. He’s been at the core of the scene since the eighties and releasing his raw grooves on DJ International, Trax and Transmat, as well as his own K Klassik label. His standout version is a flurry of drums and percussion, smashing hi hats and bobbling kicks. Tight melodies rain down and unrelenting pressure builds in the drums to make sure that crowd will be driven utterly out of control. More

To mark the first astonishing chapter of his career, Seth Troxler is presenting ‘This is Then’, an essential ten track compilation album taken from his ever impressive discography. In the ten years since Michigan born Troxler relocated to Europe, he has become one of dance music’s most recognizable figures. As a solo producer, collaborator and founding member of Visionquest, he has set the global techno agenda both in the DJ booth and studio. He’s served up landmark mixes for the likes of Boogybytes and DJ-Kicks, released on key labels from No.19 to NRK, Circus Company to Crosstown Rebels, and now runs his own label Play It Say It, and Tuskagee with The Martinez Brothers. ‘This Is Then’ is a compilation which serves to bookend the first part of his ongoing story, and also highlights how unique a producer he truly is. The album takes in many of Troxler’s different aliases, including an opener from Young Seth which was first released on Omar S’s FXHE in 2005. It’s a dark and involving track with real depth in the drums and atmosphere in the sparse synth work. From there ‘Satisfy’ is a freaky and eerie track of stripped back minimal funk, ‘Friend of Mine’ is a bumping and pared back house cut and ‘Oogity Boogity’, as Thrill Cosby, is another hugely inventive offering of machine made grooves. The second half takes in more singular sounds in the form of the slippery and seductive ‘Still Hot’ with long time friend Shaun Reeves, the colourful and cosmic house of ‘Jus Your’ with Baby Prince, perfectly dreamy and hypnotic depths of ‘Aphrika’ plus the huge Visionquest remix of Kiki’s modern classic ‘Good Voodoo.’ Things close out with a remix of Fever Ray’s ‘Seven’ that shows another side to Seth with its pressured drums and expertly treated vocal. This broad and brilliant compilation is a vital reminder of Seth’s wide ranging studio skills and always innovative musical mind and perfectly encapsulates the range of his productions to date. More

The inimitable Seth Troxler is next up on his own influential label with something of a milestone release: His ‘Finally Physical EP’ is a precursor to a compilation album, ‘This Is Then’, due in May this year. Up first is the brilliant ‘Blackclap’, which was used by Audion on his fabric mix in 2006. It’s a twisted techno bumper with hiccuping synths and skewed pads bleeding out from a tightly programmed drum line. Warm chord smears bring a sense of soul to the druggy groove and ensure this one will work as well in an intimate club as it would on a larger stage. The deliciously dark ‘Aggression’ is a freaky late-night cut with minimal drums and alien lifeforms scurrying all over. It’s trippy and otherworldy, with a rubbery groove carrying you deeper down the rabbit hole through a wonderfully weird spectrum of sound. On the flip is a Thrill Cosby remix of Hearthrob’s ‘Signs’ which Seth included on his Boogybytes mix from 2010. A pressure cooker of white noise, whispers, synth drones and tension building sequences it eventually breaks into a supple and slippery groove that makes you want to pop your body. Last but not least is the skeletal techno funk of Stefan Tretau’s ‘Chittagong’ (Seth Troxler Jack Moves Remix). It’s synthetic and abstract, with watery droplets and coarse claps wrapping round the restless drum line. More

The tireless and titanic dance figure that is DJ T. is next up on Seth Troxler’s essential Play It Say It label. DJ T. has done it all in his long and storied career, from setting up one of the most influential labels in Get Physical to founding Groove Magazine via opening the Monza Club and, of course, serving up always inventive EPs and LPs on the best labels of the day. His sound has evolved through many house, disco and tech styles and has kept him an in-demand DJ for more than 25 years. These new missives are yet more proof that few know how to work the floor as well as DJ T. The perfectly menacing ‘Keep It Close’ kicks things off with a dark, snaking bassline underpinning freaky synth stabs. The pressure builds throughout and will have the crowd locked in before it pulls back and builds again with a masterful grasp of mood. Hitting much harder is the excellent ‘The Day It All Started’, a more physical house track with solid kicks is designed for maximum impact in the club. Tumbling bass and gurgling synth riffs flesh this one out and ensure it is a real piece of dynamite. Last of all is the retro-tinged ‘1988’, with its tightly programmed drums, slick claps and spraying acid line. It’s a wild track to get the freaks out of the shadows and on to the ‘floor. This is a fresh EP that offers three very different but equally effective club tracks that are sure to blow up in the coming months. More

Seth Troxler’s Play It Say It label opens up 2018 with another release from the highly regarded Ataxia, who serve up their third EP for the imprint. The Detroit duo impressed with their previous outings on the label, The Supertouch EP back in July 2017 and The Acid EP in 2016. Since then they have also released on Leftroom and Nervous and continued their eight year residency at prominent Detroit venue TV Lounge. Their fresh take on Motor City techno often comes with flashes of acid and makes cyber punks Ted Krisko and Eric Ricker one of the most interesting pairs in the game. Opening up the essential EP is ‘Quicksand’, an immediately arresting and busy electro track with real machine soul. The bassline bubbles and boils underneath crisp percussion and emotive keys bring a sense of tenderness. It’s a macho cut with robust drums and is sure to win over any crowd. The fresh ‘Hot Snakes’ is a deep, menacing track with dark bass gurgling beneath the airy hi hats. Frazzled synths are dystopian and brain frying, and together the whole thing takes you into hypnotic territory with an intense sense of urgency that is impossible to ignore. Last of all is the freakiest of the lot. The brilliant ‘Texas is the Reason’ has circling bass that is warped and intriguing and will own any club, while the drums drive on and trippy keys are skewed and twisted up top. It’s a truly intense record for late in the night that is sure to become a big tune. This is an expressive and varied EP full of contemporary and innovative Detroit house and techno sounds and marks another step in the Ataxia story. More

Seth Troxler’s always dynamite Play It Say It label kicks off 2018 with a thrilling three track EP from Heartthrob. Jesse Siminski aka Heartthrob has long been an essential voice in the global techno conversation. From early EPs and LPs on the influential Minus label via a trio of releases on his own ISNISNT, he has explored every facet of house and techno in great detail. Always conjuring up bold melodies and slick arrangements, this is his first solo outing in a few years and marks a very welcome return. The fantastic opening track is ‘Stop Lorraine (No One’s Gunna Stop Mix)’, which is eight freaky minutes of busy tech edged house. A rubbery, kinked bassline drives things along while paranoid voices are staved in amongst falling melodic rain, spitting hi-hats and bouncing kicks. It’s colourful and off kilter and sure to awaken any dance floor. The more trippy ‘Triangle’ then glides along on deeper drums as knotted bass keeps busy down low. It’s a quick, slick track with jerky percussion and sci-fi synths that have the same sense of raw energy as Belgium’s famous EBM scene. It’s a wild one that builds and builds in ever more arresting ways. The brilliantly unhinged computer game soundtrack that is ‘Nairobi Candles (Fuck Rachel Tension Mix’ completes the hat trick. Busy pixelated melodies, shooting synths and wonky piano chords all keep busy above a clipped techno groove that cannot fail to get you up on your toes. These three tracks are perfectly designed dance floor weapons that prove Heartthrob is still one of the best out there. The release is finished off with artwork based on a painting of Jesse’s, featuring one of London’s best love industry figures in a homage to one of the 70’s greatest soul albums. More

Following on from the widely acclaimed album from The Mekanism, Seth Troxler’s Play It Say It label commissions a series of essential remixes from Chris Carrier & Dan Ghenacia, Ryan Crosson and dOP. Parisian DJ & producer Damien Roussel AKA The Mekanism has been building a serious following over the last few years, with a string of compelling releases on the likes of Kerri Chandler’s Madhouse, London imprint Needwant and of course Play It Say It. His 8 track LP ‘Breath’, released in March of this year, garnered international support from everyone from Mixmag to DJ, Tsugi to Faze, plus extensive radio props from BBC Radio 1 and 6Music. Now the package gets brought to life once again with a set of standout remixes. First out of the blocks are Frenchmen and enduring house legends Chris Carrier and Dan Ghenacia. They flip ‘Journey’ into a rubbery and bubbly number where the bassline and synths tightly weave around one another and work you into a lather. Soulful pads, filtered vox and slick electronic stylings make this one a warm and trippy cut for the late night hours. Then comes Detroit talent, Visionquest man and ever-evolving techno mainstay Ryan Crosson. His ‘Break’ remix of ‘Breath’ is a high octane throwback with crisp breakbeats, chattering claps and a wobbly electro groove that gets right under your skin. Toms gently patter above, bass runs deep and there is real space and dynamism to the perfectly arranged track. French funsters and Circus Company associates dOP then get weird with their excellent remix of ‘Da Beat.’ In their hands it becomes a percussive number with an old school, spaced out feel. Warped synths, metal hits and squiggly lines all hustle and bustle the dance floor into action. Then Crosson comes again with an ‘Ambone’ remix of ‘Breath’. It’s an atmospheric and escapist ambient version with skeletal percussion but no kicks. Muted, distant acid, rising pads and snatched vocal cries fill it with tension and make it a perfect tool to drop into any set to add suspense and drama. This is a top team of remixers who all come
correct and add great new perspectives to the interesting Mekanism source material. More

Following a big EP from Richy Ahmed, Play It Say It returns with a talented collaboration in the form of Mark Fanciulli and Rob Cockerton, with Honey Dijon on the remix. Mark Fanciulli has carved out his own sound that takes the best of House and Techno, turning in his own infectious releases on the likes of Joris Voorn’s Rejected, as well as the legendary Planet E and Intec. Long time friend and collaborator Rob Cockerton joins Fanciulli, who’s own credits lead to labels including Suara and Snatch!, and together the duo cook up a storm here. ‘Slave To The Rave’ is the fantastic opening cut and is a real party starter with an old school feel. Acid stabs bring raw energy alongside chattery claps straight from Chicago in the 80’s, whilst the whole production is bolstered by slick drum programming that won’t fail to work crowds into a frenzy. The excellent ’10 Channels of Bliss’ is equally massive, with robust kick drums down low and huge incendiary hi-hats up top. Swaying claps and rolling bass all help lure you in and shape shifting synths bring all that important looseness and colour. Next up, Classic Music Company artist and New York tastemaker Honey Dijon steps up to remix ‘Slave To The Rave’. Her version is dark and intense, with an unbridled sense of frantic raves bottled up in the train-track grooves and the cleverly filtered vocals, This is a powerful EP of high class, high impact dance music.

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Key UK house player Richy Ahmed is next up on Play It Say It with a standout twotrack EP that proves just why he is such an essential talent. Ahmed is currently in the headlines for his Four Thirty Two label, which has put out some of his own great music and will A&R plenty from his peers in the future. It has also spawned a big party in Ibiza at Privilege, and has hosted events from Glasgow’s Sub Club to Leeds’ Mint Club. All this comes after years of Richy headlining all over the world and working with labels like Hot Creations and Crosstown Rebels. Now really into his stride as a producer, his latest is sure to rock ‘floors worldwide. Up first is the big and bombastic ‘Kimalaya’ with its tribal tinged and jumbled beats and big woodblock hits. Wordless chants also join the groove, and the looseness of the whole thing is what will ensure it really gets the dancefloor going. Add in diving bass notes and some clever breakdowns and you have a sure-fire recipe for success. Just as infectious is ‘Come With Us’, a more nimble and peak time tune with lively synths darting and jumping about above techno leaning drums. It’s a freaky cut with inventive synth patterns that really get under your skin as it rumbles on.
With these latest tracks Richy Ahmed once again offers up some truly fresh house perspectives. More

Seth Troxler’s agenda setting Play It Say It label is back with more summer heat, this time from Detroit based duo Ataxia. Hailing from Detroit, this pair has recently played the famous Movement Festival in their home city for the fifth time; work with top labels like Nervous Records and Culprit LA and have already impressed with a fine EP on Leftroom this year. Their sound is designed to get the party started, and after already releasing on this label in 2016 they are now back with three more essential tracks. Up first, the terrific ‘Time Original’ is a fluid and wriggling tech cut with busy synth lines scurrying about over driving drums. It’s dark and freaky with poised chord stabs and the whole thing cannot fail to get floors moving. Then comes ‘Supertouch’, which is a superbly slick acid number. Weird bleeps and clipped vocals add an unhinged edge to the urgent rubbery drums and the whole thing is a mind melting number that will take any set to the next level. Last of all is the vital ‘Villains’, seven inventive minutes of gurgling bass, alien sound design and wonky synth lines that all warp around each other and melt your mind as they do so. Colourful and full of character thanks to a rapped vocal line, this one is a real party anthem in the making. Across all three cuts here this talented duo really show off their wide range of studio skills in some style. More

Seth Troxler’s agenda setting Play It Say It label is back with another massive release, this time coming from a group of Detroit heavyweights. Featuring a lead track from Andy Toth & Billy Love, it is packed with essential remixes from Chuck Daniels, Andrés & Midnite Jackers. Andy Toth was part of Detroit Grand Pubahs and Billy Love is a singer from Detroit who added vocals to seminal tracks by Underground Resistance. Together they have help their city’s electronic music earn its enviable reputation on the world stage, and here Billy tells a story informed by his time as a male revue dancer at a legendary strip club called Watts Club Mozambique.
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