DJ Support: Saorise, Moxie and Niks

Semi Delicious return for their 19th edition via label head Demi Riquisimo’s ‘Perilous Joy’ EP.

The 5 track release effortlessly meshes the classic influences synonymous with the Semi Delicious sound whist maintaining a forward thinking approach to the dance floor.

The A-side consists of ‘Sinewinder’ & ‘Direct Fix’. A pair of four to four tools that can be noted for their functionality as much as their unique sound. ‘Sinewinder’ being a more diva, big room affected track and ‘Direct Fix’ airing on the side of deepness with a head turning bass line. The flip kicks off with the title track ‘Perilous Joy’ which offers a nod to the sonics of dreamy, progressive Italian house of yesteryear. Up next is ‘Thyme After Time’ and with it more psychedelic house deepness. Demi slows the pace on the balearic chugger Autoglide’ to close out yet another impressive outing for one of 2024’s most talked about imprints. More

Semi Delicious is wrapping up the 2022 with a set of collaborative remixes of bossman Demi Riqui´simo’s personal SD stash.

Following on from 2019’s ‘Reconfigured’, 'Reconfigured 2’ see’s Manami, Gallegos, Gina Breeze & Asa Tate put their own imitable stamps on the back catalog of label head’s own Semi Delicious back catalog.

First up with have Japan born, Peckham based Manami’s interpretation of ‘Mirage Over’. Originally released on SEMID008, Manami’s fingerprints are all over this revised iteration. High energy, twisted prog with balearic touches make for a considered & unique reimagining. Fresh from tearing apart Panorama Bar, Gallegos puts his spin on disco tinged roller ‘Point One’. Vintage percussion characterise a remix that wouldn’t sound of out of place in the bag of Larry Levan or Ron Hardy. The b-side kicks off with HomoBloc & Warehouse Project resident Gina Breeze beefing up the low end and levels of psychedelia on ’Sanitise’ making for some serious peak time gear. To wrap up the package we have Asa Tate’s revision of ‘Anxious Elephants’. Breezy piano and panpipes contrast the records chugging low end and acid inflections creating a truly versatile track suitable for shifting the mood up or down in a given context. More

Demi Riqui´simo returns to his Semi Delicious hand-stamped white label with another four impeccable disco fusion party tracks. Guitar lead ‘Shameless Progression’ follows skittering disco hats across a scape of lasers, a pulsing bassline and Italo synth business. ‘Encona’ is a summery re-edit of a foreign disco classic you'll no doubt recognise (shh..), Demi has added his naughty robotic FM bassline and some proper drum chunk to the mix, a tasteful re-hash right until the end.

‘Second Element’ is a progressive disco tech crossover. Leading with a fat kick drum, trance- inducing chord patterns, acid flutters and topped off with 70’s soul edged vocal slices. ‘Spice Rack’ delves deep into the world of synthesis, an acoustic drum kit keeps pace while soft ambient chord progressions float delicately over with a hooky synth lead to top it off. A diverse collection of contrasting tracks, all with Demi’s superb signature across them. More

The inimitable, Detroit-born, UK based producer and DJ, Demi Riquísimo returns to his unbounded Semi Delicious imprint with a 4-track EP with feature vocals from one of London’s most in-demand DJs - Lulah Francs.

Delivering another delectable spread of speaker rumbling house music in a variety of dancefloor flavours, Demi sets off with title track ‘Rush Common’. A steady rolling kick, with his signature live-feel hi-hats are joined by a rumbling 909 groove and massive synth chords and a wandering acid-lead. Simple, effective, fearless house music.

‘Paroche’ brings the authentic Italo-influenced flavours that Demi has become renowned for. Sampled female vocal chants dissect a metric, live drum groove with lush pads and an oozing, wandering arp synth running through the centre. – Demi also includes a huuuuge, Extended Balearic Mix for the bubbling Ibiza terraces throughout the summer.

‘Circulate’ showcases fellow Londoner Lulah Francs vocal leads, across a gnarly FM synth lead and sassy Roland drum groove. Lulah’s enchanting vocals give this one an extra edge to captivate any dance floor it meets.

‘Don’t Feed The Tiger’ combines Indo-influences with modal vocals and an eastern instrumentation to bask in under the midday sun. A slower tempo from a live-drum groove offers space to move between shaded trees, barefoot in the Balearic sands. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Demi Riquisimo - Divine Reality
A2 Demi Riquisimo - Local Chain
B1 Demi Riquisimo - This is The Limit
B2 Demi Riquisimo - Green Machine

Release Note:
Born and raised in Detroit but now residing in London, Demi Riqui´simo is building a dedicated following and catching the eye of many big-name tastemakers. His distinctive sound, an eclectic beast of acid, disco and italo influence, has gained him wide acclaim across several releases on his own Semi Delicious label.

Divine Reality EP is Riqui´simo's first outing with Shall Not Fade, on the established Lost Palms series. It's a headsy affair, opening up with the title track and its driving beat, which pairs well with the blissed out and glimmering pads. You can feel the disco influence on "Local Chain", all subtle strings and pops of guitar over the muted house rhythm that gets feet moving. High-octane B1 "This is The Limit" is an acid roller with clever use of diva vocal samples, maximalist and infectious. The EP closes on "Green Machine", a percussive track that lifts from sound palettes of the 1980s in dramatic and melancholic synth melodies that are completely danceable - a climactic number with instant appeal. More

From the vaults! 1992 KMS records pressure straight from Detroit, still capable of causing much damage on dance-floors in 2016! This 4 track monster pulls together a pretty heavy cast of Detroit Techno and deep House royalty in the shape of Chez Damier, MK and Derrick May all contributing various mixes and versions across the EP. If deep, driving, soul drenched House is your bag you will be in heaven with "Can you feel it", a truly classic slice of sophisticated dance music indeed. All of the mixes are killers, but it's the "MK Dub" mix, also known as the "New York Dub" that really steals the show, here MK and May combine to craft a classy, slamming, emotive string driven jam that pushes all the right buttons. As usual, essential retrospective action here from one of the most legendary dance labels out of Detroit. All tracks remastered and fully licensed with the sole permission of Mr. Kevin Saunderson. 100% legit and not ready to quit! More

Pleasure of Love reissue imprint, New Islands, launches with a quiet storm, soulful balearic stunner. Kim Yaffa’s Once Bitten was recorded in LA and released on a 1989 private press 7 Inch, only to be buried in american record bins for decades after. A re-emergence of Yaffa’s music on the internet in the last couple years has reached fever pitch, with collectors thirsting for copies of the record. Now, New Islands has worked directly with the artist to deliver an official reissue, professionally transferred from the mixdown reels, carefully restored, and remastered. The title track is an effortless class-act pop tune, with 80s blue eyed soul/Sade inspired sounds, and unknowingly balearic production that make it timeless (reminiscent of Linda Di Franco, Edie Brickell or 80s Fleetwood Mac). The 12 Inch is rounded out by new mixes from Nick the Record (Record Mission) and Michael David (Classixx) More

Repress!

Fast-rising Dutch DJ/producer BELLA becomes the first new artist signing to Sally C’s Big Saldo’s Chunkers imprint, with the inspiring ‘Note to Self’ EP – her debut production.

Relationships are key for Sally C. Since the inception of Big Saldo’s Chunkers in 2020, she’s released three carefully chosen EPs, all from her own studio. When she met BELLA while playing a festival in Amsterdam during summer 2022, the click was instantaneous, with the pair going on to play an impromptu b2b that day. Vibing both musically and energetically, they kept in touch, with BELLA sending Sally her maiden productions ‘Note To Self’ and ‘Orchestra Spring’. Sally connected so deeply with the tracks that they’d form the backbone of her debut artist EP on Big Saldo’s Chunkers.

One listen to the final EP and it’s not hard to see why Sally wanted to emboss them as Chunkers. Three fresh originals taking in influence from ‘90s house, acid, electro and prog, all with a unique hard-to-pin-down energy that makes them hit with a special swing.

The title track – also the first production made for the EP - sees BELLA lay down a sonic blueprint – both for her own sound and the full body of work. “This set the vibe and guided me through the creative process. I was really trying to make something that felt my own, that was also unique and not something I’ve heard before,” she shares. ‘Note to Self’ is heavy on attitude and bounce, driven by banging old skool drums, a rapid-fire grime-style vocal and a duo of synth lines – one uplifting, the other mining a slick ‘80s sheen, and the results are memorable. An absolute tune that Sally’s delighted to add to the Chunker catalogue.

‘Orchestra Spring’ is the perky sequel, a wicked one-two punch of kaleidoscopic groovy house with lashings of attitude that loves to scribble outside the lines with lots of retro samples and trippy energy. ‘Odd Symphony’ completes the trio, a blazing late-night cut driven by a gurgling acid underbelly, gritty drums and warm chords, giving the EP a brilliant afterglow.

Olsvangèr – one of Sally’s favourite producers – steps up for remix duties of ‘Odd Symphony’, and delivers a dynamic re-rub that begins in upbeat house territory, before taking an interlude in perkier rave realms.

“I'm over the moon to be releasing this EP on Sally’s label. It’s really special to have someone who I look up to release my music. She has given me tremendous support and guidance over the last two years, always ready to chat or give me some advice. It was a big surprise and honour when she suggested releasing the tracks on her label. It feels like a perfect fit. It’s super sweet to share this journey with her.” – BELLA

"I’m so excited to welcome BELLA to the label for her debut EP. It was time to take this next step and open the Chunkers door to new artists. I couldn’t think of a better one than BELLA to debut her fresh Chunkers on the label. Three banging originals by an extremely talented artist which I’ve been playing ever since she sent me the tracks. Polished with an Olsvangèr remix, it’s a really strong four track EP." – SALLY C More

Nu Groove spotlights the artists that made the legendary NYC label a firm favourite of crate diggers of the time with a series of its vital tracks revisited by leading selectors of today. The label, born in 1988 by Frank and Karen Mendez as an outlet for the experimental works of the Burrell Brothers, quickly became a home for up-and-coming genre pioneers. ‘Nu Groove Edits, Vol. 6’ begins with the late Soulphiction, one of Germany’s most prolific house producers, and their Tweakin Edit of Emjay’s ‘Come ‘N Get It’, originally produced by Rheji Burrell. Next up is another Burrell production, the eponymous single by Tech Trax Inc. receives a Dub Edit from enigmatic genre-bending duo Acid Jerks. Italian house and disco experts Dirty Channels return, unveiling their edit of ‘Better Than Sex’ by Dee Gorgeous, before the Grammy award-winning production duo of Honey Dijon & Luke Solomon close the package out with their edit of ‘Ravenswood House’ by Rheji Burrell’s N.Y. House’n Authority. More

Spray retires the eponymously, to instead seek Punctuality; a new label for ‘dastard club elegies in the dark’ hosted by the maestro himself. Blu:sh clocks in to provide the imprint’s inaugural extended player with U is for U and me, a pentagonal suite of nocturnal seductions for ‘U’, our dear listener, from ‘he’, its rosy-cheeked conductor.

B is for Blu:sh (sometimes Benoit B and Terra Utopia), a froward node in the artist’s trilateral soul whose previous charm offensives for Roza Terenzi’s Step Ball Chain and Rey Colino’s Kalahari Oyster Cult under the alias signalled the arrival of a new challenger to the ‘hits parade’. U is for U and me provides distinct variations on the theme of ‘club allure’, five tracks of sparkling body music that captivate in its relentless drive for kinetic salvation.

“A quick glance at the watch, and they’re off!” ?AM PM strikes first more night than day, its throbbing bass line locks shoulders with precision rhythms within its psychedelic landscape. Whirlwind Mindsets is sassier, opting for more bump while the track’s aural mesh is grazed by sharp textures of live wires and melodious bleeps. ?

“... and they get back under way!”
Magnetized Your Soul soundtracks the self-actualisation of sonic sophistication, applying the rave pressure with a current of discordant pads and haunted vocals bound by twisted attraction. Pixelated Pleasure Dome is pure sleaze, a wiggle-fested romp of leering subs and thunderous groove of pure self indulgence. High In Cloud City offers the finale of heads-down speedy exuberance with faint breaks and non-stomp pump right up until curtain call.

Written & Produced By Blu:sh?
Mastering & Cut: Marco Pellegrino
Artwork: Lucia Dominguez
Release Text: Nevan Jio More

Detroit’s Pontchartrain takes the Razor-N-Tape reigns for his debut on the label - an all-cylinders-firing jazz laden, deep house EP with an exquisite Demuja remix.
The A side kicks off with ‘The Friends & Lovers Dub’ version of the title track ‘Love Is Madness’, filled with deep pulsing pads, resonating dashes of sax, crisp percussion and a bumping bassline that provides the perfect backdrop to the echoing mantra of ‘Friends... Lovers’.
Next ‘I-80’ is a wonder of shimmering arps, brooding bass tones and reverberating trumpet touches. Perfect for the early hours, entrancing dancers as it washes over the airwaves.
On the flip, Austria’s golden boy Demuja hits hard with a Kerri Chandler channeling deep house remix of ‘Love Is Madness’, centred around a pumping bass synth, sustained organs and a classic marriage of horn stabs and emotive spoken word.
Closing the EP the original mix is a sun kissed, eyes closed gem that blends delicate bongos, rousing sax lines and the sweet vocals of Simon Black & Leafar.
A must for any record collection out there, house head or not.
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