Here it comes, straight from the heart, the CARRY ON theme by the masters of all things House: MOTORCITYSOUL. The sanguine composition comes in two original versions, as each member of the well regarded production duo brings forth an individual approach on the topic. CARRY ON CRUISING delivers a fine, musical atmosphere that breathes the skills, talents and passion of trained jazz musician MATTHIAS VOGT, working the classic Juno 106 synth deep and lovely. Meanwhile, CARRY ON COWBOY takes you on a somewhat rougher ride. A little more dirt and grip, slight nuances of Chandler and Ferrer - and a most definite C-ROCK touch! A party starter for sure, already stashed in the saddlebags of Will Kane, Ben Cartwright, Fuzzy Jones, Butch Cassidy, Harmonica, Jesse James, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Making the release a sure shot three pointer, the remix by GOOD GUY MIKESH & FILBURT completes the package in an eclectic way. Merging proto disco elements with minimal deep house they manage to stretch the musical approach even further than the original versions.
More

Motorcitysoul are Frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers Matthias Vogt and Christian Rindermann (aka C-Rock). ‘Vivid’ follows various successful releases (‘Kazan’ and Space Katzle’) on Aus Music, and their first debut studio album ‘Technique’ on Simple. Hailing from Germany's own 'Motor City', the pair have developed a reputation for creating soulful yet truely futuristic deep house that has a signature sound all of its own. ‘Vivid’ is trademark motorcitysoul – resonant evolving chord sequences, beautifully arranged organic percussion and ‘wild pitch’ fx and loops combine to devastating effect. Fellow Frankfurter Roman Flugel gives the Manheim house sound a damn good run for it’s money with a tight, loopy groove that locks you from the off. All kinds of detail and sound flourishes pop in once, never to be heard again, keeping the listener on their toes....The package is completed with a percussion heavy dub that threatens to steal the show. Roman Flugel needs little introduction. One half of Alter Ego and one of the collective responsible for legendary labe’ls Playhouse and Klang and not forgetting one of the finest clubs in the world...Robert Jonson. More

Motorcitysoul are Frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers Matthias Vogt and Christian Rindermann (aka C-Rock). Here, finally, after 4 years they treat you to their second studio album, but also their first album fully written and produced together as a duo (the first album was written by Matthias, and C-Rock helped produce it). Following two very successful releases (.Kazan' and Space Katzle') on Will Saul's Aus Music last year, the guys started putting together an album and Will saw his Simple label as the perfect avenue to release it. After more than six months of intense work and experimentation in the studio .Technique' is now ready. A feast of lush melodies and harmonies, lovingly crafted beats and percussion, ambient excellence and smart vocal numbers. On the album's title C- Rock explains: “It's an elegant word that refers to the way we work and hopefully how our music sounds. We're very technically focused yet we aim for our music to have genuine soul and warmth. We also do everything in the studio so technique is the key to that.” .The Start/Deliver Me' kicks off the journey into the Motorcitysoul sound, enlisting the vocal talents of Swedish vocalist Ernesto to complement the soulful, summer-tinged house grooves. As the lush chords build and the vocals progress, it's clear this uplifting opener is one that'll have you rolling down your car window with a smile on your face. “Maybe it's a risk to start a house based concept album with such a soulful track but we don't have to justify it, because of the soul in our name,” says C-Rock wryly. .Space Kätzle' was originally a hit last year on Aus Music, .Space Cats' (as it translates) sees Matthias and C- Rock use their studio expertise to layer together lavish arpeggios and harmonies that treat you to an almost cosmic house voyage. .Solar' is the first .ode to the cinema soundtrack' offering on the album and sees the guys get experimental in the studio with deep trippy keys layered with mad aquatic sounds. .Change You' sees the guys team up with American vocalist Ovasoul 7 to create a dark and hypnotic house journey with huge club potential. The subtle Rhodes melodies give way to Ovasoul's vocals and a powerful electronic bassline drives the groove forward. The balance between the subtle and soulful and dark and electronic is captured perfectly. .Kazan' gets a 707 drum machine facelift for the album. Matthias and C-Rock went back to their Chicago influenced roots to reshape it into a raw, jackinggroove with enormous energy. .Hatohay' sees the guys working with percussionist Heiko Himmighoffen, giving him free reign to add his percussion to the kick drum and bassline. The result is an intense .wall of percussion' feeling, complemented by the signature .lush motorcitysoul chords'.Hermelin' is a trippy drumless number best listened to in the dark. Kicking off with spooky analogue jolts and sweeping pads, it's joined by a more stabby bassline before some effects are added to give this a real feeling of elegance. .The City' is quite simply classic Motorcitysoul: a driving house groove coupled with soulful melancholy. Bringing in vocalist Marlene Johnson, who's previously worked with C-Rock on his Stir 15 label, .Movement and Motion' is a dub influenced track with simple beats and harmonies that allow the vocals to breathe and shine. To finish off the Motorcitysoul journey is another beautiful ambient moment .Xyz'. Clearly influenced by Vangelis and Brian Eno this is epic yet dark, spooky yet enchanting and certainly leaves you feeling fullfilled but eager for more. “This is the strongest reference to our cinematic and movie soundtrack influence and perfect for finishing the album,” says C-Rock. “We hope it leaves the listener with a .what comes next?' feeling in anticipation of the next album”. More

Motorcitysoul are Frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers Matthias Vogt and Christian Rindermann (aka C-Rock). Following two very successful releases (‘Kazan’ and Space Katzle’) on Will Saul’s Aus Music last year, they bring you the first cut from their forthcoming studio album ‘Technique’ on Simple. After more than six months of intense work and experimentation in the studio ‘Technique’ is now ready. A feast of lush melodies and harmonies, lovingly crafted beats and percussion, ambient excellence and smart vocal numbers. ‘Change You’ sees the guy’s team up with American vocalist Ovasoul 7 to create a dark and hypnotic house journey with huge club potential. The subtle Rhodes melodies give way to Ovasoul’s vocals and a powerful electronic bassline drives the groove forward. The balance between the subtle and soulful, the dark and electronic is captured perfectly. Shur-I-Kan strips back Ovasoul’s vocal to just a few words, using his voice as an eerie instrument that melts into his detailed percussive loops and burbles away under the kick. The track rides along on a single chord from the original until the break down, when a completely new chord sequence unfolds and a massive sub bass is introduced, for a full on soulful spine tingling moment....before dropping back into an undulating groove. Shur-I-kan aka Tom Szirtes' trademark blend of musicality with cutting edge electronic production has been turning heads and making fans for over six years now. At his first solo gig he was discovered by renowned producer Tom Middleton (Jedi Knights, Global Communication) who released Shur-i-kan's debut track ‘Niomi's Dream’. He’s a favorite and long time contributor to Freerange Records label - a relationship that started with the distinctly dreamy jazz influenced ‘Advance’ album in 2001, while follow-up album
‘Waypoints’ (2004) cemented Shur-i-kan's reputation as a producer to watch, and in 2006 he came to the fore with a string of acclaimed house influenced EPs. More

UPC: 827170 503267 Release : 03.06.2013
Tracklist EP: A1. What’s The Deal? A2. Just Words B1. You Don’t B2. You Tired
After almost a years hiatus, Simple Records make a return with their first EP of 2013 from Leeds starlet Youandewan. Ewan Smith has been making a name for himself with his deep, dozy and ever so slightly melancholy take on house. He's already slated remixes for Maya Jane Coles, Midland, Dusky & the elusive Gerry Read as well as original EPs for Hype, and Secretsundaze and now makes his Simple debut with a four-track EP titled - 'What's The Deal?'. The EP highlights Ewan's attention to detail whether that be with the pitch-shifted vocal samples coupled with shuffling melodic flourishes in 'What's The Deal' or whether it's a more patient groovier number like 'Just Words' which adopts the less is more approach, focusing on a classy bassline, a few drawn out synth chords and sweet vocal snippets. 'You Don't Know' combines Ewan's trademark vocal snippets once again but this time with Mike Huckaby esque synth licks, this is probably the deepest jam on the ep and Ewan's not afraid to take a nod to those from the D(etroit). 'You Tired' rounds off the EP, and illustrates Ewan's deft touch by combining a heavy, groovy bassline and lush, subtle piano flourishes. Youandewan is only getting going and this EP perfectly showcases his sound. With gigs this summer at Hideout, Unknown and Echo festivals, Trouble Vision as well as several appearances at our very own Aus Music and Simple Records parties, we think 2013 is going to be a fine year for Ewan. More

After reaching the milestone of 50 vinyl 12"s in February of last year Will Saul decided it was a good moment to put the label into retirement. Whilst focusing on his other label of love Aus Music and writing an artist album he had no intention of starting the label again. Through his good friend Appleblim Will was introduced to Julian 'October' Smith and they began working on music together in the summer of last year. Jules played Will 'String Theory' and 'Tension Point' and he was blown away…he felt he had to re-start the label to showcase such beautiful and original house music. The package comes complete with two first-rate remixes from the Dutch producer Legowelt (aka Danny Wolfers) and one of his many aliases, Polarius. Since his first label, Caravan Records back in 2007, October has been steadily rising in profile and creativity. In that short time his brand of off-kilter house and techno has also appeared on Perspectiv, Misericord, Jack Off and Immerse, and been championed by the likes of Ewan Pearson and Appleblim. He will be the first artist other than Skudge to release original material on their label and has 2 EP's forthcoming for them alongside an EP for Applepips. He also recently started a new label 'TANSTAAFL', which has been widely praised by the music press, and sets the course for more of the jacking dancefloor house and techno he is known for. Legowelt began producing in the early 90s after he came into contact with the sounds of Detroit's Underground Resistance, Model 500, Blake Baxter and Chicago heroes such as Farley Jackmaster Funk, Armando Gallop and Mr. Fingers. He has released a dozen or so projects on various formats, many of them on vinyl via Bunker records, a label based in The
Hague and of course Cocoon and Clone. Aside from producing, Legowelt has been playing live all over the world for the last 10 years. More

ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE DOP REWORK!!!!
Will and Tam went back to their roots and dusted off the sampler for 'Teddy's Back'. Strings and vocal cuts bring the soul and their trusty 101 delivers the bass line. As with many of their previous tracks together all the percussion is recorded in live - "because it sounds better and is fun to do". They set out to achieve something that was heavy, rolling and organic yet with memorable moments that doesn’t disappear into a never ending ableton conga loop....The original is already a firm favorite with the Wolf + Lamd crew and Gilb'R' from Chateau Flight has also been supporting it for many months from an early version. Our Parisian friends dOP deliver the goods on a major level with their remix. A truly filthy yet undeniably infectious song penned after a recent gig at the infamous Berghain is backed by a surefire rhythm track and arrangement that is designed to move bodies. In Will's words "not one I'll be playing to my Mum". Just how we like it! More

Motorcitysoul are Frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers Matthias Vogt and Christian Rindermann (aka C-Rock). ‘Vivid’ follows various successful releases (‘Kazan’ and Space Katzle’) on Aus Music, and their first debut studio album ‘Technique’ on Simple. Hailing from Germany's own 'Motor City', the pair have developed a reputation for creating soulful yet truely futuristic deep house that has a signature sound all of its own. ‘Vivid’ is trademark motorcitysoul – resonant evolving chord sequences, beautifully arranged organic percussion and ‘wild pitch’ fx and loops combine to devastating effect. Fellow Frankfurter Roman Flugel gives the Manheim house sound a damn good run for it’s money with a tight, loopy groove that locks you from the off. All kinds of detail and sound flourishes pop in once, never to be heard again, keeping the listener on their toes....The package is completed with a percussion heavy dub that threatens to steal the show. Roman Flugel needs little introduction. One half of Alter Ego and one of the collective responsible for legendary labe’ls Playhouse and Klang and not forgetting one of the finest clubs in the world...Robert Jonson. More

Friends and studio partners Will Saul & Tam Cooper are back collaborating on Simple for 2009. Will is the man behind Simple and Aus Music, a globe trotting DJ and A&R, with a well known penchant for soul and melody. He's spent much of the last two years lovingly building up his newest baby Aus Music, releasing albums from Sideshow, Lee Jones and Motorcitysoul, and putting together the forthcoming ‘Aus Music… All night long’ double cd. Having already toured the Far East this year, he will tour the US in march/april and will start a new London residency at Cable in may. Tam Cooper has been producing for the past decade under a number of different guises as well asengineering for the great and the good. Fiddling with analogue kit is his main passion and he is also a talented drummer and percussionist. Once a teenage raver, Tam has found his way back to house and techno in recent years, enthused by a new wave of artists and sound exploration. I:Cube is one of Will Saul’s all time favourite producers. Hailed as the Master of Abstract, I: Cube, producer and DJ, has over the past ten years played a major role in the french electronic scene. He’s the author of many remixes and EPs as well as three albums on Versatile - Picnic Attack (1996), Adore (1996) and 3 (2003). He also forms the duo Chateau Flight with GilbR. In & Out : Disco disco disco! Will & Tam dust off their leg warmers and get down.… Big wide claps and swirling pads drift around a cut up vocal, bassline's interchange to switch up the intensity and mood and a trippedout psychedelic arp line brings us home. 3000AD (I:Cube Dub Mix) : A heads down journey into the mind of a musical genius. Freaky FX fly around the mix and the unrelenting groove keeps on giving. Something for when you want to push the intensity up a gear or ten. 3000AD (I:Cube Remix): A huge set of stabs envelope you from the off. As the percussion gradually builds the stabs keep on pumping and you will find yourself locked in the moment. As I:Cube breaks the track down you are treated to More

From studying music at Oxford University, to starting one of the early live electronic acts (Beat Foundation) in the 90's with Andy Cato of Groove Armada, to writing a string of underground club hits on his label Playtime, Mike Monday has consistently stood apart from the crowd. His two albums .Smorgasboard' and .Songs without Words' released on OM records last September, ably demonstrate his power and aptitude for the dancefloor. With his monthly podcast "Monday Club", a regular blog "The Unanswered Question", as well as worldwide album tour DJ dates you wouldn't expect him to have much time for anything else. But he has decided to go back to his performance roots and come up with a live show - that promises to be spontanious and dangerous. He's also been collaborating with Simple's Will Saul in recent months - their single .Zippo' is released on Buzzin' Fly in February and their already hard at work in the studio again for the follow up. If anyone knows how to lovingly craft a big hook it's Mike Monday. His single .Bhalobashi' has been Simple's biggest selling single of all time. .Zwivetty' is seriously infectious, weird and wonky disco absolutely bursting with soul and character, treading the line between organic and electronic perfectly. Drums that sound slightly out of control (in a good way), huge stabs and an ingeniously cut-up string sample. Think Sound Stream on acid. For the dub Mike takes out the stabs and builds the tension around the strings. Played back to back they are devastating combination. .Mr.Gone' is an altogether different proposition. Undulating techno with de-tuned
guitar licks, an evil acid arp-line and perfectly off kilter percussion that all leads to a stunning 'Squarepusher-esque' bass-line solo by Mike himself. More

Ian Pooley makes his debut appearance on Simple to kick start what is shaping up to be a bumper year for the label. German Ian Pooley hails from Mainz but recently found a new home in Berlin. Ian is well known as a remixer and for his own prolific output bridging the gap between techno and house, creating superb tracks such as the massive 'Celtic Cross' and 'Chord Memory' on the Force Inc. Music Works, as well as recording more housier and disco orientated workouts for labels such as John Acquaviva's Definitive Recordings, Effective Records and NRK Sound Division. Ian has also remixed for
Daft Punk, The Cardigans, The Beloved, Green Velvet, Modjo, Nick Holder and many more. Ian has recorded two albums for V2 Records, his debut "Meridian" was a classic late 90s Pooley album, full of tech-house delights and including the massive "What's Your Number" as remixed by Jazzanova and Bob Sinclair. Followed by huge albums .Souveniers' and .Since Then', and most recently .In Other Words' featuring Robert Owens, Tim Fuller and Perry Colo. Most recently he's been busy DJing across the globe, producing new music for the likes of us and producing for artists such as Get Physical's DJ T.Nightscape - A deep, heads down house groove that locks you in with it's lovingly crafted percussion and beautifully bouncy bassline, whilst the wistful, melancholic pads are food for the soul. Ian's experience in production shines throughout the EP, making the tracks as much of a delight on the head phones as they are on a Function One soundsystem. Difference (Jupiter/Eight Mixes) - Intricate percussive rhythms combine with a rubbery bassline and rich poly stabs to set the tone. Strings build and release the tension and a delicate piano riff brings the soul. The evolution of the patterns sees a heady crescendo for the floor. For the .Eight Mix' Ian reworks the stabs and bass-line and pushes out a more straight ahead groove. More

Motorcitysoul are Frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers Matthias Vogt and Christian Rindermann (aka C-Rock). Here, finally, after 4 years they treat you to their second studio album, but also their first album fully written and produced together as a duo (the first album was written by Matthias, and C-Rock helped produce it). Following two very successful releases (.Kazan' and Space Katzle') on Will Saul's Aus Music last year, the guys started putting together an album and Will saw his Simple label as the perfect avenue to release it. After more than six months of intense work and experimentation in the studio .Technique' is now ready. A feast of lush melodies and harmonies, lovingly crafted beats and percussion, ambient excellence and smart vocal numbers. On the album's title C- Rock explains: “It's an elegant word that refers to the way we work and hopefully how our music sounds. We're very technically focused yet we aim for our music to have genuine soul and warmth. We also do everything in the studio so technique is the key to that.” .The Start/Deliver Me' kicks off the journey into the Motorcitysoul sound, enlisting the vocal talents of Swedish vocalist Ernesto to complement the soulful, summer-tinged house grooves. As the lush chords build and the vocals progress, it's clear this uplifting opener is one that'll have you rolling down your car window with a smile on your face. “Maybe it's a risk to start a house based concept album with such a soulful track but we don't have to justify it, because of the soul in our name,” says C-Rock wryly. .Space Kätzle' was originally a hit last year on Aus Music, .Space Cats' (as it translates) sees Matthias and C- Rock use their studio expertise to layer together lavish arpeggios and harmonies that treat you to an almost cosmic house voyage. .Solar' is the first .ode to the cinema soundtrack' offering on the album and sees the guys get experimental in the studio with deep trippy keys layered with mad aquatic sounds. .Change You' sees the guys team up with American vocalist Ovasoul 7 to create a dark and hypnotic house journey with huge club potential. The subtle Rhodes melodies give way to Ovasoul's vocals and a powerful electronic bassline drives the groove forward. The balance between the subtle and soulful and dark and electronic is captured perfectly. .Kazan' gets a 707 drum machine facelift for the album. Matthias and C-Rock went back to their Chicago influenced roots to reshape it into a raw, jackinggroove with enormous energy. .Hatohay' sees the guys working with percussionist Heiko Himmighoffen, giving him free reign to add his percussion to the kick drum and bassline. The result is an intense .wall of percussion' feeling, complemented by the signature .lush motorcitysoul chords'.Hermelin' is a trippy drumless number best listened to in the dark. Kicking off with spooky analogue jolts and sweeping pads, it's joined by a more stabby bassline before some effects are added to give this a real feeling of elegance. .The City' is quite simply classic Motorcitysoul: a driving house groove coupled with soulful melancholy. Bringing in vocalist Marlene Johnson, who's previously worked with C-Rock on his Stir 15 label, .Movement and Motion' is a dub influenced track with simple beats and harmonies that allow the vocals to breathe and shine. To finish off the Motorcitysoul journey is another beautiful ambient moment .Xyz'. Clearly influenced by Vangelis and Brian Eno this is epic yet dark, spooky yet enchanting and certainly leaves you feeling fullfilled but eager for more. “This is the strongest reference to our cinematic and movie soundtrack influence and perfect for finishing the album,” says C-Rock. “We hope it leaves the listener with a .what comes next?' feeling in anticipation of the next album”. More

Motorcitysoul are Frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers Matthias Vogt and Christian Rindermann (aka C-Rock). Following two very successful releases (‘Kazan’ and Space Katzle’) on Will Saul’s Aus Music last year, they bring you the first cut from their forthcoming studio album ‘Technique’ on Simple. After more than six months of intense work and experimentation in the studio ‘Technique’ is now ready. A feast of lush melodies and harmonies, lovingly crafted beats and percussion, ambient excellence and smart vocal numbers. ‘Change You’ sees the guy’s team up with American vocalist Ovasoul 7 to create a dark and hypnotic house journey with huge club potential. The subtle Rhodes melodies give way to Ovasoul’s vocals and a powerful electronic bassline drives the groove forward. The balance between the subtle and soulful, the dark and electronic is captured perfectly. Shur-I-Kan strips back Ovasoul’s vocal to just a few words, using his voice as an eerie instrument that melts into his detailed percussive loops and burbles away under the kick. The track rides along on a single chord from the original until the break down, when a completely new chord sequence unfolds and a massive sub bass is introduced, for a full on soulful spine tingling moment....before dropping back into an undulating groove. Shur-I-kan aka Tom Szirtes' trademark blend of musicality with cutting edge electronic production has been turning heads and making fans for over six years now. At his first solo gig he was discovered by renowned producer Tom Middleton (Jedi Knights, Global Communication) who released Shur-i-kan's debut track ‘Niomi's Dream’. He’s a favorite and long time contributor to Freerange Records label - a relationship that started with the distinctly dreamy jazz influenced ‘Advance’ album in 2001, while follow-up album
‘Waypoints’ (2004) cemented Shur-i-kan's reputation as a producer to watch, and in 2006 he came to the fore with a string of acclaimed house influenced EPs. More

Jim Rivers hails from London, where he’s been stealthily carving out a niche as a DJ at parties from Ministry of Sound to Shindig and spreading the message further with guest spots at clubs from Sao Paulo to Moscow and on to Shanghai. Releasing music since 2006, his tech house styles have found fans among the old and new breed of house DJs and he already has an impressive list of remixes under his belt.
Last year saw the launch of his own Misfit Records and he’s been developing his studio partnership with Paulo Mojo. Mirage: A slow burning house groove with deceptive power. Lush pads give way to a
continually morphing arp line that builds in intensity whilst cleverly intertwining with the stabs to push the track to a heady crescendo. Just in time for the summer. tobias. remix: tobias. twists the sound of the arp line into a more techno place. He adds his own dubbed out chords that hark back to early Rhythm and Sound and will undoubtedly make your spine tingle at 4am.....Berliner Tobias Freund has been involved in the business since 1980 as a sound engineer and techno producer. He is a founding contributor to projects like the Non Standard Institute (NSI) , Sieg Uber Die Sonne, Pink Elln and Odd Machine,
releasing everywhere from Cadenza, Ostgut Ton and Logistic to the Finnish label Sähkö, amongst others. More

Friends and studio partners Will Saul & Tam Cooper are back with their second collaboration on Simple. Will is the man behind Simple and Aus Music, a globe trotting DJ and golden eared A&R, with a well known penchant for soul and melody. He spent much of last year lovingly building up his newest baby Aus Music and creating the brilliant ‘Simple Sounds’ CD to celebrate the labels fifth year. Having already toured Australia this year, you can catch one of his fantastic DJ sets at venue’s across Europe this summer. Tam Cooper has been producing for the past decade under a number of different guises as well as engineering for the great and the good. Fiddling with analogue kit is his main passion and he is also a talented drummer and percussionist. Once a teenage raver, Tam has found his way back to house and techno in recent years, enthused by a new wave of artists and sound exploration. Jamie Jones has quickly established a reputation as a fine DJ and producer, beyond the confines of his London base over the past couple of years. Now playing globally, he is also the promoter of the famed DJs Can Dance warehouse parties and is currently working on establishing the label of the same name. As the world of underground dance music go's deep house this is Will & Tam's attempt at writing something a little darker and a touch more techno than usual. The mainstay of the track is an undulating multilayered bass groove which carries the melody and rhythm. The tension is temporarily punctuated by a melancholic chord sequence before dropping back into the unrelenting bassline groove. While on the flip, we have Jamie Jones (Fresh Water/Vinyl Version): Jamie goes warm and trippy, reinterpreting the groove in his own hi-tek style, complete with model 500-esque chords, cut-up vocal stabs and perfectly timed peaks for the dancefloor. More

André’s first release for Simple Records ‘Wanna Feel’ is all about the resonant, hypnotic bassline that steadily opens out to reveal more layers of harmony. Little sounds and lick's of melody dance around the bass whilst strings and stabs build the hook into one big crescendo. Brooks' melancholic strings, cleverly cut up the bassline and an eerie soundscape pushes the vibe of the original into a darker more sinister techno place....This is the lights out, heads down, touch me in the dark kind of groove that we love! Finally ‘Move’ is an absorbing and patient deep house gem. Plunging into a backdrop of prodded keys that subtly shift in shape and tone, a central synth melody climbs to euphoric climax before retiring back to waves of throbbing bass and rolling percussive loops. Midlands lad Brooks burst onto the music scene with his debut album ‘You, Me & Us’ for Mantis Recordings back in 2002. Within weeks he was fighting off offers to remix everyone from The Human League to Scissor Sisters, and Andy packed a flightcase to DJ his way across the seedier corners of Northern Europe. The follow up ‘Red Tape’ was a coming out and coming of age on Matthew Herbert’s lovely Accidental Records. Now you’ll find him living in Manchester, where he just finished a degree, and has been diligently amassing a crazy amount of music just waiting to be unleashed. So, this heralds Andy Brooks return to the world of music! There’s also a remix of Samwell on Southern Fried about to drop and two 12”s for Mantis. Plus he’s working on a live show designed to rock the party, rather than freak it out - no more trannies and feedback we are assured.. Ah well, we still look forward to welcoming him back. More

For the final of the Simple Sounds EP, we bring in the disco courtesy of two of Will’s favourite fellow artists. Putsch 79 take Will’s album cut ‘Speak & Spell’ deeper and darker but maintain Will’s original chord progression. The undulating dark disco mix slowly evolves into a fabulous euphoric crescendo that’s already proving to be irresistible to our feet. On the flip, Northern lads 2020 Soundsystem, led by Ralph Lawson and Dubble D, re-interpret Will’s underground classic Pause in their signature live style. Not to be missed is that p-funk keyboard solo in the last quarter! Putsch 79 are two young Finnish freaks, rocking shit on Clone Records and beyond. They're all about warm grooving disco beats, throbbing basslines and smooth chords with influences from techno and house – a match made in heaven for us! 2020 Soundsystem are bloody good live and you should check them out at one of Europe’s fine discoteques. More

On this EP is Will and Tam Cooper’s exclusive new track ‘Out There’ and the Gui Boratto remix of their ‘Sequential Circus’. Out There features an arppegiated chord sequence that drives the track to the breakdown, where the melody switches from soulful to dirty ol’ euphoric. The bassline playfully moves around with the chords while sweeping old school strings take us home. It features an
unwitting vocal performance from one of Will’s favorite producers.... Sequential Circus (Gui Borrato remix) Taking just one of Will’s original chords and a shard of the melody Gui builds one of his trademark pulsating, futuristic grooves before opening out the full melody to create an epic dancefloor moment. Brazillian Gui Boratto is an architect, musician, composer and prolific producer. From 2005 he dedicated himself to his own productions and compositions. He came to the attention of the wider electronic community through his releases on Kompakt, where he released his stunning debut album ‘Chromophobia’ to general critical acclaim that saw him wowing the best clubs of the world with his colourful live performances.

More

Will Saul presents ‘Simple Sounds’, a double CD that serves as an insight into where both of his influential labels stand in 2007, five years after Simple’s creation. Will has gained an admirable reputation over the last few years as not only a show-stealing DJ, but also a talented A&R and producer. His previous albums for the label include ‘Simple One’, the first label compilation that elegantly encapsulated the sound of Simple, and his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Space Between’, a soulful and melodic journey geared towards home listening rather than the dancefloor. He is resident at The End in London and Weekend in Berlin, and most recently has remixed for Freerange, Initial Cuts, Fresh Meat and Phonique’s summer anthem ‘Bang’ on Dessous. Acting as A&R, artist and DJ for the project, his intention is to blur the distinction between the traditional artist LP and DJ mix. Will contributes new and exclusive tracks, selects remixers to work on some of his older material and sequences a mix that captures the sound of both of his labels, Simple and Aus. CD 1 exhibits Will as an artist and A&R. Influential artists such as Partial Arts, Gui Boratto, 2020Soundsystem and Wahoo (Dixon from Innervisions) are invited to reinterpret tracks from the catalogue and Will has produced four new tracks for the project. On opener ‘3000 AD’ a soothing synth breeze unveils space soon occupied by spasmodic, shifting percussion and liquid bass. ‘Kitt’s muted guitar strides through a wilderness of ghostly echoes and metallic glitches. The Partial Arts remix of Will & Lee Jones ‘Hug The Scary’ plunges into the deep, as futurist frequencies radiate and escalate into a stringed choral crescendo. Wahoo’s take on Will’s sublime ‘Mbira’ offers a densely layered latin rhythm with melodies that hark back to the early days of Detroit, before Sideshow sends ‘Sequential Circus’ floating off on a cloud of dub. ‘Cubrika’ continues with themes of space and compression, opening with epic synth lines and driven to its climax by laser pulses and bubbling bass. ‘Out There’ peaks with euphoric arpeggio lines, before Gui Boratto dives headlong into deep melodic techno with his fresh rework of ‘Sequential Circus’. Will’s bumping remix of Chicken Lips ‘Motion Sickness’ is low riding electronic house, that leads us 20:20 Soundsystem’s closing take on ‘Pause’, which slathers the original with electric funk. All the tracks have been lovingly re-edited by Will with the aim of ensuring a better home listen.On CD 2, contrast brings definition, and this mix serves to make it clear that Aus is the organic to Simple’s electronic; two polar opposites seamlessly reconciled by Will’s careful track sequencing – a fitting reflection of his successful running of both labels. Warm, spacious, immersive and with loose traces of disco, soon the groove gets jacked and moves from Aus, closer to Simple territory. The CD opens with Aus Music cuts from Lee Jones’ solo work as well as in his alter ego as part of Berlin bliss troupe My My. Sideshow then weighs in with two tracks, both taking on disco from his unique perspective, while Phonique, Jimpster and Spirit Catcher transport us back to the realm of Simple electronics over the past 5 years with radical interpretations of Simple mainstays. Canadian wunderkind Mathew Jonson and deep master John Tejada both dissect Sideshow, Will Saul revises Content, Sebo K & Metro take a turn then Motorcitysoul and Alexkid close the curtains on a real high.Further to the CD, 3 vinyl EPs will be released over the Autumn with the exclusive tracks and remixes commissioned for Simple Sounds plus a ‘vinyl only’ Putsch 79 rework of ‘Speak & Spell’. The Simple Sounds tour commences at the end of the summer – heading first to Bestival then on to Brazil and back across Europe visiting Sankeys, Basics, Watergate and a host of other great spots all the way to Russia.



More

Tam Cooper has been producing for the past decade under a number of different guises - as well as engineering for many of the great and the good. He's better known in the breakbeat scene as part of the storming live act Precision Cuts, who are respected for their invention alongside an infectious party vibe. Fiddling with analogue kit is his main passion, he's also a talented drummer and percussionist. Once a teenage raver, Tam has found his way back to house and techno in recent years, enthused by a new wave of artists. His sound is as informed by his years spent on the illegal rave scene as happy hours in the studio tinkering with hardware. Galactica is formed around an undulating bassline that morphs into the lead synth pattern, driving the track forward, and lending Galactica an industrial edge. The spaced out chords that push the track to it's numerous crescendos balance the darkness perfectly whilst adding to the intensity of the arrangement. Less is more. Jimpster takes us to a galaxy far, far away from the original.... spaced out disco with real power and purpose that gradually becomes more euphoric as the mix develops. Last but not least, Exercise One deliver a remix with delicate and subtle layers of melody washing around the bassline. Their creation has an atmosphere of space and warmth that boarders on tripped out ambience.... before the snare drops and we're straight back on the dancefloor! We think this mix has a similar vibe to Mathew Jonson's early techno creations -power and beauty. Jimpster is Jamie Odell, the London based DJ, producer and label boss of Freerange Records. His seminal Jimpster LP 'Messages From The Hub' as well as his more dancefloor orientated Audiomontage 12"s really helped establish Jamie as an artist of some merit and he quickly became in regular demand as a remixer and co producer on a wide range of underground projects. His third Jimpster LP Amour has just been released on Freerange to great critical acclaim and he's a highly regarded DJ of diverse house music. Jamie is also a member of superb live outfit The Bays, famed for their spontaneous and totally improvised gigs at many of the worlds best festivals such as Glastonbury, The Big Chill, Womad and Bestival. Exercise One are Berlin based duo Marco Frievogel and Ingo Gansara, proprietors of the Lan Muzic label and frequent contributors to Anja Schneider's Mobilee imprint. The two are quickly becoming recognized as key figures in Berlin's rapidly revitalizing techno movement and representatives of the scene's enduring communal spirit. With appearances at Panorama Bar, Melt festival, Fusion, Stink, Link and mobilee's Sónar 06 showcase, Exercise One's live reputation is growing. While many computer-oriented artists attempt to recreate studio productions in a live context, Exercise One work the other way around, jamming and improvising for hours on end, then editing the results into tight, focused tracks that never lose their sense of spontaneity. Coming soon they have releases on Num, Lan and Mobilee, with remixes for Lee Burridge and Shackleton on Crosstown Rebels.

More