It's a universal truth that sometimes we all need a little time out. But time away from the coal face doesn't necessarily mean putting your feet up, and though Sheffield house master Squarehead has taken a break from the release schedule of late, he's remained hard at work in the studio. Squarehead is back, this time as ES.Q. And not only does he have a gleaming new name, he also has a freshened-up sound after months in the studio perfecting a crisp new audio signature. His new release Tail Winds / Workin' Hard Or Hardly Workin', features two fearsome cuts that are set to wreak havoc across dancefloors. Tail Winds is a whirlwind of clipped vocal snippets and relentless drums that build an initially air-whipped techy house tune into a track of raw intensity. Over on the flip is Workin' Hard or Hardly Workin', a plaintive vocal refrain wrapped round a thudding and irresistible groove. If ES.Q is an alter ego of Squarehead, the latter is also sometimes known as young house aficionado Oliver Ledger. He retains the thrill and sparkle that gives dance music its inexplicable power over mind and body - so keep your ears on ES.Q and feel the music blowing through your soul... More

Tooth Faeries brings together Mark Brydon and Parrot. The Sound is their new release on Shabby Doll - two versions of the title cut plus the gently pulsing Love & Resistance. Deeply melodic yet also crisp and compelling, The Sound layers Carmen Squire's lush vocal over a martial drum beat, unleashing a dose of deep Sheffield bass just when it matters most. It's an arresting and irresistible record, disarmingly simple and yet designed to stick fast in the memory.
Mark Brydon established the groundbreaking FON studio and label in Sheffield, and went on to head up the FON Force production team. He then delivered a string of global hits with Roisin Murphy as Moloko. Parrot was one of the pioneer DJs who first brought House music to the UK, playing at the legendary Jive Turkey parties alongside Shabby Doll labelmate Winston Hazel. His 'Sweet Exorcist' collaboration with Cabaret Voltaire's Richard H. Kirk became the first album release on Warp Records, and helped to define the bleep Techno sound. Constantly reinventing himself, his recent Crooked Man project has been receiving worldwide acclaim. And though Brydon and Parrot are key players in the history of British dance music, there's no doubt about it: Tooth Faeries aren't thinking about the past. They're too busy delivering The Sound of now. More

Nail is a bit of a legend. With his career flourishing once again it seems there are plenty of ears alert to his next musical move: a limited edition and individually numbered nine-track double pack on Shabby Doll called 'Nite Music'. And they’re not going to be disappointed. This collection shimmers and shines, packed with gleaming house music designed both for early evening head-nodding and early hours hands-in-the-air moments.
From deeply delicious tracks like 'Angel Dub' and 'Lunar Views' to harder-edged delights like 'Track Two' and 'Bikky Swing', Nail has created another must-have set for the fast-expanding Shabby Doll catalogue. More

For some ageing producers, the nineties represent a lost land of hazy parties, forgotten nights and emotion-tugging tunes. But for the fresher-faced end of the dance music spectrum - such as the LA-based DJ and producer Urulu - those post acid house, pre-MP3 days are a neverland of the imagination, something to be relished vicariously through the mags, memories and music of 20-odd years ago. Two years back, Urulu - aka Taylor Freels - even released a single called '1991'. It might have made some grizzled club kids feel a bit old, but the love and euphoria in his music are there for all to hear. But jump right up to the minute, and Urulu is back in action for Sheffield's Shabby Doll label. His new EP, called 'Banshee Boardwalk', is an effervescent four-tracker that tingles with that gleaming, glitzy mid-nineties house sound, but that adds a tantalising 21st century twist to the mix. Snipped vocal clips, pulsing melodies and rattling build-ups crash over a compellingly crisp house groove, always with the ghost of disco dancing somewhere out back. The tracks 'Banshee Boardwalk' and 'Heaven Unlimited' both deliver a solid, pounding take on classic house, while 'BeforeHandMan' features a sumptuous vocal turn from Daj (New York's DeShawn Jenkins), before being twisted into darker, harsher remixed shapes by Shabby Doll labelmate James Welsh. Urulu might not have been there first time around, but with the nineties' house sound lifting hands aloft once more, he's giving it an original sheen that makes it matter all over again.ic. More

No sleep for those guys at Shabby Doll Records. Not long since Nail's Lost Trax 1997 sold out shortly after going on sale, and they are already about to drop SHB014... This time Shabby Doll bring a killer package from two of the most highly respected men in house music today - South West Seven. South West Seven are Montel and Sean Grieve. These guys have a track record to die for. Their collab label 'Seven Music' has released tracks from the likes of COEO, Rhythm Operator, Giovanni Damico, Death On The Balcony and of course the man Montel himself. As a production duo, they’ve released on labels Kolour Ltd, On The Prowl, Sccucci Manucci, Carry On, and Solardisco. But when Shabby Doll came calling, shit got serious. The result was three shimmering new cuts, on yellow vinyl no less.
It's a vibrant thing! The EP is BT1. Strong. P.S. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, along comes Shabby Doll favourite, 'Quell' on the remix.
Angelic. More

As A&R for the Hypercolour label, Ste Roberts has been involved in releases by Kris Wadsworth, Groove Armada, Luke Vibert and Maya Jane Coles, plus he's already remixed James Welsh's 'Wanderlust' for Shabby Doll. And now that his own jack-happy 'The Foxy Bingo EP' four-tracker is being released into the wild, it's clear he's as adept at delivering his own perfectly-formed house cuts as he is at picking up on other people's potential. Right from the off, the dancefloor's lucky numbers come up again and again, first with Ste's own mix of 'The Jungle', then with a version mixed by Shabby Doll stalwart and Bent legend, Nail. From then on, it's deep dance delirium all the way – two more tracks of four/four fun, perfect for happy nights and foxy dawns.
So eyes down people; Ste Roberts is here, and it's time to shout 'House!'
More

The enigmatic Oushe has already remixed a stack of tracks in the Shabby Doll catalogue and from his studio, surrounded by his beloved analogue machines, produced a slew of dancefloor hits for others. Now though, he's ready for the limelight and with his solo 'Starz On 33 EP', it's clear he’s got the slippery world of celebrity on his mind. His debut EP packs in a quartet of raw, percussive, heavyweight house cuts that are guaranteed to make any dancefloor shake. Impressive stuff - a taste of the future now.
More

Shabby Doll may seem a little infatuated with Yorkshire house at the moment – but who's complaining? Next up is the 'Wanderlust EP' from Bradford born James Welsh. James has already performed remix duties for Shabby Doll, having whisked up Mella Dee's 'Things Don't Change' in 2013, but his appearance centre stage turns the attention onto his own propulsive house sound. The four-track release brings together three sparkling James Welsh productions, along with a malevolently powerful remix of the title track by Hypercolour's Ste Roberts. It's another sign - following releases on Hypercolour, Wolf Music, Losing Suki and Futureboogie - that James is a quality creator of deep, delicious house music. In fact, James has already hit some heady heights in his previous life as Ocelot. In that guise, he signed to Wall of Sound and played everywhere from the main stage at Creamfields to a rooftop gig in Miami, not to mention remixing the likes of Rob Zombie, Depeche Mode and... believe it... Britney Spears. But now he's cut loose and is heading where his heart takes him...

More

It can be hard to pin down the elements that make up a city's signature sound, but when you hear it, you know it. And Winston Hazel's new track, "Break Up", is 100 per cent Sheffield, from the boom and buzz of its bassline to the bitter-sweet choral hook that pierces it through the heart. Not that this is a surprise. Winston has been pounding out high-tensile dance music for decades, even helping to define Sheffield's electronic echo as one half of Forgemasters - their "Track With No Name" became the first ever release on Warp Records back in 1989. Now, with this new release on Shabby Doll, he has delivered a tune that balances its relentless industrial groove with a melodic pulse that nags and tugs at the soul. Just like Sheffield. Just like Winston. A tireless DJ and producer as well as a true originator, Winston Hazel helped gift house music to the city via his mid-eighties parties that pitched new American dance sounds up against his beloved funk, jazz and soul. It was an irresistible concoction, and from these early innovations grew a city-centric dance industry that continues to echo - and still has Winston at its heart. He's deejayed round the world and recorded for an array of quality labels, but his dedication to the dancefloor burns as fiercely as ever. Winston's original version of "Break Up" is backed with a remix by fellow Sheffielder Squarehead - "Squarehead's Deadline Dub". A young producer who understands what makes the city move, Squarehead keeps the furnace firing with powered-up percussion and a hollow metallic thump. Together, the two tracks pack a real punch at the heart of the Shabby Doll catalogue, which is shaping up in fine buy-on-sight style after just a few months in business. Winston's career has taken him from pirate radio outlaw to Warp pioneer to Sheffield scene stalwart to crucial producer, and still he hammers out the rhythms to fearsome acclaim. Only a few months ago, he worked with Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley on The Big Melt - a film and music project that some might say created the definitive Sheffield soundtrack. But it doesn't stop there for Winston, and if you want to hear his next irresistible move... stick with him. Because he's back again. And this time, it's all about breaking up. No change there. More

TAKE A NIGHT FLIGHT WITH 'BATS AND STUFF'. With a handful of releases to its name, not to mention some booming parties and the cutest logo this side of Hello Kitty, Sheffield label Shabby Doll is forging quite an identity both within the city and across the global dance community. Its roster includes legends like Winston Hazel and Nail-both pioneers with a house history reaching back at least two decades-but equally exciting is the label's love of the freshest young talent around. Squarehead is the latest young producer to sparkle on Shabby Doll, with his 'Bats and Stuff' EP delivering yet more bump and wallop for the discerning house head. Otherwise known as Oliver Ledger, Squarehead is possessed of a precocious talent â€" his debut 'Keep It Moving' EP on Bad Taste was a Juno Download number one, while his records have won hard-earned airplay on Radio One thanks to supporters like Toddla T and Skream - and with DJ appearances across Europe plus his own 5ANDSEVEN label, he's right at the heart of Sheffield's current underground scene. Squarehead's latest is a collection of crisp house tracks that crackle with a twitching percussive energy and exert a warm bass embrace; titled 'Bats and Stuff', the vinyl features four new tunes built for the dancefloor, including a hefty 'Bats' remix by Shabby Doll fellow traveller Jack Fell Down. More

If Chicago and Detroit are the cities in which House and Techno were born and raised, it was in Italy circa 1990 that this delirious party music experienced a piano-driven coming of age. So far, so spangled. But while that may be the official story, there are other Italian narratives too. Take Francois Le Roy and Nanni for instance - two DJs and producers from southern Italy for whom, in the early nineties, the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre and Air Liquide were important, alongside the machine funk of Detroit and the immersive soundtracks of the ambient generation. Both artists are steeped in underground club music, and their new release on Shabby Doll Records is a fine example of tough, tech-edged house. The "Crossing Roads" EP features four tracks that showcase their melodic yet relentless groove; they may be based in Milan, but on this record, the influence of Detroit, Chicago and New York runs deep.. More

DON’T WAIT FOR YONKS ! Nail returns with the 'Yonks' EP on Sheffield's Shabby Doll label . Just what is house music's secret? What has enabled it to disperse its genes throughout contemporary music while still staying true to itself and remaining, frankly, irresistible? If there's one man who appears to possess the answer – or who at least has access to the secret vault where the formula's kept – it's Nail. Also known as Neil Tolliday, Nottingham-based Nail created an entire universe of gentle loveliness as one half of the celebrated downtempo duo Bent; however, after ten years of Bent success, he's recently returned to the house music he loves, delivering a series of lessons in how to make fresh-tasting house that still has that certain classic 'something' – the ingredient X that keeps dancefloors bouncing. Nail's latest selection is the Yonks EP on Sheffield label Shabby Doll. Following up the recent Donks four-tracker on the same label, his new tunes are a house masterclass – they're melodic and uplifting, yet also hedonistic and tough. Mouse Trax Shimmers like the spangles from a glitterball, it's a rippling delight that urges the dancefloor brethren to feel it, dream it...
More

New Sheffield label Shabby Doll Records makes its debut with Nail's 'Donks' EP . Nail is Nottingham-based Neil Tolliday, a producer who spent the last decade creating deep downtempo joy as one half of Bent – their debut album 'Programmed to Love' helped ease the world's ills back in 2000. Now, with love for Nail's solo manoeuvres truly reignited, Sheffield's Shabby Doll label is taking the next step with his first new solo material for years. Called 'Donks', Nail's new four-track EP showcases his flawless dancefloor instincts: There’s something deliciously seductive about this early hours charmer. One to play when things are getting wonderfully weird… and finally, Never4gEdit brings back the sunshine with some sweet, melody-flecked disco. With Nail’s vintage house output currently proving to have real staying power, lovers of real British house music eagerly await his new tracks. So if you’ve got a dark room and a feeling, let Nail, Shabby Doll and 'Donks' add a little magic to the night.
More