The latest release on Stay Underground It Pays comes from Berlin-based house and techno aficionado, Quell. The man had a very good year in 2013 with releases on labels such as Ibadan and 20:20 Vision and shows no signs of going easy in 2014. This four track record captures the essence of Stay Underground It Pays supremely with dark warehouse sounds perfect for the club. Nowhere Forever’ sets the tone for the rest of the EP going forward. The kick drum doesn’t hold back right from the word ‘”go” and just before the one minute mark, that warehouse sounding bass hits with varied percussion sizzling overhead. Stabs and ‘verbed out vocals come later, bringing it to a slightly ‘euphoric’ ending, for lack of a better term. This is definitely one you will want to hear through a big sound system. ‘A Fate’ kicks of with a bass line reminiscent of the late 80s house sound which came out of integral cities in the US, pushed by the likes of legends such as Mike Huckaby. Like ‘Nowhere Forever’, it constantly progresses over time while making sure to never push things too over the top. Quell clearly knows what he is doing, as he is able to put together tracks such as these, perfect for peak time in the club with enough to keep people satiated but still wanting to hear moreThe title track of the EP, ‘Desdemona’, begins the flip side of the record, continuing proceedings down the set path which Quell has laid out for the listeners to follow. We are treated, again, to a relentless sounding bass line that carries the track onwards suitably before introducing all sorts of elements that further blur the gap dividing house and techno. The aptly named ‘Bouncing Off the Walls’ closes out the record. This is a real party tune designed to get people moving, giving them that extra bit of energy they need to keep going. The paradoxical vocal “Just no samples here” highlights Quell’s intricate methods in keep things simple, yet still exciting. For DJs searching for a bunch of no-filler warehouse tunes, look no further. Quell delivers, and will hopefully keep delivering such gems in the future. Don’t miss this! This EP is a clearly a FLOORFILLER

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Room Service, a new Brooklyn-based label, introduces itself to the world with a boisterous party-starter by Quell, a Grecian producer now residing in Berlin. The four originals included here are no-nonsense, high-octane jams that vacillate between deep house and garageiwith touches of techno and disco thrown in for good measure and depth.
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Berlin based Quell aka Nikolaos Raptis, is a relatively new name to the house scene, but the up and comer has been striking chords as of late with releases for the likes of Kolour, Tsuba and Ibadan. The EP kicks off with ‘Check You Out’, which sees Quell ride out hooky, shuffling drums, raw chord stabs, and heavily delayed vocal lines in an evolving, progressive fashion. The near six-minute duration embraces a variety of classic house elements such as hi-strings, 909 drums and chopped up vocal samples, with variations in the groove being introduced every 16 and 32 bars. ‘Don’t Go’ follows, embracing a similar aesthetic with weighty drums, an infectious saw-wave bass hook and bright stabs. Quell draws out the background delays to build tension, while shuffling snares and additional synth melodies add a further depth to the dynamic.The latter half of the release takes things in a more raw direction, firstly with ‘Loose Meanings’, a gritty bass hook runs alongside resonant pads, crunchy drums and a smooth chord sequence, while the late stages see Quell develop the melodies with additional tones thrown in for good measure. Lastly to close the release, ‘Right’ is offered up, Quell opts for a boomy sub bass to drive the track More