The always on-point and culturally significant Tuskegee Music is back with more essential music, this time from venerated American producer D’Marc Cantu. Over the course of a distinguished career, Cantu has contributed to everything from jackbeat to acid, house to techno on labels like Creme Organisation and Les Disques De La Mort. Always serving up raw-edged, uncompromising sounds, he does so again here on another standout EP. Opener ‘Beat The Move’ is an urgent, high tech piece of slick and supple acid house with 303 undulations, dark vocal loops and the sort of hammering drums that get the club locked right in. The sublime ‘In The Forest’ is a tripped out bit of restless electro with skittish hits and rueful pads that gets right to your heart. Last of all is the militant, marching ‘A Narrow Connection’ which closes things out with crisp kicks and scintillating sheet metal drums that straighten your back and get you stomping. These are utilitarian yet wonderfully unique club tracks from a real master of the
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In 2017, D'Marc Cantu released the critically-acclaimed "The Lodge" LP on Altered Moods, which was the first chapter in a two-part story. The second part is now incoming, in the form of a remix EP of one of the most popular cuts on the album, "S. E. G." The new record contains both the original track and three remixes created by both up-and-coming and legendary artists in the industry. It closes the story of D'Marc Cantu stepping completely out of his own comfort zone to visit the ultra deep side of house music Starting off on the front side is the original mix and an exquisitely atmospheric reshape by the one and only Larry Heard (aptly titled the "Atmospheric Mix"). He chops up the original and sprinkles it into a spicy stew of his most cherished chords and keys. On the flip, Altered Moods chief director Malcolm Moore puts his spin on the original with a rapid, charged-up number filled with bubbly leads, boxy drums, and jazzy keys. Finally, Chicago Skyway comes through with a really hot jack mix that starts out mellow before ramping up and bringing the whole EP as well as the story itself, full circle." More

After a quiet 2016 which saw the label release only a single EP, Altered Moods Recordings launches the first in a steady stream of releases for 2017 and beyond with its first double-pack since "Love...Lost and Found", the first vinyl record it released back in 2006. With "The Lodge", AMR has joined forces with techno and jakbeat wunderkind D'Marc Cantu, who has a long, storied history with labels such as M>O>S>, Creme Organization, and Nation, and with his mentor and friend Tadd Mullinix as their duo 2AMFM. On this double-12, he shows us and the world his more melodic, deeper side, while still maintaining a sense of urgency and a fingerhold on the jakbeat throughout. We have listened to this release for a long time and it never gets old to the ears. We are confident that this release will end up being a timeless classic in the coming years.
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Keeping up the urgent pace set by the Strength In Numbers collection, Thema now turns to a modern master of the JakBeat, D’Marc Cantu. Hailing from Ann Arbor on the fringes of Detroit, Cantu has worked for more than a decade developing a sound that carries the torch from the box jam originators of techno and house music. His first appearances were alongside the mighty Tadd Mullinix (better known as James T. Cotton) with their 2 AM/FM project, before bringing Traxx into the fold for the X2 venture. As a solo artist Cantu has shored up on labels as highly regarded as Crème Organization, M>O>S, Nation and Desire, bringing a rich, full-bodied sound laden with powerful synth hooks, crafty drum programming and a live, jammed-out delivery that overflows with imagination. Given his adventurous tendencies and punchy Midwestern finish, Cantu is a perfect fit on Thema and the six tracks that make up this record show a great deal of the diversity the man is capable of, from dancefloor burners to atmospheric introspections More

Typically bold and 'playable' gear from this Ann Arbor based machine head. Heavy on the jak, this one. More

With this release, Anne Arbor's jakbeat man delivers 6 minutes of electronic mania; a piece of repetitious, dance-inducing machine funk with a hook that hits you like a punch in the face with a velvet glove, brooding pads, and a top line like steel drums on acid. D'Marc Cantu twists the sound of Detoit techno and Chicago house with his own visceral production style and makes it his own. "Sonically I'm reminded of old home videos, a lower quality presentation of a memory. Decay has that quality to it that reminds of a time gone but stills feels familiar and comforting" DMC "Rival was the first experiment of my first alias, Rival. It was recorded in with a Volca drum machine the first day I got it, no effects and no edits, as is the basis of the alias, unedited analog sessions. One take" More

The release was a follow up of sorts to my remix of Ricardo Tobar’s « If I love you ». Having spoke to Jerome Mestre of Desire a few times since the remix, he and I decided that it would be great to follow it up with a dance focused release.
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18 Months after serving up his debut LP ''Fallen'', D'Marc Cantu returns to his other home from home, Crème Organization. He’s back with a six track EP, Alternate Frequency, that sees him explore the same prickly analogue house and techno that has made him into the revered producer he is today. The title track opens up the EP with fizzing analogue synth lines and a nervous, howling melody before acid, muffled vocals and coarse claps all get chucked into the dense sci-fi mix. 'Size And Shape' is a more propulsive and dancefloor facing track. Surfing along on a lively kick drum, repeated vocal phrases interact with choppy percussion, glowing pads light up the backdrop and a delightfully lively melody runs amok at the centre of it all. Like an old school garage house track in overdrive, it’s full of charm. 'Straight Shooter' is then a zithering, 100 mile an hour piece of skeletal acid techno that grows ever more frantic and 'Tazakuro' is a liv ely anal ogue brew of cowbells, freewheeling synths and tumbling drums. ‘Titanium Control Arms’ lurks deep in outer space with the humdrum of intergalactic space travel gurgling all around the central melodic motif and 'Speed Freak' is just that, a hyper-driven bit of electro with frantic percussion and riddled with unnerving synth lines that makes you want to jiggle every bone in your body.

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Michigan resident D'Marc Cantu serves up his next album on the ever-excellent MOS Recordings on June 11th 2012. Though essentially a house and techno producer, American Cantu often goes further than most, calling on a world of influences to ensure his jacking productions are as far away from standard as possible, yet still do damage on the right dancefloors as have previous EPs on this label, Nation and Crème Organization. His latest offering, A New World, aims to capture, detail and relay many different stories from within the re-born city of Detroit. Across the course of eight tracks, many different moods and styles are explored from dark and abstract to more synth lead and serene. There are plenty of squelchy acid lines and frantic percussive workouts, but so too are there pockets of slower, deeper, dubbier introspection that speak of mystery and intrigue as does the city of Detroit itself. Says D’Marc of the album.. "Detroit, MI has a rich history and is filled with amazing people and I wanted to capture what I feel every time I go there. With every song there’s an evolution that leads you to a new yet familiar place. These songs all have a story and each revolves around the concept of growth, community and rebuilding. "Spirit Form", "The First Planet" and "Genetic Script" all drive the idea of rebirth, utilizing dreamy pads and primal rhythms as they dig at the soul, while "Good"'s levity reaches at the heart of what I love about living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It continues to inspire me, with its many amazing artists and diversity." Despite all these conceptual ideals, the album will not disappoint existing fans, as so too does the album deal in the sort of thing that people have come to expect of this considered producer. Tracks like "Green Bike Seat" and "Mobile Communication" aim to encapsulate the honesty and decaying beauty of urban life, never allowing you to forget the reality of life in a sprawling metropolis. A true journey of investigation, realisation and re-discovery, A New World is far more than just another house album, but instead demands and rewards the close attention of anyone listening. More

The world just got a little bit warmer again with this upcoming debut album of D'Marc Cantu. After several releases on Creme JAK, M>O>S>, Nation as well as collaborations as 2AMFM and Saturn V there finally is a full length showcase of this Chicago native's extraordinary talents. Limited edition 2LP of 300 copies in handnumbered/stickered sleeves with poster.

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After the 2AM/FM release, next up in the 10'' series on MOS_deep is a solo-project of D'Marc Cantu. D' Marc delivers two surprisingly melodic, sexy and hypnotizing housetracks. "Set Free" opens with a hard-hitting flanged bass-sound and a devastating kick and slowly evolves into a dreamy and atmospheric track full of mystery. "Tonight" is a hypnotic and haunting latenight-dancefloor track, combining long stretched melodic stabs, an ultra-deep bassline and D' Marc's whispering vocals taking you down deep in the uncanny and eery underworld of his soul.

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After a few years on hiatus, One Electronica has gone all out in with a heavy debut 4 tracker from new member - Thought Camera. The young Belfast born producer who has been very busy in the studio putting together an arsenal of electronic weapons has also enjoyed an increase in popularity and profile in the local scene due to his hard work and commitment to the cause. With such a strong release about to drop in the next few weeks and with more unreleased material on its way this guy is worth keeping an eye on as a rising talent.
Without using too many bullshit analogies – this is release is simply dancefloor bliss and a DJs dream that will be keep at the front of a record box for years to come and could be a favourite among various styles. The title track Astral Pilot comes in strong with spatial glitchy electronic chatter and tubular echoes that are pretty damn haunting. Headspace comes in on A2 which is the antithesis of serenity and meditation that the name suggests. This acidic jack track is upbeat and laden with bass bleeding all over the place. Flip it over and you have Lifeforms on the B1 which is the most technical track on the release which ebbs and flows between solemn and sombre leaving you emotionally twisted yet intrigued – this is one to look out for!!! Obsession which aptly depicts this track; a stalker in the night, haunting, imposing, Friday 13th shit. Not for the faint hearted.
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OE 03 comes from the Superior Inferior and includes remixes of the title track by scouse stalwart John Heckle. Produced from feelings and insight although clearly taking inspiration from numerous genres such as minimal synth, wave, acid, techno, EBM and industrial. Echelon XIII is a heavily synth based track with much Monopoly input, heavy 707 drums and raw percussion giving it a moody downbeat feel, however the unexpected acid hook throws a whole new dynamic to the track. Interstellar Acid Pzykosis is a much heavier track and its evident there is some EBM and industrial inspiration here. Spaced out Moog elements and a dominating 303 line make it left of centre. The B side has been reserved for John Heckles remixes of the EP’s namesake. Interpretation 1 certainly reflects the contorted nature of the original however it brings a new uplifting and carefree side to it also. The second interpretation is one one hand lighter with some of its synth elements than the original but constant acid pulses and ridiculously heavy kick patterns in parts set it in its own stride.

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OE 02 comes from Samaan. Another clever techno release with emphasis on quality and structure and not forgetting the input from Detroit dub merchant Luke Hess. 'Terminator Reserve’ is dominated by a thick bass line, razor sharp percussion, devastating Juno stabs and with tonnes of analogue warmth coming from its abyssal depths. The Luke Hess remix provides the deep qualities of the original however its much more repetitive in its nature making it truly hypnotic and one you cannot help but get completely lost in. On the B side ‘Mediator’ is rough and ready...booming kicks, dynamic bass shifts accompanied by the right amount of snare and filter inputs make this one of the toughest on the release not forgetting that its split down the middle with a heavy 303 bleed. Highly recommended!!! ‘Stilled’ runs off in the opposite direction to the other track it shares the B with as its laden with Detroit influenced floating chords and percussion. Support has been received from Jared Wilson and D'Marc Cantu.
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