Addison Groove – This Is It / Make Um Bounce

http://soundcloud.com/multiverse/sets/addison-groove-this-is-it-make-um-bounce-tectonic-tec049/

Last month Addison Groove’s new EP on Techtonic dropped, and it’s big. At 138 and 133 BPM, with lots of 808 kick, booty-style vocal samples, acid bleeps, and chicago drums, both sides are huge, and this is one EP that’s definitely worth picking up.

Something else I’m excited for is information about Addison’s huge remix of Martha & the Vandellas classic Jimmy Mack. I heard him play it first at BLOC, and it took the roof off. Eyes peeled for a quite white label release on this one.

Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting

Jamie Woon’s long awaited album Mirrorwriting recently dropped, with a relatively positive reception. The two big singles, Night Air and Lady Luck had already been released prior to the album, but I was also pleasantly surprised by Spiral.

The whole album is well worth picking up, but if you’re looking for something more dancefloor friendly, I’d get up the Lady Luck EP; the Hudson Mohawke is one of my most played tunes of the last while.

 

Dem 2 – The Holding EP

I realise I’ve neglected this blog the past month. I was busy with college exams, and music production and promotion and a few things, but it’s all change now. I plan to get Forward/Slash back on track this summer, with more interviews, more guest mixes, new contributors, and most importantly, get it back to daily posts. I’ll let the new contributors introduce themselves, but they all have great taste in house and bass, and will be great. Now, to crack on with a backlog of music I have to post.

Tighten Up Records are one of my favourite new labels. The brainchild of Tek-One & A1 Bassline, they’re churning out quality bass EP after EP. This tasty two track number is no exception. They’re always giving away tracks by Tek-One, Kavsrave and A1 Bassline, to grab them click here, and remember to pick up The Holding EP from any of the good download sites.

Jodeci – Freak’n You (MK Dub)

This is probably my favourite version of the infamous b-more club ‘every freaking night’ vocal sample. So, when I went to buy it on iTunes, and realised it was up as a free download, it made me pretty happy. So, I thought I’d share it with the rest of you. Enjoy.

Jodeci – Freek’ N You (M.K. Dub)

Egg Sample

Two great tracks, and two examples of great sampling. First up is Christian Fischer’s Lowrider, which samples War’s 1975 hit Low Rider, and  does so beautifully.

Christian Fischer – Lowrider (Original Mix)

Next up is a track from Riva Starr’s 2010 album If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade on Made To Play. It’s quite unlike Riva Starr’s other stuff in my opinion, stripped down, with a big 808 kick, and contains a big sample from Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s Darkest Light.

Riva Starr – Black Mama (Bonus Version)

NSWL007 – Pearson Sound Refixes

 

One of the most anticipated releases of 2011 has just dropped on vinyl, Pearson Sound (aka Ramadanman)’s refixes EP on Night Slugs White Label. Both sides are flips of classic tracks in Pearson Sound’s signature style.

Let Me See takes a bass heavy baltimore club classic and strips it down completely, taking the acapella and putting a huge 808 kick under it, with some subtle percussion and industrial hits that just scream David Kennedy.

Rodd Lee – Let Me See What U Workin With (Pearson Sound Remix)

Hardrive’s Deep Inside has one of the nicest ever house vocals in my opinion, but some of the synths in the original, especially the lead synth, jar with me a little bit. Luckily, Pearson Sound gets rid of that synth. In fact, he gets rid of nearly everything, except that instantly recognizable sample ‘deep, deep inside, deep, deep down inside’, and replaces it all with 808 cowbells. More or less. The percussion takes a different route to Let Me See, imitating old school hip-hop breaks. I’m still torn between whether I prefer the original or the refix, but all I know is that this is set to become of one of the biggest tunes of 2011!

Hardrive – Deep Inside (Pearson Sound Remix)

Something on a real old school tip

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I have loads of music for you all, but have been having problems uploading audio to WordPress, so haven’t been able to post as often as I’d like. Anyway.

90s house. It’s a timeless formula, and classics like these still getting played in big sets today is testament to that. These track span 1992 to 2005, so it’s not strictly all 90s house, but how much the house of that time influenced dance music afterwards means we can extend the 90s for a good few years when it comes to house. Enjoy.

Mike Dunn presents the MD X-Press – God Made Me Phunky (Original Mix)

Aly-Us – Follow Me (Club Mix)

Kenny ‘Jammin’ Jason & Fast Eddie Smith – Can U Dance

Head In The Clouds

Here’s a round-up of some of what I’ve been feeling latest, brought to you by the magic of Soundcloud, because my WordPress Audio Player has been super buggy lately, hence not posting much.

Big tune forthcoming on Swamp81 by Boddika, who is definitely looking like being one of the best producers of 2011.

http://soundcloud.com/bleeky/soul-what

One of the biggest tunes to be played all night on the Boiler Room last Tuesday, Jack Dixon – Coconuts, forthcoming on Inhale. Expect yourself to sing ‘badooey badooey badooey’ to yourself for the rest of the week.

http://soundcloud.com/jackdixon/i002-jack-dixon-coconuts-ep

Forthcoming on Blunted Robots, one of the biggest tunes of 2010 is still unreleased, and is still tearing up clubs around the UK. Dark Sky is another to look out for in 2011, if you don’t already know all about him!

http://soundcloud.com/dark-sky/high-rise

The ever amazing Julio Bashmore has just dropped another gem, his remix of High Powered Boys’ new EP on Sound Pellegrino. With the loss of Institubes, Sound Pellegrino it set to become a fully fledged label, and another new label, Marble Music, also rises from the ashes. If this release is anything to go on, 2011 will be a good year for the 2 labels!

http://soundcloud.com/soundpellegrino/high-powered-boys-udon-julio/

This last one comes from one of my favourite Dublin DJs/promoters, Marcus, of Ignored Playaz. He dropped this last night before Nguzunguzu at Chewn, and reminded me just how good it was. Peep his next Ignored Playaz night, with the massive line-up of Addison Groove & Jam City! Even page here.

 

Efdemin – There Will Be Singing (DJ Koze Remix)

It seems these days that DJ Koze can do no wrong. I first got to know him through his brilliant album Music Is Okay, which is very musically different to his other releases, so I’m always pleasantly surprised every time he comes out with tracks like these. His newest remix is already gathering big hype, and it’s well deserved. Pick it up on Beatport here.

Efdemin – There Will Be Singing (DJ Koze Remix)

So you have something to go home with, here’s one of my all-time favourite classic house records. Pressed in 1993 onto Strictly Rhythm, this gem stil gets slipped into sets all over, and is gathering new hype due to a forthcoming Ramadanman re-edit, which is sure to be huge.

Hardrive – Deep Inside

Exclusive Interview with Munchi

http://soundcloud.com/munchi_productions/munchi-sandungueo-moombahton

Here at Forward/Slash we’re lucky enough to be able to ask Munchi a few questions. Arguably the biggest player in the moombahton scene, with his tracks being dropped all over the world by DJs from a range of different genres, Munchi is without a doubt the man to ask about all things moombahton! He’s promised Forward/Slash an exclusive give-away, so keep checking the blog in the next few days for that too!

What DJs/producers would you say to look out for? Any upcoming guys you know that are killing it?

There is so much talent out there at the moment, I really can’t pick out just one or two of them!

What attracted you to moombahton, was it simply the fusion of reggaeton and house which you were making at the time, and how did you hear about it originally?

At heart I’m a Reggeton producer and it killed me to see the direction it was going in. I always tried to combine all these different genres, and with Moombahton it was perfect. Here I could put together every influence of other genres and mash it all up together.

When i first heared it I was mindblown, Dave’s idea to slow Dutch House down and add Reggeton elements to it was simply genius, this was like Reggeton on some next level type of shit. So I immediately made 4 tracks that same night and put it out on the web, adding elements from Baile Funk, B-more, Drum & Bass, Dominican Dembow and of course Latin music.

http://soundcloud.com/munchi_productions/munchi-gracias

You seem to have a massive production output, anything to say about that?

I just love to make a shitload of music man, and to see people actually enjoying it is the best thank you you can get.

Originally, most moombahton was given away free on Soundcloud, do you think it positively affected the development of the scene?

I’m Positive it did. I love free music. There should be more of it. Money talk and this and that interferes too much with creativity and innovation.

Are there any attributes of Moombahton you have issue with?

I don’t have an issue with nothing. People make what they feel to make and thats dope. Originals, remixes, edits, crossovers, you name it. I love it all.

http://soundcloud.com/munchi_productions/munchi-hope

What would you most like to change about the music industry, in your experience?

The way people think about music. It should be about having fun, creativity, innovation and things you can actually think of or learn from. Now its more about money, formulas, popularity, key people, wrong intentions and business shit. A lot of my favorite genres went down due to all of the above and its fucked up, but most people don’t seem to care about that at all.

What have been your top 5 moombahton tracks released so far?

Sandro Silva – Told Ya (DJ Melo’s Moombahton Edit)

Heartbreak – Grown Man Ish

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – Heads Will Roll (Amac Moombahton Edit)

Nadastrom – Sabina

Benga & Coki – Night (DJ Sabo’s Edit)

What upcoming releases are you most excited about?

Here also dude. I love a lot of different types of music so I can go on for centuries!

Where do you see the genre going in the future?

I think it will expand, as in more variety. On the other side I think the latin crowd will get to it.. FUCKK YEEAAHHH!!

What do you use to produce, favourite DAW?

My shit: Acid Pro 5.0 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any production advice for young producers making Moombahton?

Just use what you’re comfortable with and keep trying new shit. There are no barriers.

Check out more of Munchi’s stuff on his Soundcloud:

or catch him on Twitter:

Tweets by originalmunchi