MOME / DEATH ON THE BALCONY / ASHWORTH / VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Holic Trax label has released a wealth of well-formed house and techno from the likes of Mr.G, Rick Wade and Tuccillo before now, and on April 30th the label offers up its second compilation. Put together by label boss Tomoki Tamura, the selection features a range of artists old and new and will be released on two slabs of vinyl as well as digitally, with an extra bonus track.

Tomoki is probably one of the most successful Japanese DJs in the world having held down residencies at places like The End as well as running his own Holic events, and now proves he also has a great ear for A&R with the tracks he pulls together here. First up is MÔME aka Bertrand Lacroix, a big collector of phonographs who owns a lot of 78RPM American Jazz records. His ‘The Good The Big The Bad’ is firmly rooted to the ground with its big air kicks and grinding drums. The percussion hiccups cutely and the mid tempo pace is perfectly inviting for early warm-ups.

Next up is Japan’s Keita Sano, a producer of hugely contemporary sounds on labels like Enother Blessing and Strictly Groove Recordings. He turns in ‘We Got A Love Thang’, which is a cautiously ravey bit of house that rocks on its heels as a neon bassline brings a coy sense of funk to the sporadic vocal yelps whilst, frankly, the molten trumpet sounds at the breakdown are inspired.

Death on the Balcony is the AirDrop and Silver Network duo from the UK formed by Mark Caramelli and Paul Hargreaves. They contribute ‘Distant Minds’, a churning cut laced with streaming Detroit pads and a strange but enticing hook that pans right to left, straight through your brain. Elsewhere, American Jackson Ryland from Peanut Butter Jams excels with his ‘Total’ track, an echo drenched bit of throwback house with cute organ stabs, nice feminine coos and a buoyant bassline.

Next up, debutants Confetti & Flothow suggest they will go on to big things with ‘Dawn’s Arrival’, a soupy and woozy bit of beautifully pad-laced and soft edged house music. Ashworth’s ‘Need U’ is a more percussive and turbulent ride, where coarse claps and off kilter hits are off set by a much more soulful and soothing piano line. The final side of the vinyl includes ‘Rules of Life’, Leon’s spritely, shuffling garage house track that takes you back to a nineties heyday without sounding tired, and last but not least is Baslow’s buried deep, moody and coal black house cut, ‘Velvet Hz’. Buy the release digitally and you will also get the bump and grind moves of James Dexter’s ‘Take Me Back.’ This is a fine compilation that showcases a wealth of talent and some hugely refreshing house music in all its many different shades.