magic through music

Besides the neverending stream of records and large amount of singles currently coming out, there are also many albums being released these days. I wan to take the chance to present five selected albums which are worth to listen to.

1. Shonky - Time Zero - Freak n’ Chic:

I’ve first heard of Shonky in 2006, when he did a wonderful remix of Anja Schneider’s “Rancho Relaxo” along with Jennifer Cardini. Later the French DJ and producer also released the 12″ inch “August In Paris / Lies” on Anja’s mobilee label together with Jennifer. With other releases on Resopal Red and Freak n’ Chic he developed his sound to a deep but functional experience of dark rhythms, bleepy patterns, always tribalistic and hypnotic. Recently he released his debut album “Time Zero” on Freak n’ Chic. The 10-track work is the perfect profile of his skills to produce a great mixture of darkness and deepness, which I really like. My favorite tracks are the tribal “Nebula” with this neverending, hypnotic beat and “Ondulation” which continuosly rises to a ghostly and spacy athmosphere.

Shoky - Nebula:

Shonky - Ondulation:

2. Falko Brocksieper - Heavy Day - Sub Static:

Falko Brocksieper, co-founder of Sub Static, released his first album in 2003. Since then he only released a few 12″, but a couple of remixes, with the remix of Daypayk & Padberg’s “Close Up” being one of the best I think. On his second “Heavy Day”, which is coming out these days album, Falko presents his qualities for funky, light-weighted rhythms. His tracks are well aranged and have a special athmosphere, which he creates with characteristic and fancy synthesizer sounds. The secret gems in my eyes are “Private” and “Zychological”.

Falko Brocksieper - Private:

Falko Brocksieper - Zychological

3. Argy - Focus On: Argy - Poker Flat:

Greek raised, now Berlin based DJ and producer Argy already released a couple a great 12″ on well-known, influencing labels like Poker Flat, Cocoon, Raum…musik or Liebe*Detail. On Poker Flat he is now coming up with a special album. “Focus On: Argy” is full of exclusive collaborations with some of the most skilled house producers. Argy is known for his deep, sexual and techy productions, where he’s building up a special atmosphere, that heat up the dancefloor. On his debut album Argy takes his skills to another level and works together with producers like Solomun, Jerome Sydenham, The Mole or Maral Salmassi. The tracks are mostly transporting a percussive, housy flair leading to warm - sometimes tribal - and athmospheric sounds. My favorite is the funky “Cantstandlovegetaway”, a collaboration with The Mole.

Argy & The Mole - Cantstandlovegetaway:

Addition: For those of you, who simply can’t get enough of Argy’s producer skills or who just enjoy listening to his sounds, there’s a free download of Argy’s “Poke Her Flat” at the official Poker Flat Argy promotion page.

4. Anja Schneider - Beyond The Valley - mobilee:

Who doesn’t know Anja Schneider? After her successive radio show “Dance Under The Blue Moon” on Radio Fritz she is still doing, she found her own label “mobilee” together with Ralf Kollmann in 2005. Well-booked and playing the clubs around the globe recently she is now releasing her debut album “Beyond The Valley” on mobilee. The tracks on “Beyond The Valley” wait on with suprising sound architecture, which I had never expected after knowing Anja’s last releases. Although some of the tracks seems frisky through special sounds she is using for patterns and shapes, they always stay dance floor oriented. My favorite is “Gimlet”, which is a very straight forwarded track, with an uplifting beat structure.

Anja Schneider - Gimlet:

5. Loco Dice - 7 Dunham Place - Desolat

Loco Dice’s first artist album - produced in NYC together with no one else than Martin Buttrich - persuades one with an intelligent mixture of soulful deepness and housy grooves. I’ve actually expected an album that looks about a more minimal, and more techier flair. But anyway, Loco Dice comes up with a quite good expression of US-house and European minimalism. My favorite tracks are “La Esquina” which is constructured around a nice piano arrangement as well as “How Do I Know?!” with a funky and groovy dancefloor orientation.

Loco Dice - How Do I Know?!:

Loco Dice - La Esquina:

You can buy all theses albums or single tracks as digital downloads at What People Play and Beatport as well as the physical vinyl or CD versions of the albums at Decks or Web-Records.