Raw District - Ragged Star EP (CRM130)

With a decade of presenting exciting new talent behind them, Crosstown Rebels press on, signing up Belgian duo Raw District for their impressive debut on the label after a storming sophomore release on Defected sub label DFTD put them firmly on the radar. The ‘Ragged Star EP’ featuring live vocalists Ellipsis and Giorgia Angiuli is two compelling original cuts combining hypnotic, swinging grooves in the languidly deep Detroit ­laced‘Ragged Star’ and contrasting textures and tempos and ethereal voice in‘Turn Away’. Throw in stone cold killer tech ‘Rethinks’ by house music demi­god Josh Wink and you have more than enough bangers for your buck.

 Vernon Bara and Massimo DaCosta aka Raw District are Homecoming Music label owners and producers that between them have released music on labels such as OM Records, AMA Rec, Robsoul, Aroma, OFF Recordings, Icon and Doubledown, and delivered remixes for the likes of Brett Johnson, Fred Everything, Style of Eye, Miguel Migs and JT Donaldson. Earlier this year they launched the Raw District project with the mission statement “Raw District tracks will feature fewer samples and more organic influences. However, the trademark soul, funk and disco influences will still be evident, mixed up with the fresh European sounds coming from Berlin.” With more vocal collaborations in the pipeline, expect to hear more infectiously deep and characterful club sounds in the not too distant future.


Josh Wink needs little or no introduction. As the owner of long­standing benchmark label Ovum Recordings and a DJ/producer since the dawn of the 90s, Wink has helped soundtrack the clubbing life of a generation. Forming Ovum in 1994 with partner King Britt and releasing anthem ‘High State of Consciousness’ in 1995, Wink (under many different monikers) has continued with countless game changing releases, touring the globe extensively and entering the house music hall of fame as one of Philadelphia’s most prolific exports.

• Label: Crosstown Rebels
• Cat no: CRM130
• Web: www.crosstownrebels.com
• Distribution: !K7 / Above Board
• Released: Mon Aug 11th, 2014face
• 
  

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Luca Cazal - Mariri (CRM129)

To listen to Luca Cazal describe his forthcoming EP; his first solo offering after being involved in some of the biggest and most profile releases of recent times, including Infinity Ink, Luca C & Brigante, Invisible Cities and of course global mega outfit Hot Natured, is to eavesdrop on a producer breaking through with a singular vision, taking aim directly at the dance floor.

"With my first EP I wanted to show different sides of my musical output, whilst keeping to the spectrum of club music" says Luca. With a vault of various studio projects to his name, Luca embarks on a quest of self-discovery with his first solo release on Crosstown Rebels. "I seem to have found myself involved with so many different projects in recent times so with my EP it was liberating to be left to roam free." he continues.

Title track Mariri is a voyage of tightly programmed classic tech-house that reaches its apex amongst its echoing eerie vocals. Indeed the vocal started life as a field recording made by Luca in Peru, a constant inspiration in his work. The bare murky beats of the EP's lead track are remixed by Detroit mainstay Stacey Pullen with further rasps of raw production.

Continuing to hover on the edge of techno, the analogue offering "The Bullfrog", co-produced with Hot Creations new talent Mark Jenkyns, projects the EP further onto the dark dance floor.

Ending with his collaboration with BL_NK SP_C_S, Luca adds the perfect tone to the passion filled vocals, that expertly wraps this exciting and varied EP.

Where there is little doubt that Luca Cazal's past productions helped forge his musical foundation, this EP of elegant simplicity, strengthens not only the freewheeling spirit of the scene's leading independent label, but is the perfect showcase for the rapidly emerging Luca Cazal.

Due for release: 11th August 2014

Tracklist:
- Mariri
- Mariri (Stacey Pullen Remix)
- The Bullfrog (Feat. Mark Jenkyns)
- Memory Man (Feat. BL-NK SP_C_S)

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Ali Love - P.U.M.P. (CRMCD026)

Ali Love will drop a new LP on July 14th. P.U.M.P. follows Alexander Williams' 2010 album Love Harder, but he's probably better-known for his work as a vocalist with Hot Natured and Infinity Ink—he's the voice behind hits like "Benediction" and "Infinity." He's a producer as well, however, and after releasing a few EPs on Crosstown Rebels he'll return to the label for P.U.M.P.. Williams handles all instruments and programming on P.U.M.P., which a press release describes as a "seamless mix... the nemesis of modern day dance music 'track' culture." First single "Deep In The Night," which you can stream below, hints at a funky, bass-heavy sound not too far removed from his recent Crosstown work. "Initially I didn't set out to make an album," Williams says, "rather, this music has come naturally over a long period. It’s informed by the broad spectrum of music tribes I’ve encountered on my ongoing journey into sound. This is music made for the love of just making it.” The record features collaborations with Kali and Art Department's Kenny Glasgow. 

Tracklist
01. Pumping 4 AI (Intro)
02. Deep Into The Night
03. Dirty Stories
04. Perfect Picture
05. JESUSONACID
06. P.U.S.S.Y.
07. Surrender
08. City Clouds
09. Emperor feat. Kali
10. Cosmic Top Secret
11. Egyptian Space Man
12. Ride On feat. Kenny Glasgow 

Crosstown Rebels will release P.U.M.P. on July 14th, 2014.

©Resident Advisor


EXCLUSIVE !!!
Cosmic Top Secret
 

AND LINK TO THE REMIXES

Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons - Lovers' Eyes (Mohe Pi Ki Najariya) ( CRM126)

Damian Lazarus presents his new artist project.

Damian Lazarus and the Ancient Moons will make their debut on Crosstown Rebels this summer. The single 'Lovers' Eyes (Mohe Pi Ki Najariya)' is the first release from Lazarus's new collaborative artist project, which will build towards an album and live shows in early 2015.

Lazarus has been joined at the production controls by James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco, Arctic Monkeys, Florence), with album recording sessions completed in Mexico in February. Ancient Moons brings together a wide assortment of vocalists, collaborators and players, from around the world, with more details of this heady mix to be released in the near future. Taking inspiration from Lazarus's Lazpod series, Get Lost events and Day Zero festival in Mexico, this is music for deserts, jungles and sunrises.

Getting the ball rolling is this 12”,  ‘Lovers' Eyes (Mohe Pi Ki Najariya)’, a single that promises to be one of the year's more unique and distinctive electronic music releases. Vocalists Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad and Hamza Akram are Pakistan's leading Qawwali singers. Qawwali takes the form of a series of thematically and formally linked verses, and is steeped in a tradition that can be traced back to the 13th Century.

On ‘Lovers' Eyes (Mohe Pi Ki Najariya)' they sing of cosmic love, and the four eyes of the lovers becoming one. Set to Lazarus and Ford's incendiary techno production, the result has been causing chaos on the dancefloor. Early tastemaker reactions has seen everyone from Skrillex to the BBC Asian Network, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs to Carl Craig chiming their approval, and with Pete Tong awarding ‘Lovers' Eyes' Essential New Tune on Radio 1, this has all the hallmarks of being one of those wonderful electronic music curveballs that confuses and delights in equal measure.

The Ancient Moons have entered our orbit.

Tracklist:

A1 - Lovers' Eyes (Mohe Pi KI Najariya)

B1 - Lovers' Eyes (Mohe Pi Ki Najariya) (Instrumental)

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Aphrohead - Grown Man Cry (CRMAH 01)

The Chicago producer's house-minded alias will release an album on Crosstown Rebels this year.

The Aphrohead alias was started back in 1993 as yet another outlet for prolific Chicago producer Felix Stallings, and it stayed strong through the '90s, releasing countless EPs and several albums. Once he veered towards electroclash and beyond with 2001's Kittenz And Thee Glitz, however, the releases ran dry, until now - on May 19th, Stallings will mark the 21st anniversary of Aphrohead with a new single on Crosstown Rebels, which is said to precede a new album later this year (presumably on the same label). Judging from "Grown Man Cry", which you can hear here, it marks a return to no-frills house for Stallings.


Tracklist:

A1 - Grown Man Cry

SIS - Slider (RBL019)

Horse whisperer by day and rhythm maker by night, Burak Sar aka SIS is next up on Crosstown’s deeper offshoot Rebellion - delivering an essential EP packed full of groove, expertly winding textures, unexpected kicks and turns and cinematic allusions. ‘Slider’ is a groovy, eternally evolving masterpiece while the rolling ‘Paspartou’ builds with suspense and plays with haunting melodies and switching tempos and ‘Breakers Paradise’ flips the style with a more voice and FX heavy, minimal framework.


One of electronic music’s most prolific producers, DJs, and live acts SIS, shot into the limelight in 2008 with releases on Cecille and Ricardo Villalobos’ label Sei es Drum, which up until that point had only showcased Ricardo´s own productions. This well deserved wave of hype earned him the title of Groove Magazine’s no.1 producer and Raveline’s best newcomer award in 2008.


Second artist album ‘Confidance’ arrived last year on Cocolino and charted the artist’s journey training as a horse whisperer while fully unleashing the wild and unbridled sonic energy SIS has become know for.


SIS is no stranger to the Crosstown Rebels catalogue having delivered the first ever Rebellion release and then later the ‘Round Pen EP’ on Crosstown Rebels in the summer of 2012. Other massive club records have appeared on esteemed labels such as Cocoon, 8Bit, Connaisseur and Get Physical.

• Label: Rebellion
• Cat no: RBL019
• Web: www.crosstownrebels.com
• Distribution: Above Board
• Released: Mon May 5th, 2014

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Mineo - Get Out Fight EP (CRM125)

After a huge remix for Psychemagik (Black Noir Schwarz), Crosstown Rebels prepares to release the highly anticipated next full EP from Tom Dinsdale’s fast-rising solo alias, Minéo. Already getting a monster reaction on dancefloors, as Damian Lazarus will attest, ‘Get Out Fight’ displaysMinéo’s distinctively UK sound and idiosyncratic, patchwork production style. A 4-tracker that ranges from the punky attitude, wonky percussion and deep, growling grooves and vocal licks of ‘Get Out Fight’ to the hints of ska in Madness-sampled ‘Killer (Rude Boy)’ and the slinky garage, RnB-spliced edge of ‘Soaking Wet’ and low-slung ride ‘Don’t Know My Name’ - this is a killer package, and statement of very creative intent.


Tom dinsdale aka Minéo first appeared on the scene last October when Jamie Jones and co. received a demo and snapped up ‘Turn Out The Lights’ for the Hot Creations imprint making it a huge club hit. A follow up release dropped on the illustrious Hypercolour last month and the latest was a remix for Todd Terry’s ‘Feel The Sun’ out now on Southern Fried Records.  


Always a nurturing sort of label, a relationship with Crosstown Rebels started to bloom when Minéo came on board to remix Psychemagik’s latest smash ‘Black Noir Schwarz’ - and the rock solid original material ‘Get Out Fight’ is set to be huge for the label as Minéo really comes into his own as an artist. It’s also another example of the label’s breadth of taste and its continually evolving catalogue.

• Label: Crosstown Rebels
• Cat no: CRM125
• Web: www.crosstownrebels.com
• Distribution: !K7 / Above Board
• Released: Mon Apr 28th, 2014

LINK TO THE TRACKS