Artist: 4NEY Title: Spend My Life Label: True Romance Cat. #: TR093 Format: Digital Release Date: 01.11.2024 Tracklist: Radio Edit Original Mix
4ney makes his debut on Tensnake’s label, True Romance, with ‘Spend My Life’: a song which puts it foundations in the roots of house music. It’s a journey back to the late 2000s, featuring rich drum loops, a warm rolling bassline, an appealing vocal and finally tiny synth melody. With its prominent vibe this music production shows a cool sound theme; looking forward to hear more from this fresh and upcoming artist.
Artist: Macy Title: Mara Mia Label: 99 Waves Cat. #: 99W269 Format: Digital Release Date: 25.10.2024 Tracklist: Original Mix Radio Edit
Massimo Masi a.k.a. Macy just released on 99 Watts an amazing single titled ‘Mara Mia’. Honestly, that’s one of the best Afro House tracks released in the last months, it carries great emotions and warm vibes through its passionate and inspirational sounds. The title which means ‘hundred times’ (Swahili language) shows also to be motivational, adding an embracing feature to the whole instrumental theme. Top notch production!
Artist: Betelgeize Title: Serokariy The Pigeon And Skypark Label: It’s Good To Be A Tree Cat. #: TREE018 Format: Digital Release Date: 17.10.2024 Tracklist: 01. Betelgeize, AIWAA Feat. IKVA – Congosa 02. Betelgeize, Kermesse Feat. Buduchi – Kapibayamba 03. Betelgeize, Daniel Hokum Feat. IKVA – Serekana 04. Betelgeize, DIBIDABO Feat. IKVA – Mangadi Yala 05. Betelgeize, Volen Sentir Feat. IKVA – Chagu 06. Betelgeize, Kapchiz Feat. IKVA – Magbe Salae 07. Betelgeize, Valique Feat. IKVA – Siyaga
Betelgeize is back on his record label It’s Good To Be A Tree with a stunning organic house album featuring vocals by IKVA, and production collaborations with AIWAA, Daniel Hokum, DIBIDABO, Kapchiz, Volen Sentir, Kermesse and Valique.
Each of the seven tracks on this release individually collaborates with one of the aforementioned artists, while Betelgeize and IKVA feature on all of the tracks. One of the tracks features vocals by Buduchi, which is a collaborative project between IKVA and Fotinya Fo. The release combines live instruments from around the world with beautiful synths, rhythmic percussion, and IKVA’s African vocals.
Known for his enchanting and imaginative sound, Betelgeize is an accomplished producer whose diverse style of organic house has been a regular feature of It’s Good To Be A Tree alongside his other record label Leveldva. This release showcases the full range of his sound, while also enlisting other leading lights from the organic house scene.
There is a strong concept that runs through this album that soundtracks a psychedelic fairytale. Talking about the album and it’s concept, Betelgeize said: “This album is a soundtrack for a fairytale I wrote about a pigeon who lives in a beautiful park in harmony with himself and others. One day, the pigeon has a dream, which gives him a premonition that he can find wealth if he goes on a dangerous adventure. So, out of joy, through doubts and mysticism, we get into a dynamic and vivid journey of a pigeon, in which he meets other animals that vary between kind and dangerous characters. The music accompanies the story at every stage, and each chapter has its own track to express its mood and feeling. The first track symbolises a peaceful life in its mood, then the second track is representing doubts and mysticism. Tracks 3 and 4 are dynamic, because the adventure actually starts. First, a bold but unsuccessful attempt to fly over the mountains, then in a group of other animals he uses a bridge to cross a steep gorge. 5 is about falling in love, and 6 is about the main character being captured, then the last one resolving the adventure with a happy ending after he escapes captivity.”
“Congosa Feat. IKVA” is made with AIWAA who has previously teamed up with Betelgeize to release on It’s Good To Be A Tree. AIWAA has also featured his world music influenced style on labels such as Cosmic Awakenings, Lump Records, and MONADA. “Congosa” has a suspense building intro with bleeping synth tones layered with rainforest atmospherics. It unfolds to introduce flowing tribal percussion and uplifting vocals that give this track a joyous vibe.
“Kapibayamba Feat. Buduchi” is the partnership with Kermesse, who are a duo with music on labels such as The Magic Movement, Sol Selectas and Sounds of Sirin. They bring their trademark combination of live instruments and electronic sounds to this track, which features the silky tones of IKVA and Fotinya Fo who add vocals to this psychedelic masterpiece under their Buduchi alias. “Kapibayamba” has swirling atmospherics and a funky bassline accompanied by the flowing rhythms of flickering percussion.
“Serekana Feat. IKVA” sees Betelgeize team up with It’s Good To Be A Tree regular, Daniel Hokum, who has also worked with other respected imprints including MONADA, Underyourskin Records, Serafin Audio Imprint and LNDKHN. “Serekana” has IKVA’s hypnotic vocals combined with flowing organic percussion and a delicate string instrument to create an upbeat groove.
“Mangadi Yala Feat. IKVA” features the production skills of DIBIDABO who’s making a return to It’s Good To Be A Tree, having also featured on other prestigious outlets ranging from Bar 25, to Pipe & Pochet. “Mangadi Yala” is a trippy track with Arabic flutes layered alongside IKVA’s soothing vocals and some hallucinatory atmospherics, while its deep bassline and revitalising percussion ensure the dance floor is kept moving.
“Chagu Feat. IKVA” sees Betelgeize enlist the studio talents of Volen Sentir, who is making his It’s Good To Be A Tree debut following stunning music on other labels such as All Day I Dream, Anjunadeep and Lost Miracle. “Chagu” creates a majestic groove by layering lush melody chords and sensual vocals with a melodic bassline and shuffling percussion.
“Magbe Salae Feat. IKVA” features Kapchiz as a co-producer, and he’s previously worked with It’s Good To Be A Tree, alongside the likes of • kosa •, Baikal Nomads and Cafe De Anatolia. “Magbe Salae” opens with sweeping strings and booming percussion hits, before introducing an acid bassline and moody pads that form a spellbinding backdrop for IKVA’s haunting vocal performance.
“Siyaga Feat. IKVA” is made in partnership with Valique who has previously frequented It’s Good to Be A Tree alongside the likes of Timewarp Music and Walk of Sound. “Siyaga” is a downtempo track with jazzy undertones created by fusing a wandering bassline and the spiralling tones of a thickset modulating synth with IKVA’s magical vocals.
VIL (Klockworks, Frenzy, Monnom Black, just to name a few) is a DJ and producer from Lisbon (Portugal), a trustworthy artist in the techno scene: his alias is associated with a strong, vitalic and fresh style, which keeps to attract many people from all around the world. He’s ready to make another big step in his career releasing an album on Dolly, he debuted on the Steffi’s imprint one year ago a remix of ‘Luke Hess – Woodward Ave.’. ‘ Birds Of Prey’ is a journey of eight catchy productions, made with clean and well defined sounds, an ensemble that shares as its whole mesmerizing sensations, while maintaining a distinctive dance floor energy. Contemporary motifs are melted with oldschool, dub techno or hardgroove elements, ensuring a great balance that keeps the energy high without overwhelming the listeners.
Not to hot, not to cold, a perfectly tempered collaboration between mexican live artist Picotropico and nordic soul Vinny Villbass. Together they have created two magical club tracks that operate in slightly different directions, but both truthful to the warm analog sound characteristic to badabing diskos.
́Norwegian Summer ́ has a static and bumpy rhythm flled with analog synth madness. Melodies are pushing and pulling you with constant hints throughout the track, and creates a fulfillment at last when the theme of summer arrives.
́Mexican Winter ́ shows a more funky landscape with hints of ska thru rhythmic upstrokes and dubby analog percussion. The analog synths circulate the groove with hypnotic and psychedelic modulation.
These tracks will surely make an impact on the dancefoors, from Mexican beaches to Norwegian fjords.
Gabry Ponte is back on his record label PENTAPHONIA to drop a peak time techno single made in collaboration with T78.
T78 is a veteran techno artist from Italy who runs Autektone Records, and has also released his acid-tinged style of explosive techno via other prestigious record labels such as Filth on Acid, Codex, Legend and Fe Chrome. This is the second time he has worked with Gabry Ponte, following the success of their recent collaboration on EXTATIC Records.
PENTAPHONIA is a record label that Gabry Ponte uses to showcase the hard-hitting techno side of his style, and on the label he has collaborated on underground techno with the likes of Sisko Electrofanatik and AVAO. He is also highly respected for his tracks on labels like Spinnin’ Records, Armada and Ministry of Sound. He was also a part of the ’90s band Eiffel 65, which achieved chart topping success across Europe with top-selling tracks like, “Blue (Da Ba Dee).”
“La Techno” is the solo track on this release, and it has got a hammering kick drum and menacing acid line layered with old-school chords and bursts from a classic vocal sample. It is a thundering slice of peak time techno, with a memorable lead vocal and cinematic chords adding to the intense energy.
Irish dj and producer CAZ debuts on Patrick Topping’s Trick label with the single ‘Sweet Tea’, to be out this Friday. It’s radiant, glowing and ecstatic: a perfect sound theme to warm up and awaken the dancefloor.
“Sweet Tea was a happy accident. I was trying to recreate the iconic Robin S bass on Serum, which is how I got the harsh synth throughout the track. After I had the synth melody, the rest of the elements just fell into place, and once it was finished, I knew I had something special. I sent it to Trick as it’s been on my bucket list for a while, and to my disbelief, a matter of days later, Patrick Topping was playing it out from Hï Ibiza to Park Life to Pavilion Festival to Ushuaïa. What a buzz man!” – CAZ.
Artist: Layton Giordani x Tiga x Audion Title: Let’s Go Dancing Label: Drumcode Cat. #: ARMAS2930 Format: Digital Release Date: 04.10.2024 Tracklist: Let’s Go Dancing
Exclusive collaboration between two legendary labels: Armada meets Drumcode for the publication of ‘Let’s Go Dancing’, a classic originally made by Tiga and Audion, which is remixed by Layton Giordani. This brand-new revisitation surfs the wave of contemporary mainstage techno, a blend of styles which attracts many listeners from all around the globe. As such, the vocals are perfectly interfaced with the instrumental, taken as whole it’s a very solid sound theme.
Malta-born and raised Jewel Kid just released an interesting tech house banger hosted on IN / ROTATION (imprint from Insomniac Records). ‘The Key’ reveals to be a special track from the first seconds of playback, the drum loop is easy but effective, hitting the mark with a great dancefloor mood.
Artist: Steve Kelley Title: Green Daze Label: Sublease Music Cat. #: slm046 Format: Digital Release Date: 04.10.2024 Tracklist: 01. Green Daze 02. Closer 03. Alright 04. Colour
Steve Kelley delivers another four tracker, ‘Green Daze’, to be released soon on Poker Flat Recordings’ sister label Sublease Music. Steve’s previous EP ‘Last Time’ was published one year ago on the same imprint: the artist continues to cement his own status as one of the most prolific deep house producers. Through his signature sound he also shows the ability to melt elements from other styles, such as dub techno and tech house, unveiling exciting combinations, enhancing the appeal of the whole EP.
