Mexican EP

Craft Music

Tomcraft’s ever-impressive Craft Music returns to kick the January blues into touch with a very tasty, spicy 4-track collection from himself and three rising artists: the Mexican EP.

The label owner’s Taco heads up the herd with its fierce electro house stylings. Packing a hell of a punch, it fuses rude synth grunts, super-sharp percussion and all manner of bleeps with bundles of big room appeal. Soaring builds hammered by heavy drums lift the track up into the ether before the futuristic tech-funk groove slams back into life. A perfect set-builder.

Solid Snake follow up their recent impressive work with another solid banger: the undulating techno chug of DFWH. Arpeggiated bass, taut bongos and fizzing shakers form a beast of a groove, with layers of extra percussion and FX welded together in potent fashion and a rasping sidewinder of a lead line boring its way through the heart of the track. Tough tackle.

It’s a deeper approach that SQL take on Inside Myself, opting for wonky, drugged-up techno with a menacing glint in its eye. It’s an exercise in subtlety, throbbing bass carefully woven into the root of the track, pitched and glitched vocals twisting around and eerily tribal percussion and textures heightening the tension.

David Durst rounds off the EP in dark style with the rumbling Side One. While ostentisbly techno, there’s something about its mood that recalls old skool progressive house, all brooding and slow-building with an emphasis on spooky atmospheres. There’s nothing overstated; instead the focus here is on heads-down hypnotism. Get involved and zone out.

Also check:

www.tomcraft.de

www.solidsnakemusic.com

www.sqlmusic.com

Saturday + Remix

Craft Music

Looking for a big room banger with some old skool flavour? You’ve come to the right place then. Next up on Tomcraft’s eponymous Craft Music label is dark yet playful track that’s rammed full of energy from Swiss talents Elvis Benait (once of Toolroom Trax) and Strobe. Saturday builds incessantly with sharp rave stabs and deft little arpeggios hammering away over hard-hitting Dutch house style beats, making no concessions for its markedly direct approach. The builds are big; the kicks and claps are heavy; and the riffs bore straight into your head. There’s a bit of a mid-’90s hardbag / Hi-NRG feel to the proceedings, all wrapped up inside razor-sharp modern production. Chunky.

On the flip, Sweden’s Solid Snake (don’t try saying that after a few Schnappses) work their magic, reaching into the draw marked ‘303 acid’ to bring another element of retro chic to their bouncy tech remix. Gated stab chords arrive in the breakdown, adding yet another element of relentless groove into the mix. Watch out for that bendy bassline too. It’s a remix that stays true to the character of the original, but shakes it up into something more rolling and groove-focused.

Also check:

www.myspace.com/elvisbenait

www.solidsnakemusic.com

Ricochet EP

Craft Music

Craft Music welcomes Spartaque and his intense “Ricochet EP”.

The title track dives right in with a hooky riff before all analog hell breaks loose.  Manic stabs and piercing sweeps are the name of the game here, while Spartaque’s controlled groove keeps everything in check.

“Hoover” takes no prisoners with trademarked swinging percussion, a clever synth line, and the mandatory rave vocal.  With more female vocal cuts swirling in and out, and a commanding bassline, the Ukrainian producer shows us exactly why he’s at the top of his class.

Check:

www.soundcloud.com/spartaque

50!

Since its founding in 2005 by German electro (Super)Star Tomcraft, Craft Music constantly delivers high class electronic music. Now its time to celebrate its 50^th release – congratulations everybody !

None other than label owner Tomcraft himself compliments the anniversary with his new danceloor killer “I need love”.

After “room 414“, “a place called soul“, “written high” and awesome remixes on his own imprint , this track again shows why Tomcraft is one of the leading artists in his genre since nearly 20 years.

Produced with his partner in crime Eniac who adds his own interpretation of “I need love” in a “natural mix” version. Craft Music regulars Paul Maddox and Filthy Rich aka Spektre finally bring this release down to a round figure with their very own techno interpretation of “I need love”. Techy as it should be, groovy like hell and spektresque sounding as usual, BIG !

WOW, what a nice piece of music to celebrate the jubilee !!!

Check:

http://www.facebook.com/craftmusic

http://www.facebook.com/tomcraftOFC

Check:

http://www.facebook.com/craftmusic

http://www.myspace.com/hertz

http://www.facebook.com/TomcraftOFC

Danny Freakazoid Vs. Strobe

Troia

Craft Music

“Troia” is the second release of Strobe Vs. Danny Freakzoid on Craft Music. After the huge success of their first Craft Music release “Spoonazoid”, the two Zurich based artists created a driving techno bomb. Christian Cambas on the remix, pure techno as expected. The Greek producer delivers a perfect second mix for this smashin release! This great new and upcoming artist already released tracks on labels such as Bedrock, Umek´s 1605 or Yoshitoshi. Watch out for Cambas in 2011!! Another great release on Tomcrafts imprint Craft Music.

Check:

www.dannyfreakazoid.com

www.christiancambas.com

Spektre

Get Together

Craft Music

Production dons Filthy Rich and Paul Maddox make up supreme techno moniker Spektre. With supporters from Zabiela and Umek to Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin you know only quality productions emerge from this UK based crews studio.

The simple combination of a killer vocal hook and a master class in drum programming delivers a bad ass peak timer in Together, these boys know their trade and here they ply that with copious skill. Couple all that with a slice of Tomcraft taking charge on remix duty and the package is done.

This is quality business – no doubt!

Check:

www.myspace.com/spektre1

Having tested it for months and dropped it to huge evasion in clubs around the world the man that is Tomcraft takes a well deserved rest in the A&R chair once more, putting together a remix package of both strength and diversity.

Luigi Rocca, Aka Marshall from Hotfingers sets to work on a Techno master class, gritty, dark and large. Couple that with a slamming rework from Tomcrafts old friend and Techno don Lützenkirchen and the originals engineer Eniacs house rub the package is complete. This is quality music strictly for the heads!!

Check:

http://www.facebook.com/TomcraftOFC

http://www.facebook.com/amonavasfansite

http://www.facebook.com/pages/MANUEL-DE-LA-MARE/107539865957