The latest record in my collection is a Record Store Day 2023 exclusive, released on the 22nd of April. Scuba’s Hardcore Heaven is a 12 inch wax disc which is six tracks of a fresh take on euphoric 90’s style hardcore with production features such as hard-edged beats, euphoric breakdowns and helium vocals.
I haven’t bought many records in a while due to attempting to save money during the cost of living crisis, however when I saw a few video snippets of the EP being played on Old Skool Hardcore’s Instagram page, I immediately fell in love with track 5, Yesterday. With this being a RSD exclusive release, at the time I bought this there wasn’t a digital copy to buy online (however there are now streams on Spotify and Soundclound if you do want to check it out yourself without paying for a physical copy), so I headed to google to see where I could purchase such an audible beauty.
I bought it from Horizons Music, who have a massive catalogue of records on their online site. I have never bought a record from them before until now but I will definitely be buying from them again. They sell records of all genres – not just dance so be sure to have a nosey at what you could also pick up from there too https://www.horizonsmusic.co.uk/ !
I love both versions of hardcore (punk sub genre and the dance genre) and this is the first dance hardcore vinyl in my collection. Not only does it sound brilliant, but it is also a really pretty number to add to my collection with the green splatter across the neon yellow.
One release I have checked out this week and really liked is one from September 2022. Want U is a two-track single from Dutch producer Coco Bryce, alongside a remix from Breaka, on Yanis Koudjo aka Dr Dubplate’s label, EC2A. The single was released digitally and is/was available on a limited edition 12 inch vinyl, as part of a series called Twelvez, a vinyl offering from the label which is a nod to the classic club ready 12 inchers, with one track per side at 45 RPM for extra bass weight and emphasis. Twelvez is a powerhouse for darker, bass-heavy club sounds with the coldest onboard.
Opening the single, Coco Bryce delivers an RnB vocal sample, which is commonly featured within his jungle tracks. Alongside the vocal, there is a 160 4×4 pattern fuelling the energy throughout the track.
For the remix, London born, Leeds based Breaka introduces keys and pitched up vocals for fans who prefer just that extra little bit of oomf. He is a Rinse FM regular with a signature sound of prominent basslines and unique percussive rhythms, and his work has taken him to creating mixes for Mixmag and even to the tiled walls of Berlin’s HÖR bathroom.
EC2A was born in 2020, and it’s name is an ode to the post code of Plastic People’s Curtain Road days, a former London clubbing institution where the UK bass scene began and formed a nest for many of the early sounds that have continued define eras of UK music. Recognised by Electronic Beats, Dance Wax, Mixmag and more for his spirited and no-nonsense approach to the industry, the future looks bright for Dr Dubplate and ec2a.
Australian magician on the decks Jordon Alexander AKA Mall Grab established his place in house music and solidified his rise to fame with his 2017 EP Pool Party Music. Released on Hot Haus Recs, the EP is the essential collective of tracks for a summer playlist.
Starting with the opening track of the same name, Pool Party Music, as it’s title suggests, it’s the perfect soundtrack for poolside listening. In the summer, under the belting sun, soaking up the heat with cocktails and friends. This a really fun track made for sunny days. Track two, B.F.O.D.A.A.S. has more of the lower tempo, chilled out vibe that is a little bit calmer but still packs a swinging sound like a New York house track. The closing track, Catching Feelings is a lovely one to wrap up the EP with. This track circulated over the internet in 2016 before its official release on the Pool Party Music EP, one reason being it boasts an Outkast sample and some super smooth production.
My favourite track on the EP is definitely it’s opener of the same name, Pool Party Music; although it has solid competition with Catching Feelings for me, mainly because Catching Feelings always brings such a nostalgic feeling to me when I listen to it, it reminds me of the summer 2018 when I first started getting into house music properly and broadening my musical discoveries into lo-fi and other sub genres, and also of the many afters I went to and put this on.
Mall Grab himself has always been one of my favourite artists and every time I have been to one of his gigs or seen him at a festival, he has always put on an outstanding set. I really respect him as both a DJ and producer and he always seems like such a fun, humble and down to earth guy. I love listening to his earlier releases like this and comparing them to where he is at now and looking at how far he has come since his early 20s.
Sadly the EP is no longer on spotify, but you can stream a couple of the featured tracks below, as well as other classics including I’ve Always Liked Grime and Menace II Society:
thank you so much for reading the first proper edition of Grooves On The Vinyl, I hope you liked it and I am really excited for further editions and continuing the series alongside On Repeat.
February also happened to be my birthday month, so my main character syndrome reached its peak for a whole 28 days, and now I am the ripe age of 24. As promised, here are my top ten favourite tracks I loved through February, that helped me complete the final month of another year around the sun:
Angel Du$t – Turn Off The Guitar – After binge listening to Turnstile throughout January, I then made a discovery of Angel Dus$t, who are an American punk supergroup, made up of members of both Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice, who are also one of my favourite bands. Turn Off The Guitar is from their 2021 album, YAK: A Collection Of Truck Songs and is certainly one of the more happy and upbeat sounding songs in punk music, and overall a super catchy song to sing along to with your friends.
Kiddy.Wav, YTP – Grab Dat Ass All Night – Broadening my electro collection in February was French producer Kiddy.Wav’s track Grab Dat Ass All Night featuring up and coming Scottish producer YTP from the 2021 EP, Level Up My Skills on Planeteria Sound System. It is a bouncing and energetic track yet moody and dark in its sound all at the same time, made for the hazy, dark nights after you’ve left the rave.
Boris Brejcha – Puzzle (Feat. Malena Maria) – Melodic is a genre I will always like yet is one I seem to forget about as my taste gets heavier. Boris Brejcha is one of my absolutely favourite producers of the melodic variety and is a DJ I would still love to see live. Puzzle features intense melodies and is a masterpiece from start to finish that will give you Goosebumps. This 2020 single is a beautiful track that rightfully belongs in your music collection.
Have Heart – Bostons – One of the hardcore release I had on repeat more than most in February was Have Heart’s song, Bostons from their 2008 album, Songs To Scream At The Sun. I never used to listen to Have Heart when they were together, but only began listening to them in the past couple of years when I discovered Fiddlehead, who are a band made up of Have Heart’s Patrick Flynn and Shawn Costa, and Basement’s Alex Henery, who formed in 2014, six years after Have Heart disbanded in 2019. Songs To Scream At The Sun is now one of my favourite albums and Bostons is the second song on there, featuring a building bridge which exploded with passionate and emotive vocals from Flynn alongside the poetic lyrics.
Skream – Space Ghetto – The first event I attended in February was our first Tribal Warehouse show of 2022, with Coydon producer and DJ Oliver Jones AKA Skream, whom I had the absolute honour of meeting for the second time. Space Ghetto is from the EP, Steel City Dance Discs Volume 23 (also one of my favorite labels) released in September 2022, featuring a voice note from Scottish DJ and producer Big Miz, and is a breakbeat belter for sure, with achy bass and tight-breaks. This is definitely one of his best releases of the last year!
DJ Heartstring – Will You Remeber Me When I’m Gone? – One artist I am completely and utterly OBSESSED with at the moment is DJ Heartstring. I discovered the Berlin based couple in early February and have not stopped listening to them since. Every single track they have released so far is a banger, and Will You Remember Me When I’m Gone? from their EP, 4 The People is my favourite track on there, mainly for the sample of Madonna’s Vogue as well as their consistent style of trance-techno, which seems to be a hit in the current dance music climate.
The Rival Mob – Mind Over Matter – Another hardcore pick for February was The Rival Mobb’s Mind Over Matter, from their 2010 EP, Hardcore for Hardcore. Featuring sick building riffs and piercing vocals which bring the song to an instrumental climax intended for a violent pit. Sadly, the Massachusetts band split up in 2016, yet it is apparent that their music still influences many bands in the modern hardcore scene today.
Ray Keith – Gun Shot A Buss – Now, a bit different from my usual picks but still staying with my regular favourite genre which is dance music as a whole, is this drum and bass track, Gun Shot A Buss by British artist Ray Keith. This is another one of those darker sounding, more eerie and dramatic bodies of work as a single. Gun Shot A Buss features rolling snares and vocal samples, before a thundering drop.
Sam Fender – Get You Down – Time for an indie pick now, by another artist I have grown to love. Get You Down is the fourth song on Geordie singer songwriter Sam Fender’s latest album, Seventeen Going Under. Overall this is an amazing song and one of my favourites from the album. The lyrics have a nostalgic feel to them as it seems Fender is reviewing his past in Get You Down. Altogether, a will-be timeless track in years to come, featuring Sam’s amazing voice with drums and sax.
Julian Muller – Juicy – To end February’s edition of On Repeat, I have picked my favourite techno track at the moment. Juicy comes from French born, Belgium based Julian Muller’s EP, Flower Coaster, which I was gifted the vinyl version of for my birthday. This is a rave essential of a track, packed full of energy and exciting build ups, ready for hands in the air, hip swinging action.
For a while now I have been thinking to myself, “what else can I write about on my blog?”, “how else can I engage more people from the music community?”, “what will be a really cool thing to write about?”. Then I had a eureka moment a few weeks ago – I can write about my record collection!
So without further ado, I am stoked to announce my new blog series, Grooves On The Vinyl, where I will be taking you through each piece of wax in my ever-growing record collection, and discussing each release in full and reviewing the album and EP’s and talking about my favourite tracks on each, as well the background of the artists and the making of the albums.
I have probably over 50 so far and it’s only getting bigger. I have records from all different genres of music including techno, house, pop punk, metal, rap and hip hop, film scores and so many more. Those who follow my Instagram page will have seen I do post pictures of my records on there and I still will, but this time there will be more to read on the blog for those who want to learn about the music and the artists and hopefully discover more music to love. I’ll also be discussing my favourite record stores and the best places to buy online.
The setup I have is a Pioneer PLX-500 turntable in black with DM-40 speakers of the same colour from the same well known DJ equipment brand. I used to use an Ion Pure LP player with some cheap ass speakers my mum bought me from Maplins around seven years ago when I first started the collection. The sound and play quality overall was just rubbish – my records are my babies so it was about time last Christmas that I upgrade to the set up I use now, which was a great decision. The quality of the PLX-500 is amazing and the sound quality on the DM-40s is perfect, so crisp and clear and does every record justice. I only use one of the speakers currently because I’m still waiting to get a Kallax unit from Ikea for better storage space – I don’t have enough room to use both at the moment and the turntable itself lives on top of its original box on my bedroom floor for now.
theruthlessraver 