5 Magazine

Spencer Parker: Tokyo House Underground: There Are A Few Things In My Life

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:51:00 CDT

In this country, Apt. Interational is still best known for a number of releases from Timmy Regisford, which may well have had something to do with Regisford's phenomenal popularity in Japan. Lately the imprint founded by Studio Apartment has been releasing an eclectic mix of material, ranging from almost balladesque soulful to noisy tracks. Nothing could be more different from a Regisford track than Spencer Parker's Tokyo House Underground: There Are A Few Things In My Life, a release that slips from the sensual to the harder side of Deep House and settles somewhere in between ...

Todd Terry and J Paul Getto: Sure Shot/Wash The Window

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:18:00 CDT

The powerhouse combination of Todd Terry and J Paul Getto makes complete sense and this record is everything I thought it could be and more. Todd needs no introduction but if you haven't clued into J Paul Getto, GET WITH THE PROGRAM. These two are making waves with their super high energy funky disco and there's nothing cheesy about it. If you think that House Music should be relegated to the earliest of timeslots I DARE you to listen to this release and tell me that again with a straight face ...

5 Magazine Radio Show - New Episode May 15 2012

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:18:00 CDT

With a new look, new format, new producer and a new co-host: the 5 Magazine Radio Show is back starting May 15 2012, featuring news, new music, commentary and gossip from 5 Magazine editors Czarina Mirani and Terry Matthew and produced by Chez Damier ...

Elementary Electronics: Louis and Bebe Barron, Forbidden Planet and the Dawn of Electronic Music

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:04:00 CDT

I'm holding in my hands one of the most remarkable artistic achievements of the 20th century. That's a big claim to make for the soundtrack of a 1956 MGM film, but there's never been a soundtrack quite like Louis and Bebe Barron's Forbidden Planet ...

Fries and Bridges: Pipe Cleaner

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:55:00 CDT

Did Fries and Bridges just pull a hip hop move and straight up create some new slang? I hesitate to say that definitively, but if so they deserve quadruple props for this record! If nothing else they did a fantastic job teasing it because I was getting restless waiting for the drop. Oh and for the record my favorite video was not the hilarious ...

Green Velvet: Preacher Man (2012 Remixes)

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:18:00 CDT

Everyone has that one record that makes the hair on the back of their neck stand up and their vital organs turn into ice. This is mine. I've had hour-long conversations about Preacher Man, which is silly for a track that's so simple, from its origins, how far it's gone, what songs are indebted to it and what tracks it draws from (Lil Louis' Black Out is like some kind of genetic ancestor garbed in animal skins to Cajmere's bright new suit) ...

Luke Gibson: Get It Together EP (Tevo Howard Remix)

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:07:00 CDT

Leeds-based Luke Gibson delivers the 'Get It Together' EP on Tact Recordings this May complete with a remix from Tevo Howard. Gibson has been raised on weekly doses of Leeds thriving electronic music events such as Back To Basics, Louche and his own Push On collective. Specialising in quality house Luke has carved his own unique niche as a producer as well as a DJ gracing the decks alongside the likes of lauded hometown regulars Tristan Da Cunha ...

Willie Graff and Tuccillo: Phonomontage

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:37:00 CDT

From 2004 (and more specifically the release of Switch's Get Ya Dub On) until 2010 I picked up every single Freerange 12" without listening first. Around the turn of the decade I seemed to drift away from Freerange - I'm still not sure how or why. These past few months I've reacquainted myself and I'm enjoying pretty much everything Jimpster's team are doing. One particular gem is this three tracker from Willie Graff & Tuccillo ...

Chris Minus: Drained Delays EP

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:00:00 CDT

This is just one great Chris Minus EP released in April, but without question the easiest to get excited about. The man from Denmark understands how to create one serious groove ...

Kate Simko: Kabuki Drop EP

Fri, 11 May 2012 15:36:00 CDT

Hot on the heels of her collaborative EP with Matt Tolfrey, The Same Page EP, Kate Simko makes her full solo debut on London's Leftroom imprint alongside the vocal talents of Jem Cooke and the remix might of John Tejada ...

May 11, 2012: Soul Clap at SmartBar

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:26:00 CDT

Soul Clap rumbles into town presenting EFunk: The Album Tour with special guest Voices of Black ...

Luke Solomon featuring Jon Marsh: Lonely Dancer (Dance Away The Pain)

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:16:00 CDT

I was asked to write some words about my next release on Classic. Some of you may and some of you may not know that the dance music community lost an incredible talent close to a year ago. That person was not only an incredible talent, he was also my friend. I wrote this song a couple of years before we lost Kenny ...

Aeroplane: We Can't Fly / Caramellas (Cassius and Joakim Remixes)

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:08:00 CDT

Whereas "Superstar", "Without Lies" and "My Enemy" - the other singles from Aeroplane's highly acclaimed debut album "We Can't Fly" - all came accompanied by an exquisite remix package, both "We Can't Fly" and "Caramellas" never received any official remix treatment. Here's an end to that, and one with a bang. Two monster remixes from no other than Cassius and Joakim. From France with love. Joakim adds a dub of his remix for good measure. Is "anthemic" a word? It is from now on ...

Ron Trent: Raw Footage Part 1

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:08:00 CDT

Groove Dis Exclusive. Part 1 of the full length album pressed on double 12" DJ friendly vinyl. 4 cuts of raw house! "MESSAGE TO THE WORLD" starts with old school drums & kicks into the deepness. "SWEETNESS" & "EXOTIC DRUMS" both fall under RON's ultra deep persona while "SUNDANCE" bangs for a perfect floor filler! ...

Chez Damier: Nu-Breed Promo Mix Episode 001

Wed, 9 May 2012 15:03:00 CDT

The debut, the launch: Episode 001 of Chez Damier's Nu-Breed Promo Mix, a new monthly mix series that aspires to capture the essential energy of the Nu-Breed nights, a monthly residency featuring Chez Damier, Cajmere and Czboogie at SmartBar back home here in Chicago ...

Vakula: Leleka 002

Tue, 8 May 2012 15:04:00 CDT

Even more than most vinyl, this is a work of art. Using 180 gram wax and some nifty duotones, Vakula's second release on his Leleka label has the look of some kind of artifact smuggled from the Victorian Era, either carried under the arm of a harried homeowner out of a burning building or simply aged to an indiscriminate perfection ...

Andre Bonsor: Elements of Nature

Tue, 8 May 2012 13:55:00 CDT

Hallelujah - it's a release that is based around actual melodies rather than sampling! Andre Bonsor is no stranger to the world of House Music, being a member of Schmoov! and also having worked with acts like Lovebirds and Vincenzo. Dare I say if you're a fan of Atjazz you will seriously dig this? I dare say that indeed ...

Gemini Inc: The Second Act of Spencer Kincy

Mon, 7 May 2012 20:41:00 CDT

The hottest producer in the underground hasn't made a record in more than ten years. There's an old line that comes up in Hollywood that the most in-demand screenwriter of the moment is William Shakespeare - a man whose birth predates film, the studio system and even the United States of America. So it is with Spencer Kincy ...

Ben Sims and Kirk Degiorgio: Machine

Mon, 7 May 2012 19:16:00 CDT

Ben Sims and Kirk Degiorgio are to my mind two of the best techno has to offer and the duo have formed a collaborative partnership through the "Machine" club night (which emphasizes no music more than one year old) and now a label that imports that ethos into the realm of recorded music. Sims' "Metalworks" kicked my ass back and forth - like a purist making the kind of music that might play in a crowded club, drenched in hallucinogenic light during the stalker scene in a suspense thriller ...

Tazz: Adventures of Tazz Remixes

Mon, 7 May 2012 15:50:00 CDT

I'm not sure what to make of this guy Tazz. When I reviewed his album sampler, I had no idea if he was young or old, black or white, and only the use of a particular pronoun indicated that he was a "he" and not a she (Not that any of this matters, but this is a pretty small world and I had no knowledge at all of his place in it, is the point.) And now he's everywhere, riding high on the full release of The Adventures of Tazz LP and, forthcoming in April, this remix pack of selections from his aforementioned album ...

New Mix Monday: Stephan Hoellermann

Mon, 7 May 2012 13:23:00 CDT

This week on New Mix Monday, 5 Magazine's weekly mix series, we have an exclusive set released May 7 2012 from Deep House producer and DJ and owner of Motivic Records, Stephan Hoellermann ...

Wally Callerio and Mikey V: Illifornia

Fri, 4 May 2012 16:19:00 CDT

Because the tracks are so diverse, it's hard to choose a favorite but the one that hit me right to the core is "Your On My Mind". Silky R&B vocals combined with a tracky beat equals massive win! At the same energy level is "All I Wanna Do" which has the R&B vibe on top of hot Disco. I'm not sure but it almost sounds like R Kelly sampled for the vocals? If it's not him it sounds damn close ...

Gene Hunt: May the Funk Be With You

Thu, 3 May 2012 19:40:00 CDT

It's 31 degrees in Chicago and some motherfucker is going on about Ibiza. Forty nine people were shot this weekend and if it's all the same to you, I don't want to pretend that this is okay, that we can just listen to the surf and the beats and the bottle service and wash all our cares away, dude. Because what's important isn't some trendy new supper club or the bullshit passed off as Balearica, and all the rest that's just another dose of soma in a world that's permanently stoned on it ...

Phil Asher: Piano EP/Rhythmical Whims Vol 1

Thu, 3 May 2012 16:52:00 CDT

Rick Wade told me in an interview a few months back that vinyl "just makes sense" for Deep House. It makes a hell of a lot of sense for Soulful House too, particularly if one is seeking some kind of permanence to what's become a flavor-of-the-day mentality that the disposability of MP3s and the glut of really crappy Soulful House tracks (cue horribly synthesized strings here) has made all but inevitable ...

Matt Meler: Jazz Flu

Wed, 2 May 2012 16:59:00 CDT

Matt Meler is a new face ready to throw his 2 cents into the pool of sick producers to come out of Australia and I'd say a debut on G-Swing is something to toot your whistle about. The Jazz Flu EP features 3 swingy tracks, all with a different vibe to them ...

People You Should Know: Darren Holland

Wed, 2 May 2012 15:34:00 CDT

When I first met him a few years ago in Chicago, I knew him just as Darren, the DJ from London as well as having his own promising label Baldeelox Records. What started out as a soulful Jacking House label turned into a fully fledged promotions company throwing parties all across the globe ...

May 2012 Issue of 5 Magazine

Tue, 1 May 2012 13:47:00 CDT

The May 2012 issue of 5 Magazine is now available. Featured this month: Carl Craig on Detroit & Planet-E, the Burden Brothers of Octave One, vocalist Michelle Weeks on losing & rediscovering her voice and Pirahnahead is one of the people you oughta know, plus reviews from Rick Wade, MK's new label, John Morales, Demarkus Lewis, Ike Release, Jay West, Dan Curtin and more ...

New Mix Monday: Vincent Kwok

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:44:00 CDT

This week's New Mix Monday comes to us from Bay Area DJ and producer Vincent Kwok, with a soulful house set new for April 30 2012 ...

New Mix Monday: Dan Curtin

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:23:00 CDT

This week's New Mix Monday set is a live DJ set recording from Dan Curtin of Metamorphic Recordings, from his set at the Bass Culture Records night at Rex Club on April 14, 2012 ...

Joey Negro: The 5 Magazine Interview

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:12:00 CDT

Dave Lee, aka Joey Negro, Doug Willis, Raven Maize, Sessomatto, Akabu, Jakatta, Sunburst Band - the list goes on - has been involved in nearly 200 productions in a career that began in the record shops of london and has since established him as a true expert in all matters of funk, tech, disco & soul. After all this time, Joey is making his Chicago debut at SmartBar on April 27 2012 ...

New Mix Monday: Q-Burns Abstract Message

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:11:00 CDT

This week's New Mix Monday set is a wild and rocky ride with the infamous Q-Burns Abstract Message, aka Q-BAM, aka Michael Donaldson, the Orlando-based DJ, producer, promoter, proprietor of Eighth Dimension and Eight-Tracks ...

People You Should Know: Kai Alce

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:21:00 CDT

Just good music that works. Simple philosophy, everyone subscribes to it, but none execute as well as Kai Alce and his exemplary NDATL label ...

5MagFirst: Q-Burns Abstract Message New Mix Monday

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:34:00 CDT

Exclusive sneak peak for members of next week's New Mix Monday set from Q-Burns Abstract Message ...

Franck Roger and Terence Terry: This Is Now EP

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:05:00 CDT

Franck Roger has built a ravaging beast in Real Tone - while always a source of top House Music he's really raised the bar of late with excellent releases from Burnski, Shonky and Maya Jane Coles. This new release sees Franck collaborating with the mysteriously named Terence :Terry: and this record sits well with most of Franck's releases: consistently solid, always unique, and often rather spooky ...

Shaka: Blow Your Mind EP

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:03:00 CDT

Shameful to say, but I knew nothing of Shaka before listening to this record, despite him having some top releases on Morris Audio over the last few years. I did however know about Balance Recordings - and anything coming from the ex-Prescription fold is well worth checking out ...

G. Family: People With Bullets EP

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:45:00 CDT

Foliage is maybe the best kept secret in House Music right now. Lists of favorite labels always seem to be out of date, stuffed with imprints a few years past their prime, and leave out labels like Foliage that release more quality, creative, eclectic tunes than just about anyone. Just a handful of releases over the last few months include Ron Trent & Robert Owens' "Deep Down", a showcase Louie Vega remix, Matthew Bandy & Josh Milan and one from South African vocalist Bucie ...

Cajmere: 20 Years of Cajual Records (And Counting)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:07:00 CDT

No label has been as much a part of our lives as Cajual. People have fallen in love to this music. They've been saved. They've lost their innocence and found their will to live. And somewhere in your town - especially if your town is named Chicago - it's quite likely that at this very moment, a DJ is mixing into the sounds of Cajual right now. Twenty years later ...

Get Stellar: My Bassline

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:32:00 CDT

This is usually the problem with four or more remixes on an EP: There's possibly one - maybe two - that might grab your attention while the rest go untouched. If it's on vinyl, chances are you'll think twice about spending your hard-earned cash on it; however ...

Pete Dafeet: Stutter

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:18:00 CDT

I have no clue if Pete Dafeet met a devil at the crossroads in the Inca highlands, but his first release since he became a world traveler, Stutter, represents a whole new sound, both for the artist and the label he runs with the rest of the Lost My Dog gang. While the world is looking back to the '90s for inspiration (which seems less based on nostalgia to me than a confirmation that we've lost our way and need to backtrack), Pete grinds it together in a blender with some secret ingredients of his own provenance and comes out with something wholly new on the other end ...

PBR Streetgang: The Downstroke

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:01:00 CDT

I've never forgotten that, and I bring it up here because if you can think of a famous House track that contains the phrase 'the downstroke,' you know the inspiration and possible source material for PBR Streetgang's debut release on Hot Creations. While the music is completely distinct from it, the vocal script which runs throughout the song is none other than Mike Dunn's infamous spoken word monologue from 'God Made Me Phunky' ...

New Mix Monday: Dave Allison

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:15:00 CDT

This week's New Mix Monday set is from Montreal native Dave Allison, proprietor of Editorial and Kinjo Music. This set was recorded live at the Editorial Party at the Beach Plaza on March 24, 2012 at this year's Winter Music Conference ...

Random Soul Sessions Volume Five

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:13:00 CDT

Volume Five of Random Soul Sessions, a monthly mix series exclusively for 5 Magazine from Yogi and Husky of the Australian House Music duo Random Soul, featuring music from the Sunburst Band, Sonny Fodera, the House Inspectors, Lunabass and the Random Soul catalog ...

Victor Simonelli: The 5 Magazine Interview

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:49:00 CDT

Victor Simonelli is one of New York's House bred royalty. His name carries weight, from his work with Tommy Musto, Brian Tappert and Marc Pomeroy, with labels like Bassline, Vinyl Solution, Big Big Trax, Nu-Groove, and SubUrban - not to mention the fact that he has played a significant role in what has become 'the Soulfuric sound' ...

People You Should Know: Manuel Sahagun

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 16:56:00 CDT

Checking in with one of our favorite South American friends, Manuel Sahagun, we find that he's blowing up in a big way. After playing in Tbilisi, Georgia for New Year's, he's hunkering down for 2012 with releases forthcoming on Salted, Development, Drop Music and several others ...

Si'Ke DJs: Safe House

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 15:03:00 CDT

This is maybe the most important record I've heard lately, not for what it is (which is good enough) but for what it heralds. Though currently employed in ventures which make the humble world of underground House Music appear very humble indeed, the truly legendary MK is taking a step into the deep end of the pond with Say Ahh!, a new label co-founded with his brother Scottie Deep ...

Tom Special Interest: Don't Let Go

Fri, 6 Apr 2012 17:15:00 CDT

From different beats to curious rhythms, Tom Special Interest has offered up an EP that's fun, danceable, gritty, playable, and - there's nothing wrong with this either - a little weird and wonderful at times. Two tracks that warrant mention are: 'Fat 32' and 'Living Soul'; two very fit tracks that spank the funk, and ...

The Mysterious Nicholas a Mystery No More

Fri, 6 Apr 2012 14:27:00 CDT

If you are passing the record stacks without so much as a glance, the single most interesting new producer you're missing out on is Nicholas. As I wrote in a review in last month's 5 Magazine, Ken from East Coast Boogieman turned me on to the Italian Deep House producer about a year ago, pointing me in the direction of this shadowy figure who had attracted a rabid cult following on Soundcloud ...

I-Robots Is Your Future

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 13:55:00 CDT

In a time of universal mediocrity, an obsession with quality is a revolutionary act. A man of the same sentiment, Chez Damier, lit the fire in me with an introduction to the music of Italian producer, DJ, copious collector and coolhunter that goes by the curious name I-Robots ...

New Mix Monday: Alexander Robotnick's Snapshots of a Happy Time

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 17:27:00 CDT

We normally don't repost mixes in this space, but there aren't so many quality Italo mixes and this one just couldn't be passed up. This is Alexander Robotnick's glorious 'Snapshots of a Happy Time' ...

April 2012 Issue of 5 Magazine

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 17:47:00 CDT

In which we welcome Joey Negro to Chicago, meet Darren Holland, learn about South Africa's House Music explosion, read about Spencer Kincy and see Jeff Mills ...