Paraphrasing the Soul Sonic Force and sorting through today`s releases for tunes that could have graced Alfie & Leo’s Amnesia dance-floor…

David Harrow / High Steppers

On High Steppers, David Harrow has dub and the dance floor collide, and expand, extrapolate over three mixes. The first, Discostepper, is 4 / 4-ed and filled with tight, tantalising EQ twists, popping percussion, treated party whistles, and rides a groovy B-line. Cut from similar sonic cloth as a classic Idjut Boys remix, congas tumble in cavernous echo. 

Downtownstepper takes the tempo up, and boasts a beat that’s harder, more forceful. More house. Now with roots reggae a more overt influence. Its setting stripped back but featuring fractured keys, a horn hook, delayed drums, and bleep bass-driven. 

Uptownstepper further increases the BPMs creating an urgent, jumping and pumping warrior charge, stuffed with crazy cowbell and speeding, spinning sound effects. 

Le Carousel / We’re All Gonna Hurt / PKR

Phil Kieran’s revived Le Carousel project gets remixed by Sean Johnston’s Hardway Bros. The original of We’re All Gonna Hurt rockets along on a disco-motorik beat. Nods to Giorgio Morroder in its arpeggios and Cerrone’s Supernature in its synths. Amidst the machines and flickering frequencies, heartfelt humanity comes in the form of a warm ethereal duet, whispering words of love, hope and healing. 

Sean’s shake opens with an epic intro of filtered drums and rave klaxons, before whacking in a relentlessly rattling breakbeat and room-shaking Casio CZ “Reese” bass. The drama doesn’t let up, in fact it intensifies, as Sean drops doses of arms-in-the-air Italian scream-up piano. Leaving the refreshed little chance to catch their breath. 

Rude Futures / Acid Reaction / Rush Hour

Rude Futures is a new alias of Danilo Plessow (Motor City Drum Ensemble, Space Grapes) and Acid Reaction sees the acclaimed producer return to machine-based music. Riding a classic 80s Chicago rhythm, of programmed snares, kick, congas and gently bleeping, bubbling TB-303 bass, the tune might be totally retro, but it’s minus Trax Records’ infamous crackles and pops, and the production packs a big 21st Century punch. Plus, this kind of quality has always remained timeless. Paying homage to pioneers like Armando and Adonis, while spoken vocals recall Marshall Jefferson at his most spiritual, a heavier, harder, Waking Dream mix bristles with barely contained Lamar “Hot Hands Hula” Mahone Music Box energy. 

Wavelexx / Last Dance At Zukunft / Silum

Wavetest and Lexx join forces to pay tribute to Zurich club, Zukunft, which shut its doors in March after almost 2 decades at the centre of the city’s underground dance music scene. 

Last Dance At Zukunft is smooth, syncopated, warmly orchestrated, boogie-bass-ed, deeply detailed house. Alpine State appears to be a sort of re-imagining of 808 State’s Pacific State. The spirit of the Second Summer Of Love anthem is there in its synthetic swirls and ethereal sirens, now backed by banging, bouncing acid, and joined by spacey, fusion-esque solos, that swap for Graham Massey’s sax. Bleglas, takes similar technology, adds jazzy keys and twittering birdsong-like circuitry to close a very classy EP.