Ben Hauke 'Thames Down' / 30porumalinha / 1 March
Tipped to be South East London's newest and most exciting artist, Ben Hauke lands on Portugese label 30porumalinha with a zesty house and disco driller that's oozing honeyed soul. It's luscious, it's delicious and when the vocal hits your ears, you'll be falling over yourself to get to that dance floor. Mind your knees. Listen for the whistle.
OC & Verde 'Solstice' / VIVa Limited / 10 March
Huge signing here for Steve Lawler's label, VIVa Limited, from the British duo who bagged their break in 2016 with the release of 'Symphony' on Hot Since 82's Knee Deep In Sound imprint. Not only did OC & Verde have industry heavyweights like Tale Of Us, Solomun and John Digweed ramping up support, but BBC Radio 1's Pete Tong also got in there by highlighting these guys as being ones to watch in 2017. And with 'Solstice' already being picked up by Solomun for a blasting at BPM Festival in January, we'd be taking Tong's heads up seriously.
wAFF 'Wormhole' / Moon Harbour / 15 March
Hull-born madcat wAFF is back on Matthias Tanzmann's label, Moon Harbour, with another intoxicating EP. Packed with three tech house juicers, it slams in as the label's 99th release and title track, 'Wormhole', has been gathering momentum since The Martinez Brothers first rinsed it at Tomorrowland last summer. Wobbly, wonky and just a little unstable, wAFF's waggish synths are what gives this track standout merit.
T.Raumschmiere 'Wacker' / Kompakt / 3 March
T. Raumschemiere has explored the outermost reaches of techno, electropop and dance-punk, and he counts Nine Inch Nails, Throbbing Gristle, Aphex Twin, Tool, Motörhead and Radiohead as inspirations. Taken from the German producer's new solo full-length, HEIMAT, we're hearing another side of his work that hasn't been explored to the extent that his other material has been. 'Wacker' is a dramatic composition that's both shimmering and symphonious with orchestral strings.
Dial 666 8100 'Uber Spliff to Gatwick' / Ninja Tune / 2 March
London label Ninja Tune aroused curiosity at the start of the month with the release of a cassingle from an uncharted artist titled 'THAT KNIGHTSBRIDGE OG', and intrigue grew after the drop of this release from another mysterious producer, DIAL 666 8100. The erb appears to connect the two, with the former track referring to a heavy strain of puff and the latter pretty much speaking for itself. Is it the same elusive artist? We have absolutely no idea, but that trip to Gatwick was undoubtedly less punishing. This leftfield, lo-fi burner swaggers toward the tarmac nonchalantly, with synth jabs, crackling drums and an airy chord throb.
Adam Beyer vs Pig & Dan 'Atmosfear' / Drumcode / 20 March
It feels like Drumcode has been absent from our hitlist for quite a few runs now, so what better way to have it back in the pack than with a release that comes from label chief, Adam Beyer. The four-tracker collaboration with Pig & Dan has been under construction for 12 months, and what we have here is a collection of peak time slammers. 'Atmosfear' is hell bent on causing damage, with a menacing synth line and dogged percussion clawing at your eardrums and dragging you under.
Telephones 'DTMF' (Call Super Remix) / Running Back / 3 March
Telephones' Vibe Telemetry full length dropped towards the end of 2016, and this month Running Back has revisited the Norwegian virtuoso's record with a stellar remix EP. While tackling one remix is standard, fellow Norwegian DJ Fett Burger came in with a different angle by mashing together three tracks from the LP. It's a 15-minute crusade, and your time is well-spent as it showcases just about every style of house music that has ever existed. To quote Running Back, it's a track for "people blessed with an everlastingly short attention span and DJs on the lookout for a toilet break and a coffee break or whichever break.” See, having a short attention span always has its benefits.
Kevin Over 'Look At Me Sartre' / Mobilee Records / 10 March
At just 24, Kevin Over is already established as a go-to producer for some of industry's top shelf house and techno producers. Stacey Pullen, Etienne de Crecy, Waze & Odyssey, Noir and Andhim have all included his tunes in their Essential Mixes. This month he returns to Anja Schneider's imprint, mobilee records, with a contribution to the label's esteemed Back To Back series. 'Look At Me Sartre' plunges into the depths of deep house and within its beating void, you're lured in by its soulfully stirred vocals.
Paul Oakenfold & Jordan Suckley 'Amnesia' / Perfecto Fluoro / 17 March
We're going to assume that with Paul Oakenfold infiltrating Cream's castle this season, this track is dedicated to the San Rafael haunt that Cream has claimed as its home for over two decades. The collab slams in three years on from ´Ibiza´ and in keeping the island as a source of inspiration we've got a trance beast loaded with rising synths and flying faders.
Luca Agnelli 'Chaos' / Etruria Beat / 20 March
Italian producer Agnelli has previously released on Drumcode, Soma, Planet Rhythm, Safari, Labrynth, Paranoid Dancer, Be as One, Truesoul and Desolat, among more, but with this brutish EP he's come back to his own imprint, Etruria beat. Support has been pouring in from some of techno's most merciless acts, including Randomer, Tommy Four Seven, Keith Carnal, Par Grindvik, Norman Nodge, Rolando, Shlomi Aber, Alan Fitzpatrick and Ambivalent, among more. There's no skirting around the sides here, as the hammer smashes down in the first second. Take the sonic beating, you'll enjoy it.
