ROLAND TINGS “LIVE IN THORNBURY” CS (SILK051) $6

Australia friends always tell us what a slayer SILK house-smelter Roland Tings aka Rohan Newman is in the live setting, as we’ve never had the pleasure yet ourself. Finally someone sent us proof: this cool, ripping, well-recorded recent warehouse set of his. Stitches in some choice trax from his OOP “Milky Way” 12″ as well as a slew of inspired unreleased jams.

LP EDITION

CD EDITION

PHARAOHS “REPLICANT MOODS” LP/CD (SILK045) $12/$9

Not Pharaoh – one guy, one midi controller – but Pharaohs, plural; a dance band and magical rarity amid the forlorn ‘Lesis landscape of solo producers and desktop DJs. Bunkered between an arrangement of stackable synths, the Pharaohs squad jams workshop-style, an endearing, funky, spirited live-thrive. Replicant Moods is one part airy coastal jazz, that Ibeatha-meets-Madchester baggy-style the group melted soles with on their first 12” Uhh Uhh, and two parts sci-fi soar into the new age, complete with Philip K. Dick winks, tech-know wonks, and sleek Daft Punk-choreographed boogies. A Maria Minerva guest soft spot on the ESG/Weymouth bass bust “Miraculous Feet” lends another sweet shuffle to the clone conga line of Technics tracks. Replicant Moods is sensual – like a slinky cyber-booty shake – and also considered, a nuanced composition slowly evolving into a compelling layer dip of star-stretching get-down.

LP EDITION

CD EDITION

COYOTE CLEAN UP “2 HOT 2 WAIT” LP/CD (SILK044) $12/$9

Metro Detroit frisky/risky dreamer DJ Coyote Clean Up serves up a heart n’ hardbody emotional saga with 2 Hot 2 Wait, his deep-debut freaky full-length on 100% Silk. Hot-under-the-collar horniness (a woman simply counts to three on “Zebra Go Seek” and you start to undress), headphone-house grain (the fuzzy gut-bump on “The Least U Could Feel” is like warm breath whispering in your ear), skrewed RnB Freestyle strip-hop (stuttery layers give hopeful, life-affirming energy to the lover-lost “Awesome Luv”) and out-of-time mash-ups (“Double Dip” is a memory overlapping, with a classic ’95 dial-tone under and over contempo EDM knob-twists) blend blissfully, fashioning a sentimental journey through a sex-love-loss odyssey. 2 Hot 2 Wait is a sensua-stellar standout, beckoning, daring, colorful and celebratory in its exhibitionism and lust.

BOBBY BROWSER “STILL BROWSING” 12″ (SILK043) $9

House is at home with Bobby Browser, who may be Still Browsing after 2012’s Just Browsing EP, but these four tracks feel like he’s finally splurged on the pleasure-purchase. Never afraid to fuse sad Soul II Soulisms with flute-floozy Milan model-walk wonders, or blue lipstick platformed dance with classic groove-back ogle-voguing, Bobby Browser remains a San Fran late-night-on-Haight-night Latin legend. Browser’s known for Djing gel-gems like “Bad Bad Boys” and other, mostly forgotten romantic thrift store singles, and as producer he’s got the same no-boundaries deep-‘preciation for all that can be stirred in his stoopid stew. Howard Jones meets Earth, Wind, and Fire meets N’dea Davenport meets Sade meets Frankie Knuckles but not at all straightforward, and nothing short of silky slip-peeling. Always lovely and light, sleek and chic, Bobby Browser’s bought a spot on your yacht. It’s going to be a smooth cruise.

MARIA MINERVA “BLESS” 12″ (SILK042) $9

Fresh again, SILK’s favorite dunce-dance diva Maria Minerva tries on a new wardrobe with her Bless EP. Busting out with sweet n’ swingy single “Black Magick,” Minerva caters her classic la-la lyrics about an occult/joke-cult romance over a new waif, Schneider-esque pop-Rock Lobsta beat. “Space 4 U” slips echo-drone vocal monologues over a LaFace-style RnB booty bumper, while “Symbol of My Pleasure” sneers with a “Walk This Way” funk lick, both reminding fans of Minerva’s naughty/playful creep-creativities. Rounding out the EP are “Soul Searchin” – a sleazy, down-tuned, junk-jungle comatose doser – and Lady Blacktonika’s “Black Magick” Garage trippin’ remix – a layer cake of luscious tush pushin’ and an ode to another sassy Lady, Miss Kier herself. Confidence is key, and this is Maria Minerva struttin,’ on and off key, through her newest collection of Wand Songs.

LEECH “TUSKS” 12″ (SILK040) $9

Micro-scene main man and Kranky konfidante Brian Foote bounced from Chicago to Portland to L.A., first getting into gear and then getting into gear to become Leech, his deconstructed-dance-‘deavor. Known for “just getting it,” Foote was the maker of dreams come true when he manned the mix for Zola Jesus, LA Vampires, and Grouper, but as Leech he takes his levels-devil, diagonal dub, mood mixin’ wonk wizardry to someplace strange and sideways. Leech plays a conceptual concert, sucking sounds from hear and theirs. His is the genre of Chrono Dance, taunting with temporary tempos while foregoing four on the floor for time-traveling beats. Tusks is a style-sampler, approaching acid, teasing techno, and jumbling jazz; it’s the blip and bloop-ers reel of Big Dance Ideas, and you will dance – just not comfortably.

MAGIC TOUCH + SAPPHIRE SLOWS “JUST WANNA FEEL” 12″ (SILK038) $12

When 2 become 1: “Just Wanna Feel” is gush-worthy, hype-topping, expectation-shattering perfect house pop from blonde disco Don, Magic Touch, and heavenly weirdo wizardress Sapphire Slows. The single is singular; like early St. Germain mornings, breezy, bright, and breathtaking. B Side, “When I See You,” is pure piano pleasure; from opposite sides of the Pacific, Touch and Slows have created coastal holiday sand n’ sea sweet sensuality. The 12” also includes end-of-days echo-ccordian, slippery dark nights risin’ rubix remix by outside-the-box beat bester I:Cube, as well as a dub-do-over from M. Touch himself. A match made for the internet age, a flawless faraway coolaboration with the best of both and mucho more. All design by effortless art hooligan Bobby Houlihan.

EZLV “SELFISH BEAT” 12″ (SILK037) $9

EZLV craft playfully luxurious extended-mix radio hits from the bi-curious, bygone dance-meets-soul era. It’s Sound Stream in song form, luscious and light, brought to juicy lime-life with cool-curated club samples, late 70’s horn porn, and elegant DJ creationism. With a certain je ne sais quoi-quoi for the Francophilic party-fille and garçon in us all, Selfish Beat is sparkling, shimmering, alluring, uplifting fun. The French-Canadian duo are mixmaster maestros, ever-cultivating the beauty of nighttime exhibitionism and extravagance. Get a good feeling about this one. [NOTE: Don't trust the center labels, these play at 33 not 45]

ROCHE “A NIGHT AT THE HAÇ” 12″ (SILK036) $9

As Roche, Bay Area Balearic boy Ben Winans designs long nostalgic nights with no sign of mo(u)rning. On opener, “A Night At The Haç,” his keys converse the epic dialogue of classic House thematics: high notes begging romantic love; low notes daring physical freedom. Acid alien gears turn “Insider Outsider” into pivotless progression, straight ahead until the record breaks. Side B sees “CG Vision” through a fish-eye lens, all underwater bubbles n’ submarine wubbles as the synthy sea swells. Finally, it’s hi-hats off to the FX channel in “Psycho Zombie Dreams,” a tunnel trauma of modulated raunch – seductive, intoxicating, and mind-munching. Haç is Boss; now do the work.

JMII “NUEVA YORK” 12″ (SILK033) $9

Barcelona-to-Berlin boy Jami Bassols, AKA JMII, makes his SILK debut with Nueva York, a loosey-goosey, sensuadelic 5 a.m. den off the Gold Coast of house. Emotional transcen-dance for post-party, religious rave rovers. Super psych bliss-bloops, heavy sighs, textural key clouds, angelic piano ambles, spiritual lift-offs. Under the moniker Aster, Bassol’s released on Hieroglyphic Being’s Mathematics label, and as JMII he’s created a sort of Reincarnation House; dance music for past and future lives, part new age/part gospel, all-in ambient acid. Ciento por ciento seda!

SIR STEPHEN “HOUSE OF REGALIA” LP (SILK032) $12

N’awlin Dah’lin Sir Stephen knows why the Cajun bird sings. The Homme of Homage creates a time-trippin’, style-hoppin’ virtual reality fantasy zone with his debut LP, House Of Regalia. 8 flava profiles to drop on yr tongue – from the Brand New Heavies-spectre, “One X One,” with N’Dea-diva vocals by Fleur de Lis, to the cooltempo/rare groove New Order redux, “Dance For Life,” to the Underworld-weary born-and-raised slippy ripper “Get Wet.” HOR is a luxe layer-cake of sister-soul mantras (“I’ll be pushin’ on!”), acid jazz lounge breaks, jackin’-the-Black Box piano house holds, thrown shades, fashion plates, and dizzy dancefloor dee-lites. This is music for dancers, pure n’ sample. Limited Edition 500 vinyl with luscious Spencer Longo x-scape cover art.

MAGIC TOUCH / ITAL 12″ (SILK030) $9

ONE TIME REPRESS of 100 COPIES!!

Groovesome twosome, din-yin and bang-yang, San Fran band of solo brothers, Damon Palermo and Daniel Martin McCormick disjoin forces here for a split personality. Magic Touch and Ital, respectively, travel the globe separately and together (as the harmoniously ever-evolving Mi Ami), forging a years-long relationship that supercedes the prod of producer’s ego. Like his previous paean “Clubhouse” but with gospel-gush swirl and swoon, Magic Touch’s “Anywhere You Want Me” bursts with soul to squeeze, a slip-disco house hunt for the perfect ease-ster egg. Then, re-envisioned by Ital, “Anywhere” goes satin to satan, perfect paranoia pitch, choir curse, a ‘bot-banger out of darkness into flight. Flip to Ital’s “From A Dream” and find your BPM on a trip-treadmill, jacked, pumped, maxxed Max Headroom seizure samples, with moments of power-pretty sweat-spritz dizziness. The remix from Magic Touch jumps through italo-boogie loops and hoops for a revolution-evolution of hooks and crammies, all dissolving into an interzone afterglow. Compliments to the chefs.

OCTO OCTA “OH LOVE” 12″ (SILK023) $9

100% Silk begs and pleads for all things Octo – that eight-sided honest octagon: sweet, sad, shy, hopeful, blissful, light, lifting, longing. Going deeper, swelling higher than his first “Let Me See You” 12”, “Oh Love” unifies touching human experience with technology, sound, and rhythm in a totality of vision. The thesis thrill here: selling dreams that can’t be followed, finding love that can’t be lasting, seeking a future that can’t solve your present. “Oh Love” is honeyed with tenderness; musings on dance history merge euphoniously with a wealthy sample bank. Octo Octa’s the new search engine; he’s connected and connective, the feeling fish to your computer chips. The dancefloor has been pulled out from under you, now you’re free to float in the “Oh Love” atmosphere – warm and womby, roused and roomy, a tear-jerk body-work. Poise yourself for poignancy. He’s TRYING to break your heart.

FORT ROMEAU “KINGDOMS” 12″ (SILK022) $12

“Jack this groove,” a deep voice persists in “Jack Rollin’,” the tour-de-four-on-the-floor force set opener of Kingdoms. Seedy deeds are done during Fort Romeau’s late-night lush, a frolic down London foggy fascination streets. Vinyl crackle on the hush-hush, Fort Romeau plays bass face-time and clap attacks through shadow jackin’ steam, muted mambas, and the sultry spiral of total texture. A feminine touch, soothing and somnolent, with a man’s musk, pounding, pursuing. Makes you teary, tearing down Romeau’s Row, as syncopated swishes, like woodwind winter winds, suck, sigh, and blow. It’s a sauna sound: hot gusts, warmer water jets, sensual shuffles, breathy and beautiful. “I need you,” a yearning voice persists as the album closes, that covetous caress you’ve got your heart set on, that Fort Romeau languishing lull you set your heartbeat by.

FORT ROMEAU “KINGDOMS” CD (SILK022) $9

BACK IN STOCK!! WAREHOUSE FIND OF 30 COPIES

“Jack this groove,” a deep voice persists in “Jack Rollin’,” the tour-de-four-on-the-floor force set opener of Kingdoms. Seedy deeds are done during Fort Romeau’s late-night lush, a frolic down London foggy fascination streets. Vinyl crackle on the hush-hush, Fort Romeau plays bass face-time and clap attacks through shadow jackin’ steam, muted mambas, and the sultry spiral of total texture. A feminine touch, soothing and somnolent, with a man’s musk, pounding, pursuing. Makes you teary, tearing down Romeau’s Row, as syncopated swishes, like woodwind winter winds, suck, sigh, and blow. It’s a sauna sound: hot gusts, warmer water jets, sensual shuffles, breathy and beautiful. “I need you,” a yearning voice persists as the album closes, that covetous caress you’ve got your heart set on, that Fort Romeau languishing lull you set your heartbeat by.

STRATEGY “BOXY MUSIC” 12″ (SILK021) $11

Prince of Portland Paul Dickow turns his no-nonsense Nudge-sludge awesomeness into revved-up, avant tech-house arousal as Strategy. The moniker has found Dickow checking out hooks in his Community Library and niche-in’-out nooks on Kranky. With SILK he separates: “Skanking Stabs” stomps with reverb canned-can drums, bouncing in a dancehall vault. “Feel The Earth” is not your daddy’s acid jazz, with its bouncing house arresting piano bar tipped jar. “Starry Day” soft serves up a swirl of 80’s vamp funk, contempo computer chocolate chips, and haywire Cyberdyne scheming sequences. The dueling “Bolly Valve” tracks mix Arabic woodwind skill scales with whisper sizzle clatter data. Limited edition, with hot pink pop art Neu-bout-town jackets designed by the artist. Strategic move for winning your love.

LP VERSION SOLD OUT

CD VERSION

MI AMI “DECADE” LP/CD (SILK020) $12/$9

The transformative duo of Damon “Magic Touch” Palermo and Daniel “Ital” Martin-McCormick together as Mi Ami have created a hardcore soft-serve swirl of afro-punk, disco-dance freakout, and primitive techno along their years-long journey toward Decade’s fine exploratory house. The yin of Damon’s deep focus rhythm, a seemingly endless widening beat, meets the yang of Daniel’s DC edge, his spikiness, that unsettling anarchic tension, on “Horns,” the album’s sparkly, dizzying opener. “Time Of Love” has the elegance and persistence of Sade being hunted; it’s soul on the move – cymbal crash symbolism, flanger flatlines, and drum roll pleads. Flip to “Free Of Life” to hear laser lover beams shooting across reverb tense pad stabs and synth-shred sweeps. Finally, “Bells” returns to that track one anxiety, perfectly palindrome: Damon’s boom-thrum-tum give to Daniel’s pitch-punch take, with a kiss of guitar ghosts, the Fender-mender between punk pasts and dance dawning. ‘Decade ‘is a chemistry test, a steady study, a link of love. Ten fingers to touch you art by Bobby Houlihan. My friends: MI AMI.

SFV ACID “GROWN” 12″ (SILK016) $9

Like the permanent midnight warm up at a Genesis ’88 bash, the empty squelch sounds of SFV ACID are at their tab-on-tongue-in-cheek, acid burning best. But don’t come listening for the happy-faced ecstasy-laced house-for-rent vibes of the free-samplin’, glory vocalin’, disco duckin’ SILKy celebrators. These are heady, midsummer night dreams of a bygone house era. There’s luxury and play to SFV ACID’s homegrown arcade grooves, as the DJ tweeks and turns sci-fi sounds over luscious piano leisure. It’s alien versus elator, Robo-copiousness. Driving down an alley in the San Fernando Valley never felt like this; woozy and wound up, sensual and cell-blocked, bouncy and breathy; like, gag me with a silver spoon.  As one electronic element bends, another synthetic sonance breaks, into a pleasure pulse that bubbles up like a shaken sparkling water.  That’s the fizzy tingle, the SFV ACID aftertaste.