Artist: Kerri Chandler
Album: Madtech 02 - Ibiza
Label: Madtech
Release date: 11th May (Beatport) 24th May (general)
Madtech was founded by Kerri Chandler in 2012, ten years after he first launched Madhouse Records. Musically guided by the legend himself, the label prides itself on launching the careers of the hottest new artists on the house music scene. At the end of last year Madtech 01 was released, a compilation of some of the label's best hits over the previous two years. After this success comes Madtech 02 - Ibiza, designed for the summer parties and released in May to coincide with the start of a new Ibiza season.
The compilation welcomes the likes of Josh Butler, Alexis Raphael, Leftwing & Kody, Cera Alba, Max Chapman, Celsius and Jonny Cade delivering exclusive content, as well as some promising up and comers early to boot; namely Black Girl/White Girl, Howson's Groove, Simba and Cristoph - all packaged into a neat compilation with a cool exploding yellow and green paint cloud on the cover.
Whilst this very much a case of your typical four-to-the-floor house, some tracks are real standouts: Alexis Raphael's Fire Burning is characteristic with its syncopated stabs and diva vocals set against a bouncing bass line and tones of a subtly blowing wooden wind chime in the background. Elsewhere, Christoph proves why he's become a DFTD mainstay, with Don't Go adding a touch of something deeper to this compilation - a deep, reverberating bassline coupled with the repeated refrain of 'don't go home baby', whilst undoubtedly designed to reverberate out of the world's best sound setups, has a touch of melancholy about it.
Obelisk by Black Girl/White Girl is a pleasant surprise - the up and coming duo from Tel Aviv and Amsterdam's love for old-school Chicago sounds is reflected in a hard hitting bass line, almost industrial drums and a breakdown around the four minute mark featuring plenty of keyboard chords. Finally, Josh Butler's Captivated is a real standout - it's a slick production that shows just why he has so rapidly risen to become one of the UK's most hyped house DJs. Part echoey Ibiza terrace hands-in-the-air moments, part grooving bassline and percussion, it's the vocal that really shines through: the deal is cut for y'all to dance… the captivating Madtech manifesto.
Madtech 02 - Ibiza is effectively over two hours of straight-up unapologetically solid house grooves. There's not much that's quirky or unusual about it, but it showcases the label's talents doing what they do best very well - a totally beach party-ready album.
WORDS | Miriam Johnson
Tracklist:
01 Human Life - Moment
02 Fabricio Peçanha - Push It
03 Holt Blackheath - The Snake Charmer
04 Bontan - Activated
05 Phil Gerus - Ain't Nobody
06 Max Chapman - Inside
07 Alexis Raphael - Fire Burning
08 S. Jay - Wait A Minute
09 Third Son - Sirens
10 Jonny Cade Ft. Aisha Zoe - Save The Records
11 Simba - Haunted
12 Cristoph - Don't Go
13 Leftwing, Kody & Cera Alba - Rupture
14 Samm & Fresque - Glitch
15 Luvstuff Ft. Nastaly - Feelings
16 Rich Wakley - Serendipity
17 Stefano Esposito & Timmy P - Fkin MIDI
18 Black Girl/White Girl - Obelisk
19 Ben Mono - Gamma
20 Josh Butler Ft. Marck Jamz - Captivate
21 Howson's Groove - Hold Back
22 No Twin - Chatterbox
23 Waifs & Strays - Running Dat
24 Ten Story - Something Happens
25 Copy Paste Soul - Mistical
26 Celsius - Depletion
