Perc joins Beatport Live on Friday, February 22

By Ross Jackson

On Friday, February 22, Beatport Live presents UK techno talent Perc. Having gained early recognition for his hit “Up” on Kompakt, Perc went on to catch the ears of Richie Hawtin, Luciano, Chris Liebing, Slam, John Digweed, Green Velvet, Erol Alkan, Steve Lawler, and many more. That critical and peer acclaim led to him being signed to bona fide techno powerhouses like Ovum, Drumcode, and CLR. As well, his own label, Perc Trax, has become a force in itself.

On Rotation

On Rotation: Staff picks from Shuttle, Zoo Brazil, Joe, Technasia, and more

By Ken Taylor

Ninja Tune’s newest signee, a new label for Benga, Technasia’s debut on Ovum, and more in this week’s On Rotation segment, which compiles our expert team of merchandisers’ and editors’ favorite picks of the week.

Bomb Alert! Vaggio - Vaggio EP

By Christine Kakaire

Ovum Recordings are closing out a solid run of summer releases with something of a head-scratcher: just who is Vaggio? All that Josh Wink and company will allow via the official Ovum Facebook page is that Vaggio is a secret collective “from (DJ) Sneak’s era, but not him. Hmmmmmmm.”

Whoever Vaggio really are, they have 20 years worth of experience in the studio, and it’s reflected in their slick debut: two tracks of taut, bouncy, perfectly-paced and expertly mixed house music.

MANIK: Need Your Lovin

By Beatport News Editors

This week, Ovum’s new man in NYC, MANIK, releases his debut album for the label, Armies of the Night. “Need Your Lovin” is one of the record’s moody, downbeat highlights, a slow-roasted R&B-flavored jam that nestles nicely amongst like-minded tracks from Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap, and Jamie Jones and Lee Foss’ Hot Natured/Hot Creations universe.

Check out the album after the jump.

Bomb Alert: Shlomi Aber’s “Chicago Days / Detroit Nights” remixed

By Beatport News Editors

This week, Ovum Recordings [l] dropped the first installment in Shlomi Aber’s “Chicago Days / Detroit Nights” remixes. Josh Wink [a] , Chris Liebing [a] , Ian Pooley [a] , Timo Maas [a] & Santos [a] , and Mark & Nic Fanciulli [a] all have their ways with the material, and the initial DJ feedback has been monumental, to say the least. It’s not often you find names as diverse as Satoshi Tomiie, Paco Osuna, Deetron, Brothers’ Vibe, John Selway, Maceo Plex, Ewan Pearson, Dubfire, Rolando, Digweed, KiNK, Riva Starr, Norman Nodge, and Zdar (to name just a few) all lining up behind the same record.

From Liebing’s rolling, percussive techno to Ian Pooley’s chord-heavy deep house, there’s something here to suit a range of tastes. The Fanciulli brothers kick out a summery, steppy jam, while Timo Maas & Santos go darker and freakier; Wink’s mix seems to be the one that’s gathering the most acclaim, with its tight organ patterns and sneaky key change. Check out all five mixes below, after the jump, along with a recent Shlomi Aber DJ set from his SoundCloud page.

Agaric: Who Made Up the Rules

By Beatport News Editors

Sweden’s Agaric [a] has a new release on Ovum and a quirkily surreal video to accompany it.

Agaric, aka Patrik Skoog [a] , counts more than 100 releases to his name, including records for Kontra Musik, Liebe Detail [l] , Syndikaat Records [l] , and his own We Are Records [l] ; though he’s been recording since 1995, Who Made Up the Rules is his debut longplayer, offering a twisted journey through atmospheric techno, skipping tech-house, and late-night dancefloor meditations. Check out the full album sampler below, as well as a recording of Agaric’s recent live PA at Panorama Bar and a new Beatport top 10.

Weekend Weapons: David Alvarado

By Beatport News Editors

The American DJ, producer, and label head David Alvarado [a] has a career stretching all the way back to the early ’90s, when he began recording for labels like Strictly Rhythm [l] and Plus 8′s house offshoot Definitive Recordings; over the years, he’s built up a solid discography of singles and albums for Peacefrog Records, NRK [l] , and Ovum Recordings [l] , while his own Bomb Records [l] imprint helped give a leg up to artists like Kenneth Graham, Eddie Amador, and Derrick Carter.

Now Alvarado returns to Ovum for a special collaboration with Luca Bacchetti [a] . Alvarado turns Bacchetti’s massive 2008 cut “El Matador” into a chugging tribal excursion, while Bacchetti takes on Alvarado’s “Klugh,” originally released on Ovum back in 1999.

To celebrate the release, we asked Alvarado to share a few of his favorite tracks of the moment. Read on for his answers.

Introducing….MANIK

By Dan Cole

Hailing from New York City, MANIK is the latest house prodigy that’s making waves amidst the redoubling American underground. The 25-year-old producer, aka Chris Manik (really!), released his first record just 10 months ago, and already he’s graced the plates of Ovum, Four:Twenty, Fresh Meat, and more; he’s currently working towards his debut album, out next year. Today, he drops his latest EP, McLovin You, for LA’s up-and-coming Culprit imprint.

We caught up with this native New Yorker and first-generation Hungarian-American; read on for the full interview.

Introducing: KiNK

By beatport mike

In just a short amount of time, Strahil Velchev aka KiNK has come from being a relative unknown even in underground house circles to being one of the most in-demand producers and remixers to burst out of the trenches and skyrocket into the limelight. His unique take on classic house music, with a focus on Chicago’s jacking boompity and early acid tracks, has caused quite a stir. But his sound doesn’t just re-hash what we’ve already heard in the past. His ability to incorporate musicality within raw and edgy grooves has helped define him as a leader in the new-school of four-to-the-floor.

His ‘Rachel’ EP for Josh Wink’s Ovum imprint, for example, included one of the most frequently charted tracks at Beatport, ‘E79′, getting played everywhere from the darkest warehouses to the sunniest terraces, yet breaking all the rules dictating what a hit record should sound like. Further releases on Rush Hour [l] , Pets Recordings, Liebe Detail [l] , and Freerange Records [l] have only helped cement his name as a person to take very, very seriously.

We were fortunate enough to catch up with KiNK and have a friendly Q&A session with the Bulgarian producer in the midst of his rise into underground superstardom. Check it out following the jump.

Weekend Weapons…Josh Wink

By alex hughes

Celebrating 15 years of his Ovum Recordings [l] label, Josh Wink [a] takes a well-deserved victory lap this summer. Catch Wink and friends (D’Julz, Steve Bug [a] , DJ Sneak [a] , Nic Fanciulli [a] , Loco Dice [a] , Derrick Carter [a] , and others) as they hit Paris’ Rex Club, Leeds’ Mint Club, Berlin’s Berghain, Eindhoven’s Recreation Lake Aqua Best festival, Zurich’s Street Parade, and more.

Wink gives us a taste of what to expect from his sets with a Weekend Weapons selection that runs from classics to CDR-only promos that the rest of us can only salivate over.

Read on for the list, with audio, and as a bonus, check out Ovum label manager Matt Brookman’s top 15 releases from the past 15 years, published over at Urb.

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