Longstanding Spanish talent Dennis Cruz drops his latest single ‘Ecua’ from his debut album, Roots. The track takes charge on the B Side, upping the tempo with resonant kick-hat combos and plenty of flamenco-inspired swing. The full album is set for release on the 29th October. Pre-order here –> lnk.to/denniscruzroots
Stream & buy now ‘Ecua’ now –> lnk.to/CRMLP047S1
Cristina Lazic joined us for this week’s Crosstown Mix Show, with her first release on Rebellion out today, as part of the Souls Vol. 2 EP. Expect to hear exclusive cuts from Cristina, alongside tracks from Charlie Banks, Luca Donzelli, Wheats, Thomas Skjærstad and more… Listen now in the usual places.
Nearly six years after the last instalment, we’re bringing the legendary party back to Watergate on the 23rd October.
Tickets available now –> ra.co/events/1469817
Dennis Cruz achieves a career milestone this October with the release of his debut album, Roots. The ten-track LP draws inspiration from Cruz’s life experiences, resulting in a body of work that encapsulates the sounds and musical styles that have led him to where he is today.
“I wanted to work on a broader project, the cornerstone of my artist career, and this is what Roots is. The album is a convergence of influences taken from music that I’ve been listening to all my life, from funk, salsa, and flamenco to house and disco. I am so happy this project could finally come to life. I want to thank the several friends and artists that worked on it with me; Damian Lazarus for believing in it from the beginning and helping it reach the world on Crosstown Rebels.” – Dennis Cruz
Available to pre-order now on 2LP and Download. Released 29th October. –> lnk.to/denniscruzroots
Next week sees the release of the second instalment of Rebellion’s ‘Souls’ series, featuring tracks from Yulia Niko and Mommo G, Cristina Lazic, Paride Saraceni, MoM and Landikhan. Pre-order now!
Dennis Cruz continues his standout run-of-form in 2021 with the release of his latest single, What U Doing. Soon-to-appear on his forthcoming album, Roots, the single is a collaboration with UK singer-songwritwer Leo Wood and includes a remix by iconic German house producer Mousse T.
“It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with Leo, she has such an amazing voice. ‘What U Doing’ is the second track we’ve done together, with this one a little more paired back and dubby, featuring rolling drums and the bright stabs. Mousse T’s remix brings a housey vibe with the rich piano melodies to offer a really cool take… I love it.” – Dennis Cruz
Two worlds come together in perfect harmony, as the five-minute number gets underway with shimmering bell chimes and Leo’s soothing vocal offerings. Dennis’ influence soon arrives, taking the form of a punchy, four-four bassline whilst echoing synths purr intermittently in the background. Mousse T ́s ‘Deep Shizzle’ Extended Remix brings things to a feel-good close, with upbeat piano rolls residing atop euphoric chords to create a dancefloor cut that you can’t help but smile to.
MÜSE co-founder Dennis Cruz has cemented his reputation as one of global dance music’s most-esteemed talents, picking up a plethora of awards and nominations throughout his career, including Beatport, RA, Vicious Magazine, and DJ Awards: Best Tech House 2018, Best Deep Tech 2019 and winner of Best Producer in 2017. Bristolian talent Leo Wood is swiftly becoming a leading vocalist within the scene, traversing drum and bass and tech with ease and featuring on releases by Hospitality, Shogun Audio and Defected to name a few. German house hero Mousse T created some of house’s most-lauded tracks in the late nineties to noughties, whilst in recent times his remixes of Selace, Camelphat, Moloko, Mike Dunn and Wankelmut have been met with widespread industry acclaim.
A1 What U Doing
B1 What U Doing (Mousse T´s ‘Deep Shizzle’ Extended Remix)
B2 What U Doing (Mousse T´s ‘Deep Shizzle’ Extended Remix Instrumental)
Stream & buy now –> lnk.to/CRM261
‘Gruuv label-heads Audiojack made a welcome return to Crosstown Rebels this August with Believer, their debut collaboration with Cuban- born American vocalist Liset Alea. To spotlight their release, the duo recorded a new Select Cuts mix for When We Dip. Enjoy!’
Switzerland-based pairing Dachshund & Chaton teamed up for their first collaboration this August with the Bleeping In Me EP on Rebellion. Amidst the hype of this release, Deephouseit invited Dachshund on to their podcast for an hour of even deeper music.
Benin born, Brooklyn based DJ, AMÉMÉ joins us this week’s Crosstown Mix Show, delivering a set packed with exclusives and re-edits. Check it out now.
Italian mainstay Davide Squillace makes his debut on Rebellion this September with Drive Good. Teaming up with UK regular Nolan, the single features French talent Jaw on vocals and US stalwart Rick Wade as remixer.
Nolan spoke about how the release came together, describing how: “Davide and I haven’t actually met in person, but we’ve created a few monster tracks together. He sent a few projects to me when I was in Brighton and I ripped out the rawest sounds to start turning them into tracks. We decided Drive Good was ready for some top line vocals from Jaw, who took the track to a whole other level.”
The seven-minute cut gets underway swiftly, with hard-edged kick-hat pairings cosying up next to warming chord tones to start. Bleep-like synths soon open into Jaw’s enchanting vocal offerings before Rick Wade’s remix takes on a softer edge, manifesting as a soothing dance cut with clear Detroit influences.
DJ and producer Davide Squillace has achieved a lot in his career as resident of the famed Circoloco and part of the supergroup Better Lost Than Stupid with Matthias Tanzmann and Martin Buttrich. He is also expanding on his production repertoire with releases on the likes of Cadenza, Kaoz Theory, No19, Moon Harbour and Hot Creations. Straddling house, disco, breaks and prog with a unique twist and an eye for the underground, Nolan is making serious waves with key releases on Mobilee, LNOE, Bedrock, Circus, Kittball, MadTech, Crew Love, Get Physical, OFF, Gruuv & Connaisseur Recordings.
French singer-songwriter Jaw is a prolific vocalist in electronic music, making regular appearances on Set About, BluFin and many more besides. Michigan-favourite Rick Wade has been a leading figure in Detroit house for decades, having been active as a producer since 1994. His music has found a welcome home on Shall Not Fade and Open Sound in recent times, a testament to his keen-ear for production.
01 Drive Good
02 Drive Good (Rick Wade Remix)
Stream & buy now –> lnk.to/RBL082
909originals catches up with Rebellion’s latest debutant and naples legend Davide Squillace.
‘Drive Good’ out now: lnk.to/RBL082
“I like to make music when there is joy and unity…” 909originals catches up with Davide Squillace
Rogue D & Memoryman AKA Uovo team up for their latest release with the Electric Safari EP. The four-tracker marks their collaborative debut on Crosstown Rebels, fresh from Total Black on Rebellion in 2019, and includes two remixes by longstanding German talent, Roman Flügel.
Both artists spoke of how the release came together, stating: “The effects part of DJ Harvey’s Berghain and the synths of Padlock inspired us. A mix of these two masterpieces came to us while we were performing and recording, helping us create a mix of afro, electric funk and dub. The result is a trip to Africa with DJ Harvey!”
That tribal sound is felt right from the get go, as rustling hats marry up next to whirring synth pulses throughout. Ethereal keys chime beside resonant kicks whilst bell-like tones march on in the background. Roman Flügel’s remix takes on a more minimal-inspired feel, where a punchy underlying bassline perfectly compliments the celestial chord solos, before proceedings get stripped back further on the B Side with a dub version of each track. Italian-native Rogue D is a well-loved figure in the contemporary house sphere. Renowned as one of half of Flashmob, his back-catalogue boasts EPs on an array of the scene’s leading labels, including Hot Creations, Crosstown Rebels and Defected to name a few. Fellow Italian-mainstay Memoryman AKA Uovo has garnered a global following in a career that spans decades. One third of the legendary Pastaboys collective, his productions have found a home on Snatch! Records and Rebellion in recent times. Roman Flügel has been a champion of Germany’s electronic music scene since the nineties. A prolific producer, the likes of Gerd Janson’s Running Back and Sven Väth’s Cocoon Recordings have welcomed his releases with open arms over the years.
A1 Electric Safari (Original Mix)
A2 Electric Safari (Roman Flügel Remix)
B1 Electric Safari (Dub Mix)
B2 Electric Safari (Roman Flügel Dub Mix)
Stream & buy now –> lnk.to/CRM260
Hen Yanni delivers a highly eclectic two hour selection for this week’s Crosstown Mix Show. Available to stream now in all the usual places…. -> https://lnk.to/crosstownmix33
Toka Musik interviews Swiss pairing Dachshund & Chaton around the release of their debut collaboration ‘Bleeping In Me’ on Crosstown Rebels‘ Rebellion imprint.
Bleeping In Me EP out now: https://lnk.to/rbl081
Gruuv label-heads Audiojack make a welcome return to Crosstown Rebels this August with Believer, their debut collaboration with Cuban- born American vocalist Liset Alea. The single comes fresh from the success of their recent album, Surface Tension.
“We started making the original version during lockdown 2020, when playing music on dancefloors seemed like a distant possibility. We wanted to create something that would reach beyond the dancefloor, something with a wider appeal. Being fans of her previous work we contacted Liset to see if she’d like to collaborate and after sending her a backing track she wrote and performed the vocals for Believer at her home in Paris. Fast forward to summer 2021 and as dancefloors begin to reopen we decided to add a Club Mix, to have a version to play out in our own DJ sets. Then Damian said he’d like to follow up our album Surface Tension with another single, so we sent it over to him and he signed it on the spot” Audiojack
That ethereal nature is felt right from the get go, as Believer begins with Liset Alea’s emotive, heart-rending vocals. Gentle percussion perfectly compliments the poignant lyrical offering, leaving us in a haze of dream-like, starry-eyed reflection. Audiojack showcase their electronic roots on the B Side, curating a six minute Club Mix of dancefloor-ready material. Prominent kick-hat pairings up the tempo, forming a feel-good edit that is sure to light up many a dancefloor this summer.
Ibiza-based duo Audiojack have established themselves as one of electronic music’s most-established pairings, thanks to a consistent schedule of quality releases. Their latest Crosstown Rebels album, Surface Tension, garnered the support of leading tastemakers, whilst their Isolation Tapes series on Gruuv showcased the eclectic sound with which they’ve become best known, using music to provide an escape from the feelings brought on by lockdown. Renowned as the lead singer of iconic French cover band Nouvelle Vague, Liset Alea has become a prolific vocalist on the global dance music circuit in recent times. Contributing What Is Real to Rodriguez Jr.’s 2020 album, Blisss, Liset has gone on to collaborate with some of contemporary house’s leading talents, including Patrick Topping and Alexkid to name a few.
A Believer
B Believer (Club Mix)
Stream & buy now –> lnk.to/CRM259