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In celebration of their fifth anniversary, Upon You presents The Hot Five, a 2CD set lovingly compiled by label co-founder and flagship DJ/producer, Marco Resmann. CD1 comprises 12 new, exclusive tracks from their talented stable (including Gunnar Stiller, The Cheapers, Matthias Mesteño and Emerson Todd), while the second disc contains 10 brand-new remixes of selections from their past releases, crafted by some of the outside producers the label has admired (such as Layo & Bushwacka!, Kris Wadsworth and Barem). CD1 conveys the full spectrum of what tech-house can sound like in 2012, taking clear cues from dance music's rich history but without any blatant retro-fetishism. From the mechanistic beatdown of ONNO & Marcus Gehring's "High Five" to Re-UP's deep and dubby "Guess Whos' Back," there's an adventurous sense of pushing things further. Another method the label has always valued is the overlapping of different styles and sounds, exemplified here by Magit Cacoon's "A Place to Dream About" and Ruede Hagelstein's "Crazy Lips." Of course, Resmann himself contributes, with the hazy rollick of "Room 06." CD2 breathes new life into the label's extensive back catalog, thanks to an international assemblage of remixers who have been encouraged to take liberties with the source material. Kris Wadsworth tackles Emerson Todd's "You Got To," creating a bizarro world version of piano house that combines a Laurie Anderson-esque vocal stutter with a mutant bass line for disorienting results. André Lodemann offers a smooth yet tingly take on Douglas Greed's pop-leaning "Sense," while Salvatore Freda adds a soulful vocal sample to Resmann & Meinhardt's "L'Amettla" along with synthetic tweakings and surgically-precise percussion. Elsewhere, Layo & Bushwacka! put some extra pep in the step of Gunnar Stiller, whereas Patrick Chardronnet pulls Ruede Hagelstein into the black, murky depths of the ocean. The cover art was created by the firm Eat, Sleep + Design, and depicts five burned-out matches. Other artists include: Echonomist, Nico Stojan, Sierra Sam, Agaric, Digitaline, Sven Tasnadi & Juno6, Boris Werner and Marc Antona.
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