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12"
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SOL 013EP
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Alexander Skancke's exciting debut EP for Slices Of Life, including a collaboration track with Foehn & Jerome. Alexander Skancke is a Berlin-based DJ, producer, and rising talent within Europe's underground house scene. The young Norwegian has made a sizeable impact on the electronic music scene, dating from way back to his early releases on Neostrictly, to the internationally respected releases on his own label Quirk. Entrenched in his love for vinyl and analog productions, Skancke is imbued with a passion for the very roots of house music, but has also kept his ears open far beyond the boundaries of electronic music. Skancke's excitement for analog is reflected in all aspects of his life: from his work at Bikini Waxx (a record shop in Berlin specializing in second-hand vinyl), to his fascination with vintage studio gear, all culminating in his music having a wonderfully raw and organic feeling. The three tracks that make up his Public Trouble EP showcase Alexander Skancke's knowledge of the history of dance music without copying the originals, but instead creating his own unique signature. "This Go This Way" sends you on a crazy acid dream, driven by a hypnotic unstoppable beat with Alexander Skancke's voice appearing out of the ether, before vanishing away. For "Wind Sync," Alex teamed up with his label mates and renowned DJ and producer duo Foehn & Jerome at their studio in Berlin. Together they've masterfully crafted a light-footed minimal house track with a slightly melancholic touch. The EP's title track "Public Trouble" truly shows off Alexander Skancke's love for deep minimal funk: an ultra-groovy piece of music based around tight beats and warm basslines, topped off with a funky stripped back synth line.
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12"
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SOL 011EP
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After Dana Ruh's highly-acclaimed contribution for the Slices Of Life 10.1 compilation in 2018 (SOL 010-1EP), now her 12" follows with three driving, funky, and percussive house tracks. As DJ, producer, and label owner (Brouquade, Cave Recordings) and co-distribution owner (KMA60), Dana Ruh is one of the driving forces of the Berlin club music scene. Beyond her world-renown DJ skills and running a Berlin-based record shop and event space, Dana Ruh has become a prolific producer, who spends every free minute on developing her unique take on electronic music. She releases, not only on her own labels Brouquade and Cave Recordings, but also other imprints like Underground Quality, Ostgut Ton (in collaboration with André Galuzzi), and RDV. Her club music productions are defined by a particular hazy and moody touch. The tracks are well arranged and always contain the right amount of roughness, which lets the music sound alive and organic. With Still Vause, Dana Ruh presents three powerful titles from driving and percussive, to funky and stripped down. "My Friendly Fire" sends you on a hypnotic drive accompanied by warm sub bass frequencies that make your trouser legs flutter. "Takes Time" brings you back to reality with its energetic drumming, and the funky, minimal. "To Convince" finalizes this ep with organic percussions and warm sounding strings.
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12"
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SOL 010-2EP
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Slices Of Life celebrates the tenth release with a two-part vinyl compilation. The A side of 10.2 is dedicated to the legendary Berlin producers and DJ duo Cab Drivers: "A Complex Situation" catches you with its irresistible swinging groove and synth lines. Oscar Schubaq, DJ, Producer and co-owner of the label Tardis Records, starts the B-side with "K-Beat", a rough jackin' house tune. The great finale comes from the Parisian Deeply Rooted label owner DJ Deep. With "Spices Of Life" he creates a wonderful, atmospheric, and deep piece of music carried by rolling basslines and playful melody fragments.
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12"
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SOL 010-1EP
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Slices Of Life celebrates its tenth release with a two-part vinyl compilation; owner Barbara Preisinger is gathering seven unreleased tracks by producers who have a relationship to the label through friendship, events and personal support. All have a feeling for warm sounding organic house grooves in common, what Slices Of Life has stood for since its beginnings. The Mole, Baaz, and John Tejada excite us with an extension of their previous releases with three further timeless pieces, while Dana Ruh contributes an upbuilding sunrise track carried by a driving beat and thrilling string lines.
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12"
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SOL 009EP
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Two deep and driving house tunes by Baaz. Baaz's love of dubby sounds and echo chambers can be experienced in The Reason/Ancestor's Fun, but Baaz also stays true to his deep house roots. He skillfully combines spatial structures with his characteristic driving beats and organic sounds. "The Reason" is a grooving, light-footed tune with a jumping bassline and develops a driving energy that will not let go. "Ancestor's Fun" brings up the energy level with stronger beats and open hi-hats, but the playful warm sounds and drifting strings keeps the wonderful flow typical of Baaz's productions.
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12"
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SOL 008EP
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Stefan Betke (Pole) returns with the driving, funky dub techno of "Paris-Beirut-Texas." Originally produced in 2008 as a rough sketch, the track finally saw completion at the end of 2015. Japanese producer So Inagawa (Cabaret Recordings cofounder) turns the original version into a light-footed swinging house track with his remix. Baaz (owner of Office Recordings) adds a stripped-down-to-the-ground version of "Paris-Beirut-Texas," creating a warm, mysterious dub house atmosphere with echoing sounds and voices from the deepest depths.
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12"
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SOL 007EP
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Canadian DJ and producer The Mole (Colin de la Plante) follows up Hang in There Fry Guy (SOL 004EP, 2013). "Inhuman" surprises with a higher BPM than you might expect from The Mole, and breathes a warm and humorous funk while twinkling mischievously from the dancefloor. "Another One of Those Nights" offers a deep and almost melancholic view on the night and its various side effects. "Hot Tea Dog Man" links perfectly to "Now I Understand" from Hang in There Fry Guy; its hypnotic beat concentrates on the essentials and a few well-set elements carry the track wonderfully and endlessly.
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12"
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SOL 006EP
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John Tejada does not really need any introduction -- he is simply a phenomenon. His EP for Slices Of Life makes reference to his earlier releases that were beloved by DJs for their driving energy and occasional wink of humor. The three tracks on Times Like This combine a musical glance back to earlier times, while showcasing Tejada's high-level production skills of today: A Slice from the past without being nostalgic.
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12"
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SOL 005EP
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2022 repress. Baaz present three massive and rolling house pieces for Slices Of Life. "Swimmer" comes right in time for 2013's summer season with its strong beats and drifting chords that awake your lust to run through high summer grass. "Can't Get Enough" is a warm bundle of energy with weird vocal samples and light-footed percussion, and "Chummy" starts with a very dry and simple 4/4 bass drum plus snare figure before building up into a dubby disco-piece carried by a nicely filtered loop and hi-hats.
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12"
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SOL 004EP
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These two tracks on Slices Of Life presents The Mole's hypnotic and paranoid disco side. On "Hang in There Fry Guy," a female voice from far away whispers above percussions, synth lines and a massive beat that leaves no open questions behind. "Now I Understand" appears way more tidied up and reduced, but is also massive. This tracks opens rooms, where the short vocal samples seem to float, soaking you in until the last tone is finished.
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SOL 003EP
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The third release on Slices Of Life comes from the Berlin DJ and producer Baaz. These three tracks show Baaz's focus on deep, pure and simple house grooves that roll on massively, and work perfectly without using obvious effects and frills. "Judy's Bass" clearly reveals Baaz's love of fat bassdrums and basslines in combination with classic drum machine and percussion elements. On "Jeally," Baaz delves even deeper into percussion programming while "Carbon Hair" shows the dubby and darker side of Baaz.
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12"
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SOL 002EP
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Slices Of Life presents tracks from Sistol (Vladislav Delay/Sasu Ripatti's project) and Pole, remixed by Mike Huckaby. To start, "Keno" is transformed into an outstanding, dubby, Detroit-house masterpiece -- exclusively released as an extended version. On the B-side, Huckaby remixed a track originally produced in the same time period: Pole's "Silberfisch." In 2011, Mike Huckaby keeps the dubby and slightly melancholic, crackling atmosphere of the original, but his "S Y N T H Remix" beams "Silberfisch" straight onto the dancefloor.
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12"
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SOL 001EP
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Deep, funky and diverse releases for the club on vinyl only -- that's the idea behind Barbara Preisinger's new label Slices Of Life. The first release comes from Berlin-based producer Betke who is a long-time companion of the electronic music scene. These two tracks reveal a whole world of warm and deep-sounding beats that make you move. Written and produced by Stefan Betke (Pole).
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