Browse by Label: PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Belong
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 002CD

Originally released in 2000, this record has now been remastered and re-released, with new cover art. "It has returned, it`s back: that refreshing feeling which set everything in motion. In the days when house music was still young and its first waves splashed over into the old world, this was initially just an experience. To be dancing off into oblivion along the never-ending mesh of tracks. But for some, this experience also became the key to inspiration. And this is what it looked like: House is not as simple a style of music as polka, but is one of principle, a platform, a feeling. To a DJ and producer, this platform offers the means of formulating one's own emotional demands and expression, without having to make too many compromises and allowing far more subtle diversification than any other genre. And nothing else feels as good and right. When house music was still young, Peter Kremeier was also still young, and in Cologne these first waves of house also splashed over him in '88. Back then, although house was a direct product of disco, it still sounded like a daily step into the future and not like romantic indulgence in filtered retro vibes. Disco-loop sample tracks didn't have a stranglehold on the dancefloors yet, perhaps also on account of the far more restricted sample capacities. Hip-hop, also in the figurative sense, an underground attitude, was in many respects substantially more akin to house than nowadays. A specific house way of life and other formalities weren't so rigidly defined yet, especially not in Germany. A few years later, most people had found their definition of house and Peter Kremeier discovered that his karma was pushing him to Wiesbaden to pursue, intensify and release his interpretations of house under the name of Don Disko and Losoul at a Frankfurt label called Playhouse, where a load of wild-pitching desperados and house-mates seemed to have been waiting for someone just like him. After six 12"s, the release of Belong marks Losoul's first album. In tune with the season, Losoul pushes the windows in the house wide open, tidies up really well, throws out a lot of junk, undrapes some perfectly maintained supporting pillars: the supreme aesthetics of Belong does without any disco, over-indulgent filter sweeps, without any jazz fusion fillers, without any old hat that could 'refer' to anything. Nevertheless this record sounds warm and organic, not to say it sounds phat. His crisp, yet also gruff, at times obscure style neither remind you of the golden disco days, nor jazz brass sections, nor does he try to imitate New York, Chicago, Detroit or Gutersloh. This is something completely different: Kremeier's experience of studios and how to create a certain atmosphere in his function as a producer, enable him to erect a scaffold made of 100%-stable grooves whose construction may at times adhere to strange rules of gravity, yet never collapse. This he wraps up in a foil of human emotion. The material is far from brittle and is kept supple with Kremeier's own secret adhesive, one that the competitors will find hard to emulate."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 003CD

"Famous When Dead? Already be done in miniature. We acquired fame by ourselves in the last ten, fifteen years of the electronic music revolution and digital storm. Though we still haven't got any screaming teenagers when we peek out of the hotel room in the late afternoon: our apartments are always too small and crammed with records and CD's. And if someone on the street turns around to look at us, then its probably because of the pompously large sunglasses and the unusually high concentration of alcohol fumes that surround us as we walk past. Yet our music is known worldwide, be it the original or a derivative of our ideas. It dances to our beat. We have played a fair part in the language of this world and quite frankly, there's nothing more important for me in life than doing precisely that. Playhouse was (and still is) -- ever since it first saw the light of day in the form of the energetic Holy Garage track 'Surprise' in the early nineties -- a prime example for self-authorisation, private politics and an economic cycle of friends. A survival strategy -- social, cultural and artistic -- that could have filled the term 'New Economy' with more content and future than the information technology companies will ever achieve. The playful changes and reinventions of communal space, of potential fun and music forms, the charitable moment of nightclubbing, all the pleasant sides of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, politics and economics, in short the generally accepted merits of disco, house and techno, are -- how shall I say -- deeply and eternally embedded in labels like Playhouse and the heads and hearts of the people who run and promote them. Everyone who played a part in creating these fifty wonderful Playhouse records should be incredibly proud of their work, their passion and the many lovely days they have made possible for others in doing so. Without Playhouse, Delirium, Aspiral, Ongaku, Wild Pitch Club, Klang and Robert Johnson, where would we be? See what I mean? Thanks. (Text by Tobias Thomas)." Artists include: Losoul, Light Fantastic, Blaze, Holy Garage, Rework, Isolée, Bodo Elsel, Soylent Green, Random Factor, Freaks, Captain Comatose, Villalobos & Dandy Jack.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead II
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 004CD

Second awesome volume in this series, featuring tracks from: Brooks, Mille & Mr. Hirsch, Weekender, Hi-lo, The Soft Pink Truth, Shake, Swayzak with Kirsty Hawkshaw, Playgroup, E-troneek Funk, Shalark, Hans Platzgumer feat. Catriona Shaw. "The long-awaited continuation of the Famous When Dead series reminds us -- those who refuse to stop believing in the essence and virtue of house -- that Playhouse is perhaps not solely, but nevertheless substantially a DJ label: made by DJs for DJs. Well, and DJs love rummaging around in records, discovering records, and most of all, they love presenting the ones they treasure most to the people out there. To even discern these jewels in times of massive vinyl overkill requires a special kind of sensitivity that seems to have been added to the air we breathe in our Playhouse offices. Consequently, part two does not present an overview of the label-own productions, but an outlook on some of the label organisers' personal top preferences. Therefore this isn't a factory tour, but a world tour, and in this case from the perspective of the man who put together this compilation: DJ Ata. Featuring eleven (club) tracks that have more in common as far as the mood is concerned than the style, the type of tracks you want to remember long after an intensive night on the dancefloor has ended, and thanks to this album you can. It includes relatively illustrious (but still very much alive) names such as Swayzak, Playgroup or Hans Platzgumer -- who helps you to come down from this trip with a beautiful downtempo number -- but mainly (still) fairly unknown formations like The Soft Pink Truth, Shake, Shalark or E-Troneek Funk. Not forgetting Mille & Mr. Hirsch, Weekender and Hi-Lo who complete this dazzling compilation of exquisite deepness. The sound is timeless and unpretentious, and in its abstract diversity as direct and gripping as top-quality soul or funk, hence akin to classic Playhouse acts such as LoSoul or Isolée. Ata has done intensive aural research and found contemporary showpieces of his favourite basic ingredients: phat bass lines, dry beats, warm pads, all set to jazzy-organic sounds. A true bonanza for character DJs beyond happy disco house. But one with an almost serious, ceremonial atmosphere. This reminds us that in the best case, house music can even be healing and holy. It's become pretty difficult to conjure up these kinds of powers nowadays. Ata can do that blindfold."

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, RICARDO
Title:	The Contempt
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 004EP

"The first release in our 'Back Up Classic' series produced back in 1995 this is one of the first Villalobos productions -- and most important -- the first on Playhouse ever. Just starting his career as a professional DJ, Ricardo was famous for throwing illegal parties at pretty unusual locations that time... but even then, he already had mastered his unique style of production that he should become famous for more than 8 years later. The musical journey on side A didn't lose any of its magic or energy until today. This Playhouse classic has not been available for more than six years."

Artist:	REWORK
Title:	Fall Right Now
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 005CD

"Rework are a trio and consist of Laetitia, Daniel Varga And Michael Kübler. It's about pop music, sometimes to dance to, sometimes to dream to, sometimes to sing along to. Accordingly, the new LP, Fall Right Now, is equally eclectic. The album begins with the fierce club stomper 'You're So Just Just' released as an advance single release in November 2002. Who's dominating who? In any case it won't surprise anyone who's heard the track that when it comes to 'sexy accents' French women are even exploited in beer commercials. 'Not Quite Like Any Other' is pleasantly reminiscent of this other Francophile trio, Saint Etienne, though with her husky, slightly off-key sounding vocals Laetitia sounds more like Nico Päffgen than Sarah Cracknell. The next piece, 'October Love Song' (a cover version of a Chris & Cosey song), is the perfect mixture of LIO and Neue Deutsche Welle, German new wave. Next comes 'I Think You Think' with darkest new wave disco and Laetitia amazingly manages to go even lower by one octave. 'Explain Our Sync' has the effect of an electro skit that resets the receptors in your ears. The tribal funkiness of 'Loin De Moi' is followed by the simple, but perfect 'Amoureuse'. Then 'What You Want' fuses Basic Channel, Kraftwerk, Joy Division And Grace Jones. Sixties-inspired 'Le Pop' can be heard on 'Affaire Classée', and with the well-known hypno beat of 'Anyway I Know You' the albums ends. 'Fall Right Now' is really one of a kind. The ten tracks oscillate between different worlds that may seem irreconcilable for narrow-minded listeners but seem to fit together as a matter of course for the members of Rework. Let's go to the arts cinema down the road and watch 'Bonjour Tristesse' with subtitles. Then we can put on black eyeliner and go to the WMF. Sounds good? Then play this record before some copywriter or other turns these influences into a kind of lifestyle, or they take this music to serve in a commercial for a French brand of cigarettes."

Artist:	ROMAN IV
Title:	Green Tea
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 005EP

New version of this EP that was originally released in 1995 and long deleted since... And here it is: Green Tea: reduced, danceable, intransigent, harmonic, feastful, rattling, hypnotic, impressive, house-y... Roman IV put it all into these tracks. So go ahead and listen for yourself. This record tells its own tale. Oh yeah, together with the re-released old tracks, you'll get a previously-unreleased track from this period. So have fun with "The Appeltree And Me."

Artist:	TEJADA & ARIAN LEVISTE, JOHN
Title:	Fairfax Sake
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 006CD

"Tejada and Leviste might be California's best-kept secret. For over a decade, the two have been turning out some of the state's -- and, yeah, the nation's, or even the world's -- deepest, most inspired dance music, with records on Playhouse, Pornflake, Moods and Grooves, and Tejada's own Palette imprint. Collaborators for 11 years, their joint productions date back to the late 90s; Tejada himself has proven one of electronic music's most prolific artists, with records on Palette, R&S, Multiplex, Organized Noise, Seventh City, deFocus, Mosaic, and many more. But Tejada and Leviste have come up with a sound that doesn't really belong to geography: it might be rooted in Detroit techno, but it's scattered with Chicago jack tracks, SoCal G-Funk, Cologne microhouse, New York disco, even a smattering of East Bay Hip Hop, reconfigured for a four-to-the-floor vision of musical inclusiveness. Tejada and Leviste's style makes a sound you'll be hard put to name, right in the sweet spot between house and techno, breaks and 808s, plucked strings and patch cables, edits and immediacy. It's sunlight and silicon; it's a breath of fresh air. Can you feel it?"

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	Going Out
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 007CD

"Can Oral is Khan -- this is the name he's been known by for many years. As an authority in the international house, techno and electro scene, his productions are innumerable, as are his pseudonyms, but there's a leitmotif in all of Khan's work: no matter what style he happens to prefer at any given moment, it always has an irresistible groove to it, it has soul and it's sexy. Khan, born and bred in Frankfurt, until shortly living in New York, has now returned to Germany, choosing Berlin as his new domicile, armed with another new project: Captain Comatose. Khan shares the place at the helm with his music partner in crime, DJ Snax, who he met at a fashion show in Berlin back in 1996 -- only to find out they were virtually neighbours in New York. Three 12" releases on Playhouse in the last three years gave a hint of what to expect on the first Captain Comatose album: a sleazy mix consisting of disco, electro and house, a rhythm that gets your hips swinging and soulful vocals that hold you spellbound. Thanks to Captain Comatose, the world of electronic music has gained two more super heroes -- two artists who casually and sexily fuse the very best the different worlds of dance music have to offer: cool soul with funky techno and trashy disco meet pushy electro and housey beats. An album which has ever more to discover, multifarious and ravishing. And a project that's especially impressive at live performances -- in Khan's own words: 'We're definitely a disco band in the true sense.' The journey has only just begun."

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, RICARDO
Title:	Alcachofa
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 008CD

2010 repress; genre-defining album from Villalobos, circa 2003. "Welcome to the New Profundity. Ricardo Villalobos is one of the foremost producers in that Zone That Has No Name -- minimalism that's too rosy-cheeked to be minimal, techno too slinky (and dare we say: feminine) to be techno, house too adamantly anti-anthemic to be called house. On singles for Playhouse, Perlon, Frisbee Tracks and more, Villalobos -- both under his own name and as half of Ric Y Martin, alongside Martin Schopf (aka Dandy Jack) -- has broken open techno's crank-case and reconfigured its motor to run on nothing but pebbles and honey, silicon and grass. Less minimalist than profoundly, proudly, regally restrained, his music is full of pauses, patience and white space; he overlaps genres until only their outlines remain, like a kind of subtractive synthesis used to blot out all but the essence of a given combination of tones. Which brings us to Alcachofa, an album that, like its namesake -- the humble artichoke -- peels away in layers, stripping back rubbery leaves to reveal a sweet, pulpy interior crowned by a halo of thorns. 'Easy Lee,' the album's opener, is perversely delicious, pure dancefloor introversion. Graced by plangent, computer-modified vocals, the tune -- a staple in Richie Hawtin's afterhours sets -- is at once stark and darkly romantic, surface-bound and curiously hollowed, hyper-sexed and dead to the touch. It expands upon Villalobos' interest in processed vocals, introduced with 'What You Say Is More Than I Can Say' on an earlier 12" Play 62 -- here in an edited version, which offsets rubberized techno stomp with delusional robot groans to produce a uniquely sensual disorientation. Not all of Alcachofa is so introverted, but most of it is marked by the same kind of restraint, not hesitation. 'Theogenese' juggles South American syncopations, minimalist click-tracking, and '80s synth-drums, all suffused in a delicate sunrise aura, until every beat glows golden. 'Bahaha Hahi,' traveling under a name suggesting some tropical imbalance, dresses up subconscious vocals in clicks and gurgles -- the sound of snorkeling while stoned. A simpler rhythmic experiment is 'I Try To Live (Can I Live),' an excursion into flattened-out funk and artificial mouth harp. But the record's crowning glory must be 'Dexter,' which steadily cycles through a series of improbable chord changes like a cat prowling one of M.C. Escher's surreal staircases. Pensive, poignant, moving like water under ice, the track sucks you in and holds you deep in the heart of things -- and in the heart of Alcachofa. This isn't techno as we knew it; it's a biological experiment, a Petri dish of private elation and muttered damnations, a morphology of voices and tones and exhalations rubbed raw with salt and gravel. Alcachofa presents metamorphosis in play: restless, irrevocable. Wrapped in rubber, green and meaty, the world sounds different now."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead III
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 009CD

"The common grounds of the tracks on Famous When Dead 3 lie less in the technical side of the production. Because Isolée's future swing on 'Can't Sleep All Night' fuses so many broken and straight beats, beeps and vocals until the tracks almost explode at some point. Or Villalobos' summer hit 'Easy Lee' that's catchy and at the same time as complex as a closet full of forgotten tunes. Melchior Productions produces ever-surprising proof with 'Let's Go Deep' just how compelling constantly repeating the basic beat can be and how exciting slight changes in the embellishment are. With Rework it's similar. The upbeat way the drums come in on 'You're So Just Just' illustrates their typical severity. The depth of their bass is surprising. In contrast to the sweet as sugar Vocoder sound of 'No Under On The Ground' by the Visitors. Captain Comatose's groove on '$100', which will probably kick off just as well in some strange revue as in the club. Then there's the extraordinary, almost fluid track 'Inside The Freakbox' by Spektrum: freestyle, a house bastard.

       The atmosphere is what forges the bond between the tracks on this compilation. Playhouse sounds sophisticated and elegant in all its facets and colours. Stylish. Regardless whether a record rocks or prefers to cuddle. We can hear the quality and the amount of work the producers put into it. There isn't any cheap showmanship, nothing's overhasty, everything seems balanced. Playhouse records want to sound good and they manage to convey a feeling of certainty that it is a good thing if a track doesn't appeal to you one hundred percent. We sit down on the couch and notice: The tracks follow one another so cleverly that they don't ever become boring, not even after listening to the record a zillion times -- despite having danced to them at the club often enough too. The fact that they're danceable goes without saying, that's crucial. If it says Playhouse on the outside then there must be house in it. And the fact that Famous When Dead 3 still sounds fresh, even though some of the tracks are already a year old, is equally important. The retrospective has to assert itself here and now. A label that releases bittersweet songs such as 'Say Goodbye' by Khan and Julee Cruise, the embracing final tracks of the albums, does have an advantage. And so does a label that doesn't pursue any fads and fashions, instead opting for finding and cultivating a style of its own.

       Playhouse is regarded as one of Germany's most important house labels, partly also because it's always on the lookout for ways of integrating new sounds and structures from the aspect of danceability. Ways of being innovative. And thus Playhouse's catalogue of harmonic colours is constantly expanding, becoming bigger and more vibrant, between black and white."

Artist:	SPEKTRUM
Title:	Enter the Spektrum
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 010CD

"We had only just come to terms with the fact that the 80's have meanwhile been exploited to death. All the references and quotations were fun, and, in many a place, the pop and the dancefloors were driven to a frenzy. Yet can one revive it all anew? Can one shed one's experience of NoWave Funk, bone dry bass and vocoder vocals once more and rediscover the whole thing? Of course one can. It happens almost automatically, if you encounter the right kind of music. Music that, with its magnitude of ideas, self-confidence and energy, in other words purely by its mere existence, wipes away any dust that may have gathered. Spektrum stood in front of a mirror and saw themselves smiling in it. But soon the mirror warped under the strain of retro-styles and got stained because pop history spat on it. Spektrum, however, began to scrape at the surface with one or two 12"s and noticed that the smile was still there. Luckily, many people noticed this too. Breaker and Freefall took over the clubs, DJs sighed 'My salvation!', and 'Freakbox' subtly drew attention to itself in such an irresistible way that the general nodding of heads meant not only dance but also approval: yes, one had to experience it. Spektrum smashed the mirror. Splinters. Enter The...Spektrum."

Artist:	BLANKO, BENNY
Title:	8 ft. In the Air
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 012CD

"The style of Brixton's best bearded artist always lies somewhere on the edge of straight funky house tracks and really heavy hip hop instrumentals like 'New Baby'. With the latter's catchy and infectious sound, Benny even won a drum machine contest in London. Honestly. 8 ft. In the Air is one of those albums that certainly grows on you and is just as much fun and befitting in Stevie Wonder's teagarden as in the damp cellar of a certain Pal Joey."

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Getting Even
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 013CD

"Getting Even is definitely not typical house music, and yet it picks up and expands on a certain mood that people experienced for the first time and in its purest form in Chicago twenty years ago. Kremeier always seems to find the perfect balance between a distinctive signature, in other words a unique, very organic sound he compiles from all sorts of sources he finds from God knows where, and a complex link to the overriding history of funky dance music somewhere between disco, house and electro. Getting Even is, therefore, never overbearingly euphoric, but rather pensive and melancholic, but, in its desire and longing for that definitive groove, ultimately always takes the (dance) floor."

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	Up In Flames
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 014CD

"The last-standing disco band invite you to join them as they go Up In Flames. Drinks will be served and served and served until the last disco fan is left standing or comatose, whichever comes first. On hand to orchestrate the debauchery will be your hosts, Khan and Snax, the two mavens of clubland who make up Captain Comatose. An arch dancefloor provocateur, Khan is soulful and remote, like his music and his Turkish-Finnish heritage. Originally from Washington DC, Snax is a party-hungry funkateer with an affecting falsetto who is driven by the sound of go-go and garage punk. His kinky afro teases out a clue to the thinking behind the duo's new album, Up In Flames, which finds disco taking rock on at its own game. 'Musically, I'm interested in that weird period in the late '70s when rock went disco,' explains Khan. 'It sounds retarded but things like Rod Stewart and the Stones; their disco records were some of the best albums they ever did.' When the asceticism of punk made it un-cool to indulge oneself, rock's old guard simply continued their hedonistic ways behind closed doors, in the anything-goes atmosphere of clubs like New York's Studio 54, and made records that reflected that mindset. The sound of the new album takes its cue from one of the songs that closed their last, 2001's Going Out; a deranged cover of Iggy Pop's 'Baby,' powered by a pounding club beat. It finds its match in 'To My Song,' the opener on Up In Flames, whose hypnotic rhythm sounds like the Beach Boys gone techno or Kraftwerk meets Motown, depending on which of the two you ask."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead IV
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 016CD

State-of-the-Playhouse-art compilation, featuring Villalobos, Isolee, Losoul, Tejada, Lindstrom, Spektrum, Recloose, Captain Comatose, etc. "Is it not true that it no longer matters nowadays whether an awesome Detroit track was played on tape at Motorcity, or compiled in Cologne, Warsaw or Buenos Aires? We think so and are looking forward to meeting the Belgian musician in Brooklyn, while feeling the epic atmosphere of the universe's vast expanses in cold, distant Norway. In London, Andrew Weatherall and his swordsmen unpack their guitars and drums once more and even in Hamburg Isolée is willing to get out his 6-string for 'Schrapnell' to create emotive sound foundations on Recloose. Long-runners such as Tiefschwarz's remix of Spektrum's floorfiller rub shoulders with tranquil electro-pop from Rework. My My in Berlin display a similar approach as the two gentlemen in California by the name of Tejada/Leviste. Two captains who want to set the disco boat alight with us and Max Mohr's 'Old Song' tastes like the first sip from a glass of good wine. And finally, Losoul, one of Playhouse's very first artists, creates a 10-minute house track with singer Malte that avails itself of the German language without even feeling awkward. That's what it looks like, our Playhouse. Variety is the motto on Famous When Dead IV, a representative cross-section of the best tracks in recent years. No more, no less."

Artist:	ISOLEE
Title:	Western Store
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 017CD

CD compilation of earlier 12" releases. "Perhaps Isolée had breakfast on the same disco planet as Morgan Geist or Daniel Wang, the action he has taken as a result of this is completely different. Though synthie-pop, EBM and hip hop may well count as influences, they are not really tangible and impossible to pinpoint in his music. The four-minute track 'Cité Grande Terre' (Play 022) doesn't sound like anything you've ever heard before. Nonetheless you instantly take a liking for it. So Isolée proverbially plays in a league of his own. And he has always done so right from the start. Western Store underlines this theory. Compiled by one half of Alter Ego and Sensorama, Jörn Elling Wuttke, Western Store includes a range of 12" works by Isolée. What a funny coincidence that the record comprises exactly 12 tracks. Some are from Isolée's early days, for example the beautiful New Orderesque 'Initiate II' or the hypnotic deep dub reggae disco on 'Monitor' (both on Play 014). On the other hand, works such as the maze-like and mystical 'Lost,' Rajko's last Playhouse 12" before the latest album release, or the enchanting 'Beau Mot Plage' version of Freeform Five that could also have been concocted by the hazy minds of the Idjut Boys. Yet don't get me wrong, Western Store is anything but a random patchwork. Held together by ice crystals sparkling in the sunlight such as 'Simone Rides' or the spellbinding futuristic music of 'King Off' (both on Play 018), Western Store comes across like the missing link in the chain of albums between Rest and We Are Monster. So it makes no difference whether the year they were created was 1997 or 2003. With his openness and flexibility, Isolée evades any distinct identification with regard to his music, making him a nightmare and blessing for the music journalists worldwide. A nightmare, because the pigeonholes jam whenever Isolée's tracks are played. A blessing is their effect: Western Store is one of the few exhibits of our time that stimulates dancefloors and our minds alike, without playing one off against the other."

Artist:	SOYLENT GREEN
Title:	La Forza Del Destino
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 018CD

"It's some 12 years now that Roman Flügel has been releasing solo music under various aliases like Acid Test, Ro70, Roman III, Roman IV, Eight Miles High, and of course Soylent Green. (Alongside his longtime partner Jörn Elling Wuttke, his various collaborative projects -- Acid Jesus, Alter Ego, Holy Garage -- go back further, at least 14 years to 1992's Remastered One.) Lots of numbers there; infinite formula for the aspiring music fan-cum-lab rat interested in cooking up his or her own acid test; plenty of potential timelines to be read out of more than a decade's worth of vinyl grooves. Dude's been so prolific that it's hard to say which of his aliases are the 'side projects,' the alter egos, so to speak, and which represent the core artistic statement. That's also the beauty of his work: its considerable range -- not eclectic-for-eclecticism's-sake, but merely inquisitive in the extreme. Soylent Green -- in which Flügel since 1995 has pursued classic, stripped-down house grooves of a decidedly Chicago bent -- sometimes felt like a side project. There were until now only a handful of records under the name anyway, and nothing like a full-length. The project felt a bit like a stylistic sorbet, the way Flügel must have cleansed his palette in between Alter Ego's main-room emphasis and Eight Miles High's more studied obscurity, crafting groovy little sketches with his eyes closed and his fingers glued to the pots and faders. Did I use the word 'classic' yet? Because this is it, hands down. Homage, revival, investigation, trip down memory lane: pick your angle, but La Forca del Destino is positively steeped in house's primitivist heyday, less holy garage than Windy City waist-winding, laid out with crisply minimalist drum programming and judicious splashes of keyboard coloring, unafraid to be melodic, but without a single extra beat or note cluttering up the proceedings. Stripped of retro's pretensions, neither resolutely analogue nor obviously digital, La Forca del Destino is classic without being throwback, simply a selection of grooves that, one suspects, have been rolling along forever, quietly circulating through a universe of circuitry, midwifed by nimble fingers turning knobs, but otherwise almost autonomous -- self-winding rhythmic miniatures, perfect little closed systems that do their thing without even being asked. Every B-movie fan knows that 'Soylent Green is people.' But this is no cannibalization. It's too idiosyncratic for that. It's acid without being 'acid,' minimal without being 'minimal'."

Artist:	MYMY
Title:	Songs For the Gentle
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 019CD

"My My are hard to grasp. Sometimes they perform as a threesome, sometimes alone. Often they deejay as a team, sometimes they follow each other. You can think of My My both as a loose entity and a firm collective. It interlocks wonderfully, not only on their records, but also when they are performing live. A DJ set by Carsten Klemann introduces the night and carefully switches over to Lee Jones and Nick Höppner doing their live set, which in turn is followed by Nick and Carsten deejaying for hours and hours on end. It all intertwines effortlessly and one needs to have a close look in order to really know who is fiddling with what knob. Songs For The Gentle wouldn't exist without the hedonistic whirlpool Berlin turns into weekend after weekend just after sunset. Every dancefloor has its euphoric moments -- but no matter if you want polyrhythm and minimalism, something rough and abrasive, deeper shades of house music, or a little darkness, with or without a touch of electro: My My's tracks fit in everywhere. It starts with the steadily paced 'Clean Break,' switching over to the dub-driven raindrop melancholy of 'When It Rains.' 'Eleventh Hour' breaks up its minimal rigidity with a silly yet refreshing sound of a bicycle bell ringing. For 'Reverse Charge' one would have to invent the genre hop house. Then 'Blue Skies' and 'Pelourinho' contribute to a crescendo that culminates in the magnificent and majestic peaktime track 'Propain.' 'Half A Hole' subtly and deeply takes you by the hand, before the hip-hop influenced 'Secret Life Of Pants' ends it nicely. With the idyllic composure of folk music, which one can find traces of here, as well as the sometimes, clear hip-hop influence, Songs For The Gentle is a classic album. These tracks deliver what the title promises: songs."

Artist:	MOHR, MAX
Title:	Trickmixer's Revenge
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 020CD

This is the debut full-length album by Cologne-based Max Mohr. Before moving to Cologne in 1994, Max spent six months in New York, where he studied the entire city while being deeply immersed in a sphere consisting of artists and musicians. This gritty punkness has pervaded his output, even since 2000, when Mohr released his first 12" on Playhouse. The Trickmixer EP has already placed him in the international spotlight, and has been played by BBC Radio and DJs spanning all genres, such as Michael Reinboth, Gilles Peterson and Laurent Garnier. Trickmixer's Revenge starts off with "Diamanten," which sounds like the lively, organic dance of a foreign tribe. "Spellbound" is a beautiful, haunting melody with a suspenseful lift-off that heads straight into volplane. "Mellowmoon 2" emphasizes nice warm chords for the club or the kitchen, while "Lucky Go Wild" sounds like the title track to an '80s science fiction television series, mixed with a bit of Mohr's pop appeal. "Schaben" is a rocket-propelled dub monster for every DJ. This is the track to play in the club to cause mayhem on the dancefloor. From his years in a punk band, to creating giant, padded art installations, to his first tracks using an Amiga 1000, Max Mohr's debut is the culmination of years of experimentation in different mediums and different genres, all executed brilliantly.

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, RICARDO
Title:	Fizheuer Zieheuer
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 021CD

2-track extended CD single of sorts, 73 minutes long. "Señor Villalobos is back again on Playhouse so roll out the red carpet for his Fizheuer Zieheuer monster which is no longer than 37 minutes. Represented here in its full glory, we added Ricardo's special 'stripped down to the bone' beat version, the 'Fizbeast,' to give you the chance to enhance your creative DJ skills and add some extra sugar on top. Fizheuer Zieheuer is around for awhile now and a special secret weapon in Ricardo's sets all over the world, causing mayhem wherever he plays it. 100% pure hypnosis, this track plays with certain sounds that you would not really expect from this minimal master in the first place...But it's the way he's using these East European horns which is done so well and their integration in the beats that makes the track so exciting. There are slight changes throughout the whole 37 minutes, morphing and transforming itself and these twisted melodic horn stabs all the time, sucking you deeper and deeper into a very very special state of mind...It's definitely an experience and worth a try. Villalobos, master of hypnosis, magician of the groove."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead V
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 022CD

Playhouse continues its legendary and notorious compilation series named Famous When Dead with its fifth edition. Conceived to collect and present the label's 12" highlights, this time it features some unreleased rarities by the likes of Isolée, My My and new arrivals Einzelkind and Simon Baker, plus the biggest and most inspiring hits since the last volume. This is a real gem in the 13-year history of one of Germany's most style-shaping and capricious labels and a listening pleasure, par excellence. It starts with Rework's latest 12" title track "Love Love Love Yeah," and then takes one half of Smash TV, adds Dave DK, mixes it well, and you have a haunting, post-LFO house track with "Mono Rain." Einzelkind presents the A-side from their debut for Playhouse, "Spam Bot" and Alter Ego's Roman Flügel is represented twice on this compilation -- like Rework -- for whom he did the 7"-only remix of their little ditty "Joggin Beat," a wonderfully light-hearted pop jewel. But first we hear the title track taken from his last solo album under the Soylent Green banner where he exploits his excursions into solid and groovy house music. Simon Baker's "Plastik" is making quite a splash, getting worldwide club play already by some of the most influential DJs around. Another newcomer is Boardroom member Pete Lazonby, who presents "I Miss U" -- a cool rockin' club smasher to set dancefloors on fire. Losoul took Unknownmix's "The Siren" from 1989 and straightened it in his very special way. This edit is hotter than hot. Max Mohr's "Lucky Go Wild" is taken from his debut album, and Isolée heads off on another beautiful space escapade with the yet unreleased track "The Jacko Theme." Another unreleased track from the vaults is "Southern Comfort" by My My. The smooth and soft drink they pour in the glass here, proves their versatility and is a real listening treat. Famous? Yes! Dead? No way!

Artist:	ISOLEE
Title:	Cite Grade Terre
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 022EP

1998 release in Playhouse's "Classic" reissue form, in stock for the first time.. "For the fifth time Rajko Müller aka Isolée appears on Playhouse and if you thought this guy did marvellous tracks before, he understands to top your expectations once more, reaching a peak where Playhouse has never been before. Easily he breaks musical boundaries, adding French Chanson-like vocals to a futuristic dance-beat, using lovely melodies and deep dub influences to create his own way of pop-house." 5-track EP, including the original version of Isolée's most famous track, the anthemic "Beau Mot Plage".

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead Sechs
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 023CD

Playhouse continues its legendary and notorious compilation series named Famous When Dead with its sixth edition. Conceived to collect and present the label's 12" highlights, this time the package comes as a 2CD for the price of one, including a bonus CD lovingly mixed by label owner Heiko Schäfer aka Heiko M/S/O and containing partially alternate tracks by the artists on this compilation. On this sixth edition, the echo chamber, the disco dancefloor and the bass-bin are once again the central, magic spaces in which Playhouse has cultivated its universal, totally modern and always timeless house sound for 15 years now. Within the endless interplay of tradition and modernity, the Playhouse team has again impeccably balanced the mix of this new compilation. On one hand, the parameters of house music have been set in stone since the Neolithic Age: the never too-rapid pace, the use of minimal means for maximum impact, the claps with their humane amiability, the bass lines with their viciousness, etc. On the other hand, how this has been interpreted in 2008 is totally unique: crisp and transparent in the high-end, with a pounding punch and warm body in the low end. All this is best experienced on an excellent sound system like the label's home-base Robert Johnson in Offenbach, or at Panorama Bar in Berlin, where Playhouse has a monthly residency. In sparse, intense rooms like these, the assembled and highly reactive elements flourish to their fullest. Artists include: Losoul (feat. ThisTime), Roman IV, MyMy, Simon Baker, Todd Terje, X-District, Holger Zilske, Goldfish & Der Dulz, Rework, Chloé, Prosumer and Common Factor.

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Care
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 024CD

This is the third full-length from Germany's Peter Kremeier aka Losoul on the Playhouse label. The man who used to call himself Don Disco and created monoliths in the history of Playhouse with tracks such as "Open Door," "Brother In Love," and "Lies" has chosen Care as the title of this record, as he muses over the state of a culture in dire need of reformation, conscience, and true nurturing. Influenced by his life and viewpoint as a DJ and live act, this album includes pieces like "Lords Of Sanity" that draws upon certain moments and dynamics in clubs that elude description, where functionality and individuality are not always opposites. "Gridlock" carries the unconventionally deep and hypnotic Losoul groove into the year 2009, while "Sunlite" lifts the industry ruins of the Motor City like a phoenix from the ashes: a homage without any plagiarism. A didactic masterpiece for all those who have forgotten about their local paper in favor of the Detroit News. The tracks on this album were composed with utmost meticulousness, as one would expect of Losoul -- absolute dedication and the right awareness of space and sound. Losoul does without the fuss that producers often fall victim to when seeking expression in album length. There's no superfluous nonsense or false tricks intended to communicate supposed versatility. The beat is the vehicle here. Care is a lucid and pure declaration of belief in a form of house and techno that has not forgotten its roots and loves them dearly, but isn't scared of stepping outside of them. Melancholy is a part of it just as much as comprehensible and authentic positivity. In other words: cheerfulness that has met sadness before.

Artist:	ZILSKE, HOLGER
Title:	Holz
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 025CD

This is the debut full-length release by Berlin's Holger Zilske (aka Smash TV) for the Playhouse label. A leading proponent in the ascendancy of the BPitch Control label and the greater electronic landscape, Holger has cultivated his reputation as a techno visionary under the moniker Smash TV with over 8 years and nearly 30 releases to his name. Since then, Holger's distinct blend of complex arrangements and gargantuan bass lines has been refined incrementally. With ten productions laden with bubbling textures, sweat-fueled percussion and tropical artwork, Holz navigates us into summer climates with moist palms and deep, deep eyes. "Lichterfelde" transforms remote boroughs of Berlin into ecstatic wildernesses populated by looming insectoid tones and gusts of humid pad textures. Punctuated by stabbed Eastern melodies, bouncing bass drops and ritual drum patterns, the opener sets the climate perfectly. "Mes Yeux" pulses amidst decompressing pads and reverberant mechanical samples in a deep house descent, while the hazy beginnings of "Roter Rausch" swarm around steadily enveloping synth and bass progressions in an intoxicating techno mirage. Deep and penetrating synth tones define "Druckraum," which probes meticulously with lazy, clicked percussion and the distant chatter of echoing beats. "Work" commands your obedience with mesmerizing melodic passages and dystopian, metallic percussive accents. "Golden" builds a lazy pop lullaby with decaying samples, trickled percussion and the dulcet vocal contributions of Swedish artist, August Landelius. "Metrodancer" builds a formidable house strut with poked bass and melodic punches of 8-bit synth. In a similar vein, "Olho Gordo" plunges into dark waters with ghostly pads, dry percussive tones and enveloping beats to test your after-hour stamina. Under the pseudonym One Chef, August Landelius returns to team up with Holger on "Have A Cup Of This," which disorients with clattering percussion and certifiably dizzy synth lines that dance around plunging bass tones and ringing symbol rotations. Counting to close with resonant, clocked percussion, August reintroduces his intimate vocal reflections in another downbeat pop arrangement, "To Them To Me," providing the perfect soundtrack to the end of an evening, and an appropriate end to an album that signals a new dawn for Holger Zilske.

Artist:	KHAN
Title:	No Comprendo
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	PLAY 049LP

"Playhouse, in co-operation with Matador, is proud and delighted to present the vinyl version of the Khan album No Comprendo. Khan's debut together with DJ Snax as Comatose Captain on Playhouse was followed by further bizarre excursions into the abysses of New York City. Unlike the Blaze productions, which elucidate the spiritual and self-contained world of deep house, this illustrates the New York of 'White Trash', the burning hearts, the dark cramped basement flats and bizarre encounters foreboded by American myths."

Artist:	TEJADA & ARIAN LEVISTE, JOHN
Title:	Syntax Free
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 052EP

"John Tejada (here in cooperation with his friend Arian Leviste) from California USA, can definitely be called one of thee artists of the year so far. After his big hit 'Western Starland' on his own Pallette Recordings imprint and numerous releases on different labels, for example Dan Bell's 7th City, we are proud and happy to finally present him on Playhouse. Really self confident he musically moves over a cut-up like Funk technique, in a way not unlike to Matthew Herbert's style, into an extremely elastic grooving sound."

Artist:	COMATOSE CAPTAIN
Title:	2nd EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 053EP

"Here they go again: DJ Snax und Khan, both coming straight from New York. On their Tour De Force they are travelling through sound & styles and all kinds of night time experiences, going where everything is invented brand new -- or even better, where something fresh is becoming so ultimately fresh that in the end we get pure musical dynamite. This 12" rocks -- Not slightly or seemingly, not cryptic or minimalistic, on the contrary -- it comes with strong background vocals, fat brasses and rocking synthesizer sounds."

Artist:	BLANKO, BENNY
Title:	All The Way Down
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 055EP

2/2002 release. "Fresh from funky London now available on Playhouse! Benny Blanko brings us lots of fresh air to inhale. No doubt that Benny is rooted in an old school styled ground, but his stuff turns out fresh and relaxed. 'All The Way Down' should be entitled 'All The Way Up', thats how good-humoured it sounds. And who could resist his invitation to bounce and Keep Bouncin!? Dobie's bedroom mute mix with its funky snare and a slightly slower tempo than the original is as restful as its title suggests."

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Warriors
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 056EP

"The first 12" of Peter Kremeier aka. Don Disco aka. Losoul after his legendary Belong album (fall 2000) and again with Malte on vocals. After their very successful live-tour in 2001 they finally went back to the studio to produce one of the highest quality tracks they´ve been doing so far. Consequently A1 as much as B1 are both developed out of their common live show and have simply been perfected in the studio concerning arrangement and sound. It´s almost scary how flexible Malte is tuning his voice to fine shades in the music and vice versa, the music supporting the expression of the voice. The perfect fusion of voice and music is creating such an unique atmosphere that is slightly reminding us to the good days of Robert Owens. Losoul."

Artist:	GOLDFISH UND DER DULZ
Title:	EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 057EP

"Playhouse welcomes two new talents from Bremen. Goldfish and Dulz, the two precision mechanics from way up north do it in a very filigree way on their debut EP. You might think of Ursula Rucker when listening to the intro of 'Lila', but this is a bit misleading as you will hear. Smallest possible pieces like chopped up guitar samples fit well into a solid frame of beats without having a disturbing effect on the dancers. Music for the next millennium? By no means, it's more likely music for the present, because it's too charming and demands instant listening."

Artist:	FABRICE LIG
Title:	Deep Inside EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 060EP

"Fabrice Lig (yeah, you're right, the first white man who released on Kevin Saunderson's KMS label!) delivers with his Deep Inside EP a warm and organic piece of pure black magic on Playhouse; a record which shows his fascination for the Motor City Sound. Lig, who recently released an album as Soul Designer on F-Com, various 12"s on labels like Raygun, Daniel Bell's 7th City and on the Titonton Duvanté related Starbaby imprint, is a producer who's true to the original Detroit/Chicago sound."

Artist:	GOLDFISH UND DER DULZ
Title:	Clubber
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 061EP

"Using the smallest samples on a very groovy foundation, it´s unmistakably their special sound which finds its way right into your heart, leg and ear. But this time the guys from Bremen really go for it! It seems that the sound in its entirety has become a little bit more brusque and direct. There are still all those tiny particles but wrapped up in a 'oh so solid' beat. Acid-like basslines wrap round his body like boas and don´t let go. Plus this slight hint of a melody... just lovely!"

Artist:	SHINTO
Title:	Kibou EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 064EP

"Shinto is one of numerous projects of the Austrian musician par excellence Hans Platzgumer in collaboration with the half-Japanese CaMi Tokujiro. Platzgumer, who, since the end of the 80's increased his musical output under such various names as HP Zinker, Aura Anthropica, Seperator, Fingerfood and Cube & Sphere on such illustrious labels like Matador, Thrill Jockey, Disko B, Cheap and Domino. The Playhouse camp feels honoured to put itself on a par with these names! The Kibou EP introduces us to four titles by singer CaMi Tokujiro and Hans Platzgumer with his hands at the controls."

Artist:	REWORK
Title:	You´re So Just Just
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 065EP

"After two splendid EP's, here's Rework's new disc! And it will shorten the time till the album's release. And with these 2 tracks, tailor-sized for the dancefloor, Daniel Varga, Michael Kübler & singer Laetitia show us what's what. 'You're So Just Just' haunting handful of clubs since 3 months, played, amongst others, by no other than Richie Hawtin himself! Rework are on the right track, baby -- and this 12" shows just their clubby-side!"

Artist:	SOYLENT GREEN
Title:	At The Gates
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 067EP

"It's been a while since the last Soylent Green record came out. 'Pass The Coke' leads off in a great funky way, clad in Hi-Tek gear and a very hypnotic effect on the dancers. A sound which goes straight to your head. Side 2 opens with this calm, nearly stoical stomper 'At The Gates'. Super-solid bassdrum, brilliant percussion, and a little echo predestine this track for the use at the start of the night on the one hand; on the other hand, it's also a good choice for the early morning hours--no question. 'Cold Showers' does not give you the feeling that you were having a cold shower, it's more like you need lots of 'Cold Showers' after dancing to it. A vehemently dashing shuffle created by Mr. Flügel and truly a monster to end this capital 3 tracker!"

Artist:	CHRISTIANE F./CHRISTIANA
Title:	Wunderbar/Süchtig
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 071EP

"Original 'Christiane F.-Gesundheit!' US 12" with 'Wunderbar' track found in the record shop of our trust -- stop -- Scepticism. Is it really her? -- stop --Played it at the club in the early morning hours (yeah, those special ones...) -- stop -- Ecstasy! Euphoria! Experience! -- stop -- Attempt to license and release it -- stop -- after 1 1/2 years the original unmastered tape arrives -- stop -- another Christiane F. 12" is discovered in a record store -- stop -- title: 'Christiana-Süchtig' -- stop -- both tracks have to be released -- stop -- 2 wonderful evidences of 80s club music now to be rediscovered on Playhouse."

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	Don't Come Back (Album Version)
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 073BEP

"This is it! This limited 12" is here to whet your appetite for the forthcoming Captain Comatose album. After 2 great EP's for Playhouse, Going Out, which is the album's title, is the logically consistent development of Khan's & Snax' work on their common material. One strength of this sympathetic duo is their live appearance which steals the show from every conventional 'electronic' act due to their fabulous entertaining qualities."

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	$100 EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 073EP

"'$100' -- the official single of the Captain Comatose album Going Out. And what a smash! So we decided against the 'classic' a/b side separation and made it a double-a-side. '$100' shows the more vibrant side of the duo which comes to light especially live. Makes us bawl -- I mean sing along right away to the refrain. 'Masoquista' -- exclusively on this EP -- is an instrumental with a slight dubby touch which shows even more the many faces of Captain Comatose, and which can be discovered on the upcoming album." Includes a remix by Electronicat.

Artist:	SPEKTRUM
Title:	Freakbox
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 075LP

"The band of four with main players Lola Olafisoye handling vocals & keyboarder Gabriel Olegavich are above all a live-project. Let's see what the press info says: 'As a band Spektrum are hard hitting tight 21st century funk with punk attitudes, think Kelis, Missy Elliot or Grace Jones collaborating with ESG, A Certain Ratio or 23 Skidoo.' A fact you can hear on their 3 singles so far ('Breaker', 'Freakbox' & 'Freefall')." Remixes by: Richie Hawtin, Alter Ego, Destillat + Original Mix.

Artist:	ISOLEE
Title:	Can't Sleep All Night
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 077EP

"Isolée is back with a new single for Playhouse! Having worked on some remixes lately, Mister Rajko Müller now delivers new, own material. And the typical Isolée sound reveals itself to the listener immediately on this 12". Rajko makes us nod our heads right from the start -- a tremendous groove. Bassdrum and handclap action galore! Rajko's masterly use of melodies is shown here by the way of his synthesizer playing. Different parts are glued perfectly together, creating the Isolée track with the Isolée sound in the end. No question that you Can't Sleep All Night of course... "

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, RICARDO
Title:	Alcachofa
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	3LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 083LP

2010 repress on vinyl. Triple vinyl LP version, originally released in 2003. "Alcachofa, an album that, like its namesake -- the humble artichoke -- peels away in layers, stripping back rubbery leaves to reveal a sweet, pulpy interior crowned by a halo of thorns. 'Easy Lee,' the album's opener, is perversely delicious, pure dancefloor introversion. Graced by plangent, computer-modified vocals, the tune -- a staple in Richie Hawtin's afterhours sets -- is at once stark and darkly romantic, surface-bound and curiously hollowed, hyper-sexed and dead to the touch. It expands upon Villalobos' interest in processed vocals, introduced with 'What You Say Is More Than I Can Say' on an earlier 12" Play 62 -- here in an edited version, which offsets rubberized techno stomp with delusional robot groans to produce a uniquely sensual disorientation. Not all of Alcachofa is so introverted, but most of it is marked by the same kind of restraint, not hesitation. 'Theogenese' juggles South American syncopations, minimalist click-tracking, and '80s synth-drums, all suffused in a delicate sunrise aura, until every beat glows golden. 'Bahaha Hahi,' traveling under a name suggesting some tropical imbalance, dresses up subconscious vocals in clicks and gurgles -- the sound of snorkeling while stoned. A simpler rhythmic experiment is 'I Try To Live (Can I Live),' an excursion into flattened-out funk and artificial mouth harp. But the record's crowning glory must be 'Dexter,' which steadily cycles through a series of improbable chord changes like a cat prowling one of M.C. Escher's surreal staircases. Pensive, poignant, moving like water under ice, the track sucks you in and holds you deep in the heart of things -- and in the heart of Alcachofa. This isn't techno as we knew it; it's a biological experiment, a Petri dish of private elation and muttered damnations, a morphology of voices and tones and exhalations rubbed raw with salt and gravel. Alcachofa presents metamorphosis in play: restless, irrevocable. Wrapped in rubber, green and meaty, the world sounds different now."

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	Picking Up
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 091EP

4 track 12" with free bonus CD version (11 tracks, including the vinyl cuts). "Now it's 'Picking Up' time with the dynamic dirty duo of Captain Comatose. And they picked up some real cute guys who got persuaded to deliver the goods this time. Mr. Trevor 'Playgroup' Jackson got his hands on 'Price Gun Baby' and wrapped the lyrics in some nice electrohouse beats, the Munk boys out of the Gomma posse from Munich took '$100' and ran away... haha, just kidding... They're ridin' on a heavy distorted bassline and brought in some beautiful girl singing which adds nicely to the feel of the song. CC's own Mister Snax whips the cowbell and gets all funked up synthesizer-wise while Kid Congo Powers (of Cramps & Gun Club fame) picked up his guitar and re-played 'Mr. Monkey' in a very cool and casual way dropping a nice slide guitar solo and singing like 'there ain't no looking back'. So get your motor running."

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, RICARDO
Title:	Alcachofa Remixes
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 093LP

2009 repress. "Here they are: the remixes of Villalobos' Alcachofa album. And off we go with Andrew Weatherall's and Keith Tenniswood's Two Lone Swordsmen remix of 'Dexter'. Next one in line and a definitely smash is Berlin's own Smith N Hack remix of the album hit 'Easy Lee'. They took the catchy vocoder voice and twisted it around on top of an Italo Disco meets New Order type beat. Side C is completely in the hands of Messieurs Melchior and Ford aka Melchior Productions and Baby Ford. Also in Señor Villalobos' record case is Jay Haze's clattering remix of 'Easy Lee'. It's a typical Ricardo tool that shows its impact in between one of his meandering DJ sets."

Artist:	RECLOOSE
Title:	Cardiology (Isolee Remix)
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 095EP

"All praise to the man who nearly made Carl Craig eat his demo...Remember the story how he slipped his demo tape between some bread into Carl's to-go order in Detroit? Anyway, Carl did NOT eat the tape, nope, he gave us the first Recloose record on Planet E instead. Enter Isolée: Still working on his next album for Playhouse, the guy got the job to lay his hands on the original track and out came a typical Isolée tune that is full of atmosphere with its muted trumpet and effective use of a very soulful vocal phrase courtesy of Malik Alston."

Artist:	MOHR, MAX
Title:	Trickmixer EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 101EP

"Using unwavering basslines and snares covered with a smoke screen Max Mohr is on his flight through space watching far away places like the 'Northern Star'... which seems to be a shiny little trippy sparkling star -- at least that's how it sounds. Back in time with 'Old Song' which could really be an old song -- straight out of the glory UK days way back in '91/'92 with that bassline and those distorted piano-chords it sounds a bit like Saint Etienne's 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart'... smiley J."

Artist:	LOWTEC
Title:	In Fail We Trust
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 102EP

"Could be a bit misleading, the title that Jens Kuhn aka Lowtec came up with...Cause this new 2-tracker by R.A.N.D. Muzik stalwart Mr. Kuhn is a real success! Taking off with the more techy side entitled 'Reminiszenz Quartett', Lowtec throws in a female vocal snippet backed by some melancholy strings. These ingredients are dominated and garnished by this creaky bassline that runs throughout the whole track. It's a stoic track perfectly crafted for the dancefloor."

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Brain of Glass
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 103EP

Remixes by Alter Ego and SuperMayer (yes, Superpitcher and Michael Mayer together)! "Took a while to get this project started... but here we go: Losoul gets the full Alter Ego treatment with an attack of fragments of glass to the listeners brain. Take some thumping bass, a distorted synth line and add some funny noises and you have a hell of a mind boggling remix by the hottest of the hottest of producers Joern Elling Wuttke and Roman Fluegel. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, they do it again, can't fail with their remix skills at the moment. Strike! Sort of a cool down on the second side of this massive remix 12" by another hot producer team, this time Kompakt's finest Michael Mayer and Superpitcher. Imagine it's 4h30 in the morning, you sweat the whole night long after intense dancing on the floor... when suddenly this deep and bubbling bass drum packed with a ton of incredible atmospheric sounds on top starts rolling into the club... You're sunk in deep devotion! Such a beautiful and mellow, yet dark tune with long long typical Cologne-like breaks."

Artist:	PROSUMER
Title:	The Craze
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 105EP

"The word 'Prosumer' describes people who are not only 'consumers' but at the same time also 'producers' of the item used by them. Alright, alright... introducing to you Prosumer alias Achim Brandenburg, consumer and producer straight outta Berlin, city of beats. And if you're into soulful old school Chicago house than this is the one for you! Reminiscing classic stuff like Marshall Jefferson and Larry Heard, 'The Craze' with these deep and true vocals will surely hit you in the right spot."

Artist:	MYMY
Title:	Klatta EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 106EP

"The members of My My met and became friends through common interests in music, but it wasn't until they ended up as neighbours in Berlin's Mitte, that a lifestyle of committed partying, cake baking and long studio sessions led to this debut release. 'Klatta' is the 8th wonder of digital cut up grooves with funky rubberband bass and massive hi-hat attack. Great and gorgeous sounds that make you shake your hips! Up to the 'Bel E'Tage' -- or better down to sub zero floors with subterranean cave music. There's lotsa echo in here... 'Got It' is hypnotizing with some twisted vocal snippets and mesmerizing synths."

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	To My Song/Say CC
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$8.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 107EP

"After rocking dancefloors and stages worldwide with their brilliant and absolutely overwhelming live performances, Playhouse's dream team Kahn & Snax bring you this nice little teaser from their upcoming 2nd album Up In Flames in the formats of formats, the 7" 45 vinyl single. And ain't 'To My Song' perfect for a 45. It's such a great song, combining Motown-esque melodies and arrangements, pounding drums, a hammering piano and tambourine with todays electronic production standards. Add Captain Comotose's beautiful choral singing plus a twisted freak out solo by a strange yet to be identified instrument and you have: a HIT!"

Artist:	CAPTAIN COMATOSE
Title:	Up In Flames/Say CC
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 108EP

"Here's the one to set all clubs 'Up In Flames!' the mighty fine dynamic production duo GLove aka Tobi Neumann and Thies Mynther of Christiane F. 'Wunderbar' fame are going full discotheque by putting their glove over the Captain's hands. Fat bassline, cool handclaps -- what else do you need for a fine disco song? The sound of 'the last standing disco band' is stripped down to the bone to create this minimal disco-buzz on the floor -- did I say D.I.S.C.O. again? Sorry, boys 'n girls... no more "d"-words from now on! Total energy, total madness! The first a cappella shows up here as well."

Artist:	LINDSTROM
Title:	I Feel Space
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 109EP

"'I Feel Space,' you feel space, we all feel space! Norway's own Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, one of thee remixers and producers at the moment, finds a new home in the Playhouse for his anthem 'I Feel Space.' Originally released in late spring on his own Feedelity Recordings imprint, this beautiful tune got props from nearly everyone during the last months. It's a journey through time and space as we're floating elegantly on this haunting melody, driven by heavenly handclaps and a mighty fat bass-drum. Get lost while dancing in the Mos Eisley cantina in the early morning after hours to the sounds of bubbling basslines, crazy cowbells and beatin' bongos! Now Berlin- based Get Physical stalwarts M.A.N.D.Y. heave the track to the other side of the moon to create their version for all somnambulists entering the dark side... M.A.N.D.Y. succeed in keeping the atmosphere of the original version but slightly re-interpret it in a more lugubrious way. Darth Vader voices and some 'hahaha' snippets thrown in by some famous Lou Reed-related N.Y. lady add to the intense feeling you get while listening to this remix. And you will ask yourself, following the break after four minutes, if YOU will be ready for the dark side as well."

Artist:	COMMON FACTOR
Title:	That Was Then
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 111EP

"What a nice surprise! Nick Calingaert aka Common Factor gets down on Playhouse. Three tracks from the vaults of Japan-born Chicago resident Calingaert, dating back from 1998 but still sounding as fresh as a daisy in 2005. You see, 'That Was Then,' but this is NOW! Common Factor, well known from his releases on Carl Craig's Planet E imprint and SOMA among others, first started on Belgian outlet SSR. The last track on this fine piece of vinyl is entitled 'Storm' and is made from funky guitar licks, rattling claves and a nice melody that is dominated by a modulated synth bassline. Any association? A space funk tune made for a soundtrack that accompanies the escapades of a graffiti artist on his colourful expeditions through the city..."

Artist:	ROGER23
Title:	In Strict Tempo
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 112EP

"What is this thing called 'Phantomspeisung'? one might ask... especially the ones that didn't pay a lot attention while sitting in their physics lessons... well, it could be a delicious electro meal served by a certain masked comic figure with striped panties and a German shepherd dog, it could be the cool soundtrack for a brand new 'old school' videogame and it could also be the name of a track from Roger23's debut 12" for Playhouse... he's part of the Swayzak family since 1997 and a steady stalwart of their Swayzak Soundsystem as a DJ since three years and has released his own productions on their three labels Swayzak Records, 240 Volts and Volt Musik."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Famous When Dead IV
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	3LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 116LP

Triple LP version. State-of-the-Playhouse-art compilation, featuring Villalobos, Isolee, Losoul, Tejada, Lindstrom, Spektrum, Recloose, Captain Comatose, etc. Vinyl version contains 10 tracks spead out over 3 pieces of wax. "Is it not true that it no longer matters nowadays whether an awesome Detroit track was played on tape at Motorcity, or compiled in Cologne, Warsaw or Buenos Aires? We think so and are looking forward to meeting the Belgian musician in Brooklyn, while feeling the epic atmosphere of the universe's vast expanses in cold, distant Norway. In London, Andrew Weatherall and his Swordsmen unpack their guitars and drums once more and even in Hamburg Isolée is willing to get out his 6-string for 'Schrapnell' to create emotive sound foundations on Recloose. Long-runners such as Tiefschwarz's remix of Spektrum's floorfiller rub shoulders with tranquil electro-pop from Rework. My My in Berlin display a similar approach as the two gentlemen in California by the name of Tejada/Leviste. Two captains who want to set the disco boat alight with us and Max Mohr's 'Old Song' tastes like the first sip from a glass of good wine. And finally, Losoul, one of Playhouse's very first artists, creates a 10-minute house track with singer Malte that avails itself of the German language without even feeling awkward. That's what it looks like, our Playhouse. Variety is the motto on Famous When Dead IV, a representative cross-section of the best tracks in recent years. No more, no less."

Artist:	REWORK
Title:	Pysch Doll
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 118EP

"Stuttgart's finest trio Rework are back with 3 new tracks and a new singer named Sille. And what a return! Psych Doll is offering typical Rework ingredients, great shaker action and a bassline reminiscing of their massive hit 'You're So Just Just.' Add new voice Sille and you have a perfect Rework vehicle to unleash on the dancers. Last but not least we have Roman Flügel's 'Hot Asphalt Mix' of 'Jogging Beat,' a song which can be found in its original version on the parallel 7" release together with another Flügel mix on PLAY 119. Flügel seems to enter Grime territory here, but with a wink. Everyone's head will start to nod after a few seconds into the track. Lots of fun and a great arrangement! 'Geht's Noch?'"

Artist:	REWORK
Title:	Jogging Beat
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$8.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 119EP

"Straight from the vaults of Rework and Playhouse we have dug out this tiny miniature of beautiful and wondrous sounds named 'Jogging Beat' and put it onto the format of formats: the magical 45rpm 7". 'Jogging Beat' is a very charming song that's perfect for getting up as well as going to bed. And of course for all the hours in between... Ah, sheer pop bliss! Roman Flügel was wandering over hot asphalt on Rework's new 12" Psych Doll (PLAY 118) for another remix of 'Jogging Beat.' But if you wanna hear what he did before he stepped on the hot tar, then take a few minutes for his 'Tender Feet Mix.'"

Artist:	MYMY
Title:	Swiss On Rye EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 122EP

"After the dark and twisted sound design of My My's Serpentine EP, the Berlin-based trio returns, adding yet another flavour to their musical pie, as Swiss On Rye clearly shows their love for pop music deeply rooted in the '80s. A time when little Lee and Nick did quite decent Robert Smith impersonations and sang the latest The Smiths smash into their brushes, striking poses in front of the bathroom mirror, while little Carsten probably laid his hands on a K-Tel Multi Trimmer...Dreamy, poppy aerobic sounds, a rhythm shaker and pizzicato strings all help creating this beautiful crafted longingly piece of music."

Artist:	SOYLENT GREEN
Title:	La Forza Del Destino
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	3LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 124LP

Triple LP version of this Roman Flügel alias. "Homage, revival, investigation, trip down memory lane: pick your angle, but La Forca del Destino is positively steeped in house's primitivist heyday, less holy garage than Windy City waist-winding, laid out with crisply minimalist drum programming and judicious splashes of keyboard coloring, unafraid to be melodic, but without a single extra beat or note cluttering up the proceedings. Stripped of retro's pretensions, neither resolutely analogue nor obviously digital, La Forca del Destino is classic without being throwback, simply a selection of grooves that, one suspects, have been rolling along forever, quietly circulating through a universe of circuitry, midwifed by nimble fingers turning knobs, but otherwise almost autonomous -- self-winding rhythmic miniatures, perfect little closed systems that do their thing without even being asked."

Artist:	ISOLEE
Title:	The Western Edits Pt. 2
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 125EP

New exclusive remixes by Villalobos and The Glimmers. The mix of "I Owe You" by Villalobos is 15 minutes, 10 minutes longer than on the Western Store CD. "Continuing the edit/remix opus of classic Isolée material, we have two other offerings by the magnificent Señor Villalobos and those two Belgian gentlemen The Glimmers. Villalobos injected 'I Owe You' directly into the orbit with another full on trippy and dreamy remix so typical for him. Isolée's very own 'You Are The One...' vocals sound a bit spooky first, but don't do any harm to the open air, sandy beaches, blue skies atmosphere wrapped nicely in the Alcachofa way. It's a great excursion to an Algerian beach called 'Bomo Plage'... Lovely, with a very gentle finale!"

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	What Radio
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 126EP

"Tune your ears to these two new epic Losoul tracks! Almost 23 minutes of 'oh so sweet' Losoul music including persuasive percussion and typical Losoul groove and dynamics. Mr. Kremeier seems to be in a real track mode, which you can hear on both sides of the What Radio single. 'Cut So Sweet' consists of sweet basslines and even sweeter, delayed keyboard motives, which have this beautiful melancholic touch. Seems like they've been played by Casper The Friendly Ghost..."

Artist:	UNKNOWNMIX
Title:	The Siren
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 127EP

"We dug deep in the vaults and discovered this little known treasure from way back in 1989. Unknownmix were Switzerland-based singer Magda Vogel, electronic wizard Ernst Thoma, famous Krautrock drummer Mani Neumeier and Hans-Rudolf Lutz for all things visual. 'The Siren,' taken from their album Whaba!, is a driving track with singer Magda in true post punk fashion. We thought the original was too short and thus let Losoul take over. He raised the tempo a bit, tightened the strings, added the notorious Losoul groove and created a slamming tool still using the original vocals." Also including two remixes by Jahcoozi.

Artist:	ZILSKE MEETS DAVE DK, HOLGER
Title:	Rainshower EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 128EP

"You can't deny Berlin's great pool of talented producers and musicians, so here's another example of what's going on there. Holger Zilske, also known as Smash TV and co-producer of Ellen Allien and her Bpitch Control imprint, gets together with David Krasemann aka Dave DK, a veritable producer and DJ in his own right with releases on Müller Rec., Television Rec., Raum...musik or Moodmusic. The result? Two fantastically bumpin' tracks for Playhouse."

Artist:	ISOLEE
Title:	Hermelin
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 130EP

"Enter the universe of Isoleé and explore three new tunes by the master of chords! He's back on the block with this 12" entitled 'Hermelin' or 'Ermine' for all you English speaking animal lovers out there. And you will easily see that his music is as precious as the fur of an ermine. The title track, despite its uptempo beat, has a certain cautious feel to it. Especially as Isoleé adds this whimsical, kind of English folk melody that appears over and over again."

Artist:	REWORK
Title:	Love Love Love Yeah
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 131EP

Rework present three new ditties to tease you and please you. The trio begins with one of the most sung themes in music history: love. "Love Love Love Yeah" is a cool bassline-dominated dancer that's groovy as fuck and has this special feel-good atmosphere all over it. "Bus Driver" takes us on a bumpy ride to nowhere. Electro 'n roll at its best. Short regeneration with "Christiane" and on to "So Cold"'s manic shuffle-beat-non-stop-dancing-command. Totally irresistible and charming.

Artist:	MOHR, MAX
Title:	Trickmixer's Revenge
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 132LP

Double LP version. This is the debut full-length album by Cologne-based Max Mohr. Before moving to Cologne in 1994, Max spent six months in New York, where he studied the entire city while being deeply immersed in a sphere consisting of artists and musicians. This gritty punkness has pervaded his output, even since 2000, when Mohr released his first 12" on Playhouse. The Trickmixer EP has already placed him in the international spotlight, and has been played by BBC Radio and DJs spanning all genres, such as Michael Reinboth, Gilles Peterson and Laurent Garnier. Trickmixer's Revenge starts off with "Diamanten," which sounds like the lively, organic dance of a foreign tribe. "Spellbound" is a beautiful, haunting melody with a suspenseful lift-off that heads straight into volplane. "Mellowmoon 2" emphasizes nice warm chords for the club or the kitchen, while "Lucky Go Wild" sounds like the title track to an '80s science fiction television series, mixed with a bit of Mohr's pop appeal. "Schaben" is a rocket-propelled dub monster for every DJ. This is the track to play in the club to cause mayhem on the dancefloor. From his years in a punk band, to creating giant, padded art installations, to his first tracks using an Amiga 1000, Max Mohr's debut is the culmination of years of experimentation in different mediums and different genres, all executed brilliantly.

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, RICARDO
Title:	Fizheuer Zieheuer
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 133EP

2009 repress. "Señor Villalobos is back again on Play house so roll out the red carpet for his 'Fizheuer Zieheuer' monster which is no longer than 37 minutes!!! Of course we had to divide it into 2 parts to bring it on the viny l, but it still is a wicked tune. It's been around for a while now and a special secret weapon in Ricardo's sets all over the world, causing mayhem wherever he plays it! 100% pure hypnosis, this track plays with certain sounds that you would not really expect from this minimal master in the first place... But it's the way he's using these East European horns which is done so well and their integration in the beats that makes the track so exciting."

Artist:	SOYLENT GREEN
Title:	La Forza Del Destino Remix
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 134EP

Roman Flügel meets Matt "Radio Slave" Edwards. "La Forza Del Destino," which stems from Roman's solo album of the same name under his Soylent Green moniker, had to be lifted off the album as it is still gaining strong reactions from the dancefloor crowd. The first remix features plenty of heavy bass-shaker snare action. Very minimal, yet very effective. Flip over to side B and check out this monster again in its pure, original form. The mind-boggling robot groove will drive you insane.

Artist:	LAZONBY, PETE
Title:	Bob/I Miss U
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 135EP

Pete Lazonby is back with two solo offerings on Playhouse. On this recording he stays true to the Boardroom ethics and presents two huge dancefloor monsters. "Bob" flies out of the speakers like a swarm of bees. It's a powerful track with a lot of distortion, though there's still enough honey for your ears here. "I Miss U" features the vocals of Otto Fischer and a more electro feeling with a massive pounding bass drum and a couple of breaks. Add backwards noises and you have one hell of a tool to set the room on fire.

Artist:	EINZELKIND
Title:	Lumumba EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 136EP

Frankfurt-based duo Einzelkind (Arno Völker & Miguel Ayala) are no freshmen in the music business -- both started as drum & bass producers a long time ago. The Lumumba EP, their debut on Playhouse, is a tribute to the first Congolese prime minister, who got killed in 1961, being a mere half year in office. "Spam Bot" is a terrific start for the duo, crawling up your legs straight to your ear. "Lumumba" is the stand-out track here. Such a driving beat, such great sounds, it's right at the center of attention, for sure. They go deeper and deeper on side B with the funnily titled "Happy Hypno" which by no means has anything to do with hippos.

Artist:	BAKER, SIMON
Title:	Plastik/Jitters
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 137EP

Advance word has already gotten out about this 12" by the UK's Simon Baker. Only available as a strictly limited 500 clear vinyl copy, it now gets an official release on Playhouse. Plastik/Jitters reflects Simon's passion for the finest underground -- deep electronic house and techno music. "Plastik" starts off with a menacing full-bodied chord to announce its arrival, and quickly weaves a heavy groove and hypnotic keyboard line around itself. And just wait for the organ break. Already being played by all the heavies: Richie Hawtin, Ewan Pearson, Sven Väth, Troy Pierce, Michael Mayer, Carl Craig, etc. This track is a stunning anthem. "Jitters" is just like it sounds, and will also compliment your turntable nicely.

Artist:	REWORK
Title:	Love Love Love Yeah Remixes Part 1
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 138EP

Paris DJ Rework and producer Chloé made a visit to Stuttgart to give "Love Love Love Yeah" the special French treatment. Beats, basslines and samples from the original vocal by Rework's singer are thrown into the echo chamber and come out as a fine blend of dub-infused sounds. Rework's "Chelsea Girls Mix" has a completely different atmosphere than the banging original mix. This is a much more bouncy affair -- a cool, understated and very charming DJ tool. Yet another reason to convert to the Rework sound.

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	The Number/West Side Horn
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 143EP

German micro-house heroes Losoul return with the killer The Number for Playhouse. Lo-slung late night vibes are the order here, over a brooding bass and a miasma of bleeps and rude and lewd-sounding synths, replete with the now-standard pitched-down bloke asking something ambiguous about "are you getting it?" "West Side Horn" is another cheeky club number making good use of a naughty horn sample to offset the arpeggiated synth-line which will work a treat on the most screwy dancefloors.

Artist:	ROMAN IV
Title:	Neues Testament
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 148EP

Two chords is all that was left from Altes Testament released on 1995's Playhouse/Ladomat collaborative 12". What was supposed to become a remix by Roman IV himself turned out to be a new reflection on something that seems to be pretty up-to-date again these days: house. DJ Koze is full of enthusiasm as well: "Very, very nice record. So warm and funky -- all three of the tracks. The best Playhouse record in a long time." Written and produced by Roman Flügel.
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Artist:	X-DISTRICT
Title:	Color Correction
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 149EP

Detroit's Jimmy Edgar presents his dominatrix house project, X-District, and his debut on Playhouse. Color Correction is full of deepness, funk and sexiness with the frosty new wave attitude of suicide girl Laura Clarke, who lends vocals on his remix. The original version is more hardcore-punk, but this remix stretches things forward with its four-to-the-floor bass drum. Losoul hunts this already pretty trippy track through the "Land Of 1000 Dubs," and it's totally wack-o.

Artist:	SNUFF CREW
Title:	Lovefreak
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 150EP

Snuff Crew is a mysterious project from Germany and it's all about jacking, influenced by house, disco and acid-house. Their tracks bring fun back on the dancefloors and jack back into your heart. That's exactly what the Snuff Crew is doing with Lovefreak, their first release for Playhouse. 15 minutes of raw, evil, fizzing house music with an original '87 Chicago warehouse spirit, like this record was beamed from those good old times into here and now.

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Slightly
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 151EP

"Slightly" and "Gridlock" are two of the brightest flashing diamonds on Losoul's Care full-length. These are songs of enduring beauty, hymns to celebrate the joys of an endless club-night. Subtle rhythms -- cautious and coltish at the same time. Reduced grooves and deep sounds, richly filled with moods and emotions. Big support by: John Tejada, Ivan Smagghe, Donnacha Costello, Motorcitysoul, D'Julz, Miss Fitz, Dan Curtin, Sebo K., Troy Pierce, Holger Zilske, 2000 And One, Laurent Garnier, Vera, and many more.

Artist:	ROCK & LUKE SOLOMON, JONNY
Title:	It's In The Rhythm
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 152EP

Playhouse presents Luke Solomon and Jonny Rock's "It's In The Rhythm," originally released in 2000, now including an extraordinary remix that transforms the sound of the early Music For Freaks records into the freshest sounds of 2009. On the original version, overjoyed house collides with the winking interpretation of funk that has been Luke Solomon's trademark for years. The remix is an old-school acid version of that will definitely cause some unforgettable wild party memories.

Artist:	ZILSKE, HOLGER
Title:	Mes Yeux
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 153EP

Holger Zilske presents two tracks off the full-length, Holz. "Mes Yeux" begins with melancholy dub, but raises within minutes into such a deep, psychedelic disco-epic, that you can't stop yourself from asking: "When the hell was the last time a track took me on a trip like this?" "Mes Yeux" is the kind of tune that puts a knowing, bright smile on faces while others immediately rush the DJ booth to ask where the fuck they can get this record.

Artist:	GOLDFISH UND DER DULZ
Title:	Pool
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 158EP

Jörg "Goldfish" Fischer and Maurice "Dulz" return to Playhouse with three extraordinary pieces of music dedicated to and inspired by some crazy hotel experiences they had while travelling. "Pool" shows the guys' love for twisted and crazy sounds surrounding a Chicago-like, bouncing, very funky bass line. Definitely one for the peak-time dancefloor. "Minibar" is more relaxed and ploings your speakers. "Lift" is one of the band's most successful tracks when playing out live.

Artist:	LOSOUL
Title:	Care Remixe Pt. 3
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 159EP

Here is the third part of the 12" remix package of tracks from Losoul's Care (PLAY 024CD). Paris-based producer duo Chloé & Krikor perform together as Plein Soleil, and on the flip you'll find a pretty funky old school-styled mix by Stuttgart's hottest house producer Danilow Plessow, better known as Motor City Drum Ensemble. As a bonus you'll find the original of Losoul's "Deuce" -- one of his most played tracks which hasn't been released on vinyl yet.

Previous Page Index of Labels Next Page

Artist:	MELCHIOR PRODUCTIONS
Title:	The Meaning
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 011CD

Artist:	VILLALOBOS, R.
Title:	Halma EP
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 062EP

Artist:	GLOVE FEAT. JULIA W.
Title:	Wunderbar
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 072EP

Artist:	LOSOUL FEAT. MALTE
Title:	You Know
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 097EP

Artist:	VISITORS, THE
Title:	The Race
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 104EP

Artist:	TEPELI FEAT. PROSUMER, MURAT
Title:	On A Ride
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 110EP

Artist:	C-ROCK / MILLE & HR. HIRSCH
Title:	Take My Hand/Push You
Label:	PLAYHOUSE (GERMANY)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	PLAY 113EP