- Two years since its first release, Regelbau, a label run by 11 producers from Aarhus, Denmark, is starting to look like one of dance music's most inspired new outfits. The seven 12-inches it's put out so far (not counting those on the related Help Recordings) have been swiftly gobbled up and in some cases repressed. This year, Firecracker Recordings tapped one of Regelbau's key acts, DJ Sports, for an LP that will surely end up as one of the year's best. In a way their sound is nothing new, floating between deep house, garage and electro, but their delivery is irresistible, often touched with a sweetness and pop sensibility that sets them apart from their peers. This is especially true of their latest EP, Drive, by DJ Central and Erika Casier.
Drive gives us three versions of the same pop-flavored garage song. Casier, a vocalist with no credits beyond this record, is the star of all three. Her singsongy melodies and cooed lyrics about hooking up are good enough to carry the track on their own, as proven by the "Ambient Mix," the record's most striking cut. On the "First Mix," DJ Central layers her voice over a garage track that's little more than smooth chords, fluttering breaks and a warm bassline—groovy enough for a club and mellow enough for back home later on. In his "Club Mix," DJ Sports throws some oomph on the low-end and fills out the percussion a bit, making it a juicy club bomb. The record may be an unabashed throwback, aping a style now decades old. But good luck not replaying it when it's done, and many times after that.
TracklistA1 Drive (First Mix)
A2 Drive (Ambient Mix)
B1 Drive (DJ Sports Club Mix)