[Ultrastretch07] Giuliano Lomonte – Love Me High

[U_STRETCH04] Volkan Akin – Voltage

Volkan Akin – Voltage
Label: Ultrastretch
Catalog#: U_STRETCH04
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Country: Ger
Released: 2013

Tracklist:
A1: Voltage Original
A2: Volkan`s Constant Mix
B1: Villalobos AC/DC Rmx

Credits:
After sides from Matthew Burton, Seuil and Albert Schwartz, Sammy Dee’s Ultrastretch label returns in 2013 with Volkan Akin. A regular presence at Berlin institutions like Club der Visionäre, Akin has been slowly rolling out his brand of prickly, spaced-out club tracks since the end of the last decade, both under his own name and as V For Volkan. But if Volkan Akin has up until now been unfamiliar beyond Germany, his Ultrastretch debut, Voltage, featuring an absolute beast of a Ricardo Villalobos remix, stands to turn more than a few heads in his direction.

Densely packed and intricately constructed, “Voltage” is an extended groove you can get lost in. Cymbals ring softly amidst whirrs of faintly melodic clicks, scratches and voices. But at the center of Akin’s churning, percussive arrangement lies a warm and weighty kick sure to keep dancers pinned to the floor. Like so many great Perlon records, “Voltage” can be taken as a deeply considered exercise in sound design or as a deadly club track simultaneously, with Akin’s musical sophistication and knack for an inviting beat working hand-in-hand. The original mix spends over 11 minutes unraveling, but as you fall further into the swirl of Akin’s interlocking rhythms, you’re likely to stop counting. A shorter “Constant Voltage Mix” evokes sunrise, pulling back the original’s heft to reveal gorgeous pads and hints of organic rhythm.
Ricardo Villalobos, Sammy’s longtime label mate at Perlon and a producer who likely needs no introduction, digs deeper into the thump at the heart of “Voltage” on his “ACDC Remix.” Focusing on the original’s wisps of melody, Villalobos turns in a warm, zoned-in remix that feels of a piece with the singular techno trips found on his recent LP Dependent and Happy.

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[U_STRETCH03] Albert Schwartz – Berry Deep / Drop

Albert Schwartz – Berry Deep / Drop
Label: Ultrastretch
Catalog#: U_STRETCH03
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Country: Ger
Released: 30 June 2012

Tracklist:
A1: Berry Deep

A2: Drop

B1: Berry Deep (Restyled by Rhadoo)

Credits:
Following EPs from Matthew Burton and Seuil, the third release on Sammy Dee’s Ultrastretch label introduces one of Berlin’s most intriguing outsiders: Albert Schwartz. A native of Ghana now based in Germany, Schwartz has been DJing and making tracks for years, but aside from a few gigs with Sammy at Club der Visionäre, has mostly been kept secret until now. With Berry Deep / Drop, he shows a modern and organic style of house that makes him a perfect fit for the Berlin-based label.
   “Berry Deep” is true to its name: subtle, plodding and atmospheric, driven by an elliptical vocal bit. Much like Ultrastretch’s past releases (or old Perlon records for that matter), it’s the tiny, meticulous details that breath life into this one, like the bubbling major chords competing with the mournful strings, or the ghostly, almost imperceptible Marvin Gaye samples (“Hey brother! What’s happenin….”). “Drop” brings the energy up a notch without losing its subtle touch. The drums are punchier and have a bit more momentum, but the tone is still somehow hushed. This time Marvin takes center stage, with lines from “Inner City Blues” strewn across the track.
   The EP’s remix comes from Rhadoo, a core member of Romania’s a:rpia:r crew (along with Raresh and Petre Inspirescu) and a past guest at Sammy Dee’s Ultrastretch parties at Club der Visionäre. His microhouse “restyle” of “Berry Deep” gives the original a trippy edge, plus a bit more club-friendly oomph.

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