Mule Musiq Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Florence-born Ricardo Baez has been making moves for more than a decade. He heads up his own party and has landed on cult labels like Live At Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq, which is where he returns now with four more cultural deep house offerings. 'A Sunny Day In Florence' is as warm and breezy as you'd hope from the title, while 'Dark Room' is a jumble of live broken beats, bongos and haunting synths for a steamy workout. 'Whisper Wood' is acid, Balearic style, and 'Animarara' taps into a percussive and wiggy tech house groove. 'The Life Of Larry' is feathery, jazzy and late night house excellence. Baez masters many different styles on this standout EP.

Review: Mule Musiq continues to refine its reputation for sophisticated electronic music with a release that radiates warmth, groove and effortless elegance. The opening track, 'Midnight Piano', with its addictive groove and shimmering melodies, delivers a soothing yet danceable experience. It sets the tone for 'Slow Ride', a Balearic-infused journey with laid-back rhythms and breezy horns, evoking images of sun-drenched coastlines and late-afternoon lounging. On the flip side, 'No Flamingos In Salinas' embraces an ambient house aesthetic, channeling a vintage '90s feel with dreamy synth work while maintaining a subtle techy edge that keeps it dancefloor-ready. The closer, 'Dream On', is a smooth, melodic builder that gradually unfolds, carrying the listener into a hypnotic state with its rich textures and serene energy. These two Italian producers join forces to produce one fantastic EP, a record which embodies the aura of summer with its lush soundscapes and masterful deep house craftsmanship.

Review: Known primarily for his analogue fuelled techno, Madrid based Eduardo De La Calle offers a lighter side to his production palette with this debut on Mule Musiq which is perfectly suited to the Japanese label's friendly aesthetic. "The Rancher's Time" chimes, blips and patters in something typically De La Calle, while "Fight For Devotion" is full of gritty samples, synthesis and pumping drum machines you can imagine flashing red, green and blue in the dark. The EPs final track is the spacey - and almost italo disco - "The Polar Star 'First Stop'" which provides the perfect option for deeper spinning DJs wanting to spice up their set with something a little fruitier.

Review: Fabrizio Fattore brings a lush world of sound to the fore on his new EP for Mule Musiq. It mixes up early, soul-drenched Detroit techno championed by the likes of Derrick May with jazzy melodies that would make John Beltran proud. 'Deep Blue is a sophisticated symphony of melodic and cosmic techno that will lift you off your feet. 'Passengers To Mars' is more lo-fi but still has a driving sense of groove and serene synth craft that is rich in emotion. 'Moon Temple' shuts down with more melancholic melodies but no less elegance in the craft.

Review: Here's something guaranteed to ensure a rush of excitement in deep house heads everywhere: a brand new album from much-loved U.S producer Fred P. It's the first under the previously unused F.P-Oner alias, and his first studio outing since 2013's Black Jazz Chronicles set, Codes & Metaphors. Unsurprisingly, the simply titled 5 is as inspired, sumptuous and melodious as you'd expect, with gentle dub house, jazz and - in the case of the wonderful "Infinite Love" - Detroit techno influences. While much of the album is slinky, sensual and ultra-deep (see the fabulous "Visions of You" and "Sleepless in Shibuku"), there are a couple of thrillingly percussive moments to get the pulse racing, including the African-influenced tribal workout "The Realm of Possibility".

Review: From Flowvinyl to John Digweed's Bedrock, Jemmy lands most vertically on Japan's Mule Musiq with "Hierotrip", a nutty off-the-wall cut. Clicking percussion shots and a minimalistic melodies make this a serious lil' head bruiser in the club, and let's not forget that none other than Mark E and Wareika come through correct with their remixes - the former adds a much needed injection of bass to the picture, while the latter opts for the bumpy approach. Three DJ tools for professional usage.

Review: Mule Musiq regular Kuniyuki is undoubtedly one of the surest bets for delicate, considered deep house music from Japan, and he makes his first appearance on his home label for 2015 with the sumptuous tones of the Newwave Project #2. The title track is a patient stalker that lets the percussion shuffle in a skittish manner, while strings dangle nervously over head, and yet the whole experience is a soothing one. Musk turns in a remix of the track which heads into more obviously spaced out territory with some decidedly cosmic bleep tones, before Kuniyuki switches up his styles for "Newwave Project #4" with a track clearly fuelled on the heat and passion of early synth pop arpeggios and industrial experimentation.

Review: Coming off the back of two albums for Japan's Mule Musiq, Petre Inspirescu drops a new single for the imprint, taking his iconic brand of dancefloor minimalism to a wider, perhaps less tech-savvy audience. That's not to say that Mule isn't a home to some of the most exciting electronic beats around, but Inspirescu's style takes the catalogue onto a much darker path. "Murgulll" is headstrong and groove-heavy, coming through with an interlocked cocktail of sounds that mould to create an endless atmosphere of euphoric doom; "Cumva" is the dubbier of the two, launching a deep-minded bass missile that morphs into something more improvisational and more akin to the previous material that has graced this sublime label.

Review: A mesmerising blend of organic textures and synthetic precision, delivering a fresh take on techno and house. The title track, 'Upside Down', kicks things off with a clever nod to the glitch and microhouse era of the very early 00s. Its gorgeous melody and intricate layering make it both nostalgic and forward-thinking. 'Eyes Between Letters' follows with a deeper bassline and spacious, intricate production. Side-2 opens with 'Beyond Light & Shade', where Asian-inspired melodics weave seamlessly with a balanced blend of techno and house, offering a richly textured and emotive piece. Closing the EP, 'Complementary Senses' delivers profound depth, bringing an introspective quality to its lush production. A unique release tailor made for fans of innovative, boundary-pushing electronic music.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


A mesmerising blend of organic textures and synthetic precision, delivering a fresh take on techno and house. The title track, 'Upside Down', kicks things off with a clever nod to the glitch and microhouse era of the very early 00s. Its gorgeous melody and intricate layering make it both nostalgic and forward-thinking. 'Eyes Between Letters' follows with a deeper bassline and spacious, intricate production. Side-2 opens with 'Beyond Light & Shade', where Asian-inspired melodics weave seamlessly with a balanced blend of techno and house, offering a richly textured and emotive piece. Closing the EP, 'Complementary Senses' delivers profound depth, bringing an introspective quality to its lush production. A unique release tailor made for fans of innovative, boundary-pushing electronic music.