KYLE HALL Vinyl & CDs

Review: Detroit house doesn't get more authentic than when served up by Motor City maestro Kyle Hall. The Wild Oats and Forget The Clock boss is in superb form once again here across four new cuts of Technically Deep house. 'Sit In Dat' has its head amongst the stars and it's roughed up drums firmly planted on the floor. 'Gherkin Roots' is more rickety and unconventional, with analogue clatter and synth stabs making for an unsettling mood. 'Alignment' cruises on warm machine soul and 'Pounce' cuts loose with a twisted dub sounds, spangled drums and raw as you like percussion.

Review: Kyle Hall has been hailed as the new boy on the Detroit block for some time now, forgetting perhaps that he has been putting records out since he was 17 - some 15 years ago. The three tracks on the 'Baci Ballers' EP show he's capable of holding his own among the biggest of big hitters, taking house music and giving it a nicely grimy makeover that will ensure these beauties a place in many a techno set too. The title track has a triumphant, rampantly rampaging vibe to it, a throbbing, insistent bassline slapped down by meaty handclaps and brutal hi-hats. 'Big Moma Tech' adds a smattering of female vocal as bleeps and jazzy keys battle it out like Stevie Wonder and LFO having a jam. 'Ground Up Dub' completes the set, based around a panther-like bass keyboard riff that anchors the track while the rhythmic quotient surges and retreats gloriously. Three tracks that differ in everything but their playability and quality.

Review: .Crown is the long-awaited reunion of Kyle Hall and Steven Julien (Funkineven), two soulful visionaries who bridge the gap between Detroit and London. The LP showcases their unique blend of raw and organic beats, cosmic synths, and expressive vocals. From the hypnotic opener 'Page 1' to the understated late night deepness of 'Page 4' and the evocative blunted beats of closer 'Page 5' (Reggie B SciFonk Mix), Crown is a journey through the diverse and dynamic realms of electronic music. Fans of Hall's previous work and Julien's Funkinevil project will not be disappointed by this masterful collaboration that celebrates the essence of soul.

Review: It is not often that Detroit pin up Kyle Hall steps away from his own label - or one of those in the 313 area code - but even when he does the quality levels remain high. Here he arrives on Apnea in Spain with a searing new outing that combines his signature house and techno sound into emotive club music. 'The Cosmic Touch' is a busy, punchy track with high speed beats and twisted cosmic synths while 'Colbalt' is an intense brew made from more fizzing lines, electrically charged motifs and unrelenting but flappy techno drums. 'Phantom' is another interesting concoction with warped bass and twisted percussive lines all tightly woven together into something unique

Review: Kyle Hall and Steven Julien have been working together on and off for a whole decade now as Funkinevil. To mark the occasion they have pulled together their first two releases - namely 2012's 'Night / Dusk' and 2013's 'Ignorant' - on one new double album that very much sums up their raw house sound. The Detroit-London duo draw on plenty of their hometown's signature aesthetics, from well swung drums to soulful synths, and the results are still fresh sounding and captivatingly deep. Importantly, all these years later, there is still real emotional punch in these tunes as well as damn good grooves. Essential stuff from this vital pair.

Review: Kyle Hall treats us to a new and special pressing of his standout Equanimity EP which was last reissued back in 2020. This one comes on limited edition translucent teal vinyl and was initially put out to mark the ten-year anniversary of Detroit native Hall's own Wild Oats label. In that decade he has established it as one of his hometown's finest for dusty deep house explorations. The four tracks on it are just that with a whimsical melody over bumpy beats on the opener, then more zoned-out beats on '4wrd Motion' and glitchy kicks and hits on 'No More Moon'. Last of all is the star-gazing cosmic house of 'Ghosten 4 A 2nd X'. A timeless EP for sure.