Choose Better Friends US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Detroit label Choose Better Friends made an immediate impact late last year when it dropped three EPs all in the same week. We've had to wait a while for this next one but it has been worth it: Bale Defoe is on the buttons and brings some dusty Motor City house heat with opener 'Morning Workouts' which rides a bumpy, booty shaking broken beat with meaningful chords and aching vocal snatches up top. 'Prewar Vibe' brings some swinging jazz chords and cut-up drums seemingly bashed out on an MPC. There is subtle euphoria in the bursts of excitable chords and vocal fragments of 'In Love On The Balcony At Terminal 5' and plenty of humidity in the diffuse synths and bumps drum funk of 'Summertime On Michigan Ave'. It's EPs like this that keep our fascination with Detroit very much alive.

Review: For whatever reason, the new Detroit label Choose Better Friends is dropping three brand-new and red-hot EPs all at the same time. We're fine with that because this trio of 12"s is quality US house direct from the source. Gino is behind this one and serves up four tunes for heady dance floors. There is a sense of intrigue to the scurrying toms and muted chords of 'Rawhide'. They unfurl over pinging kicks and clouds of sub-bass to great effect. 'Gitteshouse' is more romantic, with jazzy motifs drifting up top over a slick deep house beat that pings back and forth, and 'Truffaut' then picks up the pace for an edgy mix of unique synth sounds and chunky drum funk. 'Frontandback' gets raw and to close down with rock-solid kicks set to rattle walls.