Mate Recordings

A few words to be lost on the Manchester-based label Mate Recordings, associated to the club Music Is Better existing twice in Manchester/UK as well in Helsinki/Finland, which are killing it with their new split 7" these days. Stamped brown paper bag packaging is a definition of cool and the music proves that big time. Both tracks - Roger : "Kiss In The Darkness" / Boys Of Scandinavia : "Worse Than A Girl" - are taken off the 2004-released compilation "Music Is Better Volume One - Manchester vs. Helsinki" and are mashing up dancefloors each time played out as both of them tunes go along those that refer to the legendary Manchester-rave days with bands like Happy Mondays and such due to their catchy hooklines, the nouveau hip of an Elektroclash-crowd rediscovering song structures and guitars at places like NagNagNag and last not least Wave-audiences still living and loving the 80s synth pop dream. Especially Boys Of Scandinavia are running things with their anthemic track which uses a bassline not so different from that infamous last years "7 Nation Army" uber-hit. So there's a big crossover potential and - not only regarding to the fact that both tracks being airplayed in different countries as USA, Sweden, Canada, Germany apart from others - there's a proper chance that those two bands are breaking through and gain a bit of mainstream attention soon.

The labels compilation is more diverse though, covering the full spectrum of what might be summed up under the Electro flag. Pure dancefloor tracks like Alcohell's "The Lovely Bedsit Dweller" that might be played out by DJs like Andrea Parker and obscure electronic popsongs, wave influences all under one roof, written by artists like A Maze, Nu Science, Kompleksi and more providing an interesting homelistening journey of about an hours length. Check out...