The 75th EP on Moon Harbour is one that connects the past with the present: the release is made up of three remixes and re-edits of classic tracks by label boss Matthias Tanzmann. Charged with serving up these goods are one third of Apollonia, namely Frenchman Shonky, Saved Records boss Nic Fanciulli and his brother Mark and, finally, Matthias himself updates one of his own cuts. 

That cut is 2008’s ‘Keep On’, taken from Matthias’ artist album Restless. The newer version is a tweak and tidy job that subtly injects a little more roll and slide into the original’s shuffling drums. The drunken synth sounds and infectious, never ending groove remain, but everything shines that bit brighter: dance floors will no doubt be delighted to hear this one dusted off and dropped once again.  

The next track under the spotlight is 2011’s ’Puddle Trouble’ by Matthias in collaboration with label regular Dan Drastic. English brothers and influential figures in the tech house scene, Mark and Nic Fanciulli are the ones who remix this and do so with a keen sense of rhythm. Their version hurries along in elongated rhythmic fashion with lots of wobbly synths, subtle drops and distant sirens all adding to the hypnotic and increasingly intense sense of groove. It fits in perfectly with the Moon Harbour canon and is a timely update. 

Lastly, Frenchman Shonky, who is a DC10 regular with his comrades in Apollonia and has just released his debut LP with the same outfit, edits Tanzmann & Stefanik’s ’Basic Needs’ from 2006. This one is a little more electro inclined with its restless bassline, slapping percussion and jumbled drums. Prickly and kinetic but with a bulbous bassline holding it all together, this one is perfect for those late night freak outs. 

Proving that Moon Harbour have evolved on their own terms whilst always staying true to their roots, this EP is yet another modern tech house masterclass.


Matthias Tanzmann - Keep On (2015 Version) (MHR075) full

Techno/House/minimal/ Techno Ber/Bar Downtempo/chillout/Techouse/Dance/Dub/Culture/After Máster & Undergrown…

Few labels have established themselves as solidly and definitively as Matthias Tanzmann and André Quaas’ Moon Harbour. Since the turn of the millennium it has been a bastion of deep and tech house quality that has not moved with the times, but has defined them ahead of trend. Through a carefully curated series of EPs and LPs, the label has fomented its own close-knit family that expands and contracts with careful consideration.