The mighty PEZNT, aka Blacksoul and Mark de Line created a whirlwind of releases in 2017, lending their love to labels like Glasgow Underground, Defected, Toolroom, Wired, Metropolitan, Great Stuff, Fogbank and, of course, their own Blacksoul Music.  In between this furious studio activity they still found time to spread their sound live at the Exit Festival, GEM fest in Georgia and Strandfieber in Germany as well as Blacksoul’s weekly radio show on Zagreb’s Yammat FM.  Now we welcome the crazy Croatians to Strictly with another double serving of delights:  the jumping Pelin, featuring a bouncing piano bassline and inspirational sermon, and the more tech-driven pure grooves of Kume. 
‘We like to name most of our tracks by local food and drinks names’ explains Blacksoul of the track titles.  ‘Pelin is short for Pelinkovac, a famous herb liquour made since 1871.  Kume means Godfather, but in daily use it’s what you call your best friends around you.  So in a bar, you order your drink by shouting Kume, one Pelin, please!’

Kume (clip)

Strictly Rhythm Records is house music.  Since 1989 the legendary New York label not only put out records by almost every name in the game, but it also defined house music throughout the 1990s with Erick Morillo, Todd Terry, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Armand Van Helden, DJ Pierre, Roger Sanchez, Josh Wink, Ultra Naté and Barbara Tucker.  As well as keeping the underground stoked with a steady supply of club grooves, the label also delivered a stream of crossover hits with Reel 2 Real’s “I Like To Move It”, Ultra Naté’s “Free”, Wamdue Project’s “King Of My Castle” and Wink’s “Higher State Of Consciousness”.  

Relaunched in 2007 after a five year break following a short-lived venture with Warner Music, Strictly Rhythm did what no dance label had ever done: successfully re-launch itself.  The label made many of its classic releases available on digital download for the first time and signed new productions from the likes of Quentin Harris, Osunlade, Bingo Players Vs Chocolate Puma, Dennis Ferrer, Michel Cleis, Dirty South and Bob Sinclar.  
Always an innovator, the label that invented the 12” white label and put out the first ever commercially released DJ Mix CD in 1993 (The Tony Humphries Strictly Rhythm Mix) is still at the cutting edge, finding and promoting the best in house music.

Comments

CAROLINE BLESS

Berlin Sensation

Roman Beise

RBK2

Ronna Haecker

Daniel