Dave Seaman & Funkagenda – Naughty ForestDave Seaman & Funkagenda – Naughty Forest

Label: Selador RecordingsScore: 8/10

Seleador Recordings is approaching a year in the game, and for their tenth release they’ve rolled out the big guns. Label boss Dave Seaman has teamed up with the LA based Funakgenda for a slab of oscillating tech house madness, which if it was a stick of rock would read pretty simply, BIG ROOM.

That’s not to say this is your typical dumb and stupid clubland banger, it’s just an intricately crafted record that is perfect for huge systems. There’s a rolling groove that interpolates perfectly with a humming bassline, gradually picking up the pace but locking you into it slowly over time. If you go back a decade and think of those classic melancholy records Soma were knocking out, the dubby brilliance from Slam and Silicone Soul, and then you’ve nailed the vibe of this perfectly.

Then a breakdown appears that gives you a second to catch your breath, featuring some brilliantly produced effects and a slightly illegible vocal with an almost tribal feel to it. Then some machine gun drumfills announce the return of the kick and the bassline increases in intensity, with some gloriously nagging percussion above it all. If you’re into the kind of fodder utilised by DJs such as John Digweed and Laurent Garnier when they get serious before hitting techno territory, this is the record for you.

Remix wise Nicolas Masseyeff stays closest to the original vibe, dropping the tempo and intensity but following the same plan of building slowly before letting the bassline do all the work. Dapayk goes for a trackier approach, adding metallic percussion and a clunking feel which is perfect for the more off kilter selector, particularly with the way the robotic melody takes over towards the end. Yet again, more solid tackle from Selador.