(Soma/Stomp)

Soma label bosses and in house production team Silicone Soul deliver a fine new selection from the dark and dubby realm. After a luke warm vibe on their artist album Staring Into Space (despite it’s nomination for Album of the Year at the House Music Awards), released earlier this year on Soma Records, label bosses Silicone Soul aka Craig Morrison and Graeme Reedie are onto a winner with a new mix compilation series. Darkroom Dubs Volume One brings forth previously released and fresh techno, tech-house and electro-house delights which have helped put the Scottish label on the map over the last ten years. As well as showcasing the label’s penchant for deep, lush, digital funk and electrifying techno, it highlights the duo’s credibility in the DJing realm.

SS open the mix with funky guitar and electro-house laced gem Permission To Fly from Argentinians The Spirals (Silver City) from their recent debut album for 2020 Vision. This isn’t SS’s first display of love for funky guitars on this compilation, and here combines a touch of early ‘80s nostalgia a la Simple Minds, without being derivative. Next up we’re given a taste of another 2020 local Ralph Lawson and his new project Wolf ‘N’ Flow with Carl Finlow. With the Electric Press on remix duties, they deliver one of the most popular remixes on the label to date. Spirals get up again with X a more emotional stepping number form their recent Space & Time EP (DRD #7). Going back even further in the series, SS deliver some classic sounds from Juan Iborra, with their mix of his Swimming Pool Sounds collaboration Submergible with Carlos Mancha and Hipp-e’s dub of House Rallante.

Next Silicone Soul deliver some of their own originals, with Devil Drives, which featured as a B-side on their vinyl only Les Noctunes single from Staring Into Space. It’s deep and jazzy with moody trumpets and sonic explosions. This beautifully morphs with US producer, Dano’s track, Czech Da Tech which also features a trumpet, and it’s partner Czech Da Flute, both from DRD #8, which nods leading lights in the Prague house scene Stephunk and Radimo, who collaborated on the tracks. It’s timeless dreaminess from this tech-house pioneer.

Next The Spiral are up for the third and final time with The Cowboy, another yet to be released gem. Fernando Pulichino and Julian Sanza deliver a tribal percussive sound married with spacey strings and funky guitars typical of the Soma sound, with some acid bleeps to give a more contemporary feel. Silicone Soul step further into the tribal techno realm courtesy of Hidden Fortress a.k.a. K Roney and C MacDonnell,with Autodelic, a much darker sound. The mix rounds out with two Silicone Soul alter ego tracks I Need 2 Freak and Back 2 Tha Playground under the Astrocats moniker. Originally featured on DRD#1 these track prove their timeless quality, and would cleverly work in a club set to build the crowd to a crescendo and cliff hanger. Finally, to close they drop the aptly titled aquatic exploration Under The Water from Will Dawson, a seriously round and funky epic from Nitelife Recordings and an upbeat vibe to finish the release on.

This one will be on rotation on my stereo over the summer for sure. I suggest you pick yourself up a copy some time soon to see what all the fuss is about. The real version comes with two CDs, one the aforementioned mix set and the other the Best of Darkroom Dubs in un-mixed DJ Friendly format.