Hailing from Mannheim, Germany, Nick Curly rose to prominence several years ago on a sound that brought dancefloor sensibility to techno, releasing recognizable tunes on Cocoon, Murmur, and Supernature. Not content as a pioneering artist, Curly also founded the record labels 8bit and Cécille, which have indelibly shaped the tech-house genre by bringing artists like Gorge and Butch, amongst others, into the spotlight. With his debut album, Between The Lines, released in March of this year on Cécille, Curly showcases a mature, musical approach, with cues taken from the various corners of the world he has toured through.

The album begins as any memorable club night should – slowly, respecting the ears of the audience. From “Eastern Culture,” a tracky deep house number, Curly moves on to “Piano in the Dark,” a soft, vocal-driven piece of music that resists a genre tag. Standout tracks include “Glass Ceiling” and “Hairline,” which both feature groovy dancefloor rhythms beneath dreamy soundscapes, a Curly specialty. The album meanders through dark numbers like “Truth Be Told,” and eventually ends up at “Wake Me Up,” the sonic equivalent to a soft bed at the end of a long night out.

The best thing about Between The Lines is that none of the thirteen songs try to steal the show from each other. While each track has a unique personality, some more housey, others more square and pulsating, they all hang together, and that’s what makes this an eminently listen-able dance music album.

Between the Lines can be purchased on Beatport.

Curly is no stranger to top-notch venues, with residencies at Watergate in Berlin and Space Ibiza, amongst others. Come check him out, together with Chicago’s Kate Simko and DC-based resident Chris Nitti, at U Street Music Hall on May 4th.

Heart meets soul with a fantastic new release from PillowTalk. If you feel like stepping back into a Motown mood, start off with “The Real Thing” including samples from DC’s prince of soul Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s 1968 hit “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing.”

Spiritual and suave, PillowTalk, a three piece boogie-inspired group from San Francisco, is sure to please. Let the boys be your weatherman with “Sunny” which will pick you up from a dreary day and gently land you on a patch of sunshine. Their efforts stay groovy, pluck soul strings and herald applause for keeping a sound original and of themselves.

Love Cubed, the latest release from DC-based electronic trio Volta Bureau, dropped today via Nurvous Records. The uplifting, anthemic original version of the single is perfect for the upcoming summer festival season, while the dub on the flip side is more grooving and laid-back.

Grab both tracks on Beatport and don’t miss the group’s six hour DJ set (which will be recorded live for Sirius XM) at U Street Music Hall on May 5. Click here for tickets and info!

Both tracks from the release are available for preview through Volta Bureau’s SoundCloud…

Love Cubed EP by Volta Bureau

Beautiful Swimmers blends soul music into a mix of influences from around the globe. For years they have been serving up the very best from their stockpiles of vinyl, but have more recently been focusing more on making their own music. Home to Maryland, the two piece gets down with the DC crowd on the reg, having mixed tunes on the U Street Music Hall dance floor multiple times since the club’s opening in 2010.

On 4/20 you can catch Beautiful Swimmers at U Hall again, opening for Blisspop and Red Fridays presents Tiger & Woods alongside Tim Sweeney, host of WNYU radio show “Beats in Space.” Prepare yourself for their set with the following listening tips. Expect fast drumbeats to intro, dive into their edits which hail from their insane, worldly collection of vinyl, and wrap yourself into the universal sound groove that they are still innovating.

Blisspop sat down for a quick chat with Ari, 1/2 of Swimmers, ahead of the party this Friday to chat vinyl hunting, playing U Hall and their summer plans…

Keep reading…

Anastascia D’Elene and Vivie-Ann Bakos, aka Blond:ish, have been turning heads lately with releases on Noir and most recently Kompakt — the famed Cologne imprint released Lovers in Limbo in early April. The EP is said to be inspired by a fasincation with “’60s musical movements.”  That sound definitely informs “Lucy’s Affair” which effortlessly blends grooving tech house with late-’60s psychedelia. Here’s a preview…

Snippets from all three tracks on the EP are steaming below, and everything is available for purchase on Beatport. Be sure to keep up with the pair on Facebook and Twitter.

Want more? Check out their recent Electronic Groove podcast…