This week's first vinyl update is up and online now at Primalrecords.com, this time featuring new promo vinyl from the Doubledown affiliated Q Studios label and Chicago's newest powerhouse label Jamayka Recordings, as well as the official release of Yann Fontaine's "My Love Will Surround" on Amenti Music. The white label for that record (which also features remix work from The Kick Inside and Lance Desardi) did the business for us all last month; if you missed it then, be sure to pick up this fully released edition. In the meantime, here's the hit list:

SOMBIONX "Eye Of The Storm" EP Q Studios [House, Tech-house] Chicago's Adam Nelson has been producing a variety of music as Sombionx for labels as diverse as Doubledown, Viva, and Jamayka, to name a few. Here, Nelson takes a bow with his own Q Studios label for a 4-track vinyl EP that is, in my opinion, his best work yet. It's deep, funky, and sample-centric house music that lies much closer to his Chicago roots than much of his previous work. While "Antz In Your Pantz" harks back to the early days, tracks like "Eye of the Storm" and the absolutely fantastic "Million Dreams" underline a maturity in this producer's work that is both deep and dancefloor-ready.

www.jimijon.com/qstudio

LAWNCHAIR GENERALS "U Dirty" EP Westbound [House, Tech-house] It's finally here! Originally slated for release on Doc Martin's WAX label, the Lawnchair Generals' latest vinyl EP sees the light of day on the WAX-affiliated Westbound imprint. What's all the hype? This is quality house music from top-to-bottom. Three tracks in all, the Generals go from the Undercover Agency-approved "One Thing" (which borrows a pretty sweet sample from the Jets' "Rocket To You") to the deep and chilled "Diggin' It Out" for early night airplay to the absolutely mental tech-houser "Wanderlust"--a relentless bass-driven groover that should have the Swag set salivating. For my money, it's this week's essential pick.

www.waxrecords.com

METRO AREA "Metro Area" LP 2x12" Environ [House, Techno] While the bulk of Brooklyn scenesters rave on over the city's unbelievably popular "electroclash" scene, long-time NYC tech-house producers Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani go back to their roots to form Metro Area--a unanimously appreciated hark back to the days of Larry Levan, The Loft, and low-rent housing in Manhattan. This is dance music in the way ESP, Talking Heads, and Ashford & Simpson were all seamlessly mixed into one set; diverse, intelligent, and eclectic, but savvy enough to know the kids just want to dance. A future classic.

www.environrecords.com

DUAL ACTION (TONY SENGHORE & GALEN) "Bernal Beats" EP Sunset Recordings
[House, Tech-house] Swedish house wunderkind Tony Senghore teams up with San Francisco favorite Galen Abbott for the second release on SF's Sunset Recordings. Opener "Corona" is a dub-inflected track with tough and techy kicks underpinning a twisted set of FX and low-end bass frequency that keeps the cut planted somewhere between the Mission District and Montego Bay. The rest of the EP follows suit with an equal amount of class; the most notable contribution being "Frenum," where Senghore undoubtedly exerts more of his freaked-out and fucked-up techy acid for a truly satisfying result.

www.pacificsound.net

BIG HEAD "Dark Side Of The Peace" (Original & Future Funk Squad Mxs) Sinister [Progressive, House, Breaks] Big Head is a new artist for us here at Primal HQ, but we're looking at big things for these guys. First coming into prominence when someone bootlegged their illicit vinyl remix of Everything But The Girl's "Five Fathoms," now experiencing success with their unique blend of house, progressive, and breakbeat across the board. Recent champions of "Dark Side Of The Peace" include James Zabiela, who licensed it for his XMAG mixed compilation CD and the crew over at Madam Breaks who licensed it for their Breaks Per Minute mixed disc. Nu-school breaks DJs will most likely find the Future Funk Squad remix more to their taste, but I'm backing Big Head's original mix, a four-to-the-floor minimal progressive cut with a techy aesthetic and a breakbeat reprieve.

www.sinister-recordings.com

JOSH GABRIEL "Wave 3" (Charlie May Rmxs) Nebula [Progressive] Local Bay Area producer and friend Josh Gabriel first handed us "Wave 3" on white label a little over a year ago, where we sold an impressive amount of copies of the record without any label support. Then he went to Miami, met Pete Tong, and found his white label getting BBC Radio 1 airplay and club support from Sasha, Oakenfold, and just about all the major prog jocks. Remixes for New Order, Medicine 8, and, umm, Jewel (?!) were to follow as is a new EP for Satoshi Tomiie's SAW Recordings label later this year. In the meantime, the track that made it all happen gets the remix treatment from Sasha-collaborator and progressive house pioneer Charlie May, who is probably one of the few producers left in the world who can make a melodic progressive house track sound tough, edgy, and truly fluffless.

www.nebula.uk.com

Also new this week is new remix and production work from Main Element, Louis Botella, Afro Deep, Mazi, David Duriez, Sir Drew, Soul Mekanik, Silicone Soul, Danny Tenaglia, Piliavin & Zimbardo, BLIM, DJ Chus, Circulation, Swain & Snell, and an exclusive white label pre-release from Circus Night for Jamayka Recordings.

Label-wise, we're looking at new vinyl releases from Silver Planet, Camouflage, Brique Rouge, Crack & Speed, Oblong, Fat!, Yoshitoshi, Forcetracks, Sondos, Twisted, Sumsonic, and much more.

Finally, thanks much to all who came out to this month's Get Underground! PR2 Label Launch party and much thanks to DJ Adnan, Tony Hewitt, and Jeno for playing. White labels for the first PR2 release should be in any day now. Watch this space for more information.

Until then, be good!

(Norman Arenas)