June: 14 house releases you need to hear this month
Hot house to kick off the summer
Karuva 'Can’t Stop Won’t Stop' (Strangelove)
Strangelove is a new project that will concentrate on a UK mix of house, bass and techno, encompassing everything from hard-edged club sounds to more quirky cuts. Karuva is a Scottish producer now relocated to London who has released on various labels (one of his tracks, ‘The Walrus’, appeared on a Ministry Of Sound compilation). He’s been honing his sound for a while now, and has hit the jackpot with this release on the fledgling label. ‘Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’ sounds like Tiga, Vonstroke and Mr Oizo all jamming together, thanks to its liquid bass, jacking groove, infectious vocal and off-kilter feel. ‘The Underground’, meanwhile, has the kind of retro hip hop vocal snips that are ideal for breaking up a 4/4 set. It’s a useful cut, but the A-side is still the one.
7/10