Does it make me feel good? Does it make me smile? For this dancer, the answer is always in the affirmative with this crew. M.A.D. is one of those labels where everything is just right in the pocket--each release a 12" salvo across genres. The way they can take a few elements of the highest quality and just build a track that you want to just play out immediately and for any crowd. Among so many great moments I think it was the EL U VEE ep (M.A.D. 007) that brought it home for me. By the end of the EP you hit "No Way Out" with its fat-bottomed new beat bass, moody triangle, and just the hint of a percussive exhalation that takes things to the next level. Intricate, sexy dance music.

So here we are with M.A.D. 012 and it's a special one as both producers have different takes on what to my ears are a similar vibe - slightly downtempo 80s sleazy funky house a la Maurizio Dami (Alexander Robotnick, Victor) later revisited in the aughts by labels like Environ.

"Magari" is one of those untranslatable Italian words that sort of means "maybe" but here it's the alias of Leeds-based PBR Streetgang co-conspirator Bonal Bradberry, previously responsible for some nice edits on Mindless Boogie among other things. "Mars Bar" has a kinda dubby aughts NY garage/Metro Area vibe--sleazy in all the right ways and with fabulous varied vocal samples (one of which seemingly recalls Howard Jones's "Look Mama"--now THAT'S b*****ic). On the "Parkway Powermix" Mark Seven ups the cowbell and turns the track into a quirky groover, placing the "keep moving" vocal to the forefront and dubbing out the others amidst ricocheting percussion. Fantastic.

Studio don Ilija Rudman has a long and storied back catalogue - check his Imogen Recordings label as well as the brilliant releases on Is It Balearic? and recently Isle of Jura. "Danceteria" recalls an early morning sleazefest at the namesake club complete with squelchy bass, crescendoing synth and keyboard bells. About two minutes in you get hit with one of those synth lines where you can practically smell the Antaeus and poppers. Manuel Darquart (check his Adriatic EP from a few years back) takes things nicely uptempo on the rework which recalls that in-the-pocket house sound we love on M.A.D. releases.

All in all, another essential record from this crew, don't sleep!!

M.A.D 012 is available on Bandcamp and in all good record stores from April the 25th.