Pager Records is helmed by Robert Johnson residents and Offenbach mainstays Markus Sommer and Phil Evans. Since their first joint release back in 2015, they have forged a path that traces the upfront vibe of 90’s house music along with more than a dollop of acid and some downright lush soundscapes. This theme is at the core of almost every release on the label and the tripped-out sounds and super-tight drum programming is seldom found elsewhere.
With the label now on their 10th edition and having not put out new music for nearly 2 years now it is safe to say that Pager Records is back with a bang. The 4 track VA titled ‘Succo di Pager’ is packed full of all manner of naughty dancefloor focused moment and we start our journey through the release on B2 with co-head Markus Sommer’s twilight banger ‘Active Feel’. Starting with Sommer’s trademark kick heavy arrangements and some very sweet congas and forlorn synth work that allow this track to easily straddle a great many sets and time slots. Luckily the lush pads and waning synths are not the focus of the track for too long as the acid bassline soon takes care of business. This cosmic houser also has some really smart drum programming that shuffles the groove a few beats behind but Sommer soon gathers things up and propels it back to its original place.
Swinging back to the beginning of the release A1 is taken care of by Phil Evans and ‘Dolphins Theme’ combines trip inducing pads, excellent breakbeats, and the deep basslines that Pager is so well known for. Again, it is clear to see the Pager pedigree shine through this track too and as always, a cohesive label and its artists combining on a VA is a winner every time. The A2 ‘Track 1’ from M&M, who is the combined musical minds of Mayell and Markus Sommer is a fairly straightforward up-tempo house groove but the vox box parts of the track offer something a little bit different and it really compliments the EP nicely. Rounding out the EP on B1 is ‘ETA’ from Eco Set One AKA Martyne, Felix Kluge, and that man Sommer also treads similar ground and bounds into the cerebral house realms with a massive thud. The robotic groove is aided by a similarly machine-like female vocal, some nicely sliced up chords, and repeated pads. As with all Pager Records releases the message is as cohesive as possible across all tracks and this is of course the sign of a finely curated imprint and tight family of artists that contribute to its output. Our only criticism of Pager Records is to not wait so long for the next outing.
To get your hands on the ‘Succo di Pager’ VA head over to Deejay.de.
More info on Markus Sommer
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More info on Pager Records
Facebook | Resident Advisor | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Discogs
