REACTIONS:
"It is EPIC (Web Of Intrigue).... the whole EP is SO worth a deeper listen" NEMONE (BBC 6MUSIC)
“This is excellent... ” GIDEON COE (before playing Web Of Intrigue (Long Haul Mix) on BBC 6MUSIC - see link below
'Ah fabulous cheers. Yes I’m a big fan of your work’ JUSTIN ROBERTSON (Soho Radio, LDN)
‘Oh yes to all of this please really nice deep heavy <raised fist emoji>. Really curious about the instrumentation – amazing’ JIM STANTON (Horse Meat Disco, LDN)
‘I like Aranath. [Into It] is very very good.’ BILL BREWSTER (DJ History, LDN)
‘I particularly dug the ambient mixes, especially ‘Arantha’. Mmmm, that cello!! Beautiful. Top work. I dug it all but that was the stand out for me’ JD TWITCH (Optimo, Glasgow)
‘Love it all. Great production. Great music’ DICKY TRISCO (Disco Deviance, Maxi Discs, Home Taping etc, UK/Worldwide)
‘Really like it – my fave are the ambient mixes. Great stuff’ KENNETH BAGER (Music For Dreams, DK)
'I really like the Ambient versions and Web of Intrigue is A M A Z I N G ! ! ! Sounds like an Alfredo / Leo Mas secret weapon at Amnesia during summer of 87 :) Since I’m compiling a mixtape for Beats In Space I’m digging more “chill” stuff than dance beats, they will be included of course but I guess this WoI ambient version is perfect for the first minutes. Other tracks are great :)' BAWRUT (Silencio, Ransom Note, Hard Fist, Madrid/SP)
‘Really like Ara, Arantha and the Web Of Intrigue version’ PHIL MISON (Cantoma/Reverso 68, LDN)
‘Sounds good mate. Please send best quality files’ NICK THE RECORD (UK)
'Thanks for sharing these. liking Into It and Out Of It <thumbs up> CHRIS DUCKENFIELD
‘I like these. I will try to play something on my next show’ RED RACK EM (SWU FM, Bristol)
‘I like Aranatha best. The tripping synth is really cool’ KAY SUZUKI (Time Capsule, LDN)
‘I really like all the versions, great job, congratulations, you have all my support” LEO MAS (Balearic legend, IT)
‘Absolutely love this’ BALEARIC MIKE (UK)
‘Aranath (Original Mix) is super dope’ JONNY ROCK (UK)
‘I will get some of these on my various radio shows and live streams :o)’ PHAT PHIL COOPER (Nu Northern Soul, SP)
‘Ah, yes lads! Lovely stuff!!! These are really excellent, in the next ALFOS EBS for sure! Was waiting to hear what you did next. I really like all of them very much’ SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space, LDN)
‘Lots to like here, very interesting EP. Really like the ambient cuts, especially of ‘Intrigue’, but those housier jams are great too. Def something to play across a range of styles which is always good!’ JOE MORRIS (Clandestino/Balamii, Leeds)
‘Interesting release. I really like it, the Balearic crowd are gonna have fun with it. Good DJ tool potential in some of the mixes too’ CHRIS ORR (XLR8R/URB/Revolution Magazine/Mixmag, San Francisco/US)
‘It’s excellent’ JAMIE THOMSON (Radio Magnetic, Glasgow)
‘I remember this from when Andrew played it on a show for Radio Magnetic – I had it blasting out of the car whilst driving up north from London. Really enjoyed this track. I love how the groove develops…. Well this (Aranatha/Beatless mix) is pretty damn special. In fact this completely blew me away when i first heard it as well! Was the beginning of the RM show! I’m so glad i’ve found this music now, thank youuuu x’ SAM BAGG (Playasol Ibiza Radio, Enigma Ibiza)
‘That L&H cut with Riad Abji [Aranath (Original Mix)], what the hell?!?! That is killer!! Did it ever come out? Love it!!! CHRIS LEWIS (Brighton FM)
‘Pretty solid and I am really interested in the Aranatha ambient version. I will definitely play it’ DJ SPUTNICK (The Lion & Lamb/LDN)
‘Really liking all of the tracks and mixes mate. Strong, strong package and I’ll be giving ALL of these plenty of play!’ DAVID ELDERS (MFSB, Here With Me/EDIN)
‘Love Aranatha and the Web of Intrigue mix too. Lovely stuff. Proper music for real’ BEE SHIVER (Various/LDN)
‘Sounding great – very high quality production indeed!’ ASTROJAZZ (Kelburn Garden Party, Samedia, Wee Dub Festival/EDIN)
‘Into it – Solid deep house (are we still allowed to call it that or is deep house something else now? I can’t keep up!) that really comes into its own in the last third, making it stand out from your average deep house track. Big fan of the ambient mix too. Very early 90s (Irresistible Force) styleee. Aranath – It could be easy for a track like this to turn out clichéd and by numbers but it’s executed with class and respect. The club mix reminds me of early 90s Rising High “Trance” before Trance was stolen from us. The addition of the ace ambient mix further cements this connecting. Casper Pound would be proud. Web of Intrigue – Love it! Reminds me of something like Morricone or Aphrodite’s Child – like something Eric Duncan/Thomas Bullock would make/edit. One for the classy boozers. Super strong EP all in! Well done.’ KRIS ‘WASABI’ WALKER
‘These tracks are great, really into them! I am loving the tracks with Riad, very original and classy! I hope these do well for you! I will definitely play these! Top work mate!’ MARTYN HENDERSON/MASH (Glasgow/UK)
‘Aranath is wicked, both original and club mixes. Really like them a lot. I like Out of It, too. Good work’ FELIX (ex-10kilo/We Are Electric/Sublime, LDN/EDIN)
RADIO:
“This is excellent... it involves a sort of Spaghetti Western Pinball Wizard bit about two minutes in” GIDEON COE (before playing Web Of Intrigue (Long Haul Mix) on BBC 6MUSIC 12.1.21 and plugging the whole EP)
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r4j3 + played again 21.1.21
'Very, very good' BILL BREWSTER (before playing Into It on DJ History Podcast #557)
"Top stuff as always. The Long Haul mix of 'Web of Intrigue' features in my first show recorded at home due to lockdown... The whole EP has a calming other-worldly sound that distracts form the frantic world we are currently living in. bloomin' loving it" PAT BENSBERG (The Eccentric Selection, Phonic FM, Exeter)
'I like the ambient tracks the most' COLVIN CRUICKSHANK / SNIDE RHYTHMS (EHFM)
‘Aranatha (Beatless Mix). Ooft. That cello waaaugh. <heart emoji>. So nice. There’s a wee synth flourish that I love at 4.59. Really lovely, a soothing balm but with an edge to it. Really beautiful artwork too. I’ll play some other tracks in the coming weeks’ NIKKI KENT (Lunch, EHFM)
'Awesome EP. Love it' MARTIN VALENTINE (The Dog House, Pressure Radio)
'I like the EP a lot, picked the ambient pieces, to be on air at "Klassik Lounge" roundabout the release date' NARTAK SCHEUBEL (Klassk Lounge Radio, DE)
PRESS, BLOGS etc:
"Maximalist deep house, with complex layers of melody piling one on top of another; multi-instrumentalist Riad Abji jamming with himself on cello; Spaghetti Western guitars and horns; an intergalactic synth jam. On it goes… It’s like one of those hippie tents you find concealed behind drapes at a festival—the kind where you wander out six hours later, dazed, and not entirely sure what adventures you’ve just had." JOE MUGGS (Bandcamp Daily)
"Top marks all round" ELECTRONIC SOUND
Feature - BAN BAN TON TON:
banbantonton.com/2020/11/21/leonidas-hobbes-aranath-hobbes-music/
‘It will be mentioned in our Spring Music Preview’ A CLOSER LISTEN
acloserlisten.com