Five years in, Magic Carpet celebrates its milestone with “Family Trip Disc 1“, the first of two VA releases gathering artists close to the label’s heart. It’s a compact four-tracker that perfectly encapsulates what makes the Lisbon imprint so magnetic: trippy but tactile grooves, subtle euphoria, and an instinct for dancefloor moments that feel both intimate and infinite. Each track sketches a different hue of house while maintaining that shimmering, slightly surreal Magic Carpet DNA.
DJ Void opens the record with a grin and a head full of mischief. “Pizzapazzaza Wow” is exactly as unhinged and irresistible as its title suggests – a psychedelic House roller where off-kilter FX and elastic basslines twist around each other in orbit. It’s playful yet propulsive, the kind of track that sneaks up during a set and suddenly has the floor moving in ways no one expected. A perfect reminder that the dancefloor works best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Where DJ Void dips into the absurd, Pete Melba sharpens focus. “Last Chance Saloon” hits with a tighter, more percussive punch — all taut drum programming, tense builds, and stripped-down swagger. It’s a heads-down groover, tailor-made for that mid-set pivot when energy needs to simmer rather than explode. Every hi-hat tick and bass thump feels meticulously placed yet alive with forward motion — a surgeon’s touch for the rhythmically obsessed.
The flip side opens on a different frequency. Pistaccio’s “My Dear Heron” drifts like a sunrise seen through smoke – deep pads, soft edges, and a groove that breathes rather than pounds. There’s a quiet optimism in the way the chords unfold, evoking open-air mornings and smiles traded between strangers. It’s gentle without being fragile, a track that invites space back onto the dancefloor.
Lucho closes the VA with “Uevajam”, a hypnotic, low-slung groover that blends pulse and patience. Looped vocal fragments, muted bass stabs, and airy percussion interlock to form a rhythm that’s endlessly cycling yet never static. It’s one of those tracks that feels minimal but rich, rolling with that late-night confidence that only comes from restraint.
Together, these four cuts trace a subtle narrative – from cheeky lift-off to deep communion – reflecting Magic Carpet’s evolution from underground gem to a label that defines a sound. “Family Trip Disc 1” doesn’t shout its significance; it hums it – with groove, character, and a shared understanding that the real magic happens between the beats.
Words by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 