Review: Bristol's cultured Innate label is back with a first outing of the year and it returns to their various artists format with a mix of talents all making their mark. UK veteran Tom Churchill opens up with 'Unknown Unknowns (Edit)', which brings plenty of fuzzy and lo-fi aesthetic to jacked up drums and spaced-out pads. Rai Scott then shows her class with 'Suasion' that sinks down deep into immersive drums and is subtly lit up with simmering strings. Innate co-founders Owain K and Gilbert then hook-up under their brand new alias Curved Space and showcase their love of electro with 'Reverie,' a dreamy cut that glows with nice celestial melodies and will have dance floors in a zoned-out state. Last of all it's Lisbon mainstay Jorge Caiado who debuts with the chord-laced 'Floating Without Lifting,' a sophisticated and serene jazz-techno cut that takes you to the stars.
Review: It's always a good day when the Blahh label rises up from the streets to drop a new bit of true school garage. This is a various artists release which brings together core label members Beforethebeatsbreak, Ronaldo and Crazy Bank, who have all served up their own solo EPs before now. It's the latter who kicks off with the tightly coiled bump n grind of 'So Good' before Ronaldo gets your feet moving on 'Get My 319', another dry, clipped garage shuffler with pent up energy to spare. There are good time piano-led vibes to Beforethebeatsbreak's B1 then 'Why You Wanna' from Crazy Bank is defined by its pitched up vocal sound.
Review: Caleto Records's eighth outing takes the form of this various artists compilation featuring exclusively Polish producers. The Etat Cru duo of Olszewski and Pawlescu kick off with the wire and sinewy synths and tech house pomp of 'Jasmina' then Jerry M offers two cuts. 'Gutek' is a nice spaced-out tech cruiser with flashy astral pads and 'Gondin' rides on well-designed breakbeats with an old-school bassline. Robsessive's 'Look After You' is a deeper, dubber, grittier cut for late-night vibes and SIM ON's 'Brudas' is all glitchy and dystopian urban landscaping. Poland sure has plenty of talent based on this EP.
Review: Fred Everything's profile may not be as high as it once was, but he continues to serve up high quality treats - as this surprise collaboration with legendary vocalist Robert Owens proves. The latter is in fine form on the EP-opening 'Classic Mix', a warming, musically detailed chunk of vocal deep house positivity that sounds like it was partially inspired by Dubtribe Soundsystem classic 'Do It Now'. Fred Everything also provides two 'BDTW' mixes on the flip: the fluttering synths sounds and vintage Chicago house grooves of the 'Deep Mix', and a more stripped-back 'Vox Dub'. Best of all though is Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson's rework, which recalls the fluid synth sounds, jazzy flutes and intricate percussion programming that marked out his early 2000s work on Mantis Recordings.
Review: Rico Friebe and Rico Puestel's YKMU on Exhibition delivers two main room tracks perfect for energising the dancefloor. 'YKMU (You Keep Me Up)' is an energetic anthem with big vocals and hand-raising moments. Its epic 90s Balearic sounds and storming piano riffs create a vibrant, nostalgic atmosphere that's sure to captivate the crowd. 'My Word & Sound' keeps the momentum with a peaker track that features vocoder elements, adding a futuristic twist to the mix. The driving beats and infectious energy make it a standout for late-night sets. Friebe and Puestel's ability to craft compelling, dancefloor-ready tracks are evident here with these two real burners.
Review: Soul Supreme is a master keyboardist best known for his covers of classic hip-hop songs by the likes of Mos Def, MF Doom and A Tribe Called Quest. Here side-steps his covers duties to handle remix productions for two of his contemporaries in the Netherlands neo-soul scene - Gallowstreet, LYMA, Shamis and Rebiere. The A side lends a wonky future house feel (a-la GoldLink, Crackazat) to '52 North', Gallowstreet's ode to the city of Amsterdam. The B tune strips it back to a lo-fi soul bapper, fleshing out its theme of loneliness in parenting.
Sound's Good Inc - "Masen'hamba" (David Morales Red Zone mix) (6:07)
FNX Omar - "Ghomari" (feat Said Rifai) (6:36)
Re You & Soheil - "Mapawani" (main version) (7:33)
Review: After kicking off the year with the stellar MoBlack Gold Vol. 2 VA, Mimmo Falcone's label does it again with a crucial cluster of spiritually charged, Afro-rooted house jams from on-point producers. This 12" kicks off with Manoo's remix of KingSfiso, creating a delicate, melancholic trip out of 'Ilanga' with Mbuso Khoza's vocals front and centre. David Moralez gets seriously deep into the groove with his Red Zone mix of Sound's Good Inc's 'Masen'hamba'. FNX Omar offer up a brooding cut driven by organic tones on 'Ghomari', and Re You & Soheil bring a more electronic palette to bear on their own Afro-house throwdown, 'Mapawani'.
Review: From Kon's forthcoming compilation on BBE entitled Kon & The Gang, this 12? sampler features two cuts taken from the LP and an exclusive remix from Boston producer and mix engineer Caserta, namely "Timeless" (Caserta mix)" a tasty serving of super deep and low slung disco goodness. A more functional edit for DJ use follows on "Timeless" (remix - Caserta mix)". On the flip Truccy (better known as Compost's Rainer Truby and Corrado Bucci) present "Closer", a gorgeous slo-mo house jam with a rolling groove fetauring all the good stuff: swirling Rhodes keys, groovy congas and hypnotic vox.
Review: Short Attention Records makes a welcome return here with a new drop of wax that fits the label head into its roots in deep techno sound worlds. This one takes the form of a various artists' EP crafted with an intake feel for cosy floors and who better to kick off in that vibe than the revered Lawrence whose 'Hawser' is a groovy and melodious track. Next, New Jersey don Joey Anderson sets a slow and deep tone with 'Human Kind' which has moody vocals and Japanese artist Takuya Matsumoto follows with 'Three Flowers', a more potent and driving cut with a fine acid bassline. Rounding off the EP is 'Desired Spring' by R/K, a loop-driven deep house gem designed for both listening and dancing.
Review: Rakija's back on the Rakija label with another EP called Rakija, but thankfully the music on it is not as homogenised as the naming conventions (although the titles are.) Track 1 is a turbocharged tech house cut that is rave ready. Track 2 is edgy thanks to some punchy vocal bars and more driving drum programming. Things are rather dialled back in for Track 3 which lays down sleek drums and bass that worming their way into your being in no time. Track 4 then shuts down with some high speed and bumping tech house funk thanks to a restless bassline and snappy finger clicks.
Review: Italian artist Recut is back with a new four-track outing that comes steeped in the lovably mad energy of acid, the enduring rawness of the Chicago underground and the drum sounds of New York. He has been active since the 90s so has a great through-line to these foundational styles but makes them his own here. Interestingly he started producing with turntables and mixers after being inspired by DMC champion so brings a real live feel to his sounds. 'Narcotic Tango' is a full-throttle pumper, 'Acid Street' layers undulating 303 lines into silky and elastic drums and 'Jack O Acid' gets more intense and in your face. 'Feel The Heat' shuts down with some trippy synth colours.
Review: With his release schedule operating at a gentle pace to allow for each of his twelves to sit and be considered on their own merit, Daniel 'Red Rack'Em' Berman makes just his second outing of 2013 with this pair of cuts for the ever strengthening Wolf Music. It's a record that shows off Berman's idiosyncratic approach to deep house on two very different levels. The first track, "In Love Again", is as blissed-out and heartfelt a take as you could wish for, from the sumptuous pad lines to the plastic strings that positively ooze contentment and passion. "Latin Techno" meanwhile is perhaps less predictable based on its title, opting for a jagged cut up of drum machine patterns and contorted brass sounds but rubbing them up in a non-direct way that makes for a delirious and utterly singular end result.
Review: Since making his Running Back bow 12 years ago, Sebastien Kramer has periodically returned to Gerd Jansen's label to deliver EPs (and one memorable album). Acid Leak is his eighth release in total for the imprint, and as the title suggests makes extensive use of sounds created by the small-but-mighty TB-303. Kramer sets the tone with the title track, a triumphant blend of acid house and Detroit techno sounds featuring some classic, Underground Resistance style synth strings, before cannily combining rising and falling melodies, buzzing electronics and undulating acid lines on 'Wing Wing'. 'Acid Flow' is a more jacking, forthright and mind-mangling slab of breathless peak-time brilliance, while 'Frantic' sees the experienced German producer join the dots between sci-fi-powered excellence and tactile deepness.
The Big Beat Manifesto (Midge Thompson remix) (5:52)
Review: Somewhat surprisingly, this action-packed 12" marks URTEKK member Regan's first solo outing on vinyl, having first appeared on wax via a split EP way back in 2014. The little-known artist hits the ground running with superb opener 'Kickback', a sparse, spacey, post two-step roller in which electronic bleeps, glassy-eyed chords, heady synth stabs and echoing vocal snippets leap above crunchy UKG beats. Oden and Fatzo opt for a warmer, dreamier and more traditional two-step garage sound on their accompanying remix, before Regan opens side two via the Super Hans/Peep Show-sampling analogue deep house wonder that is 'The Big Beat Manifesto'. Remixer Midge Thompson flips the script on his revision, re-wiring it as a sub-heavy chunk of dub house heaviness.
Review: 'Let The Spirit' is a new tune by Michael Reinboth on Compost that reworks a stone-cold deep house classic. The original was one of the many peerless tracks laid down by Chez Damier & Ron Trent back in the 1990s and is a perfect mix of steamy synth work and rumbling drums that locks you in and leads to rapture. Here it becomes more cosmic as the chords shine a little brighter. Also featuring on the 12" is 'RS6 Avant' as both a starry-eyed Cosmic version and a more driving, drum-centric club version. This one is worth it for the A1 alone, and that's just for starters.
Review: After a lengthy hiatus, Spanish label theBasement Discos returns with a collection that fuses the essence of 90s house with contemporary flair. Rekun opens with 'Party Jean', a playful track driven by infectious rhythm. DJ Merci's 'Smack That' builds momentum with its punchy bass and relentless groove. Mindchime's 'Changes' shifts into deeper territory, offering intricate layers and subtle energy. Deepmore's 'All Night Long' closes with an unyielding, hypnotic drive that'll keep feet moving long into the night. A handy blend of old and new, proving theBasement Discos' unwavering influence in today's vinyl scene.
Review: Given their confident style, the artist lurking behind the Retromigration moniker already has an impressive track record, and the take on U.S style deep house and J Dilla style instrumental hip-hop they show here is sure to please both DJs and punters alike . Check first the echoing strings, synth chords and twinkling pianos of deep and steppin' house jam 'Hafenluft', before admiring the swirling deep house jazz of 'Mad Fox' and the more driving but similarly jazzy 'Tinger'. Elsewhere, 'Be Alright' is a mid-tempo number that combines deep house elements with flashes of '80s synth funk, while 'Disk Yard' and 'Nur Weir' are dusty, stoner-friendly head-nodders.
Review: wewillalwaysbealovesong has very quietly become a much treasured outlet for classy hosue sounds by those who know. It is the on form Retromigration who steps up now following EPs on Handy and Wolf Music that deserve more attention than they seem to have so far got. He brings his sleek modern deep house style to the fore here with opener 'Secret Of A Pimp' layering up crispy boom-bap house drums with warm, whirring pads and smart vocal sample. The don Jimpster adds his textbook musicality to a fine remix, then 'Flying Lotus' brings a more airy and melodic vibe for outdoor dancing. The Franc Spangler remix is dubby and deep as you like.
Review: Retromigration is the nom de plume of Malik Kassim, a DJ and producer from Amsterdam with previous releases on labels like Ravanelli Disco Club, GLBDOM and Healthy Scratch. The five tracks featured on the Bloom Street EP come to you courtesy of London's Wolf Music, featuring the sensual late night mood music of A side cut 'Brining It' and its velvety Rhodes keys that guide it all the way. Over on the flip, you have the urban influenced jam 'Free Spirit' getting that Berlin vibe going on that's reminiscent of Max Graef and Glenn Astro's work, and ending with the dusty jazz bar loops of 'Slick Walkin' that takes you deeper into the twilight hours.
Review: Marseille-based label Ravanelli Disco Club welcomes back Amsterdam-based producer Malik Kassim aka Retromigration for the evocative sunset groove of 'Jeffa' which is perfect for poolside vibes, which then heads inside to the club for some deep, late-night mood music courtesy of Ron Basejam on the remix. Over on the flip, Nephews serve up a slo-mo heater reminiscent of French deep house from the turn of the millennium on the sultry 'Reingelaxed' which gets a re-rub by Razor N Tape main man Jkriv on the flip.
Review: Atlanta house mainstay Stefan Ringer finds a perfectly complementary bedfellow in Marquinn Mason on this new EP for the venerated UK label Eglo. His mastery of deep house and broken beats is a great foundation for the jazz chops of Mason. 'Bounce Lesson' is the first to win you over with its loose, leggy bassline and funky, jazz, cosmic chord work. It's a seamless fusion of different worlds and after the brief jazzed-up piano dance of 'Alltogethernow' comes the standout cut 'Lead Walk'. Another wandering bassline locks you in while heavy, knocking broken beat patterns and gloriously life-affirming chords all warp and weft around one another.
Nata Alma (feat Sidsel Endresen & Bugge Wesswltoft - club Smash Hit version) (8:38)
Venq Tolep (Hit club version) (6:25)
Review: Veteran German producer (and one half of Wighnomy Brothers) Robag Wruhme returns to Pampa Records with two delightful servings of his idiosyncratic sound. The glassy-eyed and bittersweet daydream fantasy of "Nata Alma" (Club Smash Hit version) features some right legends of the Norweigian jazz scene: Bugge Wesseltoft on piano accompanied by a heartfelt vocal performance by vocalist Sidsel Endresen. On the flip, "Venq Tolep" (Hit club version) is equal parts melancholic yet utterly evocative, and is the title track of his first album-length release on DJ Koze's label in eight years.
Review: This new and heavyweight 12" from Robot84 is a fresh fusion of Italo and house vibes that are defined by lively percussion, lush pianos, 808 drum fills, and an irresistible vocal hook. The original of this has already garnered attention with high praise from Manchester legend Justin Robertson who dropped it at a Hacienda 51 gig for its 30th anniversary. Sean Johnston, Heidi Lawden, Laurent Garnier and more have all also been playing it out recently which tells you all you need to know, really. Flip it over for a dubbed-out headwrecker that is just as good.
Review: Franck Roger recently impressed with a vocal project alongside Arnold Jarvis and is now back on Seasons Limited with some of his signature house depths. Opener 'Don't Look Down' kicks off with louche, lovely drums and swirling pads and vocals that soon melt the heart. 'That's Alright' is a more thumping kick but is no less heartfelt with its warped bass and prickly hi-hats. 'Proscription' closes out with smooth, serene grooves that have your head in the stars and your heart locked into the romantic melodies. .
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: This new 12" on US label Seasons Limited brings together two of deep house's most accomplished and tasteful names in French legend Franck Roger plus Arnold Jarvis who he last collaborated with in 2007, while UK mainstay and Freerange label boss Jimpster remixes. It is one the label has been cooking up for a while but proves more than worth the wait. 'Living My Life' is the one original collab and is smooth, buttery deep house with lush vocal tones. Jimpster brings a little more bounce and a fat bassline on one mix, then dubs things out to prefect for the second. A timeless set of grooves that will level-up any collection.
Review: Seasons Limited made a welcome return in 2024 and now keeps up that good momentum with another big single from French house mainstay Franck Roger with some fine vocals by Paul B. It's a super smooth sound with drum swaying back and forth, molten synth adding late night and tissue soul and the tender vocal adding intimacy and late night romance. Rocco Rodamaal steps up for remixes and first of all he pairs things back to a sedate, seductive deep house roll then fleshes out the drums with some dubby weight to finish.!
Rogue D - "The Vibe" (feat Joe Le Groove - Job remix) (5:47)
Ruff Stuff - "The Gathering" (5:53)
Ruff Stuff - "Brighter Mood" (6:50)
Review: For the sixth transmission from Stolen Goods, two artists in Rogue D and Ruff Stuff step up to take charge of one side each. The former goes first with 'The Vibe' (feat Joe Le Groove) and it is a smoky, low-key and deep basement house cut with razor sharp hi-hats and dusty drums overlaid with a sensuous male vocal adding the soulful vibes. A Job remix is much more cosmic as it travels through starry night skies on shiny synth lines, then Ruff Stuff douses you in rippling synth melodies on 'The Gathering' and lays down clipped, funk-fuelled house on 'Brighter Mood'.
Review: Tom Roland impresses once more with this precision-tooled selection of minimal and tech house gems. They manage to find a perfect sweet spot between devastating club functionality and soulful flourishes. 'Exposure' kicks off with some smart samples that infuse and r&b feel into the snappy drum and colourful melodies. 'Free Ride' then bumps along with some nice fat bass and lithe percussion while 'K2000' is a stripped-back groover that sways back and forth as acid lines grow ever more wild in the mix. Last but not least is 'Zero Control' which is the punchiest of the lot with some nice psychedelic colours over dusty drum loops.
Review: Bristol party and label Just Jack welcome unsung Detroit hero in the form of Gari Romalis. He brings all the sounds you'd expect of a Motor City artist - depth, soul and warmth. 'Panic In Detroit' (Goos Life Mix) is a mid tempo jam that will warm up early evening floors. 'Final Fronteer' (Brain Block mix) is a deep and cuddly cut with hip swinging claps and splashy hi hats and last of all comes the best fo the lot, 'Hard Rain.' It has smooth drum loops that rock back and forth and draw you in beneath balmy cosmic pads and far-sighted sense of melancholy. This is tasteful, subtle dance music for the heads.
Review: Detroit legend Gari Romalis is as productive as ever, offering up a strain of deep house that feels classic without trading on past glories. In a year when he's collaborated with DJ Minx on Women On Wax, landed on Just Jack, Wild Circus and Secret Society, he's now rubbing shoulders with Boo Williams, Orlando Voorn, Vincent Floyd and more for breakthrough Italian label NICEPEOPLE. There's quality oozing out of every bar of this EP, but 'Black Diamondz (Africa Mix)' is especially classy, capturing a subdued but purposeful mood which rightly turns the mind to the empowered theme of the record. Don't sleep on 'Purpose Reprise (Motivate Mix)' either, in which the pointed speech samples give you food for thought atop another of Romalis' impeccable groove.
Review: Chachi Romero's famously magic fingers are back in full force on the latest release from Open Air 72. This project dives into the nu-funk movement and do so by mixing up retro-funk vibes with futuristic synth sounds reminiscent of the likes of MoFunk, Zackery Funk Force and Dabeull. A-side jam 'Sunwave Space' rings endlessly nodding and funky basslines to withering sci-fi motifs and blissed-out vocal coos. It's a nice and catchy sound while 'Arm Candy' is a more deep and dusty house groove with libidinous vocals and rolling beats topped with some well-chosen vocal samples for an extra steamy allure.
House music legend Harry Romero, a man who's soundtracked countless late nights and sweaty dancefloors, makes his Rekids debut with a two-track EP that's as timeless as it is energetic. 'Nice To Meet You' is a masterclass in classic New York house, its hypnotic groove and raw low-end providing the perfect foundation for Romero's signature blend of infectious rhythms and soulful melodies. The title track is a standout, its bold kazoo melody and hypnotic breakdowns a testament to Romero's ability to craft tracks that are both instantly recognizable and utterly unique. But the EP doesn't stop there; 'Danny's Groove' is a high-energy affair, its layered rhythms and catchy whistle melody creating a sense of joyous abandon that's impossible to resist. This is house music at its finest, a reminder that sometimes all you need is a killer groove and a touch of soulful magic to ignite the dancefloor.
.Ron Basejam has always cooked up a wealth of characterful cuts across the house and disco spectrum. This unknown label is now home to a load more starting with the lovely soft focus chords and gospel tinged vocal bursts of deep house meditation 'We Need Change'. A house dub ups the energy a little with more cosmic sprinkles raining down over percussive grooves. 'BFG' then ups the disco quotient with elastic bass and leggy drums, a nice organic vibe and carefree chords. 'Blue' shuts down with some feel good soul and funk house fusion work.
Review: RT Factor is one of Ron Trent's less familiar aliases, but rest assured anything graced with the Chicago great's name is a buy on sight situation. So it goes on this latest release for his Electric Blue label, which is a single-sided 15-minute epic that will have fans grinning with satisfaction and newcomers wondering what they've been missing all this time. The extended run time gives Trent free reign to let his musical motifs unfurl in a relaxed manner - this is one of the all time greats of soulful deep house after all - but there's also power and presence in the electronic elements of the sound on "EBS 1". All the better to carry the airy keys and pattering hand drums - these trademark ingredients never sound better than in Trent's hands.
Review: Konfus Records continues its impressive early work with a fourth vinyl edition that sees them welcoming Matthias Schildger to the family. Together with Rupert Hartick, he cooks up the powerful Dudes EP which offers a nice blend of tracks that explore different moods and grooves. Schildger appears under two of his well-known aliases - MS and CNTRL - first with the bubbly and deep minimal loops of 'Lose Control' and then with the airy, subtly uplifting and high-speed smoothness of the dubby 'Tranceparents'. For his part, Hartick offers two nice and punchy kicks for when the floor needs a jolt.
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