Now Is Your Time (A Lost Story) (feat Jenifa Mayanja) (7:07)
Review: This three-track release from a legendary Toronto house producer is a cream example in deep house sophistication. 'Kickstarter (Mainpass)' opens with jazzy, melodic elegance, its slick, clean production exuding class and warmth. The track's deep grooves and epic progression make it very appealing for DJ's. 'Music For Table Tennis' shifts gears with an electro-tinged beat, enveloping listeners in a lush, deep soundscape that radiates beauty and warmth. Closing the EP, 'Now Is Your Time (A Lost Story)' featuring Jenifa Mayanja, blends deep house and techno into an atmospheric masterpiece. The production here is next level, with intricate textures and a hypnotic flow. Rooted in the spirit of New York house but imbued with a contemporary finesse, this is a refined and essential deep house release.
Review: This is a full artwork version of the same release that dropped recently as a pre-release white label, so will look as good on the shelves as it sounds on the decks. DJ Dez Andres has been particularly productive of late after releasing a series of" records that showcase his signature edits. The collection includes 'Boogie,' a broken beat banger featuring a catchy whistle, followed by 'Maxin',' a sensuous, downtempo track with smooth pads and laid-back beats. The final track, 'Talking,' wraps things up with soulful vocals and a romantic, late-night vibe.
A Soft Mist Production - "Upside Down Rainbows" (5:01)
Dr Sud - "Zaffiro" (Jazz cut) (3:59)
DatSIM - "Influx" (4:40)
The Rabbit Hole - "Tail Groove" (4:27)
Review: No matter your particular preference in the deep house world, this various artists' outing from Q1E2 Recordings is sure to have something for you. Mike Riveria & Marco Ohboy, for example, tap into an early sound on 'Euphoria' with its big, brash piano stabs and whistles, while A Soft Mist Production keeps it all cuddly and deep with languid chords draped over gentle drums on 'Upside Down Rainbows.' DatSIM brings in some space-tech vibes for a deft rhythm and neon infused sound on 'Influx' and The Rabbit Hole's 'Tail Groove' has a mad double bass sound jumping about beneath frantic jungle breaks.
Nicola Brusegan, Camilo Gil - "Take A Groove" (6:27)
Nicola Brusegan, Camilo Gil - "Take A Groove" (Jorge Caiado remix) (6:12)
Review: Renowned producer Bodeler makes his mark on the newly emerging Minimal Brooklin label with a masterful display of minimalism on his A1 cut, then respected Argentinian Franco Cinelli remixes and delivers something immersive. On the B-side, Nicola Brusegan and Camilo Gil unite to create a soulful deep house track complete with lush chords and pulsating basslines, and this one is paired with a remix from Jorge Caiado that is sure to electrify dance floors thanks to his knack for crafting statement-making sound and pulsating acid vibes.
Damn Girl That's A Lot Of Swing (Boris Werner remix) (6:08)
Bio Dynamic (6:47)
Review: Long-time collaborators Thos Bulwer and Anna Wall are back at it again, here serving up their blend of house music on Classique. 'Damn Girl That's A Lot Of Swing' is a fresh way to open and it sounds a bit like a prime Masters At Work cut updated for 2030. 'Casa Classique' switches out house drums for loopy and seedy breaks, spin backs and big percussion while a Boris Werner remix of the opener brings more tight tech house stylings. 'Bio Dynamic' flips the script again with grinding piano chords and airy mid-tempo drums. Innovative sound designs and unusual combinations make this a standout from this pair.
Review: Some 18 months on from the launch of his Better Together Records imprint, Sydneysider Chech is finally ready to deliver another expansive EP. Standing six tracks deep, Gemini Era tends towards the loved-up, saucer-eyed and gently psychedelic, with colourful melodic motifs aplenty and tons of audible references to early progressive house, ambient house and ambient techno. There's plenty to admire, from the spacey, analogue-rich dreaminess of 'XTC' and 'Gemini Era', to the low-tempo ambient techno head-nod of 'Slowride (93 Theme)' and the dusty, piano-rich deep house of 'Interstate (M1 Mix)'. Elsewhere, 'Jia's Dance' sees the Aussie explorer wrap vintage New Jersey garage-house sounds around a punchy breakbeat, while 'Birds of Prey' is a dubby chunk of sunset-ready dancefloor bliss.
Review: Close Counters of the preferred kind... Lovers Dance Academy is the third, cosmic jazz-house LP from the word-playful ensemble from the Australian duo of Allan McConnell and Finn Rees. Eschewing much of the kitsch tropicalia of Soulacoasta and Soulacoasta II, their first and second albums from 2018 and 2023 respectively, the pair have decided to minimalise and sophisticate their sound here. Ahead of a nationwide tour (and beyond), this sweetly balanced record not only marks out Melbourne and Narrm as twin hotspots of the Aussie scene right now, but serves well as "a metaphor for the power of collective energy", with rousing hats and sprung sound design making for an infatuating, feverish disco sound. The master mix is ever so slightly pushed to the limit, inciting a people's disc-overflow.
Review: Makin Moves pull another funny on us; their multi-volume exclusives series is called "Unreleased", despite each release in the series, by taut definition, constituting a release. But to call a track "unreleased", when it decidedly now isn't, does, we admit, help mythologise it to the extent that it makes it more desirable; the proviso here being, of course, that the tracks in this series are relegated to vinyl first, with no promises made as to a potential future digitisation. So do New Yorker Conway Kasey and fellow artist Johnny Melek deck out the final-vinyl front side with 'Jazz Fest' and 'Myrrr', the latter especially thrilling us with a formant-shifted Juliet Mendosa on vocals. On the other hand, Reggie Steele and David Harness enter into a nice remix interplay with 'Vulnerable', piggybacking on the original 2024 release's establishing anodynes.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Drop Music marks a marvellous quarter of a century of releases with this new slab of vinyl featuring some gems from disco funksters Crazy P and the house mainstays Inland Knights. Crazy P go first with 'Disc Odyssey' which is perfectly indicative of their much beloved sound with its low slung kicks and funky bassline. Inland Knights then offer a trio of in demand & unreleased tracks. 'Overnight' is a bumming deep house joint, 'Walk On' has an icy late night vibe and balmy pads and 'Do It Again is a more playful closer, with some killer b-line action. All four, needless to say, are timeless gems, and the fact the last two are appearing on vinyl first the first time makes it an even more desirable cop.
Review: Athens-based label Ethos is looking to build on the good start it made with its first two outings with a third raw and direct EP. DimDJ is a legend in Greece and has been since the 90s when he first began making his mark. His sound is not all about nostalgia though - he opens his Welcome To This World EP with 'This Little Face' which is a deep house reverie with painterly pads smeared over dusty drums. Nice analogue textures make it all the more lived in and a Beatless version strips away everything but the suspensory synths. 'Welcome To This World is another lo-fi and crackly deep house meditation and 'Hyper Tonic' flips the script with some undulating acid lines, more light synth work and hissing hi-hats.
Review: The fourth release in the limited vinyl series BS-LTD features two new and exciting talents. On one side, we have Disco Stup, a rising artist from Hossegor, now based in London and studying sound engineering. On the other side, UK-based Swin, fresh off the success of his sell-out debut EP. He goes first with 'Broken Mute Point' which is a tech-infused disco with plenty of wet synth gurgles and snappy drums, then 'I'll Show You The Attic' ups the pace with more twisted loops. Swin's 'Entropy' bring pixelated colour and echo to a dubbed-out disco-tech groove and 'Loosing Their Minds' is more dubby and tippy to make for another fine outing.
Review: DJ Deep and Traumer hatch their collaborative new project, Get-Rooted, merging their own labels Deeply Rooted and getitraum. Their new cross-pollination, Get-Rooted, re-conceives existing tracks in either artists' catalogues, with 'Open Your Eyes' merging into 'Close Your Eyes' hearing DJ Deep abrade raw hypnogrooves, while Traumer opts for a lush, refined production. DJ Deep's 'Insss', meanwhile, graces the B-side as a spruce revisitation of a beloved vocal sample, paired with a drum-driven progression.
Review: Oozing with slippery sound design and euphoric exudate, Andrey Djackonda, Etzu Mahkayah, and TooRare team up for a next-gen talent demo in EP form, well and truly showing any other upstart how trancey-prog-minimal house is and should indeed be done. Said to have been designed to create a feeling of uplift and positivity - and yet in our opinion, the record touches on relatively more neutral and trancier moods, ones which could go either way - the likes of 'Que Le Jour Se Leve' and 'Sunrise In Amsterdam' are highly maximised, entelechic tech-trance progressors, highlt reflective of the verve and dedicated so far enshrined in the work of Saint Petersburg label MixCult.
Review: Leipzig-based Eira Haul takes his tech house sound forward with a fine outing on genre-specialists RAND Muzik here. 'Pocari Sweat' manages to combine the stuff, compelling drums of tech with more balmy and silky synths that bring great dynamics to the groove. It's spaced out and pacey then 'Tectona' kicks on with some bouncing bass and kick combos, sci-fi motifs and smart vocals worked in to bring the soul. 'Root Synergy' zips along with a sense of cosmic space travel that can easily get you locked in and zoned out and then 'Beach Haze' shuts down with a more heady, deep vibe, tropical synth details and a steamy atmosphere for late-night back rooms.
Review: UK label Rezpektiva unearths another gem from the archives, this time shining a light on Fade 2 End, the elusive duo of Nick Woolfson and Mark Shimmon. Their output may have been limitedijust two releases in 1996ibut what they left behind is a masterclass in deep, rolling, late-night techno. 'Sundance' sets the tone with its undulating rhythms and hypnotic loops, while 'The Passage' weaves together tough beats and drifting synth lines. 'Dreams' and 'Daze' lock into a mesmerising groove, all heady atmospherics and resonant grooves. On the flip, 'Another Day' and 'Another Night' explore the contrast between euphoria and tension, their hypnotic vocals pulling the listener deeper into the groove. 'Feel The Magic' rounds things off with a shimmering, dreamlike quality, balancing lush pads with crisp drum programming. Fade 2 End had a rare touchitracks that feel alive, shifting and evolving as they play out. Now, thanks to Rezpektiva, these lost classics finally get the attention they deserve.
Martina Topley Bird - "Crystalised" (feat Mark Lanegan & Warpaint - Director cut Signature mix) (7:04)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper's Director's Cut project continues with its third rendition, bringing together yet another eight house remixes of established neo-soul and trip-hop songs by the pair and their friends. Standouts on this one include Tony Humphries' Work & Play Mix of Inaya Day's 'Let's Stay Home', which follows the singer's orders to "take advantage of this little bit of rainfall" to produce a slice of humble, heated house pie; and Director's Cut's 'Signature mixes' of sultry lullabies by Martina Topley-Bird and Vintage Dbow.
B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition
Baby Wants To Ride (feat Jamie Principle - Re-directed)
Let Yourself Go (feat Sybil - A Director's cut Master)
Let's Stay Home (A Director's cut Classic club mix)
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (feat B Slade - DJ Meme's mix Of Epic Proportions)
You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Kenny Summit, Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper unreleased anthem)
Hostile Takeover (Director's cut remix)
Back Together (feat Ron Carrol - Director's cut Classic club mix)
The Look (Director's cut Signature mix)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***
This second round-up of high quality tracks and remixes by Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper's Director's Cut project is as loved-up and action-packed as its predecessor. It begins with versions of the pair's re-recording of Knuckles' classics "Baby Wants To Ride" and "Let Yourself Go" (the latter a breezy and summery piano-house treat), before offering up a soulful singalong with Inaya Day and a stomping disco-house cover of Sylvester classic "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". Record two offers up some of their hard-to-find remixes, with the pair's Lou Rawls revision and soaring version of Hardsoul and Ron Carroll's soulful house classic "Back Together" standing out.
Review: After two decades entertaining dancers in Santiago, Chile, the Rock Tha House crew have decided to launch their own label. With local legend Camilo Gil and Mexico City-based Mario Flores at the helm, the imprint aims to showcase Chilean talent - though this compilation style debut EP features cuts from artists based all over the world. Nima Gorji sets the tone with 'Get Me Out Of Here', a hypnotic and mind-altering fusion of minimal house sparsity and deliciously psychedelic electronics, before Quenum delivers a typically Chilean blend of oddball house drums, weird noises and Villalobos style effects. Over on side B, Carlo Gambino's 'The Goddess' is a tech-tinged chunk of deep house haziness, while Mihai Popovicu's 'Nimph' is a classical-sounding chunk of ultra-spacey tech-house deepness.
Review: SQNC's debut release on Sequence Records delivers an electrifying clash of styles. Hearthug's playful energy opens the A-side with 'Beep Blump Beep (Sex Mix)', a bouncy track that effortlessly commands the dancefloor. 'Moonrush (Original Mix)' follows, taking a more acidic approach while maintaining that signature groove that's undeniably infectious. On the B-side, Cybercafe - Adam Dirk'heim's brainchild - establishes its cybernetic identity. 'Hyperdrive' is an immersive experience with deep kicks and distorted synths, creating a pulsating rhythm that draws listeners in. 'Katorza' takes things further with a retro-futuristic edge, adding a hypnotic energy that makes it perfect for late-night sets. It's a dynamic fusion of playfulness and intensity, showcasing the unique approaches of both artists while setting the tone for Sequence Records' future. This release is full of depth and dancefloor potential, marking the start of something exciting for the label.
Review: The people behind Ba Dum Tish say they spent months calling, texting and emailing people trying to track down the Hoodrats, but in the end, they did and it was all worth it because it means we now get this reissue of their superb 00s EP 'Tha Whack Messiah'. The title cut is all dusty drums and skipping hi-hats with quiet vocal musings stitched in and swirling pads adding depth and scale. 'So UR The Traitor' on the flip has a more cosmic outlook with smeared synths and tin-pot percussion combing into a sweet tech house roller that oozes early authenticity.
Blow Monkeys - "Save Me" (Neville Watson dub) (8:04)
Cisco Cisco - "If You Want Me" (Jay Shepheard remix) (7:11)
Bongo Entp - "Drommen" (SIRS remix) (5:48)
Darlyn Vlys - "Wuzu" (Tyu Tribe remix) (7:18)
Kimo - "Whirl" (6:50)
Discoscuro - "Discoscuro" (6:10)
Popular Tyre - "Feel Like A Lazer Beam" (7:35)
Class B Band - "Repli-can" (edit) (6:04)
Bal5000 - "Bleu Infini" (7:52)
Phil Kieran - "Find Love" (Andrew Weatherall remix) (7:43)
Das Komplex - "89" (8:05)
Brioski - "Calling 626" (edit) (5:20)
Review: Sean Johnston curates a compilation that feels as much like a love letter to a bygone era of cosmic and chugging dance music as it does a blueprint for the future. Across this translucent red vinyl double LP, he assembles a narrative that stretches from the dub-tinged grooves of Weatherall-inspired rhythms to rich, enveloping basslines rooted in the darker corners of the dancefloor. These selections capture the ethos of A Love From Outer Spaceinot a style, but a sensibility, where tempo slows and subtlety reigns. Rather than overwhelm, the tracks reveal their power gradually, layering textures and grooves with a painterly touch.
Review: Planet Trip Records calls Millos Kasier one of their favourite DJs on earth so they are buzzing to have him next up. He is a Brazilian talent who brings plenty of the energy and style of his homeland to this EP. 'Te Quero Perto' has woody, knocking beats and an old-school Chicago bassline setting the tone before glistering and retro-future keys arrive to bring light and hope. A Latin vocal and Italo chords then take things to the next level and make this a real summer sizzler. A Paco Cabana is more percussive and Lipelis & Orion Agassi offer two different versions that rework it for the club.
Review: Blending elements from disco, Italo, jazz and Balearic house, this release delivers a fresh take on techno and house while paying homage to dance music's rich history. 'Enjoy You So Much' starts things off with an electrifying mix of disco and Italo-inspired tech house. A driving beat and infectious piano hook make it an undeniable floor-filler, bursting with energy. 'Volero' follows with an effortlessly fun vibeiplayful yet groove-focused, designed to keep bodies moving without overcomplicating the rhythm. Flipping to Side-2, 'Work Harder' injects a jazzy, tribal-influenced groove, complete with an impressive horn section that adds a touch of live-band warmth to the dancefloor. It's a breezy, sun-soaked track with a balearic spirit that radiates positivity. Closing things out, 'You Can, You Will' takes a deeper, techier route. While it leans into a more hypnotic groove, it never loses its sense of fun, balancing depth with an upbeat momentum. This release helps bridge the evolution of house and techno with style, bringing classic influences with contemporary production. A creative and danceable ride through the spectrum of electronic music's past and future.
Review: Amazing, goblin-mode minimal techno from Klon Dump aka. Mark Klon, a human klondike of fidgety sonics and jokey tech house from Australia. It's as if divine powers intended for Klon to join My King Is Light, the label owned and operated by fellow producer Melchior Productions. MKIL focus is on extra-special minimal tech, shunning the genre's often unfortunate capitulation to floor-perfunctoriness for the sake of idiosyncratic indulgences of the artistic kind, the kind we minimal fans actually want to hear. Praise individuality, for it is not lost! 'The Long 2016' harks back to the year in which humanity stood at the precipice of everything-everywhere-all-at-once-ness; endless shuffles, pops, bass slaps and overhand riffles burble from this track like a volatile electro-ball, evoking the informatic ease of the time. 'Go Wahreit' contrasts with harsh alien vocodes and kitchenware percs, and titularly plays on the German word for "kernel of truth". The B-siders render the record weirder and weirder, 'Blind Tim' summoning UK flavours with a skweeeing swing, and 'It's Only My Body' serving to desensitise the trance.
Review: Anton Kubikov is a regular presence in the underground and now he makes his debut on equally long-established RAWAX. 'Jet Jet' opens up with some super seductive and silky deep house with deft and soulful chords over nimble beats. 'Outback Deep' is another hum sound this time with slower beats and dubbed-out bass. '3 Magic Words' picks up the pace with a soft acid line lashing about the arrangement with humid chords for company. 'Mister R' is a hip-hop swinger that oozes late-night cool and rounds out a sophisticated EP.
Review: Housewax proclaim Mr. Lico Lahs as the don of Bari house, a supposedly local form of the international dance music genre based in and around Bari, situated on the east coastal heel of the booted peninsula of Italy. With a haggard, bleary-eyed, verging on narcotised sound - reminiscent of the opiate excesses of Chicago house - 'Coming Down Baby' and 'Time Shine' season the pan with additional lo-fi and filter house elements, commanding shoulder exposures and suggestive side eyes the whole floor over. Closer 'Luv You The Right Way' cleverly goes full stereo on the kick, providing a mood of apparitional nostalgia for the holiday sun.
Review: On his new 12" for his own kickstarter label Cosada, easy riser Laseech beseeches us to dance. Jazzy, soulful house music enlists the emosh but unrushed voice of Swaylo, snaring the essence of heartfelt house in a power-of-three-tracks net. Awakening the legend Ron Trent from his slumber, his deep, percussive touch and copy-paste-happy vocal science adds a happily haphazard twist. Inspired by the melodic landscapes of the Adriatic, the inaugural label name "Cosada" holds out a personal meaning for Laseech, drawing from both an idyllic island and the street where his studio lies, symbolising his continued hope to make timeless music.
Review: In the world of house music, it's often the B-sides - more adventurous or deeper alternatives to the peak-time-focused lead cut - that often last the test of time. It's a conclusion that Vick Lavender has come to, at least, because this limited-edition EP marks the first in a 'B-Sides Series' in which all cuts are bonuses, alternate takes or 'tributes' to other artists. He begins by paying tribute to Dexter Wansel on 'A Space of My Own', layering dense hand percussion, spacey electronics and intergalactic synth sounds over a rock-solid kick-drum pattern. He then slams down two versions of the King Sporty sampling 'Mr Sporty': the sax-squelch-and jammed-out keys-heavy brilliance of the 'Time Traveler Re-imagined Mix' and the more leisurely, synth solo sporting deep house warmth of the 'Drums & Life' version.
Review: Like the orographic cloud formed around the hill on the front cover, Martinou's latest record is a restorative future garage via techno myst. Released through the German minimalists Fauxpas - who've confirmed their pride at having finally gotten to release with the Swedish artist - this vinyl edition contains an exclusive track on the fifth runout, 'Thoughtless'. But the fact is, all the tunes here are more than worthy for soundtracking a condensate moment of downtime and renewal. Paced blissfully, our faves are 'Woven' and 'Hold Then Release', both of which exculpate all our anxieties through burbling, filtered woodblocks and field-studied sonics, hand-picked to arrest and wow. A sublime new outing from the Sewer Sender founder.
Review: While not the most celebrated house music 'original' by any means, Chicagoan producer Terrance McDonald was responsible for a handful of fantastic releases in the 1990s for the likes of Djax-Up Beats and Dance Mania. However, it's his 1991 debut, Mind Over Matter, that is most revered. Here reissued for the first time since 2010, the EP blends the drum machine-driven jack of early Chicago house with the Afro-futurist electronics of Motor City techno. For proof, check the hypnotic brilliance of 'Mind Over Matter', where looped synth sounds ride a thumping beat and chunky bassline, and the more sweat-soaked 'New Mix' by fellow Chi-Town legend Steve Poindexter. Elsewhere, 'Spaced Out' is deeper, spookier and even more hypnotic - all alien electronics and restless percussion - while 'Back From Canada' is a funkier and cheerier machine jam.
Review: Limo Trax wind down the tinters and shoot us a knowing look through the Wayfarers, as their latest procurement in slick minimal house and techno blares out the limo stereo. This latest addition to their colours series comes in verdant green, and corrals the talents of Milion, Exonym, Dombee and Wodda, all of whom lay down a clacking sonic technic each. 'Tuin Van Bret' exposes the vibe with beeping chords and an injurious party-starting film dialogue sample, as swarthy, silly excitable funk ensues. 'Hagring' marks the A2 with a "gimme dem" sample and moody swells, while 'Brixton' pays homage to the legendary Lambeth area with a speed garage distributary, reminiscent of Serious Danger's earliest movements in the sound. 'Dark N Stormy' perfects this speedy trend, adding expulsive breaks and oozing licks between the four-by-fours.
Review: Forest Jams takes us further into the unknown with Mori Ra's Mantra, an EP of four cosmic edits for curious minds and forest wanderers. Osaka-based DJ Mori Ra is known for blending Balearic, cosmic and electronic disco and has graced labels like Rotating Souls and Macadam Mambo. In Mantra, he becomes a mystic guide offering sonic parables hidden in four tracks, including 'Catharsis', which launches us into a digital odyssey and 'Seinn O!' exploring communication through atmospheric chants, while the Japanese titles on the flip captures the dystopian bustle of a simulated city and brings reflection in the form of a timeless tunnel of discovery. Wonderful.
Review: This reissue brings a sought-after Italo-disco classic back to the dancefloor. Originally released in 1984, it's a timeless anthem with infectious melodies and pulsating rhythms capturing the essence of the era. The reissue features three distinct mixes, each offering a unique flavour. The 'New York - London Mix' is a vibrant and energetic journey, while the 'Free House Mix' takes a more laid-back approach, its hypnotic groove perfect for those hazy after-hours moments. The 'NU Style Mix' injects a contemporary twist, updating the classic sound for modern dancefloors. Whether you're a seasoned Italo-disco aficionado or simply a lover of feel-good dance music, this reissue is a must-have.
Review: A predictably strong start to 2025 from long-serving US deep house producer Anthony Nicholson, who serves up two scintillating and subtly soulful 'Sound Theories' for us to enjoy. He begins with the stretched-out beacon of positivity that is 'Moondancing (The Rejoice)', where jazzy Clavinet licks, spacey chords, colourful synth solos and sun-bright piano motifs dance atop a pleasingly loose-limbed deep house groove. Flip-side 'Echoes of Music & You' is even deeper and squelchier, albeit with the same dizzyingly high level of intricate musicality and undeniably dancefloor friendly construction. In other words, it's another excellent two-tracker from the former Ron Trent collaborator.
Review: KMA60 Prozektiva's exploration of a mutant, electrified take on tech and house continues with Ocean T taking the mantle across four future-facing new cuts. The opener 'Never Enough' has steely drums that slap hard while the twisted, glistening melodies and 90s stabs bring a rave feel. 'KO' is a darker and more gritty sound with dubby low ends and vocal aspirations adding a touch of human soul. 'OBSSSD' has more old school vocals buried in a shimmering mix of synths and snappy drums and 'Been There Too Long' flips the vibe with a much more soft, rounded, warm deep house jaunt with deft vocal fragments and neon colours all making it the best of the lot.
Review: It feels like most every week Burnski starts a new label that is immediately as good as all his others, and here is this week's case in point: Reliance is a new outlet from the super producer and it kicks off with ODF who you may know from a brilliant remix of Special Request. 'Yeah (Uh!)' opens with bubbly basslines and neon melodies and is a timeless garage bumper. '2 Turn' then brings the funk with tight bass and lovely silky drums, 'Rattlesnake' is more dark and menacing thanks to the trippy samples and low end and 'Back To 98' is a stateful shot of garage nostalgia direct to the veins.
Review: A great exploration of deep house that seamlessly blending classic influences with a modern, dancefloor-driven touch. Luca Olivotto is a German producer who back in 2020 opened his own label which this EP now celebrates the tenth release or the label. The title track starts off with an infectious energyiits uplifting piano chords and driving groove create a euphoric late-night atmosphere, embodying the essence of a peak-time house anthem. 'I'm (Not) With You' follows, maintaining the momentum with a strong, party-ready groove that leans into a love for classic house rhythms and vibrant melodies. Side-2 shifts into more soulful and emotive territory. 'Don't Need To Know' delivers a warm, uplifting feel, ideal for early morning sets where the energy softens but the vibes remain high. The closing track,' Givin' All My Love', is a jazzy, atmospheric piece, wrapping up the EP with deep, melodic richness sure to put a smile on your face.
Review: Don't let this one go over yo head son! The final repress from Sound Signature HQ is an essential slab of late 90s Motor City deepness from Theo, presented once again for contemporary reassessment and sounding every bit as jaw dropping 14 years on. Dropping back in 1999, title cut "Overyohead" came to be regarded as a quintessential Theo Parrish track; strings incandescent with soul and lovingly off centre Rhodes riding those heavy drum arrangements towards a sweet piano infused crescendo. Face down, "Dance Of The Drunken Drums" is a prime example of Theo's own distinct brand of cavernous beatdown.
Review: Now busy running a popular studio in Brooklyn, Will Holland has less time to devote to his popular Quantic project. While that is very much our loss, he does at least reappear occasionally to remind us of his talents. 'Tropics', his first release for well over a year, is therefore a rare treat - with the emphasis on treat. The A-side title track does a good job in combining his often-explored Cuban and South American musical influences with the bass-heavy shuffle of Prins Thomas style dub disco. Over on side B, 'Born Again', featuring Laura Roy on vocals, doffs a cap to his formative releases of the 2000s on Tru Thoughts, while 'Japanese Knives' is a chunky, string-laden workout reminiscent of some of the Quantic Soul Orchestra's most picturesque instrumentals.
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: Label regulars Roberta and Trilaterals are back on Worldship Music to take part in the latest Herald Tarccs instalment. Reelsoul is a new name to join the fun and pens up with 'La Costa' which is a throwback disco house sound with wild melodies and big horn leads vying for attention and getting hands skyward. Trilaterals bring plenty of percussive funk and jumbled drum brilliance to 'Flo Jo' and Teflon Dons taps into a Philly sound with the string loops of 'DONTWANTU2GO.' Roberta's "Hang Back' is a classy little jazz-house number.
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.
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