MIKE HUCKABY Vinilo y CD

Review: First released way back in 1997, The Jazz Republic was one of the late, great Mike Huckaby's earliest EPs a sublime collection of hazy and warming Detroit deep house and techno jams tailor made for losing yourself in at four in the morning. Original vinyl copies have long been hard to come by on the second-hand market, so this 25th anniversary edition will be an essential purchase for many DJs. On the A-side, sumptuous, early morning deep house wonder 'The Jazz Republic' comes paired with the mind-altering, stargazing techno hypnotism of 'Jazz Delirium', while on the flip, the piano-smothered bumpin' loveliness of 'Groove Box' is followed by the driving, disco-sampling deep house loop jam 'The Stranger'. An impeccable classic!

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


First released way back in 1997, The Jazz Republic was one of the late, great Mike Huckaby's earliest EPs a sublime collection of hazy and warming Detroit deep house and techno jams tailor made for losing yourself in at four in the morning. Original vinyl copies have long been hard to come by on the second-hand market, so this 25th anniversary edition will be an essential purchase for many DJs. On the A-side, sumptuous, early morning deep house wonder 'The Jazz Republic' comes paired with the mind-altering, stargazing techno hypnotism of 'Jazz Delirium', while on the flip, the piano-smothered bumpin' loveliness of 'Groove Box' is followed by the driving, disco-sampling deep house loop jam 'The Stranger'. An impeccable classic!

Review: The Sushitech festivities continue unabated with this bittersweet repress of an all-time classic from the much-missed Detroit figurehead Mike Huckaby. 'Baseline '87' ranks amongst his most fabled works, riding as it does around an irresistibly catchy square wave bass hook and one of those no-nonsense beats that the legendary producer did so well. For the sound of Huckaby in full flight though, 'Musik For The Dancefloor' on the flip soars thanks to the interplay between the pads and chords while retaining that steadfast focus. In memory of a true dance music hero, why not revisit a classic that should be comfortably sat in every record bag?

Review: Way back in 2007, Mike Huckaby released an EP that joined the dots between Detroit deep house and dub techno all made exclusively on his Waldorf Wave synthesizer. Some nine years on, he's finally got around to releasing a follow-up. My Life With The Wave Volume 2 eschews the dub techno influences of old, instead focusing on the fluid, rich, soul-flecked Motor City deep house he does so well. He begins with the looped, minor key melodies and strutting grooves of "Let The Dancer Do His Thing", before increasing the rhythmic intensity via the cymbal-heavy waviness of "Phuture". Flip for the sun-kissed breeziness of "Baseline 313" - all repetitive electric piano motifs, handclap-heavy percussion and tribal vocal samples - and the fluttering, picturesque deepness of "Another Fantasy". All four tracks are good, but then when does Huckaby ever let us down?

Review: If there's one guy from Detroit who has never lost his principles or ideas, it's certainly Mike Huckaby, the likeable producer who has always been open about his work, and who has always helped the younger generation of talent come through. He's back on his own sublime Synth imprint, and "Wavetable No.9" sees the man go deeper and spacier than his other recent productions, and the same can be said for the tranquil sea of jazzy melodies that envelop "Fantasy". "Jupiter", most probably named after the iconic synth, is what martians would be making if they'd been listening to Art Blakey and Charles Mingus - three solid house tunes with a distinctive Huckaby edge.

Review: Given his length of service, it's rather surprising to find that this is officially his debut album. If we were being picky, we'd say it's more of a compilation, featuring as it does a range of hard to find, in demand classics from the Motor City producer's vast discography. These have all been re-mastered to guarantee louder cuts. It's naturally packed with highlights, from the luscious minor key chords, jazz-funk bass and sneaky vocal samples of "The Jazz Republic" and thrilling peak-time stomp of "Dance", to the jazzy piano flourishes, loose-limbed beats and starry electronics of "Groove Box". Also worth checking is the fireside heat of bongo-laden beatdown shuffler "Mathematics From The Jazz Republic" and the sax-laden disco-house bump of closer "Flashback '78".

Review: While you can never 100% predict what Mike Huckaby will deliver next, you can guarantee that it will drip with quality. Certainly, the well-respected Detroiter is on the money with this two-tracker for the HBF Agency's occasional Half Baked imprint. A-side "First Gear" is a drowsy, Sunday afternoon deep house roller, though its' bleep techno style bass and rough electronics suggest more peak-time ambitions. "Second Gear" is an altogether jazzier proposition, with Nuyorican Soul-era Masters At Work style beats, cascading vibraphone solos, and a wealth of drifting organ chords. There are starry electronics, too, making it something of a heady, intoxicating treat.

Review: Mike Huckaby's Baseline '87 has become something of an in-demand record since the initial 10" release sold out back in 2011. It's not hard to see why. A-side "Baseline 87'", in particular, is one of Huckaby's most potent records - a tough, sweaty chunk of retro-futurist house built around the kind of bassline that's three parts "Energy Flash", and two parts "LFO". There's more of a straightforward Detroit deep house-meets-Motor City techno vibe to flipside "Music For The Dancefloor". It's well produced, subtly dreamy and altogether rather good. It pales into insignificance when compared to the A-side, but then "Baseline" is a bona fide banger.

Review: After the warm reception of his Baseline 88-89 release, Huckaby continues to develop his own S Y N T H label with another EP of solid, dubby house music. "Sandcastle" is positively minimal in its construction, with a clean groove decorated only with occasional spurts of delayed atmospherics and a subby bassline, begging to be slid under something else in a similar restrained groove. "Flashbacks From The M1" is equally functional, although the moody chord that comes scrabbling through the core of the track lightens the mood somewhat. Either way, these are tracks designed to slowly bleed into their counterparts, albeit without the dryness that comes with brazenly marketed 'DJ tools'.

Review: Deep Transportation don Mike Huckaby teams up with Downbeat label gaffer Jose Rico for this EP made with a Waldorf WAVE Synthesizer. Rico's two efforts that adorn the A-Side have clearly been produced with intricate poise, making it all the more surprising that this is his debut release. Both "Restructure Again" and "About It" are lathered in subtle jazzy deep house chords and subtle yet immediate percussion. Flip over for "Mathematics From The Jazz Rebulic" from Mr Huckaby, who really gives the Waldorf what for. Killer release for the deep house purists.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has surface marks/scratches, but otherwise in good working order***


Deep Transportation don Mike Huckaby teams up with Downbeat label gaffer Jose Rico for this EP made with a Waldorf WAVE Synthesizer. Rico's two efforts that adorn the A-Side have clearly been produced with intricate poise, making it all the more surprising that this is his debut release. Both "Restructure Again" and "About It" are lathered in subtle jazzy deep house chords and subtle yet immediate percussion. Flip over for "Mathematics From The Jazz Rebulic" from Mr Huckaby, who really gives the Waldorf what for. Killer release for the deep house purists.