Deep House Recommendations October 2013

Review: REPRESS ALERT! My Love Is Underground return with only their second release of 2013, with MLIU15 introducing the sounds of Dungeon Meat. The new collaborative endeavor between MLIU regular Brawther and Tristan Da Cunha of Back To Basics fame, Dungeon Meat live up to the brash nature of "The Fuck Off Track" with heavy hitting percussion driven house at it's finest. Look out for a label of the same name from Dungeon Meat later this year. Face down Ukrainian producer SE62 returns for MLIU duty for a third time with the hook heavy deep house burn of "True Force".

Review: The Untitled EP for Homepark continues the London-based duo's steady run of one EP per year since 2010. It's the first time Homepark have appeared on Courtesy Of Balance Recordings, sub-label to Chez Damier's Balance imprint. First up is the deep, skipping and resonator fuelled "Ratios", matched in fathoms by "Standing", a dubby and rhode-driven joyride. "Fly Away" sees Mr. Fingers' bassline inspirations take full effect next to lounge time piano playing, while "M&J's Dub" again traverses from deep house territory into a sphere of dubbier Sven Weisemann sounds.

Review: The production renaissance of Rhythm Plate continues apace with the third release on their Pressed For Time label which revisits one of the Peak District duo's earliest releases. Originally issued on the crucial UK house imprint DIY Discs back in the halcyon days of the late nineties, the Masters At Wirksworth EP helped establish the Rhythm Plate sound. Clever programming and a deep stomping vibe permeated all four tracks and this is still the case some fourteen years on. As the cunningly re-titled EP suggests, the two original tracks have been newly remastered and are accompanied by two brand spanking new mixes by Matt Rhythm and Ant Plate...so there's now no reason to pay L106 on discogs for the original EP!

Review: The Manucci's Mistress label gathers pace, looking to Nottingham for their fourth release in the shape of The Lost Sessions EP by Cassio Kohl. Apparently moved to sign up Kohl for a release of the back of a mere 15 seconds of first hearing the producer's debut EP for Amadeus Records, the three tracks here fully justify such snap decision making from the Manucci's Mistress big cheeses. Kohl's sound is a classic take on the deep house template, showing both a talent for raw emotion and clinical production as well the sort of hooky vocal samples and epic lead synths that immediately grab your attention.

Review: West Midlands pair Ultra Knites touch down with the debut release on their own eponymously titled label. "Got To Release" has already been described as a future classic with its distinctive warm pads, vintage bassline and vocal hook while "NY Sleaz'd" is the choice track for peak time dancefloor destruction. The B side takes things deeper underground providing variety with two more chord driven cuts, flanged synth stabs and harmonised basslines. All delivered on heavyweight 180g vinyl.

Review: New music from Kenny Dixon Jnr is a rarity these days so the chance to reacquaint oneself with a classic from his sizeable archives should not be passed up. Terrence Parker's stormingly soulful rendition of "Emotional Content" originally surfaced on his own Intangible Records & Soundworks label back in 1995; commencing with the opening phrase "I said Emotional Content, not Angerbitch," this mid 90s Detroit jammer helped to establish the mythical status of Moodymann, and has been an out of print and highly sought after gem for some ten years. Licensed and fully remastered by JD Records with full and kind permission of Intangible Records & Soundworks, Parker's 'Emotionally Deep' remix has not lost any of it's emotional depth despite it's vintage and that's a clear hallmark of a true classic.

Review: Earlier this year the Kolour Ltd label issued the (rather indecisively titled) It's House Not House EP which featured DJ Sprinkles, Rick Wade and Bicep; understandably it was quite well received by the house (not house) vinyl buying public and sensing they are onto a winning formula Kolour now issue a second volume. It's an equally international affair too with the UK represented by the ubiquitous Waze & Oddysey and the like minded Zoo Look whilst Leipzig and South African are represented in the shape of M.ono & Luvless and Terrence Pearce respectively. W&O demonstrate a slightly more contemplative mood melodically speaking amidst the swooping vocal hooks and club ready beats on "Playin Musique" whilst "Auckland Joggers" showcases the inherent musicality of M.ono & Luvless. On the flip Zoo Look come through with a deeply layered slab of contemporary UK house whilst "The Fantastic" from Mr Pearce lives up to it's name and then some.

Review: Having been involved to some degree in two out of the three releases on Derive Schallplatten thus far, Christopher Rau returns to the fledgling label to helm their first full artist EP. Titled simply Derive 4, this record sees the Smallville regular in typically melodically rich territory - indeed, at first glance the opening track "Simple Set Up" could possibly be mistaken for a John Talabot production were it not for the sort of rhythmic detail that characterises a Christopher Rau track. Turn the plate over and "Safe The Energy" is a breezy jazz flecked house cut emboldened by some deep sub bass movements whilst "Athens" is Rau flexing his dusty drum programming. It's loose and abstract but still packs enough weight to slot into the middle of a set. Quintessential Christopher Rau!

Review: Brought to you from the people over at Vibes & Pepper. The first EP on D3 Recordings, called D3 One, kicks off with 'Track 1'. It's a smooth deep house jam with warming pads and a subtle drive to its kicks. The ticking percussion and bobbling bassline adds to the kinetics but never detract from the heady mood, whilst 'Track 2' is slightly more upbeat thanks to the soft chord stabs and more broken kick drum pattern. Again it's simple but effective, expertly produced and no nonsense deep house for the underground heads. Finally, 'Track 3' ups the ante with a more propulsive groove but pads that are just as soft focus and humid, with deft little celestial synth patterns add a sense of scale and sci-fi-ness to proceedings.

Review: This is the debut release for Matt Kennedy and Short Black, born out of Bounce Audio Record shop in Melbourne Australia. Matt delivers a stunning debut 12" showcasing his talent. The young DJ/Producer delivers 4 tracks to suit every mood of the night. House, Deep Techno and some tasty disco influenced House tunes. We are confident this will stay in your bag for some time.

Review: Whatever you think of Julio Bashmore, he should be given a lot of credit for getting Funkineven onto his Boardwalk label. Stevie J's particular blend of drum machine abuse, intergalactic synths and wonky acid funk is amongst the freshest in house right now, as Species proves. The centrepiece is the eight-minute "The Joker", a decidedly raw fusion of jacking 909 drums, interstellar chords and sci-fi melodies that, at one point, brilliantly slows down and speeds up again, "French Kiss"-style. There's plenty to get excited about elsewhere, though, from the title track's beatless, string-laden atmospherics, to the acid assault of "Aviator" and the next-level Detroit techno meets-electrofunk madness of "Mars".

Review: The Mule Musiq label returns to Queerification And Ruins, their sublime retrospective of DJ Sprinkles for a third vinyl sampler! In original format the double disc release ranks as one of the Juno review team's favourite compilations so far and it's nice to see two more of Terre Thaemlitz's wholly imaginative reworks culled for 12" duty. Leading the way is compilation's curveball inclusion; the nine minute DJ Sprinkles 'Post Script' take on "Letters Of Intent" by Ducktails which is a perfect example of the producer's ingenuity when it comes to approaching remixes - in a word epic! On the flip is the 13 minute DJ Sprinkles 'Rock Bottom' take on "Low Point On High Ground" from Adultnapper's 2010 Simple release of the same name.

Review: Having debuted on Hivern Discs last year with the excellent Danza, Spanish duo Aster make a welcome return to the Catalonian imprint here with the Cielo EP which features a pair of remixes from Belfast duo Bicep. Aster's arrival with the aforementioned Danza was heralded by Hivern as the first part of a planned trilogy of releases from the duo and whilst there's less original material here to grapple with, the titular original production shows JMII and Pettre are really beginning to find their own sound. Wonderfully paced, drums flutter around "Cielo" in an improvised fashion as Aster lay down the kind of dream inducing textural elements that one expects from a Hivern release. Speaking of living up to expectations, Bicep's two remixes lend the track the sort of dancefloor immediacy that has lead to Ferguson and McBriar being on the cusp of stardom - the second remix is our pick.

Review: After a bit of a hiatus, Roots Unit return with some deep house hybrids from their bulging vaults. "Learn To Love" is a melodic dub-house / techno infused big sound system warmer that comes from a studio session with former 2 Lone Swordsman Keith Tenniswood and will be familiar to those who tune into Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space show on the regular. "Morning Sequence" is a lovely early morning hypnotic slinky electronic house jam that gets under your skin and into your mind. This latter track is mutated into a heavy floor filler by Mark E in full on peak time mode.

Review: French producer Kool Vibe returns with a third offering on his self titled label, continuing to mine that sound classically rooted in the early 90s East Coast swing of New York and New Jersey. Vibes abound on "U Got Me" with the titular vocal hook leading an orchestra of bouncing percussive rhythms, spritely neon dipped keys and an infectious bassline thump, whilst "House Music" shows Kool Vibe dipping into the sounds of vintage Murk productions with equal aplomb.

Review: In a week where one of Terrence Parker's classic mid 90s remixes gets a timely airing, the Detroit producer proves his status as one of the city's most enduring artists with this release for Carl Craig's Planet E label. The Reno Ka collaboration "Finally (Baby be Mine)" from last year's fifth edition of Parker's Music Works series is the focus of attention here, with reworks from Parker himself along with Carl Craig and Master at Work's Louie Vega. Parker's 'Planet E" mix leads the way with his burning yet brisk arrangement the perfect sultry backdrop to Reno Ka's splendidly soulful vocal turn, whilst the C2 Edit adds some percussive crunch without deviating too far from the original. Vega hogs the flip with a wonderfully inventive "Dance Ritual" remix that focuses on embellishing Reno Ka's vocal with even more soulfulness and is the real highlight of this 12".

Review: A label dedicated to the freedoms of expression, the delicacies held above genre stereotypes, and the overall pursuit of unorthodoxy. We are a collection of artists, neither here nor there; visionaries who believe in the subtle variations that are frequently overlooked in today's cluttered electronic spectrum. We are devoted to the imperfections of contemporary dance music, the 4/4 pulsations of a universal language, an unconventional mindset, and, of most significance, the nuanced bedroom producer secluded from contemporary disorder.

Review: With their pressing plant issues behind them, Future Times finally come through with the 12" single accompaniment to Son, the excellent debut LP from Beautiful Swimmers. "New Balance" was a considered highlight of that much awaited set and is undoubtedly our favourite sneaker referencing house cut in some time. A masterful blend of the rough and the smoove, "New Balance" has those trademark Beautiful Swimmers swathes of new age synths which rub up against the jagged edits, rubbery groove and corrugated jacking drums with sublime results. The Beautiful Swimmer known as Max D steps up to remix the track on the flip, bringing the mood into much murkier territory.

Review: A change in the regular modus operandi for Crow Castle Cuts here as the excellent label introducer the CCCRAW series; tracks from the CCC archives are reworked in a live and raw fashion from a stellar cast of outsiders in Marquis Hawkes, In Fields and Zoovox. Hawkes is up first, paying homage to the label that's served him so well on a tuff 'Dixon Avenue Basement Jam mix of "Falcon Pass" by Studio Swiss - killer wubwub bassline on this one. London duo In Fields turn in a typically hypnotic acid drone 'Nip Replacement' version of Flypost's "Niple" whilst Lectric Sands duo Zoovox go all proto house on their excellent remix of Luv Jam's CCC classic "Romeo". Finally, Burek's rising talent Gnork lends the release some considered deep house caress with a 'First Bison In Space" rework of Schmitt Trigger's "Bethesda Bison".