Juno Recommends Funky House Best of 2018

Review: Stockholm based Ari Bald is up next for Better Listen after inaugurating Honey Butter Records last year with that great release. He keeps on with that deep disco spirit with these four funky and lo-slung jams. On the A side, we have two ergonomic edits in the form of "That Lonely Night" and "Enchantress" respectively which are looped to perfection with some somewhat familiar hooks that gradually build up to that drop! That's where the thumping kick comes charging in and it's sure geared for maximum dancefloor dynamics. On the flip, get ready for the funk explosion that is "Moonshiner" or what could be your First Choice (mind the pun!) in the form of the smooth and sexy late night groove of "Are You Mesmerized?"

Review: Sean McCabe initially launched Good Vibrations a few years ago as a regular party in Bristol, with the assistance of local soulful house legend Deli G. This 12" marks the debut of the freshly minted offshoot label and sees McCabe join forces with regular collaborator Nathan Adams. Predictably, it's another superb slice of dancefloor soul music, with Adams' impeccable vocal a snug fit with McCabe's skipping drums, sumptuous Rhodes chords and bubbly electronic bassline. Arguably even better is Louie Vega's ten-minute Roots Mix, which replaces some of McCabe's electronics with more traditional instrumentation for an even richer and warmer dancefloor experience. McCabe's Nostalgic Dub, complete with fresh paino and synth solos, is also superb.

Review: Of the many threads to the excellent Oakland-based deep house stable Guesthouse, the Super Secret Squirrel Trax series is one of the surefire highlights. Loaded with choice operators locked into some serious West Coast funk, things kick off in fine style with the infectious party starting antics of Prince Dred and Bunny Sigler, who get the remix treatment from DJ Dan on "Freak Like Me". Saison takes a more mainline approach when reworking DJ Homewrecker, while DJ Mes is in heads down mode on the tracky but addictive "90s Groove". Rescue's "Here & Now" serves up a cheeky R&B re-rub for the peak time crowd.

Review: Fresh from London, Fulham young blood Joe Corti starts a new London imprint, China White. The first entry to the catalog is a four track EP coming from himself: reprising the filtered disco house vibes that caught ears on his past releases on the A-side; and ditching the samples to flex a darker, deeper side on the B. The label will be a solid home for productions from Joe and like-minded fellow friends.

Review:  Another fully stacked sampler from Guesthouse Music's All-Star line-up. A selection of #1 tracks from DJ Mes, Legitimate Scandal, Peter Brown, Saison and Alaia & Gallo. You'll find a little something for everyone on Super Secret Squirel Tracks Vol. 6

Review: Long-serving US house champ DJ Dan dropped an absolute bombshell when his Slammin Trax Vol. 1 EP landed earlier this year, and now the veteran big room party starter is back with another clutch of tracks on his peerless InStereo label. Alongside Fleetwood Smack he drops the crazily funky vocal jam "Do 2 U," while his remix of Conga Squad's "Live At K-Market" brings a little fidget-esque hype into the mix. The B-side kicks off with Jarred Gallo's feisty roller "Peep The Technique," and then it's back over to Dan in partnership with Mike Balance for the raw, jacking "Overworked."

Review: The Second Summer of Love in 1988 saw house music change British youth culture forever - and Duane Pelt aka Sterling Void's "It's Alright" was an anthem from the period that truly encapsulated this magical time. Originally released on Chicago's DJ International in 1987, its life-affirming vocal performance by Paris Brightledge is still pognant to this day, backed by Void's powerfully evocative arrangement. To celebrate the 30 years since, Toolroom is proud to present a monumental remix package, alongside the fully remastered original. Baltimore legend DJ Spen & Reelsoul rework the track into a sublime expression in late night deepness and Manchester veteran Kevin Gorman dons the Adesse Versions alias again for a dusty and soulful rendition.