Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Roy Davis Jr, a staple of Chicago's house scene, partners with Jay Juniel for a reissue that encapsulates the raw energy of late '90s underground house. Originally released in 1997, this remastered edition brings new life to the gritty, soulful rhythms that first defined the era. Davis, known for his iconic track 'Gabriel', layers deep bass and atmospheric textures, while Juniel's experimental edge infuses the tracks with an unpredictable twist. Opening with 'Transition', a steady groove builds to 'Musical Sense', where spoken word and complex beats converge. On the flip, 'Funktion' and 'Digital Rhythm' hit with infectious basslines and high-octane energy. The remaster gives the original its due clarity while preserving the essence of Chicago house's emotional depth. This reissue isn't just a nod to the past, but also a reminder of why this sound still dominates dancefloors today.

Review: Paul Johnson's 'In The Kitchen 95'' reissue brings back one of his most beloved works, originally crafted in 1992 and reimagined in 1995. This red vinyl 12" captures the energy of Chicago house in its purest form. The first side kicks off with 'Come On Children (Remix)', a high-energy funk-driven house track that gets the feet moving. 'Buzz Buzz (Remix)' follows with its warehouse-style house beats, perfectly capturing the raw, underground vibe of the era. 'It's House (Remix)' wraps up the side with addictive minimal techno grooves that emphasise Paul Johnson's signature sound, mixing deep house with elements of techno. The second side continues the momentum with 'Movin Baby', offering a funk-fueled techno journey, while 'I'm A Freak (& Your Girl Is Too)' adds a playful touch with its minimal grooves and vocal samples, reinforcing the sense of fun and freedom inherent to the house music culture. This reissue is a nostalgic reminder of Paul Johnson's influence, blending deep house, funk and minimal techno into a timeless dancefloor experience. Paul sadly passed away in 2021 but it's great to see and hear his legacy live on forever.

Review: The late great Chicago house pioneer Paul Johnson will always be greatly missed. Few producers manage to cook up the sort of rawness that he did so often throughout his career, which indulged legendary EPs for top labels like Dance Mania. Here his In The Kitchen '95 EP gets served up by Chiwax's Classic Edition series. 'Come On Children' is a perfect embodiment of Paul's sound - raw drum funk, slapping hits and sweat-inducing vibes. 'Buzz Buzz' is a head-wrecking acid jam and 'It's House' is pure ghetto funk. There is high-speed sensuousness 'Movin Baby' and hypnotic depths to 'I'm A Freak (& Your Girl Is Too).'

Review: Definitive Recordings was a "house" label launched by Plus 8 co-founders John Acquaviva and Richie Hawtin in 1992 as a kind of softer flipside to their main label's hard and abrasive sound. There's some genuine gems sitting in the catalogue though, as the imprint's ongoing 'classics' series of reissues proves. This one, from one-shot artist Meredith Ledger as Juicy Fruit, was initially released in 1993. In its original form, 'Liferaft' is a wide-eyed and dreamy slab of early morning deep house perfection that sits somewhere between UK deep house of the period and NJ garage-house. On the flip we get remastered versions of the two original remixes: Acquaviva's 'LFO'-goes-house interpretation (an absolute stunner) and an organ-rich garage-house style dub from Stickman.

Review: Z Records' ongoing 'Attack The Dancefloor 'series of compilation style vinyl EPs has long been a reliable source of disco-fired excellence, and this 21st edition is another high-quality affair. We're first treated to a superb Jimpster revision of recent Mistura single 'Want Me Back', where Jemini's spoken word vocal, jazzy keys and spacey synth sounds rise above loose-limbed deep house beats and wiggly TB-303 lines, before Birdee drops a genuinely joyous, organic-sounding disco-house take on 1991 classic 'Do What You Feel' (now credited to Joey Montenegro, rather than his now retired Joey Negro alias). Elsewhere, Lee's own rework of Lakeshore Commission's Bluey collaboration 'In The Light' is a smooth, soulful, string-drenched delight and the veteran producer's 'Destination Boogie' tweak of Destiny II's 'Play To Win' is a revivalist '80s electrofunk delight.