Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: It would be fair to say that Roy Davis Jr and Peven Everett's "Gabriel" (originally written "Gabrielle" on early pressings) has become a timeless dance music classic - a track that both soulful house and UK garage DJs reach for in times of trouble. Should it not be in your collection already (and it should be), Large Music has decided to re-master and re-press the original 1996 12". It does, of course, contain the now ubiquitous "Live Garage" version - the groovy two-step, trumpet-laden mix that became popular with early UK garage DJs - plus a trio of lesser-known remixes. The Tambourine Dub, in particular, is something of a tough, warehouse-friendly deep house treat.

Review: Visions returns with another sharp collection of future-facing house, opening with a luxuriant, mid-tempo glide from Sean McCabe. A long-time figure in Bristol's soulful house scene, McCabe is known for his richly textured arrangementsiand this one, built on warm keys and featherlight percussion, leaves plenty of air in the mix. 'Rawai' from Alex & Stephan Attias moves in deeper, with Sohan Wilson's Rhodes work lending a dusty, meditative energy that simmers beneath the surface. The Attias brothers, both key players in Geneva's jazz-not-jazz underground, remain fluent in groove and restraint alike. Patrice Scott, a cornerstone of Detroit's second wave, brings both heft and elegance with 'Movements', arguably his most hypnotic production in recent memoryislow to unfold but rich with detail. Finally, Eva May debuts on the label with 'Test One', a slinky, electro-leaning cut bristling with sinewy funk. Based in Paris and new to production after years of DJing across Europe, she keeps things stripped-back and sharp, with a promise of more to come.

Review: The exceptionally named Panty Soaker Sound System bursts onto the scene here with a powerful debut EP on their own self-titled label. 'Hormones' marks the inaugural outing and is a track that ignites the floor while exploring self-empowerment and inner desires. It has picked up early praise from Honey Dijon and is a full-throttle and steamy, erotic house sound that is sure to become a bit of a winter anthem. The EP includes three acid-infused original mixes, followed by the Prosumer HorMoans Remix which is a dark stomper with prickly 303 lines and a heavy groove. For those craving a harder vibe, the LUXE Dark Room Remix delivers a broken-beat reimagining with high-energy that takes you to new heights.

Review: Floorbound body-occupiers from Papa Nugs and The Trip for Tessellate, blanching wildstyle hip electro and irky rave sounds. With the A-side totally taken up by 'Keep Rocking' in two versions, we've a modish street style version in 'Casa Nova' form and a 'Hip House' breakbeat rendition. Then come the underside dread ones: 'Fearsome' tilts in the direction of ever more raviness with tuned, sandstorming stabs and gated voxes, while 'All Night' takes a dash of speed garage to the mishmash, air-raid sirens sounding through held chords all around.

Review: Second time around for Terrence Parker's 'Real Love' EP, a gorgeous chunk of tunr-of-the-90s style deep house that the Detroit great first released on his Intangible label in late 2017. We get full and instrumental takes on two decidedly different variations. On the A-side you'll find the 'Slave Key' mixes, where tight, early 90s style synth stabs, dreamy chords and eyes-closed vocal snippets dance atop a chunky bassline and typically tough house drums. Over on the flip, it's all about the 'Piano Parkside' versions, a pair of brighter and more life-affirming takes in which piano stabs and solos ride a chunkier house groove and weightier bassline. All four versions sound like Parker probably recorded them early in his lengthy career, though whether he did or not remains a mystery.

Review: Pauli brings some class to this tense and effective new EP on Shoyu, a young new label that has already made some great moves with its first two releases. 'FirstH' pairs a driving ow end with some nice sparring synth work and killer bass. 'Bodyrise' is another perfectly reduced sound with effective drums, sleek cosmic synths and a rasping bassline to counterpoint the smooth pads. Add in two more blends of physical drums and emotive synth pens and you have some smart and classy cuts for knowing dancefloors.

Review: TLM celebrates its 50th vinyl-only release with an exceptional offering of jazz-lounge house intonations. Legendary Canadian Mike Perras knocks down the first domino with 'Life Goes On', a jazzy house cut driven by a captive Rhodes groove. Craig Bratley follows with a deep houser featuring Tim Hutton on trumpet, while Mark Turner honours the legacy of Blaze on the A. The AA, meanwhile, introduces DFRA Experience Jazz Band from Argentina with 'Isolation', a smoothened pure jazz cut composed by Diego Ruiz and featuring Pablo Raposso on piano, Hernan Cassibba on double bass, Gonzalo Rodriguez De Vicente on sax, Joaquin Muro on trumpet, and Bruno Varela on drums. 'Sober' by Markus Enochson closes things out on a double bass boomer 'Sober', effecting a truly loose bonhomie.

Review: Low-key but high class UK producer Perseuss Traxx always deals in authentic analogue house jams and this outing on Chiwax is another fine entry into his discography. 'Adriatic Influences' is a dusty and mirky cut with corrugated drums and glistening hi hats all run through with a snaking and enacting lead synth thats burried in the mix. 'Aquatic Adventure' has more nimble drums and synth lines that get you on your toes while 'A Different Approach' is a controlled cacophony of raw perc, pinging drums and warped synth chords. Last but not least is 'Remembering Bari' with its swirling pads bring a more heady vibe to another stripped back and rugged groove.

Review: Now we're talking. At the time of writing - mid-spring 2025 - Britain has been basking in the warmest March and April since the first Covid-19 lockdown, but dark skies and a cold lack of humanity are prevailing emotions. Far right, fascism, the death of creativity and the onslaught of automation are enough to leave anyone feeling like they've been locked out of the sunshine and have to fend for themselves against a torrent of chilling realities. But not all heroes wear capes. Some are just called Charles Petersohn, and they make sun-soaked, soul-inspiring, warm jazz-inflected deep house that feels born in a more natural period of Earthly evolution. In fact, it was born after time spent in South Africa, one of the global epicentres of this genre, where the producer was involved in an NGO charity project. Immediately catchy, resolutely life-affirming, and probably the grooviest thing we've had all month.

Review: The third outing from the Do It Now Recordings crew looks to Pigsie's 'Haunted'. It's a perfectly zoned-out slice dreamy and organic deep house for open-air dancing under the sun - the sort of thing that you'd hear at an All Day I Dream party. After that sublime original comes three remixes starting with DJ Jauche who adds some distinctive Afro-house flavours before J. Axel keeps the airy, light melodies and supple drums in place but brings some extra twinkling keys. Last of all is Mattias Vogt whose version is a hypnotic roller with pads smeared across the face of the tune and delightfully innocent melodies floating about the mix.

Review: dO iT nOw Recordings makes its debut in the world of vinyl with a various artists' sampler that shows just what they are all about. First up is Pigsie's wonderful 'Silk' which sets a fine tone with lush jazz-inspired keys, dreamy pads and intricate drum work that make it well suited to those late-night sessions. Wearing Shoes then offers 'Finding Your Words' with buttery Rhodes licks and looped vocals over fat bass, and the B-side begins with Michael Oberling and his deep jazz grooves, trumpet solos and swinging drums. Massive R closes with the lovely, jazzy house of 'This Feeling' complete with snappy drums and a catchy piano hook.

Review: Yann Polewka is the man in charge of the GLBDOM label's fifth outing and a fine one it is too. He brings plenty of timeless house vibes to the opener 'Keep On' with its Kerri Chandler style bumping kicks and feel-good piano chords next to subtle vocal chops packed with soul. 'Oblivion' is another upbeat, uplifting house cut with a classic underbelly and rich chords to get those hands in the air. 'The Light' once again layers up well-crafted chords, irresistible drum funk and nice analogue percussion. Last of all, Jesse Bru's Sea Of Change remix of the same tune brings a more deep and late night feel to close out a top EP.

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


A mesmerising blend of organic textures and synthetic precision, delivering a fresh take on techno and house. The title track, 'Upside Down', kicks things off with a clever nod to the glitch and microhouse era of the very early 00s. Its gorgeous melody and intricate layering make it both nostalgic and forward-thinking. 'Eyes Between Letters' follows with a deeper bassline and spacious, intricate production. Side-2 opens with 'Beyond Light & Shade', where Asian-inspired melodics weave seamlessly with a balanced blend of techno and house, offering a richly textured and emotive piece. Closing the EP, 'Complementary Senses' delivers profound depth, bringing an introspective quality to its lush production. A unique release tailor made for fans of innovative, boundary-pushing electronic music.

Review: DBH welcome Mihai Popoviciu & David Delgado the the Pleasure Zone series with the 'Evolution' EP. Bringing jazzy, sloshy, jerking flavours to the tech house palette, 'Evolution' and 'Shifting' evolve and shift, convoking a delegated moot of propulsive chords and forward-driving janks, conveying the mood of a finely tuned closed clockwork system chugging away like the central engine of a wider contraption. Closer 'Black Light' operates more readily in the lower regions of things, proving unafraid of sounds that lean towards the more peripheral and umbral.

Review: Belgium outfit Premier Regard drop the club-ready house jam 'Tu one' here alongside a versatile array of remixes that mean you are pretty sure to find something that works no matter what spot you found yourself in. The Classic mix has raw analogue drums sounds and wooden hits with a libidinous vocal and warped bass. Audio Soul Project remixes with more heft and urgency, the Coma Du Nord remix is pared-back and allows the elastic groove to hook you in and the Steve Sibra remix is more spaced out and late night, thanks to the tender pads.

Review: The best catalogue naming convention in all of music belongs to the Club U Nite label, and the beats they offer up ain't bad either. This latest blue 12" is the third volume in their Dee Tax series and brings an array of fine artists to the fore. The sounds are house with a traditional bent - Purple Kush's 'It's A Feelin'' is deep but jacking with jazzy motifs, Mellow Man keeps it classy with a garage swing on 'Touch The Sky', Manhattan Project taps into a 90s New York dub house vibe on 'Get It Right' and a second Mellow Man shuts down with seductive smoothness.

Review: Seasons Limited made a welcome return in 2024 and now keeps up that good momentum with another big single from French house mainstay Franck Roger with some fine vocals by Paul B. It's a super smooth sound with drum swaying back and forth, molten synth adding late night and tissue soul and the tender vocal adding intimacy and late night romance. Rocco Rodamaal steps up for remixes and first of all he pairs things back to a sedate, seductive deep house roll then fleshes out the drums with some dubby weight to finish.!