Kolter & Leo Pol - "Please Come To My Show" (5:52)
Up In The Sky (5:53)
Up In The Sky (Cinthie remix) (5:59)
Review: Kolter has been busy, as always, and has a couple of fine outings dropping at similar times. This one on Bristol's always-wealthy Shall Not Fade is on nice orange vinyl. It opens with the feel-good synth chords of 'DX7 Together' which also has something of an early Chicago house feel to the cowbells, but plenty of future-facing tech vibes too. The pace picks up for the warm and breezy 'Please Come To My Show' (feat Leo Pol) then it's more chord-laced joy that comes to the fore on 'Up In The Sky'. Berlin fav Cynthia makes those chords have a distinctly old-school feel with her remix.
Review: Surely even he has lost count of how many tunes he has sung on now, yet still Robert Owens remains the most in-demand vocalist in the game. His smoky tones feature on Nat Wendall's 'Easy' and they come with a brighter tone than usual next to the nice piano chords which are draped over upright beats. As well as an instrumental, Kaidi Tatham remixes with his brilliant broken beat style and sunny synth disposition, and he also adds his own spin to the instrumental. A timeless package.
Turned Your Back (Atjazz extended remix instrumental) (5:03)
Review: J Axel and Eva Essa find magical harmony on this new collaboration on the Do It Now Recordings Vinylized label. 'Turned Your Back' is a perfectly heart-melting, life-affirming bit of soul-drenched and intimate deep house with gorgeous vocals and super smooth drums all healing you to your core as the gentle rhythms wash over you time and time again. It's a faultless original but one that is also ripe for remixing and who better than Atjazz who slightly ups the tempo but keeps the deep, wavy rhythmic vibes and adds a little cosmic magic in the synths. A sublime package indeed.
Review: Manabu Nagayama's 'Light & Shadow' was released back in 2015 but never really got picked up despite being something of a gem now we listen back. Rush Hour co-founder Antal Heitlager knew it had more potential than it had shown so asked Masalo to remix it. Over the course of the last few years he has done that on and off and now finally we get to hear what he came up with. He elevates the track to new levels with subtle tweaks of the arrangement. It has now become a popular hit on the underground circuit with its heart-melting keys and deep, rolling drums.
Review: The debut album from Bahraini-born, British-based musical duo Dar Disku is a celebration of their Arabic heritage and multicultural influences that melds golden age West Asian and North African sounds with a contemporary dancefloor focus. The eight-track record hears the duo traverse their West Asian and North African origins and bring them back to their current place of residence, crossing from disco to Rai, from piano house to Turkish psychedelia, and all manner of other cross-Med import-exports. From the degage Turkish psych prog-house builder 'Sabir' with Billur Battal, to the penultimate piano-breaks rattler 'Galbi', this is a chilled and wavering dance release primed for bridging international gaps.
Review: Foliage has some respectable heritage in the realm of upfront house music for deep-digging heads, having released work from the likes of Mood II Swing, Mark de Clive Lowe, Jimpster and Jesus Gonsev. This new sampler brings together four immaculate joints which reach from a recent Atjazz reworking of Halo's 'Glory' to Moon Rocket's powerful Afro house throw down 'Reciprocity', Jimpster's immersive remix of Funkky to the Fka Mash 'Re-glitch' of N'Dinga Gaba's 'Summer Breeze'. It's all bursting with soul and perfectly tooled for the floor, so slip one in your bag and you'll have four gems just waiting to give your party a proper lift.
Review: Smart dresser and dedicated beard groomer Manuold - real name Emmanuele Macagnone - has notched up some excellent releases since making his bow in 2017, including admired EPs on House Puff and Madhouse Records. Here he brings his classy brand of deep house to GLBDOM for the first time. With its squelchy synth-bass, loose-limbed garage-house drums, gospel vocal samples and warm pads, opener 'Jersey' sounds like a long-lost Kerri Chandler gem. He continues the retro-futurist theme on the low-slung and jazzy 'Hot & Crunchy', before doffing a cap to deep house/tech-house fusion on the Tenaglia-influenced 'Zanzibar'. Over on the flip, 'Night Long' is a chunky slab of 21st century New Jersey deep house with an Italian twist, while 'In The Clouds' sees him successfully lean into his Italo-house influences while retaining a dreamy and chunky deep house flex.
Review: Toolroom head honcho Mark Knight has pulled out all the stops here and joined forces with some of house music's biggest names. His ow-slung new tune 'The Greatest Thing Alive' is a collab with the one and only Chicago don Green velvet plus James Hurr and it has already made an impact on global dancefloors since its digital release in October last year. Between these talents they all dig deep and cook up something perfectly chunky and detailed with fresh percussion. It's the sort of tune that will blow up in Miami and has the addition of Green Velvet's take on the classic 'Mannish Boy' from Muddy Waters.
Review: Burnski's Constant Black kicks with yet more robust tech house for considered dance floors. This one comes from the ever-present underground stalwart Diego Krause and he opens with 'Bound', a perfectly driving and deep cut with slinky drums and smart vocals that are brought to life with sci-fi synth effects. 'Munro' is brilliantly lithe and elegant, with wispy synth motifs peeling off a super smooth and slinky groove. 'Phantom' ups the pace with a little more tech house urgency but still plenty of deftly designed cosmic pads. 'Flux' shuts down with kinetic, tightly coiled drum funk and popping neon colours. Great work all around from Krause.
Fleur De Mur - "Ease My Mind" (Micky More & Andy Tee mix) (5:48)
Derrick McKenzie & Angela Johnson - "On My Way Out" (7:02)
Ron Carroll - "My Prayer" (Micky More & Andy Tee mix) (6:21)
House Freakers - "Tease Me" (feat MO) (5:34)
Review: Sultry purist disco house moods from Groove Culture Italy, welcoming four standalone originals to the first edition of their 'Groove Is In The Heart' series, three out of four of which are remixes of tunes that have already been released on the label. True to their form, this record welds the ways of classic disco and disco-house, opening with the melismatic vocal tones of 'Ease My Mind' by Fleur De Mur before moving into the slightly slower chic-funk of Derrick McKenzie and Angela Johnson's 'On My Way Out'. Things turn housier - as the outdoor shindig moves indoors at first sign of the crepuscular tide - with 'My Prayer', while House Freakers' 'Tease Me' rounds things off on a well-sidechained womper.
Review: Razor-N-Tape throw it over to Lex Wolf here for some homemade and high impact edits from the disco world. The artist is already well known for some red hot recent releases on the Make-A-Dance crew's MAD Edits series and now brings more big samples and bigger beats to some main stage bangers. The opener layers up raw drum machines, r&b vocal hooks and withering melodies. 'Russle Love' then plays with filtered and screw about with some synths to make for a prickly bit of body music with what sounds like an Arthur Russel vocal lost in the middle. 'Warmer' is another energetic and twisted fusion of disparate sounds and 'Sendsome' then shuts down with a little extra soul.
Review: OGE white label's latest release brings four sublime tracks from one of Tel Aviv's top producers. These tracks are destined to be devastating on dancefloors worldwide, with their unique flavor of groove and atmosphere. Side-A opens with "'Club Love Story', a deep melodic groove that fuses techy elements with smooth house rhythms, setting the tone for a night of deep dance tunes. Next, 'U Think' has a bubbling tech groove with tight production and catchy hooks, sure to keep the energy flowing. Side-B kicks off with 'Tubemotion', a track that's a true dancefloor mover. Its hypnotic bassline and infectious rhythm make it a go to, ensuring feet stay in motion. Finally, 'Better Days' closes the release with a more atmospheric and low-key vibe, offering a relaxing, melodic deep house experience perfect for winding down or setting a laid-back mood. Another stellar addition to the OGE White label catalogue.
Review: A two-track 12" with fresh artwork and a nice heavyweight pressing, with one side taken by each artist. Sy Sez kicks off 'Change The System' with dub-wise vocals which then make way for a tight, taught, bouncing house groove with fat bass. Things are utterly different on the flip with Leeds legend and sometime Nightmares on Wax collaborator offering the deep house delights of 'Knights' with its soulful vocal whispers, intimate late night chords and warm, candle-lit vibes.
Blow Monkeys - "Save Me" (Neville Watson dub) (8:04)
Cisco Cisco - "If You Want Me" (Jay Shepheard remix) (7:11)
Bongo Entp - "Drommen" (SIRS remix) (5:48)
Darlyn Vlys - "Wuzu" (Tyu Tribe remix) (7:18)
Kimo - "Whirl" (6:50)
Discoscuro - "Discoscuro" (6:10)
Popular Tyre - "Feel Like A Lazer Beam" (7:35)
Class B Band - "Repli-can" (edit) (6:04)
Bal5000 - "Bleu Infini" (7:52)
Phil Kieran - "Find Love" (Andrew Weatherall remix) (7:43)
Das Komplex - "89" (8:05)
Brioski - "Calling 626" (edit) (5:20)
Review: Sean Johnston curates a compilation that feels as much like a love letter to a bygone era of cosmic and chugging dance music as it does a blueprint for the future. Across this translucent red vinyl double LP, he assembles a narrative that stretches from the dub-tinged grooves of Weatherall-inspired rhythms to rich, enveloping basslines rooted in the darker corners of the dancefloor. These selections capture the ethos of A Love From Outer Spaceinot a style, but a sensibility, where tempo slows and subtlety reigns. Rather than overwhelm, the tracks reveal their power gradually, layering textures and grooves with a painterly touch.
Review: Under the Tigerbalm alias, Rose Robinson has done a stellar job in crafting a trademark style that blends elements of boogie, nu-disco and proto-house with a variety of global musical influences - most notably African, Latin and South-East Asian sounds. On this welcome return to Razor N Tape, the London-based producer leans into the Latin inspirations, first via the colourful nu-disco breeze of 'Profunda Alma' (featuring regular vocalist Joy Tyson), and then on the 21st century synth-samba of 'Vem Ca' (featuring Jao Selva's honeyed vocals). Yuksek turns the latter into a club-ready Latin nu-disco gem, before rising stars Make a Dance deliver two rubs of 'Profunda Alma': a superb, warehouse-ready and TB-303-laden 'Acid Remix', and a percussive, spaced-out and decidedly delicious 'Tribal Dub'.
Review: Given the hype surrounding HNNY over the last few years - fuelled, primarily, by a string of celebrated singles on Puss, Local Talk, Let's Play House and YUMMY - it's somewhat surprising that Sunday marks his first foray into the album market. Wisely, the Swedish artist embraced the opportunity for eclecticism that the format provides, filling his debut full-length with a mix of tracks variously designed for sofa-bound listening and dancing in clubs. There's a jazz-flecked beauty to the crackly downtempo grooves offered up by the title track, while the dreamy, guitar-laced head-nodder "Sylvia" recalls the best of his Balearic-influenced work. It's these luscious moments, such as the twinkling ambience of closer "My Baby", that really resonate.
Review: Anthony Naples is a revered album specialist by now. Orbs is his fifth full-length and one he describes as "a moody portal of shoegazed and slo-mo songs suspended in thin air." The New York City native really taps into new territory here, expanding the sound you might expect from him with all new samples, instruments and liquid synths. Drum beats are scant and rhythms move slowly, unfolding with great depth and narrative as you are left to do plenty of thinking while suspended amongst the details. It is another immersive listen, high in texture and beautiful in execution.
Review: Having built their reputation through 12" singles for the likes of Crosstown Rebels and Poker Flat, Dan Berkson and James What deliver their debut album, on their freshly minted imprint Modelmaker. Interestingly, Keep Up Appearances is an altogether warmer, melodious and more evocative set than you'd perhaps expect, with a smattering of rich downtempo cuts joining a solid selection of dancefloor-friendly deep house. You can hear a classic dub techno influence in cuts such as "Keep Up Appearances" and "Shadow Theory", while the acid-flecked, soul-soaked "Make It True" sounds like classic Osunlade. Best of all, though, are the more forthright efforts, with the ragged "Seraphim" standing out.
Review: Alex "Omar" Smith has never been one for modesty, so we shouldn't be too surprised that he's called his latest full-length - his fifth in total - The Best. To be fair, he is rather good at producing high-grade deep house, and here unveils another eleven gems. Interestingly, he's recruited an impressive cast-list of collaborators and guests, including Norman Talley, Kyle Hall, OB Ignitt and, most surprisingly of all, Bristol-based Tom Bug. Highlights are plentiful, from the dusty afro and blues influences of the tribal "Chama Piru's", and hazy, Rhodes-heavy vocal cut "AhRevolution", to the hip-wigglin' disco-house influences of "Seen Was Set", and retro-futurist, Inner City style Divinity hook-up "On Your Way".
Review: When Gregory Porter first released "1960 What?" back in 2012, he'd yet to become the soul superstar we know and love today. The single was released in limited numbers first time round and, thanks to his elevation to star status, has become an in-demand collector's item - hence this timely reissue. It's every bit as classic-sounding as the majority of Porter's work, with the main man providing an impassioned delivery of conscious lyrics over a wonderful soul-jazz backing track. Serious contemporary dancefloor thrills are provided by Opolopo's superb flipside revision, which re-imagines the track as a bass-heavy chunk of jazz-house brilliance that rivals St Germain's "Rose Rouge" in its ability to send dancefloors wild.
Review: A special summer-tuned dedication to two of Africa's most creative contributors who both passed away at the birth of the New Year. First up, South Africa's Shaluza Max's 2002 classic gets the revisitation it deserves; big accordions, honeyed Zulu vocals and a chugging groove that could plough into any dancefloor under the sun, it struts with a timeless sense of universal groove science. Flip for a rewind to the mid 80s as Soundway pays tribute to the hugely prolific Tabu Lay Rochereau. Complete with smooth, soothing synths, show-stopping harmonies and slinky bassline that won't quit, it's as heart-rending now as it was 30 years ago.
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band - "The Secret Life Of Us" (feat Donna Gardier & Diane Charlemagne - Director cut Signature mix) (7:52)
Artful & Ridney - "Missing You" (feat Terri Walker - Eric Kupper Director cut Tribute To FK' mix) (6:56)
Marshall Jefferson - "The House Music Anthem (Move Your Body)" (feat Curtis McClain - Director cut Retro Signature mix) (8:50)
Review: The legacy of Frankie Knuckles will never diminish even if releases like this one day eventually dry up. Forever regarded as 'The Godfather of House' it is now almost a decade since his passing. In his prolific career he hooked up with Eric Kupper many times as Director's Cut and this is a collection of their best works. It's full of house classics that have all been remixed by their fair hand, from 'Your Love" (feat Jamie Principle) to 'The Whistle Song' via 'I'll Take You There', all of which are spine tingling emotional deep house anthems that never lose their shine.
Review: Back Of The Bus is always where the cool kids hung out and on the evidence of this first release that will be true of this label too. It comes with fresh and characterful artwork and minimal house beats packed with charm. Manchester-based producer Pach is the man behind them and he opens up with the bouncy 'Double Trouble' before cutting up a more tough-edged groove with '7am Start.' 'Hassle In The Castle' has a nice percolating bassline that never lets up as narcotic pads drift and smear all around and 'Stairway To Heaven' gets all trippy and late night. This is a high-quality first EP.
Review: When The Morning Comes has done a quick job of turning heads by setting out a nice atmospheric deep house sound with its first EP, and now a second effort does the same. This one comes from Grant who lays out an elegant vision across four cuts. 'Opportunity' kicks off with analogue grooves laid down beneath warming pads and loose piano chords. 'Tangible Steps' picks up the pace with a more bristling mix of drums, perc and raw Chicago claps and onto the flip, things get deep once more with the horizontal vibes of 'Golden Wisdom' and more wispy cosmic pads of 'Foward Motion Dub.' Co-produced with the help of Dan Piu.
Man With The Red Face (ATFC When The Lights Go Up remix) (8:14)
Man With The Red Face (Rene Amesz remix) (7:43)
Review: Ready your arms and ears for an injection of nostalgia from Mark Knight and Funkagenda. These two longstanding artists tear the house down with their reimagining of the classic track by French maestro Laurent Garnier - clearly, the original is by now a house music standard, to the extent that Garnier isn't even obviously credited on the release here. It just goes without saying. Knight and Funkagenda's 'cover' here is neatly chiptuney, emphasising the bare bones of the composition, while their networking abilities see to further remixes of the cover by ATFC, Rene Amesz, and - hilariously - Hardwell. A varied remix EP spanning EDM, deep tech and nu-disco.
Review: Crosstown Rebels compere Damian Lazarus teams up with fellow musician and singer-songwriter Jem Cooke, with new track 'Searchin'': a primeval precognition of the big bad boss man's upcoming fifth album on the label, Magickal. Though it's been released digitally with a focus on Bullet Tooth's remix on the B-side, this blue-innered vinyl edition compiles all three of the track's versions, also clocking a sure-to-be much-spun Radio Slave remix on the B. The original is an FM-led brooder with posterities of bleep techno and darkside fidget house. Cooke's vocals belt searchingly against burbling synthwork, while Bullet Tooth's remix takes a tempting dark garage turn, risking briar-shod paths of bass as Cooke's refrain is made gothic. Slave's version is, as ever, hardly slavish, preferring a more tensile daytime vibe of subtle piano and muted vox.
Review: Clive From Accounts's tunes are as good as his artist alias. For his latest meeting he serve sup a knowing blend of soul, house and disco from across the ages. The relative newcomer impresses from the off with 'Tell Me' which is a steamy vocal over a fulsome house beat. 'Without Your Love' cuts loose on a more heady and cosmic house groove with some gorgeously seductive trumpet lines drifting in and out of ear shot and 'Strictly Business' is fun, cuddly basement grooves for intimate parties. 'Yukon' is a nice fresh breakbeat to up the energy.
Review: Man-of-the-moment Felipe Gordon was little more than a Columbian producer with promise when he first appeared on Razor N Tape Reserve back in 2019. It's therefore nice to see him back on the Brooklyn-based imprint two years on. Those who've followed Gordon's career of late will know what to expect - namely heady, musically rich dancefloor workouts that join the dots between deep house, nu-disco and jazz-funk. Opener 'Strings of the Afterline' is pleasingly hazy and dreamy whilst boasting Gordon's usual synth-heavy squelch, while 'The Fall of a Withered Empire' is a rare vocal number with a deep jazz-house feel. Elsewhere, 'Classico' is a bouncy, classic-sounding deep house bounce-along rich in sparkling synth riffs, while 'Julia Y Lewis' is a more languid and laidback chunk of jazz-sampling, funk-fuelled deep house haziness.
Review: Berlin's Cocktail d'Amore and Tokyo's Ene Records have come together once again to present the music of Solidair. The duo of Cocktail alumni Luigi Di Venere and Jules Etienne present three tracks aimed to induce a dance floor hypnosis. Orgonite (Riding the Waves) does just that, a slow build awash in the ebb and flow of acid tinges, just enough to wet your whistle on a Saturday night. The original mix keeps the skeletal support but throws in a life preserver of 8 bit gaming synthesis. Frisky arps call and respond to each other before making way for sinewy pads to lift off. Tiger's Eye sets itself onto cruising speed incorporating elements of late 90's acid techno with the sleek and smooth clubbing aesthetics of modern day Berlin.
Review: Wills, a key figure in the Long Vehicle crew, returns with a three-track EP that explores the darker corners of techno. 'Laguna Seca' paves the way with its insistent rhythms and shimmering synths recalling the French touch sound, but with a harder, more propulsive edge. Think Daft Punk after one too many espressos, or Laurent Garnier channeling the spirit of Jeff Mills. 'Slanch' delves deeper into the shadows with a distorted, slightly terrifying bassline (in the best way) that evokes a sense of otherworldly eeriness. The EP's centerpiece, 'Iamreal', is a seven-minute odyssey that unfolds with frenzied momentum, pummelling rhythms and radiant melodies taking the listener to a different realm. The offering is both experimental and uncompromising, a reminder that techno can be both visceral and cerebral.
Review: If there is a more hyped artist in the world right now than Fred... again we aren't sure who it might be. The lad who grew up close to Brian Eno and has since worked with him in the studio is a global star who has also collaborated with Four Tet and Skrillex, played all over the world, won various awards and dropped several albums now presses up his acclaimed USB to gatefold double vinyl. It is a collection of his early singles that captures his lo-fi, lived-in, diaristic sounds across a range of experimental electronic styles.
Elaine Monk - "Something For Nothing" (vocal mix) (5:54)
Elaine Monk - "Something For Nothing" (DAP dub mix) (6:11)
Cherie Lee - "Love Me Or Leave Me" (club dub) (5:57)
Gerideau - "Take A Stand" (Smack Rain Vibe mix) (6:59)
Review: DAYBREAKERS, a new London label dedicated to deep house in all its forms, opens with a study of Jeffrey Collins' Music Station, an imprint that helped define US dancefloors in the 90s. The EP feels like a time capsule, revealing the label's essential DNA through four carefully selected cuts. Elaine Monk's 'Something For Nothing' appears twice, its Vocal Mix exuding warmth and deep swing, while the D A.p. Dub strips it down to bare essentialsisubmerged chords and hypnotic motion. The flip explores even deeper textures. Cherie Lee's 'Love Me Or Leave Me (Club Dub)' simmers with effortless groove, its vocal ad-libs curling around crisp percussion. Then comes Gerideau's 'Take A Stand (Smack Rain Vibe Mix),' a brooding, red-lit anthem built on thick bass weight and velvety synth lines. Across all four tracks, DAYBREAKERS capture the allure of the classic, the forgotten and the essential, proving that deep houseiat its bestiis timeless.
Review: Fresh disco edits outing Respect have essentially named themselves after just the right attitude they expect of their rave-goers. Continuing to embody virtues of respect and respectability with another limited edition white label release, this sixth addition to the pile hears whimsical collieries, chicken-pickin' rhythms, and lurching remixes, with the B-side doing especially well to re-ingest the essential War cut 'The World Is A Ghetto' and its DJ Spinna nu-disco rendition. The breakdown is especially performative and brilliant, with scatting mimicries of guitar heard expertly interleaved.
Review: First released digitally earlier in 2024, Prince Palmer's first outing on Bobby Donny's 'Ace' series heads to vinyl in expanded form. It's the Dutch producer's vinyl debut and a quietly impressive one at that. The headline attraction is 'Serious Play', a rolling, loose-limbed and sub-heavy slab of revivalist garage house/New Jersey deep house fusion that comes accompanied by a chunkier and undeniably trippy, dancefloor dub style 'Vibe Mix' makeover courtesy of Joy Jenkins. There's plenty to set the pulse racing across the rest of the EP though, from the Burrell Brothers-meet-Jovonn flex of 'Get Down' and the jazz-house/garage-house fusion of 'Sleeping City (Wake Up Mix)', to the organ-rich house positivity of 'Polygon Island' and the peak-time-at-Sound Factory NYC flex of Frits Wentink's fine revision of 'Airlift'.
Review: US label Nu Groove and UK veteran Bushwacka! are two names that will forever be synonymous with underground dance music. To have them come together for a fresh new 12" is like catnip for the real house. This faults four tracker kicks off with the dark and menacing, stripped-back house sounds of the title track before 'Dance All Night Long' picks up the pace with some hefty kicks and woodpecker bass lines. 'Sometimes I Feel' is a jazzy one with busy chords and keys and a 90s bassline and 'How To House' shuts down with a more party-starting, playful vibe featuring chunky drums and myriad voices adding some atmosphere.
No Way Back (Disco Adjustments By Mystic Slot) (7:07)
Disco Adventure (Disco Adjustments By Mystic Slot) (5:39)
Review: Most disco diggers will be aware of the DJ Harvey adjacent Black Cock series - when it launched in the early 1990s, it was one of the first hush-hush re-edit outlets around. Mystic Slot was Harvey and Gerry Rooney, and this double-header - first released 31 years ago in 1993 - is arguably their strongest moment. A-side 'No Way Back' is a Clavinet-heavy, largely instrumental revision of the Dells' infectious track of the same name, rearranged to stretch out key passages of groove, build and breakdown. It's still a fantastic re-edit, as is flipside 'Disco Adventure', a cut-and-paste dancefloor classic that builds a low-slung, sweat-soaked dub disco delight by blending the groove from a lesser-celebrated Jimmy 'Bo' Horne cut with elements borrowed from tracks by the Winners and eccentric producers Rinder & Lewis.
Review: Cabinet Records always does house music right no matter which niche it dips into. Knixx is next up with a new and as expected timeless statement that comes on both plain black but also blue vinyl. 'Adhoc' opens with a nice breezy vibe and elastic bass that unfurls with the hope of a new spring day. 'One Eyed Focus' is deeper, dubber and slower with more playful synth motifs that come layer in joy and optimism. 'Heartfelt' is the final part of the story and it's another balmy and breezy sound for sunny days and carefree dancing.
Review: Radio Slave's superb Rekids label is a bastion of robust dancefloor brilliance and Tal Fussman is a new school name who makes a fine entry to the catalogue here. 'I Feel' is the sort of impassioned vocal house banger that defined the early scene, while 'MAD' is jacked up and loopy house sound full of texture and flavour. The wonderful 'Bongo Man' brings a more steamy sound with topical edge and plenty of bumping drums and 'Life Itself' (feat 8-AN) pics up the pace with some sleek, thumping techno drums and rattling chords. Plenty of ground is covered in this EP, all of it effective.
Review: Love Chug by East Coast Love Affair and BDK delivers two distinct approaches to peak-time dancefloor energy, perfect for any house club setting. Side-1 features 'Love Chug' by East Coast Love Affair, a track that expertly builds with a driving disco vibe. A powerful guitar riff takes the lead, while a filtered hook pushes the sound deep into house territory, creating an immersive experience that evolves throughout. On Side-2, BDK's 'Pure Sass' offers a strong, uplifting house track that borders on gospel house. Its vibrant energy and soulful vibe are reminiscent of classic Jasper Street tracks, making it an irresistible choice for the dancefloor. Together, these tracks provide a dynamic balanceione that builds and one that never lets upiensuring that the energy stays high all night.
Review: Omar S is back with 'Psychotic Photosynthesis' on FXHE. This track really does float above the rest, and rather than adhere
to some petty law of nature, it steadily climbs upwards into the realm of the sublime; synths resonating with the tonal vibration
of visceral perfection. Like any other medicine, this record must be prescribed correctly for the above effects to manifest.
Review: Two Balearic musicians with no relation beyond chemistry, Kiko Navarro and Pere Navarro debut as a duo with three tracks that stitch together house and jazz with an intuitive ease. Kiko's Mallorca-honed sense of deep, groove-led house is given new colour by Pere's nimble trumpet work, rooted in his training and practice across Ibiza's jazz and club scenes. 'Byrd's Groove' opens with dusty swing, its crisp drum programming softened by Pere's sunny phrasing and melodic asides. 'Keepn On Loving Me' is the standout, built on a chunky low-end and looped vocal that moves like classic New Jersey house, with trumpet lines that smoulder and lift. 'Blown Flow' closes on a dubbier, more headsy tip i less peak-time, more sunrise session i giving a stylish finish to an impressively coherent first outing.
Review: The third vinyl release of the year from Blur Records sees three distinguished producers - ColorJaxx, T.Markakis and Manuel Kane - sharing duties, each delivering a track each but with the distinctive, music-centred 'deep house fusion' flavour of the Blur label very much at their heart. ColorJaxx's 'I Know You' kicks off proceedings in upbeat mood, goaded along by a skippy garage beat, some beautiful piano work and arresting male vocals. 'Ain't Like That' by T.Markakis rolls slower and deeper, clouds of warm synth giving it a reassuring, dub feel, while Manuel Kane's 'Funk' boasts a cheery, end-of-evening sparkle with its hypnotic vocal samples and gentle sirens. Quality without pretention whichever way you turn.
Review: Second time around for "Benefit", a breezy and soulful song by UK soul scene stalwart Omar that originally appeared on Boddhi Satva's 2015 album "Transition". This time round, the mixes come from deep house royalty Alton Miller and Kai Alce. The former handles the A-side, delivering a wonderfully warm, intricately produced extended rework that sees Omar's incredible vocal rise above bouncy Afro-house drums, darting synth bass, rich chords and all manner of subtle instrumental flourishes. Kai Alce provides both vocal and instrumental mixes on the flip, opting for booming bass, swinging, garage-influenced drums and some suitably old school organ riffs.
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