Back catalogue: Funky/Club House

Review: Some four months after he lost his battle with cancer, BBE is releasing Paul 'Trouble' Anderson's final production - a fittingly joyous, upbeat and life-affirming cover of gospel standard "Happy Day" featuring the impassioned vocals of soul singer John Redmond. On the A-side of this 12" edition you'll find the "Classic Main Mix", a bouncy and rubbery fusion of soaring gospel vocals, bumping house beats, mazy organ solos, rubbery disco bass and clipped guitar riffs. It's superb all told, and a fitting final hurrah from one of the UK's most significant DJs of the past 40 years. Over on the flip you'll find the slightly more stripped-back "Classic Dub", where impassioned vocal snippets ride Anderson's killer groove, bouncy pianos and spacey synths.

Review: On his contribution to Watergate's mix series, Biesmans has decided to showcase his own tracks, and mostly a dizzying array of previously unheard collaborations with some seriously talented producers. It makes sense then that the German imprint has decided to show off the best of these across two vinyl samplers, of which this is the second. It's a great collection all told, with opener 'Quantum Computing' - a bumping piano-house hook-up with one of his musical heroes, Mathew Jonson - and the effortlessly funky nu-disco workout 'Me Gusta Acid', co-produced by Kid Simius, standing out. Elsewhere, solo cut 'Hipster Paradise' and Johannes Albert collaboration 'Luft' are also well worth a listen.

Review: Native Soul Recordings has been around a long old time in dance music terms and now it looks back over some of its finest works with this first in a new series of Best Of comps. Music writer Harold Heath is first up with 'Slipstream,' an effortless smooth late-night house cut with introspective chords and silky pads bringing real depth. The Candy Dealers get more lithe and elastic with the spraying bass and jumbled percussive house of 'Train Of Thought' and last of all, Asad Rizvi remixes Jevne's 'Moderize' with a funky little bassline and chord vamps that keep you on edge. A tasteful package of timeless house grooves.

Review: Spanish label MATE host a four track, two artist 12" that stretches across the Atlantic to take in top house music talents from both sides. The Belgian duo Chasse follow their releases on Robsoul and Exploited take on the A-side, with 'Viola' proving a chunky but emotive offering held together by rhythmic sax stabs and suspended strings and 'Deep Link' a jazzier affair, the sax let properly loose as a plaintive piano loops atmospherically. The prolific Detroit producer Javonntte, a regular on the label, offers up the fantastic Moog improv wigout of 'Sunday Brunch Cocktail', registering some impressively original high frequency operations. 'When Music Feels' boasts a spoken word vocal from Javonntte's own sister and a more classic deep house sound with an uplifting, spiritual vibe. Maximum value for money via four very playable tunes.

Review: Moiss Music released a hot pair of EPs in February and repeat the same trick in May with another quality double drop. It is a various artists offering as always with DJ Delivery's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' a sure-fire floor-filling anthem to start things off. It's got loopy drums and string samples as well as sumptuous vocal harmony then Borka & The Gang keep the feel-good vibes alive with 'Kidding Feelings and Even Funkier's' Dance With Your Feet' is another smile-inducing bit of disco warmth with withering sic-fi synths and hip swinging claps. Jordan Reece's 'Prayer' has hints of gospel in the vocal while noodling keys and tight kicks all get looped to perfection.

Review: Louie Vega's famed Elements of Life project - an ever-changing collective of musicians who create live house, disco, Latin and soul tracks - returns to action, this time with old friend Josh Milan in tow. In its original Louie Vega mix form (track 3),'Let Us Shine' is a deliciously deep soulful house number with tribal-influenced percussion, gospel-influenced vocals and Vega's usual impeccably produced instrumentation. Milan provides two top-notch 'Honeycomb' mixes (vocal and instrumental), which opt for a breezier and more tactile vibe with nods to both early New York garage-house and the earlier 'proto-house' wave spearheaded by Boyd Jarvis, Timmy Regisford and Paul Simpson. Rounding off the EP is live Latin house workout 'Los Tonos Segrados', featuring guest musician Axel Tosca.

Review: Given that Defected's multi-arist EP series was designed as a way for vinyl DJs to get hold of some of the imrpint's biggest digital download hits, you'll be unsurprised to learn that volume nine contains some seriously sizable material. Riva Starr kicks things off with a remix of Dennis Ferrer classic "Hey! Hey!" that turns the track into a Moroder style electro-disco throb-job, before Ferreck Dawn delivers some big room vocal house pleasure. Over on the flip, John Summit's "Deep End" is another beefy big room workout built around sweet female vocals and a thickset bassline, while Offiah's "Play It By Ear" is a 21st century update of the muscular, mid-90s MK sound.

Review: Breezy headwinds, orange-tinged skies, hazy, serene bliss - just some of the profound feelings to be had on the latest release from Oath, a masterclass in melody and mood from one of the finest contemporary house producers about today. 'Night Fantasy' is Jacy's first EP in four years and much like his other records, this one blesses us with warmth, delight and joy, in the softest and most subtle of manners. The title track, which opens up the record, greets the listener with a familiar drum pattern, one which then gives way to the rock-hard bassline; 'Just Change' comes on next, and this one opens up with that classic and explicitly dreamy chord sequence we all know and cherish, with Jacy allowing us to soak up this goodness before shifting the perspective to the rhythm. 'Dat Tape' shifts perspective to more of a swing in terms of the groove, with sweeping background pads doing much to tug at the heartstrings - and, finally, we have 'Come On', which retains a more spacious feel between the keys and the drums.

Review: Jaisiel distills the magic of his previous releases on this colour and kaleidoscopic new outing It's A Pleasure which really has something for everyone. 'Nada Que Ver' is refracted new school electro-disco-tech with warm synth smears and vocoder vocals bring future vibes. The Lipelis ADHdance mix then reworks it into a pumping house cut with sensuous vocals and 'El Amanecer' (Tenerife '89 mix) is a blissed out and sun down Balearic sound. Last of all is 'Sobre Cien,' an old school broken beat jam that will get you partying like it was 1989.

Review: For its sixth releases, the always funky DOBRO label has called up Dutchman Jan Janssen. He serves up a trio of gloriously sunny and slow motion house cuts with some top shelf remixes from Lay-Far, Scruscru and Juravlove. 'Architecture Of Happiness' opens in heart melting fashion with shuffling drums and atmospheric vocals next to leggy drums and warming bass. 'Sense Of Wonder' is another jazzy and soulful house cut with skip in the drums. 'Where Have You Gone' ups the pace but is no less loved-up before the remixes add extra funk, club beats and blissed-out deepness.

Review: Here two of Situationism's compilation strands combine on one 12": 2up 2down, which focuses on high-grade deep house, and the In The Bag series of floor-friendly catalogue favourites. There's naturally plenty to get the blood pumping throughout, from the thrillingly off-kilter Afro-house rhythms of Mike Agent X Clark's 'My Journey Thru Africanism', and Javontte's sensational 2021 single 'Soul People', to the liquid jazz-funk/deep house fusion of BRS' fantastic 'A Night To Remember' - all rubbery bass guitar, huggable chords, glistening guitars, fluttering flutes and swinging beats - and the driving, gospel-influenced peak-time brilliance of Laroye's 'Best Girlfriends (Soulful Mix)'. To cite an old cliche, this genuinely is "all killer, no filler".

Review: J.K.'s 'You & I' is something of a classic and hard-assed hose workout form 1994 that has been remixed and reissued and number of times since. Real name Marta Simlat, the project was made up by Italian producers Larry Pignagnoli and Davide Riva and this was their biggest success. This latest release of it kicks off with 'You & I' (Bliss Team remix) which is seriously heavy and dark with dystopian synth fizz. The Guitar Mix is even more frosty and all consuming then the Classic '95 remix is beatdown techno with a dark, menacing heart and the club 95' remix is all about unsettling synth blasts and scratchy noise.

Review: The Fogbank label has put together the first in what will presumably be a series of collections that focus on the work of US producer Joey Chicago. This Best Of pulls together the music he has made on the label since its inception in 2011 and it has already had plenty of support from house Gs like Roy Davis Jr. The opener 'The Funk Hustle' is the worldwide smash here with its funky breaks and slinky grooves. 'Remember The Way' then expertly layers in a soulful r&b vocal to smooth drum work and 'Feels So Good' also has the sound of those 90's house tracks we all crave. A worthy collection, then.

Review: Breezy, easy vibes smoulder through every inch of this brand new 12 from label regulars Jonno & Tommo. Over the past ten years the pair have worked their magic through all strands of the house spectrum on labels such as Trelik, Finale Sessions, Verdant as well as Ornate, but on here, chief cut Biosflash places them squarely back in the domain of laidback, deep house. This is a perfect summer roller, and can't fail to put a smile on your face, as you roll your windows down. Stratocaster keeps the sunshine vibe high, yet mines a little deeper, channelling the sounds of classic late-90s deep house labels such as as Seasons, Straight Up and Rotax.

Two bona fide deep house heavyweights, Brawther and Andres, both lend their unmistakeable touches, taking one track each, giving this package a little something extra.

Review: Now 15 years old, The Juan MacLean's 'Happy House' is undoubtedly a club classic, though only a handful of the numerous remixes original label DFA commissioned ever appeared on vinyl first time round. The epic Matthew Dear vs Audion rework (released digitally in 2009) is one of those - hence this special Record Store Day release. That infamous version - a wonky, lo-fi, hypnotic techno-not-techno remake of a 21st century dub disco-meets-piano-house gem - can be found in full on side B, with a more recent Mark E 'remix of the remix' on the A-side. Warmer and dreamier with opioid chords, twinkling pianos and a tactile, soft-touch vibe, the Brummie producer's tweak gives the legendary remix a much more yearning, loved-up feel. It's a textbook example of how to make an already excellent rework even better than it already is.

Review: Here's something for those looking to fill in the gaps in their classic hip-hop collection: a sizzling seven-inch boasting two of the Jungle Brothers hottest hits. On the A-side you'll find "Because I Got It Like That", a lolloping party hip-hop jam built around an assortment of complimentary samples, most notably a lift from Sly and the Family Stone's killer cut "You Can Make It If You Try". Over on the flip you'll find one of the most recognizable dance anthems of the late '80s, the early hip-house classic that is "I'll House You". Based on Todd Terry's similarly big "Can You Party", the tune is a warehouse-ready bounce-along that sounds as fresh now as it did way back in 1988.

Review: Following up some big recent tunes on Noire & Blanche and Scruniversal Tunes, Juravlove is back with more party starting and sample-heavy jams. These are DJ and dancer-friendly tunes suited to a range of settings. First up classic vocal samples define the fresh beats of 'Eleonora' then 'Crystal Cave' is all silky disco loops and 'Stoner Doner' slips into a sunset vibe for beach parties and open-air dancing. There is more of heady feel to the deep house grooves of 'Warm Gate' while 'Tap Water' goes for the peak time and the EP highlight comes at the end with 'Grand Delux'.

Review: Fool's Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records' Mark Knight. Coming straight from the heart, it's a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, 'Untold Business', which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal house from the 1990s from where he came. With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great songwriting, this new Toolroom sublabel will be a platform for high quality house music designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho Mark Knight, who joins forces with his Australian Toolroom labelmate, Sgt Slick, and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight, on a dynamite cover of Prince's 1979 classic, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. Respectfully transporting the song onto today's dancefloors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV's that would indeed make The Purple One proud. Completing the vinyl package is dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British soul icon, Jaki Graham, whom together bring the dancefloor heat with their new single, 'Fire'. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, 'Fire' see's Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

Review: Toolroom is one of the biggest house labels in the age these days. Mark Knight's outlet is a go-to for the big room lovers and pool party crews of the world and it's easy to see why when you tune into his latest label sampler. It brings together the old and the new school with the piano laced, steely house pumper 'Make You Happy' from Mark Knight, Todd Terry and James Hurr kicking off. Eddie Thoneick's 'Take It Back' gets more down and dirty with a sleazy bassline, Pete Griffiths brings belting vocal house energy to 'Get Together' and Muzzaik and Stadiumx combine for the flashy and raved-up 'Echoes.'

Review: 'Hollywood Swingin' is one of the most recognised Kool & The Gang songs in their amazing catalogue, having soundtracked movies, been sampled in hip-hop as well as used in commercials. So how would someone remix it and make it fresh once again? Easy. In 2005 they added Jamiroquai's unmistakable voice, made a disco and house version of it too, the 'Disco Dust' mix adding new sounds while not losing and ounce of the original's energy. 'The After Party' mix offers a more house version of the classic.

Review: Toronto label Selections has become a firm favourite with house heads and now starts a nice sideline with its Special Edition 2023 series. This one welcomes Lea Lisa with her track 'Conversation Between Us' (Heide Club Mix) which is straight up underground house for the heads. Then comes an unreleased Javonntte remix of Evenn's 'One For Love' that pairs things back to raw dub essentials. Dan Only's 'Love Saturates' then gets a fine and formerly unreleased remix by Italy's Black Loops that has pristine drum programming and a fine bassline. Add in Sean Roman's jazzy dancer 'Sir William' and Jamn Ensemble's 'Convection' and you have a timeless house EP.

Review: Episode 8 of Cruise Music Vinyl Jams includes a mix of old and new releases so we start the A side with Mirko & Meex and their huge track Praise You, which is followed by Mark & Danny's Down Down Down.
On the B Side we have one of our biggest artist, Peter Brown and another great track, Hang On.
Last but not least we have James Ingram - Can You Dig It which is peaktime superfunky jackin track from a few years back.

Review: Native Soul Recordings made a great start with release 001 and the follow-up is easily as good. It's a collaborative offering from two venerated veterans in Roman Nunez and JT Donaldson that taps into both men's signature sounds. The result is 'Feelin' Real Good' which will indeed make you feel real good such is the irresistibly warm nature of its bump 'n' slide house groove and twinkling late night melodies all topped off with a smart male vocal. JT Donaldson also offers a more trippy out and tech-y dub and synth laden remix. This is timeless and summery house music that oozes class and sophistication.

Review: Semi Delicious go full flavour for this new various artists EP to mark their 15th vinyl outing. It's Demi Riquisimo & Michelle Manetti who kick off with the surging house stylings of 'All I Need,' a vocal laced peak time track with rushy feels. Corbi cooks up some rugged broken beats on the sleepy 'Kraken' then Lulah Francs & Nebari tap into he Peech Bosy classic for the vocal top line of their 'Don't Make Me Wait' and pair it with classic analogue drum clatter and gurgling bass brilliance. The flip has three more tunes including the rave of 'Nairless' and blissed out, sun up cut 'Release It' by Last Magpie. Jive Talk's 'Wizards Slippers' is a lovely electro bubbler to round out a diverse EP.

Review: British artist Jack Latham aka Jam City is back with a new album a full decade after his debut 'Classical Curves' made for a head turning debut. EFM (the artists debut on Diplo's Mad Decent) is a record that looks at the experiences we had and during our early and formative clubbing years with plenty of engaging and pop-tinged sounds that draw on reggaeton, house, and club. Elements of guitar driven soul and plenty of melancholic tenderness all define this most heartfelt and loved up record as it gets from tender moments to more euphoric outpourings with swelling pads, breakdowns and drops that are all easy to predict but hard to not feel deep inside.

Review: Lebaron James - read that one carefully - goes big on this accomplished and wide ranging new album on J & M Music Co. It is couched in classic American house and disco sounds and asked with superb samples that lend it a real authenticity and timeless musical quality. 'Please Don't Give Me Up' will soon win over any floor with its upbeat drums and bright melodies, while 'Tequila Sunrise' reaches for the stars with its cosmic keys and live sounding basslines. Interludes add extra derail to the listening experience but it's the club ready tracks that really standout, none more so that the loopy filter house of 'This Love.'

Review: In Colour is of course the long awaited debut solo album from The xx's in-house knob twiddler Jamie 'xx' Smith, arriving through regular home Young Turks backed with a whole host of guest appearances. The more obsessive Jamie xx fans out there (of which we wager there are many) will no doubt already have burned out their laptops and retinas basking in the all too colourful pre-release streams of In Colour, but it's always nice to grip an album in your hands. The eleven tracks on In Colours come across like a low key ode to the rave from Jamie and pals, with Four Tet, Romy & Oli xx, Young Thug and Popcaan featuring, and yes there is also plenty of steel pan. "Hold Tight", which sounds like Jamie's attempt at forest techno, is a definite highlight!

Review: If there was ever a duo with the bombast and flair to pull off the 18-minute electro-rock-opera, it's surely Justice. Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay created Planisphere in the wake of conquering the world with their debut album Cross, initially for use on the catwalk but subsequently shared on their MySpace. Of course such releases now attain a kind of cult mythos, and Planisphere is no exception. In the Ed Banger era of dirty French touch, this is a fans dream come true - the gnarly monster that keeps on giving, now pressed up on a single side of vinyl for continuous listening, with a classy etching on the reverse.