Back catalogue: Funky/Club House

Review: Toolroom's house imprint keeps the party pumping with another diverse selection of floor-filling weapons. Grant Nelson & Mark Knight lead the charge with 'Do It Y'all', a track that's been tearing up charts and dancefloors with its raw energy and irresistible rhythm for a while now. But this sampler doesn't simply rest on its laurels; it takes us on a winding path through the multifaceted sounds of house music. The Deepshakerz & Turntables Night Fever follow up with 'Oh Phunk!', a high-energy stomper fueled by a relentless rhythm section and soulful vocal samples that hark back to the golden age of house music. Richard Earnshaw, however, opts for a different approach, reimagining Fonda Rae's classic 'Touch Me' with a touch of soulful depth and emotion. Sebb Junior closes out the sampler with 'Makes Me Feel', a track brimming with bright melodies and feel-good vibes, showcasing the playful side of house music. This sampler is a showcase for the label's dedication to quality house music that offers listeners a diverse range of beats that are both good for the dancefloor and any discerning DJs.

Review: Toolroom founder Mark Knight lands back on his own imprint, updating one of house music's most influential records, 'Let's Get Brutal' by Nitro Deluxe, bringing it forward to floors in 2023 under the new title 'Brutal'. Following up his collaboration with NYC house legend Todd Terry on the label in March with 'Make You Happy', this reissue reminds us of the esteemed, originally Cutting Records-released classic - a track which later went on to be sampled by Kevin Saunderson (aka Good Life) in his equally impactful hit 'Big Fun'. The original - with its nonsensical "brutal with the millimetre" vocal sample, god knows where it's from, though seeming to effortless capture some inexorable facet of the German psyche - sounds as great as ever, though it also comes backed by a new extended remix from Knight on the B.