Review: It would be fair to say that Studio K7 has pulled off something of a coup in getting Kenny Dixon Jr. to agree to compile and mix the latest installment in the long-running DJ Kicks series. It is, somewhat remarkably, the legendary Detroiter's first commercially available mix set. This triple-vinyl edition features a whopping 19 cuts - all in unmixed form - from the 30 track mix. Musically, it's a blazed, jazzy, soulful and groovy as you'd expect, and contains a mixture of downtempo beats, nu-jazz and hazy house cuts from the likes of Flying Lotus, Dopehead, Peter Digital Orchestra, Nightmares On Wax, Soulful Session and Lady Alma.
Review: Since launching in 2006, the men or women of mystery behind the sneaky Digwah series have delivered a couple of sought-after, single-sided 12" singles that blend familiar samples with rock solid tech-house grooves. Predictably, this third volume in the series sticks closely to the blueprint, wrapping twinkling electric piano motifs and a restless, looped bassline around a rhythm track rich in jazzy hi-hats, snappy drum machine snares and tough, locked-in kick-drums. It's arguably closer to deep house than its predecessors, with the tactile and warming samples - lifted, it seems, from the late '60s West Coast rock record - helping to create a rolling, late night feel. The previous Digwah releases sold out quickly, so you'll have to act fast to secure a copy of this one.
Review: This is a cheeky single-sided affair that contains a gently tooled-up, rolling and rearranged version of a Marlena Shaw-sampling jazz-house classic that is rightly considered something of a dancefloor classic. The edit itself is undoubtedly rather good, subtly adding a little more bottom-end grunt whilst making a little more of the original's snaking sax parts, much-loved vocal sample and groovy jazz percussion. You can decide or not whether the re-edit was needed; certainly, the mystery re-editor has done a rather tidy job on the rework.
Review: Madonna, Depeche Mode and Kelis - what do East End Edits have in store for us next? This seventh instalment harks back to the charming deep jazzy house of their inaugural release - think of the legendary St. Germain and that should give you a fairly good idea. The track's smoky, late night jazz bar vibe is complemented by a rolling bass and swinging rhythms that should appeal to the likes of Rhadoo or Petre Inspirescu - legends of the Romanian scene who themselves have lent their deft hand to the French producer's work as remixers in the past, too.
Hit It Bubba (I Want My Dadda's Rekids!!!!) (5:42)
Party Marty (5:47)
Review: The Detroit badman always delivers the goods, but he'd recently focussed on his more house-centric style thanks to a series of sleek, soulful releases. This time, he's come out all guns blazing with this new four-part killer, led by the absolutely nutty groove that is "Sink Holes" - a proper slice of Omar S acid, delivered in fine style and with his inimitable rawness. "HELL ON EARTH" is a moodier, funkier house tip with a jazzy side, while the flipside's "Hit It Bubba (I Want My Dadda's Rekids!!!!)" is a fast, upbeat house bomb with a crazy little disco sample that floats amid the grainy bass drums. "Party Marty" is a no nonsense kind of lick, pouncing away with a steady, yet unmistakably Omar S-style percussion, and a heavy bass blow. This is one hell of a way to make an appearance this early in the year - highly recommended!!
Review: Given that this is the first album from the great Theo Parrish since 2007, it's unsurprising interest in American Intelligence has rocketed over the course of the year as Sound Signature left a trail of hints. Happily, American Intelligence is a fine album; deep and woozy in parts, undeniably soulful, shot through with jazz influences and full to bursting with killer cuts. By now, everyone should know the brilliant "Footwork" single (arguably one of the records of 2014); soon, clubs will swing to the off-kilter dancefloor jazz of "Make No War", the 21st century broken house of the epic "Fallen Funk" and the decidedly odd - but brilliant - "Helmut Lampshade".
Review: Ludovic Navarre aka St Germain requires no introduction, and the French house legend has literally seen and done it all ever since his first productions began to surface and influence other house artists back in the early 1990's golden era. The majority of his music has been released on F Communications, but his latest studio album drops on EMI's Parlophone sublabel. The self-titled St Germain is a proper LP, not a mere collection of house tracks put together helter-skelter. Inside, you'll hear many of Navarre's influences and inspirations, from Afro tribal melodies, to jazzy influences and even Middle-Eastern chimes. It's a house album in structure, but much more than that beneath the surface...as it always was from the legend of French dance music.
Review: The Digwah label deals in tech-house reworks of well-loved old cuts and the results are always well on point. They don't come on a regal basis but when they do they are well worth snapping up - and often sell out in quick fashion. The subject of this latest one is the one and only Sade, whose buttery vocals get layered into a nice deep, propulsive house grove that comes with none hues and last night chord work to sooth any floor. Yet again this is another essential 12" from this label, and as ever it's hand stamped one sided affair.
Confess To U (The Three Stooges Of Hamtramck mix) (5:30)
Review: Alex "Omar" Smith has something he wants to get off his chest. The much-lauded Detroit producer has teamed up with re-born Italians Do It Better sorts Nite Jewel for "Confess To You", which comes in two distinctive variations. The A-side "Mix" revolves around a tactile, boogie-era synth bassline, late night AM radio synthesizer chords, drifting sax solos and a crunchy, deep house-influenced rhythm track. Arguably even better is the flipside vocal version, which naturally sees Smith, Romana Gonzalez and company deliver a near perfect chunk of '80s soul/deep house fusion. It sounds like a softly spun summer anthem in waiting. Don't take our word for it, though; check out the clips and revel in the track's breezy brilliance.
Review: Leron Carson may not be the best-known Midwest producer, but he has history. Carson's first release came way back in 2001, with Theo Parrish putting out a track he'd recorded way back in 1987 and has appeared on Sound Signature intermittently over the years. This new 12" from Carson for Theo's label is HEAVY! "Lemonline" is a deliciously breezy concoction, with Carson's jazzy piano riffs working in perfect unison with bouncy, Latin-influenced drum rhythms. Flipside "Sofnthik", on the other hand, sounds like a previously unheard 1980s Chicago deep house concoction, with warm, loved-up chords swirling around a clattering drum machine groove. Whether it was recorded 30 years ago is unknown, but it certainly boasts a similar lo-fi, analogue feel.
Review: Sound Signature's latest release is an all-star crew affair, with an impressive cast list of vocalists, musicians and producers joining main man Theo Parrish in the studio. He's at the controls on the sublime A-side mix, a jazzy affair where layered twinkling electric piano motifs, spacey chords, jazz-funk riffs and sumptuous deep house grooves combine on a fearlessly loose and organic dancefloor workout. On the flipside friend of the family Dego offers his interpretation, adding even more warmth and some tasty additional hand percussion parts whilst wisely utilizing most of the original version's intricate musical elements.
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: Admittedly, we are always a bit excited when more cheeky bootleg remix action from East End Edits come in. Following up the groovy yet tough rolling tech house of EEE09 and its jazzy flourishes, the subsequent release is an edit of 'Fever' by Peggy Lee, and it's a pretty good one if we do say so ourselves. Deep, sensual and mysterious mood music that's perfect for the warm-up slot, it features a lurking Reese bassline beneath clipped rhythms to support the sensual vocal of the original, not to mention its sombre clarinet solo. Class!
Review: Sneaky remix action alert! We're not sure who DSO is (or are) - internet searches come up blank - but the two tracks on this 12" genuinely hit the spot. A-side 'Love You More' puts a new spin on the Sade classic of the same name, adding the '80s soul star's vocals to a hypnotic deep house groove, dreamy chords and occasional flecks of wine bar saxophone. Over on the flip the shadowy remixer(s) offer-up a radically different new take on Erykah Badu's 1997 hip-hop soul gem 'Apple Tree', reimagining it as a rolling chunk of deep house warmth. It's basically soul-fired, 21st century hip-house with enough depth and atmosphere to please deep house heads.
Review: Riding high on the buzz he has generated in the last twelve months, Max Graef delivers this album to Tartelet as a man very much in demand. His style, fuelled on the foundations of sampling funk and soul to a brilliantly modern end, has more space to breathe on this LP, but still the fundamentals remain. "Itzehoe" struts on a lazy jazzed-out sizzle of drums and beautiful Rhodes notes while "Tamboule Fudgefunk" punches its way through woozy synth work and a righteous beat and "Drums Of Death" struts on a perfect disco groove replete with live instrumentation, but there's a wealth of other tempos and styles all shot through with the homespun jazz charm that Graef has made his own of late.
Review: On its initial release in 1994, "Sceneries Not Songs" became deep house legend Larry Heard's first solo album under his given name. At the time, it caused quite a stir on the electronic underground, in part because it saw the Chicago veteran showcase the depth and variety of his musical personality whilst retaining the emotive dreaminess and jazzy inflections that had always been a big part of his work. As this much-needed vinyl reissue proves, it remains a stunning album. Highlights include the sparkling synthesizers, slo-mo grooves and twinkling pianos of "Tahiti Dusk", the classic Heard deep house warmth of "Midnight Movement", the head-nodding trip-hop-goes-ambient jazz flex of "Summertime Breeze" and the luscious beauty of bonus cut "Question of Time".
Review: &Me and Black Coffee make for something of an Afro house dream team here. The latter has long been this sound's pin-up and has gone from playing in South African townships to producing with Beyonce and winning Grammy Awards over the last decade. Now deep in his latest Ibiza season, he unveils collaborative track 'The Rapture' (Pt III), a deep rolling cut with spine-tingling chords and a rich atmosphere. &ME then goes solo for 'LIFE', a shuffling percussive groove with spoken words and enchanting chords to make for a classy two-tracker.
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.
Turn Me On (Tony Humphries Got U Turned On dub) (7:50)
Save Me (Coldcut remix) (6:38)
Review: South Street's latest missive gathers together a trio of club-friendly remixes of Nina Simone classics that first appeared on the 2006 compilation "Remixed & Reimagined". Francois K impresses with an A-side revision of Simone's celebrated cover of Beatles classic "Here Comes The Sun" that sounds like a long lost Larry Heard record from his classic Fingers Inc. period. Those after something a little more rolling and funk-fuelled should wrap their ears around Tony Humphries' Dub of "Turn Me On", which boasts a seductive mixture of Romanthony style hard loops and rumbling, UK garage influenced bass. Completing the package is Coldcut's fine re-imagining of "Save Me", which places Simone's heart-arching vocal atop skittish, club-ready drums and looped guitars.
Review: From Kon's forthcoming compilation on BBE entitled Kon & The Gang, this 12? sampler features two cuts taken from the LP and an exclusive remix from Boston producer and mix engineer Caserta, namely "Timeless" (Caserta mix)" a tasty serving of super deep and low slung disco goodness. A more functional edit for DJ use follows on "Timeless" (remix - Caserta mix)". On the flip Truccy (better known as Compost's Rainer Truby and Corrado Bucci) present "Closer", a gorgeous slo-mo house jam with a rolling groove fetauring all the good stuff: swirling Rhodes keys, groovy congas and hypnotic vox.
Review: Fresh off a 12" appearance on Dirt Crew alongside Harry Wolfman, Manchester-based DJ and producer Loz Goddard is back on a solo flex with the Drunken Monk EP for the Reserve sublabel from NYC edit crew Razor N Tape. Four tracks deep, this 12" has that slinky, glossy feel to it that sounds just right on Razor N Tape, with the Love Unlimited Orchestra does disco house shuffle of "Lovin'" the pick of the A-side cuts. Flip over and "Moovish" sees young Loz veer off into heavily filtered house territory, throwing in what sounds like some nifty RAMP sampling while he's at it. The appropriately-titled "Something Special" rounds out the 12" in fine style with a bit of a French Touch.
Nightmares On Wax - "Rose Rouge" (ReRub mix) (7:18)
Traumer - "What You Think About" (Re-Jammed remix) (6:44)
DJ Deep - "Sure Thing" (DJ Deep remix) (6:23)
Review: One of the greatest house albums of all time is 20 this year. To mark the occasion the legendary French producer behind it - Ludovic Navarre aka St Germain - has selected a sympathetic team of expert remixes to add their own spin to the still classic source material. Atjazz is the perfect man to open up thanks to his deep, lounge and of course jazzy house style. Osunlade then brings his shamanistic sounds to 'Sure Thing' and it glows as a result with Ron Trent later tackling the anthemic 'Rose Rouge' and slowing it down to a lush jazz dance. With DJ Deep, Nightmares On Wax and more also featuring, this is a must cop.
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: Prescription and Guidance mainstay Abacus has already done enough to assure his eternal legacy in the story of deep house. But thankfully he is still turning out superbly deep sounds that are as profound and emotive as they are heady and escapist. Here he is back on Phonogramme with 'Analogue Stories Vol. 2' which comes on a unique semi-transparent 12'' vinyl. The beats are warm and humid, thickly coated with a diffuse synth hue as the rooted drums roll on smoothly. 'How U Do It' is out pick - a musical odyssey with layers of instrumentation, piano and percussion all topped off with a Moodyman vocal sample.
Review: As the title suggests, this four-tracker from the mighty Kerri Chandler is made of material recorded in - but for whatever reason never released - in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He first unfurls 'What Shall We Do', a sturdy but snappy New Jersey deep house number rich in attractive organ stabs, warming bass and bluesy lead vocals from 'Grampa', before unveiling the squelchy acid bass, dreamy pads, colourful melodic flourishes and loved-up harmony vocals of 'Tonight'. 'Into The Night' is a beefier, bolder and weightier slab of intergalactic peak-time deep house, while 'This & That' manages to be both funky, jazzy, loose-limbed and stuttering - a remarkable achievement in anyone's book.
Review: How is it that this EP from Warren Harris, aka the deep house maestro Hanna, is now 20 years old but still sounds like tomorrow music? Such is the vision of Harris that his off-grid grooves and sparkling cosmic melodies have aged to perfection. The pads weave in and out of the wonky kicks on 'Metropolitan' to make for an outlier soul sound. 'Cottage' pairs more wispy melodies with cool-as-you-like drums and on 'Healing' there is a sunny day feel with glistening and golden keys and louche drums persuading you to sway. 'Afternoon In Paris (NY mix)' brings some swaggering jazzy swing and busy keys work that again transcends space and time. This is one of the many classics on Theo Parrish's Soul Signature label.
Review: After spending last autumn working alongside Rampa and Adam Port (see the trio's excellent "You Are Safe" album on Keinemusik), Andre "&Me" Boadu has enjoyed a quiet 2018. In fact, this outing on Pampa is his first release of 2018. He begins with the atmospheric and undulating delight that is "In Your Eyes", a slightly jazz-flecked rolling deep house excursion that brilliantly builds energy throughout. Boadu accomplishes this using two contrasting melodic elements: fluid piano solos and a foreboding electronic motif that increases in prominence and intensity as the track progresses. Over on side B, "As Above So Below" is an altogether deeper proposition, with hushed, cymbal heavy percussion, tech-tinged drums and a spacey, undulating synthesizer melody combining to create a hazy late night mood.
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: In his usual no-nonsense fashion, Theo Parrish has not said much about the surprise release of Gentrified Love Part 2, despite it being his first fresh material since 2014. The EP features contributions from two of the Detroit's legends oldest friends: Rotating Assembly member Duminie DePorres, and original Slum Village member Waajeed. A-side "Warrior Code" is a quietly foreboding proposition, with spiraling electronics, jammed keys and cosmic chords riding a chunky, West London style broken beat groove. Flip for the altogether brighter and breezier "Leave The Funk To Us", a jaunty and jazz-wise 4/4 excursion blessed with some superb, Herbie Hancock style jazz-funk keys.
Meftah - "When The Sun Falls" (feat Mohammed Meftah) (7:16)
De'Sean Jones - "Psalm 23" (2:13)
Ian Fink - "Moonlight" (Duality/Detroit live version) (8:05)
KESSWA - "Chasing Delerium" (feat Nova Zaii) (3:33)
Specter - "The Upper Room" (10:23)
Raj Mahal - "Hudsons" (2:01)
Raybone Jones - "Green Funk" (6:09)
Whodat & Sophiyah E - "Don't Know" (5:25)
Howard Thomas - "Experiment 10" (4:33)
MBtheLight - "aGAIN" (T edit) (2:48)
Sterling Toles - "Janis" (4:05)
Review: Theo Parrish is a world-renowned name in the global Detroit house and techno game, and he's thrown a fascinating curveball as the latest entrant for the acclaimed DJ-Kicks series. Mr. Parrish has gone above and beyond the duties of most invitees - rather than just licensing tracks from his favourite artists and big-name-friends, he's asked his own community from Detroit to each produce their own mixable tracks, exclusively for the comp. What's more, these are hardly established names - they're organic connections to Parrish, not occupying the top layer of attention and recognition. Bits from H-Fusion, Jon Dixon, Donald Lee Roland II, Ian Fink and Raybone Jones all dominate this anarchic new deconstruction of the otherwise exclusivist mix series.
Review: The word 'legend' gets banded about rather a lot, but it is certainly applicable to West London scene stalwart Kaidi Tatham. Further confirmation of this elevated status can be found throughout "It's A World Before You", a staggeringly good album that marks the musician-producer's first solo set for some seven years. While rooted in the kind of warm, rich and life-affirming jazz-funk-fuelled broken beat workouts with which Tatham is most readily associated (and they're naturally superb), there's plenty of killer diversions dotted throughout. These include a couple of spacey, soul-flecked ambient rubs, a sublime collaboration with hip-hop/modern soul fusionists Children of Zeus, and a fine head-nodding hip-hop jam featuring rapper Uhmeer. In a word: essential.
Review: Here's something to get excited about: a cracking new cut from Detroit deep house legend Alton Miller, backed with a 'Sound Signature' translation from the equally revered Theo Parrish. Miller's version of "Bring Me Down", is something of a treat: a sparkling, starry deep house epic that's blessed with immaculate vocals from soul chanteuse Maurissa Rose. Parrish's translation is equally as stretched out and similarly enjoyable, but is far looser and dustier in feel, with warmer bass and beats that naturally tend towards the jazzier. It's naturally more in keeping with Parrish's work than Miller's, but retains enough of the latter's touches to be counted as a fine remix.
Review: We know nothing about DSO, but we do know that this is another syrupy serving of pop, deep house and soul that is pure dance floor bait. The first sure fire party starter is 'Baggage' with its gorgeous r&b vocal sample, airy and soulful house grooves and jazzy neo soul piano work. It's a real heart melter to spread love and joy, then things get more funky on the flip. The catchy 'Involved' has a male R&B vocal this time, with more slinky house beats and natty little chord riffs that permeate deep in your soul. If you can't cut loose to this one, you're dead inside.
Dreamers Blues (Percussion By Jerry The Cat) (10:39)
Lost Angel (9:33)
Review: On his latest expansive double-pack, Theo Parrish has decided to dip into his epic back catalogue. The four featured tracks are taken from two sought-after, hard to find EPs released in 1997 and 2001 respectively. Opener 'Smile' is arguably one of the Detroiter's most magnificent musical moments of all time: an epic slab of drowsy Motor City deep house built around idiosyncratic drum programming, ultra-deep chords, toasty bass and an effects-laden vocal snippet. 'Lost Keys' is a breezier and looser affair marked out by Latin style piano motifs, jazzy house beats and tactile bass, while 'Dreamer's Blues' is a languid, percussion-and-electric piano rich number that tends towards the hazy and jazzy. Finally, 'Lost Angel' is an ultra-deep affair whose spacey chords seem to stretch out eternity.
Review: For his latest trick, Alex "Omar" Smith has crafted a killer new tune out of a distinctive gospel soul sample that he first used on much-played 2004 single "Day". Pedants will point out that "That's Me" actually uses a wider variety of sampled loops from the same source track, rather than one specific repetitive section, but either way the results are fantastic. Bumping, distorted, bass-heavy and soulful with more grunt than your average blue movie, the track is a perfect example of how highly effective, life-affirming house music can be made out of the simplest of elements suitably arranged and tweaked. Basically, it's a jazz-flecked, hands-aloft bumper that will get played at a lot of festivals this summer.
In Search Of The Dream (feat Angela Johnson - Lay-Far remix) (6:36)
Distorting Space Time (Fouk remix) (6:56)
Review: The veteran producer's latest EP, in which a quartet of highly regarded producers tinker with tracks from his vast catalogue, contains some real gems. Top of the pile is Ron Trent's rework of "Distorting Space Time", which is not only typically warm, woozy and percussion rich, but also makes great use of some decidedly trippy, delay style effects. Elsewhere, Crackazat grins his way towards piano house anthem territory via an arms-aloft revision of "Latican Boogie", Lay-Far joins the dots between jazz-funk, boogie and sumptuous deep house on a delightful rework of "In Search of the Dream" and Fouk successfully breaks up the beats on a jazzy and bass-heavy mix of "Distorting Space Time".
Review: French label Rutilance reaches across Europe to sign their first ever German artist in Djoko. He comes with a well-regarded CV and established tech house sound that is party ready. 'Holding Onto You' immediately makes its mark with nice bumping drums and a wailing vocal that will make you screw up your face. There is also some fine jazz stylings on 'Daylight' that brim with soul and then more turbo-charged peak time tackle in 'Step Han', a tune that manages to be both dynamic and slick. 'Lesson' rounds out with a twisted cyborg funk that will carry you through the night.
Review: With some of the best DJs and selectors, there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. British DJ, producer and music maestro Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. The second volume in his E Soul Cultura series, Una's intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity and won him favour with record outlets.
The compilation isn't just peacocking his crate diving ability, but it's a sonical narrative that engages the ebbs and flows of salsa, nu-disco, psych rock and Balearic. It's a grab bag of sounds, and each one is as intriguing and groovy as the last. Here's to a hopeful trilogy.
Black Magic Woman (Joaquin edit & Overdubs version) (14:45)
Black Magic Woman (8:02)
Black Magic Woman (Coflo remix) (9:26)
Review: While many have imitated, no one has ever really come close to crafting the sort of spiritually affective deep house that Ron Trent kicks out with apparent ease. 'Black Magic Woman' is a prime example - an ode to the power of the feminine form with vocals from Harry Dennis, most known for his previous work with Larry Heard. The original is a deep house epic with jazzy chords and organic drums, lashing of bass and spoken word musings from Dennis. The Joaquin edit & Overdubs version is more intense and bright and the Coflo remix is more soft, mellifluous and warm. Epic stuff with great artwork, too.
Review: Patrice Scott's long awaited debut album, Euphonium, was arguably one of the most underrated full-lengths of 2015. Happily, he's kept the quality threshold high for this follow-up EP. "The Detroit Upright" is particularly potent, with effortlessly smooth keys stretching out over rich chords and bumpin' deep house beats. On the flip, Scott doffs a cap to the hazy, jazz-funk influenced styles of 2000 Black, on the impeccable broken beat/deep house fusion cut, "Who We Are". Weighty at the bottom end, and blessed with both starry keys and delay-laden synth lines, it's the kind of track you could imagine Theo Parrish losing his shit to.
Review: Fred Everything's profile may not be as high as it once was, but he continues to serve up high quality treats - as this surprise collaboration with legendary vocalist Robert Owens proves. The latter is in fine form on the EP-opening 'Classic Mix', a warming, musically detailed chunk of vocal deep house positivity that sounds like it was partially inspired by Dubtribe Soundsystem classic 'Do It Now'. Fred Everything also provides two 'BDTW' mixes on the flip: the fluttering synths sounds and vintage Chicago house grooves of the 'Deep Mix', and a more stripped-back 'Vox Dub'. Best of all though is Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson's rework, which recalls the fluid synth sounds, jazzy flutes and intricate percussion programming that marked out his early 2000s work on Mantis Recordings.
Mistura - "Want Me Back" (feat Jemini - Jimpster Jazz'd Right Up remix) (6:26)
Joey Montenegro - "Do What You Feel" (Birdee remix) (7:27)
Lakeshore Commission - "In 2 The Light" (feat Bluey - Dave Lee Mind Travel mix) (7:40)
Destiny II - "Play To Win" (feat Angela Johnson - Dave Lee Destination Boogie mix) (7:11)
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.
Review: Here's something of a pleasant surprise: Studio Barnhus co-founder Kornel Kovacs turning up on Glasgow's masters of all things dancefloor-friendly, Numbers. While there's a little more of a garage swing to opener "Lighthouse" - think darting string samples, booming sub-bass and energetic deep house drums - the Swede doesn't seem to have wandered that far off-piste. So, we get some undeniably classy, jazz-flecked deep house (the rubbery and flexible "Gangsta"), a surging, saucer-eyed dose of piano revivalism ("Malon", featuring Marcus Price, and some suitably jumpy drums), and, best of all, the late '80s Paradise Garage Latin house brilliance of "Pantalon". Stellar stuff, all told.
Review: British producer Gerry Read returns with some roughed-up soul/disco workouts on this new one for Pampa, all reinterpreted via his idiosyncratic, lo-fi style. We're loving infectious, dusty opener "It'll All Be Over" with its sweet soul vocal samples, jazzy guitar licks, blocky Rhodes chords. That's not all, label chief DJ Koze contributes another misty-eyed disco-house remix on the flip, careful not to deviate too much from the original, but injecting it with just the right amount of dancefloor dynamics. We're also loving Read's second cut, "Satyricon", with its intoxicating and hypnotic melody, driven by a deep mid-tempo groove peppered with sultry Spanish phrases.
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