Tags: Soulful House

Review: New Jersey house don Kerri Chandler is rightfully lauded as a hero of the scene. He continues to pour his heart and soul into every record and imbue his music with real-world emotions that elevate his tunes. He is of course a master of a deep but driving sound that borrows from soul, funk and jazz in ignitible ways. The third volume of his Lost & Found EP series on his own label Kaoz Theory is packed with more gold, from the slinky depths of 'Let It (Give Me Back My Love)' to the soul staring vocal work of 'Another Dawn' via more paired back sounds on 'The Bassline' (Kerri Dark mix) and the percussive energy of 'The Breeze.' Yet another essential Kerri 12" for your collection.

Review: Last year, Quiroga (real name Walter Del Vecchio) returned to Hell Yeah! Recordings with an impressive dose of TB-303-laden dancefloor psychedelia, the superb 'Acid Dropout EP'. 'French Kiss', the title track from his latest EP for the popular Italian imprint, is a more immersive, warm and hazy affair, where sweet female vocal snippets, warming Rhodes riffs and dreamy electronics rise above a shuffling, mid-temp deep house beat and organic-sounding bassline. His trademark acid lines naturally feature on the accompanying 'Baia Club Ambient Version', a shuffling breakbeat affair that takes cues from Italian 'ambient house' (IE dream house) rather than beat-free soundscapes. It is, though, genuinely superb. Turn to the flip for two bonus cuts: the vintage Jazzanova-esque broken house brilliance of 'Ask Coppede' and the deep, Balearic-fired electro shuffle of 'Cala Ventosa'.

Review: There is a distinctly old school feel to the dark moods of this new deep house outing on Fruit Merchant from Hidden Spheres and Private Joy. 'Hold On Me' takes you back to the days of Adonis, Hercules and Tax Records with it intense emotion, humid atmospheres and menacing bassline. The drums are raw and jacking but the vocal brings a vital soulful and human edge. After that club mix comes the paired back instrumental, a deeper mix that smooths the edges and makes this more soft focus and cuddly. It's a gorgeous tune for loved-up floors.

Review: Who or what is or are Henk Donkers? We don't know, and we don't care, cause the music they make is bang on. This new and amusingly entitled EP arrives via the always cultured Wolf Music and is immediately effective. Henk Donkers X Ell Murphy's 'Without You' is classic house with depth and drive, soulful vocals and nice sustained chords. 'Dope' is more intense for the strobe lit late night hours and then its back to balmy and loved up grooves with the busy chord work of New Jersey style house kicker 'With You'. This varied EP is not done yet, as closer 'Pink Horse' explores another sone - dusty downbeat house with noodling chords that recall early Mood Hut tunes.