DJS: MOST CHARTED - DEEP HOUSE - MOST CHARTED IN JANUARY 2013

Review: Baaz's fledgling Office Recordings returns with its second release and a second edition of the What About Talk About series. "Owl's Theme" sees Baaz at the buttons, swiftly aligning to a vigorous bassline that provides the momentum whilst the Berliner shows his palette of classicist 909 rhythms and pumping piano chords. Complementing this, "Those Things" sounds more vibrant and colourful, with the drums less prominent amidst the magic inducing textures. On the flip Soulphiction turns in a wondrous remix of the Baaz and Iron Curtis track "K.M.S.", all glowering, emotive synth flourishes and subtle kicks, whilst "Whatabouttalkabout" showcases Baaz's talent for more esoteric sounds, eschewing the need for kicking drums to focus on a luscious electronic arrangement.

Review: Given their illustrious rise over the past twelve months, the appearance of Belfast duo Bicep on the latest Wolf Music release is quite the coup for the London label. Artist and label are of course no strangers, with a Bicep dub of Medlar appearing WOLFEP009, yet there's currently a Midas touch style momentum driving Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar that should ensure this 12" sells out even swifter than previous lupine plates. "Mixmaster 88" is an unadulterated party anthem and another ode to some of their heroes (spot the cheeky Armando usage) yet it's most memorable because it shows Bicep at their most confident. Further house music excellence is afforded with contributions from Casino Times, Medlar and newcomer Ishmael that ensure this is yet another all killer, no filler emission from the Wolf Music stable.

Review: The third of four mooted Pepe Bradock 12"s consisting of soundtrack music to the imaginary film Operation Veaux Carnivores arrives and the suite of tracks here prove to be every bit as singularly impressive as the previous two Imbroglios releases. Bradock's always taken house as a foundation and twisted your preconceptions on their head, and the six tracks here prove that the French producer's time spent away from the spotlight is well spent. Much like the cat purring "Inconsequent Pussy" from the debut Imbroglios 12", the standout track here takes a strange sample as its starting point and builds something wholly infectious from it. "A Bunch of Cephalophores" takes its name from the vocal sample that appears distorted throughout, as Bradock weaves a rasping house groove that finds a snug spot in your affections and refuses to leave. The remaining five tracks prove to be just as refreshing on your ears as this, not least the half stepping, cavernous boom bap of "What's Wrong with the Picture".

Review: There's a feeling with Sound Stream records akin to supping on a cup of tea after a long hard winter day, so perfectly pitched and satisfying is his approach to making house music. On "Julie's Theme", there's some unabashed delay rippling going on, but still that ever-loving disco groove sits underneath in the bassline on the one and the natural hand claps. On the flip, the disco is thoroughly loud and proud, with "Inferno" resplendent in searing Philly strings and slinky bass that was built for grooving. Once again, Sound Stream has delivered a simple but meaningful demonstration of house music perfection.

Review: FXHE remain in outer orbit following that stellar Triangulum Australe 12" from Omar S, presenting their final transmission of a superb year in the shape of Oh Jabba, two tracks of stargazing house music from O B Ignitt. Last seen collaborating with Omar S on the dedication to Eddie Murphy's finest acting role, the impression that Ignitt likes his cinema is only strengthened here on the Star Wars referencing lead track with some deliciously lo fi art work of that slug like character on the inner label dispelling any possible doubt. The track itself is a wonderfully simple yet melodic house track, crunchy drum machine rhythms rippling away feverishly beneath a calming array of swooping Rhodes and Moog flourishes. Complementing this, "Space Age Stepping" is a more searching affair, relying more on the rugged drums and gurgling analogue bassline to achieve lift off.

Review: XDB's Metrolux imprints primes a second Edition release, matching the inaugural transmission for illustrious, international contributions. Jitterbug opens proceedings with the excellent "Radio Theme" rolling deep through the dub funk jack that pervaded his superb Uzuri release of last year, whilst Hamburg is represented in the shape of "Skyrocket", an incessantly fizzing and hypnotic percussive number from Marc Holste under his Markson alias. Metrolux reach out to Japan on the flip, with Tokyo based Naoki Shinohara dropping a dubby, melancholic ode to Kagoshima club Timeless, whilst XDB hangs back and finishes the release in requisite style on "Cielop".

Review: UK don James Johnston and German champ Alex Agore once again come together on their hot-to-trot No Matter What imprint to lay down the law on their righteous tributes to vintage house music. Johnston delivers some dreamy garage swing on "Think About U Everyday", and takes things deeper on "Do U Understand?" by drawing you in with an alluring chord line that purrs at the heart of the track. Agore is in equally feisty mood with some textbook vocal turns over his "In My Soul" workout, and then switches up for a breezy, carefree wriggler in the form of "In Your Arms".

Review: After a dormant 2012, Mike Grant's Mood & Grooves label returns with Moods & Grooves Classic Vol 1, what looks to be an exciting new retrospective repress series. First to get a second wax treatment is Andres with his "Your Are Still The One", taken from his self titled LP on Mahogani Music, released in 2003. On the flip is one of Mike Grant's own "The Struggle Of My People" from his 2001 And Then It Was My Turn... EP, only opting for Mr. G's "There's Hope Mix" instead. An exciting new series for the Detroit enthusiast or retroactive newcomer.

Review: D.O.G turns 29 releases old and welcomes into the fold London based producer Toby Tobias for his debut turn out. The Pathfinder EP commences in searing fashion with "Backbeat" - all big basslines, pitched vocals, airy synths and fromage laced white noise sweeps which combine for a perfect slice of contemporary disco. Stomping kicks and plucked strings dominate "Arbegon", while Michael Bolton saxophones, machine drum trickery and the delaying chords of "Pathfinder" build and drop into a beefy and funked out groove. Fabrizio Mammarella's remix lightens the bass load of Tobias' original, but does so without sacrificing the low end of his own production, successfully striping back and utilising its best elements.

Review: Having previously graced Anton Zap's Ethereal Sound imprint with three warm deep house cuts, the mysterious Pjotr moves to Udacha, and finds himself in the esteemed company of Rawax alumnus A5 and Vakula collaborator Dices. This record is even more stunning than his first, drawing comparisons to the finely crafted house of the aforementioned Ukranian Vakula. "Sky Is The Limit" opens proceedings with its bubbling, sun-drenched mid-tempo lounge tones given definition with a subtly urgent arpeggio, while "Mariya" picks up the pace with its gently jacking snares, plucked guitar and organic bass. On the flip, "True Spirit" wraps silky chords around unpredictable MPC style drums, opening out into a Pepe Bradock-inspired string arrangement, while "I See" buries its raw drums deep within a muggy low end filter, allowing a blissful melodic arrangement that is recalls a more contented version of a Madteo track. Highly recommended stuff.

Review: FXHE has been brimming with activity in recent times, with a steadfast flurry of singles refusing to let the quality drop, and now the big bossman delivers another two slices of finely cured business in his inimitable style. The lead track is an arresting piece with just a kick to drive proceedings, leaving ample room for a haunting array of bleeps and a 'speak & spell' vocal until the track slowly ramps up with some more prominent drum programming. "Mayall II" on the flip is a less tense affair, with a cheery string refrain and old school jack-in-the-box beats disseminated in a plain and simple fashion.

Review: Producing house music is far from easy, but Jacques Renault time and time again manages to fools us into thinking it could be. His first rabbit out of the hat trick in 2013 is the functional and jovial Back To You EP on his own Lets Play House imprint. Lead track "Back To You" takes full advantage of some filtered horns and bouncing bongo percussion - it's not hard to see this track being embraced widely by DJs especially when samples washed in reverb and delay fill and litter the track, whilst subtle African chants add a individual edge. The same dubby horns - only dubbier - feature on the Paradis remix, only to be lightened by note and word sung vocals, triangle percussion tinkers and a reinforced bassline, deepening the track even further.

Review: The Robsoul label run by Phil Weeks come correct with their first transmission of a new year; offering up two tracks from the Theo Parrish archives. The Twin Cities 12" originally appeared on Rick Wade's Harmonie Park label back in 2004, and original pressing currently command a pretty price in the land of Discogs. Anyone who's caught a Phil Weeks DJ set will know the man is a bonafide Theo freak and must be proud through and through to have licensed these two tracks from Harmonie Park for a much needed re-evaluation. The title track is Theo's ode to those two US cities that made him the man he is, Chicago and Detroit, born and raised in the former and now living in the latter, and it translates musically with the Chi town trackiness mixing perfectly with the murky Motor City melodies. "Dance, Sing" belongs in the holy grail of Parrish purchases, as buccaneering percussion, whispering vocals and delicate piano keys all attempt to deal with that immense booming bassline

Review: Berlin's Dirt Crew Recordings welcomes back Detroit Swindle to their now extensive catalogue. The duo have been busy this year, releasing several singles for different labels including Freerange and Murmur Records. "Guess What" puts things into gear with a slicing drum loop and progressive chords - a proper thumper! Next up, "John Doe" injects a masterfully executed rave vibe thanks to a killer bass line and crafty old-skool vocals. Leftside Wobble takes care of remixing the title track, shaping it into a deeper arrangement and making that bass line growl like never before. Finally, "Jick Rames" goes deeper than anywhere before, aligning a funky off-kilter beat pattern with lazy chords chopped vocals.

Review: After appearing on Workshop 15, this shadowy German producer pops up once again for a full EP, allowing for a clearer perspective on what his music has to offer. There is of course an appropriately weathered and moody tone as is common for Workshop tracks in general, but it's also an extraordinarily refined EP with a pronounced funk at its heart. That sass comes by and large from the bass elements, while all melodics and textural additions move towards more haunting and forlorn pastures. "Track 2" in particular revels in its melodramatic tone, but then "Track 3" eases off the pressure somewhat with a jam somewhere between summery house music and deep Detroit techno.

Review: It's clear from the first beat that the "deep sounding" decree of Italian imprint Traxx Underground is inspired by the classic house musicians and machines of the early 80s and 90s. The title track "You Know Me" is a quintessential retrospective house music gem with a luscious and simplistic chord progression, subtle leads and suitability placed rim shots for extra groove. Glenn Underground's "SJU Summer Ends mix" substitutes shakers for piano keys, pushing the originals chords further into the background as synthy bubbles and lounge time vibes take over. If the moment is right, you could easily find yourself listening to "7655" by a head rolling Theo Parrish at the controls, whereas "Open Heart" brings 2013 house music back to its basic 90s essentials, only this time adding reverberating flutes.

Review: ** MCDE REPRESS ** Dani Plessow dons the Motor City Drum Ensemble name with Say A Prayer signaling a return to the production game following his much publicized creative burnout. It's clear that Plessow's period of convalescence has worked wonders, with the four tracks here every bit as deep and dusty as the much vaunted Raw Cuts series upon which the MCDE project was launched skywards. Proceedings open with the two part suite of the title track, laying down fuzzy chords and intermittent vocal swoons over a gritty 909 backbone on the opening track; part 2 meanwhile will have you digging out those Raw Cuts 12"s in order to do a MCDE master mix, such is it's immediate warmth and neck snapping drums. On the flip, Plessow uses "The Stranger" as a chance to traverse bleepier, rattling techno terrain with superb results, whilst "SP11" is rasping high octane house at it's finest.

Review: Indulging a clear love of Star Wars, Agnes makes his debut on Vitalik having moved across a staggering plethora of labels in the years since starting out in the field of minimal techno. There's a celebratory imagination at work across this EP, moving into varying styles from the ranging deep house of "Bobba Fatt" to the low-slung hip hop freakiness of "Maybe Here Maybe Not". Neglecting to stay in one place at any point, the Swedish producer displays his appreciation of surreality in house music with grace and in the process creates some sure-fire dancefloor burners with a wealth of individuality about them.

Review: Well-versed in the art of US garage house music, Tomska sounds in fine form on his first release for SAFT after enjoying a breakthrough 12 months. "Then & Now" couldn't come on any tougher if it tried with its militant kick thump and razor-sharp hats, while the organ line is in just the right frequency to quell the rowdy beats. The vibe is equally bumping on "Layin' Low", if not quite so overtly hard on the drums. "Right Back To You" meanwhile takes a rougher approach as the beats seem to stagger and misshapen themselves, still leaving plenty of time for a cheeky little organ turn of course.

Review: Mixmode Recordings output remains steady with Smith's Precipice EP, which brims with all the trimmings of Delano styled Detroit house. Sustained looping chords in "Mariana's Song" vary in filtered sonance throughout its classic house arrangements, inclusive of a groovy bassline and 909 funk. Deep and pacey kicks, skipping shakers and Rhodes tipsy on LFO make up "Celebration", an original template for the recent deep house resurgence. Lastly "Dreams Come True" maintains the grooving and deep character of the EP, only with sassy jazz samples - a must have for the Delano Smith completists or deep house enthusiast.

Review: Ahead of the eagerly anticipated album Motional Response, due for release soon on Jerome Derradji's Still Music imprint, Toronto's Basic Soul Unit drops this 12" taster featuring album tracks not available on the album's vinyl release. "Breathe" is a mid-tempo, piano-drenched deep house number, with the sultry vocals of Sacha Williamson providing the perfect foil for the producer's crunchy drums and raw analogue bass. It's accompanied by Derradji's remix, in which the original is transformed into something between techno and proto-house, sitting the vocal atop ascending pads and a pulsating build-up of unfiltered analogue madness which nonetheless maintains a sense of decorum throughout. The B-side is devoted to a long version of album cut "Clouds", a typically deep BSU cut which demonstrates his ability to journey through satisfying analogue squelch and ethereal chords whilst keeping things jacking. If the rest of the album is this good we're in for a treat.

Review: Having surfaced with a few potted releases in the mid-nineties, My Love Is Underground have taken it upon themselves to call upon LA's Teflon Dons to reissue three punchy lessons in that currently most mined of house music eras. There's no arguing with the authenticity of a track like "Planet Eater", as the subby bass and pounding drums take the lead with just subtle dabs of noise and samples chilling in the background. "Sun Fist Rising" has a more rounded atmosphere, leaning on layers of keys and a classic garage shuffle for a sweet and soulful end result, while "Psycho Ray" gets on a darker tip with creepy vocal samples and moody organ bass.

Review: Japan's Sound Of Speed has been around since 2000. Starting with an LP by a little someone called Jimpster, the label has progressed slowly, preferring to release music of a high calibre instead of constant singles and digital downloads. This time, we're treated to our favourite Ukrainian, Vakula, and Kuniyuki, a Japanese deep house producer who has been closely affiliated to his native Mule Musiq since 2005. Kuniyuki kicks things off with his version of "Session North #1", a triumphant parade of growling basslines, beautifully intricate melodies and cleverly arranged percussion - a real peach! Vakula steps up with his say on "Passage To The Moon", creating what is basically a neo-jazz piece masqueraded as a deep house track - long, winding strings mixing so effortlessly with crisp drum machines and gentle synth pads. For side B, the pair exchange remix duties, with Vakula injecting his familiar jazz-filtered style on "Session North #1" and Kuniyuki created an unusually desolate patchwork for "Passage To The Moon", one has you lost within its mutating arrangement right form the first kick. Magnificent house excursions.

Review: Originally released in 1994, Rick Wade's Harmonie Park reissues its first ever release - Late Night Basix Vol 1. Still one of the Detroit house producer's finest records, the soulful strains of "Nothing To Fear" still sound fresher than the scores of imitators that have followed in his wake, and the Daniel Bell remix with its stuttering vocal cut-up and snappy rhythmic flex still does the business now. On the flip, "I Do Believe" is a funkier number with rolling bassline and hints of early KDJ, while "I Can Feel It" is the the real late night basic of the record, combining muted horns and tense strings with spacious house atmospherics. Essential!

Review: Ben Cenac's contribution to the nascent strains of New York house music in the late 80?s and early 90?s was highlighted superbly by Rush Hour last year, first reissuing his overlooked, self-titled Dream 2 Science album and later giving Cenac's more widely embraced Sha-lor hit "I'm In Love" a 12? reissue. However, there are further gems in Cenac's arsenal that never saw the light of day, four of which now feature on this release from the Sydney based Thug Records. All four tracks date back to the same prolific period in which Cenac produced the Dream 2 Science album, and highlight the producer's gift for working with vocalists, with Cenac's wife Yvette Cenac aka Vai Cee and Gregg Fore aka Buster Fhott from Dream 2 Science featuring along with Newcleus' Lady E, Shareen Evans and The Cellar Boyz aka the original Jam-On DJs. Anyone who indulged in the Dream 2 Science reissue will feel instantly at home with the intricately programmed rhythms and drifting chords evidently on display across these four tracks.

Review: South Welsh sound hounds CRST go toe-to-toe with their own Chesus on this ace quad-track EP for Swedish imprint Local Talk. Peppered with creatively manipulated and neatly trimmed classic house vocals while paying full attention to the jack factor, each cut oozes Chi-town panache and infectious grooves. Chesus flips the final switch for the beautiful swing-drenched finale "Special". Clearly studying in the same sample school as Sonic J, house flavours don't get much more timeless than this. Get munching.