Juno Best Sellers 2012

Review: US newbie Gregory Porter was man of the year as far as nu-soul and funk goes and championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson,Patrick Forge & Nik Weston to name but a few. This record had an incredible amount of attention around it even before its release and to be honest, it ain't no surprise! It's just a future classic, end of discussion - it takes Detroit's fine soul and funk heritage onto a new level, showing us that classics are still very much in the making. Porter's own voice is majestic and prophetic as he talks about "Motor City burnin'" and who then goes on to deliver his powerful and emotional words. There's even a slightly "housier" remix by Opolopo, giving us the chance to also enjoy this mighty record at the centre of late-night set...this is certified Theo Parrish material right here!

Review: Given that Todd Terje's first original material in some five years resulted in one of last year's highlights with the Running Back released Ragysh, it's natural he would want to leave some space before following up. The first of a series of EPs crafted from using one bit of vintage gear in particular, It's The Arps sees Terje dabble with the intricacies of the Arp 2600 analogue synthesizer as well as pay homage to his favourite Monty Python sketch. This is just as nerdy as you'd expect from a man who recently launched a website with the specific intention of exploring the obsessive studio nature of his contemporaries. The aforementioned "Inspector Norse" is an obvious highlight here, slowly unfurling gorgeous layers of playful synthesis that grapple the simplistic drums with flirtatious delight. Naturally for someone who spends most weekends of the year in a nightclub, Terje demonstrates a real prowess for building up the track, teasing your senses once before unleashing the mid point monstrous moment. It makes for another signature track from Terje which is likely to engender a rapturous reception for many years to come. Alongside it, "Myggsommer" provides a brief, twee interlude into oddball sci fi soundscapes which again prove to highlight the Arp 2600's capacity for inventive and idiosyncratic sounds. From here Terje unveils a two part skywards saunter through "Swing Star" showcasing a more dextrous manipulation of the Arp 2600's melodies across the markedly more rhythmic upbeat first part and expansive luxurious cosmic subsequent endeavour. Whilst "Inspector Norse" is guaranteed to be the one track from this release you will hear in the international discotheques, the remainder of It's The Arps serves as a excellent reminder of Terje's ever growing talent as a producer.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Deep house emporium Ornate Music cast their worldly gaze to the Far East, calling on Japanese producer Sai, a graduate of Agnes's STHLM Audio imprint, for a killer four track EP entitled Bedroom Eyes. The sultry, suggestive nature of the title is translated into the tunes on offer, with opening cut "2AM" offering the most subtle of acid lines alongside piano flourishes and a spoken word vocal snippet. Better still is the afterhours bump of "Blue Lingerie", while "MR" toughens things up on the flip with a analogue grit and cooing vox. The 12" is rounded off with another original cut in "Another Myself", which is dripping in classic Motor City house vibes with gently oscillating bass tones reaching deep down inside.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Trelik returns with a repackaged edition of one of the catalogue's most treasured releases. "Overcome" and "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)" need little introduction, and now come sporting the new TR11:11 matrix number. Written and produced by Thomas Melchior and Baby Ford aka Soul Capsule, these tracks came from one of the many sessions recorded at the West London Ifach Studio in 1999. On the A Side "Overcome" is stripped back and energetic, driven by rolling and shuffling garage style beats, tight bubbling bass and atmospheric synth pads. The intermittent vocal samples and the release's signature organ set you up for the flip, "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)". Possibly one of house music's most emotive pieces, the track builds slowly with the introduction of each part building a story of soulful optimism based around a sparse palette of deep synths, uplifting keys and warm analogue bass. The understated beauty of the main vocal riff never seems to grow old or tired with the track lending itself perfectly to either main room, peak-time play or after-hours sessions alike. Remastered by Rashad at D & M.

Review: Andres' return with the second La Vida 12" reaffirmed our belief that there's no-one out there doing it quite like the former Slum Village DJ. Second Time Around has the same insouciant, dusty charm that characterised New For U, the first drop on the Detroit deity's La Vida imprint, with the title track instantly entering the canon of house classics that change the shape of a party as soon as the needle hits the groove. The shimmying beats and cooing vocal snippets on "Skate This Way" work alongside captivating string samples. Flip over for some eloquent beatdown ("Second Time Around") and shuffling deep house exotica ("Hart Plaza").

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: With label darlings Tiger & Woods invested in a heavyweight tour schedule over the past few months, it's no surprise that all has been quiet on the Editainment front of late. Hooray then as Pop & Eye return to the fore on their second EP for Editainment, displaying all the verve for expertly chopped and heavily processed variants on music's past that we've come to expect from the label and its many (or should that be few) contributors. As ever, the true record diggers alone will recognise what's been pulled apart and put back together with floor devastating aplomb, whilst the rest of you can marvel in how effective the four tracks are - "Spinach Life" in particular is delightful.

Review: Waze & Odyssey are dealing in a lean kind of old-skool flavoured house music which has made its way onto Southern Fried and Wolf Music in 2012. Launching their own imprint to put out their cool and deadly deep house, "Love That (Burns Hot Enough)" kicks things off with a straight-up pumper full of DX7 bassline vibes and light and summery piano chords. It's a simple trick finished off with a snappy diva vocal hook. "Ma Body" is a marginally moodier affair, focusing more on the rhythm section and keeping excessive elements held back until a Casio keyboard line comes in, shredding everything down to pure bliss.

Review: It was certainly a big year for DJ Steaw, having released on Traxx Underground and Local Talk amongst others but "Rhubarbe" was probably his most infectious collection of house tunes. "Holing On" is one of those classic beat tracks that just takes you on a journey, with those bumping kick drums accompanied by the seductive female vocals and its smooth, Chicago-filtered bass lines. "Got To Be" is similarly addictive, bringing you Steaw's crunchy percussion and dreamy synths but "Dirty Karma" was our favourite here at Juno HQ - that muffled bass drum scorching its way through lo-fi melodies and chopped vocals is just too awesome.

Review: Rush Hour did us plenty of favours this year but by far our most cherished was the reissue of James Mason's timeless, proto-house excursions on the infamous "Nightgruv" EP. There's really not much to be said about these peerless productions, the original mix is a stunning voyage through glimmering synths backed by a chugging beat groove, but the unreleased longer edit is the one - voyaging through those gorgeous drums and piano keys like there's no tomorrow! "I Want Your Love" is another masterpiece - slo-mo hip-hop beats mixed in with those killer funk bass lines and the infamous vocals taking you to another dimension.

Review: The esteemed Les Edits Du Golem imprint resurfaces in style after an absence of several years with four refined oddities from the excellent I:Cube. Following swiftly from the veteran producer's stunning Lucifer En Discotheque 12" for Versatile, it's clear I:Cube has begun the New Year with panache. Proceedings open with the vaguely sinister slo-mo house of "HNT", all dramatic synth infractions and Cocker style hushed vocals over a strident rhythmic bump, which is complemented by the equally laidback sleaze that is "A Bicyclette". Those seeking more uptempo thrills will be satisfied with the infectious 90s Italian house stylings of "Piano In Paradise", which takes a pleasantly dark twist mid way through. "You Dance So Well" is reminiscent of the kind of oddball track you might find on those excellent A Few Things From Ivan Smagghe CDs and will delight those who prefer their music to be on the weird side.

Review: It was another huge year for Mr .Bashmore, the Bristol kid who surpassed all expectations and he also started his own label, Broadwalk Records on which to release his own material, the first of which was the massive Au Seve. The title track is a perfect fusion of London and Chicago, where hefty doses of sub-bass meet slicing hi-hats and 4/4 kicks, while "Troglodytes" is a peculiar beat workout, where steady drums go head to head with nostalgic flute implementations and a cheeky vocal sample hopping in and out. On the flipside, "First Odyssey" enters more unexpected territories and the regular kicks are now re-shuffled into a two-step inspired anthem - leaving enough space for delayed guitar chords and melancholic vocals to come in and break things down.

Review: Dillatroit is the eagerly awaited 12 track vinyl only release of unreleased Dilla material - arriving courtesy of Moodymann's Mahogani label and Dilla's family foundations some six years after the legendary producer's premature demise at the age of 32. Anyone reading this should be fully aware of Dilla's legacy on hiphop and beyond so there's no need to set the scene with any biographical background. Dillatroit features rappers, DJs, singers and musicians from the Motor City (Andres is rumoured to be involved somewhere) across the 12 hip hop orientated tracks. It runs the gamut of the Dilla style palette, with dusty head nodders (''Birthright'' and ''Ride With It'') next to sweetly soulful jams '('Let's Pray Together'' & ''Detroit Madness'') and jazzier instro cuts like "Mind Yo Business" propped up against rowdy posse cuts such as "Say My Name. " A worthy posthumous addition to the Dilla canon!

Review: After the warm reception of his Baseline 88-89 release, Huckaby continues to develop his own S Y N T H label with another EP of solid, dubby house music. "Sandcastle" is positively minimal in its construction, with a clean groove decorated only with occasional spurts of delayed atmospherics and a subby bassline, begging to be slid under something else in a similar restrained groove. "Flashbacks From The M1" is equally functional, although the moody chord that comes scrabbling through the core of the track lightens the mood somewhat. Either way, these are tracks designed to slowly bleed into their counterparts, albeit without the dryness that comes with brazenly marketed 'DJ tools'.

Review: Motor-City legend Norm Talley has had one hell of a comeback since his hiatus at the end of the 90s. Since 2009, he's reignited his peerless talent behind the production desk and London-based Landed Records have come through with what is probably his biggest EP yet. "Ion" kicks things off with style and panache, merging beautiful chords together with Talley's inimitable percussion style - dicing hi-hats all round! The title track, "Travlin" is a sublime jazzed-out piece for the small hours whilst "Analog Dreams" is just pure hardware delight - those gritty drums delivering some serious action alongside the meandering pads and subdued vocals. Get to know!

Review: It's rare that a Theo Parrish release arrives on a label based outside the US, but when that happens it always tends to be a bit special, see the Peacefrog released LP First Floor or that humongous Carl Craig remix of Falling Up on Third Ear for evidence. Running Back seems like a perfect European outlet for Theo to grace; indeed the Sound Signature boss has already contributed two stunning revisions for Gerd Janson's label and this oh so aptly titled Hand Made EP is pretty special. Firstly it features a special extended take on "Black Mist", a track that originally formed part of Parrish's highly prized Sketches triple vinyl set from 2010 which is listed with some ambitious prices on Discogs. Cut loud at gut punching 45rpm by Dubplates and Mastering, this prime slab of Theo fonk is worth the admission alone, but you get spoilt with two new cuts from Mr Parrish in "Pop Off" and "Wild Out" that are as wilded out as his recent "Any Other Styles" cut. Running Back quite superbly describe the latter track as "a Theo Parrish demo for Dance Mania after he came back from listening to Lil Louis at the Bismark Pavilion".

Review: Making all the right moves with previous form on Aus, Needwant and Tusk Wax, Ejeca is well tapped into the revivalist house zeitgeist with these hale and hearty jams for Waze & Odyssey. Solid Inner City chords and crisp, bright drums abound on side A, with "Night Rays" sure to inflict some damage with its fulsome square wave bassline. On the flipside, "Never Forget" ups the tempo for a cut that dresses like tech house but moves like 2-step. Waze & Odyssey themselves bring a smoother, deeper vibe to bear on their remix of "Riddim", pulling the melodic content right back to subtle flecks for a greater dramatic impact.

Review: Psychemagik love Fleetwood Mac. Their love is so enduring that the dusty fingered editors/DJs/revered record collectors have gone so far as to found Fleetmac Wood, a club night dedicated to the work of Fleetwood, Nicks, McVie and the various other manifestations, where anything goes so long as it's Fleetwood Mac related. Their remix of "Dreams" has been getting playtime at the night - and by other well regarded DJs - and finally makes an appearance on this limited 12". What's immediately noticeable about the Crystal Visions Remix of "Dreams" is how much they add to the track without messing with the original's essence - it's also a lot more inventive than Psychemagik's 2009 edit of "Everywhere" which shows how far they've come in three years. Flip over for a great extension of Juno's favourite Mac moment "Big Love" from AOR Disco's Red Ken.

Review: Such is the prolific nature of FXHE at the moment, which ever pressing plant Omar S uses must be pretty happy with their contract. Following swiftly from Omar S's ode to the Axel F sound comes the debut missive from Aaron "Fit" Siegel. Named so thanks to his work at the helm of Fit Distribution, Siegel is a key figure in ensuring the ongoing healthy output of Detroit's house and techno militia and "Tonite" proves to be an auspicious debut. Featuring the vocal talents of L'Renne, the track is one of those eminently soulful house tracks with a sparse approach to production, all the elements sounding so crisp and distinct in the mix but judged perfectly. Such a track and the tougher B Side Detroit Mix just demonstrate how on top of their game FXHE are right now - big tip!

Review: The newly established London Housing Trust label inaugurate proceedings with a various artists 12" featuring contributions from Cynic artist Jamie Blanco alongside the previously unheralded Alphonse, Fx Mchn and Facade. It's unclear who the latter are but inside info suggests it's three well known artists operating incognito, but don't let this wilful obscurism put you off as each track here is optimum analogue house at its finest. The Fx Mchn contribution "Jackie" is particularly beguiling, touching on jagged punk funk as much as late 80s house with echo laden vocals smudged deep beneath a delightfully rubbery bass line and buccaneering, malfunctioning drums for six minutes. A promising debut from the label!