Deep House Recommendations Best Of 2013

Review: REPRESS ALERT! My Love Is Underground return with only their second release of 2013, with MLIU15 introducing the sounds of Dungeon Meat. The new collaborative endeavor between MLIU regular Brawther and Tristan Da Cunha of Back To Basics fame, Dungeon Meat live up to the brash nature of "The Fuck Off Track" with heavy hitting percussion driven house at it's finest. Look out for a label of the same name from Dungeon Meat later this year. Face down Ukrainian producer SE62 returns for MLIU duty for a third time with the hook heavy deep house burn of "True Force".

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: Hot on the heels of Ornate Music's last release featuring the bumping house business of Digs, the imprint set their sights on Welsh producer Leif, who has been turning heads with his masterful deep house for labels like Fear Of Flying and Fina since 2003. Kicking off with "Circumstance 4", whose smooth organ refrain drifts over a lightly rolling groove, the vibe switches up with "Every Cloud", whose gentle jazz-inspired piano and abstract, dubbed out soundscape is strongly reminiscent of Floating Points more freeform productions. However, it's "Each Day Made New" that provides the EP's most surprising moment, an Andres style hip-hop track with a cut-up, sunshine drenched quality calling Recloose to mind.

Review: Semi mysterious crew Italojohnson return for a seventh round of limited vinyl only action and it's hard not to get immediately caught up in the tough Kenny Dope style DJ tool of the A Side hugger. There's just something about the drums that come kicking in that grabs your attention amidst the current deluge of cookie cutter deepness, and the eventual drop into the bassline is sublime. Switch down to 33 on the flip and the first of two more untitled cuts is equally unabashed in its intentions as a DJ tool, pairing crisp hi hats with thick bass drums and fidgeting stabs whilst the second cut begins in a swampier place and highlights Italojohnson's capacity to tease out a vocal sample.

Review: Making a welcome return to the Prescription spin-off Balance, Brawther is in fine fettle with his expressive, bumping deep house concoctions. "GSMs Life" kicks off in earnest with a pronounced swing and stabbing chords in a vintage New Jersey style, while "Spaceman Funk" takes a lighter approach with wistful arpeggios and swirling pads over a more submerged beat. "Le Voyage" gets trackier with its dubby wash and forthright rhythm section ploughing straight into the heart of the mix, leaving it to "Not Another Shouts" to slow things right down with the hazy early morning light of mellow Rhodes and whistling kettle signalling the end of the party.

Review: Wind your memory reels back to September 2012 and Northern Irish pair Bicep unleashed Vision Of Love on their own newly established Feel My Bicep label. Since then Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar's project has arguably become a brand, they've released music on Will Saul's Aus label, played more festivals than Arnie's pumped pounds of iron at the gym and inspired a whole new generation of production talent. Just over a year since that FMB debut, Ferguson and McBriar return with a second 12" which is all set to match the records set by Vision Of Love. Lead track "Satisfy" discards with the 90s house aesthetic in favour of a breakbeat lead groove that's a bit 80s freestyle and a bit Baltimore club, whilst "Snackbar" demonstrates Bicep are increasingly willing to take a tougher approach - as anyone whose seen their recent techno heavy sets will attest. Head to "The Final Trip" for a taste of that classic pairing of jackin' 909 and Juno 60 in full flight.

Review: Make Love In Public Spaces is a new but not so mysterious offshoot of a label which will be familiar to anyone who has been to a certain erotically charged discotheque with a big heart in East London over the last 4 years. They launch with a three track release from Adesse Versions that recasts underground 90s classics of some vintage in his own inimitable style - the lead track is destined to get club play for months to come thanks to it's deft vocal hook. Adesse Versions is the anonymous alias of a techno producer with previous work for Ostgut Ton and Curle, showing his house side and who you will no doubt recognise from his most recent work for Trus'me's Prime Numbers label as Adesse.

Review: Victor Simonelli's Groove Committee alias inspired much of the upbeat vocal house we hear today thanks to seminal releases on Nu Groove Records in the early '90s. Simonelli's "I Want You To Know", from the eponymous EP released in '91, enjoys a rerelease and remix overhaul on the upstart Deep Down Slam label. Inner Sense's Knows The Truth mix boosts the overall presence of Simonelli's original, by reinforcing the drums, hats and chords with deft touches of neoteric sound design, while Deep Down Slam label-head Washerman opts for cut up and interspersed vocals and loopy instrumentation in his mix. French house ball of fire Kool Vibe, turns up the heat - and punch - in his chord riffing remix, paying homage to a originator that's no doubt influenced his own productions.

Review: Sheffield has long been a hub for electronic music in the UK, spawning acts like 'The Human League' & 'Heaven 17' and labels such as the mighty 'Warp Records'. It is no surprise that a new generation of electronic music producers are now bubbling to the surface of the UK scene. At the forefront of the Steel City's musical rejuvenation is Oliver Ledger, who is more commonly known as 'Squarehead'.

Ledger's 4 track EP on Manucci's Mistress entitled 'Harlem Ache' sits at the cross roads of Bass, House and UK Garage. The title track is an 808 bass laden monster, constantly rolling and growing.

Up next is 'Fell For It', chopped and filtered vocals ride the waves of a chugging bass line, whilst glassy keys punctuate the beat.

'Murdercedes' kicks off the b-side in style. Probably the most 'Housey' track on the EP.

The last track on the EP, 'Curve Appeal' is dark a foreboding number. Delayed keys and minor bass notes finish the EP off with menace.

Review: Kool Vibes Groovin EP oozes classic French house vibes form the get-go thanks to the opener "No More Wastin". Stocato rhode stabs are met with quick-jangled percussion, cut vocals (like the French only know how) and thumping beats. "Underground" settles down a little, maintaining a sultry groove with a chord driven hustle, while "Groovin'" is upbeat French house at its best. "Feel It" features more juicy and looped up sample action with call-and-response vocals thrown in for added effect. A must have for the French house connoisseur.

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: The title says it all with this gathering of gems for Serious Grooves, showing off the Midas touch Chez Damier has brought to house productions with a host of heroes. First up is "A Dedication To Joss", one of the finest moments Ralph Lawson has ever been involved in with its instantly recognisable vocal snaps and crafty construction. Then two mixes of "Forever" with Stacey Pullen draw on the evergreen "Forever Monna" riff and work it amongst some chunkier basslines and drums to bring different slants to a legendary house riff. Last up is "The Bah Bah Song" with Santonio Echols, perhaps less well known than the other tracks but with its own instantaneous impact through a hyped up mixture of synths and samples making for dancefloor gold.

Review: Despite having already released a 16 track album this year, Detroit's finest, Omar S, proves that there is quite simply nothing stopping him as he issues the four track Nelson County. "Don't Let Dis Be HapNin! Comes on like the classic "Psychotic Photosynthesis" at witnessed through a haze of smoked glass, while "U Heard What Da Man Said Muthafukka!!" is something much more driving, like taking a spin on Detroit's streets after dark in a souped up Dodge Charger, before "Nelson County" sees the tough house-focused denouement take place in a dingy backstreet club. As always with Omar S, this stuff doesn't mess about....

Review: Ahead of a long delayed and keenly awaited new long player for the Firecracker label, Vakula returns to the Banduru imprint that he inaugurated in anonymous fashion for more of his well measured descents into East European house mysticism. Much like everything the Ukrainian touches, the devil is in the details and this four track 12" is notable for the prominent lo-fi fuzz that coats the execution. This murky approach is apparent from the start of lead track "D The Man" with the familiar warm textures blurred by the thick fuzz that occupies the edges of the production which ends on a wonderful piano solo. Complementing this, "Evening Breeze" pairs rasping deep house in the mould of vintage Mahogani with this gauzy approach, whilst "Fifth Experiment" probably gave the mastering engineer heart palpitations.

Review: Two prime slabs of Boo Williams house fonk get a timely re-issue here by Ricardo Miranda's Noble Square label. Originally released in 1999, both "Crying Black Man" and "Changes" featured on the rare as hens teeth Fruits Of The Spirit EP and still sound as timeless nearly fifteen years on. Lead cut is one of those iconic Boo groovers, pairing a skipping Chi-town beat with some powerful spoken word samples. Complementing this, "Changes" is built from the same deep, eminently soulful and melody filled place as the Strictly Jaz Unit project Williams was involved in.

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: The production renaissance of Rhythm Plate continues apace with the third release on their Pressed For Time label which revisits one of the Peak District duo's earliest releases. Originally issued on the crucial UK house imprint DIY Discs back in the halcyon days of the late nineties, the Masters At Wirksworth EP helped establish the Rhythm Plate sound. Clever programming and a deep stomping vibe permeated all four tracks and this is still the case some fourteen years on. As the cunningly re-titled EP suggests, the two original tracks have been newly remastered and are accompanied by two brand spanking new mixes by Matt Rhythm and Ant Plate...so there's now no reason to pay L106 on discogs for the original EP!

Review: The Untitled EP for Homepark continues the London-based duo's steady run of one EP per year since 2010. It's the first time Homepark have appeared on Courtesy Of Balance Recordings, sub-label to Chez Damier's Balance imprint. First up is the deep, skipping and resonator fuelled "Ratios", matched in fathoms by "Standing", a dubby and rhode-driven joyride. "Fly Away" sees Mr. Fingers' bassline inspirations take full effect next to lounge time piano playing, while "M&J's Dub" again traverses from deep house territory into a sphere of dubbier Sven Weisemann sounds.

Review: The 7th Sccucci Manucci EP kicks off in moustache curling style with a Scandinavian slice of four/four action from Tarjei Nygard. On loan from his own Untz Untz Records, Tarjei Nygard weaves his way way through beautifully recorded synth bleeps and bass lines on "TOGO," culminating in a piano breakdown which will have any party reaching for the lasers. The Scandinavian vibe continues as Dane Brian Logstrup comes correct with the classic slab of deep house sound that is "I Can Do" whilst we return to the UK and the sounds of London producer Mella Dee whose UK Garage and Bass influences shine through on the peak time monster "Love Is". Last seen debuting on Buzzin' Fly, Alex Blaxx rounds off proceedings with the wonderfully insouciant house of "It's A Race Thing".

Review: The Deep Down Slam label has Alex Agore supply some Rhodesy house for their third release. Swooning organs and various clatters of hats and percussion rattle "Show U Love" while stretched out synths lay spread over a syncopated bassline and cut vocals in "Get Dub". "No Name 3" sees more luscious Rhodes and chimey organs play out a dancey house melody, while "We Can't Talk" adds more chordal riffage to an EP which screams house music.

Review: Continuing their quest to keep the 90s flavoured house vibe alive, Music Is Love bring new producer Maxwell up to the stage with some snazzy styles primed to get the dancefloor burning. "Feel Yourself" is perhaps the lightest of the cuts on offer, riding a simple piano riff over a steady shuffling beat, but it's on "Talk About" that the fire really gets roaring with the right combination of chords and bassline, while the vocal lick would make Todd Edwards get down. Gerd in his NY Stomp guise brings a weighty vibe full of killer descending synth lines on his version of "Spun", while the original follows with a smoother kind of deep house shaped by some quirky key arranging and another of those highly sustainable grooves.

Review: Vester Koza is a fresh talent based in London, but his smooth, hypnotic brand of house sounds like it's come straight out of Berlin. "Mosquito" is a dubby basement jam whose nuanced production packs imperceptibly subtle percussive click into its warm chord arrangement, while "Transit" comes across as a slightly more motorik jam, with the kind of cavernous snares and tense chords Kassem Mosse would deploy in one of his darker Workshop releases, accented with lighter melodic chimes. Turn over for "the Pagan Groove of San Francisco", whose lively, funky groove is underpinned with a heaviness that puts it almost into dub techno territory, counterbalanced by "The Way (Of The Dub)", a masterful exercise in warm, unfolding deep house. On the strength of this release, Koza is one to keep an eye on.

Review: West Midlands pair Ultra Knites touch down with the debut release on their own eponymously titled label. "Got To Release" has already been described as a future classic with its distinctive warm pads, vintage bassline and vocal hook while "NY Sleaz'd" is the choice track for peak time dancefloor destruction. The B side takes things deeper underground providing variety with two more chord driven cuts, flanged synth stabs and harmonised basslines. All delivered on heavyweight 180g vinyl.

Review: Danish label Vibes LTD continue their manifesto to showcase the finest in contemporary slants on the classic French house sound - namely a constant groove and vibe gleaned from the chords, melodies and crunching 909 drum patterns - with a third limited vinyl only release. As with the previous two, artist names and track titles are of no concern here, leaving you to focus on the music which begins in hazy, soft hued fashion with the first track (replete with "deeper" vocal samples in case you didn't know) before heading in a more rugged direction -it's a toss up between "Track 2" and the glowering, jazzy "Track 3" for best track here.

Review: Leif consolidates years of EP releases for Ornate, Boe, Morris Audio, Fina with a considered debut album Dinas Oleu for the Fear Of Flying label. It makes sense for the Freerotation resident to choose FOF given the strong association he's built up with the label since it first emerged some seven years ago. From the hazy ambience of the opening vignette "Through Noise Pt 1" Leif works his way through a succession of house and techno moods all rich in the sort of detail and melodic warmth that will be familiar to anyone that's indulged in his 12" output. Keep an ear out for the title cut too which features the harp playing talents of poppa Knowles.