JOHN HOWARD Vinyl & CDs

Review: Anyone who has taken a deep dive into the East Coast house scene of the 90s will know the name John Howard. He was one of the real Gs of the era with a sound full of groove, soul, jazzy rhythms and fresh breaks. Repeat now starts a new series of releases that focus on that time and pull together some of his best beats. These have gone on to be big inspirations for generations of DJs to come all over the world and they still bang some 25 odd years down the line. 'Sciabolic' is a loose limbed and raw workout while 'Diapella' is more experimental and dark.

Review: The 90s East Coast house scene owes a real debt to John Howard. He was a pioneer of the era who led the way with his mix of groove, soul, jazzy rhythms and fresh breaks. His best work has become the subject of a new series of reissues from Repeat who kicked off with his Scianloic 12" and now drop this hand-stamped double 12". Shessions is packed to the brim with innovative early house grooves that are up there with your favourite artists from Chicago and Detroit - or at least should be. Our pick is the shimmering late night glow of deep house delight 'Can't Need Sunlight'.

Review: It's hard not to be a fan of Jay Tripwire if you like tech house. The man turns out a consistently excellent line in spaced out sounds that are masterful reduced to only their most core components. Here he steps up to work with John Howard on a pair of superb new tracks for Repeat. The opener, 'Shiva Needs Some Lovin,' is a mix of stiff drum work and coarse snares with more loose and fluid synths. The duality makes for an enticing groove that takes you off amongst the stars. 'Boom Boom' then gets more down the business with hefty, raw drums landing heavy under reverberating leads as drunken bass falls about the mix.