PHILIPPA Vinyl & CDs

Review: New Zealander via Berlin Philippa's passion for house music, tireless commitment to her craft and ear for what makes a dancefloor tick is slowly but surely starting to pay off. With her recent release, 'Rainy Nights', on Slothboogie and 'Things I'd Like To Be' for Razor n Tape getting a lot of love, Philippa continues to deliver the goods, further lending remixes for Fat Freddy's Drop (The Drop) and Roach Motel (Faith). Here on the 'Latent Magic' EP we're treated to three new tracks highlighting Philippa's deft touch and musical approach to making interesting and leftfield house. Opener 'Hold' sets the tone with lush orchestral strings, crunchy drums and a bouncing analog synth bassline, while 'There It Is' umums hints of Mr Scruff with looping horn stabs, live drum grooves and rolling basslines. All in all, another mighty fine Philippa release recalling the early days of Freerange when artists such as Square One, Shur-i-kan and Jimpster were melding live musicians with electronics, for a refreshing, UK-centric take on house music.

Review: 'Rainy Nights' is the debut release from Philippa, a talented producer and DJ from New Zealand. The EP is a homage to the 90s deep house sound, with four tracks that blend soulful samples, warm chords and groovy drums, and captures the mood of a rainy night with melancholic melodies and uplifting rhythms. Whether it's the jazzy vibes of the title track, the funky bass of 'Sneaking Out', to the piano-driven 'Come Rain Or Shine' or the vocal-led 'Nothing To Lose' - this is a promising debut by the rising Kiwi.