Deep House Recommendations September 2015

Review: Chaos In The CBD have quietly been building an impressive reputation for some time, with releases on Hot Haus, Amadeus and Needwant all hitting the spot. Here they transfer to Bradley Zero's Rhythm Section International with what's arguably their most mature and musically expansive EP to date. There's a decidedly dusty, eyes-closed deep house feel throughout, with hypnotic grooves laden with all manner of neat, often jazz inspired touches. This is perhaps most obvious on the St Germain style jazz-house goodness of "Observe" - all skipping cymbals, bouncy grooves and killer pianos - but can also be found on the deeper "Observe". It's there, too, on the lilting brilliance of "Midnight In Peckham" - think yearning trumpets and twinkling piano motifs - and the blissful "Luxury Motivation".

Review: Following recent impressive outings on Above Machine and, surprisingly, Whiskey Disco, Mathieu Cle once again dons the Closed Paradise guise, this time for Kolour Ltd. Opener "Planets" sets the tone, delivering a warm and dreamy blend of fluttering chords, stretched-out build-ups and rolling grooves. Brame and Hamo deliver a sunnier, more obviously soulful take on the same track - complete with what sound like a few live instrumental flourishes - before Cle drops the locked-in, bass-heavy chug of "Tunnels". Finally, he joins forces with Journey Reverse on "Moelleuz", a loose, soulful and woozy jam that benefits greatly from an ultra-dreamy breakdown and some choice vocal samples.

Review: There was something rather fitting about Seven Davis Jr appearing on Classic last year. Here, the two thrillingly eccentric, low-slung, Prince-influenced boompty house cuts that made up that 12" get the remix treatment. Detroit Swindle handle the A-side, turning "Friends" into the kind of acid-laced, Derrick Carter-influenced, bumpin' house monster that would once have appeared on Classic offshoot Music For Freaks. On the flip, Dubliner Krystal Klear continues his journey into the world of clap-happy, peak-time house, with a version of "Beautiful" whose power is derived from a colossal sub-bass line, fizzing synthensizer flourishes and some kicking drum machine percussion.

Review: What a 12"! Given their stature, International Feel could probably pull in a DJ Harvey or a Theo Parrish to remix cuts from the Jose Padilla LP (maybe they will ooh!) but they've indulged their more esoteric urges here. Chicago house originator Ben Cenac comes through with a truly rare Dream 2 Science remix, turning "Lollipop" into a brisk, star gazing production rich in the musicality that characterised his (now) cult 1990 album. Complementing this are two fine remixes from Versatile's genius I:Cube with his marauding Balearic rave remix a real pearler of a production! International Feel include Padilla's OG version too!

Review: New York house master and one-half Master At Work, Louie Vega, is back on his own imprint with this new 12", a one track-four-mix showcase of his usual style and flair. "I Deserve To Breathe" features the powerful soul vocals of Daneva, and the tune is a classic MAW bomb that could easily be enjoyed from everyone. There's a heavier, more beat-heavy "bass mix", and two dubs, one with a new set of percussion and the other without any pads.... classic Vega!

Review: 2015 is fast turning into Henry Wu's year. Having already delivered killer 12s of baked deep house/instrumental hip-hop fusion for Ho-Tep and Odd Socks, he now pops up on Rhythm Section International with another brilliant EP. While as deep and blazed as previous excursions, there's a sun-bright freshness to the pleasingly varied selections on offer. Contrast, for example, the deep space, boogie-house slickness of "Yellow Brick", the bruk revivalism of "Neezy (Wok)" - think I.G Culture after a few too many bongs) - and the brilliant deep house/jazz-funk fusion of "Dubplate Special". Arguably best of all, though, is the Latin jazz-goes-deep house warmth of "Croydon Depot". Everyone will have a different personal favourite, though; it's that kind of EP.

Review: There's something wonderfully hazy and fluid about this debut album from German producer Hodini. Built around a combination of unapologetically blazed instrumental hip-hop, Moodymann influences, and the sort tumbling, swinging, sample heavy deep house promoted by Andres, Seven Davis Jr and others, M$03 sound tailor made for humid, lazy summer afternoons. There are collaborations with Glenn Astro and Max Graef, amongst others, and an overriding sense that Hodini is a producer on the rise. Grab a beer, slouch against the nearest tree, light up a jazz cigarette and get lost in the groove.

Review: Prior to joining up with Lobster Theremin for this volume of their white label series, Qnete's output had largely consisted of powerful but spacey tracks in an intelligent techno-meets-classic Detroit vibe. While hints of that style are still present on his first Lobster Theremin outing, there's a much more "classic deep house" feel throughout. Opener "A Luv Jam" comes across as the sort of expansive, star-gazing, Larry Heard inspired jam that moves the head just as much as the feet, while "I Might Be Wrong" doffs a cap in the direction of the Motor City whilst retaining an early '90s feel. As for flipside "Dresden", it offers a magical fusion of fizzing, Chicago-inspired drum machine rhythms and spacey, almost endless deep space chords.

Review: Yanneck "Quarion" Salvo has been relatively quiet of late, with his last 12" dropping midway through 2014. This, then, is a welcome return. The four cuts gently pull in subtly different directions, with the blissfully spacey synth melodies and long builds of "Lost Coordinates" being followed by the bass-heavy, deep house basement funk of "A Thousand Questions". Flip for the relentless organ stabs, shaker-heavy grooves, twisted synth lines and bumpin' bassline of "Burnin", and the fantastically broken P-funk workout that is "You Were The Only". If you enjoyed 2000 Black's "Make It Hard" on Rush Hour, you'll love "You Were The Only".

Review: Former minimal techno upstart gone deep house aficionado Ekkohaus delivers some smooth afterhours jams with Parisian legend Chriss Carrier on this fine EP. Ekkohaus up first with "Unlikely Yours" rolling along nicely with the right amount of dance floor sleaze wheres "Right Through The Booth" offers up shuffling, swing fuelled groove leading up to some finely executed 303 acid. On the flip, Chris Carrier gives us the risque "69 Questions" getting on more of a peak time, teach house tip than the other side. "Messy Room" matches Ekkohaus' 303 workout excellently, although more restrained beneath its warm strings and persisting cowbells.

Review: Few are better at saucer-eyed, rave revivalism than Victor Shan. He's made a habit of successfully doffing a cap to the early '90s, primarily via collaborations with Tuff City Kids and the booming Chord Memories 12" on Running Back. Here he's at it again, kicking off with a "Piano Mix" of "Work It" that sounds like a long lost collaboration between Inner City and Tyree Cooper. There's a more flustered, UK hardcore feel about "Bassline Party", even if it does contain a classic Chicago house bassline and a swinging, boompty style groove. Flip for a ghetto style "Miami Mix" of work it, plus a couple of handy DJ tools (the hip-house-goes-rave groove of the "Rave Beats" version being particularly potent).

Review: After the release of his debut Romare LP through Ninja Tune earlier this year, Archie Fairhurst returns to the UK institution with two alternate versions of one of the highlights on this club-ready 12". Fairhurst produced "Rainbow" in homage to the American 70's disco scene and the new club mix of grooves along nicely with its smooth double bass and female jazz vocals; with just the right amount of shuffle. By contrast, the bedroom remix finds Romare channelling his inner Ry Cooder. Finally "Love Song" gets upbeat again with some uplifting deepness complete with more lovely vocals, exotic percussion and overall dusty aesthetic.

Review: England's Roots For Bloom imprint has been pushing straight-up deep house since 2012, and they've been known to pull new artists out of the hat on a regular basis. This time, Mara Lakour gets her debut and she delivers four exquisite cuts, starting with the swingin-jack that is "Clark St", followed swiftly by the jazzy tones of "Casablanca". Flip the wax over and you got the pumping Chicago flavor of "A Tribute To GU" - that's Glenn Underground in case you didn't notice - and the moodier, more ethereal vibes of "Livin' Proof". A class act.

Review: Dean Meredith and Eric Duncan's production partnership under the name The Rhythm Odyssey & Dr Dunks has proved consistently fruitful since the transatlantic pair were first brought together by Endless Flight back in 2012. Big Fish is their seventh 12" together and their sixth in total for Phil South's Golf Channel label and sees the pair sharing space with some high profile remixers. The original version of "Big Fish" is a booming disco cut dominated by a rather flirtatious clavinet lead and a deep, deep bassline. Sandwiched either side are remixes from Detroit's Marcellus Pittman and the (not so) mystery Golf Channel act Central Executives; the former turns in a trademark deep house refix rife with musicality and skipping drums whilst the latter turn in a killer stripped back revision. Bless you Golf Channel.

Review: Newcomer Hugo Gerani, an Australian house aficionado, debuts both his productions and new label Good Company, what we like to see y'all! The title track "About Face" is a deep house stunner that drills its way across crunchy 707 swings and rickety cowbells; "Baited Drum Lines (deep sea dub)" is wonky, deranged and falling over its own beat to make an exquisite stumble of watery melodies and gentle waves of euphoria; "Freeze Action (Desire)" is a lo-fi house nugget with beautiful swarms of echo and reverb. All in all, a fine debut, indeed!

Review: Joseph Caserta, or simply known as Caserta, is an Italian house producer whose funky touch has stood out as of late. After a series of disconnected EP's over the last three years, Caserta is back and this time he's on Shadeleaf, a young imprint dealing in soulful house and moody dubs. "Ricky" receives four mixes: there's the "deep mix", a chord-driven, vocal-led charger; the "jeep mix" is slow, funky and boogied-out; Kon remixes the track into an uplifting floor-filler; Thatmanmonkz reappears on the label with the final remix, a straight-ahead tool-jacker with the original's sultry vocals.

Review: After a couple of fine collaborative turns with SUED's SVN on Kontra-Musik, Henrik Jonsson's renewed vigour for productions under the Porn Sword Tobacco name brings him to another respected Swedish outpost in Aniara. Magnifik Botanik is the Gothenburg's first double pack and Jonsson has used this space to conjure up five tracks that perfectly flesh out the exotic, slightly tropical flavour that infects his work. There are moments reminiscent of that excellent Shinichi Atobe LP here, whilst the aforementioned SVN appears on "Vildvuxen Galax", one of the highlights of the five tracks along with "Kristallisering" and its life affirming piano loops.

Review: Russian label Udacha are purveyors of dreamy and mysterious deep house. This new one by Gamayun is further testament to their current modus operandi. On the first side we have "Roundelay" with its warped and ethereal tropical vibe, assisting you in drifting away from it all just nicely. Next the soothing piano line of "All Tomorrows" backed by a wacky bassline and restrained rhythm section is equally as mesmerising. On the flip we have "Outlands" with its swirling, all consuming pads backed by sultry Latin style rhythms and that killer synth solo. Lastly there's "Oracle" with its sweet, late nineties deep house vibes that fans of Agnes and Quarion would be right into.

Review: The bond between Sascha Dive and fellow German operation Ornaments Music dates back to 2008 when the Deep Vibes boss put out the Deepest America 12". His love for the original US deep house sound remains unabated on this new 12" for Ornaments, Tribute, with the title track notable for some deft sampling of cult Detroit DJ The Electrifying Mojo. Around his legendary tones, Dive crafts a bone shaking house groove with chords positively dripping with emotion. Bust out the B side and Underground Quality's Jus Ed lays down a killer phased out Deep Sleep remix of the track whilst Dive adds his own filter heavy Disco version. A fine 12".