Deep House Recommendations October 2014

Review: Melbourne producer Andras Fox seems to be mellowing with age. While there's always been a breezy Balearic bent to much of his material, it used to come wrapped in the standard trappings of dancefloor-friendly deep house. This extended EP/mini-album for Mexican Summer sees him in full-on Balearic mode, layering delay-laden guitars, new age melodies and dreamy chords over a variety of shuffling, soft focus rhythms. It's an enjoyably fresh and melodious set, all told, with audible nods to the likes of Ron Trent and Larry Heard, as well as the new age ambient house sound of Cloudface, Confused House and DK. Highlights are naturally plentiful, from the chiming beauty of "So Glad", to the Vangelis-ish pulse of "Mystic Beach".

Review: Making a welcome return to the fray with another rare outing for Uzuri, Jitterbug is in top-drawer house mode across the board on this six track groove fest. "Sweet Tooth" works a funky bass lick and little touches of guitar around a rough beat to devastating effect, while "Jus Drums" offers up a rasping rhythm set for all creatively minded spinners to get in a lather about. "Surge" has a more urgent funky techno spirit about it, tapping into the swung style of Stephen Brown with ample interwoven melodic threads. "Ache 4U" takes a slower, smoother approach with a beautiful reflective house excursion, before "Koko" ramps up the energy with a lively disco infusion, leaving it to "Trak 6" to level proceedings with a nasty drum heavy bumper.

Review: Long term advocates of JD Twitch's selecting skills will be very happy to see the appearance of this 10" featuring the Optimo man's edit of Amadou & Mariam. Originally made back in 2008, this edit has been a staple of JD Twitch sets and was intended to be released as part of the third volume of the superb charity focused Autonomous Africa series that was issued earlier this year. Licensing issues put the kibosh on those plans, but with the edit having belatedly been granted permission Twitch elected to issue it as one off 10" instead of waiting for volume 4 in 2015. As with the best edits, Twitch's amendments to the original version of "Ce N'est Pas Bon" are subtle and understated, adding little rhythmic elements that make it easier to slip into a DJ set and hypnotise minds. All proceeds will once again go to the Mtandika mission in Tanzania.

Review: The return of legendary US deep house producer Brian Harden earlier this year after a 12 year-absence was something of pleasant surprise. Having recently impressed with a strong EP on French imprint D3 Elements, the Chicago producer seems keen to continue his impressive revival. This three-tracker for Sistrum contains plenty of reasons to be cheerful, from the stargazing, Detroit-tinged electronic deep house rush of "The Park", to the loose bump, deep chords and undulating melodies of "Tour De Chi", arguably the EP's strongest moment. "2.00", which sees him move further towards Detroit techno territory while retaining the trademark bassline bump of Chicago, is also very strong.

Review: Chesus seems to be in a happy place right now. Certainly, there's a confident and outgoing feel about his second outing for 4Lux under the Earl Jeffers alias. All four tracks feel like the product of enjoyable studio sessions, and almost bristle with celebratory release. "Jump", which recalls the disco-inspired bump of early '90s New York house whilst adding sturdier bottom end, leads the way. Following close behind is "Elevation", a carnival-friendly fusion of pounding percussion, snaking synths and booming bass. "Intergalactic Jam" is a warm and rich exercise in stargazing deep house, while the curious "Bootsy's Nightmare" is hard to pin down. Listen carefully, and you can hear influences from UK funky, UKG, kuduro and ultra-deep house.

Review: Following releases for Austere Recordings and Contrast-Wax, Birmingham producer Laak arrives on Altered Moods with the four-track Our Ways EP. Those aquainted with the Laak style already will find lots to be excited about here, with four tracks that delve into the more hypnotic end of classic deep house.

Review: Changing Habits, Breaking Rhythms marks a welcome return to action from Sergio typically deep, woozy, hazy and jazz-flecked, with an emphasis on breaking up the beats and delivering cuts built around early-2000s style bruk and nu-jazz grooves. It's actually rather refreshing, and there's little to criticize. Certainly, the loose and rolling "Just a Little Beat" - think jazz breaks, twinkling pianos and smoky atmospherics - and deep bruk opener "Empty Your Mind" are superb. The more electronic, tech-jazz-meets-deep-house-meets-bruk flex of "Mostros at Work" is refreshingly languid and fluid, too.

Review: We are proud to present 2 Bit Crew, these guys are supported everywhere, and by everyone! Simple, heavy and raw house music! Strictly limited vinyl only release. Pressed in clear vinyl, 300 copies worldwide.

Review: We are excited to bring to you a new friend to the Finale Sessions family and he is part of the rising cast of producers from the New York underground . This record is just letting you know that it is still the hub for top notch talent in the United States. Jordan is a special producer bringing a vibe like no other with his mix of house and techno attributes .1) Night Mask is a nasty raw down to the ground dance track with sub like kicks and percussions and its flawless arching synth give this track its basis to move like no other.2) Division Point - This track is the basis for the ep and we understand we Jordan is going with this one for sure . Division Point is part deep and raw and it gives the ep its depth that it needs to transpire on different dance floors everywhere with its floating pads and it deep drums . Flawless work I must say.3) Return is the track I dig the most on this Jordan release! It has that peek time feel to it with its techno undertones and its great drum programming which really sets this track apart from all other and we can't forget the super sub underneath all the other attributes

Review: It has been two year's since 124 Recordings first released Joey Kay's 'Toy Piano' and we wanted to produce something special to celebrate our second birthday.So here is 124R 008-eight tracks over two 12" and a limited single sided remix on 7" that represent the many different shades of house music the label has pushed since its beginning's.From the deeper spectrum of Mome,Tom Noir and Desos to the heavier bass leanings of Metta,Leigh D Oliver and Peter Lawrence,there is also the inclusion of a hammer Jay Shaw remix of the lead track that will be available in limited numbers with the doublepack,Many thanks to everyone who has supported the label,we hope you enjoy this release.

Review: Wilson records is back with a branding 'spanking' new, special printed-screen edition celebrating label head, Fabio Monesi's first solo EP. The succession of the label and Fabio's sound has been ever so apparent. A manifestation into something much more darker and refined, something represented crystal clear in the riveting rhythms of the A side with 'Gotta Blaser' & 'Djago'. On the flip, the B side is a declaration of love, if you will, to the mother of it all; Chicago's house music.

Review: There's every chance that Paper, Scissors, Rock could be Stefano Esponito's most successful release to date. It certainly feels like a big record; opener "Carry On" - all bouncy synth bass, cut-up vocal stabs, gorgeous classic house strings and bold pianos - sounds like a long-lost Italian house classic. JC Williams delivers a fluid reimagining that blends deep house with "Knights of the Jaguar" style Detroit electronics. There's also some organ-laden late night dancefloor pump in the shape of "Nothing Else" - pure early '90s revivalism - and a deliciously thumping, glassy-eyed dub of the same track by Cera Alba. Basically, it's an excellent EP of energetic, slightly sleazy late night house. Only 100 copies have been pressed, so don't sleep.

Review: With the second release on his Unison Wax imprint Diego Krause is once again demonstrating how to make a heads down tracky cut worthy of attention. By placing the emphasis on crafting an impeccable trio of heavy weight house beats rich in bump and swagger, little else is needed to give these tracks appeal. In the case of "Mogul" there are occasional splashes of dubby effects and submerged organ sounds in amongst the insistent shuffle, while "Vertical" allows in a little more melody amongst the stout rhythms. "Citizen" too has little helpings of decoration around the bongo-infected groove, but it's not essential as the drums do all the talking.

Review: Next release on vinyl only label Hands Off, is Four Walls . We just love his deep sounds, and we can't wait to present this fantastic ep for all of you! Four Walls did successful releases on Traxx Underground and Kolour LTD to name a few. The release he did with Funky Jaws on Kolour LTD went to the top on the vinyl sales chart, and was supported by everyone. This is serious deep underground House music! As always, limited press worldwide.

Review: The Black Key team step up once again, this time with the third in their limited, vinyl-only series, with Freerotation resident and established producer, Tom Ellis, delivering 4 sublime tracks of subtle and hypnotic house music, in the form of the simply titled "Limited Volume 3".

Now undoubtedly an established and respected label, Brighton (UK) based Black Key Records are approaching their third year in the business, having released records from the likes of BLM, Iron Curtis, Pawas, Flori and Ugly Drums, all of which have gained attention for all the right reasons.

Here, Tom Ellis delivers an excellent and intelligent EP, with all 4 tracks displaying the talent this man posses for creating a unique and instantly likeable take on deep house music... the right kind. There is no question that this limited release will appeal to the real heads among us - quality stuff. This EP is yet another statement from the Black Key camp, proving their worth in true style. Limited hand-stamped.

Review: The Dream Diary imprint commences proceedings with the subtle and shimmering tones of Afriqua, who has recently submitted work for 2nd Drop as well as Lokee Musik last year. "Sexism" opens the EP beautifully with plush Rhodes tones unfurling over swirling pads and minimal 4/4 rhythms, before the tone becomes much more mechanical on "Pastage" with its punchy low end synth and prominent groove. "Slap" heads off in its own direction on the flip, taking on dubby house tropes and working a cheeky spoken-word hook over the top of it. "Segment" meanwhile ditches the percussion and instead delves into dramatic piano chords and experimental textures for a poignant finishing piece.

Review: Liverpool-based producer Bantam Lions has long been part of the Scenery Records family, helping label boss ASOK launch the imprint with 2012's One To One EP. Here he returns with his third 12" for the label. Lead cut "Recollections" is particularly good, delivering a deep and attractive fusion of fuzzy analogue warm, dreamy melodies and intoxicating chords. He ups the tempo further on "Many Years Later". Which layers dubbed-out chords and swirling textures over an energy-packed techno groove. The accompanying remixes are pretty tasty, too, with The Cyclist particularly impressing with his Detroit techno-goes-lo-fi interpretation of "Recollections". That said, the dreamy, new age-influenced downtempo take from Mood Hut regular Cloudface is pretty darn good, too.

Review: Here, one-time Local Talk and Qualmoto Records regular DJ Steaw dons his Steaward alias for a second selection of acid-flecked deep house and Detroit techno jams. This time, he's joined by a couple of other producers, who contribute impressive cuts to the A-side. There's a fluid feel to the twittering synths and late night atmospherics of Ortella's "Dope Noise", which belies the track's pumping techno rhythms. Ka-One 7 St-Sene's "Aceed Two" is similarly enjoyable, with rough 303 lines riding pounding drums and hazy chords. Steaw takes a more straightforward deep house route on his two contributions, with the sweaty and decidedly fuzzy "Track 2" outgunning the more cultured "Track 1" in the "best track" stakes.

Review: Rough House Rosie dedicates the sixth release to its Japanese listeners with a four track compilation from four different Japanese producers. Legendary Takayuki Shiraishi (aka Planetoid) releases a track 'Nightfall' which was first out in 2002 on a CD 'Slow Shoutin''. He is teamed up with Mitsuaki Komamura renowned for his unique sound on record label Weedis. Miruga (Ethereal Sound / Badance) delivers a strong deep track on B1, while Mahal has his debut with a catchy bass driven tune as a final track of the EP.

Review: Continuing a strong run of exploration following his album for Fear Of Flying last year, Leif is once again revealing new shades to his sound on this latest missive for Sudden Drop. The rhythm section and dubby hits of "Solstice" would fit snugly alongside the output on Leif's Until My Heart Stops imprint, while the chords come straight from the ethereal channel he has always tapped up on his productions. "With Your Sincere Heart" takes a more floaty direction into drifting pads and gossamer-light beats, which is an approach continued on "Once There Was Nothing" albeit with a fuller sound spectrum of dreamy tones. "Sintra" finishes the EP off with a delicate and twirling line in chimes and notes offset by a ranging bassline and a subtle but forthright drum set.

Review: It's been a successful year to date for Brian D'Souza, whose work under the Auntie Flo moniker - for Permanent Vacation, Huntleys & Palmers and Autonomous Africa, amongst others - just gets better and better. Here he delivers his second EP for the excellent Highlife Edits series. It's a little different to previous installments, with flipside "Miajica" turning an obscure, Hammond-laden deep soul cut into a chunk of rolling deep house dynamite. "Sun Ritual II" is a little more in keeping with the series' African roots, but again D'Souza rolls out the house rhythms. Here, they're supplemented by shuffling African percussion and looped, rising chords. The effect is decidedly Balearic, and - of course - very, very good.

Review: After first serving notice of their potential with a 2013 CDr of lopsided house indebted to the saucier strains of funk and disco, Zanzibar Chanel duo Baba-X and Imhotep Agbodzi made quite a stir with Funky Junk, their 12" debut on Ruff Records earlier this year. Arising on the Home Loan Records label that proved to be a winning platform for Andras Fox should see Zanzibar Chanel's star rise further more, with their humour very much still in evidence on Drunk At The Jazz Club. There's a classicist disco strut to the title cut that will act as an immediate hook for many inquisitive ears, whilst there's something positively Mood Hut about "One Question". Face down "Flying High" is weird mutant funk that you might hear shifting around a Maurice Fulton set, whilst "Mustn't Evolve" slows the tempo right down and sends the strangeness in the opposite direction..

Review: LFR 008 is another sleek sonic missive from the Love Fever protege and wunderkid Laurence Blake AKA Citizen.
Citizen's rise as a DJ and producer since LFR002's 'Room Service' two years has been on an astonishing trajectory, with worldwide gigs and his records supported by the biggest names in dance, from Maya Janes Coles to Skream. The 'Naomi' EP is more dark dance floor materials from the master of the chic executive house. Label and East London party specialists Love Fever keep up the pace in 2014 high quality music release and party schedule.

Review: Sisterhood duo Harry Benson and John Malcolm Moore had the honour of launching successful London club night Tief's spin-off label last year, with their impressive debut 12" Call Me Ishmael. This belated follow-up is equally as assured, and delivers an intriguing range of deep house flavours. Choose between the bumpin' grooves and fluid melodic flourishes of "Doublespeak", the spine tingling, Larry Heard-inspired dream house of "Tunnels", and the fuzzy, heavyweight deep house warmth of "Believe", which cleverly blends classic US house influences and Future Times style tropical house. Bicep handle remix duties, emphasizing the dreamy elements of "Tunnels" whilst adding a little more retro-futurist dancefloor grunt.

Review: Its debut release time for Danny L as he makes a splash with some buffed and polished deep house burners for the burgeoning Spanish imprint Luvdancin. "We Can't Do This" is all classic and cool New Jersey shuffle, with punchy chord stabs and a restrained approach that hits the bullseye for functional yet soulful floor fodder. "What You Say" is a more bittersweet jam that works some soulful vocals and Moog-y basslines into a dreamy blend, before "Love Insists" nudges back into garage territory with another bouncy blend of bluesy notes and finely chopped vocals. Rhythm & Soul step up for a remix of "Love Insists" that straightens up the groove but keeps the mellow intentions intact.

Review: Knee deep in the ghetto house fever that would go on to spawn juke and footwork, Factory Funk is a shining example of Jammin Gerald's unrelenting style, high in tempo, maddeningly loopy and brimming with addictive ass-wiggling energy. The "Pump On The Floor (Remix)" that kicks off the A side is as primal and rousing as Dance Mania could ever get, but it's not all low down dirty ghetto business as "Deep Vibe" demonstrates with its soul sample refrain and finely-chiseled beat. "Holy Ghost" too switches things up with a curious take on harder techno styles, while "Biggie Trax" slices up B.I.G with the same kind of deadly accuracy you can hear all over the likes of Spinn, Nate and Traxman these days.

Review: Purple Velvet is Chris James and Lee Dearn, two purveyors of deep and sensuous house music since forming in late 2011. Having gotten to know each other at various late night music sessions, the pair have increasingly honed their own house sound that's as suited to the dark confines of a club as it is the sunnier vibes of an outdoor terrace.

Review: The sexiest DJ duo on wheels steers their way back into the hearts of house music fans everywhere with "What You Believe," a 2-track vinyl-only EP. This sixth installment shows a different side of the duo... Here, in contrast to their past vocal collaborations with Corbu, Gry and Bob Moses, they opt for a pair of lush dancefloor instrumentals, delivering their most DJ-friendly package to date.