DJS: MOST CHARTED - DEEP HOUSE - MOST CHARTED IN MARCH 2015

Review: Always a tease, Levon Vincent chose to announce the release of his long-await debut album by drip-feeding information on social media. The subsequent meltdown among the online techno community may have been amusing to watch, but is testament to the Berlin-based New Yorker's impact over the last 10 years. Typically, concrete info has remained thin on the ground aside from the fact it stretches across some four slabs of vinyl and features a homage to Levon's cat Mona. Just before the physical copies were due for release, Vincent elected to give out the 11 track LP digitally for free so it's highly likely you know how it sounds already. If you are a true advocate of his output you'll want this quadruple wax edition! Next-level house and techno dedicated to the "ugly ducklings of the world"!

Review: Esteemed deep house producers Glen Astro and Max Graef have much in common musically, not least a shared love of crusty chords, fuzzy textures and dusty, soul-flecked samples. It's good to see the pair joining forces, not only in the studio, but also to launch the Money Sex label. This first collaborative EP (for both artists and label) is packed full of warm-but-distorted, immersive deep house, with a few curveballs thrown in for good measure. That's certainly how we'd describe the eccentric "Caribbean Screwdriver" (all loose, densely layered percussion, distant vocal samples and tactile electric pianos) and "Echoed Gehema", a tipsy chunk of enveloping deep house built around a shuffling but locked-in MPC style groove.

Review: For deep house diggers, Soichi Terada has long been a source of inspiration. While he's still active, it's the early '90s material he released on the Far East Recordings label - an imprint he founded soon after his graduation in 1990 - that most excites. Following the 2014 re-release of his sublime hook-up with Nami Shimada, "Sunshower", Rush Hour has decided to put together this excellent retrospective. Compiled by self-confessed fan Hunee, Sounds From The Far East contains a mixture of hard-to-find Terada originals, collaborations, and tracks by fellow Far East Recordings artist Shinichiro Yokota, all in the label's trademark melody-rich, evocative deep house style.

Review: Over his last few releases, Australian producer Tornado Wallace has crafted a trademark sound that blends colourful, kaleidoscopic melodies with dreamy chords and an almost Balearic sense of glassy-eyed release. Interestingly, these aural trademarks are played down a little on this follow-up to his 2013 Beats In Space debut. Sure, they can be heard in the picturesque, luscious beauty of flipside "Ferntree Gully", but the title track is an altogether rougher concoction. "Kangaroo Ground" sees the Melbourne man successfully try his hand at acid house, layering twisted 303 lines and occasional cosmic chords over a clanking drum machine rhythm. It's a surprise, but a very impressive one.

Review: Rounding out this iteration of the Moods & Grooves classic series are two of its best selling releases from one of Detroit's most prolific producer's, Theo Parrish, and label head Mike Grant. The Mr. G remix of My Soul, My Spirit nets a pretty penny at the online marketplace so if the steep prices have deterred you, now is the time. Chunky was produced during the time Theo was a leader of Detroit's raw & dirty house sound. In celebration of the Moods & Grooves' 50th release it's being offered on limited colored vinyl.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: For those turned on by the far-sighted, sci-fi inspired sounds of Detroit deep house and techno, this EP from Michael Zucker's Finale Underground imprint (an offshoot of his Finale Sessions label) should be an essential purchase. With the likes of Patrice Scott, Keith Worthy and Luke Hess involved, you'd expect the quality threshold to be high. It is, of course, resulting in a quartet of killer tracks. Hess' hypnotic techno jam "Tolox" is a definite highlight, though it pales in comparison to the analogue futurism of Keith Worthy's brilliant "Cyclops". Best of all, though, is Scott's "Journey Into The Unknown", which bobs, weaves, bubbles and spits to the rush-inducing deep house sound of undulating synthesizer melodies and classic, Transmat-style Motor City rhythms.

Review: A long time coming, Ben boe drops his very first solo EP on the label he conceived over 8 years ago. Narrtives of deep space travel and journeys into the abyss permeate the release from start to finish. Ganymede graces the A-Side with its interstellar funk and sci-fi chords cutting through a heavy atmosphere like that of the namesake moon itself. A sampled, spooky tale of watery destinations round off the a-side and lead into the depths of DEEeeP-r on the flip. Fuzzy saturated textures, whispering chords and heavy bass soften the descent whilst a chopped and maipulated vocal drones "Go Deeper, Stay Longer". Drawing influence from his home county, the early Sheffield stylings, machine-precision breakbeats and soft harmonies of Atomic Fuzz round off the EP.

Review: Grounded in Humanity is celebrating their 6th release with trademark sounds from well known French producer Life Recorder.The EP offers 3 original tracks with deep chords and swirling arpeggios from the Frenchman plus a space tech remix from SoulRay and finally an outro from an Unknown source. It is also the 6th chapter of the story behind the label. "Uprising" describes the dramatically evolving situation on planet Earth with the clones starting to rebel against their creators...the future is dark. This limited EP is vinyl-only, strictly no digital.

Review: Considering the success of Andres' first two EPs on La Vida, New For U and Second Time Around, it's surprising that it's taken nigh on three years for the ever-smiling Detroit producer to deliver this follow-up. Of course, those who lapped up those releases will love Believin'. The title track is something of a curiosity - a deliciously sweet and dusty deep house cut with an eccentric swing to the drum programming, finely chopped samples and more than a little nod to jazz. "Can't Shake It" finds Andres back on deep-but-bumping territory (the bassline, in particular, is superb), while "Jungle Pain" sees him layer twinkling electric pianos atop a typically undulating, rolling, snare-heavy jazz-house groove.

Review: Danish deep house talent Paxton Fettel unleashes three disco-infused house cuts through disco specialists Apersonal Music. Fettel joins the family of the label's fine roster of retro-tone music makers backed up with a Jimpster remix. Always in the search of timeless music pieces the Spanish imprint sure found a fine exponent of their unique trippy melodic universe with Fettel's offer on this EP. "She's All Right", "Sundown, as the Beat Gently Skips" and "Tripped Out" make a solid statement of nu-disco editing in a house fashion, new to the artist but with a solid experience on the label's trajectory. To push the boundaries of Fettel's sound no other than high-fi music creator Jimpster to remix "She's All Right", opening a special space for the track on any dance floor filled with raving house lovers.

Review: To say this second album from Linkwood has been a long time coming is to present yourself as a candidate for Understatement of the Year. A follow up to Nick Moore's fine 2009 debut System has been regularly alluded to by Firecracker boss Lindsay Todd within the context of the label's other releases. It wasn't until an unreleased Linkwood track appeared in Prosumer's fine fabric mix last year that the notion of a new Linkwood album began to take on a semblance of reality. We still can't quite believe it's happened, despite the rather dashing copies of Expression sitting pretty in the Juno warehouse. The triple vinyl set holds a weighty 12 cuts from Linkwood and is a real sumptuous listen, taking in new age ambient vignettes, bass heavy beat down, deep house workouts and plenty more.

Review: Having made their bow last autumn with the excellent "X9" by 25 Places, Dutch deep house imprint Late Night Running has turned to friends-of-the-family DJ Aakmael and Anaxander for this timely follow-up. Aakmael's "Swing" is particularly special, lacing soulful vocals and chiming melodies over a rolling, cymbal-heavy, floor-friendly groove. Appian provides a looser, warmer and notably less dense interpretation, before Anaxander immerses us into analogue style deep house territory with the rather lovely "My People". That gets remixed by Detroit's Michael Zucker, who turns it into an hypnotic tech-house roller full of gentle builds, looped melodies and hazy sirens.

Review: Those who heard Harvey Sutherland's excellent debut EP for Echovolt, Edges EP, will be familiar with his trademark sound - a toasty, analogue style take on deep house marked out by jazz-funk chord progressions, warming synthesizer melodies and shuffling grooves. He changes the script a little on this EP for Voyage Recordings, though there's still plenty of seductive deep house to enjoy (most notably opener "Oscillate" and the Inskwel style, boogie-influenced loveliness of "Bamboo"). Where the EP really comes into its own, though, is when he tries a different tack. "Old Wars" sounds like Moon B's electrofunk explorations wrapped in a snuggly duvet, while "Close Quarters" successfully fixes Herbie Hancock style synth melodies to loose, cymbal heavy beats.

Review: Its early days for M5K, and equally Voyager Recordings is slowly emerging with a particular style, but already the future looks rosy for both artist and label on the strength of this synth soaked release. "Sassy Typhoon" comes on like Space Dimension Controller, before "Marcy Ave Parlay" and "Ford Capri" ramp up the Moog basslines and let the 80s electro funk shine through in a classy house framework. IMYRMIND drops a bugging remix of "Ford Capri" for all the wonky beat heads out there, and then M5K rounds the EP with the peppy strut of "No Time For Sheisty Types" and the low-slung breeze of "Rockaway Beach".

Review: On the back of 2 well received releases on Dirt Crew & Detroit Swindle's Heist Recordings, Dutch native Nachtbraker drops a beauty on Hudd Traxx. Zachtjes kicks things off in fine melodical style with live drums, lush keys and a smooth sax lick for good measure. Borrowed Identity mixes things up on the remix tip with a more upbeat dubby tool which is likley to find it's way into the hands of DJ's like Derrick Carter & Prosumer. The title track 'You Is What You Aint' is a moody groover with slick keys and sleezy beats perfect for warm ups or end of the night vibes. Nachtbraker rounds off the EP nicely with Overstappen last, but by no means least. Skippy beats and a killer bassline ensure that this EP is another 'must have' for the Hudd faithful as they near 50 releases and 10 Years in the business.

Review: A Day In The Life, last year's album on Mule Musiq from Peter 'Lawrence' Kersten may well have seen the Hamburg producer indulge his interest in ambient sounds fully, but he's back to the distinctly European flavour of deep house he's renowned for here. Issued through his own Smallville label, Manhattan presents three Lawrence productions that all feel quite understated but will invariably weave their way into your affections the more you play around with them in sets. The closing number "Dark & Stormy" is the most immediate, thanks to that three bar loop and crisp, focused drums whilst "Nowhere Is A Place" seems to be the perfect set opener. Classy as usual from Lawrence.

Review: The recent reappearance of "Green Marimbas" on a Mister Saturday Night 12" had us remembering with fondness how great a producer Ali 'Nebraska' Gibbs is - especially that Rush Hour LP Displacement. It's been a while since we last saw a new Nebraska 12" in the trollies at Juno so kudos to Delusions of Grandeur for coaxing some new cuts out of Gibbs for this fine Rye Lane Rhythms 12". From the moment "Aw-rite (Mute version)" slips into action it's like Nebraska has never been away, that attention to percussive and rhythmic detail still dead eyed and the musicality tight as ever. "Warp & Weft" veers off into fuzzy, minimalist beatdown territory that will appeal to fans of obscure Sound Signature B-sides whilst "Eighty Eights" is the sort of loop heavy house cut that you can tease dancefloors with.

Review: London's irrepressible Lobster Theremin are evidently developing something of a class crush on Hungarian producer Route 8, with This Raw Feeling his third release for the label. As you'd expect from the title , the four tracks here will quench anyone with a thirst for some raw house music and undercooked pseudo techno. Sounds range from the dreamy patters of "Sunrise In Her Eyes", to the distinctly distorted poundings of "This Raw Feeling", the broken patters featuring on "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" and even the glitchy, off-kilter percussive charm of "Ash Dub". Strong stuff from the Lobster camp!

Review: By his own prolific standards, veteran deep house/techno producer Ramon Lisandro Quezada - better known since 2005 as DJ Qu - has been rather quiet of late. Having released just one single in 2014, he returns in early 2015 with one of his strongest EPs for some time. Several bases are covered on the Redtones EP. Contrast, for example, the drifting, sci-fi chords and dense, deep house goes tribal rhythms of the title track, with the picturesque pianos and crackly samples of downtempo bonus "Sadness In The Static". Best of all, though, is "Sweaty", a formidably wonky fusion of psychedelic electronics, trippy effects and throbbing, grime encrusted house beats.

Review: Our favourite German deep house producer Iron Curtis lands on the Office Recordings label after a relatively long period of silence. The KMS Years is Curtis at his best, where tracks like "Magnet" prove why this guy is underrated as hell; chunky deep house beats are looped into a tight groove and drizzled in just the right amount of dirt. "What Happened, Happened" is slower, dirtier, more swamped and certainly more experimental but it still manages to retain Curtis' palpable injection of soul. A serious EP, check it.

Review: Paul Cottam's Ruff Draft label enjoyed a great first year in 2014, delivering white-hot material from the man himself, LK and Romansoff, amongst others. For the imprint's first missive of 2015, Cottam has recruited Cardiff-based rising star Chesus, who previously impressed via releases on Local Talk, 4 Lux and Catapult. There's naturally much to admire, from the acid-era electronics, delicate synth strings and shimmering chords of opener "Orbicular", to the DJ Gregory-ish stabs, wonky electronics and dense, organic-sounding percussion of "WYW". Bristol-based producer Owain K - best known for his hook-ups with Jamie Anderson on Dessous - lends a hand on "Let It Happen", a rather fine slice of warm, immersive, Balearic deep house goodness seemingly inspired by the Vangelis classic of the same name.

Review: By their standards, Danish duo 2 Bit Crew enjoyed a very productive 2014, releasing well-received singles on Deso, Luvdancin' and their own self-titled imprint. Here they return to the latter with three more sumptuous chunks of tactile, arms-spread deepness. The untitled A-side arguably hits home hardest, with sweet, delay-laden loops and delicious riding a house tempo Motor City techno groove. The second track, nestled at the beginning of side B, seemingly shimmers with positive intent. The duo opts for Chez Damier style bass and a touch of vintage US house bump, while smothering the groove in darting synths and huggable electronics. Finally, the third track goes even deeper, delivering the dreamy tech-house equivalent of a long, sloppy kiss.

Review: Nicholas Chaix has been rather quite of late - on a solo tip, at least - with his 2014 output consisting of a single 12" of rhythm tracks (the heavy Cubo Rhythm Tracks release). This, then, is a welcome return. In its' original form, "Cryptoporticus" is fiendishly creepy, coming on like a slow-motion jog around an abandoned industrial complex in Sheffield with just ghosts for company (an effect heightened by Chaix's use of early Warp style bleeps and Rob Gordon-ish sub-bass). For imaginative DJs, he's also included a delightfully freaky "bleepapella". On the flip, he offers up something for the Love From Outer Space crowd - the new wave influenced gothic deep house swing of "Hovercraft".

Review: Matlock-residing Matt Rivem has been doing his thing on the East Midlands deep house scene for longer than anyone can remember, most notably as part of Rhythm Plate. Here he debuts a new solo alias, Goshawk. Naturally, From The Woods is impeccably produced, and features a trio of delicious deep house gems. There's a pleasingly breezy feel about the bluesy vocal samples, jazzy beats and heavy sub of "In The Evening", while "Sun Up (Heavy Vibes)" comes blinking towards the light via shuffling, Osunlade-ish beats, soulful vocal samples and Balearic electronics. "I Know You Told Me", on the other hand, sounds like vintage US deep house - all eyes-closed diva vocal hits, bumpin' beats and bespoke chords.

Review: Daze's 2014 debut for Lobster Theremin's occasional white label series was something of a measured success, with the mysterious Australian producer gleefully joining the dots between a myriad of old and new house, techno and hardcore influences. Here he pops up on the label proper, with another EP that tries hard to defy categorization. The title track is deep, woozy and dreamy, with reverb-laden techno handclaps and kicks underpinning picturesque chords and lucid textures. The acid-peppered "Death Whirl" is darker and more basement friendly, while closer "Compton" impressively melds immersive deep house chords and swift vocal stabs with house-tempo rave breakbeats.

Review: It's no surprise to see Amsterdam man Fritz Wentink issuing his debut album through Wolf Music, as the London label have been staunch supporters of his work with two 12" contributions over the past two years. The wonderfully named Rarely Pure, Never Simple adds to Wolf Music's growing artist album profile following long players from main men Medlar and Greymatter and further develops the all encompassing production style Wentink has displayed so eloquently for Detroit Swindle's Heist Recordings and others. He seems most impressive on the more downbeat tracks done in collaboration with Loes Jongerling who possesses a quite astounding vocal delivery, though those craving some proper house will totally dig on cuts like "The Excitement Happens At Page 320".

Review: German producer Adryiano has been quietly issuing out material largely on Mario Castillo's Soul Notes imprint for the past couple of years, and he returns to the label with a new and varied selection of upfront house jams. "Down South" is a direct jam that features parping synths and sizzling drums, slipping into midtempo realms with ease, before "Phase Misery" turns the heat up with a fiery brand of peak time acid. "Feel What You Do (Dirty Mix)" gets a little more breakbeat action into the mix, even if it is surrounded by a smooth swathe of ambient pads, and "Moccassin Groove" takes things into a more slender tech house funk to ensure that each track is a unique experience on this particular 12".