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

Review: This year, Theo Parrish seems to be doing his best to breathe new life into the careers of broken beat-era producers and musicians. Having previously released an excellent EP from Dego and Kaidi Tatham on Sound Signature, his latest missive comes from one-time conscious hip-hop producer Ge ology and one-time go-to jazz keys-man Mark De Clive-Lowe. The latter's brilliant synthesizer and piano work is arguably the highlight of both tracks here. On the spacey, P-funk influenced space-house swing of "Moon Circuitry" he does his best impression of Herbie Hancock, while "Escape On The Lodge Freeway" boasts intricate jazz solos atop a slightly tougher, chunkier deep house groove. Both tracks are, of course, impeccable.

Review: Brian Harden enters the Sounds Of The City team with 3 tracks following the mood operated on his previous works last year. Brian continues to draw his path, as confortable and fresh as he was a couple of decades ago, A great welcome and a strong ep for the fresh Sounds Of The City.

Review: Retro Balearic sounds delivered as tastefully as only an International Feel Record can. A collaboration between Frankfurt virtuoso Phillip Lauer and Berlin's Fabrizio Mammarella of Slow Motion. Their studio prowess is so impressive, you'd have thought this was a lost tape from 1989 that's just resurfaced. "Hype Around" is reminiscent of 808 State, its summery and anthemic and a classic take on the first wave techno sound while "Spumatix" is the kind of track you could imagine playing while Axel Foley snoops on the bad guys in Beverley Hills Cop. On the flip is the title track, it's just has that unmistakeable Lauer sound all over it, like all his Tuff City kids stuff. Finally "Emozioni Miste" gets back on that 80's soundtrack vibe using that classic xylophone preset accompanying one seriously funky synth bass.

Review: Cool Peepl's Free Part II features additional vocals from the original session in two contrasting mixes. Amp Fiddler is in the drivers seat first with a spiritual organ workout reminiscent of the 3pm service in Detroit's Baptist churches. Mr. G's remix starts out innocent enough until the bass rumbles in, before you know it his signature ride and high hats have you an a twisted journey.

Review: Munich purveyors of fine new wave Balearic are it again with a release this time with TMO (aka Moscow's Lepelis who has previously appeared on L.I.E.S. and 303 State) with the Insomniac EP. First track "Melodic Jam" sounds like a disturbed cover of Frankie Knuckles "The Whistle Song" albeit with some epic mono-synth spitting out the melody instead, soon turning into gnarly acid. On the flip we have "Jam IV" which goes for a more lo-fi, dusty deep house vibe. A dark and paranoid after-hours jam whose slow burning glory turns into snarling acid euphoria just like the track before it.

Review: There are few better than Moon B at tiptoeing the fine line between woozy '80s synth-tronica and vintage deep house. Here, he's at it again, delivering another fine EP. Opener "Measure Pleasure" is a quietly Balearic delight, with dreamy chords, lazy melodies and shuffling machine drums combining to create a sleepy, eyes closed mood. That track is given a slightly more percussive boot up the backside by Golden Ivy, before Moon B unfurls the bubbling deepness and Lamont Booker melodies of "Nada Cloud". Even better is "PV Hills", whose chiming melodies and yearning synthesizers are offset by fizzing percussion hits and a booming bassline. Scottish producer Fudge Fingas provides a wonderful remix of that track, turning it into a rolling, analogue deep house wonder.

Review: Given the brilliance of the first Rhythms of the Pacific EP, slipped out some 12 months ago by Vancouver store and party crew-turned record label Pacific Rhythm, hopes are naturally high for this belated follow-up. Happily, it's every bit as magical as its' predecessor. Neo Image kicks things off with "So", a warm, evocative and dreamy blend of broken beat, downtempo and garage influences. He follows this up with the similarly heady "JR East", whose drawn-out ambient chords are accompanies by clattering drum machine hits and tactile electronic melodies. Flip to the B for the typically deep and dusty Vancouver house bliss of Florist's "112712" and the gritty, dubbed out deep house brilliance of D Tiffany's "Orange Crush (Plush Managements Mix)". Like the rest of the EP, it's utterly beguiling.

Review: In case you were in any doubt about his identity, Hungarian producer Gnork - previously of Legendary Sound Research affiliated outfit Black L3GO - has handily titled his Black Vension debut I Am Gnork. His particular brand of deep house is attractive and atmospheric, but with enough low-end grunt and machine-made roughness to appease peaktime dancefloors. The four tracks here explore subtly different but similar themes, from the bittersweet chords, Detroit electronics and spacey grooves of "Well It Was Just A Tree", to the outer space 303 business of "Acid Quartet" and "Fckk". Opener "Stringxxx233344" offers the best of both worlds, fusing sharper electronics with some typically swirling deep house niceness.

Review: Brian Harden is back on D3 Elements with a new three track EP that once again explores richly musical deep house with a difference. Harden is a criminally overlooked Chicago producer who had big success in the 90s thanks to releases on Moods & Grooves, Nite Life Collective and Undaground Therapy Muzik. He then took a break away from music, but the D3 label boss coaxed him out of retirement in 2014 with a top debut EP for the label. Since then he has also released on Sistrum and Soul Print, and is now properly back in business. First cut 'Paradox' is a mid tempo house roller with scale-riding chords and emotive, late night tinkles on the keys that really speak to your soul. Golden pads stream in the background and it's a hugely classy affair all round. 'Nostalgic Pieces' is then a deeper cut with a warped baseline and starry night sky melodies up top. Again, lush, musical chords shimmer and simmer deep in the track, lending it a real sense of artistry and separating Harden from the legions of modern deep house imposters. Finally, 'Chicago Homage' is an elastic, spacious cut with rubbery kicks, soft hi hats and a tumbling bas riff that once again come coated in gorgeous pads. This is music that makes you feel good as you dance your every day woes away.

Review: Irish imprint Splendor & Squalor serves up its second release and it's from Hamo again. He's previously done stuff on Detroit Swindle's Heist and also Dirt Crew. It's a bit of dreamy, dusty deep house that fans of Uncanny Valley would dig like on "Cotton Club" and "Wonce (Kickflip Mike Remix). Then it ventures into some smooth and blunted urban flavour that fans of Max Graef and Glenn Astro will most definitely be down with on "Wonce" and "In Control" which features the impressive flow of lyricist This Side Up. He serves the best for last though, "The Black Lodge" whose funky groove complete with swirling Rhodes piano and warm analogue drum shuffle, is just made for drifting!

Review: One of the most respected producers in the underground, Anaxander, contributes two beautiful pieces of original music, and has one of them reworked by Deep House heavy hitter, the mighty Amir Alexander. Lost My Soul (in Yours) is twisted little number, with dual synth riffs echoing off each other for maximum effect. A Question About You uses jazzy chords and flutes over its undeniable bassline to retain some soulful flavoring, but Amir strips all of that away on his interpretation, preffering instead to let the acid and the warehouse vibes have their way, taking things right into a 6am rave nightmare. This is absolute must-have piece of wax!

Review: Ludovic Navarre aka St Germain requires no introduction, and the French house legend has literally seen and done it all ever since his first productions began to surface and influence other house artists back in the early 1990's golden era. The majority of his music has been released on F Communications, but his latest studio album drops on EMI's Parlophone sublabel. The self-titled St Germain is a proper LP, not a mere collection of house tracks put together helter-skelter. Inside, you'll hear many of Navarre's influences and inspirations, from Afro tribal melodies, to jazzy influences and even Middle-Eastern chimes. It's a house album in structure, but much more than that beneath the surface...as it always was from the legend of French dance music.

Review: Japanese producer Takuya Matsumoto first surfaced back in 2001 on a split release with compatriot Kouji Nagahashi (seek out "The Rubicon") but its more recently he's been getting the attention his classy house productions deserve. Matsumoto lands on Fina with the Places Of Colour EP after superb 2014 drops for R&S subsidiary Meda Fury and Clone Royal Oak and if you were a fan of those you will want to check these four cuts! Subtle and warm, opener "Souvenir" sets the tone thanks to Matsumoto's perfectly balanced blend of silky vocals, delicate chords and dusty cymbals. Evocative piano melodies play their role in "Coco" too, easing up alongside poignant strings as the producer shows his flair for rugged, interesting rhythms. Flipside jams "Flio" and "Seasons" veer off into jazzier territory and make it easy to see why Flo Po rates Matsumoto so highly! As do we - Juno recommends this 12"!

Review: There was something rather impressive - if slightly predictable - about the new age-meets-tropical deep house vibe of "Velvet Vortex", DJ Fett Burger and Jayda G's first hook-up on Australia's Butter Sessions. There are hints of the same style on this second collaboration between the Sex Tags maniac and the Vancouver producer, with both versions of "Wind Waker" - club and ambient - delivering warm, dreamy chords, eyes-closed melodies and humid textures. The real killer, though, is A-side "NYC Party Track", a deliciously leftfield disco-house roller full of short funk guitar licks, low-slung electric bass, pitched down rave stabs and relentless, cowbell-driven percussion. In other words, it's a killer party jam.

Review: After a series of mesmerising (and massive) EPs under his more disco orientated YSE Saint Laur'ant moniker - Pressed for Time label head Ant Plate is back in his deep house mode with an EP of YSE goodness

No messing about with the opener 'This Loves the Same' - YSE goes straight in there with some dancefloor heat that has enough quirk to counteract the house swing.

'9 8 2 8' is all badboy garridge wonk with some excellent detuned chords and a catchy, nagging vocal refrain - SWAG.

On the flip, 'I gave you my' is proper deep house (as in it's actually deep) with some trademark YSE chords, blissed out vocal samples and great drum programming.

'Night Prescription' rounds things off with a homage to the classic US house sound. Think Chuggles 'I remember dance' but with an East midlands twist.

No idea what the EP title means, we think Ant's keyboard is faulty

Review: Detroit house hero Kai Alce inaugurates People Of Earth with a stellar EP showcasing his knack for the most soulful of modern, Motor City deep house. First up "Quiet Revenge" has that classic Three Chairs kind of vibe; all soulful deepness that this circle and their extended cast of peers have the knack for, complete with smooth Rhodes piano and dusty rhythms. On the flip "Sunday Transit" is a more straight up deep house jam with female vocals shouting out the lowdown loud and clear; wicked groove on this one. The dub version of this surpasses the vocal for those less keen, but why would you! Great start for a label with serious potential.

Review: Natural Midi has been one of the primary homes to Scott Grooves' tunes, easily the most underrated producer from the Detroit area, and he's back on his own label with four new beauties. Grooves has been churning out exquisite deep house bangers since the 90's, a very specific brand of dance music that incorporates everything from jazz, to disco and funk; his basslines are always warm and soothing, while his percussion is dusty and the synth lines musical. In an age where 'outsider' house rules, his grounded approach is always a breath of fresh air to us. The opener "Finished" is a funky house swinger choc-a-bloc with gorgeous claps and stuttering toms, and "Inspiration Sound" scratches the 4/4 off for a bit of broken trip-hop - a certified winner. On side B, "The Sauce" is moody, spaced-out and offers subtle keys, while "Nitty Gritty" slams out a dicing little percussion with a lo-fi feel. Absolutely terrific.

Review: Working out of Haarlem, Netherlands, Aleks has returned with his second release for Los Angeles-based label, Hesperian Sound Division. Different Stories features a selection of works from the multifaceted Dutch producer, concentrated in the intersection between meditative landscapes, and delicately shuffling drum tracks. Offering simplicity in structure, each track exhibits a concise yet detail-oriented approach, translating into four highly organic pieces.

Review: Meda Fury, the London based offshoot of R&S Records, presents us with a second release by Japan's Takuya Matsumoto who has been producing since 200,1 mainly on Nigata-based Iero and more recently on Royal Oak with the Ekr's Galactic Dance 12". On the Assembly EP he presents us with five quality selections of deep house starting with the soulful deepness of "Be", its stunning piano solo supported by a smooth groove with just enough shuffle in the rhythm to make it work out. "On The March" is the kind of mysterious and subterranean deepness recalling the vibes of classic Moodymann, albeit on a more experimental tip. On the flip we have two short tracks "Rain Flower" with its sublime Caribbean vibe and the sexy "Trash Track" reminiscent of Geneva legends Quarion or Agnes.

Review: Ed Cawthorne goes by the name of Tenderlonious when he's in the mood to make dusty, sample-laced house with a soulful edge. The dude has previously released on London's 22a, and also Sounds Of The Universe's own imprint, but he's back and he's landed on Osunlade's Yoruba Records, releasing choice house magic since 1999. There's six tracks on offer here, and they're all as magical as you'd expect from the shady Tenderlonious; it's a mix of funky house and neo tribalism, just like Osunlade likes in his sets. We're loving the jazzy Latin percussions of "Sula", the flute-driven mind-bender that is "Mind That Window", and the daring, Rhodes-driven beauty in the name of "Without You".

Review: Few deep house producers are quite as hot right now as Adesse Versions, whose lovingly executed bootleg reworks and original productions have proved hugely popular in recent times. Here, he pops up on Local Talk, providing more lushly produced deep house gems for discerning DJs. Opener "Wash My Soul" impresses from the off, with bold synth riffs and sparkling electronics building in intensity over a chunky groove. The saucer-eyed "The Light" is a touch deeper but no less immersive, with mangled vocal samples rubbing shoulders with swirling pads and twinkling pianos. Finally, he makes great use of a joyous, life-affirming vocal sample on the deliciously positive and upbeat "Thank U". It's arguably the pick of a very strong bunch.

Review: Given Dresvn's well-known links to Sotofett and company's Sex Tags Mania empire, it's unsurprising to find the eccentric Norwegian handling remix duties on their Honest Jon's debut. His melodious, driving, new age techno version of "First Voyage" is predictably special, though there's plenty to get excited about elsewhere. "Sleepy Bay" is a hazy, dubbed-out slice of sun-kissed wooziness, with flashes of blissful guitar flitting in and out of the mix like a half-remembered dream. Closer "Tipu Tip's Ghost" is arguably the EP's standout moment, though, and offers a particularly percussive take on low-slung dub-house, complete with backwards cymbals, wayward bells and spooky chords.

Review: On his two previous albums, 2012's The Dream of Amnesia and 2013's Open Your Eyes, Simoncino indulged his love of vintage deep house, variously doffing a cap to Larry Heard, Dream 2 Science, the Burrell Brothers and Lamont Booker. On Amazon Atlantis, he's flipped the script, utilizing his vast bank of classic synthesizers and drum machines to pay tribute to the sci-fi inspired sounds of 1980s Detroit techno. Of course, there are a few nods towards his deep house influences (most notably the Vincent Floyd hook-up "Memories Of Summer"), and a couple of curveballs - see the apache break and ambient house textures of "90's Theme" - but for the most part it's a delicious Motor City tribute. Perhaps the most stunning example of this is "Planet Paradise", a brilliant collaboration with Legowelt.

Review: SLMonsieur Cedric's London based Serie Limitee is back with some killer throwback house jams yet again. Starting off with "Life Of The Party" by Neuronphase, sounding like a dusty classic from the early Sound Signature back catalogue while "Change of Perspective" by Flabaire is exactly the kind of early nineties Detroit techno soul that we like. On the flip is "Daddy's Throbbing Groove" by Ana Xander of Tasteful Nudes and Dame Music fame and Le Rubrique & Jacob Stoy's "Frankfurt Weekenders" replicating that sublime kind of deepness reminiscent of old Guidance Recordings.

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 the success of his Storm Queen project a couple of years back, Morgan Geist has kept a low profile. Having returned to action earlier in the year with the Latin freestyle-inspired Calling Card 12" under The Galleria alias, the Metro Area man veers off in another direction with the architecture-inspired Megaprojects One. Created, in his words, using "cheap little drum machines and rejected old synths", the four tracks draw on his most famous early inspirations, most notably vintage Detroit techno and early Chicago house. Of course, the curious melodies of Metro Area are still present, but the quartet of dancefloor workouts - the futurist "Clarence", quirky "The Idiot Track" and bumpin' "Trackstar" being our picks - are arguably more in keeping with his earliest, mid 1990s releases.

Review: Born 31 years ago in Geneva (CH), Pascal brings his gritty mellow tones and extra shuffled patterns to the Traxx Underground familly. Strongly routed into jazzy vinyl samples, black speaches and spatial atmosphers, the 3 tracks composing « Wise Man's Decision EP » take inspiration from the past to showcase a true vision of what Slow-Deep-House should be in 2015. At last but not least, the great Fred P came to make his hands dirty, delivering a true reshape of "Wise Man's Decision", offring us a tunnel from where it aint easy to escape.