Juno Recommends Deep House: October 2024

Review: Multi-artist EPs have all been all the rage of late, though few can boast quite as strong a line-up of artists as this one from dependable French deep house label Phongramme. It begins with a gorgeous chunk of detail-heavy, sun-splashed electronic deep house brilliance courtesy of Abacus (an artist whose discography also contains outings on Prescription, Innermood and NDATL Muzik) and ends with a vibraphone-solo sporting shuffler from the effervescent Byron The Aquarius and Computer Jay ('When The Freaks Come Out'). Sandwiched in between you'll find two more must-have workouts: the bumpin', brilliant and spiritually uplifting 'States of Motion' by Fred P, and a typically dusty, jazzy and warming number by Colombian hero Felipe Gordon ('The Gordon Way').

Review: First released by Snuff Trax in 2015, but potentially recorded much earlier, 'U Won't C Me' is one of Mystic Bill's most potent cuts - an analogue-rich hybrid Chicago deep house/acid house cut which sounds like Larry Heard jamming with Adonis circa 'No Way Back'. This Nu Groove reissue naturally features the long-serving producer's original mix, the original bonus track 'Like a Dream In The Night' (a moody, low-slung chunk of warehouse-ready, late 80s style Chicago deep house) and two reworks of the title track. Stefan Bratz ups the acid house factor, reaching for driving drums and mind-mangling TB-303 bass, while Jake Savage's 'Acid Re-Rub' is a jacking, sweat-soaked affair smothered in red-raw acid lines, cut-up spoken word snippets and a ghostly melodic motif.

Review: Following an upsurge in interest in his pioneering mid 1990s UK tech-house tracks, Bushwacka has been serving up some scintillating new music of late, most notably a fine four-tracker on Nu Groove. Here he contiunues his welcome renaissance via a fresh EP on REKIDS. He begins with 'Heaven On Earth (Main Mix)', a chunky and driving affair in which a gnarled American spoken word vocal, raw stabs and swamp funk samples ride a particularly heavy groove. He then beefs up the driving and druggy flex further on the accompanying 'Instadub', before delivering two takes on 'Roger That'. 'Version 1' sees the London veteran pepper a rubbery acid bassline, unfussy beats and dreamy chords with delay-laden proto-house vocal samples, while 'Version 2' is a more driving and intergalactic affair.

Review: The FRITS x WOLF series returns with its third release, showcasing Frits' signature rough and ready deep house grooves. All four tracks were first played at his iconic Panorama Bar set in April, sparking an electric response from the crowd. With a perfect balance of punchy beats and smooth melodies, Frits continues to prove why he's the King of Swing. This latest instalment is another step up for the series, bringing deeper rhythms and even more energy.

Review: Max van Dijk and Oliver Hiam together make up both Tessellate and The Trip, the latter of whose latest record 'Uncovered' is here brought to the former record label. A retromodern take on acid trance and breaks for the present proto-cyborgish condition, 'Uncovered' propounds a stark rediscovery of elated breaks and pinging highs; A-sider 'Love Struck' likens the experience of love on the dancefloor to that of an airhorning, crowd-screaming, hoop-earringed, fringed, tube-socked, Adidas tracksuit-sporting dream; the track is an inevitable boon for any DJ hoping to quickly raise the pace. Speeking of pace, the B sports 'I Need (Speed)', which, eschewing any reference to psychotropic drugs for a sec, fuses nebulaic soul vocal echoics with lurching speed garage come pure piano house bliss. Never slow down!

Review: Don Carlos should by now be known to most house music crate-ologists as Carlo Troja from Verase, Italy -not Euvin Spencer from Kingston town. Alas, confusion still runs rampant over the ambiguity surrounding the Don Carlos name; if only they'd heard just how great this new EP from the former North Italian nuff-sayer truly was, they'd never forget the difference, of course! 'Italian Paradise' is a fresh, still dripping-wet house EP out via Groove Culture; its lightweight organ triplets, electric piano smears, and lens-fogged sunglass strings are what makes it *it*: a more than suitable release for hammock skygazing and/or wooly garment shedding.

Review: Sometimes it's wise not to over-attach oneself to a set of four walls and a roof and call it "home". Joeski and Troy Dillard prove to know it as much on 'Music Is My Home', a brilliantly soulful Afro-house roller of tearjerking proportions, and which comes backed by an wildout dub mix on the B. We'd not be surprised if this one did well in the charts; Dillard's vocals unfold over and above Joeski's static shuffles like elysian sobs, singing of safe places to go and defiant personalities to adopt, in stark contrast to what or who anyone else thinks Dillard should be. Brooklyn-Queens emigre Joeski says of the song, "This is a continuation of my collaboration with Troy Dillard from over 20 years ago when we worked on 'Hold on to Your Love', which went on to become my biggest record. Reuniting with Troy and working on this project has been special" - we don't doubt it - could it become his second biggest, even?

Review: Tommy Musto dives deeper into his DAT archives to unearth another collection of mid-90s NYC gems for this essential new 12". These four tracks capture the essence of iconic clubs like Red Zone, Club Zanzibar, Twilo and Sound Factory and at the same time echo the sounds that legends like Knuckles, Humphries and Morales spun during that era. Each one blends darker baseline and jacked-up house drums with moody synths that all add up to a fine batch of beats that deal in pure, classic vibes straight from New York's classic underground scene.

Review: This sampler offers four main floor house tracks with each bringing a unique flavour to the dancefloor. On Side-1, Chaney's 'I Choose You' blends soulful house with rhythm and blues elements, featuring a pop-infused vocal that's both catchy and uplifting. Gene Farris and Basura Boyz's 'In My Heart' is a powerful house track, designed to keep the energy high. On Side-2, Deeper Purpose's 'One By One' continues the momentum with a deep, driving groove, while Tony Romera and Crusy's 'The Unknown' delivers a big, peak-time anthem perfect for the height of any set. This collection is great for house music fans seeking diverse, impactful and popular sounding versions.

Review: Dutch pair Dam Swindle have shaped the underground house sound through their Heist label which has always dealt in timeless, fad-free sounds that blend disco, tech, and more. This EP marks their third release on Aus Music and is part of a four-part series celebrating the label's 200th release. It opens with 'The Last Time,' a blissful deep house track with heartfelt vocals. 'Come Back' follows with infectious house grooves and garage-inspired kicks. K-LONE contributes a deft remix of 'The Last Time' in which he layers soft chords over punchy garage beats. Chloe Robinson & DJ ADHD deliver a stripped-back remix of 'Come Back'' which has low-end oscillations and playful drums to round out a vital slab of wax.

Review: Earlier this year, legendary NY house label King Street Sounds was acquired by Armada Music. The Dutch imprint plans to reissue many of the well-known - and lesser-celebrated - gems from the King Street vaults in the months and years ahead. To kick things off, they've delivered this vinyl sampler featuring some of the stable's most admired cuts of all time. So, we get Dennis Ferrer's iconic remix of Blaze and Barbara Tucker's gospel-powered soulful house anthem, 'Most Precious Love', the 'King Street Mix' of Jovonn's legendary deep, bumpin' tribute to New Jersey's Club Zanzibar, 'Back To Zanzibar', Mood II Swing's hot and heavy 'moody club mix' of their own Carole Sylvan collaboration 'Closer' and the all-time deep house classic that is the Wamdue Black extended rework of 'Cascades of Colour' by Ananda Project. Simply essential!

Review: Alec Falconer and Harry Wills are back once again as Snoozing B for a second collaborative offering. This one is as fresh as it gets with house, garage and tech old and new all colouring the super fresh grooves. 'The Denver Projections' pick up with shuffling, bounce garage-tech topped with gorgeous melodic patterns and lush bells, and 'One For Jim' also jacks your body with its dusty drum loops and playful synth sounds. 'Tony On The Mount' brings acid to the party with sweeping lines and raved up retro breaks. Completing a fine EP is 'Jarvis', which has spoken word Cocker samples over crisp, kinetic beats.

Review: On their fourth studio album, The Masters Plan, Robert and Lyric Hood - the father-daughter duo behind Floorplan - deliver a masterclass in house and techno that's as diverse as it is cohesive. Released on Luke Solomon's Classic Music Company, this 18-track odyssey showcases the Hoods' uncanny ability to blend the sacred and profane, the light and dark, into a sonic tapestry that's uniquely their own. From the opening chords, it's clear that Floorplan's Detroit roots run deep. The gospel-infused 'We Give Thee Honour' sets the tone, its uplifting vocals and rolling rhythms invoking the spiritual ecstasy of a Sunday morning service reimagined for the dancefloor. This spiritual thread weaves throughout the album, most notably on tracks featuring local Detroit vocalists like the soulful trio Dames Brown, Earthtone, and Lowell Pye. But make no mistake - The Masters Plan isn't all celestial bliss. The Hoods aren't afraid to get grimy, as evidenced by the pummelling beats of 'What A Friend'. Here, they demonstrate their mastery of techno's harder edge, crafting a track that wouldn't sound out of place in the sweatiest basement clubs of Berlin or London. It's this deft navigation between styles that makes 'The Masters Plan' so compelling. The dreamy house soundscapes of 'Feel It' provide moments of blissful respite, while collaborations like 'Fake & Unholy' with label-mate Honey Dijon inject a shot of pure dancefloor adrenaline. What's most striking about 'The Masters Plan' is how seamlessly Robert and Lyric blend their generational perspectives. Rather than a handicap, their age gap becomes a strength, allowing them to draw inspiration from decades of electronic music history while still pushing the sound forward. Ultimately,
The Masters Plan feels like both a celebration and an invitation.

Review: Over the last 18 months, DJ Sneak has been on an impressive run of form. There have been essential releases for Phonogramme, Frappe and, most recently, Toy Tonics. Here the Chicago legend returns to Heist Recordings, an imprint he last appeared on early last year, with another essential four-track missive. He begins with the hard-wired boompty bounce of 'I Can Tell What You Want', where alien-sounding chords and chopped vocal snippets leap above an insatiable groove, before heading off on a sample-rich breakbeat house flex on 'A Taste of the 90s'. Over on the B-side, 'Dirty Jazz' joins the dots between Chi-town acid and jazz-sampling deep house, while 'You Know What I Mean' is a refreshingly rubbery and loose-limbed excursion that should appeal to dancers who like to get their feet moving.

Review: Felipe Gordon returns with NeighbourSoul Edits Vol 5, delivering a vibrant mix of funky rhythms, nu-disco grooves and jazzy undertones. Released via NeighbourSoul Rhythm Germany, this 12" captures Gordon's signature style, blending deep house textures with soulful samples and organic instrumentation. Known for his unique ability to fuse genres, Gordon's latest edits bring a fresh twist to timeless sounds, perfect for both the dancefloor and home listening. Expect warm basslines, catchy melodies, and plenty of groove throughout this standout edition in the series.

Review: American producer Huerta is one of the contemporary tech house world's most standout talents. He has a great range of moods and grooves and his sound designs are second to none, no matter how many jams he kicks out. This latest outing on Leizure is a four tacker with some serious heft: 'Box Of Slicers' is one for the peak of the night with its old school breaks jostling for attention next to pulsing bass, 'Get Your Cave In Order' then hits hard on stripped back, dusty kicks drums that skate along the floor of the club and 'Nx 2 U' brings some slinky percussive deftness and silky pads. 'Cool Frijoles' (feat CJ) is a nice playful beat with super cool charm.

Review: After a decade-long break, Herbert returns with 'Part 9', a continuation of his influential Parts series that has been a cornerstone of leftfield house music since Part One debuted nearly 30 years ago. This release marks the beginning of a renewed focus on Herbert's innovative sound, with 'Part 10' scheduled for later this year and a new album expected early next year. Part 9 introduces collaborations with Momoko Gill, known for her work with artists like Tirzah and Coby Sey. The EP kicks off with 'Fallen,' where Gill's vocals meld with Herbert's minimalist, 90s-inspired production, creating a track that's both haunting and deeply rhythmic. 'Find Me' strips things down with an instrumental that showcases Herbert's skill in blending subtle grooves with engaging beats. The release closes with 'Curt,' a track that feels like a nod to Herbert's roots, fusing minimal elements with house vibes that are both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

Review: Rick Wade has appeared on Rawax's Motor City Edition series on several occasions, making him one of the imprint's most storied artists. The German label thinks this is his strongest release with them to date, and given the quality of its predecessors, that's a bold claim. We certainly agree that it's a strong EP. For proof, check the tactile, semi-organic deep house dreaminess of 'Ride Home', where woozy Rhodes chords and intergalactic synth sounds ride a typically subterranean groove, and title track 'Detroit Noir', a surprisingly sun-kissed, positive and celebratory affair marked out by smoky sax lines and a rubbery bassline. The fun continues on side B, where the wide-eyed, piano-laden warmth of 'After The Party' is joined by the upbeat, techno tempo wooziness of 'All I Need'.

Review: Detroit legend Marcellus Pittman, a member of the iconic Three Chairs collective, teams up with renowned producer James Curd for the AtNosphere EP, marking his debut on Shall Not Fade. This 10" brings all the classic Detroit deep house elements togetherilush synths, smooth vocals, and rolling drum patternsicrafting a track that feels timeless. Curd, known for his work on the GTA soundtracks and various films, adds his production expertise to this collaboration, making the EP a must-have for fans of both Detroit house and masterful production. Two heavyweights on one record, delivering deep house at its finest.

Review: We're surprised that the superhero league The Jazz Avengers aren't more spoken about: the idea seems so familiar yet uncannily unknown, we wonder if the notion of a superhero troupe composed of entirely of Black jazz musicians would've been too disturbing for the US Empire not to suppress. Taking after the idea, Bryan Hervieu's 'Jazz Avengers' EP is an elegant quadruplet of boat-rocking house beats, holding more sway in the domain of vibe than they do in the way of big generic ideas. Igaxx and DJ Dreamboy's 'Through The Night' and 'New Life' move at similar tempi yet vibe at different freqs, the former waxing cowbell and dusky padwork, and the latter serving a relatively purist, calculative 808 jam energy. Jarren's 'Summertime In The 323' segues quite seamlessly out from this session mood, though it does add some surreal, pitch-convected plucks; Hanna's 'Prayin'' is the only soul curveball, its syncopated, pre-one DX7 E-Piano chord preset mixed to an impeccable, gut-churning quality.

Review: The already well-cultured Selections label keeps it classy with this 13th outing. Manooz is at the buttons and taps into a timeless deep house sound from the off. 'Welcome Haruka' pairs widescreen chords with warming, glowing bell harmonies and dreamy vocals. 'JV2080 Infinity' (My Pitch mix) brings more swift tempos and smeared synth work that channels early Detroit. There is a playful skip and some sultry sax lines to 'Essential Sax' which recalls great artists like Jovonn and 'Take One (JX08)' rounds out this most effective and emotive house EP with some soulful Glenn Underground style grooves.

Review: Sound Signature's latest release is an all-star crew affair, with an impressive cast list of vocalists, musicians and producers joining main man Theo Parrish in the studio. He's at the controls on the sublime A-side mix, a jazzy affair where layered twinkling electric piano motifs, spacey chords, jazz-funk riffs and sumptuous deep house grooves combine on a fearlessly loose and organic dancefloor workout. On the flipside friend of the family Dego offers his interpretation, adding even more warmth and some tasty additional hand percussion parts whilst wisely utilizing most of the original version's intricate musical elements.

Review: 'Moonlight Music & You' was the second-ever release on Theo Parrish's now legendary Sound Signature label. This welcome reissue makes it available for all once more and reminds us of the early quality of Parrish's work back in 1997. 'Music' has swirling and humid pads, curious melodies and dusty, stripped-back deep house drums. It's a beautiful place to get lost. 'Moonlite' then picks up the pace but keeps the grainy, lo-fi feel with eerie chords and subtle vocal musings adding to the atmosphere.

Review: It would be fair to say that Mr Fingers 2016 is something of an event release, at least for those who love deep house. While Larry Heard has kept busy - largely with remixes and reissues - this marks the first 12" release under his most famous moniker for over a decade. He begins in contemplative mood, fusing tumbling music box melodies, creepy electronics and nagging 303 lines on "Outar Acid", before laying down some typically blissful, atmospheric deep house on the wondrous "Qwazars". Flip for "Nodyahead", an effortless mixture of heavy dub-house bottom end, African-influenced percussion and moody late night refrains, and the ultra-deep, piano-laden bliss of "Aether".

Review: Jovonn has long been a stamp of real deep house authenticity and quality, and so has his label, Body'N Deep. Here it rolls out another volume of the crucial-for-house-heads BND Project, the fifth in all, and another one packed with heavy hitters such as DJ Spinna, Atjazz, Demuir and Dirty Harry. They all serve up their own distinctive twist on US garage flavours with 'In Awe Of You' laying up lovely acoustic guitar and horns, 'Night Life' going deep and dusty, 'Many Days' bringing some soulful grooves and 'All Niter' rounding out with more characterful synths and life-affirming sounds.

Review: Atlanta's Stefan Ringer is a core part of the superb Atlanta house scene and now he steps up with a debut solo outing for Bristol's Black Acre which showcases a range of influences from radiant, soulful house to innovative machine funk, and all the tunes reflect both personal and cultural narratives. Ringer also nods on his deep ties to Detroit's sound and has previously held a residency at the Sound Table while running the popular Kudzu party. His production transcends genre boundaries while infusing them with community messages and personal expression. Soulflow features the uplifting, soulful title track, the minimal hypnotism of 'What's Your Sign,' the dubstep-influenced 'Cleanse,' and the funk-driven 'Body Know.'

Review: Lars Dales of Dam Swindle and Lorenz Rhode, better known as Sound Support, return to Toy Tonics with the 'Everybody Knows' EP. Following last year's success with 'Higher', which topped Beatport's house charts, this latest offering cements their status as one of the most exciting duos in modern dance music. The EP kicks off with the title track, a playful blend of punchy drums and infectious melodies that immediately sets the tone for what's to come. It's a track designed for the dancefloor, channelling the energy of classic 90s house while incorporating the indie disco flair of the early 2000s. Think Daft Punk jamming with Kerri Chandler while LCD Soundsystem lingers in the background. There's an irresistible groove throughout, something that feels fresh yet familiar, a testament to the duo's ability to draw from their influences without being shackled by them. The follow-up tracks are just as compelling. 'Track Two' continues with a lively rhythm section, its bouncy bassline and percussive elements building an atmosphere that's as suitable for peak-time sets as it is for a chilled-out afternoon session. Dales and Rhode's chemistry shines through, with Rhode's slick keyboard work providing a perfect counterbalance to Dales' production expertise. There's an undeniable sense of fun throughout the EP, each track delivering its own unique moment while still fitting within the overall sound. This release is bound to captivate DJs and dancers alike, with its infectious rhythms, clever arrangements, and undeniable charm making it an essential addition to any set. Sound Support proves, once again, they've got the magic touch when it comes to crafting modern house music.

Review: Former Dope Jams record store legend and deep house devotee Anthony Nicholson has linked up with Swaylo for this new outing on the Bak Muzik label out of the US of A. It features two versions of the same tune, 'Love Take Over In Deep Dark Space,' starting with a vocal. It's a track that locks you into a deep mental state with its spiritual pads and open word musings, wispy chords and deft, airy drums. The instrumental dub mix is even more focused on the lushness of the rhythms and melodies. Sublime.

Review: Some real house legends come together on this This Thing EP by Lukas Lyrestam & Simoncino, with the added bonus of the iconic Robert Owens bringing his signature smoky vocals. This package highlights the exceptional talents of Lyrestam and Italian Simoncino, while remixes by house legends Mr. Fingers and Chez Damier elevate the project even further. The original track is full of Owens' soulful vocals and sets the stage for a timeless house sound that is steeped in class and always going to make a mark.