Juno Recommends Deep House: May 2023

Review: Constant Sound co-owner James 'Burnski' Burnham delivers a stonking pair of garage-flecked house tracks that offer up no nonsense dancefloor attitude in spades. 'Shout' is all about its monster rhythmic framework, with economic splashes of synths on the side simply maintaining the flavour and a properly full on old skool breakdown. Flip track 'Remember' leans a little further towards UK garage with its sugar sweet female vocal snippets, but the central groove hustles and bustles along with maximum weightiness, making it suitable for any number of differing dancefloors.

Review: Reel People Music continues to dig into its vast back catalogue and producer sampler EPs containing some of the imprint's most sought-after (and often previously digital-only) tracks. Fittingly, label founders Reel People kick things off via a lusciously warm, percussively punchy Fouk remix of Speech hook-up 'I Never Knew', which giddily blurs the boundaries between deep house and hip-house, before Turbojazz and Sean McCabe add a subtle broken beat swing to their inspired deep house fix of Lydia Hyrell's sumptuous cover of r&b classic 'Heard It All Before'. Elsewhere, the Layabouts deliver a vocal remix of their own jazz-funk-flecked summer house classic 'Colours of Love', while the mighty Atjazz doffs a cap to friend Osunlade on his superb rework of Imaani's 'Found My Light'.

Review: Now that Heist Recordings is 10 years old, label bosses Dam Swindle have decided the time is right to launch a new series of EPs featuring big tunes and sought-after classics from the imprint's archive. Fittingly, volume one begins with the track that opened the label's debut release - the classic US deep house style bounce of Dam Swindle's 'The Breakup' - before we're offered the chance to savour the organ-rich, hands-in-the-air positivity of Scan 7's brilliant 'The Best Is Yet To Come'. Over on the B-side, Fouk's 'Kill Frenzy' is a dusty, jazz-sampling deep house treat, Demuir's 'Werq Feel Gruv Vogue' is a twinkling, loop-based dancefloor delight, and Adriano's 'Me & You & Her' is a sun-splashed, disco-flecked peak-time treat.

Review: More 'different strokes for house folks' as the Faith crew returns to wax, this time with a swathe of new revisions of classic cuts. On the A-side you get two fresh takes on 90s anthems by Farley and Heller's Roach Motel project: a joyously bouncy, peak-time ready dance through the pair's 1993 gem 'Movin On' courtesy of Darius Syrossian, and a chunky, restless and subtly pitched-down Harry Romero rework of the pair's infamous mid-90s tribute to DJ Pierre, 'Wild Luv' (wild pitch, I think I love you). Over on the B it's all about Cevin Fisher's turn-of-the-millennium workout 'Love You Some More'. Harry Romero channels the spirit of Twilo on a dense, big-room ready early morning tweak, before Fisher himself delivers a low-slung take propelled forwards by a massive bassline. Sweat-soaked goodness all told!

Review: When it featured in its original mix form on Omar-S's Pain EP, 'I Love Your Girlfriend' was something of a blink-and-you-miss-it gem: a two-minute fusion of piano-powered balladry, seductive soul vocals (provided by guest singer John FM) and sparse, occasional house beats. It was crying out for an extended mix, and the Detroit legend has duly delivered. Now five minutes in length, with more prominent drums, extensive use of P-funk style synth squiggles and auto-tune effects, the mix effectively re-imagines the track as a fluid, soulful, piano solo-laden club track that's as classy as it is tasty.

Review: Having graced the likes of Razor N Tape, Classic and Shall Not Fade, in recent years Cody Currie has bedded himself in deep on Toy Tonics - just check the London-based producer's Lucas LP from last year if you need further proof. The label have taken a peep back at that album to serve up this feel-good remix package with some serious talent on re-fix duties. First up Dan Shake serves up a tough-bumpin' version of Cash before Sam Ruffillo and Kapote have fun amping up the funky elements of the track. On the flip, the mighty Kaidi Thatham lays down a typically soul-charged version of 'Money' before Jamie 3:26 takes the track deeper, riding on a sweet Moog bassline that will pull in the stiffest of crowds until everyone's feeling good and loose.

Review: Rebirth is thrilled to announce the release of three bonus parts of the 'Ciao Italia. Generazioni Underground' album in 2023, available on limited edition vinyl. 'Ciao Italia' Bonus Quattro, Cinque and Sei continue to connect two generations - the trailblazers of the early 90s and those continuing the legacy today, with a futuristic perspective and renewed energy. Bonus Sei includes classic tracks from legends like Doni & Leo Young, Pastaboys, G.P.M., Steve Mantovani, Dan-E-Mc, Daniele Mad, along with unreleased material from newer Italian artists such as Hiver and Feel Fly.

Review: Kai Alce's faultless NDATL label brings us more goodies direct from his base in Atlanta, which might be best known for its rap but also packs a punch when it comes to house music. This one is from Rasheeda Ali, a new name that might be familiar to anyone who heard Kai's 'Sheed's Move' tune from a previous EP. She has also been on stage with none other than Jeff Mills and here her flute skills come to the fore with production from Kai. 'Libra Ascending' has a snappy bounce, then 'Sheed's Rising' showcases Rasheeda's gymnastic flautist abilities. A fine debut.

Review: Yellow Jackets follow up on releases featuring the likes of Marcellus Pittmann, Fred P, Jose Rico and Specter with this sixth volume of machine soul. On the A-side it's Deenamic on the buttons, previously spotted on Neroli with the likes of Volcov and Marcello Napoletano. His approach to house music is scuffed and bumping around the drums, and full of pure soulful elevation in the synth lines - for a producer from Madrid he sure captures the spirit of Detroit in his production. On the flip Byron The Aquarius slips into light-touch drum & bass with ample swerves into half-time lounge bliss - a meandering mind-massage with contributions from Computer Jay, one for all machine jazz meditators to savour.

Review: Ten Lovers Music once again leads from the front when it comes to rich house grooves. This one features four different artists, starting with Stefano de Santis and his golden 'Broken Fusion' which is just that - cosmic synth lines singing loud and proud over fluttering snares and broken drums. Melchior Sultana's 'Slap' has a chunky US garage feel with warped chords smeared up top and then Jose Rico comes through with two gems - 'Silence Sentences' is a pensive one with lingering piano notes having in the air above a supple groove, while 'Minimalism' is pure blissed out sunset house. Caruso brings some Latin and percussive flair to 'Chiariello' to round out.

Review: Cardiff-born DJ and producer Elkka packs a lot in to her entry in the hallowed DJ-kicks mix series including two exclusive new tunes of her own such as 'Hands' and 'Body' with Jeigo. There are also new bits form the legendary Herbert as well as Villager and all in all they add up to a spellbinding mix which reflects her eclectic but always coherent approach to DJing. Here the standout tunes are pressed up to vinyl as rumours of an album on Ninja Tune to come at the end of the year grow ever louder.

Review: Curveball creator Moscoman has been bringing new influences to electronic music for years now, as has his Disco Halal label. It is there he returns with new EP Rob The Plants and four tracks of intense and steamy house and techno with his signature synth twist. There is a pulsing bass energy to the opener 'Bouabre' which is wried up with freaky vocals, then the title track gets playful with psyched-out cosmic leads and tight, bouncy bass and beats. 'Can You Dig It' is tripped out and leftfield techno-wonk before the more zoned out and late night dubby 'Nishar Levad'.

Review: Twoslice draws heavily on New York garage house and speed garage on what is ostensibly a 'tech house' EP - 'Miss Manhattan'. The French producer drops it here as his debut for his local pushers House Puff, which is a fitting name, as they must be puffing out their chests at this one. Ultimate slappage is achieved through 'Slice's careful, precision command over snappy transients and rapid-fire syncope, with the track 'Nano' in particular doubling down on the fact that Twoslice is skilled, and knows it.

Review: Discover all the gems of house music in a double vinyl special collection selected by the Rex Club, the emblematic Parisian club that has hosted the greatest names in electronic music. Local legend Point G nails that French Touch vibe on the sublime classic 'Underwater', and there's the Masters At Work with India classic 'I Can't Get No Sleep' - a true zeitgeist of 90s US house, as is Logic's seminal 1990 anthem 'The Warning' - a staple of the Strictly Rhythm back catalogue. Another quintessential track from the club's heyday comes from the inimitable Etienne de Crecy on 'Prix Choc', the timeless, balmy summertime groove that is 'Byrdman's Revenge' by Mike Delgado, and representing the new school is Leo Pol on a similar vibe with 'Chantal'.

Review: Eccentric drummer and project leader Ziggy Zeitgeist helms the Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange, an ultra-versatile jazz band hailing from Berlin - he's also an integral part of the band 30/70. While major jazz freakouts of the improvisatory kind are ZZFX's usual penchant, especially on their albums, the new 'Kreuzberg Kix' EP series is far more focused on laying down danceable house and broken beaty cuts to wax. This one's got three tracks of deep and atmospheric house, with the B-siders moving off into the world of collaboration, with vocalist Wayne Snow appearing on the B for a soul-inflected groover, plus a remix from fresh New York talent Jenifa Mayanja. A more functional curveball for ZZFX, proving they're not limited to just sonic spectacle, and occasionally like to bask in mood-setting too.

Review: Neapolitan Soul Records unveils a new EP, featuring two stunning tracks. The first, 'Just Breathe on Me', is an elegantly deep and energetic Afro-disco groove that features rich percussion and an 'underground' atmosphere. The second track is a collaboration between the Neapolitan producer and London DJ/producer Ace Shyllon, remixing the track 'See My Love', originally produced with Luciano Gioia. The remix merges voice, groove, synth and pads into a sensual and incisive groove suitable for the demanding underground dancefloor. A must-have EP for all deep house enthusiasts.

Review: The next phase for jazzy house, broken beat, uplifting house and all these rather loosely adjacent genres is, without doubt, Sounds Familiar. The new imprint, based in Italy, was launched recently as a home for the eclectic palette of the various tastemakers, producers and DJs at its helm. And their posse, of course: broken beat hero Dego, duo Kamma and Masalo, and new age houser Retromigration are all among its ranks. Highlights of their first volume of sundowners include the trance waver 'Neon Ocean' and the halftime nu-jazzer 'Pausenbrot'.

Review: The Moblack Gold series is a tried and true source of high-quality deep house with a sharp, modern finish, and this fourth volume welcomes some fresh names into the fold. Kadosh's 'Never Too Late' is a driving but simultaneously brooding piece for those moments when you want the party to get a little reflective, while the Caiiro remix of Sparrow & Barbossa's 'Amore Profundo' maintains the temperature while amping up the feels with a heart-rending pairing of vocal and strings. Paco De Rosa's 'Mi Amor' is a slender, sexy slice of minimal deep house with some vivid percussive embellishments, and then FNX Omar's remix of Tolo finishes the record off with a dramatic workout revolving around Ahmed Sosso's distinctive vocal.

Review: Esteemed techno producer Subb An returns with 'Patterns', once more showcasing his patented groovy and emotionally-charged approach. The Birmingham-born producer made a name for himself by branch-swinging between such entrenched dance institutions as Crosstown Rebels and Spectral Sound, but this one marks the start of his very own self-named imprint. New bits like 'Life Cycles' and 'Tides' equate natural processes with the movement of arpeggiated synths, putting forth a neatly euphoric and watery update on the Subb An sound.

Review: On-point Japanese producer Takuya Matsumoto returns to Clone's Jack For Daze label with a follow-up to his brilliantly executed 85-88 EP. He's not discovered a shoe-box of DATs under the bed, but rather is purposefully paying tribute to the early days of house and techno with specific explorations of particular eras and their attendant sounds. This time around we're taken to the early 90s, with some wonderful, varied results. There's lush, FM-embellished deep house on '01 90' and edgy, jackin' techno wormholes opening up on '02 91'. Meanwhile '03 92' retains a healthy bounce and some lush washes of synth, and '04 93' tips towards the kind of garage house you'd find on a Strictly Rhythm record 30 years ago. Crucially, it's all shot through with tonnes more personality than most 90s soundalike records, so full credit to Matsumoto for spelling his intentions out and delivering the goods.

Review: Second time around for one of German house music's most significant releases. Recorded in 1995 and released as the first record on the now legendary Playhouse imprint 'Surprise' is a killer chunk of First Choice-sampling mid-90s, NYC style garage-house/deep house fusion produced by Alter Ego under the alternative Holy Garage alias. This expanded reissue on Running Back bundles the pair's original version with a quartet of reworks, most of which first surfaced in 1996. There's a pleasingly low-slung, off-kilter deep house rework from a then-young Isolee, the snappy, vibraphone solo-sporting 'Fake Jazz Mix', the bleeping, trance-inducing, acid-laden peak-time hedonism of the 'Holy Bassline Mix', and a deep, dusty and pleasingly percussive revision from future Playhouse hero LoSoul.

Review: Some Trans-Atlantic collaborative action here, as New York deep house and techno don Fred P joins forces with London-based French producer Smbd (formerly known as Simbad) for the very first time. Given both producers' undoubted abilities and musical approaches, you'll be unsurprised to discover that 'When The Mantras Return' blends deep, jazzy and intergalactic sounds with beats that variously reference jacking house, broken beat and intergalactic techno. Highlights include the jazzy, deep space house of 'Be Your Self', the acid-fired heaviness of 'Conscious Feedback (Part 1 & 2)', the dubby, spaced-out house excellence of 'Rawness', and the ambient techno meets broken beat wonder that is 'Innerspace'.