Juno Recommends Deep House: June 2023

Review: The unstoppable Eastenderz label run by East End Dubs is now well over 50 releases deep yet still serves up music that makes a real impact when it arrives. Max Dean is behind this latest fresh fusion of house, dub and tech with 'Can't Slow Down' opening up on a way of subtly uplifting synths and with throwback vocal samples adding some good time magic. 'Focus' is more bubbly and bouncy, with rich and glowing melodic daubs looping over a slick groove. 'Uppy' is a third and final buffed up tech cut with rasping bass and plenty of colourful synths all bringing it to life.

Review: Parkway head honcho Mark Seven knows a thing or two about crafting effortlessly authentic house music that takes you back to an 80s Chicago street party you never actually experienced. He pulls off the trick again here with a new 12" on his own label that sinks you into dusty, well-swung and stripped-back lo-fi drums and glorious melodies right off the bat with 'Sunsplash Vibes'. 'Original Vibes' has nice pixelated chord vamps and scruffy, Peech Boys-style drums. 'Smooth Vibes' them brings glistening bell melodies that chime with futuristic feels over the sashaying drums. Pure vibes all round.

Review: Jimpster is a rare breed of producer, having straddled many a pigeonholeable dance style over the years. Here, though, he settles for a texturally rich take on deep house, enlisting the help of South African singer and songwriter Mavhungu for two originals, 'Tribute' and 'Jacidswing', plus two reinterpretations from Yoruba Records founder Osunlade. The former track lays bare how nicely Mavhungu's vocals work with the deep house formula, its 4x4 stasis providing a suspenseful backbone over which the larynx can flow. Osunlade adds his own flavor of Afro-Latin percussion and keys, producing a vibe of equal captivation.

Review: D3 Elements is an always cultured deep house label and so it is no surprise to find the great US producer Alton Miller has been recruited for a new EP. He has a richly musical sound and roots that go back decades, and it shows: 'Clone' is the sort of stylish backroom house that layers diffuse chords with dusty drums and cannot fail to warm the heart. 'All Of It' explores more broken and Afro-tinged drum patterns with golden Rhodes chords and astral leads. This top trio is completed with the funky kick patterns and perfect soulful vocals of 'Waitin 4 You'. Detroit mainstay Kevin Reynolds remixes it into a hypnotic Motor City roller.

Review: A fresh and rather unusual pink wax 7" fromCanadian DJ and producer Eddie C, 'Nite Moves' shows off the artist's precision editry with eclectic production nuances and riffy glue. The A comes through with lyrically-confounding sampledelic soul flair, while the instrumental B 'Smokey Bay' grows more Balearic as it embers away. This EP truly is skilfully done, as we can't track down the original tracks Eddie's used, so let's hope your ear's curious enough revel in, and even rise to the challenging of identifying, a mysterious sample.

Review: Given that Nick Anthony Simoncino's take on house has always been nostalgic and retro-futurist in nature, frequently paying tribute to the '80s and '90s work of key American producers, it seems fitting that his latest 12" boasts rubs of catalogue tracks from two deep house icons, Larry Heard and Ron Trent. Heard steps up first with a version of 'Cosmic Paradise' that peppers a tactile, hardware-driven groove with sparkling, freestyle/Italo-disco style synth riffs and plenty of the Chicagoan's fluid piano motifs. Trent delivers his interpretation of 'Warriors Dance', offering a Latin-tinged drum machine rhythm, spacey chords for days, attractive synth sounds aplenty and echoing, dubbed-out electronics. Both reworks are, as you'd expect from such giants of deep house, utterly gorgeous.

Review: The GLBDOM label is on a roll and we don't want it to stop. As was the last with the seance EP, this one is a various artists' affair pressed on nice heavy vinyl to match the heavy sounds. Ollie Rant opens with the quirky melodic leads and sleazy deep house loops of 'Aaaww Yeh' before Manuold brings some Chicago bump and grind on 'Roots.' The hats and drums are perfectly raw and lead you 'Deeper Underground' and into the jacked-up hands of Yann Polewka. Last of all comes some cheeky garage swing and swagger courtesy of DAN T's' nice dry 'Hold Me'.

Review: Michigan native Rick Wade is widely respected as one of the pioneers of deep house, and is the founder of the legendary label Harmonie Park. In honourable Detroit style, his latest release My Soul shoots for a star that only the most adept producers in the scene dare to even gaze at, laying down a mammoth, single track that amounts to 16 minutes long, known as 'The Emperor'. Plus, two further tricks appear on the A, 'Lonely Expedition' and 'My Soul'. Though it indulges the cliche of sampling Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator speech, the release remains impressive for its length alone. And although making ultralong tunes isn't something inalienable to house music, it certainly implies certain artists have transcended the ways of mere mortals.

Review: Fans of traditional US house - and why wouldn't you be - will salivate over this new EP from the Plastik People label. It's a pure and feel-good four tracker steeped in New York style that brings those magic 90s vibes to the dance floor. First up is the warm and bouncy '4 Real' (937 main mix) with its dumpy kicks and humid organic chords, then 'Psycho Times' ups the pace with a nice grinding bassline and heavy US garage vibes in the chuffing kicks while 'Dusty Sound' owes a debt to the one and only Kerri Chandler for its lush and jazzy musicality. Timeless stuff.

Review: Fresh from delivering a solid three-tracker on Drum Chums, Hidden Spheres returns to Rhythm Section International with what could be his most expansive and hard-to-pigeonhole EP to date. The Manchester producer excels on the A-side with 'Tanzen', a pleasingly nostalgic, warehouse-ready affair available in two distinctive forms: the breezy piano-sporting, summery, analogue-rich deep house gem that is the spine-tingling club mix, and the sweat-soaked, sub-heavy jack-track that is the 'Mate mix'. Elsewhere, he opts for weighty sub-bass, looped stabs and vintage turn-of-the-90s deep house vibes on 'Mind Over Mate' and reaches for sparse electro-not-electro beats on the late '80s early morning brilliance of 'Not Of This World'. To round off the EP, Paula Tape opts for hands-raised acid house nostalgia on her fine revision of 'Tanzen'.

Review: Chaos In The CBD launch their new label, In Dust We Trust. The imprint is a collaboration between the London-based Kiwi brothers (Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales) and their friend Jon Sable. This release, Accidental Meetings, inaugurates the new label. Starting off with the dusty, soulful and emotive title track which is reminiscent of classic Nick Holder with its sultry vocals atop, they're then into some emotive hi-tech soul on "North Pole Cafe". But they save the best for last with the great vibes of "United Identities" which channels that same life affirming groove as their recent track "Natural Taboo" on the Craigie Knowles compilation: only this one gets some serious Latin rhythms happening much like Joe Claussell circa "Je Ka Jo". Choice!

Review: If anything, the hugely prolific Motor City mainstay that is Omar S seems to be getting even more prolific as time goes on. His vast catalogue grows once more here with Fun House, which finds Alister Fawnwoda exploring a wide range of dance music styles alongside guests such as FXHE regular John F.M., plus Mitchell Yoshida, Super Cool Wired, Troi Alexis, Tyesha Blount and more, with all the production, lyrics and mixing taken care of by Omar S himself. The tracks range from seductive deep house to edgy mechanical techno, dubbed out downbeat joints and smooth electronic Detroit soul. It is yet another crucial chapter in the FXHE and Omar S story.

Review: Politics Of Dancing once again gets our vote here with some balmy deep house propositions from the eponymous production team working alongside French stylist Djebali. 'Close To Gate' layers balmy pads and smeared chords over punchy and dynamic drums with plenty of cosmic effects up top. There is a little more urgency to 'Soul Brothers' which skates and skips along nicely beneath shimmering vocals sounds and wispy melodies. 'Simple Minds' brings more physical drum work and infectious finger clicks while the Franco Cinelli remix gets things on more of a breezy and rolling tip. A useful, heartwarming EP of modern deep house music.

Review: Age of Rage aka the studio powerhouse pairing that is Dubbyman and Dan Piu is back on Sole Aspect with a third outing. The title of this one, Credo, is from the Latin word for a "firm set of beliefs and principles." It finds the duo serving up deeply soulful spirits and romantic atmospheres with dusty house beats as the vehicle. 'Open to Close' is balmy and gentle, with the dub even more warm for you to sink into. 'Fake Action' brings shuffling grooves and lush cosmic designs and 'Lover' is a smoochy closer that echoes Sade. Lovely stuff as always from this accomplished partnership.

Review: Larry Heard once said that he stumped upon his trademark dusty deep house sound rather by mistake - he was simply trying to recreate the instrumental disco of his childhood on the limited machinery he had available at the time. Either way, he went on to explore and exploit its most spiritual and spine-tinging aspects across a faultless discography that often looks to the cosmos for inspiration. That is true of this second volume of his Around The Sun album on his own Alleviated Records. It's another fine showcase of Chicago house, deep house, jazz and r&b that is utterly timeless.

Review: Quantize's second offering is another irresistibly lovely house EP with funky and soulful vibes to spare. It's a varied bag of artists at the controls with Michele Chiavarini going first with the throwback vocals and piano-laced house grooves of 'Let Me See You Clap Your Hands'. Emmaculate's 'Konga Madness' has stomping Afro vibes and big horn energy making for a big carnival vibe and then things get impossibly smooth and seductive on the flip with Terry Hunter, DJ Spen & Reelsoul combining to great effect on 'Warning' (feat Rona Ray. Last of all is a sunny take on Michael Jackson's 'Rock With You' that has been all re-sung and reworked by Reelsoul, Tasha LaRae & DJ Spen.

Review: Victor Simonelli's house music legacy is assured - he more than made his mark on the genre back in the 90s with plenty of iconic cuts and legendary DJ sets and now that is all being highlighted by this ongoing multi-part series from Unknwn. The comprehensive collection looks at the early years here with some of his top mixes including those that have not previously been released. There is an in-depth almost hour-long audio and written interview between BTG founder Alex Rose and Victor to go with this release that is well worth finding.

Review: Is A Feeling follows up its debut 12" with a classy and varied house offering from Triform. It kicks off with some old school and jacked-up sounds on 'Not For Radio' where analogue drums, silvery cowbells and ticking hi-hats get you in a sweat. Then it's a more drum-led and low-slung affair on the swinging 'Dub 3'. 'Mr Chr$ (65)' shows this artist's range as things become more stripped back and tech-inclined, with silky drum loops and watery droplets backed by diffuse chord work. 'Timeless Groove' then heads back to the old school with lush piano chords and sustained pads bringing the good times.

Review: Detroit legend Omar S returns this week on his always different but always unmissable FXHE label with the bouncy and neon-lit groove of 'Hard Times', which sees him collaborate once again with Megan Louise of Canadian outfit Desire (Italians Do It Better) on vocals. The original comes backed with a handy instrumental mix and a dreamy, plus an evocative rework by IDIB chief Johnny Jewel over on the flip.

Review: A regular to the Shall Not Fade output, Columbian producer Felipe Gordon returns for a collaborative EP with Belgian artist, Krewcial, for a deep dive into their shared sonic world. An ode to their shared love of cycling, this EP traverses many textures and terrains, ascending into moments of brightness and descending into deep atmospheres. The first track, '1972', kicks off with an outer casing of flecked percussion, before the introduction of a driving, hill-climbing bass line. Track number two, 'Dying', features rousing choir vocals, bringing a gospel-sensibility to the firmly funk-tied bass line. On the B-side, 'Answer' has a careening melody with hints of nostalgia, side-stepping between satisfyingly clean kick drums and brusque snares. The flip also features a remix by Session Victim - a beautifully floaty reimagining of the more grounded original. A highly multifaceted release and a strong addition to Shall No Fade's already gleaming catalogue.

Review: The fifth entry on the M.A.D. Records series comes from Rakim Under, following up on their first appearance with the 'Lady J' re-fix on M.A.D. EDITS 003. Once again the label holds true to its dedication to the dancefloor by platforming these fast and furious hip-hop breakin' house jams, which roll from the dexterous drum funk of 'Blind' to the rolling, jazzy and Loom-bird toting 'If U Wanna'. The good-times vibe maintains on the B-side as a sweatier jack emerges around 'Te Siento Dentro', a faithful revision of a prototypical house joint, and then we're treated to the uptempo Latino rap throwdown of 'Vice'. If you want to set a party alight, every one of these tunes has all you need to get some heat generating out on the floor.

Review: Endangered Musique kicks off with a high-quality reissue of an EP that deep house heads will either already know or soon grow to love. It was written by Jose Chinga in 1994 and is an alias of an artist better known as Brothers' Vibe aka Tony Rodriguez. The opening tune 'Love Is What You Need' is also the most well-known - it's US garage with low-slung drums and grainy pad work with a simple but effective vocal. 'I Got You' picks up the pace with shuffling drums and a grinding lead before the warm 90s house sounds come to the fore again on 'Let It Go' and 'Riding On A Cloud'. Lovely stuff.

Review: Razor-N-Tape welcomes a London newcomer to their hallowed ranks with this latest 12". Cody Currie is a young, ambitious and already accomplished producer with a mature sounds that belies his age. He shows off a love for dusty deep house and great sampling here with a blissful title track that soon wins you over to his ways. 'Infinity I & II' then layers up jazzy drums and perc with muted horn leads into something warm and steamy. 'Make Love' then gets the hips swinging with louche drums and more cut-up chord and vocal stabs. 'Magic City' closes down with a florid touch.

Review: Mysticisms continues its global search for amazing music, hitting gold again with an EP of four previously unreleased house meets IDM with a dreamy edges by Romania's HAN aka Dan Handrabur, culled from early studio recordings between 1991-95. After getting into record store culture he began building a studio and eventually gave up studying in favour of production, relocated to Vancouver, Canada, where his debut release (as X Drone with Adham Shaikh in 1993) began to establish Handrabur's role as an integral part its electronic scene. Appearances with Harthouse, Exist Dance, Eye Q Records and many more followed, plus collaborations with the legendary Phil Western. The four tracks here haven't aged at all, with nimble beats, action-packed arrangements and dreamy atmospheres, 'Give In & Resist' coming on like Rising High-era Mixmaster Morris crossed with the playfulness of Air Liquide, and 'Phantasme' revelling in the same cross-rhythmic fun that informed The Black Dog's classics.