Review: MoBlack continues to champion the best Afro house with this latest drop from &friends, El Jay and Oluwadamvic. 'Ode Ireti' appears here in four different versions, leading in with the original mix which comes bathed in sultry piano and an understated rhythmic roll perfect for sundown moments. The 'Amapiano Edit' unsurprisingly refigures the groove for all your log drum needs, and then Nitefreak jumps in on the flip for a smouldering deep house version and then Deroos brings his own tracky energy and moody chords to the table to complete a highly workable track served four ways.
Review: London's 1-800 Girls brings cleanly garage and bright breaks to his All My Thoughts label, riffing on the combo of infectious aural hooks and brutalist sonics fashionable among the present chart doyens of UK dance music and techno. 'How I Feel' sounds like an innocent admission of affection in techno-garage form, pairing the flunky inter-jabs of 2-step garage with the cute-aggressive seethes of a repetitious sampled vox; the track centres on a nostalgic, airtight sequence of parapractic phonemes, onto which the listener may project their longings and amours. 'Signal' embraces both big beats and biomech squeaks verging on sports-whistles, while 'Like You Do' returns for a comparatively brooding burbler. Finally, 'Guy's Salmon' rounds things off on a dense sequence of yeahs and ohs, as ever building up a slow-burn of cool wonderment and openness.
Review: Hot Piroski Records have been on something of a hiatus for the last year or so but now make a welcome return with a new EP series. This collaborative affair is the result of an epic journey in an old Mercedes from London to Gunjur and finds label head Robin 12Tree working with The Gambia and Bongo Koi as Gambian Disco Express. 'Enlightenment is Now' marks their first release on Hot Piroski Records and it comes with vocals from Gambian mystic Rev. Joseph N'Gole, recorded on the banks of the River Gambia. This one has already been hammered by Psychemagik, Pete Herbert, and Severino from Horse Meat Disco so it comes quality assured.
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: Digital Tape Recordings kick out another vital 12" on wax here, this time with a third part of their on going and excellent Deep Dub Essentials series. 24HR Experience is at the helm here with a quartet of house and garage collisions that bring the good times. 'The Heaven Track' is a classic US garage cut with stiff snares and low slung drums, and 'Touch The After World' is just as deep and warm. 'Just A Vibe' is the highlight at the end - nice New Jersey drum with warming organ stabs and a carefree groove that effortlessly sweeps you up off your feet.
Review: Though 420 was originally recorded and released in April of 2020, Galcher Lustwerk's pandemic project is an exercise in counting and patience. Originally from a 16 track, 69 minute release only available for Bandcamp for $69 (or $4.20 per track), the 420 project brings us practically brand spanking new Galcher EP, just under a different name. Finally at an accessible price (and including signature Galcher vocals in a majority of the tracks to boot) this vinyl release hopes to bring more fans who missed the original release to the 420 club.
Review: The reissue of Night Passage by 49th Floor on Vibraphone Records is a testament to the label's commitment to quality deep house music. Originally released in 1992 as an Italian ambient house track, 'Night Passage' has been resurrected with identical tracklist as the original, which should delight fans.The Underground Radio Mix kicks off the release with its deep house rhythm and nostalgic piano melodies, capturing the essence of the original while infusing it with a contemporary groove. 'Fast City' adds a nice touch of Balearic flair to the EP, offering a deeper and more atmospheric vibe. On the flip side, the Magic Club Mix of 'Night Passage' elevates the track to peak-time dancefloor status with its infectious energy and pulsating beats. Finally, the Bongo Mix brings a percussive twist to the proceedings, injecting an extra layer of groove into the mix. Overall, 'Night Passage', is a great example at the ideal style of music that blossoming on the underground that perfectly fit the scenery in the Mediterranean.
Review: It's been a while since the Albion stable graced our platters, but they're back in style with more of that on-point house music voodoo for the heat of the night. This single is a vessel for the various sides of Tommi Vicari Jr, who rolls out his Czevski alias to deliver a bruising remix of "57 Hertz" by 76-79. It's a reverb-soaked, dubbed out affair with a rock solid rhythm section and plenty of trippy FX tweaking on top. On the flip it's a different story with a similar feeling as we get the straight up Tommi Vicari Jr material in the shape of two killer tracks crafted for transcendental moments of dancefloor hypnosis.
Review: Watergate, the cult Berlin club known for its riverside location and legendary LED ceiling above the dancefloor, is also a reputable tech house label that deals in fresh names only. Here it is 8Kays that makes a debut with Falling Down, a selection of superb collaborations including 'Matematica' with Glowal which is tense and electric tech with indie vocals and with Juan Hansen he cooks up the medically hopeful 'Falling Down' which then gets two remixes. Colyn & Beswerda make it into a moody and deep groove, Chris Avantgarde brings some peak time prog energy and solo cut 'Lyra' has a warm, paddy broken beat to cruise on through the stars.
Review: 10 Seconds is a series of beat-driven vinyl releases from Canadian artist A Track. He is best known for being a part of the globe-trotting EDM circuit and has been for decades. He also runs his own Fools Gold label and puts out from time to time a series of beat experiments smashed out on his SP1200 drum machine. This series kicks off with a nice red 10" and four cuts of floor-wrecking electro that are raw and brain-frying. They're not big, they're not hard, they're not smart, but they are sure to be damn effective.
Review: A Vision of Panorama and Star Creature continue their successful collaboration with another lovely 12" for lovers of classic house. Following the sold-out Fusion To Illusion LP, this new offering blends deep beats with hints of boogie and r&b in a fine showcase of the duo's signature sound, which is effortlessly cool, timeless, and trend-defying. Featuring vocal contributions from Sykes and Stacie G, the A-side delivers smooth, loungey vibes and includes the 12" version of 'Purple' which has been previously available only as a 7". The A-side also includes the instrumental track 'Ear Dreamin',' while the flip focuses entirely on instrumentals and brings a futuristic yet nostalgic edge.
Review: The diffuse hues and retro-feeling colours of the artwork on this new 45rpm from Star Creature perfectly embody the downtempo and Balearic sounds within. They come from A Vision Of Panorama who seems to ever more have the dance floor in sights over his last few releases. That's not to say these are banging tunes - but they do have lovely grooves. 'Piano Sunset' is a real spine tingler with 80s keys and mid tempo drums that come alive with crisp hits and a fresh bassline. 'Lost In Palms' then has a shuffling and low slung groove with nice wet hits. Add in some more lush chords and you have a real pearler.
Review: He may be based in St Petersburg, a city not known for being a sun trap, but Mikhail Khvasko AKA A Vision of Panorama is incredibly good at making warming, summer-ready Balearic beats. Further proof, should it be needed, arrives via his latest EP for Cala Tarida Musica. In its original form, 'Unconditional' is a terrific slab of Balearic nu-disco/Balearic house fusion - all rubbery bass guitar, smooth bits, gorgeous chords and twinkling melodies. It comes backed with a breezier, breakbeat-sporting 'dub vinyl edit' (an even sunnier and more attractive affair) and an 'instrumental' pass of the more house-centric take. Rounding off another fine EP is 'Shall We', a colourful fusion of jangling house pianos, attractive keyboard sounds and squelchy synth-bass underpinned by a box-fresh, post-electro boogie beat.
Review: Josh Aaron brings some freshness to deep house with a new EP for Trax Research that comes on coloured vinyl, though what colour you will only know when you open it. Opener 'Check It Out' brings breezy vocals to zippy beats and slinky basslines. 'Let Me Out' then takes things down a level for a jazzy deep house number with cosmic synth smears. 'Bronze' gets funky with tight drum programming and the sort of vibrant synth wrk that makes for a kaleidoscopic listen. Last of all 'Get On' is a slinky and high-speed house number awash with colour and a warming soul.
Review: Prescription and Guidance mainstay Abacus has already done enough to assure his eternal legacy in the story of deep house. But thankfully he is still turning out superbly deep sounds that are as profound and emotive as they are heady and escapist. Here he is back on Phonogramme with 'Analogue Stories Vol. 2' which comes on a unique semi-transparent 12'' vinyl. The beats are warm and humid, thickly coated with a diffuse synth hue as the rooted drums roll on smoothly. 'How U Do It' is out pick - a musical odyssey with layers of instrumentation, piano and percussion all topped off with a Moodyman vocal sample.
Byron The Aquarius - "When The Freaks Come Out" (feat Computer Jay) (4:40)
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').
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - Peacey remix) (5:30)
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - Rocco Rodamaal Raw mix) (4:46)
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - South Beach Recycling remix) (6:16)
Review: Steve Butler's most recent full-length excursion as Abel, Cosmic Law, rightly received plenty of plaudits on its release last year. 'Hand Made', a spacey, tech-tinged deep house featuring evocative spoken word vocals by American wordsmith Brother Basil, was one of that set's stand out cuts. This single release naturally features Butler's original mix, plus three new reworks. Rising star Peacey kicks things off with a spacey, bouncy, breakbeat-sporting revision, before Rocco Radamaal delivers an analogue bass-propelled, keyboard stab-sporting 'Raw Dub' that sounds like it was tailor made for dark, strobe-lit peak-time dancefloors. To round things off, sometime nu-disco sorts South Beach Recycling re-imagine the track as an intergalactic, ultra-deep slab of house hypnotism wrapped in spacey electronics.
Review: Three standout tracks from Dave Lee's 2023 album Metamorphosis - which he dropped under his AC Soul Symphony alias - now get pulled apart and reworked by the one and only Dub-disco king Ray Mang. First comes 'It's Got To Be Love' with its super funky and bubbly bass and lush string elegance, then he flips 'Tradewinds' into a deeper, still lush and lavish instrumental disco gem that is seductive and warm for the winter months. Last but not least, 'K-Jee' brings an infectious groove to the dance floor with a little more percussive energy and upbeat bounce - but again swooning strings are the icing on the cake. All three of these are classy and sophisticated reworks from the one and only Mang.
Review: Portland-based Aaron Carlson is AC$ and this is his third outing on the cult Sakskobing label. Once again he comes at house music from a unique vantage point and mixes up the rawness of Motor City hero Omar-S with the disco dalliances of Metro Area and the deep house of Berlin. His tunes are packed with character as well as funky drum patterns such as on the seductive lo-fi house of 'Patio Protocol'. 'No Jello' is a bumping Chicago house cut with nice frayed edges and 'The Big Black Slot' is cosmic tech house with soulful heart. EPs this fresh and classy don't come along often.
Review: This release marks the return of a 1989 classic and it has been remastered for the occasion. Ace Buzz is a project by Tony Baron and Gery Francois, who are known for acts like Teknokrat's. Their track 'Moskitos' is a playful, raw example of Belgian New Beat with a slightly lighter touch than the genre's typical aggression. It features simple Balearic piano chords and samples that evoke a surreal scene of someone in a cheap, hot Ibiza hotel battling mosquitos. The B-side, 'Nuevo Mondo,' shifts to a deeper, more mellow vibe, and is followed by a remix from Anatolian Weapons that transforms the original into something entirely fresh and unique.
Review: Acid Cuts has got more brain twisting 303 madness served up here on a weird and wonderful lathe-cut 8" that is strictly limited to just 50 copies. Acitude is at the helm for this one with 'Bass Of Life' opening up and layer up prickly lines with jacked up beats and screwy bass. A beats version is then another wonky drum-led workout with 'Confused Bass' pushing things further with gurgling lines, pixel thin synths, dusty hi-hats and more analogue drums. 'Feel The Jam' is a final wonky closer.
Review: For the latest missive on his Up The Stuss label, Chris Stussy has joined forces with fellow Dutch star Locklead for a first collaborative EP as Across Boundaries. As you'd expect, it's a bouncy, chunky and melody-rich affair whose four tracks remain focused on the dancefloor throughout. Title track 'Sense of Future' is warming, dreamy and undeniably summer-ready, with talkbox vocals, elongated chords and bubbly electronic lead lines leaping above a thickset bassline and energy-packed beats. 'Strummer' is a more tech-tinged affair - check the meandering, TB-303 style motifs, sci-fi sounds and rolling drums - while 'Nightcreeper' is a foreboding peak-time pumper and 'Cold December' sits somewhere between classic deep house and elastic European tech-house.
Review: Adam Antine is also known as Dawn Razor, a prolific producer covering all kinds of styles from bass-toting broken techno to slender minimal on labels like R&S, Otake and Baroque. Now he lands on Deepology with a masterful EP of contemporary minimal which draws on breakbeat as much as glitchy electronica and ambient to create a standout EP. The title is instructive - all the tracks carry a dusky, seasonal mood which elevates these beyond simple club tracks, even if they have more than enough presence in the rhythm section to keep a dancefloor moving. Lose yourself in the fluttering piano and murmuring pads of the title track and you'll practically feel the leaves crunching under your feet.
Review: Originally from Normandy but now residing in the French capital, DJ/producer Adam Boufeldja aka Adam BFD is responsible for the prolific output of self-released singles and curating his self-titled Youtube channel. His latest release is a fitting one for London based label Running Out Of Steam, with its clear UK dance music influences throughout. Whether it's the sublime coastal breaks of opening cut "I'll Be Walking" or the Shut Up And Dance styled proto-jungle breaks of "Call A Taxi" on the A side, or the emotive broken beat deep house of "No Advice" through to the understated mystery of "An Ode To La Condesa" over on the flip - this one's top!
Review: There's plenty of hype swirling around this short-run debut from Londoners Adelphi Music Factory, with regular radio plays and appearances in a host of top DJs' set lists resulting in insatiable demand. It helps, of course, that "Javelin" is an absolute beast. Packed with energy, the A-side version sees them generate maximum sweatiness by working cut-up gospel vocal samples atop a loopy, full-throttle, techno-tempo disco-house groove. Honestly, it's one seriously heavyweight rub that's guaranteed to get dancefloors eating out of the palm of your hand. The B-side "Dub" is, if anything, even wilder and heavier, with the little-known outfit utilizing stretched-out, delay-laden vocal lifts and restless piano stabs over ten action-packed minutes.
Review: We can confirm that Adam "Admin" Wickens is not only a hugely talented DJ and producer, but also a thoroughly nice chap. Here he makes his bow on Better Listen with a three-tracker packed to the rafters with warmth, soul and groove. Check first A-side "Adjust Your Love", a sample-fired workout that effortlessly joins the dots between disco, deep house and star-kissed jazz-funk, before turning your attention to the chopped-and-screwed samples, toasty sub-bass, languid beats and echoing piano snippets of "Easy Love Dub". The Bristol-based producer rounds things off in fine style via "Horizons", a slightly bouncier house cut that makes great use of some bluesy piano samples and another stoned, glassy-eyed bassline.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Vibrations (6:55)
Infinite Function (7:25)
Original Sin (8:12)
Vibrations (Malin Genie remix) (5:06)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Fuse is one of those labels and parties that has a very distinctive sound and hardcore following for it. Spearheaded by Enzo Siracusa and now a real institution of the underground, here it looks to Admnti for three fresh new sounds. 'Vibrations' is kinetic future music that twists together wiry synths and tight tech drums into something irresistible. 'Infinite Function' is another brilliantly infectious mix of tech and dub that makes for high-speed groove-thrills and 'Original Sin' then takes a more spaced-out approach with warped acid lines. Malin Genie remixes the opener with a cool sense of deep house smoothness.
Review: Skylax has never cared for trends of fads and has always dealt in classically inclined house music from artists old and new. The French imprint now looks to Nicolas Aftalion for the second volume of his Spirit of House EP. He captures just that expertly with the opener 'Cruise In Paradise' riding a nice mid-tempo groove with heartfelt vocal hooks. 'A Message To Mad Mike' ups the energy a little with more prominent pads and 'Paris Is Burning' taps into a sense and soulful groove with lush, lazy drums. 'Soulful In Paris' has a nice 90s feel the way the chords and drums sit with one another and is sure to bring the good times.
Review: Ron Morelli's long-running and always forward-thinking L.I.E.S label looks to prolific producer Orion Agassi who hails from Spain and has proven himself as a real house mainstay. He backs up that reputation with six cuts of "straight up beat tracks for the club." They are inspired by the legacy of early WBMX mix shows and come with a hint of Latin flavour, with hammers percussion, snappy drum patterns and fiery vocals all making for a nice and wonky workout across a range of inviting tempos. A very useful album that has something for a wide spread of dance floor moments.
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.
Disco Heritage (Alexander Skancke Game-Over remix) (5:29)
A Waking Dream (acappella) (4:16)
Review: The debut EP from Ageless is a catchy, exciting dance record that spreads itself across genres like house, disco, electro and minimal. Collaborating with Alexander Skancke, Ageless delivers a collection that transcends mere music, serving as a homage to the enduring influence of art as each track pulsates with Ageless's distinctive vision, weaving hypnotic rhythms and enveloping melodies that evoke the sensation of an awakening dream. Also features a remix of each main track by Alexander Skancke that makes this a groove packed, versatile package.
Review: All that jelly and no toast - like when you find a bomb tune that's unavailable on 12". The new sublabel of Smile for a While is exactly about this. Clubby House Music by well-established producers as well as from lesser-known guys. French guy Alex Agore opens the EP with the Lowtone remix of "What Did I Do" - cut-up Garage House to the maxx. Max Chapman from London delivers another belter; a bassline-driven organ House tune with a minimalistic but very effective set-up. Oleg Poliakov - aka SKAT and one of the guys behind Circus Company - comes up with a sublime but powerful Tech House tune, in the original sense of the genre name. "Jazzve" is a tune by Russian producer Mutenoise. It's maybe the most original, innovative tune on this EP. Full of surprises and cutting-edge elements - hard to compare to anything else around these days.
Review: David Agrella returns to his Agrellomatica Records with the spacey house sounds of 'Flowing', featuring remixes from Ben Hauke & Mr Barcode. Hot on the heels of his recent 'Freedom Unfolding' release, praised by Raresh, Sasha, Laurent Garnier, Vladimir Ivkovic and Dorian Paic, Italian-born tastemaker David Agrella is back on his Agrellomatica imprint with more intergalactic fire. This time, the London-based selector serves up four groove-laden cuts across 'Flowing', including remixes from Woop Records' Ben Hauke and Into The Wizards' Sleeve Mr Barcode.
Title track 'Flowing' is a cosmic voyage peppered with glossy pads, eerie synths and sharp percussion, before Agrella's own 'Sabotage Mix' throws in deep, driving tones, subtle robotic vocals, and interstellar keys. On the flip, Ben Hauke delivers a dubbed-out reshape, harnessing fluttering echoes, emotive harmonies and deep basslines. To close, Mr Barcode provides a punchy electro remix, as warped samples and driving low-ends get down in this slice of dancefloor mania.
Review: London-based Italian David Agrella is the man behind the Agrellomatica Records label and now for its fifth release, he has tapped up some undeniably quality names to remix the title tune from his debut Modulo EP back in 2007. Baby Ford kicks off with a deliciously deep and dubbed-out minimal house roller that is detailed with wispy chords and eerie vocalisations. Agrella himself then flips it into a rubbery 909 workout with pops and bubbles next to the leggy drums. GNMR goes for a gritty, heads down and back room techno roller and to close, NDR brings a retro techno sound with molten acid lines. All in all a very useful outing.
Review: Brixton-based David Agrella returns after the success of his Baby Ford-remixed 'Modulo 02', with two tracks and a nifty remix of each to boot. 'I Felt It Coming' is a heady peak time track, with Underground Resistance-style drum machine handclaps and an addictive synth hook and all the suspense and drama of a Stephen King horror tale. Domenico Rosa's remix turns that frown upside down, converting it into a perky, cheeky and altogether lighter workout that nevertheless will keep feet on the dancefloor. 'Reflexion Nocturna' (Priori remix) kicks off the B-side with fizzling dub techno stealth, subtly embellished with a smidgeon of 'Funky Drummer' breakbeat, while Agrella's original closes proceedings with head down, echo-set Leftfield-style prog house skank. Not for nothing is this chap known as one of the techno scene's fastest rising new names.
Review: Religion, and specifically gospel music, always played a key part in shaping the sounds and emotions of easy house music. It is clearly going to have just as much impact on this new label God Iz Enough which debuts with an EP of the same name from Tomi Ahmedeus. His style on the opener is to lay down raw and dusty beats with an early Windy City feel and infuse them with evocative, guttural gospel vocals that really bring them to life and make them inescapably emotive. 'The Rise Of The Guttersnipe' strips things back a little and brings a shuffling tech vibe with some glistening melodies while 'Ms Ludus' is a gorgeous ambient closer.
Review: Damian Lazarus's Crosstown Rebels kicks on with more useful house fuel here, this time from the fast-rising Airrica whose playful sounds have begun to make a mark in the same way as have her DJ sets across some of the UK's most notable events. There is a garage vibe to 'Hi Speed Lover' with its dusty drums and old school melodies, while Nick Morgan remixes it into a deep-cut house groove for late nights. With 'Cherries', Airrica layers up floating beats and pads with sensual vocals to make for something that will encourage dance floors to zone out. A Kinahau reworks it into even more dreamy territory.
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