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.
Elevation (Tommy Musto Zero Hour vocal mix) (7:04)
Review: Last summer, Soul Clap Records giddily introduced their first ever singings from the UK, 2Fox, via digital-only vocal house number 'Elevation'. Nine months on, that track has finally made it onto wax, accompanied by the best remixes from the expansive digital EP. In its original extended mix form (A2), the track is a sublime slab of warm, tactile, nostalgic and gospel-tinged deep house excellence with superb lead vocals by Laville. Masters at Work man and all-round NYC great Louie Vega delivers a fantastic, lightly tooled-up soulful house take to kick off the EP, label bosses Soul Clap add tech-house style synths and attractive electronics aplenty, and New York veteran Tommy Musto leans further into 'Calling Your Name' style gospel-house joy.
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: 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.
Now Is Your Time (A Lost Story) (feat Jenifa Mayanja) (7:07)
Review: This three-track release from a legendary Toronto house producer is a cream example in deep house sophistication. 'Kickstarter (Mainpass)' opens with jazzy, melodic elegance, its slick, clean production exuding class and warmth. The track's deep grooves and epic progression make it very appealing for DJ's. 'Music For Table Tennis' shifts gears with an electro-tinged beat, enveloping listeners in a lush, deep soundscape that radiates beauty and warmth. Closing the EP, 'Now Is Your Time (A Lost Story)' featuring Jenifa Mayanja, blends deep house and techno into an atmospheric masterpiece. The production here is next level, with intricate textures and a hypnotic flow. Rooted in the spirit of New York house but imbued with a contemporary finesse, this is a refined and essential deep house release.
Review: Phonogramme is in the middle of a fine series of releases that highlight the great work of legendary US deep house don Abacus. Analog Stories Vol 3 opens with the lush depths of 'It's Bubbling (Short Stories)' then gets more busy with 'Beautiful African Girl' which features humid pads and jazzy keys with dense percussive layers. 'After The Disco' (Submariner edit) sinks back into smooth grooves with light sprinklings of percussion and nimble drums and last of all 'Take A Trip' (feat Keitajuma) closes out with ambient laced and late night sounds.
Review: Deep house originator Abacus is back in the game having revived his Re:Think label "with a new vision & energy." The first EP, Analogue Stories Vol 1, is a bold one that opens with a monologue from a classic New York movie about street gang warriors. It sets a moody tone which then leads into warm deep house grooves. 'Spaceflight' rides on loose, jumbled drums, toms and basslines that are topped with sustained cosmic chords and 'In4mation' then brings heady and wispy melodies that encourage you to dream as the soul-drenched grooves roll on. 'Blaktronics' shuts down with a more prickly percussive edge. It's a welcome return for this master of the form.
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: Acid Pauli and Nico Stojan, the masterminds behind the Ouie label, reunite for another collaborative effort, this time delivering a two-track EP that embodies their signature sound. 'Vola' is a hypnotic and psychedelic journey, its spongy rhythm and eclectic samples creating a lush and meditative atmosphere. The track's intricate textures and subtle melodies invite the listener to get lost in its depths, a perfect example of the duo's ability to craft intimate and evocative electronic music. 'Tensione', the B-side, builds upon this foundation, incorporating modular arpeggios and tasteful pads to create a more dynamic and expansive soundscape. Hypnotic rhythms, intricate textures, and psychedelic flourishes - job done.
Review: After spending the majority of his 20-plus-year career flitting between the Kompakt and Coneme labels, Matias Aguayo makes a rare outing on another label - a delayed debut for Matt 'Radio Slave' Edwards' REKIDS imprint. In its' original form (side A), 'El Internet' is a typically off-kilter affair in which his own poetic, spoken word vocals (in Chilean, of course) and fuzzy, elongated synth sounds ride a beefy but wonky bassline and the long-serving producer's usual South American-tinged, hand percussion-enhanced hybrid house/techno grooves. It comes accompanied by a vocal-free instrumental mix, where the full breadth and depth of Aguayo's production can be heard, and a useful acapella DJ tool.
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.
Review: You always know what you are going to get from Johannes Albert and that is well-crafted house music with a traditional undercurrent but nothing overly slavish to the history. 'Uhh I Like Your Style' is a nice crosier with a melodic bassline and smooth chords that effortlessly sweep you up. 'The Crust Song' is more laidback and dubby, 'Upstanding' then brings some party vibes with the swirling pads and fist-pumping analogue kicks and 'Maintain The Vibe' shuts down with some US garage flair and nice choppy vocal stabs.
Review: Aleqs Notal shares a machinic new EP of counfounding delights for the Industrial Light label, also run by the artist and based out of Paris. Named after the artist's debut release which shared equal sides with fellow producer Modern House Quintet, here Notal changes the game, occupying a full four sides of wax. The A-siders 'City Smile' and 'True I Am' bring atmospheres of motoric rigidity, functioning as premier schema for the human navigation of comparatively less human urban environments. 'Let Me In' and 'Confused Reaction' offer similar blueprints, though there's an ever so slightly upped acidity on the B2.
AfroQbano - "El Bucanero" (feat Kevin Ford - Dez Andres remix) (4:40)
Review: Chicago label Future Rootz is a collective of mix media DJs who all play and rework global roots, tropical bass, world electronic and Latin house. Who better to do that than Detroit's Dez Andres, a deep-diving DJ, house head and producer with Cuban roots. He goes first here with 'El Trombone', which has a signature low-end thump with sunny Latin vocals, joyous horns and florid melodies. He then slows things down with one of his trademark remixes of AfroQbano's 'El Bucanero', which has noodling bass and poolside charm.
Review: Oooh! Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" definitely belongs in the canon of all time modern soul classics. Taken from her 2001 second album Mahogany Soul, the Swizz Beats produced track made optimum usage of an O' Jays sample and was instrumental in that LP going gold and propelling the former D'Angelo collaborator to stardom. It also inspired countless official and under the counter remixes with Blaze's perhaps the most recognisable. So yes this reissue on 7" from Outta Sight is worthy if you don't have the original in your collection and features a housed up remix from Hex Hector on the flip.
Review: You can always rely on Dungeon Meat to kick out the jams and that is the case here with Julian Anthony next up to make a solid house statement. 'Dale Ale' kicks things off with a tumbling hook that sounds like someone whacking a giant metal drum, while 'Phantom Strike' brings shuffling garage energy to the beats. 'Radikal Forze' is one of those late-night jams with some mysterious pads leading you to mischief and last of all 'Z-Town' rides on rubbery kick drum loops with tripped-out pads. Heady and physical at the same time, all four of these are superb.
Review: Given his long-held love of fusing elements of different musical cultures from around the world, Auntie Flo (real name Brian D'Souza) is almost the perfect Multi-Culti artist. It's something of a surprise then to find that this is only his second outing on the label. He begins in confident mood with 'Esperanto', a delightfully melodious, bubbly and synth-heavy slab of chugging sonic joy, before wrapping waves of mind-altering electronics and sun-bright synths around a slipped Afro-tech beat on 'Unua Libro'. Over on side two, D'Souza takes us to a deeper and more immersive place on 'El Heine', explores hybrid cosmic/ambient soundscapes on 'Ho Mia Kor', and doffs a cap to the new age ambient pioneers of times gone by on blissful closing cut 'Mia Penso'.
Review: There's not much info floating around about this one, though it appears to not only be the debut release from the freshly minted I Don't Know label, but also the producer behind it, Awly. As debuts go, it's a cracker. Straight-up peak-time vibes are supplied by A-side 'You Having Fun?', a Soundstream-meets-French Touch style slab of loopy disco-house hedonism peppered with dubby breakdowns and hypnotising nods to the deeper end of the house spectrum. Awly joins forces with Paolo Rocco on the 'Censored Mix' of squelchy P-funk-goes-house number 'What's On It', which includes some fantastic sampled chat in the breakdown, before rounding of a fine first outing via the organ-rich, garage-house influenced warmth of 'Are You Amazing?'
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Born 2 Be Free returns with a second sizzling slab of UKG-flavoured wax and this one from Azaad has a superb throwback feel thanks to the smart sampling. 'Untitled 92' hints at which period this artist has the most respect for with its silky smooth chords and thumping kicks getting you into a nice deep vibe before 'Outta My Mind' hist that bit harder with nice dry, scraping hits, bouncy bass and clipped vocal fragments. The classy vibes continue with 'Torn' which shuts down with a more high speed and slick sound smart snares and a rich, emotive vocal that finishes it in style. Three classy, timeless garage cuts.
A Soft Mist Production - "Upside Down Rainbows" (5:01)
Dr Sud - "Zaffiro" (Jazz cut) (3:59)
DatSIM - "Influx" (4:40)
The Rabbit Hole - "Tail Groove" (4:27)
Review: No matter your particular preference in the deep house world, this various artists' outing from Q1E2 Recordings is sure to have something for you. Mike Riveria & Marco Ohboy, for example, tap into an early sound on 'Euphoria' with its big, brash piano stabs and whistles, while A Soft Mist Production keeps it all cuddly and deep with languid chords draped over gentle drums on 'Upside Down Rainbows.' DatSIM brings in some space-tech vibes for a deft rhythm and neon infused sound on 'Influx' and The Rabbit Hole's 'Tail Groove' has a mad double bass sound jumping about beneath frantic jungle breaks.
Review: Berlin-via-Tokyo artist Courtney Bailey lands on Naarm's Animals Dancing with a debut packed with hypnotic force. Three versions of 'I Wanna Feel You' form the core: the Berlin cut drifts in slow and hazy, Bailey's bilingual vocal wrapping around a rubbery acid line and slinky percussion. Tornado Wallace's Tokyo version ramps up the pressure with sharper drums and a more focused low end, while the short version distils its essence into a tooly spiral. 'Animals Ate The Mushroom' is a wild-eyed polyrhythmic trip, bristling with shakers, broken FX and warped animalistic calls. 'I See The Future' edges closer to dancefloor propulsion, FM bass flickering beneath spectral vocals and birdlike synths. Released on Wurundjeri Country, this marks the offering number 12 from the label and a powerful first move for Bailey. Equal parts lucid and dreamlike, it imagines a world just out of reach: a city populated only by animals, where language breaks down and rhythm takes over.
Review: Radiating in the love she received for her debut EP, Baka G returns to Happiness Therapy with a fresh EP full to bursting with breezy, colourful dancefloor delights. For proof, check title track 'In Circles', where joyous and jazzy synth riffs, kaleidoscopic pads and eyes-closed vocal samples dance atop a 90s garage-house influenced groove. There's plenty to set the pulse racing across the other original cuts on show, from the tactile take-me-to-the-sunset vocals and warming deep house grooves of 'Delta Leonids', to the piano-powered early 90s Def Mix flex of 'The Answer Is Dance'. Also included are two fine reworks: COEO's squelchy, dreamy and sunset-ready rework of 'Delta Leonids' and a wonderfully sparkling, acid-flecked and undeniably life-affirming Marc Brauner rub of 'In Circles'.
Review: DJ Rocca has collaborated with plenty of people before, most notably Dimitri From Paris, fellow Italian producer Leo Almunia and UK chill-out don Chris Coco, but this 12" marks his first EP-length hook-up with Afro-cosmic and cosmic disco pioneer Daniele Baldelli. Unsurprisingly, they've delivered the goods and then some. With its early Warp Records style bleeps, infectious hand percussion, squelchy bass and jammed-out Clavinet licks, 'Rolling Wave' is a future cosmic disco classic. 'Focused Image' is a more chugging and low-slung Afro-cosmic-funk workout with nods to classic house, while 'Marchin' On' adds layers of funk to a throbbing Italo-disco groove. 'Funk Infusion', meanwhile, sees the pair dial up the cosmic disco funkiness to the max. Excellent stuff, as expected!
Young Pulse & Fleur De Mur - "Smooth Sweet Talker" (6:53)
Review: Get yourself geared up for festival season with some fierce party starters certified with the Glitterbox stamp. Melvo Baptiste leads the charge with 'Sweat', a sizzling disco house stomper with Dames Brown giving the biggest diva energy on her show-stopping vocal. Lovebirds bring unbridled joy on the Philly string swoon and slinky b-line funk of 'Burn It Down', while Art Of Tones & Inaya Day keep it peak time on the sassy strutter 'Give My Love'. Young Pulse & Fleur De Mur complete the set with 'Smooth Sweet Talker', another bright and bold vocal cut par excellence.
Review: BDK's Tequila EP from Say Namm White delivers four full-powered, disco-tinged house heaters. Side-1 opens with 'Big Disco Banger,' a high-energy, filtered house anthem true to its name, followed by 'I Don't Want It,' which offers a deeper, yet still anthemic, vibe. Side-2 starts with 'Love Coming Over,' leaning into a Euro disco sound with heavy Fire Island influences. The EP closes with 'Please Don't Rush,' the deepest house track of the lot. If you are a disco house enthusiasts then check this record out because its packed with infectious grooves and vibrant energy.
Crackazat - "Can't Blame A Soul" (Mana dub) (5:51)
Beatsbyhand - "SARS" (6:24)
Review: Kid Fonque presents the sixth instalment of his label Stay True Sounds' compilation series. Showcasing the best of South Africa's dynamic musical talents, this 15-track volume of intense deep house and Afro house cuts is not to be passed over. Highlights on this 12" sampler edition of the wider comp include 'We R 1', a technologically driven, syncopated, trippy Kalahari jam by China Charmeleon and Hypaphonik; and 'SARS' by Beatsbyhand, a hollering ambient amapiano mystery.
Review: There is a great combination of the classic and the contemporary on this new Disco Disco 12". 'Paradise' is both deep yet moving, a warm tune with cuddly drums but retro chords that bring the energy. 'Latino' has shimmering hand claps and sensuous vocals with hulking great kicks that are full of promise. 'It Was Just A Dream' pairs vocoder vocals with glistening synth details and another enthralling and heavyweight house groove and 'RUFF Menace' then taps into 80s synth sounds with its stomping beats and deadpan vocals brought to life with celebratory synth chords.
Review: The first ever release by the elusive Benedict on 12". 'Can't Stop' is a lacrimal liquescence of red-lit dance music, one that does an impressive job of obscuring its vocal sample source, though they've not stumped us: the siftage in question is The Internet's 'Hold On' (2018). Syd Tha Kid's condensed vocals are made nymphlike in their buttery brush-up against warbled deep house prods, marking out a truly luxurious listen.
What You Want (feat Colonel Red - DJ Crisps remix) (7:14)
Let's Get Wild (Orlando Voorn remix) (6:30)
Review: Bouman is looking to establish itself in the deep house world and made a fine start with its first EO, This second one is another head-turner that comes from Benx with a couple of sweet remixes. 'What You Want' (feat Colonel Red) opens up with some soul-drenched sounds and lively drum programming topped with a great original vocal. 'Beautiful' is more warm house with smoky chord work that calls to mind early Kerri Chandler. A DJ Crisps remix brings some real bass weight and garage percussion and last of all, Orlando Voorn remixes 'Let's Get Wild' into a bulky techno roller.
Review: Nick Beringer has always had a slick and stylish sound no matter what niche he is working in. This new outing on Daydream is a four-track exploration of deep and dubby house and tech. Opener 'Hang Time' is fresh tech with painterly synth work. 'Auto Answer' is then loopy and silky with infectious drums and balmy pads, 'Nine To Five' then layers up deft pad work and wispy sic-fi motifs with lush neon colours and 'Intercom' kicks on with groves that exude cool as they journey late into the night.
Review: Big Miz and Bessa join forces on Coolin, a stellar 12" release from Happiness Therapy Records, featuring five potent house cuts that blend deep and tech house influences. Side-1 opens with the title track 'Coolin,' an upbeat and lively house number that channels the vibe of 90s New York house with its infectious rhythm and vibrant energy. 'Fondue' follows, delivering more of that great house vibe, maintaining a groove that's perfect for the dancefloor. 'Movement' rounds out the side, bringing peak-time energy with its driving beats and irresistible hooks. On Side-2, Demi Riquisimo's remix of 'Coolin' cranks up the BPM, transforming it into a techy, faster dub version that emphasises the rhythm and gives it a fresh edge. The OCB X-Press mix takes a different approach, focusing more on the piano and offering a broken house beat stepper that's both dynamic and engaging.
Review: Norm Talley's Upstairs Asylum label approaches its 20th outing with more of that low-key, high-quality house tackle it has long been associated with. Black Eyes is behind the beats and opens up with the nice and lazy, low slung grooves of 'Gerry The Fish Whisperer' then 'Valley Of Sharks' gets more raw and percussive with its energy. 'Soul Fish' lands on heavy, knackered sounding kicks with soft shakers along for the ride and 'The People Want Hydro' closes down with heady pads swirls and wispy motifs that occupy mind and body as one.
Review: You might think you know exactly what to expect from Pressure System EP, the latest offering from Black Eyes, released via HOUSEWAX. The label's dedication to underground club music has always been clear, and this 12" doesn't stray far from that path. But beneath the surface, Matthew Jesus serves up more than the usual deep house fare, with each track revealing a different side of his craftsmanship. The opener, Hydro Warmth, starts gently, with soft keys and a laid-back vibe, offering a warm welcome. But there's more here than simple relaxationithere's an attention to detail that sets the tone without overwhelming. Then there's Blue Grooves, where the mood shifts. The bassline gets heavier, the track's raw energy becomes more apparent, and the melody takes on a darker edge, offering a solid deep house groove that's anything but background noise. On the flip side, Ancient Water Funk changes gears, opting for a more laid-back, funky rhythm. It's smooth, understated, and lets the funk seep through with a restrained confidence. Finally, Bohemian Waters rounds off the EP with a touch of spacey elegance, blending sharp drum patterns with a subtle, dreamlike atmosphere.
Review: Prolific Italian producer Black Loops continues his explorations of deep, groove-led house with the Experience EP. The release serves as a teaser for his forthcoming debut album, both of which arrive courtesy of the always on-point Freerange, and its label boss Jimpster kicks things off here with a rolling, Italo-tinged dub of Electrical, blending modular synth lines with dubbed-out vocals. Black Loops then flips the same track into a funk-fuelled workout, layering guitar licks and a weighty Moog bassline. On the reverse, Experience channels early 90s house with a sultry, Vogue-era feel, while Black Loops' Dancefloor Dub strips it back to a punchy, minimal groove built for late-night floors. Rounding things out is Inmasoul, a jazzy, deep house gem not found on the album.
Review: West London label Slip 'N' Slide continues to refresh the classics, as Seth Troxler and Franck Roger deliver remixes of the 1997 Blaze favourite 'Lovelee Dae'. An artist who needs little introduction, Seth Troxler's name is synonymous with American house and techno of the last two decades, with his formative years in Detroit shaping his sound before moving to the techno capital of the world Berlin. His ventures as a label boss, and club owner of Night Tales, further cemented the talent as an underground hero, and he now joins the likes of Carl Craig, Roman Flugel, and Isolee in giving 'Lovelee Dae' an expertly crafted remix, building from minimal grooves to a grand and immersive wash of sound. Also stepping up on remix duties comes Parisian producer, crate digger and label boss of Real Tone Records, Franck Roger, adding his signature beat focussed approach to the iconic track.
Mood II Swing - "Closer" (feat Carole Sylvan - King Street Moody club mix) (6:17)
Ananda Project - "Cascades Of Colour" (feat Gaelle - Wamdue Black extended mix) (6:46)
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!
Hate 2 Love U (feat Ari Lashell Marquinn Mason) (3:34)
Patterns (5:56)
Sex Fire Passion (4:52)
Wya (3:19)
Review: Luminaries of the St. Louis and Atlantan experimental dance circuits, Blvck Spade and Stefan Ringer reign over similar territories in the niche downland of raw, soulful house. Here the pair team up for the first time ever for a notable Touching Bass debut, with Ringer handling production and Spvde masterminding all things poetic, choral and verbal. Building on both artists' slowly accrued, and now prolific, contributions to such labels as Eglo, FWM and Dolfin Records, this newly erected album-temple hears the duo shift impossible sacral brickwork by the force of composition alone, with star relic 'YOURZZZ' especially cultivating an inner sanctum of humid cowbell, funky acid line, and theophanic vocal run.
Review: Body Edits makes its inaugural move with a release shrouded in apparent secrecy and anticipation, responding to rumours that a revered figure in UK house (said to be twice Grammy-nominated) is at the helm. The artist is unnamed, but the production speaks volumes: sleek, functional, and brimming with vintage character and jaunt, 'Shades Of Love' counterposes 'Money' with upticks in tempo and flair, while 'Annihilating Dance' is the surreal A2 vision quest, with dissolved voices and flurried, primeval cries tearing our ears asunder.
Review: Bristol producer Borai (Boris English) and London's Denham Audio (Peri Ashwood) pulled off a remarkable feat with 'Make Me/No Good', an unequivocal release put out on Higher Level Records in 2019. Repurposing the unmistakable hookline from Donna Allen's g-funk jacker 'Serious' from 1986 into a fully re-recorded sample all their own, 'Make Me' set alight the feet of the breaksy raver, striking serious gold in the classic formula of easily-recognised old-school-soul vocals and sculpted tearout heft. As anthemic as its original B-side, 'No Good', the original latter half of the record now comes substituted by Big Ang's Rave To The Grave mix, whose blooping trooper sound design and mains-hum Reeses provide an ecstatic alter. A can't-go-wrong reissue by the Room Two camp.
Review: Over the past decade, Cory Champion has navigated multiple musical dimensions. As a composer, drummer, and bandleader, he has led the Clear Path Ensemble through two albums of celestial, dance-infused jazz under Cosmic Compositions and Soundway Records. Simultaneously, as Borrowed CS, he has crafted dubby techno, minimal electro, and soulful jazzy house. His second Borrowed CS release, Rise n Shine via Planet Trip Records, expands on his "Mystic Shuffle" sound and is a brilliant new blend of futurist machine funk, post-disco, and future soul with some fine features from the one and only Steve Spacek and smooth crooner Mara TK who help deliver grooves that shimmer and snap with rhythmic precision.
Review: French producer Antoine Bourachot returns with his third release, delivering a trio of original tracks that blend his sharp ear for melody with a clear affection for groove-driven pop and club sounds. The warm, percussive edge of his productions hint at late-night sets and sunlit afterhours, bringing a jaunty mutant disco. Myd, Diogo Strausz and Art of Tones each offer their own take on the material, turning in remixes that stretch from laid-back funk touches to punchier zoomings into the floor. Bourachot's ability to sit comfortably between radio-friendly hooks and crate-digging sensibility makes this a record with plenty of replay value, balancing polish and playfulness in equal measure.
Review: Stefan Braatz's latest EP, Outlaw, on Nu Groove, showcases his timeless sound and genre-defying approach. With a career spanning three decades, Braatz is celebrated for his diverse expertise, blending old-school reverence with contemporary techniques. The title track, featuring vocals from Chicago house pioneer Harry Dennis, kicks off the EP with Braatz's signature synth energy complemented by Dennis's effortless flow. The following solo tracks further exemplify Braatz's defiance of genre constraints: 'Conversation' engages in a euphoric dialogue between synth strings and piano loops, while 'Dingy Thoughts' and 'One More Dream' delve into darker club territories with intense, pulsating rhythms.
Review: Three years after launching as a digital-only imprint, Vinny Villbas's Badabing Diskos label finally makes it to wax. In keeping with the label's desire to promote homegrown talent - an approached pioneered by his old pal Prins Thomas via the long-running Full Pupp imprint - all three showcased cuts come from Oslo-based artists. The legacy of synth-heavy, off-kilter Norwegian 'space disco' can be heard across the EP, but especially on Jarle Brathen's 'No Restaurants', which conjures memories of Lindstrom and Todd Terje's work of the late 2000s and Vilbas's dreamier and more loved-up 'Just In Time'. Bolder, bigger and even more life-affirming thrills come to the fore on the flip, where label regular Sommerfeldt delivers the epic breakdowns, driving bass, restless cowbells, winding acid lines and shimmering synth chords of 'The Everlasting Frog'.
Review: Tetsu Shibuya, better known as simply Tetsu or BRISA is a Japanese producer and DJ known for works on the iconic Japanese Jazzy Sport imprint, King Street sub-label Nite Grooves and his own BRISA Music. Leading the EP is title-track 'Stir', in collaboration with Turbojazz BRISA delivers a classic slice of deep house built upon layers of bright stab sequences and loose organic percussion. Detroit's beloved Jon Dixon turns his hand to 'Stir' next, encapsulating the soul of his hometown in reshaping fragments of the original composition. The original of 'Reverie' opens the B-side, laying down a broken rhythm, low-pitched vocal hooks and elongated bass grooves for a more bruk tinged feel. Byron The Aquarius then extracts the core of 'Reverie' and spins it into bumpy, subtly nuanced house workout. Lastly the third original 'Flux' rounds out the release, shifting deeper in funkinfused realms with a playful plucked bass groove and heavily swung drums.
Review: Broken Keys is a multi-talented musician and producer based in Los Angeles. His cut 'Assorted Colors' has become a real underground house classic that now lands on wax for the first time as a special extended 12" remix that really locks you into the languid grooves. The legendary Galcher Lustwerk steps up to add his own distinctive take on the original and infuses it with a techy yet atmospheric groove. Broken Keys explores a different facet of his sound with three distinct cuts on the flip that range from blunted beats and sun-kissed Balearic to chilled-out future soul. They make for a diverse package perfect for the after-club or Sunday morning listening.
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