Back catalogue: Deep House

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: American neo-soul pin-up D'Angelo has released a couple of the smoothest records of the last 30 years. He even made a welcome comeback in the mid 2010s and added some more magic to his cannon. Here Kero Uno remixes a couple of his tunes and ups their funky quotient to make them more suitable to dancefloors. First, he flips 'Spanish Joint' into a key-laced and funky workout with low-slung, hip-swinging grooves sure to seduce next to the zippy synth leads. On the flip is his hot take on 'Feel Like Makin' Love', another bona-fide gem full of heart and soul.

Review: Miami-based label Terrestrial Funk revives the sound of early 90s house with a long-overdue return from Insight, their first new material in over 30 years. Originally emerging from the UK scene and known for their 1993 output on Strictly Rhythm, the group reappear here with three fresh house tracks and one unreleased downtempo dub, all steeped in the warmth and spirit of that golden era. 'Starry Eyed' and 'Spring' combine tactile keys with swinging, classic drums, while Ashaye's vocal lines weave emotional clarity through each groove. The previously unheard 'Na Mix' of 'What Is This World Coming To?' flips the tempo, stretching things into a dubbed-out meditation that slows the pulse without losing intensity. 'Here We Go Again' rounds things off with a shuffling rhythm that lands somewhere between warehouse and sun-drenched terrace. Nostalgic yet agile, this is a quietly triumphant return that reaffirms Insight's place in UK house history.

Review: Veteran UK producer and onetime member of techno/electro legends The Advent returns with a versatile three-track offering on his own Phoenix G label. The release explores the intersections of dub, house and techno, showing MR G's knack for creating deep, emotive grooves. Over the 25 years he's been releasing music he's kept a signature style and this is no excepyion. Side-1 features 'Dust In The System: Tokyo Dub Plate', a jazzy, dub-infused tech-house track with a rich, atmospheric vibe. Its deep basslines and subtle swing make it both hypnotic and dancefloor-ready. Side-2 opens with 'Let's Do It', where acid-laced techno and house collide. With bold rave chords and a driving rhythm, this track packs an infectious energy that feels destined for peak-time moments. Closing the EP is 'Find Love (Ambient Space Tek)', a chord-heavy, dreamlike piece that leans into chill-out territory. Its ambient tones and ethereal textures provide a soothing contrast, ending the record on a reflective note. Another excellent album, functional yet soulful, in his impressive catalogue.

Review: For his first outing of 2025, Matt Edwards AKA Radio Slave has joined forces with vocalist Kameelah Waheed, a singer who has previously appeared on a number of singles on the long-serving producer's popular REKIDS imprint. In its' original 'Extended Mix' form, 'All Rize' is prime Radio Slave - think long, elongated, dark, mesmerising and mind-altering with all manner of raw, razor-sharp electronic noises and doom-laden motifs rising above a booming bassline and snappy drums. Edwards has included a fine alternative take in the shape of the 'Revolution Mix', a warmer, dreamier and jazzier interpretation that's looser and more akin to classic house of the 90s and early 200s, and a trio of DJ tools (a 'Beats' cut, a short suite of effects, and an acapella of Waheed's fine vocal).

Review: Tribute To House Masters launches its homage to talented producers from the foundational days of house and disco with a first volume featuring some real heavyweights. Each of the originals has been remixed by St David who begins with swinging and delightful deep house depths on 'The Underground.' His Gentle Re-Touch of Patrice Rushen leads to some chunky and full flavour disco house fun, the Club Re-Diss of Armando is jacked up and peak time house with a retro flair and lastly Groovylizer Magic dub brings some silky and soulful flourishes to a Salsoul Orchestra classic.

Review: Ascension on Wax tap Toronto Hustle & Sean Roman for their third release, a slick four-tracker pulling heavy influence from *that*argent 90s US-East Coast deep house sound. 'The Unity' lands with some pedigree, where recent drops on Wolf, Local Talk and Freerange have mounted this pairing firmly in the frame. Javonntte lends his unmistakable Detroit flow to the A1, which also gets a shimmering rerub from longtime Prescription associate Abacus. Flip for a late-night dub version that leans into tougher territory, before closing out with a heads-down deep house cut built for sloppily recalled nights.

Review: Detroit vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Javonntte is contracted by Marcel Vogel and Tim Jules for the smooth, disco-splashed house cut 'Just Because', now hearing a long-awaited 12" release on Lumberjacks In Hell, the clav-loving label named after the 2018 Vogel release of the same name. Known for his deep musicality and effortless brio, Javonntte's soulful touch now drops anchor on the original's groove, letting open the possibility for the three distinct remixes by Floyd Vader, Lyma and Stefan Ringer to follow. There come etched a future-leaning electro r&b cut, a Portlandian Yoruba house hitter, and a complementary post-boogie bust-up respectively.

Review: Celebrating 25 years of two of the most influential house labels around, this joint double-pack from London's R2 and Osunlade's Yoruba Records is a heavyweight offering that bridges soulful roots and dancefloor depth. Karizma's long-awaited 'Spirit' appears in multiple formsihis original gospel-powered burner, a Josh Milan remix (as Honeycomb), and a dub version featuring Nicholas Ryan Gant, all radiating righteous, late-night warmth. The second R2 cut, 'W!thout !t' is stripped and punchy, full of Karizma's trademark percussive invention. Yoruba's side sees Osunlade light up the system with 'Electricity' and 'Sumpin' Like Dis', both steeped in rhythm and spiritual uplift. Afefe Iku's '823' dives deep into his signature twilight textures, while Karizma's Baltimore remix of Mr. Flip's 'Drippin'' closes the set on a loose and funky high. It's a snapshot of two defining voices in house musicirich in groove, spirit and intention.

Review: Margaux Gazur has made her mark as a DJ with sets at places like Panorama Bar and Waking Life. Her debut album on Smallville is a deeply personal exploration of identity and sound that confirms she is just as good in the studio. The French-Vietnamese artist is now based in Berlin but draws from her time living in Vietnam and childhood recollections to craft nearly 70 minutes of immersive, organic electronica across Blurred Memories. Field recordings, traditional instruments and woozy textures blend with street rhythms from Hanoi to create rich, intimate soundscapes of the sort that are well suited to this label. Each track reveals delicate details such as mysterious voices and fragile glitches in the hypnotic grooves. Known for captivating sets at Panorama Bar, La Station, and Waking Life, Margaux offers a magical, emotionally resonant debut that invites listeners into her blurred sonic past.

Review: On his long-awaited debut, Osaka's Takuya Matsumoto draws a clear line between the tactile futurism of 90s IDM and the emotional depth of Detroit techno, finding beauty in grit and structure in chaos. There's a cinematic quality to the sequencing, from the shimmering opener 'Drifting On The Ocean' to the gnarled syncopations of 'Dril and Acid' and the broken funk of 'Fonseca'. But what makes this record truly sing is its refusal to sit still: 'Mini' dances with jazzy irreverence, while 'Triangles' feels like a dusted-off memory from a lost Rephlex archive. Matsumoto's palette is warm, spiky, and full of movementian album built not on pastiche but on devotion to groove and experimentation in equal measure. You hear shades of Underground Resistance's urgency, Mike Paradinas' off-grid detail, and Floating Points' melodic intricacy, but none of it feels borrowed. 'Traverse' and 'Mercy on the floor' close things with a spacious melancholy that lingers beyond the final fade. This is a conversation with dance music history, spoken fluently in rhythm and mood. A richly detailed, deeply personal statement from one of Japan's most quietly consistent producers.