Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Italian house didn't need the glitz of Ibiza or the muscle of Chicago and Detroit. It carved out its own spaceismoky, dreamlike, and effortlessly cool. This collection captures the full spectrum of that golden era, from the hypnotic tribal rhythms of Progetto Tribale's 'The Sweep' to the shimmering, euphoric synths of Onirico's 'Echo'. There's the deep, rolling pulse of Don Carlos' 'Boy', the jazz-infused elegance of Lady Bird's 'Jazzy Doll (Odyssey Dub)', and the raw energy of Green Baize's 'Synthetic Rhythm'. Elsewhere, 'Titanic' by Mato Grosso offers an atmospheric voyage, while 'The True Underground Sound of Rome' delivers deep, sophisticated grooves. These weren't just club tracks; they were portals to another world. Whether it was the funky shuffle of Alex Neri's 'The Wizard', the soulful pianos of Carol Bailey's 'Understand Me (Free Your Mind)', or the after-hours pulse of MCJ's 'Sexitivity', this was music made by studio obsessives who understood that house wasn't just a soundiit was a feeling. Underground, inventive, and deeply emotional, this collection is a snapshot of an era where the Italian touch brought warmth, sensuality and an undeniable groove to dancefloors worldwide.

Review: As a paid-up member of Seth Troxler's extended Visionquest family, it's perhaps no surprise that Detroit new-schooler Lee Curtiss's contribution to the Watergate club's mix series is brimming with warm, touchy-feely tech-house. From start to finish, Watergate 08 sounds like an audio advert for the Visionquest sound; that pleasingly melodic fusion of heavy low-end, off-kilter synth pop posturing and tactile, MDMA-friendly electronic grooves. It's the sort of effortlessly delicious sound that lends itself well to a mix album, and as a result Watergate 08 is a lovely listen. With superb contributions from Footprintz, Maceo Plex, No Regular Play, Kim-Ann Foxman and Curtiss himself, there's plenty to get excited about.

Review: Back in the autumn of 2023, Bedrock co-founder John Digweed delivered Futuro, a four-disc mix made up entirely of new and unreleased music. On this two-disc sequel, 20 of those tunes get the remix treatment, with Digweed presenting them via a pair of typically smooth, evolving journey style DJ mixes. It's typical Digweed/Bedrock fare all told - think deep, immersive and gently melodic blends of 21st century progressive house, tech-house, deep house and (whisper it quietly) colourful neo-trance. There are some surprises though, such as the dub-flecked, tops-off techno hyonotism of Digweed and Nick Muir's rework of David Morales' 'Diridim', Spencer Brown's gorgeous and tactile revision of 'Alraegadir' by Rodriguez Jr, and Loz Goddard's progressive breaks re-build of Digweed and Muir's 'Futurascent'.

Review: In alignment with London clubbing institution Fabric's 25th year, the huge figural techno head Laurent Garnier joins on for the former's Fabric Presents mix series, which selects artists to record different stylistic kinds of DJ mixes - separate to the longtime, peaktime, and often drum & bass-oriented Fabriclive series. Among the shortlist of artists drawn up, Garnier's name stuck out like a sore thumb, not least since those who are inevitably chosen had to have risen to fame in roughly the same timeframe as the Farringdon nightclub did. Fabric make the following promise: Laurent's mix, released here in the form of a deluxe CD compendium, will not only pay homage to the club, but also showcase his own mastery of genres and the diversity of his genius. The release will drop physical-only as a deluxe vinyl collectable and on CD and it'll also feature a new original four-track EP from Laurent.

Review: DJ and producer Tim Green comes through to the esteemed Balance mix series, for a whopping 19-track mix blend through techno, house, ambient, breakbeat and electro. Erring towards the ethereal and atmospheric - with all tracks carefully selected for their naturalism - this one marks a return for both label and artist, as the series hasn't put out any new ones prior to this in five years. Meanwhile, it also contains four new exclusives from Green, highlighting his talent at straddling the techno trunk's adjacent branches of minimal, textural and melodic.

Review: Much missed Detroit techno legend Mike Huckaby created The Down Under Kit for the Australian leg of the Red Bull Music Academy's world tour and it's so much more than a simple sample pack, as Huckaby gives a narrated tutorial on creating templates and generating ideas, a fascinating glimpse into his philosophy and techniques. Obviously, there are lots of thumping kicks, distinctively trademark pianos and pads and more to load up, but this pack not only gives you the means of production, it also gives you a guide to how to put it to its most effective use.

Review: Shuya Okino is a DJ, club owner, writer and producer as well as being a part of the Kyoto Jazz Massive, and has been a vital figure in the Japanese club scene for over three decades. He is involved in a wide range of projects from Cosmic Village to Root Soul to Mondo Grosso, but his work with brother Yoshihiro as Kyoto Jazz Massive might be his best. This new album is another standout fusion of synth, broken beat and nu-jazz styles. Some of the tunes are pure dance floor heaters such as the prickly vibes of 'Get Up' while others gaze off to a cosmic future such as the gorgeous synths of 'Visions Of Tomorrow'. Essential.

Review: Alex "Omar" Smith has always come across as fairly militant in terms of his musical output, so it's still a surprise that he's chosen to celebrate the first decade of his FXHE label by putting out a series of mixes. This second installment expands on the first - released earlier this year - mixing familiar staples and scene anthems (Smith's own "It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It") with lesser known gems. Musically, it's impressively raw, with Smith moving through a range of tough, stripped-back techno grooves and dystopian acid house gems before reaching for more melodious cuts such as the shimmering "Flying Blind" and melancholic "Three Blind Rats".

Review: Those who've been paying close attention will know that Alex 'Omar' Smith has been mixing things up musically of late, veering away from the deep Detroit house he's famed for in order to explore a wider range of influences. New album "You Want" doesn't exactly reverse this trend, but it is far more rooted in his particular brand of seductive, off-kilter deepness and techno-tinged hypnotism than recent singles. That's undeniably a good thing, because nobody does crunchy, machine driven club jams better than the Motor City producer. There are nods towards Italian style piano house, disco, broken beat, jazz funk, Masters at Work and - more surprisingly - industrial techno (see the filthy closing cut) - but the resultant cuts don't sound like anything other than tried-and-tested Omar-S club jams.

Review: Omar Alex Smith's development as an artist is such that these days, it's hard to predict what he'll put out next, musically speaking. Can't Change, his first album for two years, is a great example of this. While there are examples of his trademark hypnotic, driving, heavily electronic Motor City house sound (see 'Whale Sex', 'Inner Love' and the acidic 'My Momma and Ned Say You Don't Have To'), these rub shoulders with tracks that more expressly explore his different inspirations, as well as nods to Detroit musical history. The results are predictably impressive, with our picks including the jazzy, soulful and sun-kissed dancefloor pressure of 'Virgil', the mutant R&B/hip-hop of 'Bend Who', revivalist piano house sing-along 'Start This Over Again' and a jaunty workout featuring vocals from UR's 'Mad' Mike Banks ('Miss Hunn'ayy').

Review: Last time it was only Omar S that could do it; this time he's thanking us for letting him be Omar S. That's right the FXHE boss returns with an eagerly awaited new album brandishing some 14 tracks. Omar S albums naturally tend to sell themselves but, for those still curious, Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself sounds like a perfectly executed culmination of the ideas AOS has explored on the numerous 12"s since his last album. As soon as the crunchy mechanical dramatics of opening track "I'll Bring U Ah Lil Sumpin Back" launch into action you feel like you're in for quite the journey and the subsequent swerves through Detroit flavoured electro, piano flecked house, beatdown and techno come with satisfaction guaranteed.

Review: Theo Parrish and Maurissa Rose are Detroit musical veterans (even though Parrish was actually born in Chicago) and they have worked together on a number of superb singles in the last few years. After that fruitful start to their working relationship they finally flourish into a new full length that arrives soon in the form of Free Myself, It arrives, as you would expect, on triple vinyl on Parrish's own Sound Signature label, but also here as a CD. It is a lovely deep house exploration with smooth vocals of Rose - which come in the form of a soulful stream of consciousness - over Parrish's dusty, hypotonic beats.

Review: Titled after Marvin Gaye's soulful 'After the Dance,' Detroit producer Scott Grooves delved into a realm beyond the dancefloor with his contribution to an exhibition by Elysia Borowy in September last year. It showcased six installations that explore experimental expressionism in visual arts and electronic music. Grooves' work critiques capitalist culture and draws from afrofuturism, creating a captivating dialogue on consumerism and futuristic themes across six thought-provoking installations: Sweet Dreams Anakin, Foot Work, Vinyl, For All-Dee People, Yellow Sun Bricks and Found Sound. These pieces challenge viewers to reflect on modern humanity, bridging the gap between observer and artwork and now the deeply absorbing, cathartic ambient music from the show arrives on CD.

Review: Although not as celebrated as many of his Motor City contemporaries, Norm Talley has been a key figure on the Detroit deep house scene for the best part of 25 years. Here he presents his debut album, a set that appears exactly 20 years on from the release of his debut 12". It's a largely warm, rich and inviting affair, with Talley combining samples from classic disco, soul and boogie jams with his own drums, keys and chords. The results are uniformly superb, with highlights including the beatdown style hypnotism of "Dub Station", the disco-house bounce of "Alright", the deep and percussive dreaminess of "Earth Vibrations" and the brilliantly jazzy "Paradise Garage", where Talley cuts-up killer electric piano solos over a sumptuous, jazz-funk inspired house groove.