Back in stock: Deep House

Review: Ari Bald & CJ Scott are "Stockholm pals and soulmates" who have made waves on the legendary Studio Barnhus before now and here return to another local imprint in Baenger. Across the four tracks they delve into feel-good sounds with a hint of nostalgia that are perfectly in time for summer. The sample-heavy EP opens with 'Cloudy White', a thumping house cut with poppy synth magic and r&b vocals that swell your heart. 'Pan Riche' taps into filter house with sugary leads and 90s house drums that will have you rushing in an instant. The flip side starts with more contemporary disco-house fusion gold and finishes with 'Dime Girl', a funky and low-slung groover.

Review: Nicola Cruz lands on Cabaret with the 'Cryptic Nature' EP. Beyond consistently high-quality, compelling productions, it's usually hard to predict what the talented Ecuadorian producer will deliver i but he does his energetic Japanese label hosts proud with this stirring selection. The broken rhythms, trippy vocals and paranoid synths of the title track start things off on a strong footing, before the strobe-lit thrust of 'Elementals' powers ahead with swung snares and crisp hats. The four-to-the-floor drive continues into the wigged-out psychedelia of 'Kojix', while the jagged drums of 'Desire Scan' and the otherworldly intensity of 'Photosphere' round off a mighty fine, entirely floor-focused set.

Review: Australian singer Nicky Nite Time and veteran Chicago second wavew house don Felix Da Housecat team up to rework Wham!'s 1984 classic 'Freedom', transforming its uplifting energy into a darker, harder-hitting, and low-key surreal dancefloor weapon. This bold refix pushes the track into pulsatory, late-night club territory, where the four walls about the dancefloor melt into strange shapes, and the checkered footlit floor cycles through the rainbow. The B-side includes Nicky's dub version for an alternative spin, along with an acapella, furthering our sense of possibility. A fresh, edgy, multi-version take on a beloved hit.

Review: Italian duo Lorenzo Fortino and Brody return with their third collaborative release, further refining a sound that drifts between deep house, electro and moody, politically conscious techno. Their work has always carried a sense of purpose, but here it feels more dialled-iniless ornamental, more direct. Opener 'Our Truth' stretches over seven minutes, layering synth washes and sparse drum work around processed vocals that feel halfway between meditation and manifesto. 'Homemade Mould' is tougher, rooted in chunky house drums and dubbed-out atmospheres, tapping into the rawer side of their shared palette. On 'Deep Freedom', they introduce vocalist Veronica Marini, whose debut here is remarkableiher voice rises with clarity and control through a lyrical call to action that's both elegant and forceful. That same control shapes 'Leave Those Memories', where she softens into something more introspective, folding jazz phrasing into a smoother, bittersweet house groove. Both tracks also appear in instrumental form digitally, but it's Marini's presence that elevates them into something quietly luminous. While rooted in the familiar structures of club music, this release reaches for something deeper and often gets there.

Review: A true Chicago veteran with over 100+ releases to his name(s) steps into a fresh chapter with this first EP on a new label, delivering four cuts that reaffirm his mastery of deep house expression. 'Lush' opens with silky, melodic textures, driven by emotive keys and a warm, jazzy touchipure late-night soul. 'Magic (Gherkin Syndrome Mix)' ups the energy, blending jackin' rhythms, funky basslines and a misty atmosphere, while still rooted in deep house sensibility. Flipping to Side-B, 'Showing Off' cools things down with a laid-back piece that is a worth alternate to all the heat elsewhere on this disc. Closing track 'U Don't Own Me (Destructive Beauty Inst)' dives deeper still, a spacious, textured instrumental that has a timeless, defiant spirit. Every track feels like a personal statement from an artist still pushing forward, rooted in tradition but reaching more great emotional heights.

Review: On his new 12" for his own kickstarter label Cosada, easy riser Laseech beseeches us to dance. Jazzy, soulful house music enlists the emosh but unrushed voice of Swaylo, snaring the essence of heartfelt house in a power-of-three-tracks net. Awakening the legend Ron Trent from his slumber, his deep, percussive touch and copy-paste-happy vocal science adds a happily haphazard twist. Inspired by the melodic landscapes of the Adriatic, the inaugural label name "Cosada" holds out a personal meaning for Laseech, drawing from both an idyllic island and the street where his studio lies, symbolising his continued hope to make timeless music.

Review: Loftsoul's Re Works series is back with a sixth chapter that gets decidedly deep, not least with the opener 'Deep Poem'. It is just that - a smoky mix of dubby and slow-motion drums, wispy synths and spoken words that make for an intimate vibe. 'Euro-Express' brings rickety Kraftwerk rhythms and sleek synths right up to date with bigger low ends, then a classic piece of Ryuichi Sakamoto ambient gets a remix with some more crunchy textures but the same sense of melodic gorgeousness. Four useful sounds for constructing late-night mixes.

Review: Kicking of the fifth volume of Milan's Manzo Edits series after a hat-trick-and-more's worth of Afro-disco edits, we've now 'Rosy' on our ears, a bittersweet disco daydream fattened on swooning strings and lovesick charm. Things get steamier after the fact with 'Amare Moto', a slinky, mid-tempo grind laced with satin synths and late-night shimmer. Flip it over and you have 'You Have To Cry Tonight; tight Italo percs clutter in with big hair energy, and a bassline built for strutting. Closer 'Bring Me' dials up the absurdity: cowbells, yodels, and alpine mischief collide in a peak-time oddball rave.

Review: After spending much of the last five years confined to the United States, Ron Trent is off on tour this year. As a way of re-introducing himself - not the deep house legend needed to do that of course - he has partnered with Rush Hour to release Lift Off, a fresh double album of previously unheard music. More defiantly dancefloor-centric than his previous album, the decidedly cosmic and downtempo 'What Do The Stars Say To You' (as WARM), the two-disc set sees the Chicagoan combine his usual percussively-layered grooves, warming basslines and colourful synth sounds with nods to all manner of musical influences old and new. The results are uniformly superb, with our picks of a very strong bunch including the spacey future-boogie of Leroy Burgess collaboration 'Let Me See You Shining', the spaced-out, slow-motion epic that is 'Woman of Color', the AM radio-friendly Balearic pop of 'Just Another Love Song' and the undeniably gorgeous 'Street Wave'.