Back in stock: Deep House

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: Colin Curtis - an early purveyor of rare groove and jazzdance whose credo rings far and wide - has been helming his own label of originals for some time now. Presently focusing on the best live-feel broken beat, house and jazz in his orbit, his latest curation, Cengiz and Ishfaq's 'Vibrations', is no break from this general rule. Each artist helming one side respectively, Cengiz' 'Motf' and its remix work a steadily built progression around faint jeers, metallic percs, filterpassed tom fills and space-age risers, the latter of which is much more skeletal than the former; while Ishfaq's 'Wonderjazz' moves impressively somewhere in the lost interregnum between speed garage and techfunk.

Review: The fledgling Jackpot Recordings label is back with a second serving up club-ready goodness with Club of Jacks at the helm. There is a healthy dose of classic elements to these tunes - 90s vocals, deepness, soul - not least the opener 'Always' with its diva wails and balmy pads draped over nice silky drums with a majestic piano breakdown. 'Gorgon Dub' is a fat bottom house cut with mid-tempo drums and rigid percussion atop a dark bassline throb. 'Think Of You' is a warm and breezy one with loved-up pads and r&b vocal chops and 'Soundboy' gets more naughty with some garage-inspired drums and bass primed to pump the party.

Review: The spectroscope of Cool Million's soundworld doubles in width, as 'One Of A Kind' marks a new phase of innovation in their patented boogie funk sound. This latest single hears Danish soul singer Seest - a longtime collaborator with the Danish production duo - add her doubled, tripled, nigh quadrupled vocal overdubs to the already well collieried disco track. With the ensuing EP packed with allusive, fiery effrontery, bringing inspirations from Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang and The Crusaders, we must warn you: this is a volatile disco 7", one that should really come with a fire hazard warning.

Review: Danny Krivit is currently known as one of the music community's greatest purveyors of top quality disco & house as he continues to perform regularly before sold-out audiences around the world. With his unique ear for what works on the dancefloor he has also become known as "King of the Re-edit." Danny has a deep connection to Kim English's "It Makes A Difference" release on Nervous Records from 2006. Krivit worked with writer Kyle Smith on the remixes that originally made this tune an anthem at his 718 Sessions parties as well as one of the highlights of club nights from Tokyo to New York to London that appreciate quality soulful house. The B-side is Danny's re-edit of one of the most famed dubs from the Nervous catalogue as well as for the producers Mood II Swing. Upon its release in 1993 this dub emerged as one of the defining sounds of summer 1993 at Ministry Of Sound which had just recently opened the year before. The "rushing rushing rushing" hook is well knownby golden era of house afficianados around the world and he does an amazing job bringing this essential hook.

Review: Caleto Records's eighth outing takes the form of this various artists compilation featuring exclusively Polish producers. The Etat Cru duo of Olszewski and Pawlescu kick off with the wire and sinewy synths and tech house pomp of 'Jasmina' then Jerry M offers two cuts. 'Gutek' is a nice spaced-out tech cruiser with flashy astral pads and 'Gondin' rides on well-designed breakbeats with an old-school bassline. Robsessive's 'Look After You' is a deeper, dubber, grittier cut for late-night vibes and SIM ON's 'Brudas' is all glitchy and dystopian urban landscaping. Poland sure has plenty of talent based on this EP.

Review: UK label Rezpektiva unearths another gem from the archives, this time shining a light on Fade 2 End, the elusive duo of Nick Woolfson and Mark Shimmon. Their output may have been limitedijust two releases in 1996ibut what they left behind is a masterclass in deep, rolling, late-night techno. 'Sundance' sets the tone with its undulating rhythms and hypnotic loops, while 'The Passage' weaves together tough beats and drifting synth lines. 'Dreams' and 'Daze' lock into a mesmerising groove, all heady atmospherics and resonant grooves. On the flip, 'Another Day' and 'Another Night' explore the contrast between euphoria and tension, their hypnotic vocals pulling the listener deeper into the groove. 'Feel The Magic' rounds things off with a shimmering, dreamlike quality, balancing lush pads with crisp drum programming. Fade 2 End had a rare touchitracks that feel alive, shifting and evolving as they play out. Now, thanks to Rezpektiva, these lost classics finally get the attention they deserve.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


Dennis Ferrer has already made sure he will go down in house history as a real pioneer, not least because of his epic anthem 'Hey.' This outing on Groovin shows he has many different styles in his arsenal as 'Sinfonia Della Notte' lawyers up the sort of sleek, hi-tek synth sequences that denied early Motor City techno, but over a deep mid-tempo house groove. The Afterlife club mix is more percussive, though lush chords soften the edges, and John Dahlback remixes with a more groggy, peak-time style. The Afterlife Sunset reprise is pure blessed out vibes for the more emotional moments of the night (or day.)

Review: Third time around for mysterious rework crew Florence's third hush-hush 12", a popular two-tracker that first landed in stores back in 2015. On A-side cut 'Nicholas', the unknown editors get to work on a typically deep, slipped and jazz-flecked blend of tech-house, deep house and jazz from Nicholas Jaar - then something of a scene star with a reputation for delivering detailed, atmospheric and club-ready productions. This particular track features a (likely sampled) female vocal, as well as smoky sax, low-slung bass and effects-laden tech-house beats. Over on the reverse is 'Johnny', a deep, jangling, tactile and woozy revision of what sounds like a cover version of a Johnny Cash classic.

Review: Sometimes it's wise not to over-attach oneself to a set of four walls and a roof and call it "home". Joeski and Troy Dillard prove to know it as much on 'Music Is My Home', a brilliantly soulful Afro-house roller of tearjerking proportions, and which comes backed by an wildout dub mix on the B. We'd not be surprised if this one did well in the charts; Dillard's vocals unfold over and above Joeski's static shuffles like elysian sobs, singing of safe places to go and defiant personalities to adopt, in stark contrast to what or who anyone else thinks Dillard should be. Brooklyn-Queens emigre Joeski says of the song, "This is a continuation of my collaboration with Troy Dillard from over 20 years ago when we worked on 'Hold on to Your Love', which went on to become my biggest record. Reuniting with Troy and working on this project has been special" - we don't doubt it - could it become his second biggest, even?

Review: Long time deep house don Jovonn is back with more of his sophisticated sounds, this time on the Body N Deep label in the Netherlands. 'Hightower' opens proceedings with some old school drum swing and vamping chord stabs. Add in some raw claps and you have a timeless jam. 'Seductive Dance' is just that - another irresistible house sound with steamy vocals and a 90s baseline to get you moving and grooving. 'Sunburst' shuts down with rolling percussion and smart FX under an atmospheric vocal. Faultless as ever.

Review: Selected Pieces from Berg Audio is a fantastic EP that features four standout tracks, each offering a distinct flavor of deep house, perfect for the dancefloor. On Side-1, Kolter kicks things off with 'What A Day,' a track that embodies deep house with its soulful build, warm atmosphere, and uplifting vibes. The clever use of a vocal sample adds an extra layer of emotion, making it an instant crowd-pleaser. Traumer follows with 'Don't Stahp,' a classy, more techy cut that still maintains deep house roots. The dubby chords inject extra depth, turning it into a smooth, dancefloor groover. Side-2 opens with Mihai Popoviciu's 'Waitin,' which features rich, soulful chords that envelop the listener, creating a laid-back yet engaging vibe. Moor closes the EP with 'Kashif,' an uptempo track that stands out with its energetic keys and undeniable party feel. Selected Pieces is a versatile EP that offers something for every deep house enthusiast.

Review: Leyo from Amersfoort in the Netherlands gives us a confident, if a little repetitious, lowdown of his past employment history on the 'Circus' EP. "I used to work for the circus" is the relentless vocal refrain of this acrobatic minimal tech weapon, where uppercutting handclaps overlie below-the-belt funk grooves. 'Hypnotize' is the human cannonball to the A-side's aerialist, bringing even heavier grooves to a convivial back lot mood. An impressive return to Cecille from the artist, following the hallmark Hello LP.

Review: After originally dropping on 7" in edited form back in early 2022, Sophie Lloyd's wonderful gospel-disco sing-along, featuring righteous lead vocals from Pauline Taylor, finally makes it onto a 12".. The full-length take on 'Angels By My Side' - all rubbery disco bass, sustained organ chords, punchy horns, cut-glass strings and Taylor's awe-inspiring vocals - comes accompanied by two fresh re-rubs from Detroit duo Floorplan (AKA minimal techno originator Robert Hood and his talented daughter Lyric Hood). They first serve up a bouncy, non-stop gospel-house dub full of cut-up vocal snippets, hands-aloft piano stabs and stomping drums, before throwing their arms skywards on a similarly loved-up, full vocal remix.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: The Plastik People label kicks off its new year with a trio of top garage jams from Romeo Louisa. 'Challenges' is a perfect feel-good sound with silky smooth chords and nice dusty drums and hi-hats all topped off with a classic vocal packed with emotion. The irresistibly catchy vibes continue with 'Lost Bottle' which is another timeless US house sound of the sort the Dope Jams crew became so well associated with. Last but not least is 'Keep Me Deep', another perfect blend of US garage and house with horns, deep kicks and lush chords.

Review: Moxy Muzik's 'Moxy Editions' series of multi-artist EPs has long been a reliable source of quality underground house music, with the six previous instalments - all released between 2021 and 2023 - being packed to the rafters with high-grade material. There's plenty to set the pulse racing on volume seven too, starting with the driving, druggy and mind-altering peak-time excellence of Stacy Pullen's 'Nasty', a slamming concoction that makes great use of vocal samples lifted from a Prince-produced Vanity 6 classic. Label chief Darius Syrossian then delivers his interpretation of Audiojack's 'Get Down', reframing the track as a soul-fired slab of NYC tribal house of the sort that was once the preserve of Danny Tenaglia. Over on the reverse, Vincent Caira offers up the swinging deep house chunkiness of 'Position' and Buckley delivers the all-action, break-sporting rave hedonism of 'In 5D'.

Review: Originally tucked away on a 2020 12", Quiroga's 'Snaporaz' EP gets the treatment it always deserved with this expanded, four-track edition from Balearic archivists Archeo. Based in Naples, Quiroga stretches his original into a languid, Rhodes-soaked jazz-house glide on the A1ifull of crackling percussion, soft-focus pads and a bubbling low end that carries the melodic line into increasingly heady territory. A loose hand drum finale seals it with flair. 'Escorpiao' on A2 is subtler but no less vibrant, a slick fusion jam where keytar and cowbell meet over a featherlight grooveibalancing restraint and virtuosity in equal measure. The B-side belongs to Rome's Francesco de Bellis, appearing under his L.U.C.A. alias. Known for his Edizioni Mondo material, he warps 'Snaporaz' into a dreamlike new age dancer, slowing the tempo and steeping it in hazy atmospheres and woozy melodies. His 'Quirky Beat' version strips it further, letting skeletal drum edits carry the mood alone. Bridging Neapolitan warmth and Roman oddball finesse, this is a limited edition reissue that more than earns its second life.

Review: Radio Slave making a record in tribute to the late, great Terry Hall was not on our bingo card for 2024, but the resultant workout - based on the much-loved vocal hook from 1981 workout 'The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum' - is both undeniably dancefloor-ready and fittingly forthright (the original song was, of course, a scathing commentary on Thatcher-era Britain). The EP-opening 'Club Mix' places at the vocal refrain at the heart of the action, surrounding it with hazy vocalisations, thunderous bass, heavyweight tech-house drums and horn sounds that offer knowing nods to the classic 2 Tone sound. The accompanying 'A Clinic Full of Cynics Dub' leans into the ska sound of the original more, placing echoing horns and steel pan sounds atop a deep, dubby bassline and unfussy house beats.

Review: Originally released digitally last year, Ben Westbeech's Glitterbox Recordings debut was certainly an ear-catching affair - a sparkling, piano-rich slab of organic soulful house wonder topped off with a sublime lead vocal by unheralded artist RAHH (itself a surprise, given that Westbeech is a brilliant vocalist in his own right). Finally on vinyl, Westbeech's sublime original mix of 'Times Are Changing' comes backed by a trio of reworks, two of which come from Two Soul Fusion - AKA NYC house legends Josh Milan (Blaze) and Louie Vega (Masters at Work). They first deliver a hard, hot-stepping 'Bronx dub' - all bouncy, Afro-house insired beats and squelchy synths' - before slamming down a suitably big, energetic soulful house 'remix'. Westbeach's own tribute to early 90s piano house, the 'Takin' It Back Dub', completes a fine EP.