Deep House charts

Review: Of all DJ duos currently operating in British dance music, Belfast boys Bicep might be the hardest to pin down (Optimo aside, of course). Certainly, this debut album is not easy to pigeonhole, though it is an enjoyably cohesive listen. This is largely down to two factors; the frequent use of deliciously colorful and loved-up synthesizer parts, and the duo's innate ability to utilize beats tailor-made for dancefloor devastation. So while keen dancefloor historians may notice sly (and not so subtle) nods to '89 rave, U.S house and garage, Italo-disco, late '90s progressive house, jungle and early British hardcore, the album never sounds anything less than a fine set of Bicep tracks. Expect it to be one of the biggest albums of the year.

Review: Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: Peruvian artist in Berlin Sofia Kourtesis has been on an unstoppable rise since she first emerged with a pair of EPs on Studio Barnhus. Brought into the Ninja Tune fold back in 2021, she's developed her debut album in the whirlwind of a rapidly growing profile and the personal struggle of her mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. Through her tenacity, she found a gifted doctor who was able to treat her mother and give her a life expectancy no-one would have thought possible, and so Madres doubles as a tribute to her mother and to the medical professionals who achieved what was thought impossible - as such, it's a powerful, sincere listening experience which fuses deep house with melancholic pop in mesmerising fashion.

Review: Leon Vynehall long again made the transition from decent tune maker to revered and unpredictable electronic artist. Now he proves why he holds that status one again with a follow up to his critically acclaimed debut long player Nothing Is Still. This time out he distils everything he has done so far in to a record with few comparisons. It is ready for dance floor deployment but never just functional. There are cavernous ambient pieces next to grainy, heavy, dubby rhythms with grand but lo-fi synth architecture as well as moments of intriguing experimentalism.

Review: Mirrors is Armand Jakobsson aka DJ Seinfeld's first release on Ninja Tune. The acclaimed Swedish producer has stated that he wanted to retain a lot of the raw emotionality that brought people to his music in the first place, and is a real statement of where he is as a producer at present. From the pop-inflected breaks of opening cut "She Loves Me" featuring vocalist Stella Explorer, to the deep and emotive mood music served up on "U Already Know" featuring Teira to the glassy-eyed and bittersweet journey into the ethereal that is "These Things Will Come To Be", Jakobsson once again displays his knack for splendid melodies, killer basslines and immaculately programmed rhythms that have been central to his success in recent years.

Review: Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: Glaswegian producer Hector Barbour is nothing if not divisive: he's had more fun than anyone in recent years by dropping curveballs, baiting social media with troll tracks and generally not giving a tinker's damn. There's nothing throwaway about his new EP on Ninja Tune, though, which launches with nimble synth cut "In-Narito" which we wish was much longer. "Gas Whillis (While I Paint My Nails)" gets down to some gritty, wall rattling warehouse techno, while "ForTee" is much harder to define; a collision of kicks, warped synths and beautiful chords that ping off one another at random. Elsewhere there's more peak time club tackle, scintillating melodic house and bravely experimental fair like " Dan (wll SOME day KNOW How Special He Makes Me Feel)". Certainly, this is an EP that keeps you guessing as his famously unpredictable sets do.

Review: Elkka (Emma Kirby) is London Producer and DJ who has quickly rose to a strong international presence on the scene. After making her way as a local DJ in Cardiff to making a handful of EPs, she has made it across the Atlantic ocean and is now be releasing her first full length album on the mega Ninja Tune imprint. Here, you'll hear big room house tracks like 'Make Me' which samples 'All Night Long'. Cathy Dennis. The cross over potential is high here also with tracks like 'I Just Want To Love You'. Expect to hear the name Elkka a lot in the next few years if this release is any sign of what's to come.

Review: Turkish-Italian DJ and producer Carla Frayman aka Carlita's debut album Sentimental comes on Ninja Tune and the lead single, 'The Moment,' features English producer SG Lewis. Sentimental reflects Carlita's musical evolution in recent times and offers a new dimension beyond her club-focused tracks. The album includes collaborations with DJ Tennis, Sicilian artist Orofino and peers like Mascolo, Elderbrook, Julietta and Cleo Simone. Carlita describes the creative process as both challenging and rewarding and aim to surprise listeners with her diverse musical expression. The track 'Time' has already become a crowd favourite and the rest of the album likely will too.

Review: TSHA's new album 'Sad Girl' i due for release on September 27th on Ninja Tune i contains her most danceable work to date. This is heard as much on the recent summer single 'Sweet Devotion', featuring Caroline Byrne: the first track she's been confidently able to slot between the New York and Chicago house and techno grooves of her acclaimed DJ sets. This danceability forms the backbone of the entire record, as we witness TSHA welcome in a new era, one in which she ushers in a new vocal order, and continues to carve out a sense of creative independence, rather than seeking approval from her musical peers. From the sizzling progressive future-powerpop of 'Girls' to the string-doused, motoric breaks ballad 'Drive', this is a glisteningly urbane record, one for authentic and sophisticated pop heads.