Review: Antwerp's Marius Acke resurfaces via Happiness Therapy with a sharp reissue of four deep cuts from his late 90s Crucial Traxx series-once slept on, now rightly championed by a new wave of selectors. 'Tell Me' opens with dusty MPC swing and warm Rhodes chords, full of space and analogue looseness. 'I Feel So Good' brings a rawer edge, driven by clipped vocal chops and bumping low-end. 'Dance To The Beat' leans into funky organ riffs and tight snares, while 'Everyday Life' closes with hazy pads and a laid-back, hip-hop-adjacent tempo. Carefully remastered, the set captures the soulful, groove-led essence of 90s Belgian house-funky, unfussy, and made for dancers, not algorithms. A reminder that true deep house rarely dates.
Review: While French label Frappe has released some cracking artist EPs, their bread and butter has always been compilation style 12" singles showcasing the work of imprint mainstays and invited guests. They're in that mode again on Roller Coaster, and as usual all five tracks hit the mark. Big hitter Art of Tones gets things off to an energetic and on-point start via the funk-sampling disco-house hedonism of 'Cameo Maceo', before newcomer Georges wraps eyes-closed jazz guitar solos and dreamy chords around a languid, synth bass-sporting deep house groove on 'Downed'. Over on the reverse you'll find three perfectly playable excursions: the disco-flecked deep house pleasure of 'The Realm' by Robby and Stupid Flash, the piano solo-laden, funk-fuelled summer house sizzle of Basil de Suresnes' 'Jazz After Sex' and the 21st century jazz-house heat of 'StereoJazz' by Ten Fingerz.
Machine Noise For A Quiet Daydream (feat Seamus) (2:29)
Like It's Part Of The Dance (4:29)
Childhood (3:47)
Marriage (2:59)
Wandering Mt Moon (2:51)
Review: Edinburgh's Barry Can't Swim wattles organic textural elements around progressive house and techno emotes, inviting comparisons to Fred Again's pyjama-wearing, electronic cousin. Bursting on to the scene in the early 20s with bedroomy, Bandcamp self-starters like 'Different' and 'I Don't Want To Be Here', the common thread in Barry's oeuvre has become known as one of introspection, isolation and regression to childhood. Loner now hears him delve ever deeper into his establishing unthought known, one of solitary but deep-feeling inner world-building, matching the tremulous intensity of his fluid, jam sesh live shows.
Machine Noise For A Quiet Daydream (feat Seamus) (2:31)
Like It's Part Of The Dance (4:29)
Childhood (3:49)
Marriage (2:58)
Wandering Mt Moon (2:52)
Review: Barry Can't Swim, the Edinburgh-born electronic artist, shares his highly anticipated new album Loner on Ninja Tune, attesting the excitement factor of a new artist whose star power has reached boiling point. Proceeding the electrifying single drop 'Different' - a fan favourite and fixture of his enigmatic live performances - Loner carries on from the last Ninja LP When Will We Land?, as Barry continues to reflect on his personal journey, by way of toyshop melodies and ahead-of-the-curve dance textures. Barry explains, "If my first album was a collage of all the music I loved growing up, this album is my truest expression of myself and the past year of my life."
Review: Edinburgh-born Barry Can't Swim made a solitary splash with Loner, now reissued some months after its initial release on CD. The album dived deep into the producer's personal landscape, shaped by a year of self-reflection and a global total live show wipeout, finding romance in the contrasts between adolescent aloneness and global superstardom: in the 21st century, we find it a relief to believe they're hardly incompatible. Lead single 'Different' has in the time since set itself apart on dancefloors the world over, its euphoria meeting a patchwork of influences, while always seeming to conjure some wonder and speculation as to the man behind the beats: always navigating identity, (dis)connection and change.
Review: Since debuting in 2022, Manchester-raised (but Berlin-based) musician Black Eyes (real name Matthew Jesus) has defined a trademark style of his own: 'hydro-trip', a personal variation of trippy house and techno "inspired by his love of water". Here the rising star brings his unique musical vision to Rawax's Motor City Edition series for the first time. He sets the tone with 'Scuba Republic', where futurist Detroit deep house chords and textures rise above a locked-in beat and hypnotic bassline, before opting for a jazzier, warmer and more rhythmically fluid house sound on 'Intercity Fish Vibes'. Flip-side opener 'Something Sweeter N Deeper' is gentle, bass-heavy and melody-rich, offering a blissful and immersive dancefloor excursion, while the admirable Abacus rounds things off with a fine, Motor City techno inspired rework of 'Scuba Republic'.
Review: Magic House Mover is deep house gem from the Parisian producer Art Bleek aka Arthur Pochon, who brings his signature sultry and soulful style to grooves built to move hearts as much as hips. His shimmering, sun-drenched sounds douse you in warming vibes while Lola Delon's vocals float above with sensual allure. It's the sound of sunrise on a rooftop, somewhere between the Med and a lucid dream. Then Osunlade steps in, flipping the track into a spiritual ride with organic, hypnotic drums and earthy percussion, and Art Bleek reworks the original with a steadier club pulse.
Review: A debut that feels carefully sculpted yet emotionally loose, like they've been quietly perfecting this for years. The 'Brotherhood' EP doesn't rush to impress, but it does. Instead of sticking to one lane, the duo blend shades of deep house, electro and touches of Italo with a real sense of control and curiosity. The title track has a moody undercurrent with a catchy bassline, while icy percussion and layered vocals bring just enough tension. It's equal parts shadowy and hypnotic, like stepping into a neon-lit alleyway at midnight. 'Human Experience' loosens up the mood with a bit more groove and warmth. There's something retro-futurist about it, with its synthetic voice fragments and subtle melodic twists while it drifts and pulses like a memory coming back to life. 'Eivissa' has a confident strut. The breakbeats hit hard, but the melodies float above it all with a soft glow. Then 'Post Operation' closes things off with a slow exhale. There's a gentle rise and fall to it, almost ambient, yet still grounded by a steady pulse. It feels like the moment the lights come on but you're not quite ready to leave. A debut that leaves a mark.
Boddhi Satva & Zaki Ibrahim - "Vibrate High" (4:17)
Boddhi Satva & Jorge Bezerra - "Xango" (5:56)
Boddhi Satva & Freddy Da Stupid - "Kotto River" (5:31)
Review: Manifest Everything is a powerful double album from Boddhi Satva that surveys his groundbreaking work in ancestral-inspired Afro-electronic music. This edition compiles tracks from Manifestation, which was a Grammy contender for Best Alternative Music Album, and In Spite of Everything, and together they give a great insight into his creative power and emotional range. This one is dedicated to his late mother and braids personal reflections with singular rhythms and soulful club anthems. Boddhi's cultural impact has been endorsed by a resolution from both the New York State Senate and U.S. Congress, and this gatefold format includes liner notes and Basquiat-inspired visuals.
Review: Boston duo Soul Clap make a routine yearly stopover in Detroit with House Of Efunk, a DJs' slamdown paying collective tribute to the dance musical legacy of Motor City. Detroit's influence on the House of Efunk is undeniable, and this 25th release in the conjoining V/A series of EPs hears Soul Clap join Axel Boman, Juliet Mendoza, Ataxia, and Mathew Jonson for a serious-unserious serum of dance delirium. Best among them 0s the lo-fi astral projections of Boman's 'Ev'ry Body Wants To Be A Star' (hint: you already are) and Ataxia's future-lectro acid finesse-tration, 'Soul Clap'.
What You Want (feat Byron Stingily - Extanded version) (6:42)
What You Want (feat Byron Stingily - dub) (5:49)
Take You Back (6:13)
Review: New York house stalwarts Victor Calderone and Mykol team up for a heavyweight double-header on Nervous Records, drawing on decades of club heritage with two cuts that balance toughness with soul. On 'What You Want', the unmistakable Byron Stingily delivers a spoken-word vocal full of presence and tension, riding a thick groove of driving drums and brooding synth stabs. The dub strips things back into a leaner, club-focused roller, layering sharp FX over its pulsing low-end. Flip to 'Take You Back' and the tone shifts-gliding synths and sultry female vocals swirl through the mix, giving the track a hazy, after-hours sensuality. It's a slick contrast to the A-side's weight, showcasing the duo's versatility and deep roots in New York's late-night lineage.
Maintaining My Peace (feat Novelist & Stephanie Cooke) (2:59)
Tears (feat Saucy Lady) (2:55)
Brain Gymnasium (3:28)
Wanna Tell Somebody (feat Josh Milan) (5:53)
Otaki (feat Finn Rees) (5:26)
Love Language (feat Nathan Haines) (4:35)
A Deeper Life (feat Isaac Aesili) (8:00)
More Time (feat Lee Pearson Jr Collective) (3:56)
Tongariro Crossing (feat Nathan Haines) (5:17)
Barefoot On The Tarmac (4:11)
Marlboro Sounds (6:03)
The Eternal Checkout (feat Cenk Esen) (5:36)
Review: Given that even their most dancefloor-focused tunes are remarkably deep, immersive and sonically detailed, you'd think that Chaos In The CBD's music would suit the album format - it's just that until now, they've not recorded a full-length. A Deeper Life, then, marks a big step forward in the Helliker-Hales brothers' career. Predictably, it's borderline brilliant. Made with the assistance of a cast of collaborators and guest performers (flautist Nathan Haines, boogie revivalist Saucy Lady and original NJ garage-house hero Josh Milan included), it sees the Kiwi duo sashay their way through enveloping, musically expansive cuts - many downtempo and home-listening focused - that variously mix and match elements of deep house, nu-jazz, dub, 80s soul, hip-hop, trip-hop, Latin soul and much more besides. A genuine triumph, even by their high standards.
Review: 'Create the Life' is the debut EP from Detroit's Char aka Charnell Williams, who is a dancer, educator and artist with a sound that moves in sync with the soul. Drawing inspiration from her father's role in shaping the Motown Sound, Char brings oodles of rhythm, warmth and intention to each track and blends broken beat, soulful house and glowing vocal energy. From the ethereal 'Fall On Me' to the radiant 'Surrender' and uplifting 'Go In Graceee', these long-awaited tracks now shine on Maybee Hill Music, having long been featured in Julion De'Angelo's sets.
Review: Fresh from delivering a typically nostalgic (and undeniably excellent) EP on Dam Swindle's Heist Recordings, Cinthie Christl returns home to her 808 Crystal Grooves imprint with four more reasons to be cheerful. She begins in typically energetic and heavy fashion on 'Grooves', where vintage vocal snippets, weird noises and fizzing stabs ride a weighty TB-303 bassline and sweat-soaked drums, before breaking up the beats a little on the loose-limbed and low-slung 'Boxer'. Over on side B, 'Hands Up' sits somewhere between glassy-eyed US garage nostalgia and colourful early 90s Italo-house, while 'She Wants It' sees the long-serving producer wrap colourful chords, soulful vocal samples and bubbly electronic melodies around an elongated bassline and no-nonsense drums.
Review: Body & Soul NYC resident Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell has launched a new series, 'Iboga' - an extension of his 'unofficial edits and overdubs' project focused on "psychedelic takes" on "African classics". He begins EP number two with 'Abuja Rough', a rolling, lightly housed-up take on a lesser-known mid-80s Afro-synth-pop number, before ratcheting up the tempo, intensity and percussive pressure on 'Summer Africa'. He successfully straightens out and beefs up an organ-rich Afronbeat workoput on 'People', while standout 'Afrikan Basement' is a lightly dubbed-out chunk of densely percussive Afro-house topped off with effects-laden vocals and sax solos.
Review: For the latest offshoot of his ongoing 'unofficial edits and overdubs' rework project, New York house/disco mainstay Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell has decided to turn his hand to "African classics', delivering what he describes as "psychedelic takes". On this EP, the first of two, the Body & Soul NYC resident offers up extended revisions of a quartet of cuts. He begins with 'New Africa', wrapping a gorgeous sand gently soulful vocal workout in spacey synths and layers of spiritual house percussion, before upping the tempo on the breathless and brilliant 'Griot Ba'. His love of deep, dubby basslines, restless percussion and delay-laden vocal snippets comes to the fore on EP highlight 'The Ya Yo People', whjle 'Drum Sore' - a version of what sounds like an early to mid 1980s number - very much lives up to its name.
Review: The latest 7" from New York producer and long-time spiritual house innovator Joaquin Joe Claussell leans into his cosmic jazz side, offering two fully analogue recordings of 'Dark Rebel'. It's a brand new release, recorded live with no computersijust raw musicianship and hands-on energy. The A-side version stretches into smoky Rhodes licks and rolling percussion, while the B-side strips things down to a tighter, dubbier frame. Released on Sacred Rhythm and Cosmic, this is one for collectors of Claussell's deeper, more improvisational output.
Review: Some 14 years have passed since Cork producer Colm K joined forces with singer/songwriter Elaine Dowling for the Bastard Jazz Recordings-released 'Basics', a sublime slab of dub-infused downtempo soul. On this surprise 12" from new label Lilac, the song has been given a new lease of life for 2025. Sometime Robsoul Recordings contributor Marlon George delivers the headline-grabbing A-side remix, smartly re-imaging Colm K and Elaine Dowling's original as a breakbeat-driven slab of jazzy deep house dustiness rich in effects-laden vocals, layered hand percussion and woozy Rhodes chords. Over on the flip, Romanian scene stalwart Mihail Popescu delivers a tougher, warmer and more bass-heavy deep house interpretation. It's genuinely excellent, offering a far more spacey and enveloping peak-time sound.
Review: South African producer Cool Affair returns with a fluid, genre-slipping cut that glides between broken beat, downtempo and deep house. 'Motoric Patterns' pulses gently with smoky keys and layered vocal harmonies, locking into a low-slung, hypnotic rhythm that feels simultaneously meditative and sensual. It's a subtle burner, rooted in groove but elevated by harmonic detail. On the flip, broken beat originator Kaidi Tatham delivers a fizzing rework-fractured drums, jazz-funk flourishes and a brightened vocal hook that pulls the track toward the dancefloor without sacrificing its soulful core. Where the original stretches inward, Tatham's remix reaches outwards with sparkle and flair. A seamless pairing of two artists who understand restraint, rhythm, and the soft power of a beautifully voiced chord.
Review: London's Cody Currie and Kapote share jazz backgrounds, multi-instrumental skills and a real connection to club culture through their work with Toy Tonics. Here they tap into proto-disco, neo-soul, Chicago house and jazz-funk with ease and spontaneity that reflects their live DJ sets, which are playful and catchy but high in musical detail. 'Answer' brings a certain wonkiness thanks to the off-balance piano chords and 'Hard Work' taps into 90s basslines and neon stabs. 'I Want You' is like a Murk classic and 'Dance Dance Dance' brings a swinging, soulful joy with a carefully knotted bassline and breezy pop vocal.
Get Lucky (unreleased instrumental 45 edit) (4:49)
Spacer (Chic instrumental Funk Re edit) (4:36)
Review: One very handy 7" single and two monumental disco instrumental edits surely destined to get butts waggling on any given dancefloor. The A-side is swept along by a propulsive funk guitar line, neatly switching from classic 70s lushness to 21st century robotics and vocodered vocals and back again, while the flip goes for a more soul-driven vibe, the tight drums and bass pairing polished off by some delicately applied Rhodes piano, definitely the glitterball cherry on top. DJ weaponry so deadly it should probably be outlawed by some international treaty.
Review: Curated by new school tech house heads Sirus Hood and Manda Moor, Mood Child returns with a six-track compilation that balances funky, classy house on Side A with edgier, tech-influenced sounds on Side B. German house legend Nick Curly features with one of signature loopy workouts, Italian standouts Wilder (ITA) and Mattia Scolaro bring some kicking depths and nice dusty aesthetics, and emerging Brazilian talents Las Heras and ROKKE, who collaborates with RAMOOX, help bring some bigger moments for peak time fun. Dutch DJ Joey Daniel also makes his Mood Child debut with the slinky and cheeky house of 'Organ Shift'. A very useful EP.
Review: Welsh duo ddwy - Naomi and Ronan - continue their slow-burn rise with a luminous four-tracker that fuses ambient shimmer with dubwise propulsion. 'Beaming Backwards' opens on a melodic tip, weaving arpeggiated pads around a restrained but propulsive groove. 'Stars Stars' leans hazier, its synth textures and soft-focus rhythms blurring the line between dream pop and deep house. On the B-side, 'Peak Smile' introduces low-slung bass and echo chamber FX, pushing their sound into more dubbed-out territory. Final track 'Heuldro'r Haf' (Welsh for "summer solstice") floats in beatless form - misty, delicate, and grounded by a sense of melancholic stasis. Having previously appeared on Munich's Public Possession, ddwy now offer their most balanced and evocative work to date, signalling a quietly assured presence in the continuum of melodic, leftfield UK electronica.
Review: Dungen Meat duo Brawther and Tristan Da Cunha deal in heavyweight, no-nonsense house and that is embodied in their label Slabs, which focuses on the deeper side of things and now welcomes Dutch talent Job de Jong for a stylish brace of cuts. 'Like This' draws from all over - dubwise vocal samples, percussion from garage, kicks from house music and echo from dub. It's a physical, bouncy sound for energising the dance floor without ever resorting to gimmicks. On the flip, 'MB' pumps a garage-house vibe with dusty drum rotations and snares that flap in the wind. Add in bulbous organ lines and balmy pads and you have a nice neon heater.
You're Enough (feat Janet Coco - Anthony Nicholson remix) (8:33)
Free Your Mind (4:20)
Review: Lorenzo Dewberry bridges the soulful sounds of Chicago and Detroit with a cosmic, genre-blurring house EP on Excursions. A rising talent with past releases on Ten Lovers Music, Dewberry showcases impressive musicality and lush production across four standout cuts. "You're Enough" (feat. Janet Coco) opens with Balearic warmth and sunset vibes, while "Open Skies" drifts into dreamy, melodic territory. Anthony Nicholson's remix adds jazzy keys and shimmering synths, elevating the groove further. Closing track "Free Your Mind" slows the tempo, offering a laid-back, jazz-infused finish. Deep, emotive, and subtly psychedelic, this EP proves Dewberry is one to watch.
Review: Colombian-born, Buenos Aires-based DFRA takes us on an eight-track house odyssey courtesy of Ltd W/Lbl. This trip is infused with rich jazz textures and live instrumentation that brings the tunes to life in a way many producers can't. Smooth piano riffs glow, trumpet solos drip with soul and warm guitar lines bring the heat next to glockenspiel flourishes as each element adds depth and extra groove. The project's musicality stands front and centre and vocalist Nick Weaver joins on select cuts to help bring a relaxed hip-hop flair that complements the album's laid-back, genre-blurring tone. The playful steaminess of 'Walls Of Sound' is a real favourite for us but these all have timeless status.
Review: Belgian producer Dim Kelly returns to All Day I Dream with Beau Rivage, a radiant sonic nonagon of textural mackerel skies and progressive ejections into aerospace. Made in a wooden cabin outside Brussels, the record leaves behind it a trail of club-intended atmos, from the poetic pulse of 'Redemption' to the intricate two-part title track. The name Beau Rivage translates from French to "beautiful shore", and the music matches, evoking the frothy back-and-forth laps of a human soul in phase transition, gradually marooning like a wave from sea to sand.
Review: Deep house don DJ Aakmael kicks on with the release of some previously never before on vinyl remixes. He is a man who knows how to cook up warm yet dynamic sounds that are perfect for back rooms and basements when you want to get up close and personal. 'Window Seat' finds him tackling smoky soul sounds and flipping them into spaced-out deep house magic. 'I Know U Care' is then a more upbeat jam with organic percussion and swinging drums topped with another gorgeous r&b vocal. Two cosy party starters from this ever-on-form American.
Review: Seven months on from the release of his superb Paris, Rome album, Public Possession regular DJ City returns to the Munich-based imprint - and this time he's got sometime Wolf Music and Semi Delicious contributor Manuel Darquart in tow. The pair treat us to three takes on 'I Need'. There's the EP-leading 'Italo Version', a smooth, dreamy and suitably sun-splashed electronic house cut smothered in Italo-disco style synths and a stylised lead vocal by Darquart; the more stripped-back, deep house style warmth of the 'Club Version'; and a DJ-friendly 'Beatless Version' that's propelled forwards by a restless bassline and cascading synth sounds. It also offers more opportunity to wallow in Darquart's effects-laden vocal.
Review: Interspecies rolls out the second volume of its self-titled compilation with another avant-garde selection of electronics. DJ Norizm opens with 'Sauti Ya Maji' which recalls the organic and spiritual jazz on Don Cherry but in a deep electronic framework. Noritaka Itoh's 'Kiwamaru Yoru' is much more empty and deft with wispy synths and dubby rhythms taking you into another world, DJ Ryota then brings some fun with the shimmering synths of 'Rotation Disco' and Shigeo Watanabe's 'Techno Of The Day' is an ambient laced closer for soothing listening amidst balmy pads and gently undulating minimal drums.
Review: DJ Sneak's later career renaissance continues, with the legendary Chicagoan DJ/producer returning to regular outlet Hudd Trax with a hotly anticipated sequel to his 2024 EP For The Soul. He opts for a summery, gently breezy and infectious vibe on opener 'Natural Habitat', where echo-laden percussion hits, tight Rhodes loops, vocal samples and jazzy guitar licks ride a rising and falling bassline and heavy house beats, before delivering more bumping, sweat-soaked thrills on the deep house jack of 'Eastside Westside'. Sneak doffs a cap to his cut-up, bass-heavy "boompty" sound of the late '90s and 2000s on flipside opener 'They Have Not Lived', occasionally reaching for some seriously jazzy piano loops. Jason Hodges remixes, re-framing it as a more trippy and hypnotic chunk of deep house goodness.
Review: On his latest predictably peak-time ready excursion, Matt 'Radio Slave' Edwards has joned forces with sometime Toy Tonics contributor Nathalie Duchene. Between them - and Edwards' young daughter, who provides the vocal hooks - the pair has delivered a genuinely life-affirming and mood-enhancing summer anthem that wraps restless house beats and rubbery bass guitar in descending, disco inspired synth-strings and the biggest and brightest of hands-in-the-air piano riffs. Duchene and Edwards deliver an infectious and equally inspiring instrumental take, before Toolroom regular CASSIMM takes over. He delivers vocal and dub takes, leaning into the track's disco-house elements and dialling them up to the max. The result is a pair of driving, funky and breathless revisions that giddily pay tribute to the classic 'French Touch' sound of the late 1990s.
Review: With a voice that's unmistakably his, Even Everett has been responsible for more than his share of timeless soulful house moments - none more so than his 2002 release 'I Can't Believe I Loved Her', reissued here. Rising over a typically loose and funk-infused backing track, the searing story of a love broken is one that anyone with a heart is likely to have experienced at some point, delivered here with the kind of melodic freedom and instinctive musicality for which the Chicago producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist is so rightfully revered. Presented in two mixes - the focused 'main mix' and the looser 'Calypso' version - the soul-drenched song continues to resonate.
Review: Originally released in 2012, Fatdog's debut EP became a cult deep house gem that captured the wild energy of his legendary Werk parties in the North East of England, which hosted true underground icons like Theo Parrish, Moodymann and Move D. A fusion of UK grit and Detroit soul defines it and the EP opens with 'Remember Me,' where Chris Raine's vocals ride warm chords and electro-tinged grooves. 'U&Me' drifts into narcotic slo-house, while 'Cookie' oozes Theo Parrish-inspired swing. Closer 'Contact' brings an electroid finish for late-night heads. Now reissued by WOLF, this classic is set to become a firm fav with a whole new generation
Review: House master FCL's 'Can We Try' was released on We Play House Recordings 11 years ago in the summer of 2014 and since then has been an evergreen favourite in the underground, which is why it now gets revisited once more with some top remixes. First up is a 2025 remaster of the original with its bleeping synth sequins offset by smooth and sultry vocals. Jimpster turns it into a free-flowing and uplifting soulful house gem, Ben Hixon focuses on the broken beat rhythms and Latin percussion and Deetron goes for a more celebratory version.
Review: Here's an unfettered dancefloor delivery from Studio Barnhus, with Austin-based newcomer Fennec arriving with a dose more bump than what we've come to expect from the generally understated Stockholm imprint. Fennec slides into the groove with four tracks of loose-limbed, sample-driven house - from the sturdy thump of 'Jaunt' to the more introspective but no less groovy 'Grilled Romaine'. There's a clear reverence for the golden era of sampling, but it's filtered through a fresh, bedroom-built lens. Fennec's been quietly building a cult following over the past decade, and this release feels like a well-earned moment in the spotlight. Playful, heartfelt, and ready to work the floor.
The Deepshakerz, Divine, Nhan Solo - "Hey Now!" (4:59)
Swing Original Monks, Ordonez - "Caminito" (5:58)
Sllash & Doppe - "Bekaboo" (6:31)
Review: After three years spent offering up digital download releases, Berlin outlet Neighbourhood (frequently styled NBHD Music, fact fans) has finally made its vinyl bow. Their first wax missive is a pleasingly taster affair featuring a wealth of gems from the imprint's digital catalogue. Fex kicks things off with the SOS Band-sampling nu-disco/deep house fusion of 'Fall In Love', before The Deepshakerz, Dhivine and Nhan Solo join forces on 'Hey Now', a bouncy, percussion-rich tribal house take on Nigerian favourite 'Iko Iko'. Over on side B, Swing Original Monks and Ordonez combine on the sweat-soaked, drum-heavy Latin house heat of 'Caminito', while Silash & Doppe unleash the slow-build, bass-heavy pressure of late-night loop jam 'Bekaboo'.
Review: The enigmatic Florence series continues with a varied collection of dance-focused cuts. The looped-up 'Aphect' features haunting vocals transcending pulsing chords, snappy drums, and deep bass, while the familiar disco flex of 'Bphect' features a beefed-up edit of Melba Moore's classic 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance'. Crisp rhythms power more wigged-out vocals on the stripped-but-sturdy 'Cphect', before the showstopper 'Dphect' features a boldly tongue-in-cheek (or playful, depending on how you look at it) house version of The Shadows' 'My Blue Heaven,' with Cliff's honeyed vocal spliced over bumping drums. Bags of fun.
Review: Since founding the admirable Scissor & Thread label 14 years ago, Francis "Frank" Harris and Anthony "Tony" Collins have made very few appearances on other labels - making this outing on Hamburg's masters of all things deep and dreamy, Smallville Records, a notable excursion. As befits both label and artist, the three tracks on offer are genuinely atmospheric and ultra-deep, albeit still blessed with enough groove and bottom-end oomph to titillate late-night and early morning dancefloors. For proof, check A-side 'Ways of Mine', with its yearning pads, warm bass, heady spoken word snippets, spacey electronics and locked-in beats. The quality threshold remains high on the flip, where the slow burning (and even deeper) 'After All' is joined by the intergalactic dancefloor drift of 'Dimension'.
Review: Gary "Gaz" returns with four more skewed UK garage cuts under the Steak Baked Garage Bakes banner, following hot on the heels of his first EP, not to mention an accompanying myth alleging a certain Greggs-pastry binging excess on the part of the artist. As ever, the music's as daft as it is deadly, with 'Gary Loves Garage' dialling in signature chordwork (emphasis is placed on the dominant seventh sharp ninth, an apparent harmonic staple of speed garage) with the sort of reverence that's turned Gaz into a kind of postcode-specific myth among local "deep garage dads". 'Gary Visits NYC (BA Premium Economy)' goes on to help us imagine a recent attempt at a trip that never quite happened, derailed by Wetherspoons and terminal confusion; finally, 'Gary's SP1200' is a wonky lament to gear forever just out of reach, while 'Gary's Pad Patterns' celebrates his most prized Zip disc like a sacred text.
Get Fucked - "Charlies Knickers" (remastered version) (7:35)
Nils Hess - "Alcohol Is My Favourite" (The Staggering Fools mix) (7:17)
Review: Get Fucked might be one of the best DJ aliases ever, and the music the London pair of Nathan Coles and Nils Hess kicked out is also top draw. Now two of their early naughties classics are being reissued starting with a remastered version of 'Charlie's Knickers' which is super tight and kicking tech house with a fat bassline and mystical pads swirling around an alluring vocal. Also featured here is a previously unheard version of Nils Hess' 'Alcohol Is My Favourite' (The Staggering Fools mix) which is another archetypal tech house vibe with physical drums and perfectly weighted bass. Two bona-fide bombs.
Review: Glenn Underground has been living and breathing and shaping Chicago house music for as long as we can remember. His GU Classics label is a place where he drops his own edits of special talks from across the years and many different styles. This latest edition starts with him playing keys on Ingram's starring jazz-funk-disco banger 'Music Has The Power.' After that comes James Brown's 'Take Me Higher' with some club-ready drums extended for modern floors. Last of all is a subtle rework of Meco's super vibey and percussive, chord-laced and swinging 'Cantina Boogie.'
Review: System Error launches Immer Feierabend, a new series focused on afterwork vibes, with Buenos Aires producer Guile at the helm. Following refined outings on Limousine Dream and Proper Grub, Guile here hurrahs the 'Freak' EP, a vinyl-only apparition for the turntabular ages. From classic house grooves to bodyworking beats, the "after-work" ethos is only part true, as they're just as suited to the floor, where saltatory play becomes profuse sweat. With no digital release, it's fitting for a series celebrating reality and rawness; the night is not for digits, just hips.
Review: HATT.D returns with a new EP for Belgian label Flipsight that is all about soundtracking that most special time of the day: the golden hour. Opening with the title track 'Hold Me' he flips a forgotten vocal sample into a soulful, emotional house pumper that brims with good time feels. 'DANCE' follows with a choppy garage-house sound that's smooth and sundown-ready but perfect for the club. HATT.D's signature bass-heavy pulse comes to the fore on ''Check This Shhh Out' with punchy hi-hats, thick kicks and a no-frills, floor-focused attitude. 'Connection' gets more late-night with some nice wispy cosmic flair adding a nocturnal feel.
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