New releases last two weeks: Funky/Club House

Review: Expert record collector, skilled DJ, Moodyman collaborator and beatmaker Andres aka DJ Dez is back not long after the release of his last album with a new 7" on David A-P's Hot Pot Records. He opens up this one with 'I Can't Understand It' which has the exact sort of dusty drums and subtle hip-hop stylings to the groove that you would expect of this storied groove specialist. It will get the floor popping off in no time and on the flip, he shows off his skills on the MPC by chopping up 'Loleatta Disco Flip' with plenty of hefty drum work and a sprinkling of percussion that keeps whitings moving. Another irresistible drop from the Detroit mainstay.

Review: Michael Gray brings his famously soulful sound to this new release on Sultra and it very much taps into a timeless vibe and old school disco feel. The grooves are nice and loose, the percussion is organic and fresh and the vocals, which re-sing a real classic, solar to the heavens next to mid tempo beats. After the A-side extended mix featuring Kimberly Brown & The Sultra Gospel Singers comes 'Never Let You Down' (feat Anthony Poteat & LaMay - extended mix). This one is a little deeper, quicker and funky, but is no less impassioned with its live vocals and lush synth work all bringing the good time vibes.

Review: Some 29 years after it first hit record stores, Nick Holder's sought-after Fruit Loops EP returns in remastered and reissued form. The long-serving Canadian was already four years into his career - and many 12" singles deep - when he delivered the four-tracker, which offers a funky and seductive take on deep house rich in disco and boogie samples. Check first the Chic-sampling disco house roll of 'Dance, Dance, Dance', before moving into the more complex (but not less attractive) 'Keep On Running'. 'The Message Is Love' does a brilliant job in turning choice loops and samples from MFSB's 'Love Is A Message' into heady house gold, while 'Clap Your Hands' makes merry with the stomping brilliance of Hamilton Bohannon's most famous tune ('Let's Start The Dance').

Review: Keinemuzik return for a fresh split 12", co-starring production peers Alan Dixon and Arabic Piano on the long-burner that is 'Thandaza'. A brooding progressive cut that glides through sun-upped vocal chants and shuffling percussive elements, the track is a veritable exciter, with Piano's vocals coming off especially charming. Dixon's signature piano line abounds in the breakdown, giving images of cocktail-glassed refractions of beachside fires backclothed by a deep blue ocean.

Review: Spaced Repetitions is a new label by veteran producer Manuel Tur who has always been known for his deliciously deep sound. For the imprint's fourth outing, he serves up two versions of a tune by Ingrid Lukas taken from last year's album ELUMELOODIA. The Estonian-Swiss singer, pianist and composer's angelic vocals remain in place up top as the dubby drums roll down low and all manner of icy synths and gassy melodic tinkles pepper the groove and get you into a celestial state of mind. The dub version allows that to come to the fore even more.

Review: Alton Miller doesn't get spoken about as much as he should - he is a genuine Detroit pioneer who played the city's earliest house parties and decades later he is still turning out authentic and emotive deep house. Here he debuts on Mister Bear Records, a new imprint out of Berlin. First up is 'Am Forplay', a mid-tempo roller with heady chords slowly moving through the scales next to smoky vocal coos. 'For Me' is a more edgy and energetic sound with wispy pads darting about like fireflies over more percussive, tech-leaning drums. Last but not least is our standout - 'Sweet Love' (dub) with its delightful vocal and shuffling, cuddly deep house drums soon hypnotising you.