Chiwax Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Chiwax welcomes Andrew Red Hand here for his third outing on the revered house label. We're told it is one of his most intimate and personal releases and there sure is plenty of deep and pensive energy to 'In The Cemetery (part III)' with its snappy electro rhythms but long-sustained and introspective chords. 'Summer Nostalgia' is raw, punchy techno and 'Autumn Nostalgia' gets more banging with a brazen bassline and celestial synth glow. 'Sorrowful Joy' closes down with a celebratory air in the happy chords but the betas remain heady.

Review: Despite a sizable, high-quality discography that stretches back to 1994, Boo Williams has never been as hyped or celebrated as many of his Chicago deep house peers. Perhaps it's time we gave him some love because the Natural Service EP - his first solo 12" on Chiwax since 2014 - is undeniably excellent. Check first opener 'Ambushed', where twinkling electronics and sumptuous pads ride jackin' drums and a brilliant bassline, before turning your attention to 'Echoes of the Dance', an acid-flecked journey through dreamy, loved-up deep house that's as picturesque as they come. Flipside 'Zone' is even more hypnotic and trance-inducing, sitting somewhere between classic deep house and the techier end of Omar-S's output.

Review: This new Cyberpunk outing throws it back to the early bleep techno days. It's twitchy and riddled with the anxiety of having one too many amphetamines. 'Pushback' is jacked up on blistering drums and bass with rich textures and squealing leads. 'Blip' is a corrugate and funky bumper with twitchy electronics bringing it to life, and 'Jurisdiction' is a Chicago house slammer re-wired for 2025. 'Departure' shuts down with a quick-stepping techno groove and more frenzied synth modulations.

Review: The second in D'Julz's rollicking Raw Toolz series brings four 'Out Of Place Artefact's to the contemporary deep house sphere. From 'Big Wag' to 'Lionozed', every track on this dreamatic, diatonic whorl eschews high tones and sibilants for a rigorous, plombing exercise in depth and draught. The sampled, suspended echoes of jazz and piano blues ripple through the extra space thus provided; for those DJs seeking a selection of mid-set sauces, precooked to keep the party pumping, from which to choose without faf, this is your record, courtesy of the longtime French DJ and production artisan.

Review: It was 1993 when Chicago's DJ Skull first released these four face-melters, and we can only imagine the faces of the dancers hearing this for the first time, amid a frenzy of other, softer variations of house. Be warned: this is still a frightening prospect on the dance floor today, as it was almost 25 years ago. The Southside DJAX affiliate re-drops the never-ending tunnel of a tune that is "Stomping Grounds", followed by the more minimal, stripped-back percussion shots of "Don't Stop The Beat". On the flip, "Stomping Grounds 2" ups the tempo and chucks in a layer of hypnotics round the lower tones, while "The Kissing Game" reduces the tension and aggression of the previous tunes down to a softer, more soulful house swing guided by that dusty drum machine programming that makes it signature Skull material.

Review: Black Angus Records founder DJ Soch is no stranger to ChiWax, having made his label debut in October 2023. Curiously, this is the previously prolific producer's first outing on wax since then - and it's a doozy. The four tracks on show are undoubtedly classy, fusing the far-sighted, intergalactic ethos and analogue-rich approach of Motor City dance music with the warm tactility of Italian house and the soulfulness of garage-house. He begins with the rubbery synth bass, loose machine drums and spacey pads of 'Walking To The Beat', before reaching for some vintage soulful vocal samples and oodles of sonic smoothness of the delightful 'Kiss My Baby'. The R&B vocal-sampling 'Lost On My Way' sits somewhere between the two tracks (with added synth-sax solos), while 'Soul Deep' is a breezy, sun-drenched delight.

Review: One of Detroit's finest, Lauren Flax aligns with the Chiwax label for a debut offering of ultra-rough, juking, retrofuturistic daydreams in four tracks. Like a rose blossoming from a thorny stem, this EP starts out raw and slowly fans out into the subtler tricks of multilayering and accoutrement. 'Jack The Haus' is the tweezy, 16-bit hardware jam; then there's 'The Cheeky Whistle Song', which, compared to the first track, betrays a contrasting taste for cascading arps and subtle melodies in the surround mix. 'D-Troit' returns somewhat to the initial Detroit bounce mood, while Lis Sarroca's remix rounds things off with a softer, out-your-face breaks-house beeper.

Review: There is not much more to say about Chicago's Gemini apart from the fact that he was a true house legend who, until recently, remained largely in the deep underground of the city's music, and has inspired a new generation of producers. Sadly, although he's still kicking about somewhere in the States, the man doesn't make music anymore. However, it's difficult to say whether he could have done much more these days, given how futuristic and cutting-edge his music-making was back then, and how fresh and it still sounds today. For these reasons, Germany's Chiwax have reissued a number of his EP's by now, and Shadowlust is the latest in the series. Much like the previous instalments, these four cuts are classic Gemini delivering the pure house magic - from "Log In" to "Motion", the beats are swinging, the chords heavy and pads climactic. If you've copped the other recent reissues then this is a must, if you haven't even heard of Gemini then please do yourself a favour..!

Review: For our money, Felipe Gordon is one of the most underrated house producers out there. He does way more than just club grooves, often offering up lush musical excursions with hints of jazz, soul and much more in the lavish arrangements. Here he showcases his silky skills once more on the Chiwax label with his Seasick Is Better Than Heartsick Baby EP. The title cut is a nice breezy opener with hip-swinging drums and smart chords. 'Like Father, Like Son' has a more late-night feel with a prickly synth lead that tumbles about the mix while 'Mundo Blau' (feat Bob The Egoist) is a percussive jaunt with shuffling beats and raw analogue edges. 'The Doctor' is a crowd-pleaser that is effortlessly groovy and warm.

Review: He may come from noted house stock (his dad being one of the residents at Glasgow's Sub-Club for decades), but Jasper James' continued success has been built on his undoubted qualities as a DJ and producer. The latter is clearly evident on the Glaswegian's first EP for ChiWax, which follows earlier lauded releases for the likes of Steel City Dance Discs and Optimo Trax. He goes for the jugular on opener 'Factor 50', peppering a raw, analogue bassline and sweaty acid house beats with sparkling piano riffs and occasional hands-in-the-air moments, before opting for a more Kerri Chandler-influenced sound on 'NY Fuzz'. 'Lost Trax' is a riff-sporting jack-track that sounds like it could have been made in Chicago in 1988, while 'Webster' is a gorgeous, analogue-rich deep house workout.

Review: The Juno dreams EP is for those smoother out chill-out house sessions on the dancefloor. The title track is a future classic, dreamy, like early 90s Italian ambient house. 'Boxin' With GOD' is melodic and nice while 'Galaxies' is more soulful but still deep. A bit more upbeat and techy you could say. 'Glow' is possibly the most underrated here, lovely track! Overall, the Juno Dreams EP is a solid EP that is sure to please fans of deep house, ambient house and Balearic styled house music. Smooth and cool is the order of the day.

Review: Mystic Bill (real name William Torres) has been making music in Chicago since the late 1980s, though it's only since the mid 1990s that his records have been appearing in stores. Here he makes his bow on Rawax offshoot ChiWax with a set of cuts loosely inspired by the long-held Windy City trend of fusing elements of jacking house and jazz. He begins in typically forthright fashion on 'Pitmaster Ritual', where jacking acid house drums are overlaid with spacey synth solos and jazzy electronics, before unfurling the chunkier and more locked in, organ-sporting shuffle of 'We Play Jazz'. Over on side B, '4 Paul' is a wholehearted tribute to sadly departed Chicagoan house great Paul Johnson, while 'This Side of the Tracks' is deeper, warmer and altogether weirder in the best possible way.

Review: The long-time preservers of house heritage at Chiwax welcome Nacho Marco for more timeless sounds that arrive perfectly for sunny days. Opener 'Cherry On Top' has a nice gentle Balearic feel with vocals off in the distance and supple piano chords in the foreground next to more widescreen synth smears. 'Tequila Sunrise' brings organ lines to the fore with a 90s New York feel while more Balearic energy comes from the lead sax. 'Black Velvet' is more strident and textured for the nighttime club sessions and 'Twinkle' closes with a joyous sense of celebration, old school bass and unbridled piano happiness.

Review: Hardcore trad house devotees Chixwax keep it nostalgic once more here with a new EP from Nacho Marco that ticks all the boxes for party start house without ever getting trite. Each one makes bold use of the celebrated Roland 909 drum machine and so they all come with booming low ends and punchy drums. None more so than the chord laced and bumping opener 'File 1.' 'File 2' brings dreamy pads and soft focus xylophone melodies Roy Ayres would love and ' File 3' taps into a 90s New York sound. 'File 4' brings a low slung and more dubby rhythm topped with Detroit chords.

Review: Rawax welcomes a new name to its Chiwax offshoot, Michele Del Vecchio AKA Michael D. Old. The debutant Italian producer is slated to release two EPs on the German imprint, with this four-tracker being the first. He begins in confident fashion on 'Loving Party', a gorgeous and sun-kissed slab of deep house rich in cut-up vocals, disco-tinged synth-strings, bustling beats and booming bass, before unfurling the more classic, piano-laden deep house sounds of 'Everybody'. Over on side B, he goes ultra-deep and spacey on the warming and wonderful 'Close Your Eyes', before joining the dots between Soundstream and deep Italo-house ('Locking').

Review: Low-key but high class UK producer Perseuss Traxx always deals in authentic analogue house jams and this outing on Chiwax is another fine entry into his discography. 'Adriatic Influences' is a dusty and mirky cut with corrugated drums and glistening hi hats all run through with a snaking and enacting lead synth thats burried in the mix. 'Aquatic Adventure' has more nimble drums and synth lines that get you on your toes while 'A Different Approach' is a controlled cacophony of raw perc, pinging drums and warped synth chords. Last but not least is 'Remembering Bari' with its swirling pads bring a more heady vibe to another stripped back and rugged groove.

Review: Shacklo doesn't appear on wax too often but when he does it is worth hearing. His latest outing comes on Chiwax and brings some fresh ideas to the world of house and tech. The title cut is a serene seven-minute worst that comes with hints of Balearic magic in the warm retro chords and shuffling drums, gentle whistles and hedonistic vibes. 'How Deep' nods to the dreamy Italo house of the 90s, and 'Summon' has some classic New York chords over stuffing drums and deep bass. This most cuddly and loved-up of EPs closes with the Be Cosmos D style lo-fi sounds of 'Dreem', another blissed-out groover.

Review: The unrelenting amount of music that comes out of the Chiwax camp is astonishing, especially as it is all high-grade stuff that does a fine job in the club. St David brings the heat this time right from the off. 'The Groove Goes On' pairs a classic thumping deep house vibe with some fresh synth sounds and sustained chords that bring the soul. 'Summer Nights Fall layers up some colourful xylophone-style melodies over more sweet cruising beats and 'Tech No Pease' taps into a signature Detroit sound with warm machine sounds and dusty drums working in perfect harmony. 'A Touch Of Jazz' is a noodling closer with exquisite piano keys delicately played next to filtered synths.

Review: Well here's something no one expected from the annals of house music history. Back in 2000 a chance link up took place when Steve Bug invited the legendary Chicago producer Spencer Kincy, aka Gemini, to his studio in Berlin. Two tracks were laid down, and now after all these years they're finally seeing the light of day as Chiwax got the blessing from all relevant parties to press them up for our grooving pleasure. They're crisp, unfussy tracks which are perhaps less wild than a lot of Gemini-related projects, which no doubts speaks to Bug's well-known style, but there's a whole lot of vibe in these cuts whichever way you look at them.

Review: Chiwax are back this week with a more than welcome reissue of Wax Fruit's one-and-only release Whispers from 1994. This was one of many aliases sussed by Toronto-based producer Ron Allen, who some of you may know for his seminal work as one half of Psyance (with Hayden Andre Brown) who released on Plus 8, as well as his work under the names Aztech, The Apache Project and The R.A.S.E. The late night mood music of the title track is a true zeitgeist from the period in which it was released, while the looped-up disco sampling deep house of 'Just A Party' or 'Mindgames' over on the flip were equally as trendsetting as anything fellow Torontonians like Nick Holder or DJ Sneak were making at the time.

Review: The legendary German producer behind such mythical techno names like Acid Jesus and Alter Ego delivers an eclectic exploration of electro and acid with 'Pan Sonic Youth'. This release shows his ability to create genre-bending soundscapes and analogue textures, each of the four mixes offering a unique perspective on the original. Side-1 starts with the acid version which is a deep, addictive dive into heavily drenched acid sounds. Harnessing the spirit of 80s electro, its bold, immersive energy demands attention. The original version follows, delivering strong electro rhythms and a sharp, immediate impact. Both versions are sure to wow any listener. Side-2 opens with the drone version, where heavily processed analogue tones create a dense, experimental atmosphere. Jorn's 'Thee Church Ov Acid House Balearic Mix' reimagines the track as a chill-out anthem, blending beachy vibes and lounge influences while retaining the original's spirit. Closing the release, the 'Sampledica Dub' deconstructs the original into abstract fragments, offering a more avant-garde, interpretive take. Wuttke's ability to create so many different versions of one track is truly amazing in itself, and add the extra demension that a true veteran brings and you have one unmissable piece of vinyl.