Digging Deeper Music Vinyl & CDs

Review: As an original will cost you three figures, there is no reason not to sweep up this killer reissue of a 1993 classic. Groovy Deep House were an Italian dup who, despite the title of this one, only dropped one EP. It's a gem though with six timeless house cuts sound as good now as they did all those years ago. Each one has that aged analogue feel we all crave so much with opener 'My Music' powered by thumping kicks and yelping vocal snatches. 'ES' has icy hi hats and a more militant groove over a brilliant FM bassline and 'Stop' brings the soul with rich US vibes. 'DOWN' is a piano classic and the remains two cuts keep the vibes very much alive with great vocals.

Review: Italian house music is always standout for the dreaminess of its melodies and the escapism inherent in its grooves. This new one on the fledgling Digging Deeper Music label is another case in point as Mixmaster and Maurizo Verbeni offer up The Sound Of Assisi, which was originally released back in 1993 and has very much stood the test of time. There is a subtle darkness to the bassline, a drive in the busy drums but lushness in the chords to the Padre mix which opens up. The Suora mix is more spaced out and Francesano mix brings some bouncy drum funk.

Review: 90s house maestro Maurizio Verbeni aka PDQ's now very rare and much coveted original release on Trancebeat was in 1992. It now gets a total re-issue and remaster following plenty of other standout tunes on the likes of UMM, MBG Records and Discomagic. 'To Me (Deep Down mix)' is a steamy and seductive deep house sound with retro feels and dub drums. The Love mix becomes even more E'd-up with glowing pads full of subtle euphoria. The epic eight-minute-plus B-side tune 'I Can Cry' then bumps nicely on uplifting chord work with a proper old school diva vocal.

Review: Digging Deeper's latest archival dive takes us back to 1995 and a cult classic from Italian producer Maurizio 'Jazz Voice' Verbitini. The Panic EP first surfaced on Hi-Bias Records offshoot Toronto Underground and has certainly stood the test of time. For proof, check opener 'Move To The Rhythm', a chunky, Danny Tenaglia-influenced slab of big room, early morning deep house full of undulating bass, diva vocal samples, tribal house percussion and warehouse-ready slabs. Or, for that matter, the subtly Jaydee-influenced late-night throb of 'Message', the echoing vocal snippets and deep organ bass of 'L O V E' and the haunting, mid-90s Italian dream house update 'Dream Paradise', with its shuffling drums, sub-bass pulses and jazzy, cut-up bassline.