Heist Recordings Netherlands Vinyl & CDs

Review: Atlanta-based Byron The Aquarius has that innately soulful touch to his music which never tires, and after his The New Beginning album on Shall Not Fade he's appearing on Dutch label Heist Recordings with some plush, funking and bumping house gear that's as classic as it is fresh. Just listen to the way he refines the garage house approach on 'Get Up', at once nailing the sound while giving it a sheen that all imitators fail to capture. There's even some uptempo broken beat which edges towards drum & bass on 'Love', but yet again this is Byron doing Byron - accept no imitations!

Review: Crackazat's 'In The Sky' EP offers a dynamic blend of jazzy and future house elements, delivering an engaging experience for both the dancefloor and the soul. The title track, 'In The Sky', is an uplifting tune driven by infectious piano breakdowns and jazzy undertones, creating a perfect mood for a carefree night out. It's a track designed to elevate, with its airy vibes and feel-good energy. On Side-2, 'Burnin'' brings a surge of 90s-inspired energy, with a high-octane piano banger that channels classic New York house vibes. The track is a nod to the genre's roots, brimming with nostalgic energy while still feeling fresh and relevant. The closing track, 'Dark', shifts to a deeper, hypnotic groove with rich bass notes and tribal influences. Its deep, pulsing rhythm creates a captivating atmosphere with Crackazat's versatility and range within the deep house spectrum showing brightly. With its compelling mix of energy and soul, this EP is going to be a much needed dancefloor go to.

Review: Following a brief hiatus to recharge his batteries following the release of the genuinely fantastic Evergreen album on Freerange last year, Ben J Worral brings his Crackazat project back to Heist Recordings. With six tracks on show, there's plenty to set the senses tingling, from the jazzy, dreamy and soulful downtempo beats of impeccable opener 'I Need To Know' and the joyous, piano-sporting sunshine house excellence of 'Do You Think About Me', to the rising, subtly jazz-flecked deep house perfection of 'Freddie's Groove' (a kind of Crackazat update of Pepe Bradock's 'Deep Burnt', with added horns) and the broken jazz-house-soul of Potash Twins collaboration 'Phantom'. Jazz-funk flavoured broken beat gem 'Endless Life' and the Guru's Jazzamatazz-esque 'When We Last Met' complete a fantastic EP.

Review: Heist Recordings' tenth anniversary celebrations are drawing to a close, but the Dutch label is not done with showcasing the dancefloor gold nestled in its bulging back catalogue. Here they offer up a second 'Heist Classics' EP featuring five more tried-and-tested treats originally released at different points over the last decade. On side A, Crackazat's rolling, summery and ultra-positive 'Alfa' is followed by the jazzy, musically detailed, disco-flecked and sun-splashed 'Espilon Girls' by Andy Hart and the re-born disco-funk shuffle of Makez's 'Different Planets'. Over on side B, Kassian's deep, gorgeous and lusciously loose-limbed '8th Movement' comes accompanied by Nachtbraker's highlife-sampling 'Hamdi', a blast of pure dancefloor joy.

Review: Dutch duo Dam Swindle have spent much of the last 12 months masterminding the 10th anniversary celebrations - and numerous releases - of their popular Heist Recordings imprint. This excellent and wonderfully nostalgic four-tracker is a great way for them to return following a near 12-month gap between EPs. On opener 'Touch Me Again', they add eyes-closed, early Orbital style female vocal samples, breakbeat blasts and bubbly acid lines to a joyous, piano-powered house groove, before going deeper into chunky and dreamy house retro-futurism on the heady and life-affirming 'Hang On'. Their love of strong melodies, memorable chords and rubbery basslines comes to the fore on the joyous 'The Joy of Melancholy', while 'Forever and Ever' is an organ-rich, gospel-tinged fusion of vintage US garage sounds and colourful synth sounds.

Review: The Dutch pair once known as Detroit Swindle and now going by the Dam Swindle alias (they hail from Amsterdam) return on their own Heist label with a trio of well-designed sounds. 'That's Right' is a 'copy, dusty, disco-tinged house cut for sunny climates and feel-good parties. 'Minor Fools' then taps into a 90s New York house vibe with bouncy drums and bass. Last of all is 'Soul's Lament' with its laidback grooves and swirling soulful pads. A trio of excellent genre studies from this pair.

Review: Now that Heist Recordings is 10 years old, label bosses Dam Swindle have decided the time is right to launch a new series of EPs featuring big tunes and sought-after classics from the imprint's archive. Fittingly, volume one begins with the track that opened the label's debut release - the classic US deep house style bounce of Dam Swindle's 'The Breakup' - before we're offered the chance to savour the organ-rich, hands-in-the-air positivity of Scan 7's brilliant 'The Best Is Yet To Come'. Over on the B-side, Fouk's 'Kill Frenzy' is a dusty, jazz-sampling deep house treat, Demuir's 'Werq Feel Gruv Vogue' is a twinkling, loop-based dancefloor delight, and Adriano's 'Me & You & Her' is a sun-splashed, disco-flecked peak-time treat.

Review: In our opinion, the best remix EPs are those that don't plough a narrow dancefloor furrow, but instead offer up reworks that touch on different styles and sounds. That's what you get here as an invited cast re-interprets tracks from Detroit Swindle's "Highlife" LP. The star attractions are arguably twinfold: a killer electro-soul take on "Yes, No Maybe" by Dutch veteran Sterac Electronics and a bustling revision of "Call of the Wild" by Cinthie that sounds like a mid-90s NYC basement house jam. That said, we're also big fans of Jura Soundsystem's dubbed-out Balearic electro mix of "High Life" and the formidably floor-friendly tweaks by Matt Karmil and Gari Romalis on side B. In other words, it's a very strong EP.

Review: Over the last 18 months, DJ Sneak has been on an impressive run of form. There have been essential releases for Phonogramme, Frappe and, most recently, Toy Tonics. Here the Chicago legend returns to Heist Recordings, an imprint he last appeared on early last year, with another essential four-track missive. He begins with the hard-wired boompty bounce of 'I Can Tell What You Want', where alien-sounding chords and chopped vocal snippets leap above an insatiable groove, before heading off on a sample-rich breakbeat house flex on 'A Taste of the 90s'. Over on the B-side, 'Dirty Jazz' joins the dots between Chi-town acid and jazz-sampling deep house, while 'You Know What I Mean' is a refreshingly rubbery and loose-limbed excursion that should appeal to dancers who like to get their feet moving.

Review: Fouk, the Dutch production duo based in Zeeland, Netherlands, presents their latest EP, 'Mirage,' on Heist Recordings. This EP is an excellent blend of deep house and disco elements, showcasing Fouk's signature sound. The title track, 'Mirage,' is a driving main floor masterpiece, featuring sweeping disco strings and a hypnotic groove. 'Coffee' exudes positive house vibes, while 'Tapioca' brings in Balearic influences and a beachy atmosphere. The Elisa Bee remix of 'Mirage' adds an upbeat twist, and 'Abalone' serves as a smooth and elegant outro. Throughout the EP, Foux demonstrates their versatility and expertise in crafting deep house tracks with a distinct disco flair.

Review: A relative newcomer to the scene, MAKEZ is fast spreading its wings. This duo finds itself back on the soulful house label Heist Recordings out of the Netherlands. "Closer" (feat AVA LAVA) gives us memories of classic Naked Music back in the last 90s. An ideal balance between jazzy house and deep house. "Running From The Noise" (feat Life On Planets) isn't far behind. Another upbeat gem where the vocal suits the deepness perfectly. 'The Answer' on the flip side amps things up with a more 90s techno approach that MAKEZ has the touch to still work in a great vocal on. Things get a bit deeper and darker with the more serious 'Gratitude' that completes the EP. Overall, 'The Midnight EP' has a terrific combination of soulful, uplifting and serious house music that never forgets the fun aspect. You would be glad to be a part of this party!