Slothboogie Vinyl & CDs

Review: Under the 2XM alias, super siblings the Murray Brothers have thus far proved to be rather good at fusing heady, smoky deep house with the dreamy chords of ambient house and a variety of interconnected influences. They're in fine form on this EP, too, effortlessly moving between two-step/dream house fusion ("Dancing Styles", which surprisingly reminded us of late '90s Irresistible Force Records), eyes-closed jazzy deep house bliss (the fluid electric piano solos, rich chords and dusty beats of "Doing It"), ultra-deep, Floating Points-esque soulfulness ("Gentle", featuring the evocative vocals of Neil Macleod) and jaunty, synth-sporting dancefloor haziness ("Sorry That You Love Me").

Review: Big up SB Editz for making it to the mini milestone of a 10th release, when so many initially well-minded labels don't even get this far. The cause for celebration draws out some superb reworks from Joe Cleen who opens with a rugged, funk-infused disco cut 'Every Little Thing.' 'Conga' then gets a little more playful with some natty chord work and playful trumpets. 'Bathroom Break' is a cosmic exploration with plenty of dazzling disco dust sprinkled over the top and 'Morning Sugar' then closes out on a cool groove, with poolside bass riffs, soulful keys and a chunky groove powering it along.

Review: Berlin-based house producer Joe Cleen has landed on SlothBoogie's Edit label a few times with his fine revisions of the classics. The last was in 2021 and now he is back with his Chapters EP for more of the same from the worlds of disco and house. There is florid Philly soul joy to stomping opener 'The Juice' that soon sweeps you off your feet. 'I'll Be There' is slightly deeper but heavily percussive disco funk and 'Summer Wind' is a jazzy interlude. The flip side takes off again on a trio of joy-filled, hands-in-the-air instrumental disco bangers.

Review: Sloth Boogie has scored something of a coup in signing this EP from DJ Aakmael (real name Greg Stewart), whose track record of producing ultra-deep, high calibre fare makes him one of the most lauded house producers of the last decade. There's naturally plenty to savour across the EP's four tracks, from the languid, laidback shuffle of 'Hardbody' - all mazy, eyes-closed synth solos, warming riffs, dreamy chords and Theo Parrish style deep house beats - to the hazy, Omar-S-esque 'Deepshyt' and jaunty, quietly celebratory 'Strobe'. Our pick of an incredible strong bunch is 'Track 166', if only for the quality of the jazzy piano solos that sit atop Stewart's woozy chords and locked-in beats.

Review: Slothboogie bring the good times here with a welcome return from Reykjavik's finest beat maker Intr0beatz. These groovers are all a perfect mix of party starting goodness with sophisticated produciton techniques and classy melodies that work both body and heady. 'Concentrate' is a dusty and nostalgic opener with well swung drums and 'Homage' then sinks into a smooth and soothing deep house groove. Things stay classically inclined but with a hint of new school freshness on the bumping 'Use What You Got' before deeper cut 'Don't U Ever' and closer 'Line' close out a stylish and very useful 12".

Review: 'Rainy Nights' is the debut release from Philippa, a talented producer and DJ from New Zealand. The EP is a homage to the 90s deep house sound, with four tracks that blend soulful samples, warm chords and groovy drums, and captures the mood of a rainy night with melancholic melodies and uplifting rhythms. Whether it's the jazzy vibes of the title track, the funky bass of 'Sneaking Out', to the piano-driven 'Come Rain Or Shine' or the vocal-led 'Nothing To Lose' - this is a promising debut by the rising Kiwi.

Review: Slothboogie are back with more of that disco-fied deep house goodness courtesy of Ruff Stuff and Bress Underground, two Italian producers devoted to the classic approach to the genre. 'Foundations' is a slinky, funked up late night workout with a loopy, hypnotic feel, while 'Sliding Sine' has a more synth-focused, dub-splashed approach. 'The Community' is a rawer jam with tough drums that wouldn't sound out of place on a Chiapet record, while 'Something About It' is peak time garage house at its finest. If you need to work the floor good and proper, these jams won't let you down.

Review: Scruscru and Mike Fot's first Spliff Jamz EP, released by SB Jamz back in September 2021, was a fine collected of blazed beats, blunted two-step gems, dusty downtempo treats and yawning deep house workouts. Happily, this welcome sequel is every bit as inspired as its predecessors and sees the weed-loving Russian twosome further explore the potential of deep house/two-step garage fusion. While they do make room for a dash of deliciously deep, hazy and melodious electro-not-electro (closing cut 'Bro'coli Lasagne'), for the most part they're peppering hot-stepping UK garage beats and basslines with colourful chords, weighty bass, jazzy motifs, quirky samples and boogie-influenced synth sounds. It's a hugely alluring proposition.

Review: 'Searching' is comprised of five tracks that explore the dichotomy of ecstasy. It serves as a tribute to the inner seeker within Aussie producer Blake Carthew aka Soul Wun, who is on a journey of self-discovery, truth-seeking and purpose in life. The EP's sounds and ideas have been instrumental in his growth, and have guided him towards being lost in time, while being surrounded by the chaos of life. Whether it's the late night mood music of opening cut 'Low Pressure System' or the smooth deepness of 'First E', to the evocative and soulful vibe of 'Searching' and Jon Sable's playful rework of 'Limitless' - Carthew searches for and finds his true self on this great EP.

Review: Glasweigian DJ/producer Tiptoes returns on SlothBoogie Records with a new four-track EP. The Akai Samurai Strikes Again sees one of the most respected names on the Scottish electronic music circuit bring his eclectic style to the label, incorporating disparate influences. 'Techno Woo' for instance goes for that Floorplan style of funky and uplifting techno, while the lo-slung night moves of 'Brotherman' takes its cues from that Motor City deep house sound made famous by the likes of The Three Chairs. Elsewhere, things get seriously emotive on the sensual mood music of B-side cut 'Strings'.

Review: A reflection of the London label's commitment to curating the best in underground dance music, Dancing With Friends is SlothBoogie's outlet to open minds and offer a warm embrace to their fans throughout their 11 year journey. After the success of the inaugural compilation this time last year, they are back with volume two featuring TURF with the funked up disco loops of 'Easy Way Out' reminiscent of classic Chitown tunes by Paul Johnson or DJ Sneak, the likes of Felipe Gordon and Kristy Harper also appear with some proper late night mood music on 'Avalancha' and 'Blissful Denial' respectively, and veteran of the scene The Revenge is in fine form as always on the low slung dirty acid jam 'High Time'.

Review: SlothBoogie is back to encourage you once more to dance with your friends courtesy of this third volume of tantalising musical treats. The London crew has tapped up 16 artists for this one, with new names brought in and soon to find a sweet spot. The mix oversell is as varied and juicy as you would expect with Philippa's jazzy 'Chet's Vibe' exploring lovely deep house, 'Skleyka' by Lowres offering up some subtle funk infusions and 'We On Dis Ting' by Tiptoes getting a little saucy and steamy. Another well curated, well executed collection of essential modern sounds.