Back catalogue: All genres

Review: When Toronto-based and ever versatile label Do Right! released 'Required Listening' - a raw, diverse and stunning compilation of sounds by artists from Toronto
- critics and music lovers around the globe took notice. 'Required Listening Volume 2' promises to keep up that standard of quality by featuring fresh tracks from
the West Coast, to the East Coast, with some stops in between. Vancouver's Cobblestone Jazz, a band comprised of world-renowned techno producer Mathew
Johnson, programmer Tyger Dhula and keyboardist Danuel Dante who are known for their hype live shows and their jazzy, minimal techno sound heard on the
track 'Creator'. Johnson's own tracks have received critical acclaim and have been caned by Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin and Tiga. Cobblestone Jazz have
been steadily creating a buzz around Europe, and were recently featured on Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 1. Also representing the West Coast is 8-member band
1 Luv along with vocalists Amaila Townsend, Deanna Teeple and Dawn Pemberton. Their groovy, soulful, jazzy house track 'Starz' explains why this band was
discovered by uber-crew Jazzanova and was featured on their 'Secret Love 2 Folk' compilation and how their music has been finding its way into the crates of
people like Phil Asher, Osunlade and Benji B. 'Starz' is taken from 1 Luv's debut album 'Neophilia' on Sonar Kollektiv.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Drop Music marks a marvellous quarter of a century of releases with this new slab of vinyl featuring some gems from disco funksters Crazy P and the house mainstays Inland Knights. Crazy P go first with 'Disc Odyssey' which is perfectly indicative of their much beloved sound with its low slung kicks and funky bassline. Inland Knights then offer a trio of in demand & unreleased tracks. 'Overnight' is a bumming deep house joint, 'Walk On' has an icy late night vibe and balmy pads and 'Do It Again is a more playful closer, with some killer b-line action. All four, needless to say, are timeless gems, and the fact the last two are appearing on vinyl first the first time makes it an even more desirable cop.

Review: The endlessly fertile scenes that are minimal and tech house yield more essential DJ goodness here as Bread & Butter assembles a selection of talents for this ninth various artists' release. Alex Font & Aron open up with 'Walking On Clouds' which is not as airy and dreamy as it might sound, but does lay down a nice deft minimal groove. Beiger has a more sunny outlook with the mellifluous synth clouds of his 'Audible Illusions' and Mihai Pol then brings ouse late night jazz house cool to his 'Bip Bip.' Iuly B completes a varied package with the heady loops and wispy cosmic synth motifs of 'Bouncing Lights.'

Review: Mark Knight's epic Toolroom label returns with a four-track sampler featuring plenty more big-room house excursions. First up, the boss himself offers up an extended mix of Groove Armada's legendary 'Get Down' which is full of rave stabs and big vocals. Illyus & Barrientos offer the synth laced and peak time sounds of 'When You Gonna' and David Penn & Offiah combine for the supersized piano house rollercoaster that is 'Satisfied' complete with big hooky vocals. Last of all comes Ben Remember's 'Waiting 4 You' (extended mix) which ducks and dices with some smart filters, chopped-up vocal stabs and raw percussive house energy.

Review: Ltd B's good recent run of form continues with another dive into lush deep house realms courtesy of ICTV. First off the mark is 'Hit The Floor' with its US garage-inspired drums and some old school hip-house vocals. 'Orange Mood' is a steamy one with romantic melodies soothing the soul and some smart vocals adding a tough of firey soul. 'Adrift' then picks up the pace with some high-speed jungle breakbeats and 'Dazzling' sinks back into loved-up late-night sounds with expressive vocal yelps. Last of all, 'Sunset Recall' takes things down into blissed out realms with dusty drums and wispy pads.

Review: The iconic North London dance music duo Idjut Boys are famed for their nostalgia fueled offerings of dub, disco and house and join forces again for this 4 track single featuring 4 completely different takes on the track 'Speedball'. The 'Full Whip' version is an 80s powersynth with powerful kicks and synth perfection, an authentic use of a commodified sound used in the past couple of years. 'Severe Itching' takes the party downstairs into an acid techno rave, the liquid bass seeping through your ear canal into your skull - an utterly extraterrestrial experience. 'Strip Off Dub' is just that: a stripped back dub version of 'Full Whip'. Focusing on the heftier synths and bass, with the rushing wind effects that compromised 'Full Whip'. 'Whizbang Mix' invites you back into the bassment for another slice of acid house pie, the meeting point between 'Full Whip' and 'Severe Itching' that feels like trying to listen to the former after the laters aforementioned liquid has blocked your eardrums. This one's for the messy afterparty.

Review: Since rebooting their long-dormant Droid imprint earlier in the year, the Idjut Boys have used it as a vehicle to release some of their most wild, heavily electronic music in years. Portion Out of Control sees Dan and Conrad continue this trend with pleasingly heavy, mind-altering results. On 'Gum Saucer', they expertly work a pulsating, throbbing groove to the max, peppering a druggy bassline with breathless drum machine fills, delay-laden electronic motifs and brain-melting noises. 'Gas On Tap' is a more stripped-back chunk of new wave/EBM insanity that once again prioritises dubbed-out, echo-laden percussion, while 'Tartine De Merde' is a deeper, woozier chunk of intergalactic machine funk. Finally, 'Quick Bowl' sees them twist a raw, arpeggio-driven groove into a multitude of nightmarish, echoing sonic shapes.

Review: As Toolroom only puts out a small percentage of their releases on vinyl, those given the wax treatment tend to be anthems in waiting. Martin Ikin's 'You', featuring some seriously loved-up, glassy-eyed lead vocals from Chenai, certainly sounds like a future classic. Shamelessly positive and life-affirming, 'You' is a turn-of-the-90s style piano house workout with added 21st century weight, a few disco-house style filters and a raw, stabbing bassline. The cheery vocal version (side A) comes back by a quite different Dub mix. This opts for a darker, chunkier big room sound - all wobbly riffs, pulsing electronic noises, cut up vocal snippets and mind-mangling motifs - that should delight all those who love Toolroom's trademark sound.

Review: Melbourne producer Rami Imam is back with a new outing on his own Ponda Records which was established in 2020 as a platform for his cross-cultural sound explorations. Safara very much lives up to that across six tacks of energetic house and disco house that comes with just the right amounts of nostalgia and innovation while drawing from the cultural sounds of Afro-funk, highlife, Arab disco, Bollywood, Afro-Cuban jazz, Libyan reggae and Algerian Rai. Those varied sonic traditions are bolted into modern rhythms using iconic synths like the Juno 106 and Moog Model D alongside piano and strings. This is music for the mind, body and soul.

Review: Imperial Wonders were a Cleveland, Ohio soul vocal group earlier known as The Mints. The wonderful 'Work Of Art' is taken from the compilation The Motown Years (1981-1984) and London's Cordial treats the overlooked classic to some choice remixes. Opolopo stays true to the original, while Pagger gets the late-night boogie-down vibes in effect on side A. On the flip, the inimitable Daft Punk pick up the tempo with their surefire dancefloor burner, while Leo Zero & Des Morgan's remix is the one we were really feeling and it channels that spiritual deep house sound complete with hypnotic polyrhythms.

Review: A Moodymann remix is a mad rare thing. The singular Detroit producer very rarely steps out to tackle other people's music but when he does the world takes note. This time he sets to work on 2022's 'Hold On To It' by Colonel Red and Inkswel. In his hands, it becomes a distinctively low sling bit of sleazy deep house with punctured drums, off-grid pianos and his own vocal mutterings. Potatohead People offer a more lush and soulful downbeat vibe, while a Moodorama Weird Mistake is perfect for late-night back rooms and the Moodorama Deep Rise mix is all bubbly bass and melodies that provide real musical comfort.

Review: Inner City's time on Network Records produced a run of timeless recordings that merged their signature vocal soul with the underground grooves of Detroit. This reissue of 'Ahnonghay' highlights that early golden era and finds the legendary Kevin Saunderson return to his techno roots in some style. The tune was originally released under his seminal Reese alias and marries that raw Motor City energy with sleek electronica that embodies the early techno blueprint. This 12" pressing includes the original mix alongside two standout remixes: Carl Craig's atmospheric reimagining and Dave Clarke's gritty UK techno take. All in all, a vital snapshot of techno's early evolution.

Review: Kaoru Inoue's latest EP continues the journey of his acclaimed long player Dedicated to the Island, which was recently released for Record Store Day 2024. This six-track sequel features a series of self-reworked tracks from the LP, a first-time vinyl release and previously unreleased material as well as a remix by Argentina's SidiRum, who is a leading tastemaker in the tribal and slower house scenes. True to its title, the EP emphasises enhanced rhythmic elements and delivers a blend of organic, left-field electronic sounds. Inoue's talent for crafting atmospheric, innovative sounds will only improve with this superb 12".

Review: First released on Nice & Ripe in 1994 when it was produced by early UK house and garage dons Grant Nelson, Si Firmin, and David Thackeray, this track has been remastered for the first time. The reissue comes on Digital Tape Recordings and sounds as good as ever, especially given the current revival of original garage. Reminiscent of their iconic 24hr Experience and GOD releases, it opens with the gritty and low slung sounds of '1 2 Luv', features the more thumping 'Sampler', diva vocal cries of 'Groovement' and stripped back version 'Dubment'.

Review: In 1994, Vienna-based project iO, which was composed of Patrick Pulsinger, Erdem Tunakan, Umberto Gollini and Gerhard Potuznik, released a series of 12"s titled 'Attack', 'Decay', 'Sustain,' 'Release' on their iconic label Cheap Records. Known for their minimalist, Detroit-inspired techno, one standout track, 'Claire', broke the mould with its mid-tempo beat at around 110 bpm, jazzy chords, sample-based groove and sharp 909 drum sounds. It bridged techno, trip-hop and house and caught the attention of Mo'Wax Records in London, who re-released it to great acclaim. Embraced across genres, it quickly became a DJ favourite and remains a beloved classic to this day which is why it reappears here.

Review: While the Melodeum label is based in Chicago, many of its releases take cues from rubbery tech-house, minimal techno and early 2000s style German 'digital disco'. There's a flavour of the latter sound, pioneered by the Force Inc label, on 'New Chapter', the lead cut from Iron1's first EP for the imprint. All elastic beats, jazzy synth-bass, playful samples and dreamy chords, it's tech-house-funk for the nu-disco generation. The Argentinian producer opts for a spot of tech-house/synth-jazz fusion on flipside opener 'Gossip', before going deeper and woozier on the sample-rich deep house funk of 'Jameson'. As debuts go, it's impressively assured and genuinely ear-catching.

Review: A top value for money opportunity here, as Moiss Music deliver the latest in their sweet and sticky Jam series of various artist 12" line ups, bringing you no less than six bubbling, vivacious disco triumphs from six artists. Khemir's 'Disco Bandit' kicks off proceedings, a production that sounds like it was made by a band of around 45 musicians, a proper cavalcade of strings, brass, brazen disco thump and beautifully bold vocals. Wurzelholz's 'Prince' goes for a bit more economy but with a slinky funk bassline like that - not to mention the occasional exclamation from the purple overlord himself - it's equally devastating in dancefloor terms. Among the other highlights, 'Golden' by I Gemin has the feel of a lost Daft Punk flip tune and Cosmocomics' 'Glamorous Garcon', boasting 70s-style synth bubbles that are as cute as they are retro. Tasty as ever.

Review: It's 10 up for Semi Delicious, a leading tech house outlet that calls together a selection of various artists for this cool new EP. Manami's 'Lizard Den' opens up with a high speed mix of funky bass and squelchy synths that ride on chunky drums. Demi Riquisimo's 'Tutukaka' is defined by a nice Balearic guitar line and sunset chords to melt the heart and Inner Zone's 'Lunar Trick' bangs the box a bit more with a turbocharged space-house sound. Manuel Darquart closes down with 'Track A' which is a more stripped back and cool viber.

Review: On this sampler EP for the Razor N Tape label's latest Family Affair compilation, the Brooklyn based imprint showcases previously unheard cuts from a mixture of new artists and long-established names. In the latter camp you'll find long-serving deep house don Vincenzo, who delivers the gorgeous, tactile and loved-up deliciousness of 'Love Accurate', and Croatian nu-disco don Ilya Rudman (the acid-heavy dancefloor squelch of 'Discoteka Parmida'). Elsewhere, Yasmin impresses with the neo-soul/nu-disco fusion warmth of 'Real High', Arnau Obiols slams down the Fela-influenced Afrobeat excellence of 'Pagan Mambo', and label co-founder J Kriv turns Bessa Simons 'Si Naana' into an Afro-tinged analogue house treat

Review: The cult Slow Life label has always operated at the more cosmic end of the house and minimal spectrum with speedy grooves designed to make an impact both physically and emotionally. Now a member of the collective, Indi Zone who is half of the Ethereal Logic project, steps out with a solo debut album that flips the script and explores organic grooves and blissful harmonies. It's an escapist delight with supple downbeat drums and gorgeous synth work that ranges from wispy to starry, watery to smeared. It paints a vivid picture of a heavenly tropical wonderland with endless neon glows and soft edges in which to get lost.

Review: Jay Singh steps out with his debut release here under the Indian Man Palais, and it is one that is awash with a vibrant fusion of global influences. His Indian heritage very much comes to bear on the tunes with traditional Punjabi music featuring heavily amongst collaborations with artists encountered at WOMAD festivals across Europe and South America, all of which add some extra diverse dimensions. The EP, which comes on nice purple wax, also incorporates personal elements from Singh's family as it blends sounds rooted in his father's MIDI keyboard compositions and the songs his grandmother would sing to him.

Review: Before he passed away earlier this year, Detroit legend Amp Fiddler completed a number of recordings. This, a collaboration with Australian DJ/producer and all-round 21st century dancefloor soul don Inkswel, is one of the first to land in stores. Inkswel places his own 'Broken Soul' mixes on the A-side, with the full vocal version - featuring Fiddler in full flight as well as the legend's mazy electric piano, organ and Clavinet licks to the fore - being our pick of the pair. This is organic dancefloor soul with a ubbery 'broken house' groove and plenty of quality organic instrumentation. The newcomer Leonard Charles Ponsonby provides vocal and instrumental 'funk' mixes on the flip, both of which retain Inskwel's warm, organic-sounding groove while adding colourful electrofunk and P-funk style synths.

Review: Revered Japanese house producer and DJ Kaoru Inoue has been making his mark since the late 90s with releases music through his label Seeds and Ground and others like Mule Musiq and Groovement. Originally released in Japan in 2013, this newly reissued album blends world music, field recordings, ambient and electronic elements into an immersive and widescreen sound. It opens with the minimal gamelan ambient track 'Malam' followed by the Afro-Brazilian house of 'Selva' which is reminiscent of early Luciano and Villalobos. The album also features electric jazz fusion house, avant-garde tribal breakbeats and Balearic slow house. Closing with the melancholic new age piece 'Healing Force,' it's a timeless delight.