Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Some four months after he lost his battle with cancer, BBE is releasing Paul 'Trouble' Anderson's final production - a fittingly joyous, upbeat and life-affirming cover of gospel standard "Happy Day" featuring the impassioned vocals of soul singer John Redmond. On the A-side of this 12" edition you'll find the "Classic Main Mix", a bouncy and rubbery fusion of soaring gospel vocals, bumping house beats, mazy organ solos, rubbery disco bass and clipped guitar riffs. It's superb all told, and a fitting final hurrah from one of the UK's most significant DJs of the past 40 years. Over on the flip you'll find the slightly more stripped-back "Classic Dub", where impassioned vocal snippets ride Anderson's killer groove, bouncy pianos and spacey synths.

Review: Native Soul Recordings has been around a long old time in dance music terms and now it looks back over some of its finest works with this first in a new series of Best Of comps. Music writer Harold Heath is first up with 'Slipstream,' an effortless smooth late-night house cut with introspective chords and silky pads bringing real depth. The Candy Dealers get more lithe and elastic with the spraying bass and jumbled percussive house of 'Train Of Thought' and last of all, Asad Rizvi remixes Jevne's 'Moderize' with a funky little bassline and chord vamps that keep you on edge. A tasteful package of timeless house grooves.

Review: Moiss Music released a hot pair of EPs in February and repeat the same trick in May with another quality double drop. It is a various artists offering as always with DJ Delivery's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' a sure-fire floor-filling anthem to start things off. It's got loopy drums and string samples as well as sumptuous vocal harmony then Borka & The Gang keep the feel-good vibes alive with 'Kidding Feelings and Even Funkier's' Dance With Your Feet' is another smile-inducing bit of disco warmth with withering sic-fi synths and hip swinging claps. Jordan Reece's 'Prayer' has hints of gospel in the vocal while noodling keys and tight kicks all get looped to perfection.

Review: For the latest instalment of the label's occasional seven-inch series, Groove Culture has decided to offer up fresh takes on classic Italian house hits. On side A, the legendary Dimitri From Paris gets his mitts on Double Dee's 1990 number 'Found Love', re-imagining it as a colourful blend of rubbery nu-disco and hands-in-the-air piano house that rightly places Dany's recognisable lead vocal front and centre. Flip for label chiefs' Micky More and Andy Tee's take on Jestofunk's 1993 classic 'Say It Again'. Like much of their work, the Italian duo's translation blurs the boundaries between funk-fuelled house and revivalist disco, with flanged, occasionally bluesy guitars, strung-out synth solos and energy-packed sax lines catching the ear.

Review: Given that Defected's multi-arist EP series was designed as a way for vinyl DJs to get hold of some of the imrpint's biggest digital download hits, you'll be unsurprised to learn that volume nine contains some seriously sizable material. Riva Starr kicks things off with a remix of Dennis Ferrer classic "Hey! Hey!" that turns the track into a Moroder style electro-disco throb-job, before Ferreck Dawn delivers some big room vocal house pleasure. Over on the flip, John Summit's "Deep End" is another beefy big room workout built around sweet female vocals and a thickset bassline, while Offiah's "Play It By Ear" is a 21st century update of the muscular, mid-90s MK sound.

Review: Back in 2006, Jason Herd and Jon Fitz scored a colossal club hit with 'Just Can't Get Enough', a funky and chunky house number featuring impassioned lead vocals by Abigail Bailey and a prominent sample from Kariya's late-80s dancefloor classic 'Let Me Love You For Tonight'. 18 years on, the track has been given a makeover. Hannah Wants steps up first, retaining the vocals and Kariya synth samples while combining it with a beefy, tooled-up house groove, before Jakob reaches for mid-90s organ bass, a grandiose breakdown and even bigger builds. Flip for two reworks by Herd and Fitz - a rushing, peak-time friendly, radio-ready big room house re-wire, and a bouncier, piano-sporting 'Sunrise' revision.

Review: Jaisiel distills the magic of his previous releases on this colour and kaleidoscopic new outing It's A Pleasure which really has something for everyone. 'Nada Que Ver' is refracted new school electro-disco-tech with warm synth smears and vocoder vocals bring future vibes. The Lipelis ADHdance mix then reworks it into a pumping house cut with sensuous vocals and 'El Amanecer' (Tenerife '89 mix) is a blissed out and sun down Balearic sound. Last of all is 'Sobre Cien,' an old school broken beat jam that will get you partying like it was 1989.

Review: Jose James is one of the most velvet voices in contemporary jazz singing. He also has history of working with one of deep house's finest having done an album with the great Moodymann. Louie Vega, meanwhile, is one of the most decorated house artists of all time, so seems like a perfect man to remix James. He offers up four versions of the American's 'Saturday Night' with the first being a percussive, loose-limbed and soulful sound. An OG Mix and instrumental also make the cut as does a Louie Vega remix Guitar dub to bring some extra depth to the EP.

Review: J & M Music Co US welcomes LeBaron James for another standout four-tracker that brings raw house and smooth disco together on one EP. Up first is 'Always Be True' is a deceptively simple sound that brings straight-up dancefloor beats with hooky pads. 'House Party' then has more heavy kicks and wild percussive patterns to liven up any party and 'One' then brings a more cool and laid-back disco groove that has a slick modern twist. Last but not least is 'Sugar And Spice' which brings a touch of sophisticated and chic instrumental vibes. It's a fourth different sound on a versatile EP.

Review: Chicago DJ and producer JayCee Indamix is back to take care of the second instalment of the Ginzu Edits series. Up first is legendary New York street poet and soul innovator Gil Scott-Heron whose lovely 'Grandma's Hands' gets a funky rework with some busy broken beats and layers of extra instrumentation. On the flip is another classic, this time from the great Luther Vandross. His 'Until You Come Back To Me' becomes a deep and funky house cut with soaring vocals framed in a soulful groove with lots of special effects adding a contemporary twist.

Review: French producer Jehan is next up on Blur Records with a new EP, TV Screen, that shows that he has a sophisticated approach when it comes to bending free jazz with electronic music and a love of hip-hop. The latter of those is evident in the title of the opener, '92 Till Infinity', which pairs lazy keys with lazier beats and soul drenched vocals. 'Montre Suisse' (feat Donnie Moustaki) has dusty beats that sound like they might fall over themselves topped with warm organ chords and 'You Win' (feat Scruscru & Meowsn) then brings a sweet and swaggering deep house vibe. The flip keeps the slow burning and late night feelings alive with a trio of loved up, well sampled, blissed out beats.

Review: Way back in 1998, Sunship revisited Jhelisa's 1994 single 'Friendly Pressure', turning in versions that made a massive impression on the then still young UK garage scene. This reissue presents the outfit's two original mixes alongside some tweaked new versions of the pioneering 'Into The Sunshine' mix, a rework that combined a swinging garage beat and MK style organ motifs with Jhelisa's sweet, soulful versions and the musical bounce of reggae. At the time, speed garage DJs tended to play the remix sped up, so Sunship have done that (B2), while also delivering a new 2024 extension of their pioneering revision. To complete the package, we also get the second Sunship rework from 1998, the 2-step style 'From Midnight Mix'. If you're a fan of UKG history, you need this in your life.

Review: Indie house duo Parachute Youth released their 'Can't Get Better Than This' single back in 2012 and it went on to become a huge international hit. Now they have resisted it after pairing up with Chicago house vocalist John Summit. Renamed 'Better Than This' it becomes a spine-tingling vocal house cut with warm, shuffling drums and subtle synth work. Packed with blissful and youthful vibes and plenty of sun, it is an energetic rework that has a nice touch of nostalgia and a bassline that will lock in any crowd for days. As well as the easy to love new version, the still lush original version is also included on the flip.

Review: B2 Recordings is back with a second release that is every bit as good as the first. This one comes from Reece Johnson and is a joyous mix of uplifting disco sounds with a timeless edge. 'Comin' In Hot' is a lose-limbed opener with percussive edgy and low-slung drums topped off with dazzling chords. 'Glass Heart' then brings the funk with more expert looseness and this time some hooky and soulful vocals. 'Sup America' keeps the party rolling with instrumental disco brilliance and a Spanish vocal to add real heat while 'Feelin' The Beat' and 'Got To Be Free' close out with higher tempos but no less class.

Review: Breezy, easy vibes smoulder through every inch of this brand new 12 from label regulars Jonno & Tommo. Over the past ten years the pair have worked their magic through all strands of the house spectrum on labels such as Trelik, Finale Sessions, Verdant as well as Ornate, but on here, chief cut Biosflash places them squarely back in the domain of laidback, deep house. This is a perfect summer roller, and can't fail to put a smile on your face, as you roll your windows down. Stratocaster keeps the sunshine vibe high, yet mines a little deeper, channelling the sounds of classic late-90s deep house labels such as as Seasons, Straight Up and Rotax.

Two bona fide deep house heavyweights, Brawther and Andres, both lend their unmistakeable touches, taking one track each, giving this package a little something extra.

Review: Here's something for those looking to fill in the gaps in their classic hip-hop collection: a sizzling seven-inch boasting two of the Jungle Brothers hottest hits. On the A-side you'll find "Because I Got It Like That", a lolloping party hip-hop jam built around an assortment of complimentary samples, most notably a lift from Sly and the Family Stone's killer cut "You Can Make It If You Try". Over on the flip you'll find one of the most recognizable dance anthems of the late '80s, the early hip-house classic that is "I'll House You". Based on Todd Terry's similarly big "Can You Party", the tune is a warehouse-ready bounce-along that sounds as fresh now as it did way back in 1988.

Review: Toolroom's 'sampler' series, which rounds up previously digital-only releases and sticks them out on action-packed 12" EPs, reaches its sixteenth instalment. Given the format, you'll be unsurprised to discover that there's plenty of bona-fide peak-time heat on show, starting with Mark Knight and James Hurr's excitable, filter-heavy, string-laden disco-house bomb 'You Take Me Higher'. Friend Within offers a scintillating blend of heavy acid bass, glassy-eyed female vocal samples, weighty beats and subtle disco samples on the superb 'Chain', while Martin Ikin and Winnie Ama opt for even heavier drums, warped bass, creepy electronics and dead-eyed spoken word vocals on the sweat-soaked 'Control It'. To round things off, we're treated to the tech-tinged funky house bounce of Flashmob and Raumakustik's percussion -rich 'Club Talk'.

Review: Fool's Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records' Mark Knight. Coming straight from the heart, it's a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, 'Untold Business', which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal house from the 1990s from where he came. With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great songwriting, this new Toolroom sublabel will be a platform for high quality house music designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho Mark Knight, who joins forces with his Australian Toolroom labelmate, Sgt Slick, and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight, on a dynamite cover of Prince's 1979 classic, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. Respectfully transporting the song onto today's dancefloors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV's that would indeed make The Purple One proud. Completing the vinyl package is dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British soul icon, Jaki Graham, whom together bring the dancefloor heat with their new single, 'Fire'. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, 'Fire' see's Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

Review: This deep, jazzy and lo-fi house 12" is perfect for escaping at this time of year as the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and the general weight of modern life can get all too much. It comes from an array of standout producers from around the world including Darone Sassounian, Jamma D and Jarren from Los Angeles, Roche from Portland and Morris Mobley from Nancy, France. Between them, they offer the cuddly, cloudy depths of 'Drippin'' (Sauce dub), humid and jazzy heat of the sumptuous 'Don't Wanna Leave The Couch Today', playful rhythms of 'House Shuffle Boogie' and more besides.

Review: Micky More & Andy Tee's remixes of 'Gypsy Woman' and 'Special Love' by Montefiori Cocktail and Jestofunk respectively are jazz-infused delights that bring new life to these classic tracks. On the A-side, 'Gypsy Woman' exudes Latin disco flair, with infectious rhythms, a stunning horn section and uplifting strings that create an irresistible dancefloor vibe. Meanwhile, the flip features the iconic vocals of Jocelyn Brown on 'Special Love,' seamlessly blending disco and house elements for a soulful and energetic experience. The live instrumentation, including bass and horns, adds depth and authenticity to both remixes, enhancing their appeal to DJs and listeners alike. These remixes are sure to light up any dancefloor with their timeless appeal.

Review: Native Soul Recordings made a great start with release 001 and the follow-up is easily as good. It's a collaborative offering from two venerated veterans in Roman Nunez and JT Donaldson that taps into both men's signature sounds. The result is 'Feelin' Real Good' which will indeed make you feel real good such is the irresistibly warm nature of its bump 'n' slide house groove and twinkling late night melodies all topped off with a smart male vocal. JT Donaldson also offers a more trippy out and tech-y dub and synth laden remix. This is timeless and summery house music that oozes class and sophistication.

Review: Luv Shack's compilation style 'Disco Biscuits' series is the very definition of reliable, with each new EP delivering killer cuts aimed at the more cosmic end of nu-diusco dancefloors. Volume five in the series arrives with four more tried-and-tested workouts and little in the way of forgettable filler. Check first Rising Seed's 'Back For More', a driving slab of spacey dub disco/cosmic disco fusion in which intergalactic electronics and samples sitars ride a Prins Thomas-esque bassline and beats, before admiring the chugging and squelchy nu-disco shuffle of 'Suffering of K.P' by B.Visible. Over on the flip, Peletronic's 'Drifting' is a glassy-eyed slab of immersive deep house/nu-disco fusion, while Jon Gravy's 'When U Leave' is a stomping slab of peak-time house headiness rich in bustling beats, memorable melodies and hands-aloft riffs.

Review: The Lisztogrooves series is back and we're glad about it. The first one was essential and this follow-up from Igor Gonya's label features a blend of heavy hitters next to some cool emerging talents. Opening with Manuel Sahagun's smooth deep house track 'Get Yourself' things move on to a taste of US house from Human By Nature, who serves up a rich atmosphere and nostalgic 90s piano riffs. The A-side finishes strong with Gramophonedzie's high-energy jackin' filter workout then on the B-side, French producer Naux creates a deep groove built around chord stabs. Stogov follows with the soulful 'Walking Wide' while JR From Dallas and Justnique wrap up the EP with a seductive deep house finale.

Review: Rush Hour has been one of Europe's independent musical powerhouses for decades now. Now only does it have Amsterdam's best record shop, but it throws the best parties and puts put the fresh new records from several different genres. next to that of course they also know how to dig deep and unearth vital reissues, which is what they do here with a triple headed Japanese house affair. Katsuya Sano keeps it OG Chicago with his 'I Need Luv', then Junichi Soma offers the analogue depths of 'Ubnormal Life' and Shuji Wada shuts down with more brilliantly atmospheric sounds on 'Endless Load.'

Review: Dave Lee aka Joey Negro has pulled together a fine team of remixers here to serve up their own versions of tunes by him, Jakarta, The Sunburst Band and Prospect Park, all for his own Z Records. Freerange boss and deep house Don Jimspter goes first and brings real sunshine to his take on 'He Is.' Detroit badman Andres then does what he does best to 'I Recognise', that is layering in hip hop slanted beats and nice rolling baselines under lush chords. On the flip are two more positive house vibrations to make this a handy EP.

Review: The latest V/A sampler record by Toolroom Records comes in the shadow of unfortunate news in regards to singer Kathy Brown, who, last we heard, was battling stage four cancer. Brown is the original featuring singer of Praxis' 'Turn Me Out'; her vocal contribution to the track has since gone sampled by many a deep and jackin' house producer, owing to its standout "work me with temptation" lyric, whose simple injunction and passionate delivery would seem to bottle the essence of an era (of overwork, of temptation, of desire). Now Toolroom continue to dedicate their latest releases to Brown in her honour; this time, her 'Turn Me Out' vocal is reworked into 'Turn Me Deeper', featuring a star cast of organ-synth peddling, deep house foundation-shattering producers (Wh0, Mark Knight, James Hurr), backed up by contributions by the likes of Shadow Child, Low Steppa and Maur as addenda.

Review: The glorious Dobro label gets to double figures in fine style here with a new album that finds Iner both going solo and collaborating with Oiuna on four new cuts which then get remixed. The originals are summery, airy, organic worlds of gentle deep house rhythms, feathery synth melodies and gentle hooks that have a subtle future feel. The remixes rework the tunes for more direct vibes in the club with Frank Music label head Johannes Albert going first and then Crowd Control also stepping up. Great artwork, too.

Review: British artist Jack Latham aka Jam City is back with a new album a full decade after his debut 'Classical Curves' made for a head turning debut. EFM (the artists debut on Diplo's Mad Decent) is a record that looks at the experiences we had and during our early and formative clubbing years with plenty of engaging and pop-tinged sounds that draw on reggaeton, house, and club. Elements of guitar driven soul and plenty of melancholic tenderness all define this most heartfelt and loved up record as it gets from tender moments to more euphoric outpourings with swelling pads, breakdowns and drops that are all easy to predict but hard to not feel deep inside.

Review: In Colour is of course the long awaited debut solo album from The xx's in-house knob twiddler Jamie 'xx' Smith, arriving through regular home Young Turks backed with a whole host of guest appearances. The more obsessive Jamie xx fans out there (of which we wager there are many) will no doubt already have burned out their laptops and retinas basking in the all too colourful pre-release streams of In Colour, but it's always nice to grip an album in your hands. The eleven tracks on In Colours come across like a low key ode to the rave from Jamie and pals, with Four Tet, Romy & Oli xx, Young Thug and Popcaan featuring, and yes there is also plenty of steel pan. "Hold Tight", which sounds like Jamie's attempt at forest techno, is a definite highlight!

Review: Who better to tell the story of house music than one of its main early protagonists? Marshall Jefferson penned plenty of Chicago's greatest early records and as a DJ helped lay the foundations for the sound too. As such he is a perfect choice for Defected's House Masters series and does a fine job of laying out some of its finest moments on this brilliant new mix. No matter how many times you hear these OG gems they still resonate, from the passionate vocals of Ten City to the iconic chords of 'Someday' via the darker jack of Jefferson under his Hercules alias this is an essential listen.

Review: If there was ever a duo with the bombast and flair to pull off the 18-minute electro-rock-opera, it's surely Justice. Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay created Planisphere in the wake of conquering the world with their debut album Cross, initially for use on the catwalk but subsequently shared on their MySpace. Of course such releases now attain a kind of cult mythos, and Planisphere is no exception. In the Ed Banger era of dirty French touch, this is a fans dream come true - the gnarly monster that keeps on giving, now pressed up on a single side of vinyl for continuous listening, with a classy etching on the reverse.

Review: Vick Lavander is a name that has always been a byword for deep house quality. His sound is couched in a classic template but comes with subtle tweaks and plenty of its own musical character. BEYOND is a bumper collection of beats which proves just that. There are silky and cosmically minded sounds like 'Time & Time Again' next to subtly jazzy dancers like 'Sunset BLVD' and dubby, elegant grooves like the life-affirming 'Grace'. The pace picks up with joints like 'Knights' but never at the expense of atmosphere and slows right down with swab-tinged downbeat delights like 'Good Timing'. A magnificently rich work.