Back catalogue: All genres

Review: A San Francisco house producer who is taking jazz influenced house music to another level is Coflo aka Cody Ferreira 'Syncopatience' is a stunning deep house release that highlights his signature blend of soulful rhythms, intricate grooves, and rich musicality. Each track brims with personality, that blend clever and creative vocals and lyrics to a deeper level than just for the dancefloor. Side-1 starts off with 'Get Down, Show Love', a collaboration with Fenyan that exudes a hip, jazzy charm. Playful yet refined, it features catchy vocal work and a high-level jazz flair, effortlessly blending house with improvisational energy. Next, Coflo's remix of 'Cee.Side's Elektrify' brings atmospheric depth, wrapping Latin influences around a funky, sultry groove that's as hypnotic as it is danceable. Side-2 delivers Ecru, where Coflo, Steve Howerton, and Niya Wells craft a deeper, tech-tinged house cut with sharp, clever lyricism. Its polished production and layered instrumentation elevate it to a higher plane of jazzy house, demonstrating Coflo's versatility and artistry. 'Syncopatience' has the solution on how merge soulful textures with dancefloor energy in a unique way.

Review: The spectroscope of Cool Million's soundworld doubles in width, as 'One Of A Kind' marks a new phase of innovation in their patented boogie funk sound. This latest single hears Danish soul singer Seest - a longtime collaborator with the Danish production duo - add her doubled, tripled, nigh quadrupled vocal overdubs to the already well collieried disco track. With the ensuing EP packed with allusive, fiery effrontery, bringing inspirations from Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang and The Crusaders, we must warn you: this is a volatile disco 7", one that should really come with a fire hazard warning.

Review: Caleto Records's eighth outing takes the form of this various artists compilation featuring exclusively Polish producers. The Etat Cru duo of Olszewski and Pawlescu kick off with the wire and sinewy synths and tech house pomp of 'Jasmina' then Jerry M offers two cuts. 'Gutek' is a nice spaced-out tech cruiser with flashy astral pads and 'Gondin' rides on well-designed breakbeats with an old-school bassline. Robsessive's 'Look After You' is a deeper, dubber, grittier cut for late-night vibes and SIM ON's 'Brudas' is all glitchy and dystopian urban landscaping. Poland sure has plenty of talent based on this EP.

Review: After last year's standout 'E2-E4' rework, in-form producer Alex Kassian returns to Test Pressing Records with the next instalment in the series i this time turning his attention to Spooky's 'Orange Coloured Liquid', taken from their 1993 debut album Gargantuam. Alongside acts like Underworld and Leftfield, UK duo Charlie May and Duncan Forbes helped shape the early 90s progressive house sound under their Spooky moniker. Now, decades later, Kassian delivers two versions designed to serve dancefloor and sunset respectively, with the rolling breaks of Part I beautifully complemented by the ambient swells of Part II. John Beltran dons his Placid Angles alias for a sumptuous remix pitched somewhere between the two, while the still-fresh original rounds out an essential EP i no surprise, given the calibre of those involved.

Review: On his new 12" for his own kickstarter label Cosada, easy riser Laseech beseeches us to dance. Jazzy, soulful house music enlists the emosh but unrushed voice of Swaylo, snaring the essence of heartfelt house in a power-of-three-tracks net. Awakening the legend Ron Trent from his slumber, his deep, percussive touch and copy-paste-happy vocal science adds a happily haphazard twist. Inspired by the melodic landscapes of the Adriatic, the inaugural label name "Cosada" holds out a personal meaning for Laseech, drawing from both an idyllic island and the street where his studio lies, symbolising his continued hope to make timeless music.

Review: TLM celebrates its 50th vinyl-only release with an exceptional offering of jazz-lounge house intonations. Legendary Canadian Mike Perras knocks down the first domino with 'Life Goes On', a jazzy house cut driven by a captive Rhodes groove. Craig Bratley follows with a deep houser featuring Tim Hutton on trumpet, while Mark Turner honours the legacy of Blaze on the A. The AA, meanwhile, introduces DFRA Experience Jazz Band from Argentina with 'Isolation', a smoothened pure jazz cut composed by Diego Ruiz and featuring Pablo Raposso on piano, Hernan Cassibba on double bass, Gonzalo Rodriguez De Vicente on sax, Joaquin Muro on trumpet, and Bruno Varela on drums. 'Sober' by Markus Enochson closes things out on a double bass boomer 'Sober', effecting a truly loose bonhomie.

Review: Reborn Italo-disco label Fulltime Production's ongoing remix series, in which contemporary producers tackle gems from the vaults, reaches its tenth instalment. Da Lukas steps up first, re-imagining Rainbow Team's lightly funk-fuelled, string-laden 1982 disco jam 'Bite The Apple' as an action-packed disco-house anthem, before long-serving Italian producer Massimo Beradi turns Michael Baker's 1983 workout 'Don't You Want My Loving' into a hybrid boogie-soul/deep house treat. Over on side B, Souls Groove successfully 're-vibe' Say When's 'Save Me', an early house era European synth-pop anthem (and yes, you'll know it), while GAMM regular Black Truffle's take on Ma Gi C's 'Shampoo' is a gritty disco-funk delight.

Review: Detroit-raised, London-based Demi Riquisimo assembles a dynamic mix of label favourites and fresh talent on Love State, the 22nd release from his Semi Delicious imprint. This six-track V/A hears offerings from Demi himself alongside Clint, Swoose, Lulah Francs, Dukwa, Anastasia Zem & Asa Tate, blending club modernity with classic analogue dance influences, sampling every sonic cate from Italo to tech house. Best among the bunch has to be Swoose's 'Re/Vision' and Anastasia Zems' 'Eternal Beauty', which bring together wasted electro, Italian new beat and trance for well-measured tinctures of dreaminess.

Review: The No Fuss label has been busy of late and is now dropping the many fruits of their labours with several EPs landing in quick succession. The 13th outing is a various artists affair that features two cuts from Saison on the A-side, though it's a Ross Couch remix of 'The Riff' that opens up. It's feelgood house with nice dancing piano chords and a Balearic feel while 'Feel This' brings more summery chords and dusty drum loops for some open-air dancing fun. Vertigini then offers the 90s-tinged 'Box Of Pandora' and Mo'Cream closes out with the already classic 'I'm Sure.'

Review: Finland's Common Labour label unites four different producers on the fourth volume of its Odd Jobs series, and each of them goes deep in their own inimitable way. Omar Santis begins with an unhuried and smoky dubbed out house with wispy pads and subtle vocals on 'Pinoki.' Flabaire ups the energy with some slick, tightly programmed but smooth drum loops that bounce freely beneath warm pads which infuse the mix with soul. Thomas Wood's 'All It Takes' has molten bass and liquid synths for a dub house delight on 'All It Takes' and Potholes's 'Bromsman' is the headiest of the lot with DJ Koze-style melodic whimsy.

Review: While much of Mark Seven's work on his Parkway Rhythm label leans into the vocal end of the NYC proto-house/formative garage-house spectrum, his occasional 'Parkwerks' EPs are designed to delight those who prefer stripped-back, synth-heavy dubs of the kind released back in the day by the likes of Paul Simpson, Boyd Jarvis, Winston Jones and Timmy Regisford. There are plenty of "hard, raw and raunchy dubs for DJs" on this belated third instalment, with the Stockholm-based Brit offering up bassline-driven, freestyle-inspired brilliance ('Thrust'), cowbell-laden post-boogie proto-house ('Runnin' Dub') and echo-laden NYC electro ('Time Storm'). He also joins forces with fellow proto-house enthusiast Benedek on the lightly acid-flecked, Chicken Lips style brilliance of closing cut 'Got To Find Dub'.

Review: Two years ago, Italy's Balearic Gabba Soundsystem switched from remixing and re-editing their favourite cuts to curating compilation style EPs of similarly minded fare. They're in that mode again here, presenting a trio of cuts that combine the saucer-eyed warmth and loved-up musicality of Balearic music culture with grooves and rhythms firmly focused on the dancefloor. They begin by showcasing Wallace's sublime remix of Sewell & The Gong's 'Better Worlds', a locked-in, hypnotising fusion of semi-organic deep house grooves, new age melodic motifs and the dreamiest of ambient chords. Over on the flip they dip into slo-mo Italo-disco/acid house fusion via SIRS fine revision of My Friend Dario's 'Tell Aro', before treating us to a Pedro Bertho remix of Verdo's 'Belvourdier' in which sparkling Balearic house piano riffs, undulating acid lines and mid-80s "chorus" synth sounds rise above a fluctuating synthesiser bassline and hustling beats.

Review: Dusky techno disco tools on this fifth new one from Shadow Pressings, a UK outfit who've here nonetheless titularly alluded to the Chicago house scene. Of course, not all of us can afford to fly out to Illinois on a whim, and many of us prefer instead to let the city's long-release intoxicant effect run its course on the collective ear from a distance. The label-artist here proffers the gruffer stuff, from the grunting percs of 'Tears' through to the smoother high piquancies of 'Lost In The Dance', both of which nail that irreverent, not-too-much mood innate to all the best dance music.

Review: Kai Alce's NDATL Muzik is one of our favourites for deep house so imagine our delight to learn that it now branches out with a new sub-label, Nutria Sounds. Its debut release is a gem from Shaka with Eve's soulful vocals capturing the essence of Paris through organic textures and sultry melodies. The main vocal mix has jazzy chords and a carefree vibe, while 'Unbleached' is a more driving deep house cut with dancing keys and low end heft. The ever-on form Chicagoan Vick Lavender also steps up with a signature jazz-infused remix that is refined yet ready to work the 'floor. This is a fine debut for Nutria Sounds, which seems like it is going to be another vital outlet for heartfelt and classy house.

Review: Since its inception in 2023, Soul Quest Records has released some superbly deep and soulful records. To prove the point, the Hackney-based label has decided to serve up a compilation style EP featuring fresh cuts from current artists and new signings. Max Sinal joins forces with King Crowney and vocalist Liv East on the ultra-deep, super soulful warm-up sounds of 'Intentions', before Slxm Sol cannily combines loose-limbed drums, warming bass, sensitive chords, tactile Rhodes keys and soulful vocal snippets on 'NYBB'. Hitch 93 doffs a cap to Chez Damier on the excellent 'Uno Dos Tres Four', Rob Reckford delivers some bright MPC-house action ('Garden Party'), and Soul Grooves goes deep, gently dubby and spacey ('Blues Kitchen'). The gentle broken house sunniness of 'Edith' by Flying Moth completes a fine EP.

Review: Chicago born, Detroit-raised Delano Smith is one of the foundational artists of the contemporary house scenes. In 2023, he revealed he was suffering with a rare form of cancer but as this new EP title suggests, he is still here and still crafting high-grade sounds. 'When I Was Young' kicks off with his signature smoky drum loops and train travel sense of hypnosis. 'The Rush' is another heads down jam, this time marbled with eerie pads and wet clicks and claps that oil the groove while 'Rewired' shuts down with real late night delicacy and evocative minimalism.

Review: Much like vital Detroit label Moods & Grooves, The Solid Gold Playaz are a beloved force in the house scene. They tragically lost their co-founder Kenny Gino in 2021, but by then had already assured the legacy with deep house grooves that exude funk and class. In honour of Kenny's memory, surviving member Mike Theus carries on the journey with a new EP that, across four tracks, demonstrates real unity. Each one is built on nice lo-fi dusty drums, with undercooked synth lines bringing the unusual soul, bass adding the all-important low-end interest and plenty of smart samples finishing in style.

Review: Boston pair Soul Clap land on UK staple Crosstown rebels and bring their signature E-funk sound across a quarter of tunes that also draw on garage and deep house. 'Gone Stumblin' is effortlessly breezy with swirling, aloof vocals up top, a knotted bassline and dusty drums and percussion making a nice late-night vibe. The dub version is bigger, with twisted stabs and frazzled leads rewiring the energy and 'Unifying Force' is a swirling, gooey sound with an old school FM bassline and classic vocal sample bringing the heat. 'Gone Stumblin (bonus version)' is a second take on the original with some fun drum patterns and big raw snares to amp up the vibes.

Review: After a decade away, this revered Japanese producer returns to the label where his journey first took flight i with a stunning fifth release EP. Effortlessly blending deep house and tech house sensibilities, he crafts a polished, deeply musical EP that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. Side-A begins with 'Summer Solstice', a crisp, melodic opener built on a minimal, techy grooveisetting a next level production right from the drop. 'Be With Me' follows, locking into an addictive rhythm, its deep, elegant production highlighting his seasoned touch. On the flip, 'The Loop Machine' stretches into deeper territory, an epic builder that grows patiently and powerfully, perfect for extended sets. Finally, 'Winter Solstice' brings a surprising yet fitting close, with a funky electro glide that feels clean, fluid and inviting. As if the seasons were changing. This is a masterclass in restraint, groove and feelingia welcome homecoming for an artist who's clearly leading the way.

Review: Diogo Strausz brings some brilliantly authentic and escapist Afro house and deep house vibes to this steamy new platter from the Razor N Tape crew. 'Canto Das Tres Racas' has it all - tropical and loose-limbed drums with lashings of percussion, soulful vocals and rich chords with delicate acoustic guitars. The Kai Alce NDATL vocal mix makes it more club-ready but no less emotive, and 'Caramba' then brings strings to the fore once more with another eco-system of busy bird calls and busy drums topped with raw horns. The Lex Wolf Technobloco remix takes things into late-night territory but the Afro atmospheres still come on heavy.

Review: First released in 1999, Swayzak's 'Floyd/Doobie' shook the British duo's catalogue. Though it wasn't 'Bueno' or 'Fukumachi', this deep house cut was the next best choice for followers of the then burgeoning tech house circuit. Swayzak were already favourites on this and the deep house scene, and had clawed in acclaim for their involvement in both as early as 1993. One particularly prolix bio deems them the incipients of "1st wave 2000-era progressive deep minimal", which is too analytic even for us manic categorisers. No, we prefer to take these two big-hitters as they are: brimming with enthusiasm for a gadget-packed future, 'Floyd' fizzes and twitches with the pulsing blurts of a saw synth, as if to suggest constant magnetic stimulation from above. 'Doobie', meanwhile, hears our protagonist disrobe the techno utility belt, returning to a wireless home, so to gaze out over a subtly detuned chord landscape set to munching percs.

Review: Swayzak is a micro house, minimal and techno duo, aka James S Taylor and David Brown from the UK, whose name alone will get many older dancers hot under the collar. Their craft was second to none during their peak and here we get a reminder of that with a new outing on Rawax. 'Floyd' is a jazzy dancer with live claps, spinning hi-hats and louche grooves all topped with synthetic synths that never quit. 'Doobie' is a more deep sound with late-night headsy vibes. The drums are supple, the synths squeal and spoken word mutterings add a human touch. Two well-realised and effective cuts from Swayzak.