Juno Recommends Deep House: September 2024

Review: Brawther and Tristan Da Cunha's Dungeon Meat deals only in rock-solid house cuts designed for maximum club impact. Their Weapons Of Ass Destruction series is a treasure trove of such sounds and the fourth volume is another doozy: Sweely kicks off with some rubbery tripped-out tech, Frederik Anthony spins out on silky and deft percussive tech on 'Shortbacknsides' and Timmy P's 'Your Parents Are Doing It Right Kev' is a drake heavier stomper for when things get freaky. Boss Priester offers another highlight with the industrial and cosmic tech of 'Today Okay' while JAMM's 'Ignition' is more high-class weaponry.

Review: Renowned for his extensive record collection and deep knowledge of house and garage, Jeremy Underground brings his passion to Vol. 3 of Z Records's 90's House & Garage compilation series. It features tracks that are either unreleased or newly digitised from original DAT tapes and vinyl. This edition comes on double vinyl with four sides of glorious grooves, each one of them carefully selected and professionally treated to reflect the golden era of house, taking in rare gems and remixes from Kerri Chandler, Murk, 95 North, and more. Vital stuff.

Review: Jeremy Underground loves a compilation project. He has done them for his own My Love Is Underground label as well as the superb Beauty: A Journey Through Jeremy Underground's Collection which came back in 2017 for Favourite Recordings. Now he reverts to his roots once more and digs deep for 90s garage and house, often from the US. His tastefully selected sounds come on Z Records as part of this multi-part 90's House & Garage series with plenty of key names from the genre's golden era all present and correct. This is a fine collection that will up your own house credentials no end.

Review: Deeper States Volume 2 is another installment of fresh sounds from producers who have come through a competition that set them to making proper deep hose with a specified sample library. Across four sides of wax, there are some mighty fine cuts here such as the deep garage inflections of Enrico Dragoni, some Motor City vibes from Scott Andrews, the deepest of dub techno workouts from Montreal courtesy of Dealin', soul-drenched late-night cruisers from Khalid Ali on 'Elevate' and some nice bubbly vocal vibes from Dublin don Oscide with his 'Free Your Mind.' This is another hugely effective and stylish EP from the Interweaved community.

Review: It's ten up for the cultured hose label No Fuss here and they hit the milestone in style with underground Michele Chiavarini and his Jazz Codes project. Their innovative 'Jazz Was Dancing' has a monologue about jazz over jazzy keys and live-sounding jazz drums so in a word, it's jazzy. Saison adds some more bumping drums and swinging grooves to their remix and on the flip, Japan's Yuichi Inoue offers a deep house sound that also explores jazz, but in a more seductive way on 'A Night In The Room.' Sebb Junior's 'As One' is last up and slows things down with a more sensuous late-night sound full of heart.

Review: Drizabone's Pressure, released as a limited 7" on Anorax, is a delightful blend of soulful house and pop. The radio edit on Side-1 is a smooth, uplifting track with great vocals, disco-infused strings, and a feel-good vibe that perfectly captures the essence of classic soulful house. On Side-2, the Nu-Solution remix raises the energy level even more, incorporating bold horns and injecting the track with a vibrant gospel flavor. It elevates the soulfulness to new heights, transforming 'Pressure' into a powerful, high-energy anthem. Both versions offer their own take on soulful house, making this 7" perfect for fans of uplifting, vocal-driven club music.

Review: The always-sophisticated Vick Lavender is a deep house innovator with a soulful and spiritual sound that is never short of genuine musicality. He proves that once more here with a fresh 12" for Mister Bear that opens with the jazzy piano keys of 'Move' soon taking you into a playful world of cosmic synths. 'Change' is another one drenched in astral synth lines over dancing drum patterns and 'Daylight' then melts the heart with its brilliantly soulful vocals and skipping drum beats. This classy EP shuts down with a Latin-flavoured sound on 'Somebodies Samba'.

Review: Tartan's sixth offering once again combines several different sound worlds into a couple of compelling grooves. There is a world feel to the opener 'Haai' with its exotic strong sounds, lavish jazzy flutes and deep-cut disco-house drums, all topped off with a Balearic energy that will go down well at sun-kissed outdoor parties. On the flip, it is 'Orleans' which is a low-slung chugger with some cosmic chord work up top and breathy vocals adding to the slow and sensuous sense of hypnotism. Two classy tracks for sure.

Review: Last month, long-serving French deep house hero Franck Roger dipped into the bulging back catalogue of the Real Tone imprint he co-founded in 2005 and came back with a quartet of his favourite productions. Here he presents a swift sequel showcasing four more tried-and-tested deep dancefloor workouts. Roger begins by highlighting the accurately titled 'Deeper', a gorgeously tactile and loved-up slab of early morning hypnotism, before offering up the killer combination of jazzy synth riffs, spine-tingling breakdowns and tactile deep house grooves that is 'Your My Wing' [sic]. Over on side B, 'I'm Waiting' is percussively dense but heady, dreamy and intoxicating, while 'Whispers' combines the soulfulness of New Jersey garage with the thickset, floor-focused deep house headiness that has always been a hallmark of Roger's spellbinding productions.

Review: All Day I Dream is a deep house lover's dream - a factory line for interesting, quirky and most importantly effective grooves from a worldwide spread of artists. They have a thing for offering up seasonal compilations of their sounds and now, though rather late, we get the Summer Sampler 2024. It's a treasure trove of sounds to get lost in and mentally escape with - rolling drums, wispy pads and airy melancholia all deftly designed and nothing to mind, body and soul. Mass Digital, Double Touch, David Orin and Raw Main are all new names to us, but they all impress.

Review: Tiger Stripes makes his debut on Matt Edwards' Rekids label with the I Heard It Through The Bassline EP, a two-track release that highlights his refined production skills. The title song has a deeply infectious bassline that drives the rhythm, blending seamlessly with tight house grooves and sophisticated gospel vocals. This track sets a compelling tone with its irresistible energy. On the flip side, 'Everybody's Doing It' offers a more subdued vibe, characterised by its stylish, low-slung groove. The track evokes the atmosphere of a dim-lit club or a contemplative late-night drive through the city, making it perfect for those introspective moments on the dancefloor. As the founder of the Strange Idols label, Tiger Stripes has been a significant force in the underground music scene since the early 2000s. With collaborations alongside artists like Kerri Chandler and Jerome Sydenham, and releases on labels like Hot Creations and Get Physical, his latest EP on Rekids further shows his talents.

Review: Steve Butler's most recent full-length excursion as Abel, Cosmic Law, rightly received plenty of plaudits on its release last year. 'Hand Made', a spacey, tech-tinged deep house featuring evocative spoken word vocals by American wordsmith Brother Basil, was one of that set's stand out cuts. This single release naturally features Butler's original mix, plus three new reworks. Rising star Peacey kicks things off with a spacey, bouncy, breakbeat-sporting revision, before Rocco Radamaal delivers an analogue bass-propelled, keyboard stab-sporting 'Raw Dub' that sounds like it was tailor made for dark, strobe-lit peak-time dancefloors. To round things off, sometime nu-disco sorts South Beach Recycling re-imagine the track as an intergalactic, ultra-deep slab of house hypnotism wrapped in spacey electronics.

Review: Second time around for Italian producer Black Loops' deep house tribute to his beloved Rome, which has become an in-demand and hard to find record since it first dropped on Freerange back in 2018. It's certainly one of the prolific producer's strongest releases, flexing a dusty, groovy at times pleasingly hypnotic take on late-night deep house. Check first title track '7 Hills', where jazzy Rhodes motifs, drifting chords and echoing jazz guitar notes ride a thickset groove, before admiring Mad Rey's chunkier, loopy and more locked-in peak-time interpretation. Over on side B, 'King Paul' is an even deeper and dreamier excursion in warm, bass-heavy dancefloor deepness, while 'Linda 38' offers an enticing blend of futurist electronics, jazzy keys, toasty chords and deep, analogue-rich bass.

Review: Z Records proudly presents volume 3 in its 90s house and garage compilation series, this time presented by Jeremy Underground, a man who should need no introduction when it comes to all things house and garage. Underground (assuming that is his real surname) shares his third house selector's compilation on this one, digging deep, deep inside his record collection, making a spectacle of his ability to decide, to delimit, to include, to exclude, to tastefully separate sonic wheat from chaff. As has become obviated by this series, some of these knocky 2-steppers - these garagey housers - are to here be released on one flavor filled CD & vinyl compilation. So attune your ears to its private exclusivist 2-step grooves; avariciously launch your energies at the attainment of mid-2020s UK garage DJ royalty, till your forefingers and thumbs bleed from all the spindle pinching.

Review: Christian Smith revisits Carl Craig's iconic ambient masterpiece 'At Les' with two exceptional remixes, originally crafted in 2010. This reissue on Tronic revives the deep house genre with a fresh perspective on a track that first appeared on Craig's 1997 album, More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art. On Side-1, the 'Tronic Treatment remix' injects a pulsating energy into the ethereal original, blending rhythmic depth with the serene atmosphere that made the track a legend. Smith's remix maintains the emotional intensity while adding a driving beat that propels the listener forward. On Side-2, the 'Hypnotica remix,' where Smith delves into a more immersive, trance-like state. This version is all about loops and intricate layers, creating a soundscape that feels both expansive and intimate. Smith's reimagining of 'At Les' pays homage to Carl Craig's genius while introducing new sonic dimensions. Still, 14 years later...this is a club ready peak time record.

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: Carl Finlow has been turning out killer electro since forever and is the man behind the revered Random Factor alias. He started it back in 1994 and since he's brought us four full lengths on 20/20 Vision, with a new one dropping very soon. In the meantime, here's a reissue of one of his most in demand classic EPs that's back on wax after initially making waves way back in 2000. The cuts draw on electro-pop and lithe future disco a la Metro Area, from the sparkly 80s-vibed opener 'Old News', 'Richochet' - imagine dub techno rerouted through guitar-led funk - to the more heads down, deep and moody dancefloor delight 'Update' and the indelible melodies of closer 'Swing'. Timeless machine funk from one of its latter day masters.

Review: In classic Detroit house style, genius Terence Parker of the outstanding 'Love's Got Me High' takes it to church with the previously unreleased re-edit 'Help Is On The Way'. If you love your house raw and deep with an intensely driving organ, hi hat and the call and response of pumped up choir and preacher, be transported by this next level house track, his first release in eight years! Each track a joy, the soulful and destined for dance floor greatness 'Tonight We Love' provides an array of brass and bassline that breaks and builds with percussive claps and syncopated cymbals united in weavings of voices and instruments. Then, the gorgeous 'I Love You (More Than You Know)' brings an endearing vocal over a driving and deliciously relentless techno back beat and organ refrain that winds up and down throughout. Enjoy too the instrumental version of A1, harder, deeper and more analogue in feel. Spoiling us, this EP on Parker's Intangible label, illustrates the infectiousness that deep house produces when in exceptionally loving hands. A total must for all who love house and beyond...

Review: This is a full artwork version of the same release that dropped recently as a pre-release white label, so will look as good on the shelves as it sounds on the decks. DJ Dez Andres has been particularly productive of late after releasing a series of" records that showcase his signature edits. The collection includes 'Boogie,' a broken beat banger featuring a catchy whistle, followed by 'Maxin',' a sensuous, downtempo track with smooth pads and laid-back beats. The final track, 'Talking,' wraps things up with soulful vocals and a romantic, late-night vibe.

Review: Nonfiction very much keeps it real with this new outing on Vessel Recordings - owned and orchestrated by Ira James - which comes on a rather fascinating transparent 'coke bottle' green vinyl. The title cut 'B-Boy Basix' gets things underway with a physical drum line that is brought to life with old school hip-hop scratches and chopped-up James Brown vocals. There is more wildness to 'Get Loose', 'To The Top' is hardcore deep house heaviness and 'Itz Like This' is a militant stepper with dubby chords. 'Initiate' rounds out this most effective yet stylish EP with some paired back beats.

Review: Nu Groove proudly share 'Anybody Out There/20 Paces From The Moon', a sexy four-track package celebrating the work of Marshall Jefferson as Jungle Wonz, and featuring two fresh mixes from the esteemed Mike Dunn and Steve Mac. Jefferson's output under his own name is often sharper and sparser than this otherwise deeper and more truer-to-desire moniker known as Jungle Wonz. Opening with the searching opine for help and salvation, 'Anybody Out There' - "is there anybody out there who really gives a care?", goes the lead vox - we hear a fundamental question firmly footed against a groundwork of bobbly acid and offbeat rimshots, provided on the rerub of Jefferson by Dunn. Dunn also delivers a string-laden dub version of this A1; then Steve Mac offers a set of esoterically extra ests with '20 Paces From The Moon' and another space-loungey version of this latter track for balanced measure.

Review: For our money, Felipe Gordon is one of the most underrated house producers out there. He does way more than just club grooves, often offering up lush musical excursions with hints of jazz, soul and much more in the lavish arrangements. Here he showcases his silky skills once more on the Chiwax label with his Seasick Is Better Than Heartsick Baby EP. The title cut is a nice breezy opener with hip-swinging drums and smart chords. 'Like Father, Like Son' has a more late-night feel with a prickly synth lead that tumbles about the mix while 'Mundo Blau' (feat Bob The Egoist) is a percussive jaunt with shuffling beats and raw analogue edges. 'The Doctor' is a crowd-pleaser that is effortlessly groovy and warm.

Review: Aussie label Pronto looks across the world to the centre of deep house and Chicago for this new EP from mainstays Boo Williams and James Curd. Those heavily accomplished names both take one side each of this new 12" and Boo Williams is first with the hazy, soul-drenched, blissed-out melodies and shuffling drums of 'Remember The Music' (dub) then offers another bright, synth laced and meditative sound with 'Time Searching'. James Curd brings some jazzy motifs and classically included deep house smoothness on 'The Perceived Theory' then swings low with the leggy, lazy, inviting 'Grey Matters'.

Review: Billed as an elusive producer now primarily offering his services to the deep house label Running Back, Mute here reissues and repackages the second in his 'Direct Cuts' EP series, 'Redux'. First released in 2006, the 'Redux' versions clarify a fresh set of takes on older material, hereby the artist Gerd Janson. Continuing to flash, tease and periodise four of many possible glimpses of both Mute and Janson's crafts, this new edition of the first EP, released almost twenty years later, hears a right smattering of hypnotic grooves and tricky temperaments. Our fave has to be the version of 'Vibes', bringing electric movements and nighttime prowls to an already all-analog flavour palette.

Review: Matt Edwards' recent Venti album, his first full-lenth as Radio Slave for four years, was undoubtedly a triumph. It was also stylistically varied, offering ample opportunities for adventurous remixers to make their mark on his material. That's the case here, as Solomun and CASSIMM rework their favourite cuts from the set. Diynamic founder Solomun steps up first, turning Fun Boy Three cover 'The Lunatics' into a fabulous spot of tech-house/indie-dance fusion complete with jangling guitars, effects-laden vocal phrases, bubbly electronics and locked-in beats. CASSIMM, meanwhile, handles Audion hook-up 'Mouth To Mouth' (itself a remake of Edwards' legendary early 2000s remix of the same track), re-framing it as a chunky, driving, bass-heavy and organ-rich peak-time pumper.

Review: Dreamer G's original on Madhouse Records was the kind of underground gem that defined a momentia track that slotted itself into the DNA of deep house in the 90s. Now, it's back, reimagined by Demuir with a fresh remix that injects a whole new energy without losing the original's soulful core. Demuir handles it with finesse, keeping things punchy yet faithful, delivering a rework that feels both modern and timeless. Kerri Chandler, the man behind it all, steps in with his own re-edit, reminding everyone why this track became such a sought-after piece of vinyl gold. His re-edit is all about refinementihe doesn't strip it down; he polishes it, making it gleam just that little bit brighter. For those still holding on to their original copy, this re-release is as much a nod to the track's legacy as it is an opportunity to hear it in a way that's never sounded better. Then there's the deep mix, which has been meticulously remastered by Chandler himself. It's not just a token touch-up; it's a love letter to a track that's stood the test of time. With the sound quality elevated to new heights, the deep mix captures the essence of Dreamer G's original vision, while making sure it feels right at home on today's systems. Ultimately, this rework package doesn't just revive Dreamer G; it affirms its place in house music's enduring historyiproof that great tracks don't fade, they just evolve.

Review: DJ Tennis's Life and Death label welcomes Italia pair Mind Against for a new single that comes with a version and remix from the much-loved Ama duo. 'Love Seeking' is a playful end-of-summer jam with taught bass sequences tumbling down the scales, hip-swinging in claps and a nice catchy, breezy female vocal up top that recalls the early sound of Hot Creations. The club mix strips it back a bit, beefs up the drums and bass and adds some more raw synth texture while smudging the vocal into a blur. Finally, the Ame remix ups the melodic feel with epic synths looping up to the heavens while some dramatic percussion and snappy drums ensure a big impact in the club.

Review: Fantastic Man is no stranger to crafting cultured house jams. He has done so for many years on many labels and now arrive to mint new imprint Axis of People. 'The Axis Theme' kicks off with some smooth, serene and cruising house grooves while 'Warm Waters' keeps similar vibes flowing, this time with some mystic synth energy up top. 'Jungle Juice' is another sublime house cut but it's dusty breakbeats which power this one under trippy and vibrant arps. 'Sunsystem' closes out with some nice lithe breakbeat and tech fusions that head into the cosmos.