Deep House Recommendations November 2016

Review: Only those with long memories will remember David 'Move D' Moufang's short-lived Housegrooves alias. It was only used for a single 1993 release, Volume 1, a 12" that has long been in-demand amongst deep house diggers. Misfit Melodies have decided to give it the reissue treatment, partnering two of the EP's most lauded cuts with fresh remixes and edits. In the former category you'll find the low-slung analogue bass, rolling beats and spacey synth melodies of "I Gave My Love", and the more bumpin', New Jersey influenced Seebase collaboration "Deep", which here gets a slight edit from DJ Oyster. The most impressive rework comes from Shan and Gerd Janson, who turn "I Gave My Love" into a saucer-eyed chunk of piano-heavy, rave-era breakbeat-house bliss.

Review: As well as steering Stripped & Chewed, Garrett David has been holding down a residency at Chicago's Smart Bar for some time. On a roll following an appearance on Distant Hawaii, The Time finds the producer in fine fettle with a classic approach to deep house clearly born out of the city he calls home. "The Time" is a shimmying jam powered by crafty dub processing and a steady hand on the arrangement, while "Sea Shell" is a more passionate affair that swoons through key changes. The Night Sea Journey remix of "The Time" is a more brooding affair punctuated by synth accents for a deeper end result.

Review: British deep house veteran Sir Lord Commix is the latest producer to hand over DATs of forgotten late '90s studio sessions to the team behind For Those That Knoe. Predictably, they've chosen four great cuts to release. First up you'll find the elastic synths, alien melodies and fizzing Motor City percussion of early tech-house style shuffler "Pieces Of Dream", before the P-funk-influenced UK-US garage fusion of "Leroy Garage" takes us in an altogether breezier direction. Flip for the Jovonn style synthesizer melodies and groovy garage rhythms of "New Jersey", and the electro-inspired intelligent techno dreaminess of "Destiny".

Review: Patrick Lopaski's "Common Grounds" was one of the highlights of Politics Of Dancing's recent split E.P, so hopes are naturally high for this first appearance on Julien Sandre and Konstress's Blindbox imprint. There's a glitchy, Herbert-ish swing and bump to opener "Bon Voyage", with cut-up textures, solos and melody lines combining well with a garage-influenced groove. This latter element is emphasized further on the accompanying SIT remix, which includes a bolder, heavier bassline. Lopaski expertly blends two-step, tech-house and swirling deep house on flipside cut "KD-07", while closer "Q Division" sees him move further towards early noughties Chicago deep house territory.

Review: Over the last 18 months, Kiwi siblings Chaos In The CBD have become one of the most sought-after talents in deep house - thanks, in no small part, to fine release for such hyped labels as Church and Rhythm Section International. Here they present their second 12" on Japan's mighty Mule Musiq. It's a typically confident and ear-pleasing affair, with opener "Garden of Terrors" showing their skill in mixing enveloping chords and sticky aural textures with dense, African-influenced tribal drums. This growing passion for loose, layered organic percussion is also evident on the humid "Asmat", while closer "Subterranean Storm" sees them back in dreamy, jazz-flecked deep house mode. Like their other tracks in this style, it's something of a slow-burning dancefloor delight.

Review: Larry De Kat seems to have grown tired of delivering material to established labels - for now, at least - so has decided to launch his own imprint, Katnip, as a vehicle for his productions. This expansive first release contains a slightly wider palette of sounds, styles and influences than we've come to expect from the Utrecht producer, though it maintains his usual dedication to dusty soul samples, jazz-flecked deep house and Andres-style grooves. So while opener "Nuijaga" is a rock solid chunk of St Germain style jazz-house, and B1 "Solitary Maybe" a similarly energy-charged deep house bumper, the rest of the EP flits between bluesy, pitched-down grooves ("Sun La Shan") and instrumental hip-hop beats (the Damn Funk-ish "I Never Knew" and deliciously dubby "I Still Don't (Part 2)".

Review: This is Adam Wickens' - aka ADMIN - first appearance for Kolour LTD, and we're happy to see the UK deep house producer continuing his steady path to maturity. This two-tracker is part of the label's 'LTD 10s' series, and this particular one is the fourth instalment; we love it not only for the quality that has graced the releases up till now, but also because we're fools for the ten inch format. "Reach For Love" sounds like it could be on Moodymann's Mahogani, a sensual house charmer complete with gorgeous piano keys and assembled with pure hypnotic delight. Side B's "You've Got Me" is similarly cool and laid-back, but the beat is speedier here, the percussion more floor-centric and the vocals sexier than ever. What a gorgeous little tip - cop it!

Review: Given the popularity of volumes one and two in the superb Rhythms Of The Pacific series, you can bet your bottom dollar that this third installment will fly off the shelves. Happily, the standard remains high throughout, with debutant Slim Media Player particularly impressing. The artist with the superbly-current name offers up a pair of fine tracks; the low-slung jazz bass, new age pads and bumpin' beats of "Dappled Love", and the decidedly horizontal, loved-up shuffle of "Pink Hues, Bad News". On the flip, Electric Sound Broadcast melds yearning, sun-kissed electronics to freshly beaked house breaks on the delightful "WaveRunner", before 1080p regular Khotin delivers a dash of dreamy, acid-flecked brilliance in the shape of EP standout "Nimbus (Tomi's Pad Mix)".

Review: The latest installment of Alex Omar-Smith's Side-Trakx series - long an outlet for work that doesn't fit into his usual house/techno template - is a little different to its' predecessors. For starters, it features four versions of one track: Nite Jewel collaboration "Sky Train". The full-vocal original is something of a treat; a radio-friendly fusion of dreamy deep house sounds, picturesque vocals and a smooth but undulating, Herbie Hancock-influenced groove. The superb keys-work of local jazz pianist Ian Finkelstein comes to the fore on the hazier "Chattanooga TN" and "Finkell Avenue" versions (the latter an ambient treat), with the "Texas TN" mix moving further towards jazz-funk territory.

Review: Nick Marshall and Victor Aguinaga's Perpetual Rhythms label operates out of Chicago with a focus on the sifter side of the city's house music legacy, or at least that's how this latest split double-pack Metaphoric Expressions sets out initially thanks to Aguinaga's Chicagodeep guise. There are tougher moments to be enjoyed when Marshall takes over as Taelue, but still the emphasis is very much on soul-stirring machine beats and synth tones in a fine tradition of true deep house. In the same way that Fred P can weave magic out of minimal elements, the Perpetual Rhythms crew know exactly how to get under your skin through immersive vibes alone.

Review: Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling have been pretty quiet since releasing the Two Man House Band E.P this time last year. Whether or not this surprise 12" is a precursor to a new LP or not, the two original tracks showcased here are vintage Session Victim. While many will love the jazzy, sun-kissed deep house positivity of "Up To Rise", it's nowhere near as potent a dancefloor force as "Matching Half", which benefits greatly from looped riffs that doff a sly wink to Fleetwood Mac, killer keys, and some rush-inducing chord progressions. Byron The Aquarius delivers a killer flipside rework of that track, too, which ups the jazziness whilst beefing up the bottom end.

Review: Hailing from Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Miskotom appears on Pleasure Unit for a debut appearance that should appeal to all lovers of delicate, pop flecked house with a smooth 80s veneer. The production is perfect for the mood of the music, with the dusty groove of the title track embellished with Eastern flute motifs and Larry Heard chords of the sweetest melancholy. "Downtown" meanwhile revels in slap bass finery, and "Tempelhof Kite" gets a rubbery Moog tone in the low end that offsets the woozy pads beautifully. Kito Jempere comes on board for a remix that dubs "Tempelhof Kite" down into a warm and sexy house cut of the highest order.

Review: The Blind Jacks Journey label could be thought of as the UK's answer to Mood Hut or Rhythms of the Pacific; an imprint keen to promote the virtues of hazy "dream house". The North Yorkshire outfit sticks to the script here, serving up a mini-album of deliciously lazy, wide-eyed treats from previously unheralded producer Aleksandir. On the A-side you'll find the picturesque goodness of "Turtle Dance", the blissful ambient house warmth of "Turtle Nipper", and the melancholic jazz-house dreaminess of "Turtle Bay". Flip for the more exotic "Istanbul", the tropical synths and steel drums of "By The Beach", and the creepy downtempo jazz of "Omar".

Review: Having previously appeared on Roots Underground, Reekee kicks off Wrong Notes with yet more grooves that tap into the spirit of truly passionate soulful house. The aptly named Billy Love's vocals aim straight for the heart on "Love Is", with the original mix being especially moving with its lingering jazz chords, string licks and stuttering beat. The "Bluesy" mix has a more traditional deep house feel to it, while "Wurli Things" heads off into expressive Rhodes territory thanks to limber keys work from Jacopo Moschetto. For classically informed house music from the heart, look no further.

Review: Armon 'Aybee' Bazile is undoubtedly one of electronic music's most consistent performers. He's barely put a foot wrong since making his debut in 2004, and continues to deliver high-grade material on a regular basis. Predictably, there's plenty to get excited about on this 12", too. "Man Over Machine" is a winding, constantly building gem, with rising and falling, spaced out melody loops riding an off-kilter techno rhythm. On the flip, you'll find the deep space chord progressions, delay-laden electronics and deep tech-house grooves of "Build Them (Solstice Mix)", the intricate pianos solos and Soichi Terada style deep house vibes of "Legacy", and the off-kilter deep house/IDM fusion of "Melted Chains".

Review: Few can fail to have noticed the re-emergence of Italian deep house in recent times. Tracks paying tribute to the dreamy, loved-up and new age-influenced style pioneered by Italian producers in the late '80s and early '90s are ten-a-penny these days, though few are quite as breezy and evocative as this EP from Minimono. The fact that it's appearing on re-born Rome label Vibraphone - dormant since 1993, but brought back to life late last year - is rather fitting. The duo's dreamy, melodious and tactile style - see the fluttering synthesized flute lines and tactile grooves of "Sailing", the horizontal house bliss of "Suspend", and the Ron Trent style slickness of "Next Step" - is perfectly in keeping with the label's wavy, sun-kissed ethos.

Review: Long celebrated as a hub for new producers to showcase their talents, CDR return to the releasing game in partnership with Dimensions Festival. Up and coming house heads K15 and FYI Chris reportedly invited Lismore and Ben Houghton to take part in this collaborative release, resulting in four tracks that wouldn't sound out of place soundtracking a balmy afternoon dance on the Adriatic Sea. Oozing quality and soul throughout, there's a distinctly laid back flavour to the house on offer across this release, although FYI Chris add a touch more bite with their grubby lo-fi synth lines on "Sugar".

Review: This mini-album marks a shift in emphasis for Lustwerk Music, with boss Galcher Lustwerk choosing to showcase the work of another producer for the first time. He's apparently been nurturing Florida-based Quavius for some time, encouraging the young producer to "experiment more" while following his instincts. It seems to have worked, because the majority of music on this debut release is top notch. It covers a lot of ground, with the A-side alone moving between R&B-inspired hip-house ("Love The Way"), hip-hop ("Magic Man"), woozy electronica ("R 'n' V") and spacey deep house ("Composure"). There's naturally plenty more to enjoy on the flipside, too, from the old school deep hip-hop bump of "M 320", to the crunk-tinged, cut-up goodness of closer "Can I Be".

Review: D3 Elements continues to mine the fertile soil of Midwest inspired house, techno and electro with this fantastic new album from Michael Dykehouse (sometimes found turning out experimental fare on Planet Mu and Ghostly). Here the grooves are immediate and engaging across nine tracks, from the bubbly "Meltdown Morning" to the spooked-out "Clock Division", touching on a range of styles all bound together by a commitment to classic drum machine beats and synthesiser tones. This is far from a throwback record though, instead celebrating Dykehouse's innate musicality through all manner of tempos and moods and coming out as a well-rounded long player in the process.

Review: Remarkably, it's been 23 years since Motor City legend Alton Miller released his first 12". Here, he dips into the archives of previously unreleased material to present a trio of cuts From The Vaults. He's at his positive best on "Waiting For You", a loose and organic sounding deep house gem smothered in slick, modern soul vocals, hazy chords and jazzy musical motifs. There's a slightly more bumpin' feel about the similarly soulful "Run & Hide", which benefits greatly from chunkier beats, bolder bass, and some fabulously spacey synth solos. Best of all, though, is instrumental flipside "In The Spirit", where dislocated vocal snippets and winding melody lines ride a dense, Afro-influenced drum track.

Review: New York City's Arnold Jarvis is known as the man with the golden voice. His vocal talents have graced many a famous house record such as "Inspiration" (with Kerri Chandler), "Life Goes On" with Little Louie Vega and Satoshi Tomiie's "And I Loved You". His very first release "Take Some Time Out" receives a re-issue on Fourth Floor Records. "Take Some Time Out (club mix)" is a true zeitgeist of classic first wave house music produced by legend Tommy Musto. Exclusive to this re-issue is Croatian producer Ilja Rudman's brilliant rework and of course the original dub version for your convenience.

Review: Press reviews of Henning Severud's long-awaited debut album have been universally positive, and it's easy to see why. While the Norwegian touches on numerous styles across Vibe Telemetry - new age, ambient house, Scandolearic, Italo-disco, vintage Italian deep house and even saucer-eyed techno - each have been filtered through his hazy, hard-to-define desire to create music with its own distinctive sense of atmosphere. As a result, it's a hugely vibrant, colourful and inventive set, with Severud effortlessly creating a set of tracks that works as a coherent, easy to listen to whole, despite the presence of numerous future floor-fillers. As debut albums go, it's something of a cracker.

Review: The Bicep boys have really been pushing their Feel My Bicep label this year, putting out strong material at a furious rate. Their latest 12" comes from Eden Burns and Tomas Krammer's Sandboards project. While the duo recently contributed a track to an EP on Krystal Clear's Cold Tonic imprint, the Visa EP is their debut 12" proper. "Visa" is something of a gem, and peppers a snappy rhythm track with sun-bright melodies and synth lines reminiscent of Red Rackem's ubiquitous "Wonky Bassline Disco Banger". James Clarke dons the Shinra alias to deliver a superb remix that looks to electrofunk and classic IDM for inspiration, while flipside "Pink Slippz" sits somewhere between early trance, 1994 style intelligent techno, and mind-altering Italo-disco.

Review: Chicago legend Anthony Nicholson is back with a new release on his hugely influential Clairaudience imprint which sprung back into action a couple of years ago after an eight year hiatus. On "Suckapunch", the man behind such seminal music as USG and African Blues delivers properly soulful and emotive deep house the way it was intended. On the flip, "Turn Me On" is more uplifting, integrating some syncopated conga drums and powerful strings with hypnotic female vocals loops all working in perfect harmony.

Review: Having served for eight years as one of the most dependable outlets for deep, thought provoking house in the UK, Boe Recordings recently announced its plans to shut up shop, and it does so in style. Calling on regular artists as well as fresh talent, it's a perfect swansong that demonstrates just how much quality is to be found in the Boe back catalogue. Leif's "That Ice Cream Tune" is a hypnagogic slice of broken beat, while label boss Ben Boe gets into a dreamy 2-step state of mind. That's just the tip of the iceberg on this flawless double-pack from a label that will be sorely missed.

Review: Spain's Slow Town rarely fails to deliver the goods. Split, so called because it contains tracks from numerous artists, more than lives up to the label's rising reputation. It probably helps that the A-side comes from former Bent man and longtime East Midlands deep house stalwart Nail. His "Shake Back" explores similar sonic territory to Pepe Bradock's "Deep Burnt", whilst retaining the chunky, bass-heavy bottom-end recognizable from his releases for Classic, Shabby Doll and Robsoul Recordings. On the flip, there's an equally assured cut from London stalwarts Jonno & Tommo. "Wolf Spirit" is an altogether more tech-tinged affair, built around a restless electronic bassline, hypnotic percussion and woozy, late night chords.

Review: For Rhythm Section International's fifteenth 12" release, Bradley Zero has looked to the bourgeoning Polish house scene. It sees occasional Transatlantyk artist Newborn Jr. (AKA Adam Brocki) join forces with the previously unheralded Earth Trax. They open with the tactile, wide-eyed warmth of "Sax & Flute", where dreamy, stretched-out chords, toasty bass and hazy house breakbeats rub shoulders with punchy, synthesized saxophone and flute lines. It's reminiscent of not only 808 State's "Pacific", but also Italian "ambient house" (Morenas, Lux, Midas etc.) of the same period. Flipside "Flute Track" is similarly woozy and loved-up, though its' twittering synth-flutes, chiming melodies and bold bassline recall memories of Orbital's more Balearic-minded moments, rather than Sueno Latino.

Review: Originally found turning out sublime deep house in the early 90s alongside the heady work of peers such as The True Underground Sound Of Rome, The Order were a four-strong group that made no secret about their passion for Detroit techno. Male Records, who originally released their Underground Rythmic Project release back in 1992, have brought these infectious productions back to life with a timely reissue that aligns perfectly with the gems being unearthed on Vibraphone Records at present. As well as the four original tracks from the group's sole EP, the excellent unreleased cuts "Quasar" and "Way Back" are included on this wonderful document of early Italian techno.