Juno Recommends Deep House September 2020

Review: The Sushitech festivities continue unabated with this bittersweet repress of an all-time classic from the much-missed Detroit figurehead Mike Huckaby. 'Baseline '87' ranks amongst his most fabled works, riding as it does around an irresistibly catchy square wave bass hook and one of those no-nonsense beats that the legendary producer did so well. For the sound of Huckaby in full flight though, 'Musik For The Dancefloor' on the flip soars thanks to the interplay between the pads and chords while retaining that steadfast focus. In memory of a true dance music hero, why not revisit a classic that should be comfortably sat in every record bag?

Review: Chicago house heads rejoice, because right here we have a holy grail release. Marshall Jefferson originally recorded "Vibe Three" in 1985, and it was only ever played by Ron Hardy at seminal club The Music Box. Gene Hunt and Emanuel Pippin were amongst the only other DJs to have a copy of the tape, but the track was never released until now. This is pre-"Move Your Body" music, capturing the soul and vitality of house music at its inception and sounding as fresh as it would have back then. As well as Jefferson's instrumental original, the flip finds Jefferson teaming up with his partner in Jungle Wonz, Harry Dennis, for a poignant vocal version called "Human Condition". Don't sleep on this, as it won't be around for long.

Review: It's rare to see Parisian former duo, now solo act Politics of Dancing releasing music on a label they don't own; in fact, we make this outing on Locus their first "away fixture". Happily they've saved their best for the EP, zipping between chunky, breakbeat-driven, acid-fired hip-house revivalism (killer opener 'Machines', which is also available in a more bass-heavy, tech-tinged Rossi Remix form), classic-sounding late night deep house (the drifting synthesizer chords, hazy female vocal samples and sleazy acid bass of 'Sway') and wiggly, early-morning deep house/acid fusion ('Field Effect'). A top-notch EP with not a duffer in sight: don't sleep!

Review: Remarkably, superior re-edit, remix and rework imprint G.A.M.M is approaching its 150th release. We'll hear more about what they have in store in the weeks and months ahead, but first the Swedish stable has decided to offer up something suitably special: a pair of previously unreleased edits from the king of the rusty scalpel rearrangement, Danny Krivit AKA Mr K. If it's percussion you're after, we'd heartily recommend insatiable A-side "Batutastica", a riotous revision of a drum-heavy Brazilian batacuda workout that's little more than densely layered waves of sweaty, carnival-ready percussion. It's an absolute dancefloor beast, as is the similarly hectic, intense and celebratory flipside drum workout, "Jungle". In a word: essential!

Review: Chicago veteran Boo Williams has put out almost as many records as his good friend Glenn Underground, and almost all of them are high-class. His latest limited-edition missive is, somewhat predictably, another gem. Opener "Tribulation" is sweet and spacey, with Williams wrapping fizzing, techno-tempo drums and bubbly bass in intergalactic synths sounds and chords so emotive you might start blubbing on the dancefloor. It comes accompanied by a deeper, acid-flecked flipside dub that also boasts some exciting new synth solos (track three) and a slightly slower, but no less energetic or musically positive, bonus cut called "Mental State". Predictably, this is every bit as alluring as the EP's other tracks.

Review: Further proof of the current rude health of Paris's deep house scene arrives in the shape of another rock solid EP from prolific producer Mickael Jeanerret, AKA Janeret. The Bright E.P more than lives up to its' name, with the title track delivering a near perfect blend of bushy-eyed beats, ethereal pads, deep space riffs and fluttering, manipulated vocal samples. The EP's other original cut, "Rear", boasts similarly drifting chords, but also a tech-tinged beat pattern that's as bold and funky as they come. Rising star Varhat does a terrific job remixing "Bright", retaining Jeanerret's dub techno-inspired textures, whilst adding his own Syclops-inspired synth bassline.

Review: As both a member of Glenn Underground's Strictly Jaz Unit crew and as a solo artist, Vick Lavender has made some mighty fine deep house in his time. Further proof arrives via this fine two-tracker, which marks the veteran producer's first outing on Alex Attias' Visions Inc label. Probably the pick of the pair is superb A-side "Beautiful Lie", where guest singer D Millz adds a soulful vocal to a glorious bed of dreamy chords, jaunty jazz-funk bass, carnival-friendly drums and colourful synth solos. Lavender continues on a similar theme with flipside "Time Passing", whose loose-limbed broken house drums recall the work of Osunlade. Add in some killer chords, jazzy electric piano solos and squelchy bass, and you have something that Ron Trent would be proud of.

Review: Horse Meat Disco have struck gold a few times over the past 12 months, and their latest single - this time featuring old pal Amy Douglas in the featured singer role and back-up vocals from Detroit trio Dames Brown - is another storming success. This time round, there's a little more elastic funkiness and gospel-influenced instrumentation amongst the quartet's usual good-time disco grooves. Danny Krivit's EP-opening "Extended Edit" is our pick of a strong bunch, though the beat-free, vocal and strings-heavy "Key-A-Pella" is also superb. Elsewhere, the "Michelle Mix Extended" sits somewhere between organic house and rolling disco, while the Kelly G Deeper Message Groove brilliantly re-imagines the track as a sumptuously rich slab of ultra-deep soulful house.

Review: Is there a more positive, soulful and life-affirming dancefloor anthem out there than Roy Davis Jr and Peven Everett's 1996 jam "Gabriel"? As many will be aware, it has long been sought of as a classic, with soulful house, deep house, US and UK garage DJs all championing it back in the day. This white vinyl reissue boasts all of the mixes featured on the original 12". Perhaps the most famous version is the rolling, bass-heavy two-step flex of the "Live Garage" mix that opens side B, but there's plenty to set the pulse racing elsewhere. The driving, jazzy-but-stomping "Words To Give By" version has been annoyingly overlooked over the years, while the "Tambourine Dub" is deliciously sweaty and driving in the best possible way.

Review: Constant Black continue to bring you the finest in minimal tech house from underground operators and upfront scene leaders alike. This time around they're welcoming back the ever-prolific Noha, who first inaugurated the label back in 2016 with the "Hamal" 12". This time around he's debuting the ISKRA alias, which comprises more of the keenly sculpted, propulsive but healthily unusual brand of minimal house he's been known for, but with an added emphasis on interesting rhythmic formations. "Every Day I Spend With You" is especially delightful on the ears, while "Escape The Sleep" should appeal to those seeking pure, unadulterated, deep grooves.

Review: Manchester duo Local Dub make their debut on Hoader with four dreamy, timeless slabs of unfettered party-primed house music. "Fur Coat" takes the lead with a salubrious rolling tech groove that suddenly opens out with a musical layer that could be compared to Dubnobasswithmyheadman-era Underworld. Similarly "Where's Tez" taps into that slightly cosmic, musical style of house as it fused a well-oiled broken beat with an unrelenting 4/4. Flip for more dancefloor delights; "Freaq Paradise" takes more of a techno stance with a perfect array of dubby textures while "Bestnottoask" is a bubbly jack-fest with a neat sprinkling of acid. Get your fur coats, lads, you've pulled.

Review: Wild Oats proudly present the new EP from Kyle Hall entitled "Equanimity". This release marks the 10 year anniversary of Wild Oats and its only fitting that we celebrate with a release from the label boss himself on tonight's full moon. Along with the engineering treatment from "Chicago's very own" (C.V.O.) deep house legend, Glenn Underground, "Equanimity" takes on a new foundational sound and assembly that inspires some philosophical thoughts below:

Katastematic Pleasure is the epicurean philosophical concept that the magnitude of pleasure reaches its limit at the removal of all pain. In a sonic sense, this connects to the idea of subtractive equalization or the removal of unpleasant frequencies i.e. taking away the part of the sound you don't enjoy as much, in turn, leaving the pleasurable parts of the sound intact. Katestematic pleasure is about creating cleanliness and clarity in your life so that your experience is pleasurable by simply the virtue of being.

Solar/Lunar Duality: The Vinyl EP is divided into two planetary bodies. Side A i The "Solar Side" and Side B i "The Lunar" Side. The Sun's energy is one that is everlasting as long as its shining all that receives its rays will continue its growth and abundance. The Moon represents the nature of receptivity the feminine principle which captures the light energy of the sun and reflects it back and governs our physical natural cycles and tides of the waters both internally and externally. The cycles of the moon when we decide to to be attentive to its influence we start to know when to retreat when to rest , when to repair our selves and intuitively when to bloom express our vivaciousness and attract things to ourselves.

Review: As one of his more intermittent labels, Modified Suede has only put out a small handful of Scott Grooves releases previously, but now the imprint is back in action to offer up a few unreleased gems from the vaults. "Movin' On" is rich with vocals from Seoulonnie, keeping a smooth lounge tone to the deep house backing track with occasional chorus key-change flourishes. "Red Crates" is equally soulful although its righteous piano stealing the show instead of vocals here, while "Me Solista" gets into a Latin frame of mind with its chimes and shuffles. "French Road" represents the more adventurous side of the EP, heading into a more subtle soundscape populated by dubbed out melodics and low-bubbling percussion.

Review: Vega Records presents Elements Of Life Extensions, the live orchestral project of label chief Louie Vega. For the project's first volume of reworks, the new tracks "Messin' About", "Our People", and the unreleased mix of "Love Is On The Way" are ones not to be missed, in addition to a wide range of talents have been especially chosen to give their take on tracks from the album. Masters At Work sidekick Kenny Dope's take on "Cerca De Mi" (with Raul Midon), Joe Claussell on the spiritual perspective of "Sunshine" (as Scared Rhythm) and a respectful remaster of the Candido classic "Thousand Finger Man".

Review: Another week, another new re-edit series of mysterious origin. There's literally no info about the producer (or producers) behind this particular single-sided salvo, or the source material they've tampered with. Regardless, we'd heartily recommend giving it a listen. Firmly focused on peak-time floors, it wraps cut-up and manipulated female rap vocals over a formidably bouncy, turn-of-the-90s house beat and a rubbery synthesizer bassline so infectious you might need to self-isolate for two weeks after hearing it. This is hip-shaking, toe-tapping, arms-flailing retro-futurist hip-house at its very best: ignore at your peril!

Review: Demuir has plenty of accolades and achievements under his belt, from regular collaborations with DJ Sneak and Cassy to releases on Music For Freaks, Hot Creations, Robsoul and more. Now the Toronto-based artist is on Darius Syrossian's Moxy Muzik with a seriously rubbery slice of peak-time house music to get bodies jacking in the loosest possible way. "Soul Muzak" hinges around a wonky, modulating synth line that will do untold damage in any up-for-it party setting. Demuir's old sparring partner DJ Sneak steps up on the B-side to deliver the "Banger Dub Remix" of the track, honing things down to a tracky bounce in his instantly identifiable house gangster style.

Review: 2020 marks two decades since Cyril Etienne des Rosaies released his first record as DJ Deep. In that time, he's barely put a foot wrong, developing a deliciously warm, spacey and tactile brand of deep house that always hits the spot. His latest single - his fourth on the Deep Moments imprint he established two years ago - is typically luscious. In its original form, "Happy People" is emotive and accessible, with waves of echoing sci-fi synth sounds and glassy-eyed electronic motifs rising and falling above a hypnotic late-night groove. He offers up a chunkier and even more spaced out "Dub Mix" that's every bit as alluring, before rising star Janeret adds a little purist tech-house swing while wrapping a squeezable synth bassline in impeccable, sunrise-ready chords.

Review: It's been a while since Zolta Pal last used the Jaffa Surfa alias. In fact, his last outing under the pseudonym dropped three years ago on Houseworx (the US garage-flavoured Pimpin' EP). This three-tracker happily finds him in fine form, delivering a more tech-tinged trio of aquatic deep house cuts. There's naturally plenty to enjoy, from the subterranean shuffle and liquid melodies of "Bazz" and heavy percussive bump of "Psy Lance" - all thickset, multi-tracked drums, calming pads and fizzing electronics - to the beatless bliss of "Preacha Bonus", which - unsurprisingly given the title - features a deep south preacher chatting over heady ambient chords.

Review: It's been a while since we last heard from Nico Lahs, the accomplished Italian house producer with drops on Rawax, Ovum, Poker Flat and many more in his back catalogue. Now he's shoring up on US label Adeen with a double pack of seriously bumping, soulful joints that point to a hefty amount of work refining and defining his sound. The drums skip and skitter with a gorgeous, live looseness, while the plush Rhodes and synth lines drip with full-fat warmth and funk. This is a deep rooted sound that will have fans of 2000Black, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Warren Harris all nodding in satisfaction.

Review: Two years on from his much-admired debut EP for Utopia Records, Planet Sundae co-founder Alex Kassian returns to action via a pleasingly colourful outing on Pasiphae's saucer-eyed Love On The Rocks label. In its original form, "Oolong Trance" lives up to its name, with Kassian wrapping psy-trance style acid motifs, tactile chords and restless organ stabs around a densely layered, tropical house groove. Even more celebratory and mind-altering is the accompanying "Paradise Mix" - a trance-inducing affair peppered with the kind of bold piano stabs and trippy electronic lead lines that recall early '90s sunrise parties. Arguably even better is Telephones' kaleidoscopic flipside remix, which in typical fashion turns Kassian's cut into a Balearic-minded chunk of peak-time dancefloor colour.