DJS: MOST CHARTED - DEEP HOUSE - MOST CHARTED IN JULY 2015

Review: Not content with providing us with the tune of summer 14 - the Mood Hut released "Something (On My Mind)" - Jack Jutson has only gone and done it again on his Future Times debut. "Thirstin" is every bit as likeable as its' esteemed predecessor, delivering a subtly sun-kissed blend of loose, delay-laden deep house percussion, rich Rhodes chords and yearning vocals. Truly, it's magical - the kind of warm, evocative fare that will still be getting rotations decades from now. Flipside "Atmosphere", an instrumental cut built around jazzy drums, live disco bass and brilliant eyes-closed piano solos, is almost as good. Clearly, the Pender Street Steppers man is one serious talent.

Review: Last year, Melbourne's Harvey Sutherland signaled his arrival in emphatic fashion with the acclaimed Brothers EP for Voyage Recordings - a sumptuous, soul-flecked EP of boogie-influenced deep house. Here, he continues to impress with a superb double A-side for Dani Plessow's MCDE imprint. "Bermuda" is deliciously warm and summery, with jaunty boogie synths and cascading chords riding a smooth, shuffling deep house groove. "New Paradise" works the same formula hard, with dreamy, held-note chords and bubbly synthesizer melodies wrapping themselves around loose, analogue-sounding percussion and a rich bassline. If there were any doubts about his talents moving forward, this should dispel them. Clearly, Sutherland is here to stay.

Review: Chicago based producers Chicago Skyway, Taelue, & Chicagodeep come together to form the group "Simple Machines". Their debut release offers a peek into the group's world of sound, offering elements of deep and experimental house & techno

Review: It's been some six years since Hun Choi made his debut on William Burnett's WT Records imprint. In that time, he's proved incredibly hard to pin down. This debut album for Rush Hour seems designed to continue that trend, offering a series of warm, melodious and curiously Balearic cuts that defy easy categorization. Sure, there are dancefloor-focused moments - see the cacophonous, Detroit-influenced hustle of "Error of the Average", the deep acid madness of "Silent Sensations" and the classic deep house bounce of "Desire" - but also a range of downtempo and ambient jams that arguably impress more. Of these, it's "The World" - a humid exercise in tropical drums, twittering flutes and looped vocal samples - and the sublime, string-laden "Bruises" that really stand out.

Review: Fresh from dropping fine EPs on Heist and Splendor & Squalor, regular collaborators Brame and Hamo join forces for their second outing on Dirt Crew. Opener "Lamaj" is little less than sublime, with twinkling piano and string samples riding a loose, lolloping, jazz-flecked deep house groove. Andy Hart's straighter, chunkier remix is good, too, though it lacks a little of the original's yearning blissfulness. Elsewhere, the duo doffs a cap to boogie and funk on the sumptuous summer house jam "Four Lights", before closing proceedings with the rolling grooves and fireside Rhodes chords of the bizarrely titled "Garlic Fist Pump".

Review: Chicago, Chicago. It's our spiritual home here at Hizou. The city's musical influence and legacy shine brightly and proudly throughout our label. Perhaps never more so than on our latest release from enigmatic native Chicagoan, Spirit Of The Black 808. Having inherited his brother's seminal record collection at a young age and name-checking Larry Heard, Theo Parrish and Malik Pittman amongst his key influences, Sprit Of The Black 808 is steeped in the traditions we adore. His debut EP for us soundly testifies to that. Title-track Infroduction is a shuffling, slo-mo jam laden with atmosphere and groove in the mould of the great Mahogani Music and KDJ, a little more Detroit by design perhaps then, whereas by contrast Electronic Love is downright and unashamedly classic Chicago. Layers of melody and a super-deep groove are stamped all over I FunKd Up, whilst ethereal uptempo tool Rough Joint completes the package.

Review: Here's something guaranteed to ensure a rush of excitement in deep house heads everywhere: a brand new album from much-loved U.S producer Fred P. It's the first under the previously unused F.P-Oner alias, and his first studio outing since 2013's Black Jazz Chronicles set, Codes & Metaphors. Unsurprisingly, the simply titled 5 is as inspired, sumptuous and melodious as you'd expect, with gentle dub house, jazz and - in the case of the wonderful "Infinite Love" - Detroit techno influences. While much of the album is slinky, sensual and ultra-deep (see the fabulous "Visions of You" and "Sleepless in Shibuku"), there are a couple of thrillingly percussive moments to get the pulse racing, including the African-influenced tribal workout "The Realm of Possibility".

Review: After some downtime for the first half of the year, long running Californian label Altered Moods Recordings returns in triumphant fashion with one of those split 12" releases that sounds destined to stay in many a house DJs record box. Inspired by the Freerotation festival, label boss Malcolm Moore has called on artists who have either played or attended the cultish Welsh gathering for this Rotate Freely 12". Along with Moore, Natan H, Chicago Skyway and Mick Welch all contribute with the supple "Ungentle Into The Good Night" a particular highlight but all are worthy of gracing the soundsystem at Baskerville Hall.

Review: A third release for the year from Deep Explorer extends the invitation to Allstarr Motomusic, aka Zurich based producer and DeepArtSounds founder Daniel Piu. Under his given name, Piu has form for house productions dating back to the late '90s but seems newly reinvigorated following the decision to start working as Allstarr Motomusic, with Beauty & Simplicity following a fine contribution to the Minuendo label. The three original Allstarr Motomusic exude an old school feeling no doubt developed by years of record collecting and are augmented by a fine remix from Anthony Nicholson.

Review: The enigmatic Freebeat label drops on our shelves with no information, but then again, who needs promotional info when the music can speak for itself? After three EP's by a small contingent of producers, the label's fourth release comes as a collaborative effort from four European deep house heavyweights. Leonid aka Paul Smith has appeared countless times on the excellent Sistrum label and comes through with the mighty "Can't Stop" on the A-side, a full-bodied cut with plenty of synth magic, followed by Nous and Echovolt's Miltiades and the slow-burning sway of "Xnn". On the flipside, there's a sweet and soulful house cut from DaRand Land in the form of "In Earnest", and two pieces of off-the-wall mentalism from Jose Rico, one of which takes a totally beatless approach. Nice bundle!

Review: Dego and Kaidi on Sound Signature whut???? Here's a partnership that makes perfect sense! The West London legends bring their signature blend of soul and brukked up grit to Theo Parrish's label across three stellar cuts resulting in a 12" that will remain long in the box. Lead track "Adam Rock Dissed" sets the tone, gliding out of the grooves with impeccably placed drums snapping away loosely as Kaidi lets loose with his magical fingers on keys. Next up, "Moths In Wallets" rolls forward and fat on a lazy breakbeat with the vibe enhanced by the low bass rumble and rich, rich keys. This might be our favourite cut on the 12" though B-side production "Backchat for Toprock" runs it close. Live drums get ripped up hard, rocking to their own broken step as Dego and Kaidi slowly tease out some heart wrenching chords amidst a flurry of heavy piano. The masters are in session, pay attention!

Review: Some three years on from their last collaborative outing - the Wayne County Hill Cops (Part 2) 12" on FXHE - Detroit producers O.B Ignitt and Omar-S join forces for another trip into Motor City deep house territory. They wisely explore different moods and approaches throughout, starting with the fluid, dreamy hypnotism of "Seem Like You're All Ready" - an exercise in luscious loops and dusty drum machine grooves. There's a lovely early '90s bounce to the evocative synth bass, classic riffs and cut-up vocal snippets of "Follow Me", while closer "Hold The Line" owes much of its' instinctive power to a deliciously rubbery acid bassline and vintage US garage drums.

Review: Deep house prankster DJ Koze is clearly on a bit of a roll at the moment; the Pampa boss served up the best DJ Kicks in quite some time and has released one of the singles of the year in XTC. Now he's welcoming peculiar deep house auteur Axel Boman back into the Pampa fold with a fine two track 12" 1979. The title track's simple conga beat, hypnotising strings and rising pads build the suspense until that awesome bassline drops. On the flip we have "Nokturn (Grand Finale)" an epic bongo and hi-hat workout reminiscent of The Hayden Andre Brown Project's "Tribal Life" on Strobe from back in 1991. Tip!

Review: After a rare sighting on the esteemed Kolour LTD with the much lauded 'From the Woods EP', the secretive and elusive Goshawk is now taking flight on Pressed For Time with 'The Hunt EP' - a four tracker of warm, garage swung grooves.

Taking influence from mid 90s US house, late 90s French house and the free party sound much loved by DiY, this second solo EP should go some way to establishing the signature Goshawk 'sound': Warm yet heavy. Happy yet sad. The music of a boat party drifting out to sea.

As one half of Rhythm Plate he has been involved in the house scene for over 15 years, releasing seminal EPs on Mantis, Winding Road, Hudd Traxx, DiY and Lost my Dog to name a few.

With remixes for Kiko Navarro, Joshua IZ, and Situation all in the bag, 2015 really is the year of the Goshawk.

Review: The Chicago based Perpetual Rhythms label welcomes long time Chicago artist Brian Harden for the its 5th release; "The Essence of Chicago". This EP offers 3 solid tracks, including a remix by Dj Quad; all of which represent the many facettes of Chicago House & Techno...Deep, Soulful, & Banging.

Review: UK deep house don Jimpster returns on his highly regarded Freerange imprint. Jimpster has for the last ten years kept on with a constant streak of mesmerising deep house. Deep and funky after hours jam "English Rose" whilst "Solitude" captures that absolute deepness that is the essence of Jimpster's work. On his homage to the most low end men's fragrance, "Drakkar Noir' picks up the tempo for a track more suited to the main slot; equally as funky and smooth but a beefier drum programming and triply female vocals. A return to form from a right legend of the sound.

Review: Deep house imprint Kolour LTD return with some decent tech house jams again courtesy of Steffen Baldo AKA Ugly Drums and production partner Chesney on this nice four tracker. On the first side "Raw Basic" grooves along nicely with its strong monosynth bassline and in your face tom drum workout. Next is "Feelin OK" on the deeper summery vibe complete with Rhodes piano, wah-wah guitars and funky drums. On the other side is the affectionately titled "No Drinks Tonight (LOL)" going for a more soulful vibe with more Rhodes and funky beats and smooth female vox. Last but not least is "It's Alright" going for the KDJ kind of vibe on this sexy, late night deep house tribute.

Review: Moodymann's Mahogani Music has been branching out over the last year or so, unexpectedly releasing music from artists around the globe, and from Europe of all places. While the label was usually associated with either Moody's own music or with producers in and around the Detroit area, the introduction of tracks by Dan Shake and now Obas Nenor have given the label a new edge. Nenor has previously released only one other EP, for the equally rejuvenated Strictly Rhythm out of NYC, but his cuts have already carved their own sound, their own identity. The limited - at least for now - two-tracker contains "My Way Home", a soulful, mid-tempo house burner for the summer haze, and the bouncier "Change Got To Come" - a funky club shaker that you could imagine Moody blasting out while sipping on a glass of cognac, and doing what he does best. Act fast.

Review: REPRESS: The second release from the Hlanganani label lives up to it's MO to provide a platform for talented producers from South Africa to shine, focusing here on Deep Sixty, aka young and fast-rising producer Johannesburg producer Thabiso Mamogwa. Back in 2010, the producer made it to London to take part in the Red Bull Music Academy, which is when the HLANG team first heard the tracks that make up the Mme Hayo EP whilst some studio time on the same trip with Todd 'Soundmurderer' Osborn resulted in the "Thursday Nights" track which Mamogwa previously self-released. In addition to Deep Sixty's own 'Deep Terror' mix of "Mme Hayo", the label have coaxed some fine remixes out of Esa and William Kouam Djoko.

Review: By now, we've come accustomed to Vancouver's Mood Hut delivering the goods. Predictably, this latest missive - a second full-length from Aquarian Foundation member Layne 'Bluntman Deejay' Browne under his House of Doors alias - is another strong statement. While there are plenty of twittering, new age influenced melodies and warm, undulating grooves - see the Nu Groove style goodness of "Burmstar (Running Flutee Mix)" and the old skool urgency of the "Twin Mix" of the same track - there's a rhythmic boldness about "Starcave" that may take a few listeners by surprise. Of course, the label's usual sumptuous musicality is still present - this time represented by darting synth-sax lines and long, drawn-out chords - it's the low-end hustle and restless drum fills that make the greatest impression.

Review: FP197 is one of Fred P's - otherwise known as Black Jazz Consortium - newer aliases, shifting his usually laid-back approach into odder, more molecular shapes. "AM" and "PM", however, are still totally Fred P cuts, with the artist's familiar style shining through on both the percussion and mellow layers of ambience locked tight within the groove. On the B-side, "FM" and "CM" slither their way and bounce off the walls with utter ease; the Boards series continues to develop and evolve into one of Fred P's finest projects yet. These cuts are hard, don't miss 'em!

Review: Aside from a couple of EP's for Shadeleaf Music and Delusions Of Grandeur, respectively, the enigmatic ThatmanMonkz prefers to ride undercover. However, his latest record comes courtesy of Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon's infamous Classic imprint - which is run out of the Defected HQ these days - so it's clear that he's talking business. This four-tracker is all house vibes and no messing around: "In Bed With You" features the charismatic and soulful vocals of Pete Simpson over a deep but driving groove, and "Miss You So Badly" ups both the tempo and the hypnotics. On the B-side, "Kickin's It" is a Detroit house kinda' number, boasting ingenious little sample shots and anthemic melodies, something which can also be said for "Vainglorious Style" - another slice of Detroit-fueled soul.

Review: New Kids on the family! From Malta arrives two masters of deep house. OWEN JAY & MELCHIOR SULTANA. Pure groove and elegance is what overflows in all of their tracks. Last year they release a lot of top tracks on labels like Minuendo Recordings, Moods & Grooves and also work on their own acclaimed label Batti Batti. With this level of production, could not miss a top remixer. And for this occasion Troubled Kids has an eminence of Deep House. KAI ALCE owner of NDATL MUZIK. Giving the final touch to this Ep with a smooth remix perfectly combined with the sensual voice of Reine Kabban. It will be a must in your suitcase.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: Release number three for Pleasure Unit is an in - house affair, a rare collaboration on some original material from two of the Keyboard Mashers.
Early feedback on Les Crocodiles has been great and we are currently waiting on a remix from one of our fav Scandi producers who offered a mix on hearing a rough draft.
Three mixes in all Le Club, Acid dub and Tropique Ambi sunrise.

Review: Delusions Of Grandeur have been relatively quiet on the release front this year, but they're back with a bang thanks to this latest collaborative effort from Dan Shake and Medlar. The former has gotten a name thanks to being the first non-Detroiter on Moodymann's Mahogani Music, while the latter has been pushing his disco-friendly take on house music largely via the Wolf Music imprint. They got two cuts on here, the first one being a boogie-leaning, hazy summer club jam in the form of "Walk", and the second one a jazzier affair with plenty of soulful vocals and tribal drums called "I On You". Philpot bossman Soulphiction takes care of transforming "Walk" into a pot of filter-licking madness, where the percussion is stretched and freaked out further out into the ether compared to the original. What a package!

Review: The Tartelet label has been riding high on the Danish house front since the end of the noughties, showcasing talents such as the excellent Brandt Brauer Frick, Andrea Fiorito, Wareika and now Nu Guinea. The artist has previously appeared on Italy's Early Sounds Collective and impressed us straight away thanks to a tribal-filtered house sound that is lacking from the current state of affairs. World features five loose and organic jams, one of which - "Bougainvilles" - is a gorgeous slice of live pseudo house improvisation. Both the vocal and flute mixes of "Nu World" are fine house tools with an exotic edge, and the same goes for "Exotica Dance Club", while the "Outro" is three minutes of sparse, delayed drones and electronic abstraction. Lovely.