Review: Body Edits makes its inaugural move with a release shrouded in apparent secrecy and anticipation, responding to rumours that a revered figure in UK house (said to be twice Grammy-nominated) is at the helm. The artist is unnamed, but the production speaks volumes: sleek, functional, and brimming with vintage character and jaunt, 'Shades Of Love' counterposes 'Money' with upticks in tempo and flair, while 'Annihilating Dance' is the surreal A2 vision quest, with dissolved voices and flurried, primeval cries tearing our ears asunder.
Review: A welcome return to action from Studio Barnhus boss man Axel Boman, who has been surprisingly quiet since the release of his excellent Luz/Quest For Fire double album in 2022. On the Space Drag EP, Boman showcases the depth, variety and imaginative eccentricity of his deep house productions to the full. For proof, check side A, where the ghostly, stab-happy hedonism of 'Acid Left and Right' - all bubbly TB-303 motifs, synth-strings, digital woodblock lines and repetitive bleeps - is followed by the druggy, dubby and percussively dense Latin house quirkiness of 'Forever Latino'. He throws in a fine curveball in the shape of 'Space Drag', where looped-effects laden Swedish vocal samples and woozy chords ride a tight kick-snare pattern and deep, warm bass, before closing things out via the picturesque breakbeat house deepness of 'Ohh Baby'.
Review: New label Taf Kif kicks off with this classy VA package from some cool cats who know how to lay down a slick groove or two. First up on this distinctly 80s-styled package is Axel Boman, who brings some of his signature sparkling melodies to a synth-pop indebted jam entitled 'Oasis'. Meanwhile Velmondo follows up with something a little more trippy and adventurous on 'Echo Welt', before MLiR inaugurates the B-side with the sultry tones of 'It's Baby Time'. Lusille completes the set with the hazy Afro house deviations of 'Une Longue Route', riding a swung groove that offers something different from the everyday cookie cutter house we know so well.
Review: Bona Fide returns on All Day I Dream with his first proper release named Entropy. The Amsterdam-based DJ and producer has certainly found a fitting home for his style of dreamy house on Lee Burridge's label, with highlights on the full-length not limited to: the mesmerising title track with its sublime steel drums playing centre stage, the deep dive into the exotic that is 'It Comes Around', through to the deep and sensual mood music of 'Alter Ego' featuring Zone+, the melodic fantasy of with 'Love Sparkles' with Wassu and the blissed-out closing cut 'Luminous' which is the perfect soundtrack to open-air rooftop style fun in the sun.
Mortal Trance (Boo Williams Chicago Running remix) (7:54)
Mortal Trance (Ricardo Miranda Mortal Trance rerub) (6:28)
Review: "Mortal Trance" by Windy City legend Boo Williams was originally released on the Residual EP back in 2010 but gets some killer remixes now. They'd best be decent, because the original is a right classic! But rest assured, they do not disappoint. Local legend Jordan Fields' "Spacedub redit" doesn't deviate from the original too much thankfully. The man himself turns in the "Chicago Running Remix". We originally thought if it ain't broke, don't fix it but this version is pretty sweet, injecting a bit more energy and swing into it quite nicely. Finally the "Ricardo Miranda Mortal Trance rerub" sees another stalwart of the scene show off his vision of the track which applies more layers and complexity to it on this decent rendition.
Review: Limited edition reissue of the rare, sought after Boo Williams classic 'Fruits Of The Spirit' originally released in 1999, with four lush tracks completing the generous offering. The title track is blessed with a chugging rhythm, tinkling sonics and ascending, rushing synths, while elsewhere on the EP there's plenty of soothing, properly deep house all executed with a keen ear for melody and a knack for tempting feet floorwards. Don't miss this second chance to get your hands on a classic.
Review: Despite a sizable, high-quality discography that stretches back to 1994, Boo Williams has never been as hyped or celebrated as many of his Chicago deep house peers. Perhaps it's time we gave him some love because the Natural Service EP - his first solo 12" on Chiwax since 2014 - is undeniably excellent. Check first opener 'Ambushed', where twinkling electronics and sumptuous pads ride jackin' drums and a brilliant bassline, before turning your attention to 'Echoes of the Dance', an acid-flecked journey through dreamy, loved-up deep house that's as picturesque as they come. Flipside 'Zone' is even more hypnotic and trance-inducing, sitting somewhere between classic deep house and the techier end of Omar-S's output.
Review: Boo Williams is in good company appearing here on Sushitech's sub label Pariter where he joins the illustrious likes of Delano Smith and Norm Talley in its ranks. You wait for a Boo Williams record and then, of course, two come along, 'Day Rise' being accompanied by the simultaneously released 'Night Fall', each with their own corresponding vibe. 'Day Rise' is definitely more upbeat of the two but it's a subtle distinction - it's certainly not full of 4AM bangers designed to keep you awake until the busses start running again. 'Talley Up' is a very straight forward affair, circling around a two note synth riff and gradually building percussion. 'The Take Over' is similarly spritely, another builder with crashing cymbals, jazzy chords and drum machine tumbles steadily building an insurmountable wall of funkiness. Breezy, bumping closer 'Teleport' completes the set, meaning three ultra-handy, raw but sophisticated tunes that house and techno DJs alike will find slipping into their sets with a natural ease.
Review: Chicago house artists don't come much bigger or more accomplished than Boo Williams. The man has a famous signature sound that is full of party but never short on class. His chunky drums are always the foundational element and they come embellished with superb synth work. This new EP on Pariter finds him lean into tech with the loopy acid squelches of '303 Effect' keeping you in suspense, 'Acid Smoke' layering soft 303 lines into a punchy deep house cut and then comes the EP highlight, 'Extension Time'. It's a zoned-out roller with tender piano chords turning you inwards for deep reflection as the rubbery drums keep things moving.
Artificial World (feat Jamiel Patton - 2023) (6:30)
Song & Dance (feat Jamiel Patton - Planet mix) (6:47)
Review: House doesn't get much more Chicago than when made by Boo Williams. The big man has been turning out the jams for decades, always with an irresistible sense of low-end bite and top-end fun. This outing on the French label Phonogramme comes on clear wax and is another crucial 12". 'Melodic Groove' is just that, with rolling drums and soft melodies perfectly intertwining while 'Nite Vision' is a more broken beat and percussive affair with swirling pads up top. 'Artificial World 2023' (feat Jamiel Patton) gets your head amongst the stars with its bright, lush keys and skipping soulful drums and last of all is another heady and cosmic house roller in 'Song & Dance' (feat Jamiel Patton - Planet mix).
Review: Norm Talley's Upstairs Asylum label only arrived in 2021 but is already up there with the great Motor City imprints. The boss has been busy putting together a trio of new EPs for the first half of 2023 that showcases a wealth of Mid-West talent. House hero Boo Williams kicks off this one with his typically tight drum programming and party-starting synth work on 'Tickin Clock.' Eric Johnson keeps it raw, deep and loopy on 'Melodic Gruv' then Reggie Dokes brings his signature Atlanta house sound to 'Mother's Child' with its melancholic lead sax and 'End of Time' is a broken beat bliss out.
Review: A sizzling hotplate of previously unreleased, unauthorised edits from deep house hero Chez Damier, released in an unexpected act of dancefloor philanthropy. Regardless of the lack of information and apparent authorisation, 'Boot Germany' have collated four essential Damier cuts, from the cosy swang of 'Jabalou' to the stroboscopic drive of 'Take Me Away' via the timeless synth horn jack attack of 'Mix Masters' and the whimsically titled lounge trip 'Classic Piano'. Essential quick-draw record bag lingerers for discerning house heads.
Review: Those two little letters GU are always enough to get us excited. They are of course an alias of Glenn Underground, the masterful Chicago house producer, musician and DJ who still has a much lower profile than his talents deserve. Here he adds a Mix Mashup to Bobpstar's 'Mayday/Captured Restless Soul Mixes' and the result is a bubbly, mellifluous deep house cut with warm and liquid synths, chopped-up vocal fragments and a gooey sense of romance. It is another crucial offering from the Windy City mainstay, even if it is a one-sided 12".
Review: Bristol producer Borai (Boris English) and London's Denham Audio (Peri Ashwood) pulled off a remarkable feat with 'Make Me/No Good', an unequivocal release put out on Higher Level Records in 2019. Repurposing the unmistakable hookline from Donna Allen's g-funk jacker 'Serious' from 1986 into a fully re-recorded sample all their own, 'Make Me' set alight the feet of the breaksy raver, striking serious gold in the classic formula of easily-recognised old-school-soul vocals and sculpted tearout heft. As anthemic as its original B-side, 'No Good', the original latter half of the record now comes substituted by Big Ang's Rave To The Grave mix, whose blooping trooper sound design and mains-hum Reeses provide an ecstatic alter. A can't-go-wrong reissue by the Room Two camp.
Review: Border Patrol (Stu Adam) brings his talents to Rezpektiva, who gladly represent his first and only EP for the 29th edition of their EPs series. Originally recorded for Middlesboro's Tumblin' Records in the mid 90s and released only in small quantities, the EP displays a canny sense of variety in painting pictures of house music's many possible worlds. The hilariously named 'Mobius Trip' leads the way, trailblazing a fiery string of pitched-up synths and watery stabs in its wake; the more experimental of the bunch, 'D'ya Want Business', is our favourite, bringing pure lowpassed kicks, infectious two-tone electroclash-ish basslines, and what sound like computer keyboard and lasershot sound effects into one heady cyberspatial stew.
Review: Over the past decade, Cory Champion has navigated multiple musical dimensions. As a composer, drummer, and bandleader, he has led the Clear Path Ensemble through two albums of celestial, dance-infused jazz under Cosmic Compositions and Soundway Records. Simultaneously, as Borrowed CS, he has crafted dubby techno, minimal electro, and soulful jazzy house. His second Borrowed CS release, Rise n Shine via Planet Trip Records, expands on his "Mystic Shuffle" sound and is a brilliant new blend of futurist machine funk, post-disco, and future soul with some fine features from the one and only Steve Spacek and smooth crooner Mara TK who help deliver grooves that shimmer and snap with rhythmic precision.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Philipp Boss - "Die Schone" (feat Gianluca) (6:52)
Gabriel Belabbas - "Dance With The Speaker" (6:57)
Muelsa - "The Future Is A Trap" (5:36)
Nico Lampariello - "Antes De Tiempo" (7:16)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
The second release on 3 Mats features a cast of emergent artists dealing in the vibrant seam where electro synthesis and techno focus collide. If you rate labels like Partisan and EYA you'll be into this record, without a doubt. Frankfurt producer Philipp Boss opens up the record with 'Die Schone', a collaboration with Gianluca, while Gabriel Belabbas creates a rolling warm-up delight of electro breaks with an iconic sample on 'Dance With The Speaker'. Muelsa's 'The Future Is A Trap' is a raw, boxy machine workout and Nico Lampariello finishes the record off with an acid laced workout for the darker side of the dance.
Review: "Right, OK!" Worm Records offer up their second various artists release for 2024, coming just a neat two months after September's inaugural release featuring Ruf Dug, Wallace, The Mole and Gallegos. Now the label turn their hand to a completely different league of artists, convoking Boulderhead, Wooka, DMX Krew and Jorg Kuning for yet another star-studded audio-strudel, spanning both chilled and heated ends of the spectrum. Boulderhead's A1 is the ludic highlight among the four, a charming Valley Girl voice peppering the vocal track with exceptional backhandedness; we hear talk of floating on clouds and an affect of casual acceptance behind the glitch-science, suggesting vibes of bounciness and breeze. Wooka goes sillier speed garage on 'Make Yourself Comfortable', a challenging charge given the track's otherwise rather jagged jam; Krew and Koenig close things off on a comparatively calm note, the former's B1 opting for a set of bruk-en beats and wet synth yaps, and the latter's 'Imbolc' quiescing with clement Rhodeses and homely drum machines.
Review: French producer Antoine Bourachot returns with his third release, delivering a trio of original tracks that blend his sharp ear for melody with a clear affection for groove-driven pop and club sounds. The warm, percussive edge of his productions hint at late-night sets and sunlit afterhours, bringing a jaunty mutant disco. Myd, Diogo Strausz and Art of Tones each offer their own take on the material, turning in remixes that stretch from laid-back funk touches to punchier zoomings into the floor. Bourachot's ability to sit comfortably between radio-friendly hooks and crate-digging sensibility makes this a record with plenty of replay value, balancing polish and playfulness in equal measure.
Review: Pleasure Zone continues to be an inspiring force in the European minimal tech house scene, and they've really pulled the stops out with this essential new release from Boutiq.808 and Tom Marvin. We're not hip to who these cats are, but their music says it all as they skip through snappy rhythms and bold synth forms with the kind of flair you might find on a Spacetravel record. If you appreciate your quirky minimal played out with a live immediacy and some of that Perlon-esque sauce, this record will be well up your street.
Review: Stefan Braatz's latest EP, Outlaw, on Nu Groove, showcases his timeless sound and genre-defying approach. With a career spanning three decades, Braatz is celebrated for his diverse expertise, blending old-school reverence with contemporary techniques. The title track, featuring vocals from Chicago house pioneer Harry Dennis, kicks off the EP with Braatz's signature synth energy complemented by Dennis's effortless flow. The following solo tracks further exemplify Braatz's defiance of genre constraints: 'Conversation' engages in a euphoric dialogue between synth strings and piano loops, while 'Dingy Thoughts' and 'One More Dream' delve into darker club territories with intense, pulsating rhythms.
Review: Italian Danilo Braca offers up a superbly summery deep hose single here that is alive with bird calls and beautiful ambiance. There are hooky Balearic guitar riffs stitched into the smooth, shuffling, dusty groove. Breaking waves and seductive sax motifs add further color to the most serene and seductive sounds. After that 12-minute-plus epic on the A-side comes the flip side DJ Spinna Journey mix. It has fleshier drums, and muted acid lines but just as much of an escapist beauty feel. Two classics here that will fit into any open-air set with style.
Review: Margate-based Braga Circuit showcases a refined signature style and knack for killer sampling with this standout debut on Air Miles. 'Fall' kicks off with amped-up chord stabs and brilliantly well-swung, rolling kicks that soon get those hips moving. 'Closer' oozes summer cool thanks to the balmy chords that soften the percussive, garage-flecked house drums. There is also plenty of Kerri Chandler soul in these here beats that makes them all the more essential. 'Filter Feed' layers up dusty perc and thudding kicks with sultry vocal whispers. It's steamy and irresistible and last but not least, Leod is another talent from the coastal town of Margate and remixes this one with a more direct and dubby style.
Review: Three years after launching as a digital-only imprint, Vinny Villbas's Badabing Diskos label finally makes it to wax. In keeping with the label's desire to promote homegrown talent - an approached pioneered by his old pal Prins Thomas via the long-running Full Pupp imprint - all three showcased cuts come from Oslo-based artists. The legacy of synth-heavy, off-kilter Norwegian 'space disco' can be heard across the EP, but especially on Jarle Brathen's 'No Restaurants', which conjures memories of Lindstrom and Todd Terje's work of the late 2000s and Vilbas's dreamier and more loved-up 'Just In Time'. Bolder, bigger and even more life-affirming thrills come to the fore on the flip, where label regular Sommerfeldt delivers the epic breakdowns, driving bass, restless cowbells, winding acid lines and shimmering synth chords of 'The Everlasting Frog'.
Review: How-it's-done deep garage house and more from Berlin's Marc Brauner, who rejoins the Shall Not Fade posse for a bustling new four-tracker. The city's resident DJ's fourth record for the UK label, Brauner here trains his hand on melodic major synth toplines and smartly timed dotted rhythms, producing a vibe of the utmost slickness and finesse. The leitmotif is obviously street smarts, as indicated by the loiterer on the front cover, and 'Sketchy Sidewalks' before 'Ghetto Birds' both give this off as much, through their faint hip-hop sampleage and rubbery sound-sprays. 'So Hot' and 'Breakthrough' shunt things up a few modes, into relatively minor-keyed crystalline waters on the former, and soul-feeding breaks choppage on the latter.
Review: No prizes for guessing the motivation behind this new EP, 5 Years Of B2 Recordings. It is a tidy and tasteful celebration of half a decade of top quality deep house from a range of key players. This one opens with Frenchman Brawther getting dubbed out and deep as ever with some nice lounge chords and blissed-out pads. Bengoa's 'Neftina Dub' has a subtle US garage shuffle to it that harks back to the 90s and Lex & Locke then bring rich paint chords and withering synth motifs to 'Atenas Blues' before Zaq's 'Make A Wish' shuts down with some cosmic rays of positivity. A fantastic EP so here's to the next five years.
Step By Step (feat Panda Bear - bonus Beat) (4:07)
Review: Alan Braxe is one of the cornerstones of the famous French touch house sound. He's crafted plenty of seminal tunes and now is back once again with Falcon for this new and lush deep house 12" on Smugglers Way. It bears all the hallmarks you would expect of the pair: big loopy loops, filtered chords and house drums that get you grooving. 'Love Me' is the one old heads will appreciate the most thanks to its old school ways, while fresh disco influences colour 'Creative Source.' 'Elevation' is more blissed out and Balearic and 'Step By Step' is downtempo lushness.
Anybody Out There (feat Bembe Segue & Vanessa Freeman) (3:09)
Little Did I Know (instrumental) (4:38)
Find The Beauty (feat Paul Randolph) (3:58)
I See You (instrumental) (5:38)
Little Did I Know (Domu's Keep Bouncin' mix) (5:19)
Together (instrumental) (3:51)
Working On It (instrumental) (4:26)
Review: Bread & Souls is a new project dreamt up by Italian entrepreneur and music lover Franco Fusari. For this he invited Mark de Clive-Lowe to direct and produce his roving vision: a series of collaborations with the cream of boogie and jazzdance's best performers and instrumentalists, including the likes of Bembe Segue, Vanessa Freeman, Paul Randolph, Rich Medina, Tommaso Cappellato and more. Under the banner of Bread & Souls, these eight originals and six remixes hit hard yet smooth, sliding down the proverbial aural gullet like a well-made Manhattan.
Review: IRMA has assembled a trio of top remixers here to add their own spin to some fine originals from Bright Magnus. Up first is the LTJ Xperience remix of 'Jungle Corner' and it is a low slung and steamy funk number with loose shakes of a tambourine and languid bass riffs drawing you in. 'Selim/Miles' (DJ Rocca 606 remix) is a blend of smeared synths and woozy guitar riffs over more lush downtempo beats that make it perfect for the midnight hours. Last but not least is 'A Way' (DJ Rocca Black Satin remix) which is a more psychedelic sound thanks to the drawn-out synth percolations that stretch through the mix.
Review: Tetsu Shibuya, better known as simply Tetsu or BRISA is a Japanese producer and DJ known for works on the iconic Japanese Jazzy Sport imprint, King Street sub-label Nite Grooves and his own BRISA Music. Leading the EP is title-track 'Stir', in collaboration with Turbojazz BRISA delivers a classic slice of deep house built upon layers of bright stab sequences and loose organic percussion. Detroit's beloved Jon Dixon turns his hand to 'Stir' next, encapsulating the soul of his hometown in reshaping fragments of the original composition. The original of 'Reverie' opens the B-side, laying down a broken rhythm, low-pitched vocal hooks and elongated bass grooves for a more bruk tinged feel. Byron The Aquarius then extracts the core of 'Reverie' and spins it into bumpy, subtly nuanced house workout. Lastly the third original 'Flux' rounds out the release, shifting deeper in funkinfused realms with a playful plucked bass groove and heavily swung drums.
Review: Broken Keys is a multi-talented musician and producer based in Los Angeles. His cut 'Assorted Colors' has become a real underground house classic that now lands on wax for the first time as a special extended 12" remix that really locks you into the languid grooves. The legendary Galcher Lustwerk steps up to add his own distinctive take on the original and infuses it with a techy yet atmospheric groove. Broken Keys explores a different facet of his sound with three distinct cuts on the flip that range from blunted beats and sun-kissed Balearic to chilled-out future soul. They make for a diverse package perfect for the after-club or Sunday morning listening.
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M main mix) (8:06)
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M mix edit) (4:16)
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M Classic club) (7:59)
I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales M+M instrumental mix) (7:50)
Review: Inner Life's 'I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)' released in 1979 is a quintessential disco anthem that captures the exuberance and allure of the era. Jocelyn Brown's powerful vocals deliver a story of fleeting romance, seamlessly intertwining with lush orchestrations and a driving rhythm section that still get people up and dancing all these decades on. The track's infectious groove, memorable hooks, and lavish production epitomise the magic of late-70s dancefloors which is it why it is such a staple in both nostalgic disco sets and modern dance compilations. This reissue offers up four different versions by the great remix king John Morales.
Review: Jesse Bru lays down the first in his 'Chronicles Of Bru' series, which narrates the comical tale of an ambitious young man whose sole goal is to save the planet from the false excesses of climate catastrophe and environmental decay. Somehow, this vision of sonic ecology translates to deep, ambient trance and piano house, which is funnelled stylistically into five new heaters for France's Happiness Therapy label. Faint birdsong and overblown Chicago-esque motifs are laid down in a quickly successive, through-composed fashion, as if to suggest that the political project that ignites change should be one of musical, harmonious enjoyment, not of stingy utility, where house music cannot be heard.
Review: Cult minimal label Cabinet is back with another vital two tracker, this time from Brudan. It kicks off with the glitchy beats and silky, warming, machine soul of 'Time 2 Play' with its silky grooves soon to lock you into a heady vibe. On the flip is the more stripped back 'Music Makers' which is a little more minimal and abstract in its designs but is just as much of a seductive sound that worms its way deep into your brain. Both of these are tasteful tools for discerning selectors.
Revolution Of Tha Mind (Lil Mark Swing Tech mix) (6:15)
Revolution Of Tha Mind (Chris Carrier 909 Tribute mix) (6:10)
Review: Oblivium's first vinyl outing is well worthy of its space on wax as Nicola Brusegan and Camilo Gil serve up the deep than deep house of 'Revolution Of Tha Mind 909 Poems By: Tea Time.' The original Hood mix is first and is one coated in sustained chords, dusty atmospheres and soulful vocal mutterings with plenty of analogue percussion and loopy, swinging drums. The Luciano remix is a more uneasy and stringy minimal version, as you would expect, and then comes a much more raw and edgy number from Lil Mark in the form of his Swing Tech mix. A Varied and vital package is shut down with Chris Carrier's steamy and humid 909 Tribute mix.
Review: Serious deep house heads take note, this is a superb new EP that instantly fits in with your favourite classics by the likes of Moodymann and Theo Parrish. It comes from Dean Bryce, one of London's best-kept secrets, and he delivers his signature touch on this latest release for Extra Soul Perception. Known as the founder of Technicolour Records-home to early releases from Peggy Gou, Actress, and the breakout Barry Can't Swim-Dean has a reputation that speaks for itself. This record sees him tapping into his re-edit collection to bring us three timeless tracks. The much-loved 'H.E.R.' makes a triumphant return next to two gems 'TEAZE' and 'Winner' on the flip side. Crucial.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.