Elevation (Tommy Musto Zero Hour vocal mix) (7:04)
Review: Last summer, Soul Clap Records giddily introduced their first ever singings from the UK, 2Fox, via digital-only vocal house number 'Elevation'. Nine months on, that track has finally made it onto wax, accompanied by the best remixes from the expansive digital EP. In its original extended mix form (A2), the track is a sublime slab of warm, tactile, nostalgic and gospel-tinged deep house excellence with superb lead vocals by Laville. Masters at Work man and all-round NYC great Louie Vega delivers a fantastic, lightly tooled-up soulful house take to kick off the EP, label bosses Soul Clap add tech-house style synths and attractive electronics aplenty, and New York veteran Tommy Musto leans further into 'Calling Your Name' style gospel-house joy.
Steve O'Sullivan - "Fly Again" (Steve O'Sullivan Bouncing dub) (6:53)
Steve O'Sullivan - "Fly Again" (Steve O'Sullivan Tuff dub) (6:44)
Bluetrain - "Fly Again" (Bluetrain Special edition Loop) (1:17)
Bluetrain - "Fly Again" (Bluetrain Special edition dub) (7:17)
Bluetrain - "Fly Again" (Bluetrain Special edition Loop 2) (1:16)
Review: Keeping firm to the now well-trodden "Scientist meets" formula, this release through Convent once again hears Joseph Alpern aka. J Gabriel absorb the dubbing wiles of Hopeton Brown into his own minimal techno laboratory. 'Fly Again' follows up the first Scientist collab 'Too Far Gone' from 2023 with yet another red snapper, and comes backed by heated reworks from Steve O'Sullivan and Bluetrain, each of whose generosities know few bounds (they offer two and three remixes each!).
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.
B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition
Shining Of Life Flutemental (unreleased version) (11:01)
Shining Of Life Flutemental (Lambros Jahmans remix) (5:15)
UNDUB (Space Ritual dub) (10:40)
Shining Of Life Flutemental (Space Ritual dub) (11:15)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***
Some 20 years ago, Japanese producer donned the K.F alias (the initials of his given name, Kiyotaka Fukagawa) and delivered the astonishingly good 'Shining of Life', a sun-soaked Balearic house treat shot through with Japanese nu-jazz musicality, gospel-influenced vocals and expansive, life-affirming piano solos. This EP offers up previously unheard 'Shining of Light Flutemental' takes. Calm's own 'unreleased mix' retains some of the key elements of the 2004 original while adding morning-fresh flute solos and starry sounds seemingly inspired by Detroit techno. The 'Lambros Jahmans Sunset Mix' is a dreamy and immersive interpretation underpinned by an Afro-house style beat, while the 'Space Ritual Dub' is an almost entirely beat-free soundscape. On 'Undub (Space Ritual Dub)', the same producer wraps echoing flute and piano motifs around a tactile, hand percussion-driven rhythm track.
Review: Esuoh Limited's third outing takes the form of another various artists offering, and it explores an on-point mix of garage, house and tech. Ale Castro gets things underway with the bubbly bass motifs and retro stabs of 'IDWTAD' with a vocal refrain repeating the line 'I don't want to talk about drugs'. Hurlee's 'Spectral Echoes' is a super breezy house cruiser with sugar chords and more widescreen smears adding the oil to the drums while a simple, effective vocal hook brings the soul. There is a darker, more heads down energy to Housewife's 'Jus A Lil Bit' then Midas Field's 'Groover' brings class, jazzy magic and plenty of fist pumping fun.
Gilles's Peterson's Havana Cultura Band - "The Rumba Experiement" (Motor City Drum Ensemble remix) (6:35)
Review: New York legend and Body & Soul man Joe Claussell is first to land on this new Brownswood Remix Edition as he drops a Sacred Rhythm mix of his own tune with Cuban singer Dayme Arocena. It offers a fresh perspective on the original timeless composition with drawn-out drums leading to a signature spiritual rapture. On the flip is a dynamic reinterpretation of Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura Band by German artist Motor City Drum Ensemble, who now goes under his birth name. He brings some dusty house drums to make for a perfectly flavoursome sound for outdoor dancing.
Review: The spectroscope of Cool Million's soundworld doubles in width, as 'One Of A Kind' marks a new phase of innovation in their patented boogie funk sound. This latest single hears Danish soul singer Seest - a longtime collaborator with the Danish production duo - add her doubled, tripled, nigh quadrupled vocal overdubs to the already well collieried disco track. With the ensuing EP packed with allusive, fiery effrontery, bringing inspirations from Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang and The Crusaders, we must warn you: this is a volatile disco 7", one that should really come with a fire hazard warning.
Review: Bari's Deepshakerz return to key UK label Crosstown Rebels with a tight, percussive three-tracker rooted in the crossover between Afro-tinged house and punchy, early Chicago rhythms. Opener 'Give It 2 U' throws down a sinewy blend of filtered vocal chops and tumbling drums, straddling jacking minimalism and maximal groove with characteristic flair. On the B-side, 'The Beginning Groove' slows the rush slightly, working a heady, looping motif into a more restrained late-night hypnotiser. Closer 'Green Light' features a crisp vocal from Dennis Wonder, building up a more melodic high with bright chords and bouncy swingiless brooding, more pure release. It's the Italian duo's second release for Damian Lazarus' label, and a strong showcase of their versatility within a signature sound.
Review: This latest Unxpozd release has taken a hot minute to arrive but it's been worth the wait, because once again DJ Aakmael shows off his deep house class. '6minutes' kicks off with the sort of whimsical late-night chords that soon get you dreaming as the loveably lazy grooves slouch on. 'Just A Track pt. 8' shows Aakmael's sample skills as he chops up the sounds with some nice jazzy keys. You won't find a groove more lush and smooth than the gently cosmic 'Track 123' while 'Autumn' is perfectly stripped back to chunky kicks, slowly ascending chords and a hint of Kerri Chandler soul with a gospel vocal hook.
Review: Chiwax is reissuing a couple of the very many superb EPs that DJ Deeon has put out over his peerless career. The Windy City native is known as the Godfather of Ghetto house and always brings more bump and sleaze to his sounds than anyone else. His Freak Mode EP dropped back in 1994 but still sounds like nothing else as it pioneered a new juke and footwork sound. 'Yo Mouf' is tight, loopy, manic and irresistible club music. 'Work This Dick' brings his signature tongue in cheek vocal filth, 'Off Freakmode' has a futuristic twist and 'Hoodrat' is non-stop drum funk for sweaty situations. A legendary EP.
Review: Chicago has many legendary figures, but one who stands proud among many is DJ Deeon, a low-end legend and widely considered to be the true Godfather of ghetto house. He dropped this EP originally back in 2013, and it is one of many that soon became classic, which is why it gets this remix from Chiwax. 'Happy' perfectly summarises Deeon's sound - booming and heavyweight kick and drums, smart samples looped perfectly and big hooks. 'The Truth' speeds things up and brings that Ghetto sleaze, and 'R U Sure' is a more minimal sound that still bangs like a heavyweight. 'Gigabytes' is full of caustic synths and blending melodies that bring sheer chaos to the club.
Review: What would it take to universalise disco so that every brain sandwiched between two ears could hear and take to the sound like glue? Eddie C and Keita Sano continue a protracted research study in the pursuit of an answer, bringing three new dream-heaters to contrast to their original two in the series' debut, 'Disko Universal' and 'Joy Joy Joy'. Here, 'Not This Time' stands out among a trifecta of well-doused house rousers, steeped in the attenuated, bubblier deep end of a soulful disco-garage-house tradition.
Review: EEE keeps it simple, with the artist, label and EPs all given that simple naming convention. It means there is nothing to focus on but the music. Which is fine by us as this 18th such outing is another doozy that should slip into your record bag post-haste. 'Track 1' has 90s organ chords and a deep, rolling bassline working together to soon get you moving while sustained pads and dry per add detail as a tempting vocal lures you in. On the flip, things are a little less pared back with some widescreen synths adding cosmic scale to the potent tech house drums. Tidy tools.
Review: Stockholm trio Ella Guru return with their second release, expanding on the deep house and Balearic palette of their 2023 debut. Now a three-piece with the addition of bassist Hakan Engstrom, their sound leans heavier into dancefloor territory, funkier, looser, more tactile. 'Cowcat' leads with clipped guitars and bubbling Afro-funk bass, while 'Good Vibes Only' folds disco percussion into a joyous, sun-soaked strut. On the flip, Vastertorp producer Funky Loffe reshapes 'Cowcat' into a tougher, filter-swept peak-time tool. The record lands somewhere between early Prins Thomas and modern Scandi-house heat playful but precise and built for good systems.
Review: Blkmarket Underground Music Party Edits is a sub-label to the influential Blkmarket, an esteemed label and event series in New York. Contrary to what that catalogue number might indicate, this is actaully their second release and has Facets at the controls. First up is 'Computers' with its raw and snappy analogue drum sounds and late-night synth details. 'Time Of War' is another full-fat blend of analogue drum thump and driving synth motifs, 'Talk To Me' has crashing cold-wave synths and deadpan vocals and 'Paranoia' has loopy vocals and moody atmospheres for freaky dancing. 'Lies' and 'Dub To Destruct' shut down this varied and retro-tinged EP with jerking rhythms that will do plenty of damage.
Review: Floorfillers deliver the third in a series of original EPs, following three prefatory Edits editions, which first laid out the label's modus vivendi as brim-fillers of the dancefloor. The unknown artist behind this one hears the white horse of reason steered in the direction of paradise: perhaps drawing on a similar and widely recognised French house release of similar repute and name, 'Paradise (Special Edition)' brings string-caked and softly intoned FM leads to an overall peaky emoter. For fans of The Paradise or Rising Sun, this is another bony labyrinth of progressive house bliss.
Review: The Treasure team keeps up the momentum of its early release with another fruitful dive into the annals of house history. This time, they have dug up more nuggets from FR and have refined them for contemporary floors. 'ET Is Coming Home' (vocal) is a slow and dubby cut with percolating live bass and muted horns next to some Ubiquity style vocal soul. The instrumental allows the superbly loose-limbed and live drums room to really shine, and then comes an epic, 10-minute-plus jazz-drenched house odyssey that's alive with swirling cosmic radiance and busy chords and synths. A real trip for proper music heads.
Girls Of The Internet - "Someone Somewhere" (6:35)
James Alexander Bright & Girls Of The Internet - "Where Is Your Love" (6:54)
Review: Hot since day, Girls Of The Internet have widened the eyes and perked the ears of many a squabbling listener since 2017, deploying many a nu-disco nutcracker through imprints such as Drab Queen and Palm Recs. The duo now stop by Athens Of The North, surveying a wide polar acropolis of deep repetition and strung sampledelia. 'Somewhere Someone' delivers peak energies crafted about a mystery sample, while the flipper, 'Where Is Your Love', hears a roomy linkup with James Alexander Bright, straining the A's comparatively full, gluey mien into a much stringier slice of vocal disco minimalism.
Review: James 'Burnski' Burnham already runs about 7398 labels but recently kicked off another, Gravitate. The mission is simple - to put out club-ready cuts that have plenty of character. All of these come under the same name as the label and artist which indicates how much it is a label all about the music. The first one has a JayDee-style dark bassline, the second one brings old school house rawness that brings to mind the MAW sound and the third one is a more roomy cut with space for the synths to encourage a bit of introspection. The closer is the best of the lot, a silky deep house groove with real drive and trippy synth details.
Review: New York label HandsOnWax are said to confer to the digging DJ strange bouts of alien hand syndrome: when confronted with any one release, we simply cannot keep our hands off, no matter how much conscious control is exercised! Here the label clutches its fourth release with a tightly honed set of four house tracks built for peak functionality; each cut on number four is manually engineered for clean arrangements, tough low-end and sharp rhythmic details calibrated for optimum mix pressure. No pressure! That being said, we don't know the artist behind this one, only that 'Rumor Mill' and 'What A Dayb' are creamy, broken jazz come post-bassy club incursions, well worthy of consideration in themselves, not for the charismatic aura of person that made them.
Review: Five acts that each exists in their own sonic world but are bound by an unseen thread of musical energy. Ildec's 'Calling the Police' pulses with deep, cerebral synths, while Adrien Calvet's 'Spray Time' crafts rhythmic structures that echo the heartbeat of urban life. Ragwa's 'Kings of the Road' weaves dreamy melodies that feel like fleeting moments suspended in time, imbued with a dreamy, escapist quality. Charleze's 'Do it Right' effortlessly blends vinyl's past with the present, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and new. Karaba's 'Bye 2002' manipulates rhythm with kinetic energy, turning beats into pure motion. Though these artists operate in different corners of the globe, their shared sense of musical intensity has brought them together on the same record, proving that distance is no barrier when the sound is this powerful.
Review: Infinity Plus One channels the murky heat of 90s Detroit into four cuts that throb with machine soul and analogue bite. Based in the UK, the producer debuts with a raw but focused blend of electro, house and technoihis nod to the Motor City filtered through a distinctively UK lens. 'Innocent Beginnings' pairs chunky kicks with haunted synth washes, laying the groundwork with a bass-heavy strut that feels both grounded and widescreen. 'Dusk And Darkness' leans darker, stitching 808s and breaks into a rolling, rave-adjacent groove, all tension and propulsion. On the flip, 'Stand For Love' dips into classic deep house mode, slowing the pace for a moment of emotional clarityigentle pads circling a tender vocal loop. Closer 'Ubiquity' rides a twisting bassline into atmospheric club gear, its big stabs and lurking low-end pulling dancers into a heady zone. A full-spectrum debut that honours the roots but refuses to settle in them, this is warehouse music made with reverenceiand a sense of forward motion.
Ahnonghay (Kevin Saunderson original Reese mix) (7:04)
Review: Inner City's time on Network Records produced a run of timeless recordings that merged their signature vocal soul with the underground grooves of Detroit. This reissue of 'Ahnonghay' highlights that early golden era and finds the legendary Kevin Saunderson return to his techno roots in some style. The tune was originally released under his seminal Reese alias and marries that raw Motor City energy with sleek electronica that embodies the early techno blueprint. This 12" pressing includes the original mix alongside two standout remixes: Carl Craig's atmospheric reimagining and Dave Clarke's gritty UK techno take. All in all, a vital snapshot of techno's early evolution.
Review: Chicago's Tied label rolls out a 17th release as good as all the previous ones, this time with a four-track various artists EP that showcases emerging talents from deep, spacey electronic realms. Just_Me's 'Laser Brane' launches the journey with electro-funk propulsion, while Lumieux's 'In Your Space... It's Me In Space' drifts into cosmic grooves and ambient textures. On the B-side, Constratti's meticulously crafted 'Bind' delivers intricate synth delays and solid rhythms that capture the feeling of interstellar motion. Label head Max Jacobson and 97 Till close with 'Orion,' a break-infused and celestial house cut built for late-night floors.
Review: Culture Club legend and pop maverick Boy George makes a triumphant return for Record Store Day with an exclusive coloured 12" of a long-lost gem. Originally produced in the '90s and revived as a dancefloor hit in 2007, the wonderful 'You're Not The One' now receives its first proper vinyl release, having previously been CD only, with copies on second-hand markets fetching upwards of L450. Reimagined by original producer Kinky Roland, this version features standout remixes including a sleek Vocal and Dub version by house legend Eric Kupper and a genre-blurring rework by Grammy-nominated UK talent Paris Cesvette. Superb club-ready pop nostalgia.
Review: 'Devant Le Miroir' ('In Front Of The Mirror') kicks off an egoistically inclined four-track injection of glassy house music from Achse Germany. It's a wavy opening statement from the Berlin native Lcaise, whose return to vinyl releasing is a real treat, long following 2009's 'Gestosis'. Sharing two out of four grooves on the record, Lcaise commissions Silat Beksi to texturise his opening specular spectacular; Beksi convects the A1's feelin' itself with further catoptric phasings and frazzler textures. The other side is taken up by Polish newcomer Erdal Mauff, with 'Afterthought Sines' puling the best it can get from a widescreen mix made up of ultra-loud highs and vivid stabs, and Fedo producing a burblier, alien spaceship retake.
Review: Tuff Cut / Late Nite Tuff Guy (Carmelo Bianchetti) has so far done well to dig out for himself a rather outre oeuvre, the Australian steadily supplying such head-turning edits as this since as far back as 2013. The seventh volume in this new iteration of the series comes in two parts, and brings two further soft disco inflammations: 'Fooled', a pre-coffee, rheumy Sister Sledge disco edit, and 'So Much Love', an unknown cut whose lyrics return plenty of red herrings on the 'ole search bar.
Live Or Die By Love (Eric Kupper instrumental remix) (5:36)
Review: Rooted in New York house traditions,Lovetempo is an exciting new band from Brooklyn that fuse deep house, disco and funk, driven by by former The Rapture man Mattie Safer's seasoned touch. The title track delivers a Chicago house gem with an uplifting, jazzy feel and an inspirational message. 'We Can Make It Happen' dials things down into a lounge-infused jam, balancing disco and house with a relaxed, breezy energy. 'Part-Time Love Affair' leans fully into funk, highlighting the band's tight musicianship and rhythmic flair. On Side B, Eric Kupper reworks 'Live Or Die By Love' into a dancefloor house cut, extracting vocal samples from the original and flipping them into a hypnotic hook. His instrumental remix strips it back further, focusing on groove and texture. With its mix of live band energy and classic house sensibilities, 'Live Or Die By Love' is a promising statement from Lovetempo.
Black Chunes Productions - "Daddy, Are U Ready" (6:30)
St David & Wildbox - "All Nite" (5:08)
St David & Wildbox - "Feeling Free" (5:58)
Review: Theory Of Swing Records and Club U Nite Records are well loved outlets that themselves have a big love for authentic 90s house. They come togther for this special various artists release which opens with Mellow Man and his side project Black Chunes Productions. Opener 'Soul Groove' brings bright xylophone melodies and US garage drums, while, 'Daddy, Are U Ready' is organ-laced New York swing with great style and vocal stabs. Theory Of Swing main man St. David then hooks up with pal Wildbox from No Hype DJs for the same heavy and sweaty house of 'All Nite.' Their second jam 'Feeling Free' is more stripped back and cool with balmy pads swirling round cool drums kicks.
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
The genre-defining deep house label Kaoz Theory headed up by the one and only Kerri Chandler has a real doozy on its hands here with the talented Devon Miles bring his Afro soul and acoustic guitar skills to a pair of new singles. 'Beautifull' appears twice on the A-side, one as a vocal mix by Kerri with skipping Afro house rhythms and gorgeous melodies next to jazzy horns, and another as an instrumental. The same tune comes three more times on the flip with Opolopo remixing and adding some extra weight for the club. The more meandering original is the one brave DJs go for despite its lack of rooted groove.
Review: Fresh from the release of her collaborative album with UK house and disco legend Dave Lee, one of Motor City vocalist Maurissa Rose's back catalogue classics - an Alton Miller production first released on Theo Parrish's Sound Signature label in 2017 - is given a string of fresh new revisions. Miller handles side A, delivering vocal and instrumental takes that wrap a punchy and perfectly programmed groove in undulating synth bass, colourful chords, twinkling piano motifs and lilting solos. San Fran man CoFlo handles side B, offering up vocal and instrumental takes rooted in the intersection between deep, soulful house and sun-splashed nu-jazz.
Review: Rotterdam's Clinical Records bridges eras with a vital new vinyl EP pairing a revered 1992 deep house classic with forward-facing material from a modern legend. Side A on this restitutive record resurrects Vil-N-X's 'De' Jah Voo', its punchy new 'Vil-N-X Mix' redelivering raw 90s sass via urgent hip-rap vocals. The 'Rendezvous Mix' leans into a more meditative space, its lush flutes and deeper harmonisations fostering a mood-drenching for the ages. Flip the record for two standout new tracks from The Nathaniel X Project: 'I Know Me' is all glowing pads agog, while 'Kwantum Leap' pedals harder through hypnotic but driven rhythmic concourses.
Review: Nightlife Unlimited was a Canadian disco project active from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, spearheaded by key members Tony Bentivegna and Johnny D'Orazio; their curious sound blent lo-fi and hi-fi, carefully construed for maximal-minimal dance floor confounding. 'Peaches & Prunes' first surfaced as a B-side on the Uniwave 'Just Be Yourself' release in 1980, and it would seem that licensing loopholes lay behind its continued bootlegging and reissuing over the years, not to mention its auspiciously magic sequencing and sound design - DJs have snaffled it up over the years for its prophesied 4x4 mixability, achieved far before "quantisation" was even thought a thing. Ron Hardy lays down a tribute, evidencing his awareness of the record's lo-fi vocal charm, though boxing and springing out the mix to lend the record a further reaching, lowly textured agape.
Review: We assume that Nuts World Tour is a new label that will serve up sonic homage to each of the cities it names its EPs after. First up is the Big Apple with four cuts all named after four of the city's main boroughs. 'MNHTTN' is first, so it taps into myriad samples from the likes of Mobb Deep, Biggie Smalls, ODB and Aaliyah. They are all dropped over a leggy, rolling deep house groove with a wiggling baseline that its sure to be hugely effective and crowd pleasing. 'STTN ISLND' is more blissed out deep house and is again packed with hip-hop samples, which prove great fun decoding. 'BRX' is soulful, simple, seductive and 'QNS' gets a little more raw with a drilling bassline. 'BRKLN' shuts down with a final variation on the theme.
Review: Heady house label Courtesy Of Balance only releases music that you know will stand the test of time. It's informed by the classic schools of deepness but always with a modern touch and unique character, and next to carry that torch is Ostrich aka Nadir Agha. He's in charge of curation at Montreal's legendary Stereo Club and shows his class here with opener 'Snake Charmer' which is built on a dynamic groove foundation and embellished with wispy pads that take your mind on a wander. 'Promiscuous' is heavy, dubby house stripped back to the core essentials and perfectly executed. 'Buttered Up' is a little more mobile but embellished with nothing chords and smoky vocal soul and 'Broken Science' closes with a brilliant broken beat flourish that is full of jazzy invention.
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