Review: London's 1-800 Girls brings cleanly garage and bright breaks to his All My Thoughts label, riffing on the combo of infectious aural hooks and brutalist sonics fashionable among the present chart doyens of UK dance music and techno. 'How I Feel' sounds like an innocent admission of affection in techno-garage form, pairing the flunky inter-jabs of 2-step garage with the cute-aggressive seethes of a repetitious sampled vox; the track centres on a nostalgic, airtight sequence of parapractic phonemes, onto which the listener may project their longings and amours. 'Signal' embraces both big beats and biomech squeaks verging on sports-whistles, while 'Like You Do' returns for a comparatively brooding burbler. Finally, 'Guy's Salmon' rounds things off on a dense sequence of yeahs and ohs, as ever building up a slow-burn of cool wonderment and openness.
Review: Digital Tape Recordings kick out another vital 12" on wax here, this time with a third part of their on going and excellent Deep Dub Essentials series. 24HR Experience is at the helm here with a quartet of house and garage collisions that bring the good times. 'The Heaven Track' is a classic US garage cut with stiff snares and low slung drums, and 'Touch The After World' is just as deep and warm. 'Just A Vibe' is the highlight at the end - nice New Jersey drum with warming organ stabs and a carefree groove that effortlessly sweeps you up off your feet.
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - Peacey remix) (5:30)
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - Rocco Rodamaal Raw mix) (4:46)
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - South Beach Recycling remix) (6:16)
Review: Steve Butler's most recent full-length excursion as Abel, Cosmic Law, rightly received plenty of plaudits on its release last year. 'Hand Made', a spacey, tech-tinged deep house featuring evocative spoken word vocals by American wordsmith Brother Basil, was one of that set's stand out cuts. This single release naturally features Butler's original mix, plus three new reworks. Rising star Peacey kicks things off with a spacey, bouncy, breakbeat-sporting revision, before Rocco Radamaal delivers an analogue bass-propelled, keyboard stab-sporting 'Raw Dub' that sounds like it was tailor made for dark, strobe-lit peak-time dancefloors. To round things off, sometime nu-disco sorts South Beach Recycling re-imagine the track as an intergalactic, ultra-deep slab of house hypnotism wrapped in spacey electronics.
Review: You can always rely on Dungeon Meat to kick out the jams and that is the case here with Julian Anthony next up to make a solid house statement. 'Dale Ale' kicks things off with a tumbling hook that sounds like someone whacking a giant metal drum, while 'Phantom Strike' brings shuffling garage energy to the beats. 'Radikal Forze' is one of those late-night jams with some mysterious pads leading you to mischief and last of all 'Z-Town' rides on rubbery kick drum loops with tripped-out pads. Heady and physical at the same time, all four of these are superb.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Born 2 Be Free returns with a second sizzling slab of UKG-flavoured wax and this one from Azaad has a superb throwback feel thanks to the smart sampling. 'Untitled 92' hints at which period this artist has the most respect for with its silky smooth chords and thumping kicks getting you into a nice deep vibe before 'Outta My Mind' hist that bit harder with nice dry, scraping hits, bouncy bass and clipped vocal fragments. The classy vibes continue with 'Torn' which shuts down with a more high speed and slick sound smart snares and a rich, emotive vocal that finishes it in style. Three classy, timeless garage cuts.
What You Want (feat Colonel Red - DJ Crisps remix) (7:14)
Let's Get Wild (Orlando Voorn remix) (6:30)
Review: Bouman is looking to establish itself in the deep house world and made a fine start with its first EO, This second one is another head-turner that comes from Benx with a couple of sweet remixes. 'What You Want' (feat Colonel Red) opens up with some soul-drenched sounds and lively drum programming topped with a great original vocal. 'Beautiful' is more warm house with smoky chord work that calls to mind early Kerri Chandler. A DJ Crisps remix brings some real bass weight and garage percussion and last of all, Orlando Voorn remixes 'Let's Get Wild' into a bulky techno roller.
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: Bushwacka is one of the UK's most accomplished underground players. From DJing to production via label ownership and promotion he has done it all, and with a lasting impact. His early days saw him as a key part of the fresh and emergent tech house sound and he has been vital ever since. Here he digs into his roots with a new EP for the iconic New York label Nu Groove and serves up just the sort of sounds the label is known for - deep house with chunky drum programming, smart synth work and warm basement vibes. A superb EP from a real veteran.
Review: The Plastik People label has been going along nicely for its first few releases, with label head Marc Cotterell stepping up and coming correct last time out. Now he calls upon various artists with Dave Charlesworth taking care of the a-side of Nice Ripe Cuts. He offers two super slick garage cuts that cannot fail to make their mark on the club and it's no different on the flipside except D Lux & Y No combine first for '25 Miles' and then S R offers the irresistible 'Pressure.' An essential 12" for anyone looking to bring some fresh garage flavours.
All That Shaking (Marc Cotterell Plastik Factory mix) (6:57)
All That Shaking ('23 Refix) (6:28)
Review: Club Of Jacks digs deep here to serve up some classic tracks from the archive that have not been available on vinyl before. First up is UKG royalty Jeremy Sylvester with a remix of 'Waiting For You' that is pure party. The drums and bass bounce and plunge low with sustained chords and a honeyed vocal getting the vibes going. A deeper, dubbier and more laid back but still emotive 23 Remix follows then Plastik People boss Marc Cotterell serves up a soulful remix of 'All That Shaking' that is full of steamy sax and sunny day goodness. A Club of Jacks 23 Refix brings a deep vibe to close a superb EP.
Review: The third vinyl release of the year from Blur Records sees three distinguished producers - ColorJaxx, T.Markakis and Manuel Kane - sharing duties, each delivering a track each but with the distinctive, music-centred 'deep house fusion' flavour of the Blur label very much at their heart. ColorJaxx's 'I Know You' kicks off proceedings in upbeat mood, goaded along by a skippy garage beat, some beautiful piano work and arresting male vocals. 'Ain't Like That' by T.Markakis rolls slower and deeper, clouds of warm synth giving it a reassuring, dub feel, while Manuel Kane's 'Funk' boasts a cheery, end-of-evening sparkle with its hypnotic vocal samples and gentle sirens. Quality without pretention whichever way you turn.
Review: Rhythm N Vibe label head Marc Cotterell strides into 2025 with a killer new three-track EP featuring plenty of his signature garage and house crossover jams. 'Annihilate The Rhythm' gets things underway with some rave-ready sirens and tightly programmed beats and bubbly bass. UK talent JACKARD steps up to remix and does so with razor-sharp hi-hats and low-slung kicks that bring the sleaze. 'Floor Dance' then brings the funk with some playful chord sequences and swirling pads and fFeed Your Soul' shuts down with aching vocal hooks and old school piano energy over some fresh US house drums.
Review: It's always a good day when the Blahh label rises up from the streets to drop a new bit of true school garage. This is a various artists release which brings together core label members Beforethebeatsbreak, Ronaldo and Crazy Bank, who have all served up their own solo EPs before now. It's the latter who kicks off with the tightly coiled bump n grind of 'So Good' before Ronaldo gets your feet moving on 'Get My 319', another dry, clipped garage shuffler with pent up energy to spare. There are good time piano-led vibes to Beforethebeatsbreak's B1 then 'Why You Wanna' from Crazy Bank is defined by its pitched up vocal sound.
Review: Diffrent makes a powerful entrance with his debut 'My Sound' EP on Bristol's Time Is Now label, building on the success of his summer hit 'A Little Closer,' which had clubs across Europe buzzing in 2024. Here, he dives into the UK's rich foundations of garage, bass and breaks, delivering a weighty yet finely tuned sound that's unmistakably his own. It's the kind of chuggy, speed-garage flavour that's capturing everyone's craving right now. For a debut, 'My Sound' lands with impressive force as each track brings fresh flair and a distinctive character. From the first drop, it's clear Diffrent is carving out a unique spot in modern dance music, positioning him as one to watch.
The Sun Will Shine Another Day (Jeffries & Early main mix) (7:19)
On & On (Jeffries & Early main mix) (7:31)
Review: Jeffries & Early step up here to add a contemporary spin to a stone-cold classic sound. The original is a rather iconic tune that now gets a modern update: 'The Sun Will Shine Another Day' brings lung-busting vocals and colourful pops of synth colour to liven up the dusty beats. 'On & On' (Jeffries & Early main mix) then has big synth energy from the stabs and a sense of cool funk in the drums that roll on down low. The likes of Keinemusik, Black Coffee and Damian Lazarus have already been hammering this one so expect to hear it all summer long.
Review: UK's All My Thoughts label has built up a strong reputation the past half-decade. Fans of the label point to it alongside a few others as the perfect blend of house and techno music. Edmondson is equally as strong with a handful of releases that have also garnered high praise for. Vanarama houses four examples of deep house that bridge garage music and dance music to make them both futuristic, deep and fun. We really like the wide range of moods in this EP. All My Thoughts has another winner! Only 80 copies in total so be quick!
Review: The brand new Mush Trax label makes a head-turning debut here with some naught garage and house cuts from the depths of Dorset. Footprint opens up with the straight-up shuffler that is 'Light It Up. It's got old school flavours all over it - the piano stabs, the original Chicago house vocal and the melodies. It's the same story with Dunman's 'Hot' with its filthy backless bass stabs, yelping vocal cries and steel-plated US garage drums. Completing this highly effective EP is Ash Brown with another throwback garage anthem in 'Whompa.'
Review: Gary's Garage arrives as a celebration of all things Gary, aiming to bring the name back into the mainstream by offering up a truly infectious garage EP. With four tracks packed with bass-heavy grooves and cheeky energy, it's impossible to ignore the pure joy of the sound. Kicking things off, 'I've Taken Too Many Garys' serves up a chunky, bass-driven anthem, filled with nostalgic vibes that instantly transport you to the good ol' 2000s UK Garage days. 'Gary's Ballad' takes a more somber turn, with a melancholic homage to Woolworths, capturing Gary's reflective side. Then, 'Gary's Garage (Is A Good Garage)' cranks up the tempo with a bouncy, feel-good anthem that'll get you reminiscing about those wild nights in Streatham. Finally, 'Nigel Garage' cranks up the BPM with a playful nod to old-school hardware, while poking fun at Gary's lack of an Emu SP1200. A fun, tongue-in-cheek reminder of the glory days of UK garage.
Review: Chris Gialanze brings plenty of dancefloor clout to this fresh drop on the Beeyou label. The title cut 'Gunna Bee' is already one that has been doing the rounds and doing the damage recently so it's great it finally gets a proper release on vinyl. As well as coming as s dub mix, also included is 'So Criminal' which is a steely and metallic garage infused tech cut, while 'Tough Cloud' entirely switches things up with downtempo and breakbeats combining in old school post-rave or second room fashion to provide a great comedown after the main room fun. As such this is an EP that shows Gialanze has greta style and versatility no matter what he's making.
Review: Gideon launched Homo-Centric Records with great fanfare and for good reason. It is on a mission to be passionate, definitive and powerful in re-establishing the queer heart of house music that has been lost in recent homogenised times. The south London artist is back with his own work for this new EP and it features Tobirus Mozelle and Tasty Lopez. 'Brighter Day' is his response to Cajmere's original house classic 'Brighter Days' feat Dajae and it is a warm, balmy and seductive vocal house cut with timeless vibes and rich production. It's a ray of light and love that brings the good times in classy ways.
Review: First released on Nice & Ripe in 1994 when it was produced by early UK house and garage dons Grant Nelson, Si Firmin, and David Thackeray, this track has been remastered for the first time. The reissue comes on Digital Tape Recordings and sounds as good as ever, especially given the current revival of original garage. Reminiscent of their iconic 24hr Experience and GOD releases, it opens with the gritty and low slung sounds of '1 2 Luv', features the more thumping 'Sampler', diva vocal cries of 'Groovement' and stripped back version 'Dubment'.
Review: Londoner Jeigo has always had a knack for intricate and melancholic production. His emotive sounds span breaks, garage and dub and gave rise to a superb album Cerulean back in 2022. This new outing on Air Miles is another sophisticated one that shows some different sides. 'Fig' is a dusty and lo-fi mix of knocking, woody broken beat patterns and pitched-up vocal snippets that bring a sense of pain. 'Act Like You're Strong' is heads down, lip-curling UKG with shuffling and weighty drums and naughty bass. '3-5 Working Days' is somewhere in between - both club-ready but also with post-Burial vocals that tug at the heartstrings. There is a blissed-out feel to the optimistic melodic bubbles and angelic vocals of 'Found Me' that means the EP closes in lush fashion.
Review: Demi Riquisimo's Semi Delicious reaches a significant milestone with its 20th release, unveiling a four-track EP from the ever-impressive Leeds producer, Kepler that's a stellar addition to the label's expanding repertoire, 'Step Up' launches the journey, a sub-bass-driven escapade that intertwines pulsating grooves with squelchy acid lines, encapsulating the label's ethos. 'Swoon' arrives next, blending a playful FM-bass lead with staccato vocals and warm pads for a vibrant dancefloor allure. The B-side's 'Acid Flow' faithfully channels classic 303 vibes, while 'Separation' pays homage to vintage US house, tweaked with Kepler's unmistakable UK tech-house stamp. It's a veritable feast for discerning dance music aficionados.
Leftwing: Kody, James Hurr & I Jah - "Music Is The Medication" (4:58)
Review: The mighty and unmovable Toolroom offers up a snapshot of where it is at right now with a fifth volume of its Sampler series. The boss himself Mark Knight kicks off with a collaborative tune with Crusy: 'Daddy Shhh' is loopy, tribal, full flavour tech with jumbled drums and lots of buffed metal. Huxley's 'All I Need' is one of the UK producers warm house sounds, a smart vocal brings a sense of pain over simple but effective beats. Essel's 'Lennon' then brings peak time energy with strobe-lit synth sequences and churning drums, and Leftwing: Kody, James Hurr & I Jah shut down with 'Music Is The Medication', a muscular bumper with dub-wise vocals.
Review: Hidden Folder label head Christopher Ledger is back with another slamming outing, this time in the form of his NRG 12". For this one he draws on a love for and understanding of breaks, garage, house and tech and kicks off with the filthy dirty and brilliantly sleazy 'NRG' with its wub-wub bassline sure to get lips curled in mock disgust. 'How Do You Like It' is a more prickly and spaced out dollop of industrial tech house, 'Back 2 Bass' is a thrilling blend of tightly programmed beats and big chord stabs and 'This Way, Please' is cruising party pumper. A Donnie Cosmo remix of that cut close with more excellent sleazy garage house bounce.
Review: Next up on the To The Rock label are four firing remixes of the Danny J Lewis tune 'Best Friends'. The original is a real UKG classic but any measure and one of the tunes of the year back when it first landed back in 1999. It's got plenty of London swagger endnote of that is lost in any of these reworks. Chicago's Garett David opens up with some dancing chords and tight, shuffling drums, newcomer Late Nite City then slips things back and goes a little deeper with his more seductive take and and multi-instrumentalist Mom Tudie layers in the soul with his more heartfelt version and funky guitar twangs. The Dominic Spreadlove remix might be the best of the lot with a nice pitched up vocal hook and dry as you like drums.
Review: In Taijiquan, the principle of "fang song" represents balance, with heaviness sinking and lightness rising. Littlelake, who is a devoted Taijiquan practitioner, brings this concept to his new EP across four tracks that blend deep, heavy bass with playful, light elements. 'Tonight's the Night' kicks off with a nimble 2-step beat over weighty bass and playful vocal cuts. 'Passing By' delivers a monster speed garage vibe and 'Watch Your Mouth' mixes funky tribal breaks, soulful strings, and clever sampling. 'Lost' contrasts jackin' 909 rhythms and dub sounds with a dark Reese bassline for a gripping groove.
Review: Marcel Vogel's Lumberjacks In Hell was first established in 2010 and since then has steadily peddled the hottest of sonic metals, either well-known or radar-evading. Centring on leftfield club music, their approach is to establish something of a home for artists, who regularly return to the label after periods of years. House artitsts Lu/Lu and Lyma prove no exception to this rule, returning to the label after two years with their newest record 'Hot Molten Lava'. The joint alias of Lucas van Ee and Tjerk Lammers, this Dutch duo first emerged as bright sparks on their local Amsterdam scene; now they continue their effulgent journey; across the seven tracks of 'Hot Molten Lava', we hear an odyssey of electrifying new house anthems, seamlessly combining to produce an exothermic solidification in sound.
Review: Greenhouse Recordings label head and long-time master of deep house Andrew Macari steps up to his own imprint with a bunch of fine originals. The opener is a deep tech cut with steely drums that are tight and compelling and offset by smooth chords. Manuel Sahagun then steps up to remix and brings a touch of jazz to his chords which swirl around over heavyweight bass rumbles. 'U Got Me' is then a house sound that harks back to the DIY heyday of Nottingham with its bumping drums and lush chord work and 'When I Want' closes out with more fresh synths and an alluring female vocal.
Review: The Phonogramme label is a real stamp of house quality, whether serving up deep, French or garage-tinged. This new 12" from Lucas Monet does a bit of all that and more. 'Low Gravity' (feat Dusty Fingers - Deeper dub is a classic New Jersey sound with neon chords and Kerri Chandler kicks. 'Losing You' (Paradise mix) has a more optimistic and upbeat feel with organ stabs and finger clicks and 'Deep In The Blue' (937 club mix) has a little more jack and swing to it. 'Music' (UKG Private mix) shuts down with an irresistible old school groove full of love.
Review: Jackpot Recordings is a fresh sub-label brought to you by London-based production duo Club of Jacks. Their debut release showcases solo sessions from one half of the COJ crew, Max One aka MX1, and stays true to their signature UK garage-influenced house sound. The EP commences with 'Down Like That,' which has lively beats, resonant analogue sub-bass, and velvety chords with classic r&b samples while 'Waiting On' has swung beats and chord stabs with more captivating vocals. Don't Give Up' then brings a little sun to the grooves with funky undertones and 'Work Me' closes the EP with a more moody late-night vibe.
Review: Single-sided white label business from Moxy Edits, who ignite the dancefloor once more with a slick yet somewhat surreal Cypress Hill flip. A hugely wompy kick is heard teasing, highpassing and re-dropping its bass, as the unmistakable proto-Danny Brown register of the group's founding member and rapper B-Real are heard in characteristic nasal fashion over this hip-garage rendition of 'Insane In The Brain'. Be warned: there's simply no let-up with this one. Move as quick as its 4x4s do.
Review: Looking back it's been a killer year for DJ Haus and his pair of labels, Unknown to the Unknown and Hot Haus, and it seems like he won't be easing the gears down from "unfcknrelenting" now December has arrived. The latest Hot Haus release (the sixth issued since September!) sees a welcome return for whippersnapper producer Palace whose Vision 12" is the third record issued on the UTTU offshoot in a year! If you liked previous Palace records, you love the three tracks here which are all raw and effective DJ tools sprinkled with immediacy, individuality and nagging basslines - "Solstice" in particular is a real burner of a track. Don't sleep!
Review: After a lengthy hiatus, Spanish label theBasement Discos returns with a collection that fuses the essence of 90s house with contemporary flair. Rekun opens with 'Party Jean', a playful track driven by infectious rhythm. DJ Merci's 'Smack That' builds momentum with its punchy bass and relentless groove. Mindchime's 'Changes' shifts into deeper territory, offering intricate layers and subtle energy. Deepmore's 'All Night Long' closes with an unyielding, hypnotic drive that'll keep feet moving long into the night. A handy blend of old and new, proving theBasement Discos' unwavering influence in today's vinyl scene.
Review: A neat slice of UK house with unorthodox and bleepy elements courtesy of fresh producer Rossi here. 12" 'Feel It' spans everything from breaksteppy hard house to UKG, urging the floorbound masses to "feel alright" through an unapologetic, repetitive insistence in vocal sample form. The instrumental is just as effective, revealing a drummy, hi-NRG underbelly. Garrett David's version is the final garage number, adding curious bell chords and a garage swing.
Review: Tricky UK garage via tech house from Moxy Muzik's ongoing V/A series. The seventh top-up hear harks back to a little-sung stylistic moment, when UK garage carried with it an unpolished flair, and focused purely on the elements that made up the form. Sosa's 'Bring It Back', which leads, swings between two femme vocal incantations - "to the beat" and "take it back" - against a sparse but for that reason effective balance of drums; this starkly contrasts to Jordan Peak's 'Disco Nights', which deftly weaves samply vocal science around a future disco tool, an unusual method to be sure. Adam Lance's 'Hip Movement' is the bass-heaviest tune we've heard all year, while Darius Syrossian's 'Tear The Club Up' does just that with its lo-fi, jukey hip-house mantra and a suspenseful string sostenuto.
Review: GLBDOM sub-label GLBDOM Classic is dedicated to nostalgic house sounds inspired by the great styles of Chicago, Detroit and New York vibes, with hints of Italo-Dream house and even the Balearics. We get all that here on this new split EP from French house producer Sunny Galaxy and Englishman Dan T. Sunny opens up with some happy, piano-laced party starters, well-swung garage-house grooves and steamy basement jams, then Dan T offers a B-side trio headed up by the gloriously vocal laced 'Wrong Time.' 'My Desire' cuts up the groove with some nice raw percussion and 'Want To Love You' is a sultry and jazz-tinged number for lovers.
Review: We can hear a hint of early New York house heads like Todd Terry in the way the drums are constructed on this new one from Toribio, who has linked up with Sharin for an authentic vocal flourish. Her silky tones lend real quality to the choppy analogue drums and lodge top lines deep in your brain. After the original comes an alternate mix with some extra jazzy chords moving about the mix, and then closing things out is a Crackazat remix. In this one, the drums take on a bit of a garage swing with extra weight making you move while the soulful vocal flair remains in place up top.
Review: Aron Volta, one of the first in-house artists to release with PIV, returns to the label for the hotly-awaited 'Get On Down' EP. This track has been "doing damage" on dancefloors around the world for almost two years, proving that the various crowd-tests and gestation periods for certain styles are worth the sweat. Four dreamy, vocal-samply, chorussy, and piano-rinsed squeezers nail that fidgety deep house formula, with the title track articulating a strange excess of both calm and motive. The EP takes an impressively minimal turn come 'Airtight' - and though while work done might be diminished, energy is nonetheless well conserved.
The Emanations - "Rhythm Is Easy" (feat Janet Planet - Che Luca Lucid Rave mix)
Review: The fully mixed version of Confidence Man's debut Fabric mix record is here on CD. In contrast to the selectors' LP version - also sold by us - this full version is a seamless, singular slab of optical laser-read musical licence, espousing the central vibe-theme of Confidence Man's message: have confidence. Well, except for want of a receiving ear, we find ourselves tentatively able to confide in Confidence Man's Fabric mix ("better than therapy" joke happily dodged) as a substitution in the meantime; for it too shows us that real, authentic, and boundless confidence can, believably, indeed, be found in bouncy dance exclusives available on CD only. Among these are Patrick Prins' kitsch chipmunk banger 'Fiesta Conga' and Cygnus X's steezy-cheesy trance stutterer 'Positron'03'. With both many a throwback and a present promo in tow, Confidence Man dice up and dole out a small slice of their huge stash of their patented auricular confidence dust.
Review: If there is a more hyped artist in the world right now than Fred... again we aren't sure who it might be. The lad who grew up close to Brian Eno and has since worked with him in the studio is a global star who has also collaborated with Four Tet and Skrillex, played all over the world, won various awards and dropped several albums now presses up his acclaimed USB to gatefold double vinyl. It is a collection of his early singles that captures his lo-fi, lived-in, diaristic sounds across a range of experimental electronic styles.
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