Back catalogue: Deep House

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: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.

Review: Two years ago, Italy's Balearic Gabba Soundsystem switched from remixing and re-editing their favourite cuts to curating compilation style EPs of similarly minded fare. They're in that mode again here, presenting a trio of cuts that combine the saucer-eyed warmth and loved-up musicality of Balearic music culture with grooves and rhythms firmly focused on the dancefloor. They begin by showcasing Wallace's sublime remix of Sewell & The Gong's 'Better Worlds', a locked-in, hypnotising fusion of semi-organic deep house grooves, new age melodic motifs and the dreamiest of ambient chords. Over on the flip they dip into slo-mo Italo-disco/acid house fusion via SIRS fine revision of My Friend Dario's 'Tell Aro', before treating us to a Pedro Bertho remix of Verdo's 'Belvourdier' in which sparkling Balearic house piano riffs, undulating acid lines and mid-80s "chorus" synth sounds rise above a fluctuating synthesiser bassline and hustling beats.

Review: On this sampler EP for the Razor N Tape label's latest Family Affair compilation, the Brooklyn based imprint showcases previously unheard cuts from a mixture of new artists and long-established names. In the latter camp you'll find long-serving deep house don Vincenzo, who delivers the gorgeous, tactile and loved-up deliciousness of 'Love Accurate', and Croatian nu-disco don Ilya Rudman (the acid-heavy dancefloor squelch of 'Discoteka Parmida'). Elsewhere, Yasmin impresses with the neo-soul/nu-disco fusion warmth of 'Real High', Arnau Obiols slams down the Fela-influenced Afrobeat excellence of 'Pagan Mambo', and label co-founder J Kriv turns Bessa Simons 'Si Naana' into an Afro-tinged analogue house treat

Review: Released on Cinthie's 803 Crystal Grooves sub-label, Collective Cuts, Valerio Vaudano's latest offering is an exploration of house music's classic influences, filtered through a contemporary lens. Vaudano's commitment to a hardware-based production process, utilising a 90s sampler, lends a distinct warmth and texture to the four tracks.The title track, 'Lose My Mind', immediately grabs attention with its crisp, saturated drums and crunchy stabs. The track builds dynamically, layering choppy vocal hooks and bright strings to create a compelling dancefloor experience. It's a track designed to move bodies with an energy that's both infectious and sophisticated. 'Sunday Remedy' takes a different approach, incorporating bumpy breaks and a weighty kick drum. The track's core lies in its clever amalgamation of vocal samples, which intertwine seamlessly with gritty bass stabs and classic piano chords. It encapsulates the essence of house music, blending raw energy with melodic sophistication. On the flip side, 'Down The Street' delves into deeper territory. Airy chords and breathy vocal chants create an atmospheric backdrop, while bouncy bass stabs and a reduced rhythm section add raw intensity. It's a track that's both introspective and groove-driven, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms. The EP concludes with 'Smooth As Butter', a clear nod to the Detroit house sound where shimmering keys, jazzy drums, and twinkling chime melodies create a lush and sophisticated sonic landscape. Low-pitched vocals add soulful depth, completing the track's near-five-minute journey. His skillful blending of 90s nostalgic melodies with Detroit, Chicago and Italo influences creates a sound that's both familiar and fresh - not to mention, highly playable.

Review: Andy Vaz shares a fresh Detroit-flavoured deep house EP, fenced through one of many production studio complexes lying in the heart of Cologne, Germany. With slurred streetwise vocals sounding spreadeagled over modal chords and bodying beatwork, this one hits different. A rarefied soul vibe emerges especially on 'The New Germans', which fleshes an immensity of feeling out of a simple kicks n' claps mix alone and 'Hometown CGN' does similarly with its trombone-esque lead parp and brain-fogged puff-around synths.

Review: The "fool's paradise" is a classic device, espoused by many a luminary from Milton to Dante, referring to a special kind of metaphysical plane reserved for those too foolhardy to reflect on their lived misdeeds in any of the main three afterlives: heaven, hell or purgatory. It stands to reason, then, that a small band of nu-disco and house proponents should name their label after it, not least for the stupefying power of disco, and/or the sense of having evaded our sins when compelled to dance! A spin-off of Toolroom, head soundsmith Mark Knight gathers four guardian expiators to lead us into the vainest of all discotheques - Joey Vegas, Tenacious, Sgt. Slick, and Tommy Glasses - for a lulling set of automotive power-disco dreams, in which many a familiar sample from our fleshly lives - from the 70s and 80s, to be exact - filter in and out.

Review: Since he made his vinyl debut two decades ago, Tommy Vicari Jnr has built up quite a catalogue - including EPs and singles on Robsoul, Cabinet Records and, most recently, Drifted Records. Here the Sheffield producer makes his bow on the fast-rising Rhythm By Nature imprint, kicking things off with the wonderfully titled 'Francis Bacon Sized Hangover' - a chunky, sub-heavy slab of slipped tech-house excellence with enough weird noises to delight even the most inebriated dancers. He slows things down on 'B Doll', a jazzy chunk of off-beat hypnotism blessed with LFO style bass and glassy-eyed chords, before opening side B with the light Red Rack'em influenced 'New Days'. To round things off, he drops the ultra-deep wonder of 'Vommer', a genuinely locked-in early morning treat.

Review: 'How Do You Do It?' We'd like to ask Victorious much of the same question, as his reissued four-track EP via Sex Tapes From Mars is a serious befuddler, leaving us with just that question at the tips of our lips. First released in 1997, this is a long-lost soulful vocal house seducer from the genre's golden era. The record became a quick cult favourite, and its status among heads has remained exalted to this day, going for obscene prices on the 'ogs (there should, of course, be more regulation). Victorious aka. Victor Davies hailed from Canada and had already released one other EP before this one, via the serendipitously named Sex Records. But 'Liquid Squid' is really the teuthid oozer of choice, its lustrously sweet vocals sounding as if they'd been sung in secret by an illegitimate lover and its various analogue knocks and hums working to splashy effect.

Review: Ron Allen and Hayden Andrew Brown are the duo behind the cult house project VOICES. It was all the way back in 1990 that they dropped this most standout EP and now, 34 years on, Chiwax Classic Edition has secured the rights to bring it back to the fore with this welcome reissue. 'Give Me Your Body (vocal mix)' is textbook Chicago house of the era - dusty drums, dreamy pads and a nice cosmic edge to the melodies while a whispered vocal adds the soul. 'I'm Your Freak' is a title more percussive but still with a dreamy edge and 'Voyage To Infinity' closes out with causing groves and heady, humid pads that sink you in deep.

Review: If you like the sound of a mystical fusion of ancient Japanese folklore and contemporary electronic music, this EP created by Italian producer Volantis and Japanese artist Hiroko is for you. Inspired by a psychedelic experience in Kobe, it blends hardware synthesis with haunting vocals to cook up otherworldly spiritual realms. The title track merges Hiroko's narration with Japanese train sounds while summoning ancient beings while Eden Burns' remix intensifies the ritualistic atmosphere. 'La Kappa' features Hiroko's playful vocals over dreamy sequences with Fabrizio Mammarella's Italorama Version adding a touch of Italo disco. The whole thing was co-produced with Niccolo Barozzi and bridges East and West seamlessly.

Review: Orlando Voorn is always spoken of as one of the key links between European and Detroit techno. Here though, in collaboration with Han Litz, he sinks into his house sound on open 'What I Love' which is utterly gorgeous with its Roy Ayres flutes, jazzy keys and warm, soulful drums. The Soulfood Mix ups the jazziness and makes the drums more raw, then 'Composers' brings more warming house vibes that are heartfelt and musical. A Downbeat mix reduces the original perfectly for a more cosy, cuddly feel.

Review: Pete Herbert is back with another tasteful assembled and escapist compilation. This one focuses on slowed-down, low-slung sounds for the golden hour when love is in the air and the vibes and blissful. Balearic mainstays feature throughout with Max Essa's 'Warm Enough' a delightfully humid and synth-laced deep house jaunt, Fernando's 'Moon Rocks' full of shimmering synth lushness and Pete Herbert's remix of Mantas & Vencla's 'Sun' offering some piano laced fun to rouse the 'floor.

Review: A comprehensive snapshot of the GU label's penchant for expertly curated mixes that blend deep electronic textures with driving rhythms. The opening track, 'Pulse of the City,' moves with a slow, deliberate groove, gradually building momentum as layers of percussion and synths draw you in. As the compilation unfolds, it transitions smoothly between moments of hypnotic, bass-heavy depth and bursts of euphoric melody, encapsulating the energy of a live set. Every track feels intentional, each shift in mood purposefulithere's an undercurrent of excitement throughout, but it's never forced. A polished, immersive journey that reinforces Global Underground's reputation for precision and style.