Review: Hot Piroski Records have been on something of a hiatus for the last year or so but now make a welcome return with a new EP series. This collaborative affair is the result of an epic journey in an old Mercedes from London to Gunjur and finds label head Robin 12Tree working with The Gambia and Bongo Koi as Gambian Disco Express. 'Enlightenment is Now' marks their first release on Hot Piroski Records and it comes with vocals from Gambian mystic Rev. Joseph N'Gole, recorded on the banks of the River Gambia. This one has already been hammered by Psychemagik, Pete Herbert, and Severino from Horse Meat Disco so it comes quality assured.
Review: A Vision of Panorama and Star Creature continue their successful collaboration with another lovely 12" for lovers of classic house. Following the sold-out Fusion To Illusion LP, this new offering blends deep beats with hints of boogie and r&b in a fine showcase of the duo's signature sound, which is effortlessly cool, timeless, and trend-defying. Featuring vocal contributions from Sykes and Stacie G, the A-side delivers smooth, loungey vibes and includes the 12" version of 'Purple' which has been previously available only as a 7". The A-side also includes the instrumental track 'Ear Dreamin',' while the flip focuses entirely on instrumentals and brings a futuristic yet nostalgic edge.
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: This release marks the return of a 1989 classic and it has been remastered for the occasion. Ace Buzz is a project by Tony Baron and Gery Francois, who are known for acts like Teknokrat's. Their track 'Moskitos' is a playful, raw example of Belgian New Beat with a slightly lighter touch than the genre's typical aggression. It features simple Balearic piano chords and samples that evoke a surreal scene of someone in a cheap, hot Ibiza hotel battling mosquitos. The B-side, 'Nuevo Mondo,' shifts to a deeper, more mellow vibe, and is followed by a remix from Anatolian Weapons that transforms the original into something entirely fresh and unique.
Review: Religion, and specifically gospel music, always played a key part in shaping the sounds and emotions of easy house music. It is clearly going to have just as much impact on this new label God Iz Enough which debuts with an EP of the same name from Tomi Ahmedeus. His style on the opener is to lay down raw and dusty beats with an early Windy City feel and infuse them with evocative, guttural gospel vocals that really bring them to life and make them inescapably emotive. 'The Rise Of The Guttersnipe' strips things back a little and brings a shuffling tech vibe with some glistening melodies while 'Ms Ludus' is a gorgeous ambient closer.
Review: Naarm-based producer Sam Alfred shows no signs of slowing down as we continue to be impressed by the material coming out of Australia right now. After releasing the energetic 'Suzuka' EP, completing a sold-out headline tour and playing a packed set at MODE Festival, he's now back with more full flavour beats. This one disk off with a real house anthem inspired by 90s club music with punchy piano, airy synths, and a driving cowbell rhythm. 'Care 4 U' has carefree garage house vibes a la salute, 'Keep It' brings some euro dance and trance energy and 'Distance' is a peak-time acid-laced pumper. Brilliant stuff.
Review: With Australia's dance music scene booming, it's no surprise that one of its hottest talents lands in the Running Back universe. Sam Alfred's debut on Misfit Melodies blends the old with the new and builds on his reputation as both a mesmerising DJ and an enchanting studio talent. This new outing highlights his versatility from speed house to retro rave. It showcases his ability to merge past influences with forward-thinking melodies on standout tracks like 'While My Heart' and 'Back To' echo UKG vibes, while 'Drift' and 'Fortune' exemplify his production prowess. The title track, inspired by a Dekmantel visit, nods to 90s proggy bounce.
Review: This is a full artwork version of the same release that dropped recently as a pre-release white label, so will look as good on the shelves as it sounds on the decks. DJ Dez Andres has been particularly productive of late after releasing a series of" records that showcase his signature edits. The collection includes 'Boogie,' a broken beat banger featuring a catchy whistle, followed by 'Maxin',' a sensuous, downtempo track with smooth pads and laid-back beats. The final track, 'Talking,' wraps things up with soulful vocals and a romantic, late-night vibe.
Review: "One swallow doesn't make a summer" isn't just a famous aphorism by the philosopher Aristotle. It's also the name of this stalwart Running Back V/A compilation, which aims to live by the mantle of the famous Ancient Greek thinker's passion for gestalt consistency via a stunning series of house musical forward-movers. This time bringing five tracks across the spectrum of technicolour dance music, we kick off on the trance-dance pscyho-efflorescences of Ricardo Baez' 'The Age Of Energy' and end on the twinklingly ovular world-as-will that is Jonus Eric's 'Ribbon'. All tracks here burst with the energy of a flowerbed on steroidal growth serum, yeahsome yellers and puce petunias flourishing with lady-lucky eudaimonia.
Review: 'Make Me Feel' is the first release from Miami-based duo Bedouin since the acclaimed Temple Of Dreams album. Featuring Iveta and arriving on their Human By Default label, the single captures their deep, organic house sound and ice again it blends their cultural influences into enchanting grooves characterised by dramatic minor chords, wavy drums, and wooden percussion. Iveta's soulful vocals add emotional depth, making the track a standout in the organic house world. Known for their SAGA party at Pacha Ibiza, Bedouin's new material has already proven to be a staple in their summer sets and will likely sound great long into winter.
Review: Bell Towers is ready to party and you will be too once you've be chaired by this new EP on Public Possession. The titular cut 'Party Boy' opens up with some colourful disco energy and a vocoder vocal that has a charming retro-future fee. After the instrumental comes the thrilling and high-speed loops of 'DJ, Music, Money' which are pure carnage and then things take a more downtempo direction with the deep, spaced-out sounds and lush twinkling synth patterns of closer 'Party Void'. Lots of ground is covered in this EP, all of it superb.
Review: Ali Berger has long been known for crafting soulful, dynamic house music whether through his label Trackland or releases on Spectral Sound, Clave House, Firm Tracks, and FCR. He also performs solo or with Davis Galvin as Hits Only when his unique touch always remains evident. This new 12" features four tracks that blend uplifting and introspective house vibes and it oozes class. Opener 'Sun Rising On Harmony' boasts an infectious bass line and melody, while 'Inside,' offers a classic acid house feel. On the B-side, you have the lovely 'Thoughts Like Light Snow' which delivers an alluring electro twist, while 'Mint Leaf' closes with a rich bass line and intricate details.
Review: Henri Bergmann and Wennink's Guardian Angel marks an impressive debut on Crosstown Rebels, delivering a track that expertly fuses melody with depth. Bergmann's knack for sculpting rich, atmospheric landscapes is matched by Wennink's haunting vocals, creating a piece that feels both expansive and intimate. It's the kind of collaboration that hints at a shared vision without ever losing individual identity. The original track opens with textured percussion, slowly unfurling into an emotive soundscape as Wennink's vocals hover above like an ethereal guide. There's a melancholic undertone, but it's balanced by an uplifting drive, showcasing their ability to blend light and dark seamlessly. The remixes take Guardian Angel into uncharted territories. Stimming strips things back, opting for a more minimalist approach that sharpens the focus on rhythmic intensity, while his subtle use of effects amplifies the track's ethereal quality. It's a remix that feels lean but still full of intent. Hardt Antoine, on the other hand, plunges deeper into the shadows, pushing the bassline forward and letting synths stretch into eerie, sci-fi realms. His reworking is darker, stranger, and ultimately a satisfying close to the EP. With this release, Bergmann and Wennink add another strong entry to the Crosstown Rebels roster, proving that their partnership is one to keep watching.
Review: Nick Beringer has always had a slick and stylish sound no matter what niche he is working in. This new outing on Daydream is a four-track exploration of deep and dubby house and tech. Opener 'Hang Time' is fresh tech with painterly synth work. 'Auto Answer' is then loopy and silky with infectious drums and balmy pads, 'Nine To Five' then layers up deft pad work and wispy sic-fi motifs with lush neon colours and 'Intercom' kicks on with groves that exude cool as they journey late into the night.
Review: Second time around for Italian producer Black Loops' deep house tribute to his beloved Rome, which has become an in-demand and hard to find record since it first dropped on Freerange back in 2018. It's certainly one of the prolific producer's strongest releases, flexing a dusty, groovy at times pleasingly hypnotic take on late-night deep house. Check first title track '7 Hills', where jazzy Rhodes motifs, drifting chords and echoing jazz guitar notes ride a thickset groove, before admiring Mad Rey's chunkier, loopy and more locked-in peak-time interpretation. Over on side B, 'King Paul' is an even deeper and dreamier excursion in warm, bass-heavy dancefloor deepness, while 'Linda 38' offers an enticing blend of futurist electronics, jazzy keys, toasty chords and deep, analogue-rich bass.
Black Rascals - "So In Love" (feat Cassio Ware - Atjazz remix) (6:40)
Wonderland (feat Alexander Hope - Jimpster remix) (6:38)
How Deep Is Your Love (feat Alexander Hope - DJ Spinna remix) (8:50)
Breathe (Natasha Diggs remix) (5:53)
Review: Given that they've been operative since the dawn on garage-house in the mid 1980s, there's plenty of material in the Blaze vaults to remix. Re-activated British label Slip 'N' Slide agrees, hence this EP featuring a quartet of revisions of catalogue cuts. To kick things off, Atjazz delivers a smooth, effortlessly soulful and lightly tech-tinged take on Black Rascals cut 'So In Love', before fellow British deep house star Jimpster drops a tactile, musically detailed and impressively soulful take on 'Wonderland'. Over on side B, DJ Spinna's version of 'How Deep Is Your Love' is a superbly summery soulful house wonder, while Natasha Diggs' version of all-time-classic 'Breathe' sounds like Earth, Wind and Fire jamming with a Latin house band in Blaze's New Jersey studio. Undeniably ace!
Review: Neat contemporary UKG taking after the classics. Ba Dum Tish once more welcomes producer Bob G for 15 minutes' worth of well-layered 2-step and 4x4, in the form of 'Happenings'. The buzzsaw on the front cover might echo the influence of Blow's 'Cutter' on the then contemporary sound of UKG in its original 90s heyday; meanwhile, sonically, the likes of 'Happenings' and 'Soothing' bring fruit-driven strings and sweet-attacked rims n' knocks to the table and 'Unclosed' and 'Off Switch' present further experiments in the realms of flat beats and speed garage, the former working in a restless acid line and the latter bringing in a touch of speed's essential laggard swing.
Review: The second various artists EP from the Merkwurdig label is another tasteful collection of up front sounds from a clutch of inquisitive underground names. Body opens up with some nice cosmic tech powered by rasping bass and reverberating synths. Nate SU's 'Neutrino' is a busy jam with hooky synths and splashy cymbals that takes on a twisted sense of cyborg funk. OBG very much smooths things out with the heady house roller that is 'With The Wave' and Fabiano Jose shuts down with the rock solid kick patterns and subtly rising joy of his diffuse piano chords on 'Discotale.'
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: 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.
Alex Burkat - "Take It Away" (Kalyptra remix) (6:14)
Kalyptra - "Young Indigo Theme" (5:44)
Alex Burkat & Matt Cif - "Magneta" (4:53)
Review: For their second 12" release - which comes on the heels of a great debut - the Only Child label presents a fresh soundscape for a fictional Manhattan neighbourhood. It takes the form of a split EP on which Alex Burkat offers his interpretation of modern deep house on 'Take It Away', while Kalyptra brings a distinctive Ecuador-meets-Philly influence with his remix. The label hopes that the fusion of these styles creates an ethereal, body-moving soundtrack that captures the essence of walking through the streets of New York City in 2024, while 'Kalyptra' adds his own heady and dreamy tech house sounds and Matt Cid steps up to collaborate on closer 'Magenta' which glistens with melodic radiance.
Review: X-factor garage and deep house from London's Capracara with 'Realtime Emoji'. Wielding a growling, reese-not-reese bassline and pitting it contra nunchuck future garage percs, the rising producer brings a brainy yet not overthought hoohah to the nascent What About Never crew, fully earning its place on the 12" and subsequent turntable. If the track were an emoji, it would be a melty face for certain; its slowly pitch-drifted leads and rotary cabinet-ed hits both glide overhead and slang down below, neither never quite allowing the listener to settle into any one headspace, insinuating restlessness at every turn as priority numero uno. Meanwhile, producer Secondo jolts us from our draggy catchup play with a much straighter 909 jam.
Review: Colin Curtis - an early purveyor of rare groove and jazzdance whose credo rings far and wide - has been helming his own label of originals for some time now. Presently focusing on the best live-feel broken beat, house and jazz in his orbit, his latest curation, Cengiz and Ishfaq's 'Vibrations', is no break from this general rule. Each artist helming one side respectively, Cengiz' 'Motf' and its remix work a steadily built progression around faint jeers, metallic percs, filterpassed tom fills and space-age risers, the latter of which is much more skeletal than the former; while Ishfaq's 'Wonderjazz' moves impressively somewhere in the lost interregnum between speed garage and techfunk.
Review: The Rangi Club EP by Chasse offers four genuine house tracks that showcase the essence side of deeper dance music. Side-1 opens with 'It's Alright,' a track that lays down a solid house groove. With its deeper vibe and strong vocal delivery, it sets the perfect mood for a night on the dancefloor. 'Purple Street' follows, bringing smooth deep house sounds and a rhythm that's instantly catchy, making it hard not to move along. On Side-2, the title track 'Rangi Club' takes inspiration from Chicago house with its distinctive drum grooves. It's a workout for the dancefloor, designed to keep the energy high. The EP closes with 'Welcome,' a piano-led builder that gradually intensifies, offering a satisfying conclusion to this well-rounded collection. The Rangi Club EP provides four strong examples of tracks that will elevate any set.
Michele Chiavarini presents The Jazzcodes - "Jazz Was Dancing" (Saison remix) (5:54)
Michele Chiavarini presents The Jazzcodes - "Jazz Was Dancing" (7:35)
Yuichi Inoue - "A Night In The Room" (6:49)
Sebb Junior - "As One" (5:49)
Review: It's ten up for the cultured hose label No Fuss here and they hit the milestone in style with underground Michele Chiavarini and his Jazz Codes project. Their innovative 'Jazz Was Dancing' has a monologue about jazz over jazzy keys and live-sounding jazz drums so in a word, it's jazzy. Saison adds some more bumping drums and swinging grooves to their remix and on the flip, Japan's Yuichi Inoue offers a deep house sound that also explores jazz, but in a more seductive way on 'A Night In The Room.' Sebb Junior's 'As One' is last up and slows things down with a more sensuous late-night sound full of heart.
Tribute To Miles Davis (Pablo Minuto & Guillermo De Caminos remix) (7:07)
Electronic Funk (Jorge Savoretti remix) (6:50)
Review: For the quarter-century release from Savor Music 025, a stellar lineup of remixers rework Franco Cinelli's Tracks from the Vault Part 2. DJ Jes delivers a trippy house reinterpretation of 'Tribute to Miles Davis' and blends jazz elements with a loose, groove-heavy vibe while preserving the original's spirit. Pablo Minuto & Guillermo de Caminos take a minimalistic approach and turn the track into a hypnotic journey focusing on rhythm and atmosphere. Jorge Savoretti's remix of 'Electronic Funk' enhances the original's pulsing bassline and crisp percussion with added synth layers to create a deeper, more textured version that is great in its own right.
The Mechanical Man - "Uncle Swing" (feat Bob Vito) (4:31)
DJ Rocca - "The Box Above" (6:03)
Lex & Locke - "Soul Escape" (6:56)
Review: Musica Solida sampler 1 marks a thrilling celebration of 40 years of Flexi, the venerable record emporium that has stood the test of time in the ever-evolving music industry landscape. As the label weathered storms and celebrated triumphs, it has remained a beacon for vinyl enthusiasts, and this compilation embodies its enduring spirit. Curated by Flexi Cuts, Musica Solida promises a series of carefully selected singles spread across multiple 12-inch samplers, showcasing the talents of cherished Flexi-affiliated artists and producers. With a vision to cultivate a movement of sublime tunes, the compilation aims to uphold the commitment to quality that Flexi has exemplified within the Italian music scene and beyond. Musica Solida sampler one sets the stage with an eclectic lineup of artists, each bringing their unique flair to the table. DJ Rocca stands as a stalwart of the clubbing scene, while Club Soda delivers live electronic ensembles brimming with house-flavored jams. Lex & Locke bring a touch of Greek sophistication to the mix, showcasing their groovy sound destined for future acclaim. Hiroyuki Kato emerges as a Japan-based multi-instrumentalist with a punchy debut track, and The Mechanical Man (feat. Bob Vito) adds a raw, gritty energy to the compilation. For those that are adventurous in finding unique music, you will want to check out this great release.
O Ceu E Preto (Dimitri From Paris & DJ Deep remix) (6:13)
O Ceu E Preto (DJ Deep & Romain Poncet remix) (5:22)
Review: Cotonete are a genuinely unique proposition: an eight-piece French jazz-funk outfit who performed live for a decade before recording their first single in 2016. They've delivered a couple of great albums since, including this year's brilliant Victoire De La Musique. 'O Ceu E Preto', a Brazilian flavoured number, was one of the highlights of that album and here gets reworked for house dancefloors by French veteran DJ Deep and pals. On side A, he joins forces with fellow local legend Dimitri From Paris to deliver a chunky, bass-heavy vocal version that sits somewhere between Masters At Work's more Afro-house-infuenced efforts and Deep's own late-night dancefloor hypnotism. He explores the latter side of his musical personality further, alongside Romain Parcet, on a flipside dub that exquisitely deep, trippy and delay laden. It's a genuine triumph!
At Les (Christian Smith Tronic Treatment remix) (9:44)
At Les (Christian Smith Hypnotica remix) (9:14)
Review: Christian Smith revisits Carl Craig's iconic ambient masterpiece 'At Les' with two exceptional remixes, originally crafted in 2010. This reissue on Tronic revives the deep house genre with a fresh perspective on a track that first appeared on Craig's 1997 album, More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art. On Side-1, the 'Tronic Treatment remix' injects a pulsating energy into the ethereal original, blending rhythmic depth with the serene atmosphere that made the track a legend. Smith's remix maintains the emotional intensity while adding a driving beat that propels the listener forward. On Side-2, the 'Hypnotica remix,' where Smith delves into a more immersive, trance-like state. This version is all about loops and intricate layers, creating a soundscape that feels both expansive and intimate. Smith's reimagining of 'At Les' pays homage to Carl Craig's genius while introducing new sonic dimensions. Still, 14 years later...this is a club ready peak time record.
Review: Analog Concept present the second volume of their dynamic various artists series, offering up four tracks of proper electronic class made to last. Aiming at moods of outernational escapism and determined space-braving, all four tracks here - from D5, Rekab, Amorsinfronteras and Ross Alexander - scratch at different spacio-tempaural regions of the universal surface. 'Round & Round' establishes things on a watery note, while Rekab's 'On The Move' contrasts this with a mixture of exploratory, deep-padded electro wonderment and a sense of measured, stoic drive: the ideal affect of most astronauts, according to NASA. 'FORM' assumes a polylateral shape, blending janky electro offcuts with paddy pensees, while Ross Alexander rounds things off on a similar note of determination to before, melding hard garage house with blissy piano-stabs.
Review: Dutch duo Dam Swindle have spent much of the last 12 months masterminding the 10th anniversary celebrations - and numerous releases - of their popular Heist Recordings imprint. This excellent and wonderfully nostalgic four-tracker is a great way for them to return following a near 12-month gap between EPs. On opener 'Touch Me Again', they add eyes-closed, early Orbital style female vocal samples, breakbeat blasts and bubbly acid lines to a joyous, piano-powered house groove, before going deeper into chunky and dreamy house retro-futurism on the heady and life-affirming 'Hang On'. Their love of strong melodies, memorable chords and rubbery basslines comes to the fore on the joyous 'The Joy of Melancholy', while 'Forever and Ever' is an organ-rich, gospel-tinged fusion of vintage US garage sounds and colourful synth sounds.
Review: Pampa is a label that operates in its own unique niche, left of centre and rich in defence to house, pop, minimal and hip-hop. Dave DK is a similarly inventive and singular producer so they are a match made in heaven. This new EP opens with the humid house sounds of 'Herzen Auf' which is run through with diffuse chords and dreamy vocal sounds full of soul. 'Ross 308' then gets more percussive and tribal with a jumbled groove that is marbled with psyched-out vocals. The best of the lot is deep house closer 'Don't Eat The Homies' with its wispy pads and elegant, feelgood chords.
Review: Four technical scratches from Joe Davies, who asks us forgiveness for his "late response"; he's been toiling away in the studio since at least his last EP for Smallville, 'Shields In Full Sunlight', and now returns to the fore for yet another punchy and arresting new EP. 'Errol Dub' and 'Unknown' provide the first intersonic tension, the former track building low chord pulses and nautical beats around an encircling "what'd I do?" sample, and the latter proving swangier, more acidic and low-slung. Thereafter come the two latter, more pisciform trax, with '1234' bringing a submersive Drexciyan steeze to a metallic pulse, and the latter 'Hi Life' moving more waterboarded breaks and minimal, providing a ruinous undersea vision of the German city of Frankfurt, post sea-level rise.
Review: The third installment of the Split EP series brings together the talents of Dutchman Michel De Hey and DJ Steaw, offering four dynamic tracks ready to ignite the dancefloor. The A-side kicks off with 'Hot Like That,' delivering thumping warehouse house music infused with serious 90s house sounds. 'Pressure You' follows with a more upbeat vibe, blending high-energy house elements with deepness and a tracky vibe, ensuring a fun experience. Flipping over to the B-side, 'Northern Line' introduces deep bass, fun house music, and a hypnotic groove, accentuated by chords of beauty that mesmerise the senses. 'Don't Care' rounds off the EP with deeper house vibes, boasting addictive smoothness that keeps listeners hooked. Together, De Hey and DJ Steaw masterfully fuse nostalgic elements with vibrant synths and buoyant house rhythms, crafting four musings that are primed for the clubs. Four groove-inducing tracks that will undoubtedly captivate audiences on any dancefloor.
Review: Berlin's prolific Delfonic is back on GAMM with part two of his popular Berlin Reworks series. Building on the fine first instalment, he delves into his record collection to rework four beloved tracks and they feature classic black dance music and blend modern disco-soul, soulful disco, jazz-funk, and vibrant jazz-dance. Each track offers something different so these jams will cater to a wide range of tastes from the aching soul of 'Will You Follow Me?' to the feel-good funk of 'Lemme Change', percussive and chord-laced magic of 'Come On & Dance' and cosmic dancer that is 'Chillinger'.
Review: Demujna keeps it class as always on this latest offering on the long running and reliable Permanent Vacation label. His Bring Back Love EP kicks off with some twitchy acid modulations and smeared strong samples, thumping kicks on 'Will You Hate Me' then picks up the pace with some cruising house beats and metallic synth sounds that twist and turn in evocative fashion. 'Back For More' is a winky one with sugar chords and blurts of melodic colour and 'What To Do With That' shuts down with some slapping hits and mangled vocals for an emotive finish.
Review: For those of a certain vintage, Lance DeSardi will be a familiar name. During the late 90s and early 2000s, he released a string of solo and collaborative singles that combined the loved-up haziness of San Francisco deep house with the druggy, off-kilter veneer of UK tech house. He's not released much in a while - six years, in fact - making this 12" on Classic a must-check. 'Higher', featuring heady lead vocals from Jesse Rennix, is prime DeSardi - all addictive four-note synth riffs, twisted electronics, bouncy bleeps and unfussy deep house drums. It comes backed with the wonderfully hypnotic, bass-heavy and intergalactic-sounding 'Space Dub' and 'The Runaway (House is A'pealin)', a deep tech-house roller full of trippy, dubbed-out riffs, echoing vocal snippets, loose-limbed beats and deep bass.
Review: The Spas label is only three releases deep but has already stood itself out in the world of minimal and tech. This latest various artist real is another doozy with classy oozing from each beat. Direkt opens up with the speedy and silky tech briskness of 'Hubble' and VincentIulian's 'Brokenh' then gets a little more trippy with a broken beat pattern and woozy chords adding some late-night seduction. Alvaro Medina's 'St1' is a glistening mix of knife-sharpening hi-hats and succulent drum loops run through with some suspensory pads that keep on rising. Pinto's 'Watercolors' is one that locks you into its smooth, frictionless loops where bubbling synth motifs, distant vocal sounds and liquid chords all subsume you.
Review: Time to Play's latest release, "Midnight Love," marks a significant addition to their catalog, courtesy of Japan's DJ Dreamboy. The EP's title track is a masterclass in Japanese deep house, capturing a sound that's minimal yet intense, balanced yet dreamy. The choice of Brazilian producer Zopelar for a tough remix only underscores the track's impact and versatility. On the flip side, "Vibe" kicks off with a minute of atmospheric build-up, gradually exploding into a whirlwind of kicks and acid arpeggios. It's a journey from suspense to euphoria that's bound to ignite any dancefloor. Following suit is "Dream Town," which retains a softer, more contemplative edge, echoing the vibe of the title track while adding a layer of subtle sophistication. The EP wraps up with "My House Style," a high-octane trip through Tokyo's nocturnal landscape. It's a relentless romp featuring deep basslines, ethereal atmospheres, and a rhythm that demands you keep moving. If you've ever dreamt of a non-stop dance odyssey, this track's your ticket. DJ Dreamboy's "Midnight Love" not only showcases their signature sound but also sets a new standard for modern deep house.
DJ Fett Burger & DJ Grillo Wiener - "Disco Sex" (7:05)
Review: Those with long memories might remember Sex Tags UFO chief DJ Fett Burger's 2012 double A-side collaboration with the mysterious DJ Grillo Weiner, 'Disco Tre'/'Disco Fire' - a deliciously percussive and wayward workout built around choice disco loops and heavy, wayward percussion. 12 years on, the Norwegian pair are back for round two. Fett Burger goes solo on A-side 'Disco Fem', a typically stretched-out fusion of drum machine kicks, densely layered percussion and killer samples from a vintage disco record. It's a genuinely extra, extra-large affair and very, very good. Turn to the flip for 'Disco Sex', a slamming, techno-tempo collaboration that pairs thumping beats and low-slung dub disco bass with mind-mangling synth loops and ambient chords. Like the A-side, it's simply colossal - albeit in a typically eccentric, off-kilter way.
Review: Milo Johnson AKA DJ Nature is not a newcomer to the re-edit scene - he's been serving up reworks, bootlegs and floor-focused DJ tools for decades - but he has become more prominent in recent years, thanks in no small part to the efforts of edit specialists Hot Biscuit Recordings. Here he delivers the second part of his Versions project, offering up six more revisions stretched across two slabs of wax. Check first the lightly dubbed-out, string-laden jazz-funk shuffle of 'Felix', before admiring the summery South American jazz-fusion brilliance of 'Caso De Amor de Brasileiro' and the low-slung funk-goes-jazz-dance headiness of 'Steppin'. His love of low-slung, dub-flecked workouts returns on EP highlight 'Tarzoon March', before he reaches for the lasers on disco-funk jam 'Disco Queen' and successfully tampers with a jazzy deep disco number on 'Have Mercy'.
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