Back catalogue: House

Review: Massive jazzdance and UK bass fusions on the new e-glowup from Eglo (though the record is also released physically). Celebrating 15 years of the nominal "post-dubstep" label, this limited 12" EP hears four exclusive, unreleased tracks from an upcoming label-definer compilation, the third in a series. Born from the basement of Plastic People, the pressure has remained continuously on Eglo to keep the same foment of bass musical innovation that the club nurtured alive. Plastic People is a routinised object of nostalgia, and it is often deemed the last proper place for innovation in bass music before austerity Britain militated against it. Zed Bias's remix of Chunky's 'Dancing On Tables' with Metrodome - and the deep, bruk-inspired track, 'Minerals,' from Liverpool's rising star Sticky Dub - both prove this assessment totally wrong. Genius thrives. On the flip, we've also house legend Giles Smith (formerly of Secretsundaze) delivering fresh material, as well as label boss Alexander Nut making his official debut with the lo-fi electro house track 'Arcade Fun Pt. 1.' The full compilation, featuring artists like Shy One, Steve Spacek, and Fatima, drops in April.

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: Adeen Records returns with a superb EP that blends a classic with three new and fresh unreleased tracks. Deep house don Chez Damier's Panorama Bar Remix kicks off and is a a 2021 standout with a killer baseline and Spanish guitar that brings some sunny soul and makes for some top level house grooves. Makez then shines with 'Rocket Music' which has a chunky low end and glistening, golden piano chords making it a late night favourite. On the B-side, Adeen regular Alkalino delivers a tropical-infused edit for the peak time and Gledd closes with a classy cut 'Sere Yo' that is all about the drums. Lovely stuff.

Review: Monday Morning is back to roll out some more lush house depths with a second EP, this one featuring founder Manuel De Lorenzi in the company of his pals Giacomo Silvestri, Freddie Wall and Fichs. 'Sun-Rise' is a nice gritty but vibey opener with percussive skip and dry hits. Fichs's solo cut is a loopy workout with nice bulbous synths and a pared-back rhythm that gets ever more inescapable while De Lorenzi then offers up the radiant synth warmth and dubby undercurrents of minimal house shuffler 'You Already Know It.' With Giacomo Silvestri he then closes on the more percussive loops of soft house soother 'The Big Apple Community.'

Review: Yet two more Brownswood bubblers rise to the surface, this time under the well-organised branch of the tree known as Brownswood Remix Editions, which does what it says on the lovey-dovey carving. Here, back-to-back debutants Musclecars and Laroye receive the Olympic torch from London-based acid jazz group Galliano, who've blazed a thick trail of flame since their original formation in 1988, not to mention a recent reformation in 2023. 'Pleasure, Joy & Happiness' hears a house musical chorale from Musclecars, with added vocal mystifications threshed in the stereo field, producing a Balearic effect. Laroye's version of 'Circles Going Round The Sun' brings swelling "Kaytra" grooves and bumper drums to an anticipatory mood, provided by the original's solo siren song and urban monologue.

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: This new 12" on Aliens On Wax declares that Chicago Jack Is Back and we are fine with that. The raw, early, street wise sounds of the Windy City are still some of the best house has ever given rise to and that is encapsulated across four new cuts from Gettoblaster and two collaborators. First it's Baggi on 'Throwin' Down' (feat Chip E) then it's Terry Mullan on 'Armando's Ghost'. The flipside has the solo cuts though both feature house legends Chip E and Joe Smooth making this the most authentic package of jack you will have heard in some time.

Review: Dan Ghenacia's D is a mesmerizing journey into the realms of deep house, showcasing his unparalleled talent in blending various genres seamlessly. Released as the second installment from Aweed, a new exciting French label in the electronic music scene, this album is a true gem for any music enthusiast. The tracklist begins with the futuristic 'Detrance,' a nod to 90s style techno that is impeccably executed. On side 2, 'Dafternoon' captivates listeners with its Detroit-inspired vibe, combining an ominous melody with a playful yet profound undertone. 'Dubapest' blends dubby elements with deep house sensibilities and a touch of electro flair with expert drum programming and a unique sonic landscape, D by Dan Ghenacia is a must-have for fans of deep house, tech house, and electro techno alike.

Review: A double A-side featuring 'RESIST!' and 'I Keep on Making the Same Mistake', Ghost Assembly's latest offering is less a release and more a protest on wax. Abigail Ward, the force behind Ghost Assembly, has crafted two distinct yet complementary tracks that pulse with raw energy and emotional depth. 'RESIST!' (Extended 12" Mix) is a primal scream against the injustices of the world. This 111bpm acid track is a visceral call to arms, primed for ALFOS and Optimo crowds. Think of it as a sonic Molotov cocktail: squelching 303s intertwine with a driving 707 beat, while unexpected bursts of Arabic melody add an intriguing layer of texture. It's like DJ Pierre jamming with Omar Souleyman in a Berlin basement. A fragmented vocal sample adds to the urgency, culminating in an icy string coda. The 'Utter Kunt Mix' of 'RESIST!' takes a detour into dub territory. It's a stripped-down, bass-heavy reimagining that draws inspiration from Sleng Teng rhythms. It's a hypnotic, almost meditative experience, where echoes of the Mission Impossible theme collide with the playful energy of Les Negresses Vertes and the raw sampling aesthetic of 'Duck Rock'. It's unexpected, yet strangely compelling. 'I Keep on Making the Same Mistake' (120bpm), on the other hand, explores the darker recesses of the human heart. It's a cinematic journey through heartbreak and regret. A glacial breakbeat provides the backdrop for a mournful bassline that tugs at the heartstrings. Hazel Grove's haunting vocals are fragmented and distorted, adding to the sense of unease, before being consumed by a wave of melancholic strings. A fleeting French voiceover adds a final touch of poignancy. The release concludes with a stripped-back string-a-pella version, a haunting reminder of the track's emotional core.

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: Reagan Grey is a Toronto-based producer who impresses with this cultured new outing on Selections. 'What You Came Here For' is pure vibes - a house cut with old-school organ stabs and hints of US garage drum shuffle, all topped with a nice hooky vocal cry from Kayenne. Kai Alce's NDATL mix layers in some jazzy keys that take things to the next level and 'Undertones' then keeps the soul quotient high with some molten chord work and dusty drum loops that are warm and heartfelt. 'Don't Stop' shuts down with a heavier basement house vibe and more smart synth work.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: For the latest release on his consistently impressive Mate Records imprint, Madrid stalwart Rafa Santos has turned to Parisian twosome Groove Boys Project. Their take on house tends towards the nostalgic and musically expansive, and the four tracks assembled here fit that description. They begin by joining the dots between Kerri Chandler style garage-house and dreamier European deep house on 'Keep On Dreamin' (Club Mix)', before expertly fusing elements of new age house, Italo-house and solo-laden US deep house on 'Sunrise (Underwater Mix)'. Over on the flip, 'The Jazz Palace (Long Ride Mix)' is a vibraphone-solo laden chunk of rolling deep house warmth and Rawai hook-up 'Djoon Trax (937 Classsic Mix)' sees the duo add delicious jazz guitar solos to a sun-soaked deep house groove rich in rubbery synth-bass.

Review: That man Glenn Underground is back with more of his masterful melodic house workouts as GU aka CVO. 'Jack & The Madman' goes super deep with moody drums wired up with burrowing, melancholic synths and time-keeping hi-hats. 'Nutso Jack' lands with some tribal drum heft and a melange of percussive details and wispy synths while 'Acid Disco (Supadisco)' is a woozy ste night exploration of jazzy keys and solar pads with soft cid lines weaving their way in and out of the beats. It's timeless and fresh once again from this Chicago mainstay.

Review: GU (which is of course an alias of Chicago favourite Glenn Underground) is back with a 20th volume of his Classiques series. It once again finds him adding his own special studio magic to come stone-cold classics from the funk and disco world. First, he flips Le Cop's 'Move Your Body' into a funky percussive sound with steamy vocals. Then Machine's 'Marisa' becomes a jazzy and expressive sound with busy leads and funky guitars and Loose Joints's 'Tell You Today' is a wild horn-led sound with a busy arrangement and pumping drums. Last of all are the sunny and soulful sounds of The Isley Brothers's 'Hurry Up & Wait' with cool house drums.

Review: Marking out ten years of Monologues Records, label CEO Ben Gomori proposes a wide-ranging retrospective, bottling the label's ethos as a border-bending housebreaker. This sampler 12" complements the full 35-track digital release, which latterly mixes deep house, disco, Balearic, kwaito, breakbeat, jazz house, Afro house, melodic techno and more, these are the label's most slept-on cuts and utmost personal favourites, charting past releases by Gilles Peterson, Kerri Chandler, The Blessed Madonna, TSHA, Colleen Cosmo Murphy and Kamma & Masalo. The MO is to buck trends, and simply "sign and support good sh*t, wherever it comes from."

Review: It's worth noting this is a pretty impressive 125th EP from the Bristol label Shall Not Fade. The shine has not come off this always eclectic label in that time and next up to move things on is the dream team pairing of Lawrence J and J Peacock. 'Too Far To Come Back' opens up with some celebratory Daft Punk-style, hands-in-the-air and festival-sized house. 'Everything I've Got' keeps it a little deeper but filter synths still take centre stage with a balmy twist and 'Brother John' slows to heavy beatdown house with rapturous chords and vocals all swirling around to great and uplifting effect.

Review: On Demuja's label Blueprint comes an milestone six-track EP made up of breezy, ultraviolet house tunes, celebrating the imprint's tenth anniversary in the form of a bite-sized sampler referencing a wider compliation LP. With both familiar and fresh faces in tow, we're gripped by the selection on offer: Hall's synthetic glam-funk jam opens proceedings with whistly synths, while Makez' 'Train To Saturn' accelerates towards ever-faster ends, and Basic Soul Unit's 'Souljourn' takes the B's cake with knocky, tactile *perpetuum mobile*.

Review: The enduring electronic musical gene sequence that was Virginia-born pianist and keys player Lonnie Liston Smith's spiritual funk-jazz opus, 'Expansions' from 1974, now hears another re-disco-scription by keyboardist Gail Johnson and her unstoppable band, Jazz In Pink. Renowned for her keytar uplifts and relentless live schedule, this is a rare 12" for the modern genius LA live musician. Her rendition of Smith's 'Expansions' both mellows and sharpens the mood in equal measure, providing a renewed euphony come euphoria. 'Glow' backs up the B-side with a sheeny original, with dramatic phrase stops and trademark peak-out pianos from Gail.

Review: DAYBREAKERS, a new London label dedicated to deep house in all its forms, opens with a study of Jeffrey Collins' Music Station, an imprint that helped define US dancefloors in the 90s. The EP feels like a time capsule, revealing the label's essential DNA through four carefully selected cuts. Elaine Monk's 'Something For Nothing' appears twice, its Vocal Mix exuding warmth and deep swing, while the D A.p. Dub strips it down to bare essentialsisubmerged chords and hypnotic motion. The flip explores even deeper textures. Cherie Lee's 'Love Me Or Leave Me (Club Dub)' simmers with effortless groove, its vocal ad-libs curling around crisp percussion. Then comes Gerideau's 'Take A Stand (Smack Rain Vibe Mix),' a brooding, red-lit anthem built on thick bass weight and velvety synth lines. Across all four tracks, DAYBREAKERS capture the allure of the classic, the forgotten and the essential, proving that deep houseiat its bestiis timeless.

Review: After a near two-year break, the shadowy CUE Point label - an imprint based in Valencia, Spain - returns to stores. To reintroduce itself, the imprint has decided to offer-up a multi-artist EP featuring cuts from new signings, old heads and friends of the label. Pad Union kicks things off with the deep, dusty and gently jazzy 'Holodnaya Para' - all rich Rhodes chords, languid bass guitar and crunchy drum machine beats - before storied producer ScruScru joins forces with Guydee on the acid-fired, funk bass-propelled house bounce of 'Nesting Down'. Over on side T, Negroove's ghostly, slipped tech-house jam 'Smoked Jazz' (a track blessed with Villalobos-influenced percussion programming) is paired with EP highlight 'Grisha (Soe)', a chunky and organ-rich slab of peak-time tech-house by label regular Heavenchord.

Review: Norm Talley's Detroit label Upstairs Asylum comes through with another various artists gem here: Gari Romalis kick off with the sort of smoky house depths you always expect from this imprint. 'Electronix (I'm Ya Dancer)' is dubbed out but dynamic, then G Major's 'Metro To Downtown' brings an injection of soul warmth and percussive looseness. Chuck Daniels & Hazmat Live's 'I Want You' is a darker, more heads down affair with freaky vocals and digital synth patterns over gritty, US garage styled low ends. Max Watts then cuts loose with the undulating dub techno depths of 'Velocity' to round out a varied EP.

Review: Various Shades is right! Zagreb label Forbidden Dance bring together the talents of Patrice Scott, Aleqs Total, XDB and Gary Superfly for a fine gradient of hex-perimental dance music, fully exciting our many aural rods and cones. An earful of minimal moods are conveyed on Scott's 'Be Yourself', with its fidgeting stereo bass sound design especially impressing, while Aleqs Total's 'People Round Town' lets a seedier sonic underbelly of aspic acid spill out onto main street. 'Odican' by XDB is the most unsettling number, with a repetitive vocal hallucination resounding in and out of a tenebrous centre mix, while Superfly's 'Free Fall' marks a recovery from the A1's relative panic attack, through intravenous hi-hats and concordant chords.

Review: In alignment with London clubbing institution Fabric's 25th year, the huge figural techno head Laurent Garnier joins on for the former's Fabric Presents mix series, which selects artists to record different stylistic kinds of DJ mixes - separate to the longtime, peaktime, and often drum & bass-oriented Fabriclive series. Among the shortlist of artists drawn up, Garnier's name stuck out like a sore thumb, not least since those who are inevitably chosen had to have risen to fame in roughly the same timeframe as the Farringdon nightclub did. Fabric make the following promise: Laurent's mix, released here in the form of a deluxe CD compendium, will not only pay homage to the club, but also showcase his own mastery of genres and the diversity of his genius. The release will drop physical-only as a deluxe vinyl collectable and on CD and it'll also feature a new original four-track EP from Laurent.

Review: To commemorate the 20th anniversary of D'Angelo's iconic album Voodoo, Amerigo Gazaway had crafted a masterful tribute that reinterprets several standout tracks from the original. Utilising live instruments like electric guitar, synth bass, clavinet, organ and Rhodes, Gazaway breathes fresh life into these classic cuts while maintaining the essence of their grooves. The result is a woozy, silky update that melds elements of hip-hop, gospel, neo-soul and r&b, creating a rich tapestry of sound that honors the source material. With fourteen tracks, including both vocal and instrumental versions, this project captures the spirit of Voodoo while infusing it with new energy. A highlight of this release is the bonus track featuring Raphael Saadiq alongside D'Angelo on 'Be Here', which further emphasises the collaborative spirit of the genre. Gazaway's reimagining not only celebrates the timeless quality of Voodoo but also showcases his talent for blending classic sounds with contemporary influences, making this tribute a worthy addition to any music lover's collection.

Review: Oskaa-born but truly otherworldly producer Daichi Furukawa, aka Ground, is back with a new album that is here to bend your mind and distort your reality with his fourth world follow-up to 2018's cult favourite Sunizm. This experimental odyssey truly defies genre, logic, and linearity as it assembles a chaotic yet mesmerising fusion of organic samples, synthetic textures, tribal rhythms and cosmic noise that are fantastic and freaky. Yaoyorozoo is one of those records that feels both ancient and futuristic as it taps into beautiful and unsettling, inviting and disorienting rhythms and sample sources. Across 73 minutes, it mutates like a dream-always shifting, never settling, so it makes for a cerebral collage for wide-open minds and ears only.