Review: REPRESS ALERT!: People Pleasers is a brand new label that kicks off with the first sounds of a new project, Shep, by respected veteran producer Jay Shepheard. It is house music which underpins these but plenty more goes on up top. 'Peach Buzz' shows that from the off with some nice airy pads and emotive vocal stabs that will make any floor take note. 'Trust Your Nose' is a deep, warm cut with shuffling drum and humid 90s organ stabs while 'The Bell Curve' has a late-night feel thanks to the pulsing synth sequences that roam about the mix. 'Higher States Of Nonchalance' shuts down with the most heady sound of the lot and a persuasive dub feel that is perfect for back rooms.
Review: Renowned Curacao-born electronic duo Shermanology are back with a new four-tracker on their cutting-edge label, D'EAUPE. Known for their dynamic sound and genre-blending prowess, Shermanology have become a real force in electronic music with infectious beats and soulful vocals that exemplify their ability to unite diverse influences on the dance floor. This EP underscores that with a quartet of fresh final tunes, innovative rhythm and the sort of characterful sound designs that always make their tunes pop out in any setting.
Review: Shiffer and Paul Brenning's latest collaboration is a masterclass in restraint and groove. The tracks here unfold slowly, each element carefully placed, allowing the deep, rumbling bass and crisp percussion to speak for themselves. There's a warmth to the production, with subtle melodies peeking through the smooth rhythms, creating a hypnotic effect that pulls you in. The vibe is steady yet unpredictable, and you can feel the influence of house, techno, and everything in between. It's an understated but impressive exploration of sound.
Review: German producer Sidney Charles likes his beats chunky and his grooves heavy. He heads up the Heavy House Society which is named in reference to that fact and that is where he steps up now with a new 12", Reso Riddim. The lithe title cut gets things underway then 'Objection' offers up super smooth and irresistible rhythms run through with deft synth work and nice swirling cosmic overtones. 'Rawline 98' taps into a throwback house sound for all passion and sweatiness and last of all 'Charles List' is an all our jacker with snappy snares, yelping vocals and Boo Williams-style house heat that will get any floor going.
Review: Berlin's Gooey share a new EP by Siggatunez as part of their Gooey Editz series. 'My Point' evinces the urgency and speediness of the modern dance shapeshifter, with the title track whirling both pianos and acid grunts around a spoken prosopopoeia of the modern dance form's ideal of immediacy, of quick-footedness: "this is my point: we are at a time that we have to make a decision." The exaltation of decision-making has been present in dance music since at least UR's 'Transition', and we hear echoes of the track here, only for the urgency to be dashed by a bonnier sense of breeziness with 'Been Lovin' You'. The B-side offers weirder treats, though neither 'Feelings' nor 'Sometimes' let up on that stated preference for immediacy, the tension on the B1 especially commanding an especially threadheld sense of anticipation.
Review: One thing you can say about Siggatunez's Gooey Edits series is that the included reworks are never simple cut-and-paste jobs. Like Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell, the German DJ/producer enjoys adding percussion, keys, drum machine beats and more to his source material. He's at that again here, first adding heady hand percussion and jazzy keys to a classic French, Italo-disco era jam ('Feel Me'), before giving a musically expansive New York disco classic the same kind of treatment on 'Inch'. 'Just Me & You' is a slightly straighter, lightly tooled-up take on a lesser-celebrated disco-soul sing-along, while EP highlight 'The Key' sees him successfully tamper with a warm, synth-heavy, Italo-disco style slab of mid-80s electronic excellence.
Review: French label Skylax is back with its Wax Classic offshoot, this time welcoming its most prolific talent, Signal ST. His Teenage Catalog is a superbly sophisticated house outing that looks to the traditions of the likes of DJ Sprinkles and the smoky depths of German label Dial. This artist showed his chic sounds in fine style with his acclaimed album Zapoi And Other Dysfunctional Love Stories here in 2021 and now offers up five more mesmerising tracks, including the captivating 'Going Home' and the mysterious 'R2D2 Secret Lover.' The EP also takes in the silky allure of 'Stayin Around' and the ethereal beauty of 'First Drift (Park Mix),' alongside the sweet rhythms of 'Genau.'
Review: Three top-tier house remixers, each offering their distinct flavour. Ron Trent opens with a tribal-infused rework of 'Move Ya', delivering irresistible rhythms and a soulful groove. NDATL's vocal remix follows with a Latin-jazzy reinterpretation, blending vibrant melodies and smooth vocals for a warm, danceable vibe. On Side-2, Ben Hixon showcases his versatility with two standout remixes. 'C'est Goodnight' transforms into a dynamic house anthem, while 'Just Can't Get It Right' channels classic Chicago house with elegant, timeless production. Both tracks exude sophistication and deep respect for house music traditions. With its mix of Afro, jazzy, and classic house elements, this EP has a little bit of everything a house music fan could want.
Review: A powerful deep house journey with standout tracks blending tech house, soulful garage and house vibes. Side-1 kicks off with 'Do You Think' by Ben Silver and Boogs, a piano-led house stomper with a deep groove that sets the tone for the collection. The second track, 'Valentino (feat. Emerson Alexander)' by Jason Hodges and Joey Coco, brings soulful vocals and crisp production, perfect for fans of vocal-driven house music. Side-2 dives into a more tracky vibe with 'Skippy Disco Track' by Elijah Something, offering a 90s-inspired house sound, ideal for late-night dancefloors. The compilation closes with 'Historia (La Decima Remix)' by Ritmiq, a tech house banger that's addictive and deep, creating a sweaty, floor-ready atmosphere. Overall, this compilation effortlessly blends soulful and techy house elements, providing a dynamic experience for deep house lovers.
Review: Simoncino is like a direct link to the earliest roots of deep house. His sounds are coated in tones of tape hiss, dustiness from his analogue machines, and dreamy synth work that speaks of his Italia heritage. This newest EP is another class outing on Quintessentials that finds him leaning into dub. 'Dub Theory I' is mid-tempo but with nice drive, 'Dub Theory II' has more thunder in the claps and darkness in the bass. 'Dub Theory III' brings shards of melodic light that cut through the muggy atmospheres and 'Dub Theory IV' is a nice Maurizio-style techno roller for early evening or the dead of night.
My Baby Just Cares For Me (Afro Sunset mix) (6:23)
Review: Nina Simone's rendition of 'My Baby Just Cares for Me' stands as a definitive interpretation of this jazz standard, with her distinct, soulful style infusing the track with fresh charm. Originally recorded in 1957, the song gained new life decades later, reaching the UK top ten in 1987 after it appeared in a perfume commercial. Simone's piano work shines, blending playful syncopation with bluesy phrasing, while her voice adds an intimate, deeply expressive layer. Her version transformed this classic into a timeless, iconic piece, reintroducing her genius to a new generation and solidifying her lasting influence in jazz.
Bessa Simmons - "Sii Nana" (JKriv Fit rework) (7:11)
Vincenzo - "Love Accurate" (6:54)
Ilija Rudman - "Discoteka Parmida" (5:25)
Yasmin - "Real High" (4:59)
Arnau Obiols - "Pagan Mambo" (5:04)
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
After building up a nice head of steam with its first few releases, French label Groovence now starts a new series, Amour Deep, with volume number one. It's a various artists affair that kicks off with the deep and sensuous sounds of Moonee's 'Amour Deep' (feat Simple Request) which has swirling and romantic pads and a great r&b vocal sample. Milk & Honey picks up the pace with the more raw and bumpy 'Chi Train' and Armless Kid goes deep into an electro workout complete with bittersweet piano chords on 'Night Ride'. Roy Vision's 'What's Your Name' rounds out the release with a more glitchy and stripped-back house sound for the dub lovers.
Review: CULTED return in trademark force with five wild psych-bangers from luminaries Simple Symmetry, Thomass Jackson, Orchid, Ayala, and Multi Culti boss Thomas Von Party teamed up with Oltrefuturo. A sense of weirdness exudes from these tunes, refusing the common pitfalls of twee chord progressions or underproduction hidden behind rawness; these ones are as high-qual, watery, poured-over as can be, yet also bring with them a real sense of exploration and eccentricity of mood. The utmost case in point is Thomas Van Party & Oltrefuturo's 'Kookoo', a chugging machine-elven carnival of doffed conical hats and gated cute vocals.
Review: Newcomer Liam Sinigoi shares a debut release for Nonsono, impressing us seasoned types with an evidently sparse but efficacious sonic palate. While Sinigoi's dancefloor acumen is second to none, you'd be surprised to learn that most of these tunes were made while he was living on the site of a former hospital in London's Shadwell, not in some action-stations studio. Packed with piquant acid leads and haunting over-synths, the likes of 'Steel's HC' and 'Can't Dance!' make up a sonic tetragram, each corner of which reveals a different side to the initiate producer.
Review: A second round of equine tech-funk from Alexander Skancke, Foehn & Jerome and Henriku, none of whom present solo tracks, but rather collab as a trio on every number. Following up May 2024's debut edition of 'The Black Horse', we're met with a fleshed-out sophomore amble come gallop here. Opener 'Maximalism Minimalism' bowls us over with its muted flutes and hip-house samples, while 'Satt' moves more fay with its wind chime tinkles and festive woodwind riffs. On the B comes 'Hungry Beat' - by now, our steed is raveonous for a bite to eat and an oasis to drink from, lest it perishes from dancefloor thirst - and 'Eins' - on which said colt (a work-horse from a hobby) - is finally let to graze, and rest.
Review: Skatman's sounds often merge different facets of different genres into something fresh enough to pique the interest. This new album on Cognitive Prophecy is another case in point. It is club-ready tech and minimal but with standout character such as the squealing lead and auto-tuned vocal fragments of 'Fresh' which make it sound super futuristic. There is a warm afterglow to the vamping chords of ageless house jam 'Feel It' and 'Dream On' very much gets you into that mindstate with its widescreen synth smears.
It's A Flesh Wound (Christopher Ledger remix) (7:35)
Review: Dubliner Noah Skelton brings a deep four-track helter-skelter to Zingiber Audio, topping up a well-travelled catalogue whose earprints are borne in the discographies of Amour, Daydream and Mayak. 'Formentario' and 'Pacer' deepen our hearts with fulsome beats n' bass, carefully constructed to manifest in the listener a looser, undammed destiny. 'It's A Flesh Wound', meanwhile, subtly balances emo-breaks and curious acid jazz, with a popout FM and dancing piano plinks proving particularly pacific, not least when set against *those* chords.
Review: SL Jung may not be particularly prolific - this two-tracker marks the Berlin-based producer's fifth vinyl outing since 2018 - but what he does put out tends to be strong and steady. For proof, check dub techno influenced A-side 'W1', where echoing melodic motifs and liquid synthesizer flourishes bubble along atop a sturdy dub-wise bassline and snappy drum machine beat. It's as hypnotic, locked-in and quietly attractive as you'd expect, with plenty of low-end weight to counter to prettier top-end elements. Title track 'Coherence' is another slab of tech-house/dub-techno fusion, though this time blessed with more off-kilter, effects-laden riffs, Villalobos noises aplenty and deep, warm bass.
Review: A double-header of sorts from the reinvigorated, Defected-owned Nu Groove label. On side A, Chicago great Marshall Jefferson joins forces with veteran Brit Steve Mac to re-launch the Sleezy D project. The pair opt for a late-80s Chicago house vibe on moody, jacking opener 'In The Night', which boasts a hushed spoken word vocal, before layering up the TB-303 trickery on the dirtier and more intense 'I Wanna Get'. Rising star (and sometime Freerange Records artist) Juliet Mendoza takes over on the flip. She successfully updates the classic Burrell Brothers' Nu Groove deep house sound on 'JuJu Love', before going drum-fill crazy on deep jack-track 'In The Dark'.
Review: One of the more surprising trends of the early 1990s was the fusion of contemporary club culture - or at least the slow-motion end of it - with what would have once been considered 'church music'. While it was made famous by Enigma's global hit 'Sadness', Sloopey G's 'Domine' EP was reportedly recorded and released first. Certainly 'This Is The Day (Notre Dame Remix)', which naturally heads this THANK YOU reissue, sounds like a prototype of the Enigma sound - think British street soul beats, dreamy ambient pads, sampled monk chants, tactile bass and spoken word vocals. The EP also includes both similarly formed original bonus cuts, 'Victime' and the house-influenced 'Cathederal Dance', as well as previously unheard bonus cut 'Love In Heaven', a deliciously, shuffling and saucer-eyed affair.
Review: Coming off a successful transatlantic exchange, Brian Kage and his Michigander label keep the momentum, and the collaborative spirit, moving with an EP that hits closer to home. For any Detroit artist, working with Delano Smith would be on the bucket list, as one of the city's original, more influential DJs - before the D developed any of its "waves" - who would come into his own as a producer later to, once again, help mold the Techno City's sound. Make no mistakes about it, this tastemaker had a ripple effect back before techno even had a name, when it was just "progressive" music and mixing. The thing is, the feeling of admiration and respect here is mutual, from the moment Smith first stumbled across one of Kage's records and had to know who was making these sounds. This meeting of the minds happened organically and timely, with Keep 'em Movin' as the result.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Joe Goddard - "Neptunes" (8:28)
Joe Goddard - "Rapid Fire" (feat Laima) (6:33)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "Around You" (3:02)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "Around You" (Joe Goddard remix) (3:35)
Joe Goddard - "Rapid Fire" (Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith remix) (3:55)
Review: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Joe Goddard, two luminaries of electronic music, have united to create Neptunes, a celestial collaboration that defies genre boundaries. This EP is a sonic journey through a vast, ethereal soundscape, where intricate synth work, pulsating rhythms, and haunting melodies converge to create a truly immersive experience. The title track, 'Neptunes', is a mesmerizing exploration of the namesake planet. Smith's modular wizardry conjures up a cosmic soundscape, while Goddard's rhythmic prowess provides a driving force. The result is a track that is both hypnotic and invigorating. Throughout the EP, Smith and Goddard showcase their individual talents while seamlessly blending them into a cohesive whole. Smith's ability to extract haunting melodies from her modular synthesisers is matched only by Goddard's knack for crafting infectious grooves. Together, they create a sonic tapestry that is as beautiful as it is complex. A testament to the power of collaboration and a record that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers of depth and complexity with each play.
Review: Smooth & Simmonds was Chris Simmonds and Ron Wells, a pair pf producers who were active from the early to mid-90s and made just a handful of EPs that have all stood the test of time. Three of the best of them have been newly remeasured by a long-time fan at the Pariter label and are now getting served up on fresh wax. This 12" features 90s EP, The Four Seasons, with two mixes of the title cut. The first is a steamy Warehouse Mix with dusty drums, subtle rave whistles and seductive vocals stitched in, while the second is a Factory Mix that rides a little more smoothly on uplifting chord work and brighter synth energy.
Review: Snad's latest three-track EP is a captivating journey through deep house, with a mastery of lush atmospheres and intricate sound design. 'Bubblescope' opens the EP with smooth, melodic deep house, blending ambient elements that create a soothing, immersive atmosphere. 'Lukeworm Lava' follows with its bubbling deep bass notes and aquatic washes of melody, evoking a serene, almost otherworldly vibe. The track is both calming and deep, perfect for reflective moments on the dancefloor. Closing with 'Tanni', Snad delivers an ambient and jazzy tech house gem that brings a sophisticated, soulful edge to the EP. The track is a beautiful fusion of laid-back vibes and rhythmic energy, highlighting Snad's ability to craft deep, emotive house music. A smooth, jazzy exploration of deep house that will resonate with fans of both Chicago house and atmospheric sounds.
Review: SND & RTN brings it home on this new 12" for Lempuyang that explores their signature techno depths. 'Palantir' opens with fathoms-deep dub and ice-cold synths that snake their way over the face of the track, while 'Hyperdrive' has rumbling chords and smeared pads that keep you on the ocean floor and 'Dub Conjurer' allows in a little more light from the surface with delicate shards piercing the murk. 'Tales From The Outer Rim' shuts down with a nice gentle rhythm that undulates beneath rippling pad work and works well as perfect early evening warm up.
Review: This 7" record from SNIPS delivers two summer dancefloor gems perfect for hip-hop heads. On Side-1.
'A Spread Called Quest' is a downtempo, jazz-fused instrumental packed with great samples from the legendary A Tribe Called Quest, creating a nostalgic yet fresh vibe. For Side-2, 'Kool Summer' offers a house track featuring the classic 'Summertime' sample, famously popularised by Will Smith's 1991 hit of the same name. This track brings a smooth, laid-back groove, making it an essential addition to any summer playlist. With its blend of jazz, hip-hop and house, A Spread Called Quest is a great example of the 45 community thriving with rare and classy urban gems.
Review: Max In The World's NYC label Bliss Point is a lesson in pure dancefloor positivity, and that rings true on this reissue of a forgotten 90s deep dig from Soft Keys. Originally released in 1993 and now rarer than hen's teeth, this utterly delightful oddity from Italy features the titular 'Bubbles' and some endearing vocals, all shrouded in the warmest of keys for a deep house delight. As well as the original 'Soap Mix' there's an acappella available, plus some contemporary mixes from Boys Be Kko and Olive T which inject a little modern-day sparkle into the track while keeping the quirky delights that make the original such a coveted gem.
Review: Softgrid, a longtime PPU favourite known for their retro-futuristic visuals and design flair, returns with the standout EP 'Knock'. This release includes 'FEELU', which has made its mark as part of the soundtrack to Bad Boys IV: Ride Or Die, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. A dedicated Demoscene and Cracktro enthusiast, Softgrid's roots run deep in digital artistry, embracing ASCII and ANSI visuals while experimenting with SID and PAULA chip soundscapes. Their work draws from early Bulletin Board Systems, seamlessly merging old-school tech aesthetics with contemporary audio-visual storytelling.
Eddie Logix - "2nd Choice (It's Still Not Over)" (6:13)
Blair French - "Whispers Of You" (11:40)
Topher Horn - "Gratiot" (dub) (5:46)
Review: Many happy returns to Detroit's Rocksteady Disco, an undeniably consistent label that has reached the ripe old age of ten years old. To celebrate, they're releasing a series of anniversary EPs containing fresh jams from the label's roster of artists. Mainstays Sol Power All Stars get things going with off-kilter Afro-house scorcher 'Solsibisa' - all heavy horns, hot-stepping drum machine beats, squelchy synth-bass and heady vocal snippets - before Eddie Logix combines lightly pitched-down First Choice vocal samples with Balearic guitar bursts and plenty of deep house nous on '2nd Choice (It's Still Not Over)'. Over on the reverse, Blair French gets summery on the Latin-tinged deep house joy of 'Whispers of You', while Topher Horn reaches for dense drums (acoustic and electronic), sparse melodic motifs and heavy bass on 'Gratiot Dub'.
Review: Aussie label Foul Play Records snip the red tape with a logographic roll of the dice, and an initiatory two-tracker by resident producer Solar Suite. Described rightly as two techy peak-time cuts, 'Plumb' and its sibling tune 'Second Wind' are alleged to have been made following a near religious experience experienced at Amsterdam club DOKA in 2021. The holy frenzy that follows is indeed a kind of percussive enthusiasmos, centring on deep, resonant sampled shouts and slippery sound design between fidgeting drums. 'Plumb' moves only ever so slightly more harmonic, its underlying chords and "ah" stutters functioning as audial anchors.
Review: Given his profile and the fact that much of his music is released via the Diynamic Music imprint he co-founded way back in 2006, it's something of a surprise to see Solomun pop up on Running Back - a testament, perhaps, to his friendship with RB chief Gerd Janson. 'Can't Stop' is undoubtedly a peak-tine classic in the making - a breathless, non-stop sprint in which waves or raw electronic lead lines, TB-303 driven bass and tech-house flourishes ride a jacking house beat. It comes backed with more percussive, beefed-up 'Dub Mix' and bonus cut 'Follow The Disco Ball', a sparkling blend of stomping house, Eurodance style lead lines and pulsating Italo-disco bass.
Review: One of the many songs that defined a distinct, hot, made-for-TV dance-pop era, Martin Solveig and Dragonette's 'Hello' is an energetic electro house rouser, and made waves with its tennis-themed back-and-forth music video, which allegorised the gone-bad relationship narrativised in the song. Now pressed to sporty white vinyl, this is a warm-up song if there ever was one, with its lead two-note piano riff clipped to searing, overdriven proportions. Dragonette's vocals sing of romantic vascular sweats, caused by botched inter-relational backhands, poor get-back-at-you swings, and triple bagel defeats. This version comes with a 2024 'Super Edit', bringing a stuttering progressive house continuation.
Review: London's Lirica Archives hear two acid/electro heads go head-to-head on a new EP themed after a nominal, demented festival. Andy Somoza and Aka Juanjo are two producers from Bolivia and therein lies the four-track rub: a slickly unsettling analog house record flecked with South American flavour and fervour. With two sides shared equally between artists, Somoza handles peaktime with rubbery basses and single-hit vocal ones, while Juanjo burrows deeper into the groove, with growling basses and swarthily shadowed vocal samples arranged longitudinally across 'The Unknown' and 'Constante'.
Review: Son explores a transcendental minimal and tech house sound here with Memoria Recordings. His Angel's Whisper EP is fittingly titled given the celestial charm and deftness of his grooves, not least the title track with its warm, humid pads and rolling rubber beats all backed by a white glow. 'Limitless' thumps a little more directly and has some molten 303 lines twisting and turning through the mix while 'What About Now' then gets its head up above the stars with suspensory pads and surging beats and bass all keeping you afloat. Finally, the same cut gets a Techu remix that brings a little extra texture but is still a smooth and serene tech house cruiser.
Review: Sonidy and Erratic are clearly onto something special with their 'Space Drift' EP released by Yuzu Music US. This collaboration features standout tracks like 'Space Drift', 'Event Horizon', 'Polygon', and 'Constellations' that really showcase their production prowess. With tight percussion and lush synths weaving in and out, this EP grabs you from the first beat and doesn't let go. It's the kind of music that keeps you moving all night - and if you haven't checked these two rising stars yet, it's definitely time you did.
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