House charts

Review: Steven Julien has been in his own musical world since he first started putting out beats. He blends everything from hip-hop and house to funk and soul in his always emotionally raw, frayed edge sounds. Because of that breath in his sound, the Londoner is the perfect candidate for a DJ-kicks mix and so it proves as he journeys from the sofa to the club and back again with tunes of his own next to jams from across the ages and the genres. Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brothermartino, My Girlfriend and more all feature in a well-mixed, well-programmed set that contrasts bright keys with dirty basslines, and boogie funk with more sleek machine rhythms.

Review: London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien's music blends contrasts and has done so across more than a decade on labels like Eglo and his own Apron Records. In that time he has explored various styles, from house and techno to soul and boogie, often drawing on his own life experiences for inspiration. His eclecticism extends to his contribution to !K7's wonderful DJ-Kicks series in a mix that features artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Todd Edwards along with Julien's own tracks. The mix takes you on a proper ride from a peaceful afternoon to a euphoric night on the dancefloor, with plenty of big moments and killer jams along the way.

Review: The last few years have really seen Paul Woolford reach the top of his game in many different ways. Be it bowel emptying rave as Special Request, festival baiting piano house tunes or chart topping pop dance crossovers under his own name, the man is proving himself to have a real golden touch. He sure does crank out all these tunes at a prolific rate, too, but you still feel he does everything with meticulous precision. This DJ Kicks is a case in point. It touches on all the many different facets of his sound from glossy and feel good house to early Chicago classics, post-rave dreamscapes to brutal jungle breaks. What a legend.

Review: Berlin based Cinthie is a firm favourite here at Juno HQ, as well as all around the European house scene. She runs various labels, her own record shop, and all with a great sense of personality. We couldn't be happier that she is next up in the legendary DJ-kicks mix series and of course, she doesn't disappoint. Her selections take in plenty of the raw, stripped back house you would expect. She includes one of her own tunes, the vital 'Organ' as well as fresh material from Ruff Stuff, Anil Aras and Felipe Gordon and puts it all together in an unfussy but hypnotic style. This doubt vinyl album offers you some of the standout cuts.

Review: Given the series' longevity and high standing, it's genuinely an honour to be asked to do a DJ Kicks mix. It's for that reason that most contributors genuinely raise their game, delivering something that's not only memorable but exquisitely mixed. That's certainly the case with Tristan Hallis AKA DJ Boring, whose DJ Kicks workout slaps hard. Starting with the woozy ambient colour and dubbed-out Balearic vibes of Anthony Napes, Hallis drifts through reverb-laden electronica, blissful downtempo soundscapes and oddball outsider house, before increasing the tempo, intensity and hands-in-the-air factor immeasurably as the mix progresses. It's vibrant, kaleidoscopic and endlessly entertaining, offering a melodious, ear-catching and celebratory take on house, techno and UK bass packed to the rafters with exclusive tracks and little-known treats.

Review: DJ Boring emerged as a pioneer of the lo-fi house sound several years ago. It was short lived but his career has not been. The smart selector has since gone on to become a mainstay of the underground circuit with his high-energy party sounds finding favour all across the world. Now he digs deep to serve up a contemporary mix of feel good jams from the house world including mainstays like Sally C and Burnski as well as dropping an exclusive of his own. It's a tasteful entry into this hallowed series.