New releases last eight weeks: House

Review: After the critically acclaimed Avoude (5 stars & 'Top of the World' on Songlines, Bandcamp top pick, Le Monde, BBC Radio, Pop Matters), Sol Power Sound proudly presents a scorching remix EP from West African psychedelic powerhouse Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band. Rooted in Togo's deep cultural and Vodun traditions, Dogo's sound is reimagined here by a heavyweight lineup of producers. Captain Planet kicks things off with a percussive African house groove, while Sol Power All-Stars ask, What if Prince joined Dogo in 1983? The result? A synth-laced funk HIIT workout. Detroit icons John Beltran and Blair French bring Afro-Brazilian and deep house flavors, before Glenn Echo closes with a mind-bending 12/8 dub trip.

Review: Heavyweight sonic Afro-botics from Nikodemus, Barzo and Mr Doris on 7" wax. The trio team up here with Dinked Records for a double-bill 7" in veins of amapiano and broken beat, primed for crate sifters and floor ambulants alike. On the A, 'Want Some More' delivers Mr. Doris' signature blend of rhythmic muscle and Afro-Latin swang, while the flip flops Nickodemus with Barzo and Zongo Abongo for 'Show Your Power': a bold, percussive cut straddling broken beat, house, and ska. Somewhere between 126 and 128 BPM, both are utter floor finishers and could easily intro your next Afro-house set as they could provide it a sense of continuous, mid-set body.

Review: MoBlack Gold work both as appraisers and minters of quality Afro House. This record, once again, attests to the fact, clocking in as the label and music-making house's "XII-th" release. Jamek Ortega, MoBlack, Armonica, Samna Soundsystem, Peaty and Faros all stop by the dancehall in a confident move of jitting, shimmying surety, extending out from an extended version of Ortega's 'Voices' to a closing, kwaito-deep quaalude by Faros, 'Feeling You'.

Review: Now we're talking. At the time of writing - mid-spring 2025 - Britain has been basking in the warmest March and April since the first Covid-19 lockdown, but dark skies and a cold lack of humanity are prevailing emotions. Far right, fascism, the death of creativity and the onslaught of automation are enough to leave anyone feeling like they've been locked out of the sunshine and have to fend for themselves against a torrent of chilling realities. But not all heroes wear capes. Some are just called Charles Petersohn, and they make sun-soaked, soul-inspiring, warm jazz-inflected deep house that feels born in a more natural period of Earthly evolution. In fact, it was born after time spent in South Africa, one of the global epicentres of this genre, where the producer was involved in an NGO charity project. Immediately catchy, resolutely life-affirming, and probably the grooviest thing we've had all month.

Review: Celebrating 25 years of two of the most influential house labels around, this joint double-pack from London's R2 and Osunlade's Yoruba Records is a heavyweight offering that bridges soulful roots and dancefloor depth. Karizma's long-awaited 'Spirit' appears in multiple formsihis original gospel-powered burner, a Josh Milan remix (as Honeycomb), and a dub version featuring Nicholas Ryan Gant, all radiating righteous, late-night warmth. The second R2 cut, 'W!thout !t' is stripped and punchy, full of Karizma's trademark percussive invention. Yoruba's side sees Osunlade light up the system with 'Electricity' and 'Sumpin' Like Dis', both steeped in rhythm and spiritual uplift. Afefe Iku's '823' dives deep into his signature twilight textures, while Karizma's Baltimore remix of Mr. Flip's 'Drippin'' closes the set on a loose and funky high. It's a snapshot of two defining voices in house musicirich in groove, spirit and intention.

Review: First put out back in 2007, Soundz of Freedom is a landmark album in Bob Sinclar's discography. The French man has long been a towering figure in the world of house music with many chart hits and a DJ diary that takes him on endless trips around the globe. This album helped get him there and is now being reissued for the first time as a double vinyl. It has already been certified gold and features collaborations with renowned stars such as Axwell, Tocadisco, Ron Carroll, Jamie Lewis and Mousse T. Between them they explore plenty of accessible house sounds from deep to vocal to Afro-leaning and they have all aged well enough to still do a job to this day.

Review: After spending much of the last five years confined to the United States, Ron Trent is off on tour this year. As a way of re-introducing himself - not the deep house legend needed to do that of course - he has partnered with Rush Hour to release Lift Off, a fresh double album of previously unheard music. More defiantly dancefloor-centric than his previous album, the decidedly cosmic and downtempo 'What Do The Stars Say To You' (as WARM), the two-disc set sees the Chicagoan combine his usual percussively-layered grooves, warming basslines and colourful synth sounds with nods to all manner of musical influences old and new. The results are uniformly superb, with our picks of a very strong bunch including the spacey future-boogie of Leroy Burgess collaboration 'Let Me See You Shining', the spaced-out, slow-motion epic that is 'Woman of Color', the AM radio-friendly Balearic pop of 'Just Another Love Song' and the undeniably gorgeous 'Street Wave'.