Tags: Future House

Review: Beyonce's last album was widely heralded as a triumph by all. It found her diving into house music and working with scene stalwarts like Luke Solomon and Honey Dijon. It won a Grammy for its efforts. Now, even though plenty of the originals were ready to work a club dancefloor, we get treated to some remixes. They all focus on the standout single 'Break My Soul' and we get funky and soulful stuff from Terry Hunter, broken beat from Will I Am, house thumps from Honey Dijon, and filter-heavy stuff from The Queens. Add in the Nita Aviance club mix and the original version and you have a useful package indeed.

Review: J Axel and Eva Essa find magical harmony on this new collaboration on the Do It Now Recordings Vinylized label. 'Turned Your Back' is a perfectly heart-melting, life-affirming bit of soul-drenched and intimate deep house with gorgeous vocals and super smooth drums all healing you to your core as the gentle rhythms wash over you time and time again. It's a faultless original but one that is also ripe for remixing and who better than Atjazz who slightly ups the tempo but keeps the deep, wavy rhythmic vibes and adds a little cosmic magic in the synths. A sublime package indeed.

Review: Dusky is by now an internationally renowned name on the (nevertheless) distinctly UK deep house scene, and is a master of his craft. Even for those who might smugly turn their nose up at the sort of Subsoul jackin' house, that Dusky takes after, it's difficult to not at least shuffle your feet at the minutest of listens to his new album 'Pressure'. Armed with the tropes of bassline, 2-step, and funky house to name a few, it's almost as if Dusky had cast a fishing net in the deep wells of emotion potentiated in the collective British underground soul. Every track here is a streamy, stereophonic, and texturally rich vocal house dazzler. Far less precious than his bygone competitors Disclosure, the buzzing feel of each track is testament to Dusky's attention to feel over technicality.

Review: South African producer and Atjazz label staple Jullian Gomes makes a move away from his regular home to drop this new album Bruno & The Birds on World Without End. It is an adventurous one that gets well beyond the dance floor and comes with plenty of meaningful melodic hooks and well-crafted songs. Guess help bring some fresh vocal charm to his pure beats and crystalline synths with 'How?' (feat Sabrina Chyld - edit) being a highlight. Future house, soulful house, pop house, call it what you will, this is a refreshingly new school take on the age-old sound and one that shows there is plenty of life in the form yet.

Review: The revered songstress that is AK is back on Most Excellent Unlimited for another hot and soulful single that comes on the heels of a special 7" release of her seminal 'Say That You Love Me.' This one, 'Beautiful You' is making its vinyl debut here and comes with strong messages of empowerment and affirmation. The lyrics and vocals are uplifting as is the music which comes in the form of a 7" edit by Body & Soul legend Danny Krivit' of GRAMMYr award-winner Hex Hector's Lush remix. It's a perfectly paired back sound with the original on the flip, and both tunes really make their mark. This is a great package that's exclusive to wax.

Review: More of a refinement than a total reinvention TOKiMONSTA's latest sees her subtly shifting her sound while retaining its essential character. While collaborations are present, they serve to highlight rather overshadow, her distinctive production style. This is a curated journey, moving fluidly between moments of quiet introspection and bursts of dancefloor energy. 'On Sum', the much-anticipated link-up with Anderson.Paak and Rae Khalil, is a clear standout. The established chemistry between TOKiMONSTA and.Paak is undeniable, their styles meshing seamlessly. Khalil's smooth vocals provide a captivating entry point, giving way to.Paak's effortless flow. It's a lesson in modern r&b, where soulful vocals meet TOKiMONSTA's signature rhythms and shimmering synths. This double LP isn't confined to 'On Sum', however. It explores a wider landscape. 'Corazon / Death By Disco Pt. 2' is pure kinetic energy, a samba-infused track built for sweaty dancefloors. But the album also makes space for quieter moments, with tracks like 'Eternal' and 'Reverie' offering a chance to breathe. It's here, in these more contemplative moments, that the intricacies of TOKiMONSTA's production truly come to the fore. This release is a statement, showcasingTOKiMONSTA's continued artistic growth, her ability to weave diverse influences into a cohesive and compelling whole. From the high-octane energy of 'Corazon/Death By Disco Pt. 2' to the understated beauty of 'On Sum', this is a journey worth taking.