Deep House Recommendations Best Of 2010

Review: With Juno Records hitting its tenth release we revisit yet another classic from the archives of electronic music royalty. Producer, label boss, DJ & remixer extraordinaire, Charles Webster will need no introduction to house music lovers, and it's his 1998 collaboration with renowned UK vocalist Shara Nelson which gets a 2010 touch up. Orignally out on the seminal label Pagan, "Sense of Danger" was a true deep house anthem back then and Stuttgart's most famous son, Motor City Drum Ensemble steps up with two contrasting but equally excellent remixes. The 'Other Thing Dub' revisits the Raw Cuts sound that MCDE is famous for - Nelson's vocal expertly chopped up over organic piano grooves and a chugging beat. The second vocal mix stays truer to the tough beats and metallic synths of Webster's original, a real Chicago feel provided by the ebullient hats and dubby bass line.

Review: It's been a long time coming but Prime Numbers FINALLY unleash the brilliance that is Discreet Unit's "Shake Your Body Down" on the record buying public. The track has been a staple of the Firecracker/Prime Numbers crew all summer and is destined to fit snugly in the upper echelons of our favourite releases of 2010. Containing one of the warmest basslines these ears have ever heard, "Shake Your Body Down" references first wave Detroit techno and early Chicago house but has a contemporary feel that ensures it a status beyond mere pastiche. Whereas the A Side takes its influence from transatlantic house and techno progenitors, "Twilight" on the flip is steeped in the early European techno sound you'd find on R&S. Crisp driving percussion is slapped around by a violently pulsating acid line to a backdrop of odd brooding siren filled atmospherics. The final act of crunching kick drums and spectral key flourishes just add to the sense of intensity that runs throughout.

Review: Ben Parkinson's Boe Recordings imprint has already endeared itself to lovers of house music with a deepish hue thanks to releases from the likes of KiNK, Burnski and Iron Curtis. This sampler showcases the label's wares with Ladzinski's "Looking Back" - which features some Kerri Chandler style vocal cuts - sharing the A Side with the moody analogue shuffle of "Lessons" by Nils Anthes. Marc Vacher's "I Know" comes in on a 90s deep house tip - thus guaranteeing a spot in Juno's affections - while Azuni's "(Baby Don't You) Make Me High" rounds off a killer 12" with beefy club drums and expertly arranged vocal elements.

Review: Miles Sagnia, who already has a release on Keith Worthy's esteemed Aesthetic Audio label under his belt, continues to explore the more melodic end of deep house on the Astrobiological Funk EP for Ornate Music. Acid squiggles underpin pleasant piano stabs and vocal snatches on "Interplanetary Visitors", a track steeped in oven warm Detroitisms. Flip over for "Bounce Theory" which got Juno pulses races thanks to its deeply submerged sensual vocal groans and beefy drums, while "Twilight" closes out a fine 12" with a gentle shuffling rhythm.

Review: For their twelfth release the ever classy Delusions Of Grandeur imprint welcome Session Victim back into the fold. The German duo ushered in the New Year with the three classy cuts on Left The Building and they've come correct on this new release. "Million Dollar Feeling" is definitely characterised by the intricate drum programming and complemented by deep pads and a truly soulful vocal sample. The soft moogy undertones that resonate subaqueously in the mix towards the end add that extra touch of quality. 4Lux boss Gerd is called on to remix the track, dipping that vocal sample in infectious delay, straightening the groove for a disco kick and laying down some brilliant neon tinged bass echoes. This remix chugs hard! The pace gets dropped on the B Side, an 11 minute low rider called "Time To Let You Down" which shimmers and reverberates through nine minutes of teasing your ears before the glorious full string heavy sample unfurls.

Review: Switzerland based label Drumpoet Community is grabbing the attention of the deep house world at the moment, following a string of impressive releases. Next up is the Zurich based duo, Azuni, whose "Here You Come EP" stands as a clear example of why the label is enjoying so much success lately.

Gianni Siravo and Sven Lacoste have both been around individually for some time. However, it is as the joined force of Azuni that they have enjoyed the most recognition. 2008's debut album, City Look, released on Agnès' Sthlmaudio imprint introduced the duo to the house world in style. Now, their debut release on Drumpoet Community is looking to propel them further into the limelight with two big, groovy tracks of Detroit influenced house that are stripped down to the max.

"Here You Come" sees simple and pumping grooves build from the ever present riff. It twists and turns in hypnotic fashion, with swirling melodies cushioned by warm synthesizer pads. The hushed vocal takes you straight back inside the warehouses of early days of Detroit, completing that authentic old school sound that resides throughout this record. "Believe's" vocal is from a similar vein. At first it stabs away in disjointed fashion, but as the track builds it develops into full lines of speech. The track is a slower, jacking number, once again built around a simple riff. The two note organ motif keeps the simplicity and the deep kick drum adds the bumping house sound that lends itself to the earlier part of the night where the dancefloor begins to build nicely.

As Drumpoet Community's reputation for quality house continues to grow, so too does Azuni's production talents. If the "Here You Come EP" is anything to go by, we can be sure that there is plenty more to come from both label and artist.

Review: For their thirteenth release, Delusions of Grandeur eek some more deep heat out of Australian wunderkind Tornado Wallace. Since "Paddlin" was released back in June young Wallace has delivered some fine remixes for the likes of Hometaping, Kolour and Future Classics which has seen him get props from the likes of The Revenge, Eddie C, Chamboche and Cottam. The three tracks on this release demonstrate a growing maturity in production which will soon promote Wallace alongside the aforementioned. "Always Twirling" hogs the A Side with a dubbed out pads and soaring strings twisting around the throbbing beat augmented by rattling 808 snares and staid hi-hats making for an emotive deep house moment. Wallace goes one better on the B Side with "Twirl and the Beanstalk" a dusty raw beatdown that drops a wormhole synth rhythm in a increasingly chaotic array of percussive delight. Just wow. The final twirl takes proceedings down a notch laying some filtered piano melodies over a bumping mid tempo boogie beat.

Review: Kyle Hall's imperious remix of Delphic's signature track "Doubt" was originally seen amidst a heady cast of remix talent - Riton, Ramadanman and Doc Daneeka - on limited promo CDs which floated around last year. It hasn't however been officially released until now, at a time when everyone is talking about Kyle Hall whilst scratching their heads to recall the moody New Orderisms of the Mancunian trio. Very little of the original track remains here, with snatches of vocals stretched out over a backdrop of what sounds like an outer galactic ping pong match. Typically unique production from the Detroit lad and it's great to finally have it on vinyl.