Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Don Carlos should by now be known to most house music crate-ologists as Carlo Troja from Verase, Italy -not Euvin Spencer from Kingston town. Alas, confusion still runs rampant over the ambiguity surrounding the Don Carlos name; if only they'd heard just how great this new EP from the former North Italian nuff-sayer truly was, they'd never forget the difference, of course! 'Italian Paradise' is a fresh, still dripping-wet house EP out via Groove Culture; its lightweight organ triplets, electric piano smears, and lens-fogged sunglass strings are what makes it *it*: a more than suitable release for hammock skygazing and/or wooly garment shedding.

Review: The Rangi Club EP by Chasse offers four genuine house tracks that showcase the essence side of deeper dance music. Side-1 opens with 'It's Alright,' a track that lays down a solid house groove. With its deeper vibe and strong vocal delivery, it sets the perfect mood for a night on the dancefloor. 'Purple Street' follows, bringing smooth deep house sounds and a rhythm that's instantly catchy, making it hard not to move along. On Side-2, the title track 'Rangi Club' takes inspiration from Chicago house with its distinctive drum grooves. It's a workout for the dancefloor, designed to keep the energy high. The EP closes with 'Welcome,' a piano-led builder that gradually intensifies, offering a satisfying conclusion to this well-rounded collection. The Rangi Club EP provides four strong examples of tracks that will elevate any set.

Review: Marc Cotterell's 'Feel The Groove' EP is a vibrant, disco-infused collection that merges classic grooves with modern production. The title track, 'Feel The Groove', is a light, fun disco gem, capturing a funky 70s mood with a fresh UK garage twist and that xylophone magic touch. 'Get It Right' takes the funk further, building up to a filtered disco crescendo that's perfect for late-night floors, oozing with energy and sleek edits. On the flip side, 'My Groove' offers a deeper vibe, giving the EP a well-rounded feel with its rich bassline and smooth production. Finally, 'Work Me' is catchy and playful, bringing a polished sound that keeps the rhythm flowing. Altogether, 'Feel The Groove' is a solid pick for those craving both nostalgic and modern dancefloor moments.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Cruise Music marks its tenth EP by serving up what it says are "secret funky house weapons" and there isn't much wrong with their description. Danny Cruz kicks off with 'Shoulda Been You' which rides on smooth grooves and has gentle synth waves breaking over the beats as heartfelt vocal sounds rise out of the mix. Mark Funk's 'True Lies' brings a classic 90s vocal sample to a non-stop soul beat and the B-side has got Dirty Disco Stars going big and funky and glorious on 'Look Up' then Mirko & Meex Re-touch 'Young Hearts' .

Review: Produced by a quartet of experienced Italian producers, CRW's debut single 'I Feel Love' was a huge international dancefloor hit following its original release in 1998. Joining the dots between uplifting 90s trance, Eurodance and the colourful and saucer-eyed end of the superclub progressive house spectrum, it has been remixed countless times since. This EP brings together the best of those versions, flitting between melody-rich peak-time joy (the piano-sporting On Air and Red mixes), stomping trance muscularity (the J&R Mix), speed garage-influenced, bass-heavy Eurodance (the RAF Zone version), 21st century hard dance (the buzzing riffs and thickset grooves of DJ Isaac's recent revision) and atmospheric progressive trance (Karl8 and Andrea Monta's extended 'rework').

Review: Inhale Exhale bring six full new circular round-trip breaths to the fold, focusing on heartwarming and soulful summer deep house tunes. Intended mostly for outdoor disco BBQs, 'INEX 017' packs a fruitful punch. Opening proceedings on the A come 'Make It Right', 'Understand U' and 'Tears Of The M1', a power-of-three intro tracking a vibeful descension from crystalline waters, synth organs and high string samples down to the chillest of vinyl-crackly, primal mini tech moods. Then there's the unmissable mirror image on the B, podding 'Everytime', 'Clyde' and 'Keep The Stabs', the last of which is an especially delicious, refractive groove.

Review: Vintage house and disco don Dave Lee knows a thing or two about serving up irresistible and timeless cuts and that's what he does here with the 24th instalment of the long-running Attack The Dancefloor series on his own Z Records. The man himself kicks off with Maurissa Rose on the loosely chugging, deep and soulful 'Open Me Up' (a first taste of the upcoming album together). He then slips into US garage style with his popular remix of The Trammps' 'I've Gotta Stand Up' that harks back to the glory days of 90s Soulful House. Felix Buxton's Celestial Being & Citizens Of The World Choir's 'Raise The Vibration' gets a gloriously sunny and positive Crackazat club mix before Lee closes the release with squelching synth in the form of his Boogified mix of Soul Dhamma's classic 'Flower.'

Review: For those who like kaleidoscopic synth sounds, nu-disco and 80s electrofunk nostalgia, the announcement of a collaborative single from modern disco maestro Purple Disco Machine and Canadian boogie revivalists Chromeo will be big news. Happily, 'Heartbreaker' is tons of fun, providing a perfect fusion of Purple Disco Machine's throbbing, cheery and uplifting take on nu-disco and the authentic synths, talkbox flourishes and eyes-closed vocals that have always marked out Chromeo's work. The A-side extended mix is particularly potent, but we're also massive fans of the alternate instrumental take, in which the uniqueness of the fusiuon - Moroder-ish bass, elongated mid-80s soft rock synth solos and glossy FM synth stabs - comes to the fore. To quote Alan Partridge, it's a copper-bottomed hit!

Review: Volume 4 of the Make Up series is another doozy and this one brings together accomplished house heads Camille, Chez Damier, and Nico Lahs in a celebration of underground disco classic "through the lens of 60's and 70's underground comix." Similar to these rebellious reads, the tracks on this release carved their niche with purists seeking distinct and thrilling sounds. Across the double album, Camille's contributions include Mystic Pleasure's 'Back Door (Getting Down)' and Cold Fire's 'Badder Than Bad' which both bring soulful melodies and infectious rhythms, Chez Damier adds Fascination's 'Shine My Love' and Bileo's 'You Can Win' with shimmering vocals and funky basslines and together, they make for an exhilarating mix of disco brilliance.

Review: Caribou shares his latest record, this time for City Slang, Honey. The timely follow-up to 2020's Suddenly, Honey comes preceded by the forerunning singles 'Broke My Heart', 'Volume' and 'Honey'. Caribou aka. Dan Snaith has more than proven his mettle as a multifarious artist, with the toweringly popular Odessa album only scratching the surface of what could otherwise be described as a much more experimental, tricky and salubriously varied discography. Honey plays up the pop-oriented capabilities of Snaith's many-tentacled sound, circling the intentionally mystified identity of the artist himself; 'Come Find Me' asks the listener to come find Snaith, while its corresponding music video features a childlike figure in a Brave New World-style jumpsuit, dancing to the song, as if to suggest a coquettish playfulness, poking through the swellingly progressive, end-of-summer house track. Adding to the pangram of bright and hopeful post-folktronica hits, Honey is sure to attract all the late-summer dance bees.

Review: Whereas the first volume of Italian house pioneer Don Carlos's retrospective of Italian house, Echoes of Italy, largely stuck to the picturesque but chunky and organ-rich "Italo-house" template, this second volume expressly focuses on "paradise house" - what Young Marco and Christiaan MacDonald dubbed "dream house" on their superb Welcome To Paradise series. As you'd expect given his association with the sound, Carlos's selections are notably different (and arguably less well known) than theirs, even if some of the same artists feature. It's cultured, tactile and loved-up dancefloor dreaminess all the way, with highlights including the slow-build wonder of Onrico's saucer-eyed 'Echo Gimini', the low-slung groove of Alex Neri's 'The Wizard (Hot Funky Version)', the piano-laden, breakbeat-driven shuffle of Moto Grosso's 'Titanic', and Carlos's own gorgeous, organ-heavy 'Boy'.

Review: Italian house didn't need the glitz of Ibiza or the muscle of Chicago and Detroit. It carved out its own spaceismoky, dreamlike, and effortlessly cool. This collection captures the full spectrum of that golden era, from the hypnotic tribal rhythms of Progetto Tribale's 'The Sweep' to the shimmering, euphoric synths of Onirico's 'Echo'. There's the deep, rolling pulse of Don Carlos' 'Boy', the jazz-infused elegance of Lady Bird's 'Jazzy Doll (Odyssey Dub)', and the raw energy of Green Baize's 'Synthetic Rhythm'. Elsewhere, 'Titanic' by Mato Grosso offers an atmospheric voyage, while 'The True Underground Sound of Rome' delivers deep, sophisticated grooves. These weren't just club tracks; they were portals to another world. Whether it was the funky shuffle of Alex Neri's 'The Wizard', the soulful pianos of Carol Bailey's 'Understand Me (Free Your Mind)', or the after-hours pulse of MCJ's 'Sexitivity', this was music made by studio obsessives who understood that house wasn't just a soundiit was a feeling. Underground, inventive, and deeply emotional, this collection is a snapshot of an era where the Italian touch brought warmth, sensuality and an undeniable groove to dancefloors worldwide.

Review: Italo house has enjoyed quite a resurgence in the last few years, with plenty of new releases popping up that sound convincingly authentic in their production and aesthetic. It's always nice to savour the real deal, though, and it doesn't get much more real than the one and only Don Carlos when it comes to direct-from-the-source dreamy 90s peninsula house. Here, the Don compiles a comprehensive selection of classics from the genre. With shimmering pads, soulful vocals and synth-flute leads aplenty, this bygone LP is steeped in both nostalgia and not-so-subtle reminders that not too many of the more recent pretenders have added a great deal to the form. Highlights permeate the comp, from Montego Bay's 'Everything' to Kwanzaa Posse's 'Wicked Funk'. The unabashed positivity of Golem's 'Music Sensations' makes for a welcome addition, as does the driving synth energy of Eagle Parade's 'I Believe'. In truth, the LP doesn't put a foot wrong, transporting listeners to the balmy hedonism of golden-age Rimini. Though it's never good to generalise, the old adage 'Italians do it better' certainly seems apt here.

Review: Best of 1996-2019 is the first-ever Best Of album by Cassius, legendary pioneers of the French touch movement. Housed in a black gatefold sleeve, it includes liner notes by Hubert "Boombass" Blanc-Francard who does a great job of reflecting on the duo's journey and the late Philippe "Zdar" Cerboneschi, who passed away five years ago. The compilation features iconic tracks spanning their career, including hits like 'Cassius 1999,' 'I <3 U So,' 'Feeling For You,' 'Toop Toop,' 'Go Up,' 'The Sound of Violence' and 'Don't Let Me Be.' It is a joyous celebration of Cassius' enduring influence on electronic music.

Review: Confidence Man's relocation from Australia to London has ignited a new era with their upcoming third studio album, 3am (La La La). Embracing their signature audacity, the duo - Janet Planet and Sugar Bones - have crafted an album that dives deeper into the realms of hedonism and euphoria, fueled by their nocturnal creative sessions. Describing the album as "darker, sexier, and more surreal," Confidence Man blend 90s and 00s UK rave influences with a contemporary edge, with tracks like 'I Can't Lose You' and 'Real Move Touch' (featuring Sweetie) Irie exuding an infectious energy that spans breakbeat, trance, and techno, echoing the punk spirit of legends like The Prodigy. Inspired by encounters with idols like KLF and immersion in London's queer club scene, 3am (La La La) promises to be a sensory trip through pulsating beats and unbridled creativity. It follows their acclaimed sophomore release TILT and collaborations that have expanded their sonic palette. This album introduces their wild, irrepressible spirit to a wider audience, offering an exhilarating escape from the mundane into their eccentric and exhilarating universe.

Review: The glorious Dobro label gets to double figures in fine style here with a new album that finds Iner both going solo and collaborating with Oiuna on four new cuts which then get remixed. The originals are summery, airy, organic worlds of gentle deep house rhythms, feathery synth melodies and gentle hooks that have a subtle future feel. The remixes rework the tunes for more direct vibes in the club with Frank Music label head Johannes Albert going first and then Crowd Control also stepping up. Great artwork, too.