Nathan Haines - "U See That" (feat Vanessa Freeman & Marcus Begg - Atjazz Love Soul mix) (5:12)
The Realm x Atjazz x Kelli Sae - "On The Road" (vocal mix) (7:58)
Review: Back ion 2021, the relaunched Foliage Records imprint offered up a killer mix from NYC house legends Mood II Swing, the must-check Deep Rooted. Soon, the revitalised label will release a sequel, with long-serving British deep house don Atjazz at the helm. This sampler EP boasts six of the highlights from that set - all remixed and reworked by Atjazz himself. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the tense, slowly building deep-tech shuffle of Halo''s 'Glorty (Atjazz Galaxy Art Remix)'and the sun-splashed 6am bounce of Atjazz's remix of Dominique Fils-Aime's gorgeous 'Sun Rise', to the dreamy dancefloor wooziness of Ralf GUM's 'AWA' (re-imagined by Atjazz as an Osunlade-esque spiritual house workout) and the jazzy, bass-guitar-propelled broken house excellence of 'On The Road (Vocal Mix)', a three-way collab between Atjazz, Kelli Sae and The Realm.
Review: Jackies Music Records celebrates a successful first year with a new special edition vinyl record, featuring five iconic numbers from the back catalogue. Retrospectively looking back, we're met with five still-fresh ones from their ambitious 2024, includeing handpicks from Todd Terry, Piem, CASSIMM, Angelo Ferreri, and DJ W!ld. Embodying the mood of mid-dance tension, at which point we're likely well into the mix and sweating our glands off (such paradoxes are not impossible), the best of this pick have got to be Terry's 'Heartbeat', a swarthily knocking groove complete with an angelic, cardiovascular vocal, and W!ld's lo-fi hip slip, 'Underdog', the lyrics on which we'll be spending at least a good week trying to decipher.
Review: American neo-soul pin-up D'Angelo has released a couple of the smoothest records of the last 30 years. He even made a welcome comeback in the mid 2010s and added some more magic to his cannon. Here Kero Uno remixes a couple of his tunes and ups their funky quotient to make them more suitable to dancefloors. First, he flips 'Spanish Joint' into a key-laced and funky workout with low-slung, hip-swinging grooves sure to seduce next to the zippy synth leads. On the flip is his hot take on 'Feel Like Makin' Love', another bona-fide gem full of heart and soul.
Review: American house don Roy Davis Jnr is inseparable from his cult classic 'Gabriel' with Peven Everett but also has many other delightful deep house cuts in his discography. His Black Excellence EP is one of them. It came digitally in 2022 on the P'oe Records label and now gets pressed up to wax for the imprint's first foray into this medium. It features the single 'Hidden Hebrew' which is a percussive deep house sound with soothing piano chords and plenty of drum fills and splashy cymbals. There are two different remixes of it as well as his own RDJ version of 'Summer La Costa' which is a more humid and horn-laced jam with a soulful topline. Last of all is a Mourad Remix packed with wet hand claps and chopped-up loops and violin.
Review: The Belgian label Higher Hopes is run by DC Salas who now returns to it with a new EP with the collaborative Los NiNos Del Parque project alongside Anthony Barbarich aka Mirror Minds. They say it is a release that has been 15 years in the making and has roots in their shared love of 2000s electroclash, plus new wave and new beat. They set out to make something inspired by that and have done so over the last four years with a mix of rugged and mechanical rhythms and angular synth lines. A fine remix by the assured Badaboum and Rinse France resident Belaria rounds out the package.
Review: This project stems from the mutual admiration between Daru Jones and Devonne "DJ" Harrison who, upon discovering their collaborations with Jack White, had the idea of blending rock with jazz. DJ Harrison's vintage keyboard skills and Daru's versatility made them perfect for such a rock-influenced project. Legendary guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, a longtime friend of Mr. Mandel, was ideal for the guitar role and after several years they finally got together to record this album in 2022. The result is a first 12" single, mastered at 45 rpm for exceptional sound. Here's hoping there will be more to come.
Review: Rome's contemporary jazz maestro Stefano De Santis is back with his 'New Beginning' EP on the esteemed Quattro Bambole Music. Across four stunning tracks, Stefano's musicianship shines as he explores jazz-infused broken beat, boogie, deep house and lo-fi hip-hop. Highlights come thick and fast and include the mellow jazz landscapes of 'Roy,' the lush blend of slow-motion house and broken beats on 'Lie#3', the emotive, piano-driven 'Paths' and the 80s boogie vibe of 'Tokyo 80.' UK producer Sean McCabe mastered the EP but also delivers a deep house dub of 'Lie#3.'
Review: Whatever you were expecting from an album named 'Superflous', forget it. An exploration into all the many paths of light that refract from the prism of house music, Bagarre commands the dancefloor with every track, placing specific emphasis on keys - a side of the genre that the mainstream has fallen out of love with in recent years. The silky smooth jazz house of 'Espirit Coubertin', a more classic NYC brand of vocal house (beset with 80s synth phrases) in 'Truman Flow' and a divulgence into some driving piano acid house with chopped up vocals in 'Annees Folles' to even a more modern, turn of the century approach with the big hit 'Eurovision' - I could go on. A wonderful and tight package, this LP almost feels like a compilation for how varied and versatile the tracks are. The packaging being one of the selling points of course, the carbon impact of the vinyl production promising to be compensated by a French organisation. You certainly don't have to feel bad about dancing to this now.
Review: The third EP on Dutch disc discoursers Runde Ecken, the 'Savoy' EP proceeds the 'Jazzfloor' and 'Another Deep' EPs as the charming third-timer by the label's sole nucleotide, Deejazzid. With an exclusive focus on breezy minimal disco set to vinyl - and paired with a Ben Day comic book visual style - we hear another six soothers round out a swole overall mix here, as 'Deep Control' moves into 'Deeptroit', cranking up the heat under the deep minimal casserole in pigeon step.
Review: Best dig out a bona fide gem from the early days of Italian house music - a one-shot hit from the masterful minds of Alex Neri and Marco Baroni that originally surfaced in 1992 on Adriatic Club. This sunkissed classic has everything a deep house cut should - smooth piano, a splash of diva vocals, and feel-good vibes oozing from every pore. For our money the "Deep Jungle Mix" is the one - a smouldering swinger that will draw you in and keep you warm at night, but whichever twist on the '90s styles you prefer this record has got you covered.
Review: Spanish label NeighbourSoul bring a heraldic design sensibility to wildout disco edits on 12", with this latest record taking on a leonine art direction on the inner label and sleeve. A top-up to their enduring vinyl-only series, this one hears a resident editor arride four more most-pleasing disco loops, believably emulating a bygone time in which DJs would sticker and knife their records to create workable tools, in the absence of software.
Review: Enjoy The Silence, Depeche Mode's standout single from Violator, marked a significant moment in the band's career, becoming their most successful UK single since 'Master & Servant' in 1984. 'Enjoy The Silence' captured both critical and public acclaim, peaking at number six in the UK charts and achieving top spots in Denmark and Spain, as well as reaching number eight in the US. The 12" version is beloved by fans with the myriad of great remixes the song provided. This new yellow vinyl version helps meet the demand of an always desirable dance record. The single's success earned Depeche Mode their first Brit Award for Best Single of 1990. This newfound positivity extended to the subsequent reception of Violator, solidifying 'Enjoy The Silence' as an iconic track in Depeche Mode's discography. The song continues to be celebrated for its brooding, tender qualities, and its ability to resonate with audiences globally as well as the iconic video.
Thinking Of You (Dove Sei) (feat Sonny King) (3:49)
Pride (In The Name Of Love) (feat Antonio Farao & PNUC) (3:49)
Review: Dirotta Su Cuba is an Italian jazz / funk / pop band formed in in Florence over 30 years ago. We have another pressing of their 2020 single "Nothing Is Impossible", with the smooth acid jazz of the original complemented by the low slung, Latin influenced funky house on the Cimbamix - which is worth it for the price alone. Over on the flip, hop aboard the slo-mo funk train on the splendid "Thinking Of You" (Dove Sei) (feat Sonny King) once again featuring Simona Bencini's amazing vocal work and finally a roaring cover of the soul classic "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" (feat Antonio Farao & PNUC).
Review: Underground Resistance established the 4EVR 4WRD label in mid-2016, seemingly as an outlet for music by the crew's live band, Timeline. This second salvo more or less fits the brief, as it's a solo outing by Timeline member Jon Dixon. The 12" boasts a trio of versions of "Fly Free", an R&B/soul inspired chunk of melodious - but naturally a little spacey - deep house. Dixon's own "Edit" version, which includes a few more stylistic nods towards Detroit techno amongst the deep house sounds and looped vocal samples, can be found on the flipside alongside Al Ester's chunkier but no less dreamy Dub. Perhaps the most obviously energetic take, and certainly the most pumping percussively, comes from John Collins.
Review: A record that crafts a smooth, jazz-infused deep house journey, blending classic influences with a refined musical touch. Side-1 opens with 'Waves', where warm piano chords and a laid-back groove create an effortlessly rich atmosphere. 'Let's Love' brings in house legend Robert Owens, elevating the track with soulful vocals, shimmering keys and uplifting energyiclassic house music with a deep jazz undercurrent. On the flip, 'Move Me' delivers a dynamic blend of funky basslines, crisp percussion and spacious keyboards, keeping the groove fluid and expressive. 'Wistful Melody' rounds out the EP with a driving four-on-the-floor rhythm, yet retains a melodic softness, balancing energy with deep, emotive textures. A beautifully crafted collection that pays homage to house music's roots while pushing toward a more intricate, jazz-leaning sound.
Review: DJ Mitsu The Beats summons up a mellow, jazz-tinged spin on Norah Jones' early classic 'Sunrise', following a plucky piano-studio sesh shared with Takumi Kaneko of Cro-Magnon. After a cannonballing digital release, the "instrumental chill" track now takes shape as a 7" single, suturing Mitsu's laidback bop to Kaneko's smooth, sunspot piano lines. With cover photography by surf documentarian Atsushi Kumano, the single was in turn singled out for the surf music compilation Salt Meets Island Cafe: Sea of Love 2, curated by new lifestyle magazine Salt. Balancing beachside ease and unsurpassable musicianship, this track hankers at the title for next best surf-chill anthem.
Review: A new song by the acclaimed DJ Mitsu The Beats (a member of Sendai's hip-hop crew Gagle) and rapper Sorane, 'Daily Meets' is a chillaxed, fluid lo-hi-fi hip-hop tonic for those whose ears require polishing, refreshing and/or full-blown aneling in the morning. Getting at a quotidian "everyday life" themes - bleary eyes, coffee shop hissings, cutlery tinkles, long gazes out the window - this jazzy track blends sharp lyricism with repetitious slice-of-life themes, finding joy in those life periods that the less patient among us dare to call groundhog days. Backed up by the instrumental too, you're more than well equipped for both DJ and home system play here.
It Smells Like Bootyhole On Mars Bring Me Back To Earth! (3:53)
Review: DJ Pirna's new EP has a rather unreconstructed title in 'It Smells Like Bootyhole On Mars Bring Me Back To Earth!' but there is nothing wrong with the beats. The six tunes are all sizzling dancefloor workouts that draw on juke, house, footwork and electro and first up is the soulful sound of 'Where You Are Is Not Who You Are' before 'Trashman' gets all wonky. 'Freak Show' is a thrill gin and high-speed electro looper, while deeper atmospheres pervade the slower 'Cleanin' Up', jazzy overtones of 'Real Thang' and then last of all is the title cut with its spinning hi-hats, funky breaks and boogie bass.
Review: Ninja Tune favourite and sometime lo-fi house pin-up DJ Seinfeld continues to prove he was always about so much more with a new collab alongside Confidence Man that he describes as "quirky, naive and an ode to all the summer flings out there". It came about after the pair hung out a few times and enjoyed each other's company and the tun itself has already been something of a mini classic during festival season. As well as the original with its catchy drum loops, pop leaning vocal hooks and lush strings, there is a cheeky UK garage version that has even more irresistible bump and a Carlita remix that reworks into something different but equally essential.
Review: DJ Slugo is a legendary producer who very much helped to define the sound of the equally legendary Dance Mania label back in the day. Now Subterranean Playhouse has put together a collection of his most influential works across the juke and footwork spectrum on one vital 12". 'Bang Dem Walls' kicks off in signature style with hard-hitting rhythms and ghetto vocals. 'Like It Raw (feat DJ Deeon - 2002 remix)' is another hardcore dancefloor banger with jittery rhythms and turbocharged stabs and 'On The Low (feat Double AC & DJ PJ)' is exactly the sort of short but sweet and impactful jam that DJ Slufo is such a master of.
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: DJ Sommer honours the dancefloor with the committal statement 'House Music Forever', embodying a stripped-down surrender to the genre that made him, and which he makes. From hardware jammed geneses to peaktime, edited finessings, 'Make Me Groove' and 'Loose Style' bring ample jazz flurries and plodding kick chunks to an overall mood of walloping conviviality. 'Groove On' and 'Calling You' break out the Selmer Paris and Steinway respectively, as the implied goal of ascendancy proves increasingly euphoric.
Review: Oozing with slippery sound design and euphoric exudate, Andrey Djackonda, Etzu Mahkayah, and TooRare team up for a next-gen talent demo in EP form, well and truly showing any other upstart how trancey-prog-minimal house is and should indeed be done. Said to have been designed to create a feeling of uplift and positivity - and yet in our opinion, the record touches on relatively more neutral and trancier moods, ones which could go either way - the likes of 'Que Le Jour Se Leve' and 'Sunrise In Amsterdam' are highly maximised, entelechic tech-trance progressors, highlt reflective of the verve and dedicated so far enshrined in the work of Saint Petersburg label MixCult.
Review: After over 20 years of collaboration, Reggie Dokes and Red D continue their musical journey with a new release on Reggie's renowned Psychostasia label. Their first joint EP was released on Red D's We Play House Recordings and launched the label's celebrated U.S. Series. On this latest offering, Reggie showcases his signature deep house style with melancholic tones and solid beats adding up to a timeless deep house vibe. Meanwhile, Red D channels his Detroit roots into a swinging techno track reminiscent of Scan 7 and featuring a vocal homage to an Underground Resistance classic. It don't get much more authentic than this.
Review: Some suitably sizzling summer fare here from the dusty-fingered Thank You crew, whose latest reissue focuses on a little-known, house-era Italo-disco gem from 1990. First time round, the single was a private press seven-inch, meaning that only a limited number of copies were ever pressed up. In its original vocal mix form 'Tengo La Sangre Caliente' blurs the boundaries between Euro-synth-pop, colourful Italo-house and Italo-disco. It's good, but the accompanying instrumental mix is even better. Over on the flip, Castro delivers two killer re-edits: an extra-percussive version that emphasises the more house and Flamenco-inspired elements of the 1990 original ('Tengo Las Castanetas Caliente'), and a sweat-soaked 'beats' version for those who like getting busy in the mix.
Review: DVDE is an alias that reminds us of the TV wind-up merchant Phonejacker, and there sure is plenty of jack to the beast cooked up by this emerging artist. Their Ultralucid Paris EP is an old school house workout that starts with the acid-laced title track with its early Chicago drums and dark vocals. 'Good Morning England' then winds up the energy levels with more wonky synths and brain-frying acid lines and then the EP closes with flip-side jam 'Dramacid' featuring the one and only San Proper. It's an uneven and sleazy house cut with crunchy drums and San's vocals and funky guitar riffs bringing to life the prickly 303s.
Review: Senking and DYL reunite after their notable collaboration back on 2020's EP Uniformity Of Nature, this time going long on their first full-length, Diving Saucer Attack. This new work spans a total of six tracks, two of which have been produced individually and so highlight their shared passion for dub-heavy and adventurous electronic music while also bringing out the subtle differences in their styles. The album opens with 'Six Doors Down', a track featuring throbbing bass and haunting synths while subsequent cuts like 'A7r380R' explore intricate soundscapes before culminating in the sombre closing piece, 'Not Just Numbers.'
Review: It's a match made in Balearic heaven. Ela Minus, Colombia-born, Brooklyn-based artist, best known for building synths, placing agitational statements between her carefully woven ambient melodies and her Acts Of Rebellion album, meets fellow New Yorker DJ Python, he of the hypnotic dembow stylings, for a bumper value-packed six track EP. Ghostly vocals float across stark beats and sometime gloomy, sometime edgy but cheery dayglo musical textures on the three vocal versions, and there are three instrumentals for those who prefer their grooves that way.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Kaidi Tatham - "Doin' The Most" (7:32)
Matthew Law - "Dilla's Disco" (4:10)
Review: The Private Stock label is back with more of their irresistible house magic with a limited translucent red splattered 12" featuring some pretty big names. Terry Hunter kicks off with the sort of guitar-laced roller that you imagine would have been massive at Paradise Garage with 'Go Back Jack' then Ian Wallace brings big and sunny house stomps with his 'From Beginning To End.' DJ Jazzy Jeff & Kaidi Tatham then team up for the irresistibly feel-good disco, soul and house fusion that is 'Doin' The Most' and Matthew Law lays down dusty MPC drums with grinning bass and lo-fi atmospheres on the perfectly entitled 'Dilla's Disco.'
Review: Freerange's City To City series returns with its second edition, this time spotlighting Lisbon. Known for its stunning views, beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife, perhaps one of the city's best-known hotspots is the iconic Lux Fragile, which has shaped the city's sound since the late 90s. Longtime resident DJs from Lisbon are now gaining global traction; to butterfly-net the essence of the coastal metropolis, this new mix LP hears six original tracks from local talents, chief among whom are Megatronic, progressor and ambassador for the city, and Yen Sung & Photonz, two names closely tied to the circuit's deeper-underground corners.A
Review: Eight further sonic spirits are conjured on the seventh edition in Damian Lazarus' annual compilation series. Emphasising deep house and techno grooves with a hypnotic flavour, the procurement here is exemplarily brooding; Dino Lenny's 'I Have Sampled Father' marks a sure turn away from the openers' cleaner-cut mesmerisms with a smoky, funk-inflected haze, bringing rhythm guitar and paternal murmurations to a surreal montage. The monologuing mood continues on the equal highlight that is Upercent's 'Where Are You', whilst Enamour's 'Jackpot' rounds out the show with the record's only brightly-lit minimal triller. The record is marked by sensuous, distant, familiar voices throughout.
Review: Afroterraneo Music founder Kiko Navarro steps up for his label next release, but not before enlisting the help of friends and fellow Balearic and house dons DJ Pippi and Willie Graff. Their classy Tempistica Mistica EP offers up a pair of richly percussive and Afro-Latin tinged house cuts that are primed and ready for deployment on the most cultured dance floors. 'N'Fumbei' is a warming shuffler that echoes the work of Fred P, 'Esanah' is more heavy and percussive with its weighty kicks making a lasting mark. 'N'Fumbeats' closes down with a fat, bouncy rhythm brought to life with loose and organic perc.
Review: ?aru is a non-profit label from Romania that sits at the sharp edge of the minimal underground. This new double pack of striped back tech gems will see all proceeds donated to dog shelters and NGOs supporting stray pups. Sensek opens with a slithering and groaning groove, 'Machine Morality,' for shadowy afterparties and Gringow brings a haunting melody to 'Towards The Dark & Cold.' Broascka's 'Epitelius' is an abstract affair with microscopic details scattered over a deep, dubby grove and Dragomir closes with two cuts - 'Alone With You' is a woozy late-night roller and 'Illusions feat Adina Oros' is a blissed out downtempo sound for the post-club hours.
David Twice & Fool Sentimental - "Vous Avez Dit Bizarre?" (4:45)
Disco Flegrei - "Hot" (7:45)
Disco Flegrei - "Titanesque" (with Francis Galio & Marco Silva) (5:10)
DJ Moar - "Feelings" (7:11)
HoldTight - "Legend" (3:37)
Yured Jones - "Far Away" (2:28)
Review: Fresh Sounds #000 is a new and unique series, limited and numbered to 150 examples thanks to the efforts of its parent company Ribo Cochlee. For the very first edition of the series, a mockley crew of newcomers come to the fore, be they DJ Moar, Disco Flegrei or Holdtight. Centring on woozy jazzdance and disco with an airily produced bent, the highlights on this one have to be Flegrei's 'Titamesque', which basks in a kind of sexy sophistry procured by the heady combination of live drums and a (we think) muted bass clarinet, and Yured Jones' 'Far Away', which breaks from the genre prescription for a more cinematic breakdown.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.