Back catalogue: All genres

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: Big Love's popular compilation-style A Touch Of Love series returns for a sixth instalment, with boss man Seamus Haji once again showcasing a quartet of tried-and-tested treats. Fittingly, he kicks things off with 'Serious', a kind of hbrid heavy garage-house/disco house affair featuring organ solos aplenty and vocals from Chicago legend Mike Dunn, before Moon Boots joins the dots between sweet 80s soul and nu-disco on the synth-powered vocal number 'In My Life'. Heavy, French Touch-inspired disco-house vibes are provided by DJ Fudge ('Escapade'), before Dutch rising star Danou P - with a little help from pal Jamie 3:26 on vocals - delivers the organ rich deep house/garage-house fusion of 'Fly'.

Review: On Demuja's label Blueprint comes an milestone six-track EP made up of breezy, ultraviolet house tunes, celebrating the imprint's tenth anniversary in the form of a bite-sized sampler referencing a wider compliation LP. With both familiar and fresh faces in tow, we're gripped by the selection on offer: Hall's synthetic glam-funk jam opens proceedings with whistly synths, while Makez' 'Train To Saturn' accelerates towards ever-faster ends, and Basic Soul Unit's 'Souljourn' takes the B's cake with knocky, tactile *perpetuum mobile*.

Review: If we had a pound for every hush-hush Sade remix or re-edit we'd heard over the years, we'd likely have enough to fund a night out - or at least a light lunch at an overpriced London restaurant. This one comes from - surprise, surprise - a mystery artist, on the freshly minted Illegal Paris rework imprint. It sees our shadowy hero give his, her or their take on 1984's 'Hang On To Your Love', re-framing the classic cut as a smooth, subtly nu-disco tinged slab of warming deep house excellence built around a rising and falling bassline, crunchy drums and tech-house tinged electronic flourishes. The superb full vocal A-side version comes accompanied by a dancefloor dub style 'instrumental'. This features occasional vocal snippets and loads more spacey synth sounds.

Review: Brighton-based producer Pierson brings a refreshing diversity to his deep house and disco house offerings, blending multiple influences with an ease that keeps his tracks exciting and unpredictable. 'Forget It Mate' starts off with a slow groove that feels like a nostalgic nod to vintage deep house, but it's much moreithis track is a skillful blend of old-school vibes and modern energy. It seamlessly moves between different styles, creating a dynamic and infectious vibe. 'Mr Miami' follows with a lively piano-driven melody, uplifting the listener with its ambient house feel, where lush chords and smooth transitions create a feel-good atmosphere. On Side-2, 'Spank Dat' is a funky standout. With its rich groove and rare disco aura, it's a killer track for any dancefloor, offering a unique fusion of genres. Finally, 'Just No!' dives into a tribal, electro-driven territory. Its organic yet robotic funk takes on an 80s electro feel, offering a quirky, dynamic sound that pushes boundaries. This EP delivers something for everyone, effortlessly blending styles while staying rooted in deep, groove-driven house. A true example of the producer's range and creativity.

Review: The people behind Ba Dum Tish say they spent months calling, texting and emailing people trying to track down the Hoodrats, but in the end, they did and it was all worth it because it means we now get this reissue of their superb 00s EP 'Tha Whack Messiah'. The title cut is all dusty drums and skipping hi-hats with quiet vocal musings stitched in and swirling pads adding depth and scale. 'So UR The Traitor' on the flip has a more cosmic outlook with smeared synths and tin-pot percussion combing into a sweet tech house roller that oozes early authenticity.

Review: Ah, Hot Creations, home to the hippest house music that cites disco and 25 year-old club anthems as its inspirations. Here, label head honchos Jamie Jones and Lee Foss revived their Hot Natured project for a sweet stroll through smiley vocal house territory in the company of one-time electrofunk revivalist Ali Love. "Benediction" is good for what it is - a vaguely deep, pleasant Hot Creations record - but the real killer here is the remix of former single "Forward Motion" by crusty old US garage head Mark "MK" Kinchen. He recalls those glory days of tough but groovy MK dubs with a rework straight out of 1993.

Review: Hastings-born prog/tech veteran Danny Howells' latest foray into the world of house music proves once again why he's a staple of the scene. Lead track 'Powershow' is a sprawling 12-minute exploration that encapsulates everything great about houseideep, soulful, yet endlessly driving. Following that is 'Stereodrama,' which shifts gears slightly, upping the ante with a raucous, percussive workout. It's a perfect reflection of Howells' deft touch for crafting emotionally resonant yet unrelentingly danceable moments. Finally, there's 'Earthlings X,' a track that might have been created years ago but still feels entirely of the moment. Despite being Danny's first release for Selador, it's aged like fine wineiits ever-present freshness matching its ability to still sound like a future classic. It's the kind of cut that seems to embody everything Howells stands for, the perfect intersection of intelligence, energy, and soul. Sounding both timeless and cutting-edge this is another feather in his already many-feathered cap.

Review: Since its inception in 2023, Soul Quest Records has released some superbly deep and soulful records. To prove the point, the Hackney-based label has decided to serve up a compilation style EP featuring fresh cuts from current artists and new signings. Max Sinal joins forces with King Crowney and vocalist Liv East on the ultra-deep, super soulful warm-up sounds of 'Intentions', before Slxm Sol cannily combines loose-limbed drums, warming bass, sensitive chords, tactile Rhodes keys and soulful vocal snippets on 'NYBB'. Hitch 93 doffs a cap to Chez Damier on the excellent 'Uno Dos Tres Four', Rob Reckford delivers some bright MPC-house action ('Garden Party'), and Soul Grooves goes deep, gently dubby and spacey ('Blues Kitchen'). The gentle broken house sunniness of 'Edith' by Flying Moth completes a fine EP.