Review: The Distorsion camp offers up its first sampler as a way of teasing you with the sort of quality sounds and artists it has on its roster. First up is a three-way collab between Citybox, Hankook & Orebeat whose 'Dangerous Changes' is an intense breakbeat workout for the peak time. Orebeat & Alex Clubbers keep the energy levels high and inject early 00s video-game style synths, Orebeat & Citybox keep it dark and raw with 'Gangsta' and Orebeat & JottaFrank laced up their thrilling breaks with acid lines and sleazy vocals on "Noche De Paris.' This is potent stuff for strobe-lit floors.
Herd & Fitz/Hannah Wants/Abigail Bailey - "I Just Can't Get Enough 2024" (6:39)
Herd & Fitz/Jakkob/Abigail Bailey - "I Just Can't Get Enough 2024" (5:26)
Herd & Fitz/Abigail Bailey - "I Just Can't Get Enough 2024" (5:16)
Herd & Fitz/Abigail Bailey - "I Just Can't Get Enough 2024" (H&F Sunrise mix) (6:00)
Review: Back in 2006, Jason Herd and Jon Fitz scored a colossal club hit with 'Just Can't Get Enough', a funky and chunky house number featuring impassioned lead vocals by Abigail Bailey and a prominent sample from Kariya's late-80s dancefloor classic 'Let Me Love You For Tonight'. 18 years on, the track has been given a makeover. Hannah Wants steps up first, retaining the vocals and Kariya synth samples while combining it with a beefy, tooled-up house groove, before Jakob reaches for mid-90s organ bass, a grandiose breakdown and even bigger builds. Flip for two reworks by Herd and Fitz - a rushing, peak-time friendly, radio-ready big room house re-wire, and a bouncier, piano-sporting 'Sunrise' revision.
Incognito - "Freedom To Love" (Atjazz Astro remix) (5:25)
MRMILKDEE & Jill Rock Jones - "2 Positions" (Sean McCabe Cosmos dub) (5:22)
Harold Matthews Jr & Sean McCabe - "Metronome" (Turbojazz remix) (6:16)
KV5 & Kaidi Tatham - "Shook Up" (5:03)
Review: Reel People Music breaks new ground, in more ways than one, with the launch of fresh compilation series Broken, Deep & Dope. A spin-off from acclaimed compilation brand Soulful, Deep & Dope - introduced back in 2015 - this new series sees the much-loved independent imprint pushing further at the boundaries of soulful music. All with that customary Reel People feeling. Broken, Deep & Dope 2024, the series' first instalment, unleashes 20 superlative examples of the soulful 'bruk' (broken beat), nu beat and nu jazz sound that has so innovatively informed contemporary dancefloors around the world since its inception back in late '90s West London.
Review: The late great Whitney Houston has many hits in her back catalogue and plenty of them are ripe and ready for club-ready reworks. J& E Project do just that here by reworking her belting diva classic 'So Emotional'. First off they extend it with more drums for the dance floor, some 90s piano house chords layered in and splashy cymbals to make it all the more immediate. The vocal remains iconic and is sure to be sung back whenever this one gets played. A radio edit and instrumental also feature on this flashy pink vinyl.
Fighting For Your Life (Blood On The dance Floor remix) (5:58)
Fighting For Your Life (After Dark mix) (5:36)
Review: Lockdown Records has put together this useful new 12" which offers up the notorious duo of Matt Early & Lee Jeffries. 'Fighting for Your Life' is a classic pop single that comes with the electrifying Blood on the Dancefloor Mix and the sultry After Dark Mix, both of which are inspired by the iconic sounds of Michael Jackson. They make for effective dancefloor weapons that come with a hint of nostalgia and plenty of weighty grooves.
Review: The idea of the 'Dreamworld' has pervaded all dance music since its beginnings, and 2024 proves no exception to this rule, with the latest astral projection of its kind coming by way of producer Jalil. Debuting 'Dreamworld' for his local label Stillwell, this is an acid house EP of carefully lucid exploratory proportions. Jalil builds a jocose yet driven palette from found samples against sombre backings, working a seemingly endless spate of transitional hits and impacts about a central acid line on 'Oberheimer'. He then dashes this intro's sense of withdrawal with an audacious pinch-point in the form of 'Moods Of Madness', a favourite of ours, adding aqueous chord-data to an already osmotic pulse.
Review: Jose James is one of the most velvet voices in contemporary jazz singing. He also has history of working with one of deep house's finest having done an album with the great Moodymann. Louie Vega, meanwhile, is one of the most decorated house artists of all time, so seems like a perfect man to remix James. He offers up four versions of the American's 'Saturday Night' with the first being a percussive, loose-limbed and soulful sound. An OG Mix and instrumental also make the cut as does a Louie Vega remix Guitar dub to bring some extra depth to the EP.
Review: Veteran Aussie artist Kaz James returns with a dynamic double A-side that finds him laying down some slick tech-house vibes underpinned with catchy grooves. 'Rocker In The Disco' has a fleshy low end that rumbles with real weight as spiralling chords add scale. It's a moody cut that keeps you on edge then on the flip side, 'Dance Her Right' maintains the energy with punchy basslines and catchy hooks. It's a more buoyant sound designed to lock in dancers and take them to the next level. Both tracks have become key features in his sets at events like Art Basel, Burning Man, and Pacha Ibiza and following the success of his hit 'Sun is Shining' he shows he still has plenty more to say.
Review: J & M Music Co US welcomes LeBaron James for another standout four-tracker that brings raw house and smooth disco together on one EP. Up first is 'Always Be True' is a deceptively simple sound that brings straight-up dancefloor beats with hooky pads. 'House Party' then has more heavy kicks and wild percussive patterns to liven up any party and 'One' then brings a more cool and laid-back disco groove that has a slick modern twist. Last but not least is 'Sugar And Spice' which brings a touch of sophisticated and chic instrumental vibes. It's a fourth different sound on a versatile EP.
A Thousand White Kites Flying High Above The Sea (3:43)
Review: Leo James is back on his own Body Language label with a sixth tasteful take on breakbeat-driven sounds. He shows his range here with different grooves all exploring different moments. 'Better Days' is one that has you gazing off to the middle distance, lost in the rueful pads. 'Olive Grove' is a slowed-down and dubbed-out sound with lots of lovely reverb and 'Burst The Gates' is a deep digi-dub style cut with angelic vocals. 'A Thousand White Kites Flying High Above The Sea' is the ambient laced downtempo closer for late-night dreaming.
Review: Jamie 3:26, the Chicago house luminary, returns with the second instalment of his Danacefloor Damage series, a collection of re-rubbed disco cuts crafted with the dancefloor in mind, but possessing a depth that transcends the club. This time around, he's unearthed three gems, each an ode to his impeccable taste and his uncanny ability to breathe new life into forgotten classics. 'Flyin'' takes flight with a dizzying array of soaring strings and a groove that's as infectious as it is propulsive. 'Funkin' (Hardy Tribute Version)' pays homage to late disco/early house legend Ron Hardy, its driving bassline and soulful vocals a fitting tribute to his enduring influence. 'Jungle DJ Tool' injects a tribal energy into the mix, its percussive rhythms and hypnotic chants guaranteed to induce a state of dancefloor abandon. Jamie 3:26's edits are a masterclass in dancefloor manipulation, expertly balancing euphoric highs with moments of introspective restraint. A potent reminder that the classics never truly die when preserved in the right hands.
Review: French producer Jehan is next up on Blur Records with a new EP, TV Screen, that shows that he has a sophisticated approach when it comes to bending free jazz with electronic music and a love of hip-hop. The latter of those is evident in the title of the opener, '92 Till Infinity', which pairs lazy keys with lazier beats and soul drenched vocals. 'Montre Suisse' (feat Donnie Moustaki) has dusty beats that sound like they might fall over themselves topped with warm organ chords and 'You Win' (feat Scruscru & Meowsn) then brings a sweet and swaggering deep house vibe. The flip keeps the slow burning and late night feelings alive with a trio of loved up, well sampled, blissed out beats.
Review: Haggerston-based production wizard Jeigo kicks off the year after a standout 2024 by serving his own label Fleurella Records' first release. For the occasion, he reissues his track 'Pearl Leaf' which sits in between the worlds of Bicep, Sasha and UKG. It has floating pads and airy, organic beats that carry you away on a melancholic mood with deeply buried vocals adding a blurry, heart-tugging hook. On the flip are two new and unheard jams. 'Headpains' is full of a flurry of breaks but is also laden with introspective emotion in the vocals and chords and 'The Days You Were Here' is a more downtempo cut with shimmering pads, pitched-up vocals and languid bass.
Review: Londoner Jeigo has always had a knack for intricate and melancholic production. His emotive sounds span breaks, garage and dub and gave rise to a superb album Cerulean back in 2022. This new outing on Air Miles is another sophisticated one that shows some different sides. 'Fig' is a dusty and lo-fi mix of knocking, woody broken beat patterns and pitched-up vocal snippets that bring a sense of pain. 'Act Like You're Strong' is heads down, lip-curling UKG with shuffling and weighty drums and naughty bass. '3-5 Working Days' is somewhere in between - both club-ready but also with post-Burial vocals that tug at the heartstrings. There is a blissed-out feel to the optimistic melodic bubbles and angelic vocals of 'Found Me' that means the EP closes in lush fashion.
Review: Kito Jempere delivers a fiery four-track package that will electrify dance floors with his first outing of 2025. A bold departure from today's mainstream dance sounds, his New Life EP blends adventurous beats with a rebellious spirit and the lead track channels New Order's Technique era but is infused with early hip-hop breaks and a mix of acid, happy hardcore and ghetto tech. 'LoveFilter' takes a dreamy, chilled trip across electronic landscapes while 'Killer Line De-Part' combines trance, grunge and '80s analogue vibes for a thrilling climax. Closing with 'Put Love Into Your Heart (Club Mix),' Jempere leaves us with uplifting, feel-good energy.
Friendly Pressure (Into The Sunshine 2024 extended) (3:50)
Friendly Pressure (Into The Sunshine Sped Up version) (5:17)
Review: Way back in 1998, Sunship revisited Jhelisa's 1994 single 'Friendly Pressure', turning in versions that made a massive impression on the then still young UK garage scene. This reissue presents the outfit's two original mixes alongside some tweaked new versions of the pioneering 'Into The Sunshine' mix, a rework that combined a swinging garage beat and MK style organ motifs with Jhelisa's sweet, soulful versions and the musical bounce of reggae. At the time, speed garage DJs tended to play the remix sped up, so Sunship have done that (B2), while also delivering a new 2024 extension of their pioneering revision. To complete the package, we also get the second Sunship rework from 1998, the 2-step style 'From Midnight Mix'. If you're a fan of UKG history, you need this in your life.
Review: B2 Recordings is back with a second release that is every bit as good as the first. This one comes from Reece Johnson and is a joyous mix of uplifting disco sounds with a timeless edge. 'Comin' In Hot' is a lose-limbed opener with percussive edgy and low-slung drums topped off with dazzling chords. 'Glass Heart' then brings the funk with more expert looseness and this time some hooky and soulful vocals. 'Sup America' keeps the party rolling with instrumental disco brilliance and a Spanish vocal to add real heat while 'Feelin' The Beat' and 'Got To Be Free' close out with higher tempos but no less class.
Neverender (feat Tame Impala - extended remix) (6:42)
Neverender (feat Tame Impala - Rampa remix) (6:27)
Neverender (feat Tame Impala - Kaytranada remix) (4:41)
Review: A momentous move from neon-soaked electro outfit Justice hears them team up with the like-minded thrower-backers Tame Impala for a "why didn't anyone think of this before?" EP, 'Neverender'. Released hot off the plate of a recent Alexandra Palace show, the just duo are heard to tip the lady's scales towards miscarriage, following their last LP Hyperdrama with a single tort of regret. Kevin Parker's unmistakable countertenor floats above the track's nightridden house mix like a beamer trailing its driver's emotions in its exhaust fumes: "Because I remember / The hardest of times I / don't forget / Neverender." An ode to "can't unsee", it also comes backed by remixes by Kaytranada and Rampa.
Mark Knight & James Hurr - "You Take Me Higher" (6:12)
Friend Within - "Chain" (5:43)
Martin Ikin & Winnie Ama - "Control It" (4:51)
Flashmob & Raumakustik - "Club Talk" (5:45)
Review: Toolroom's 'sampler' series, which rounds up previously digital-only releases and sticks them out on action-packed 12" EPs, reaches its sixteenth instalment. Given the format, you'll be unsurprised to discover that there's plenty of bona-fide peak-time heat on show, starting with Mark Knight and James Hurr's excitable, filter-heavy, string-laden disco-house bomb 'You Take Me Higher'. Friend Within offers a scintillating blend of heavy acid bass, glassy-eyed female vocal samples, weighty beats and subtle disco samples on the superb 'Chain', while Martin Ikin and Winnie Ama opt for even heavier drums, warped bass, creepy electronics and dead-eyed spoken word vocals on the sweat-soaked 'Control It'. To round things off, we're treated to the tech-tinged funky house bounce of Flashmob and Raumakustik's percussion -rich 'Club Talk'.
Jamma D - "Don't Wanna Leave The Couch Today" (4:20)
Roche - "House Shuffle Boogie" (6:13)
Darone Sassounian - "Arms" (6:18)
Review: This deep, jazzy and lo-fi house 12" is perfect for escaping at this time of year as the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and the general weight of modern life can get all too much. It comes from an array of standout producers from around the world including Darone Sassounian, Jamma D and Jarren from Los Angeles, Roche from Portland and Morris Mobley from Nancy, France. Between them, they offer the cuddly, cloudy depths of 'Drippin'' (Sauce dub), humid and jazzy heat of the sumptuous 'Don't Wanna Leave The Couch Today', playful rhythms of 'House Shuffle Boogie' and more besides.
Montefiori Cocktail - "Gypsy Woman" (Micky More & Andy Tee 7" remix) (4:47)
Jestofunk - "Special Love" (feat Jocelyn Brown - Micky More & Andy Tee 7" Jazz remix) (4:59)
Review: Micky More & Andy Tee's remixes of 'Gypsy Woman' and 'Special Love' by Montefiori Cocktail and Jestofunk respectively are jazz-infused delights that bring new life to these classic tracks. On the A-side, 'Gypsy Woman' exudes Latin disco flair, with infectious rhythms, a stunning horn section and uplifting strings that create an irresistible dancefloor vibe. Meanwhile, the flip features the iconic vocals of Jocelyn Brown on 'Special Love,' seamlessly blending disco and house elements for a soulful and energetic experience. The live instrumentation, including bass and horns, adds depth and authenticity to both remixes, enhancing their appeal to DJs and listeners alike. These remixes are sure to light up any dancefloor with their timeless appeal.
Review: Luv Shack's compilation style 'Disco Biscuits' series is the very definition of reliable, with each new EP delivering killer cuts aimed at the more cosmic end of nu-diusco dancefloors. Volume five in the series arrives with four more tried-and-tested workouts and little in the way of forgettable filler. Check first Rising Seed's 'Back For More', a driving slab of spacey dub disco/cosmic disco fusion in which intergalactic electronics and samples sitars ride a Prins Thomas-esque bassline and beats, before admiring the chugging and squelchy nu-disco shuffle of 'Suffering of K.P' by B.Visible. Over on the flip, Peletronic's 'Drifting' is a glassy-eyed slab of immersive deep house/nu-disco fusion, while Jon Gravy's 'When U Leave' is a stomping slab of peak-time house headiness rich in bustling beats, memorable melodies and hands-aloft riffs.
JR From Dallas & Justnique - "Detroit Drums" (4:27)
Review: The Lisztogrooves series is back and we're glad about it. The first one was essential and this follow-up from Igor Gonya's label features a blend of heavy hitters next to some cool emerging talents. Opening with Manuel Sahagun's smooth deep house track 'Get Yourself' things move on to a taste of US house from Human By Nature, who serves up a rich atmosphere and nostalgic 90s piano riffs. The A-side finishes strong with Gramophonedzie's high-energy jackin' filter workout then on the B-side, French producer Naux creates a deep groove built around chord stabs. Stogov follows with the soulful 'Walking Wide' while JR From Dallas and Justnique wrap up the EP with a seductive deep house finale.
Wh0, Mark Knight & James Hurr - "Turn Me Deeper" (feat Kathy Brown) (5:23)
Shadow Child - "Rising High" (7:31)
Low Steppa & Tony Romera - "Dance To The Music" (5:21)
Maur - "Disco Tool" (6:33)
Review: The latest V/A sampler record by Toolroom Records comes in the shadow of unfortunate news in regards to singer Kathy Brown, who, last we heard, was battling stage four cancer. Brown is the original featuring singer of Praxis' 'Turn Me Out'; her vocal contribution to the track has since gone sampled by many a deep and jackin' house producer, owing to its standout "work me with temptation" lyric, whose simple injunction and passionate delivery would seem to bottle the essence of an era (of overwork, of temptation, of desire). Now Toolroom continue to dedicate their latest releases to Brown in her honour; this time, her 'Turn Me Out' vocal is reworked into 'Turn Me Deeper', featuring a star cast of organ-synth peddling, deep house foundation-shattering producers (Wh0, Mark Knight, James Hurr), backed up by contributions by the likes of Shadow Child, Low Steppa and Maur as addenda.
Iner - "Another Day Will Come" (feat Oiuna) (5:37)
Iner - "Another Day Will Come" (feat Oiuna - Johannes Albert remix) (5:33)
Iner - "Dobro House" (feat Oiuna - Crowd Control remix) (4:21)
Iner - "Kalibastr" (5:16)
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.
I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) (feat Young Thug & Popcaan)
The Rest Is Noise
Girl
Review: In Colour is of course the long awaited debut solo album from The xx's in-house knob twiddler Jamie 'xx' Smith, arriving through regular home Young Turks backed with a whole host of guest appearances. The more obsessive Jamie xx fans out there (of which we wager there are many) will no doubt already have burned out their laptops and retinas basking in the all too colourful pre-release streams of In Colour, but it's always nice to grip an album in your hands. The eleven tracks on In Colours come across like a low key ode to the rave from Jamie and pals, with Four Tet, Romy & Oli xx, Young Thug and Popcaan featuring, and yes there is also plenty of steel pan. "Hold Tight", which sounds like Jamie's attempt at forest techno, is a definite highlight!
Review: Who better to tell the story of house music than one of its main early protagonists? Marshall Jefferson penned plenty of Chicago's greatest early records and as a DJ helped lay the foundations for the sound too. As such he is a perfect choice for Defected's House Masters series and does a fine job of laying out some of its finest moments on this brilliant new mix. No matter how many times you hear these OG gems they still resonate, from the passionate vocals of Ten City to the iconic chords of 'Someday' via the darker jack of Jefferson under his Hercules alias this is an essential listen.
Experimental (feat Brian Smokey Williams - album vocal mix)
The Midnight Hour
Knights (Ext Time Traveler mix)
Overdrive (album mix)
The Project
Good Timing (feat Big Mel)
Spirits (album mix)
Beyond
Review: Vick Lavander is a name that has always been a byword for deep house quality. His sound is couched in a classic template but comes with subtle tweaks and plenty of its own musical character. BEYOND is a bumper collection of beats which proves just that. There are silky and cosmically minded sounds like 'Time & Time Again' next to subtly jazzy dancers like 'Sunset BLVD' and dubby, elegant grooves like the life-affirming 'Grace'. The pace picks up with joints like 'Knights' but never at the expense of atmosphere and slows right down with swab-tinged downbeat delights like 'Good Timing'. A magnificently rich work.
Free (Do What U Want) (feat Ultra Mate - LP Giobbi club edit) (3:53)
You Got The Love (feat Becky Hill - Tiesto remix) (3:07)
Time (5:07)
La Ritournelle (feat Will Heard) (3:20)
Greece 2000 (3:39)
Insomnia (4:21)
Cafe Del Mar (3:34)
Right Here Right Now (4:08)
Sing It Back (feat Becky Hill) (4:44)
9PM (Til I Come) (2:47)
Rhythm Of The Night (feat RoRo) (2:53)
Review: It's all gone... 2025 marks the decade since Pete Tong, folk-vernacular-approved DJ and radio tastemaker, joined forces with conductor Jules Buckley and The Heritage and The Essential Orchestra to reimagine electronic dance anthems through the grandeur of orchestration. Over the years, their redos have made club classics symphonic, purpled in a way few other reimaginers could beat. To celebrate, Pete has now curated a special anniversary compilation, with orchestral renditions of iconic tracks such as 'Pjanoo', 'Lola's Theme', 'Killer,' 'Insomnia', '9PM (Till I Come)', and 'Your Love'.
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