Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Some four months after he lost his battle with cancer, BBE is releasing Paul 'Trouble' Anderson's final production - a fittingly joyous, upbeat and life-affirming cover of gospel standard "Happy Day" featuring the impassioned vocals of soul singer John Redmond. On the A-side of this 12" edition you'll find the "Classic Main Mix", a bouncy and rubbery fusion of soaring gospel vocals, bumping house beats, mazy organ solos, rubbery disco bass and clipped guitar riffs. It's superb all told, and a fitting final hurrah from one of the UK's most significant DJs of the past 40 years. Over on the flip you'll find the slightly more stripped-back "Classic Dub", where impassioned vocal snippets ride Anderson's killer groove, bouncy pianos and spacey synths.

Review: Makin Moves pull another funny on us; their multi-volume exclusives series is called "Unreleased", despite each release in the series, by taut definition, constituting a release. But to call a track "unreleased", when it decidedly now isn't, does, we admit, help mythologise it to the extent that it makes it more desirable; the proviso here being, of course, that the tracks in this series are relegated to vinyl first, with no promises made as to a potential future digitisation. So do New Yorker Conway Kasey and fellow artist Johnny Melek deck out the final-vinyl front side with 'Jazz Fest' and 'Myrrr', the latter especially thrilling us with a formant-shifted Juliet Mendosa on vocals. On the other hand, Reggie Steele and David Harness enter into a nice remix interplay with 'Vulnerable', piggybacking on the original 2024 release's establishing anodynes.

Review: Razor-N-Tape's Family Affair series makes a welcome return here with a third great instalment. This series is something of an annual end-of-year tradition by now (OK, it's arriving a touch late) and this one hits as hard as any with five tracks taken from the full and standout compilation. It is two great remixes of classic RNT material that gets things underway with Ezel offering a dub of Cor.ece and Bruce Leroys sublime deep hose mix of Guinu, then JKriv's 'Better Than Her' is a fat bottomed bit of deep cut electro funk and elsewhere Kim Anh gets raw and cosmic, and Cody Currie's 'Ghost' is broken beat perfection.

Review: Following the digital release of Cor.ece's debut EP, New York City's Razor N Tape drops the Dance To Keep From Crying 12' with fresh versions and exclusive remixes. On the first side, there's the soulful disco of the title track (extended mix) in collaboration with label co-head JKriv, followed by the acidified spiritual deep house of 'What's The Word' featuring Danny Kane. Over on the flip, get stoned into the groove with the Crackazat dub of 'Possibly Impossible' (feat Dave Giles II) and the late night boogie down vibe of the extended mix.

Review: Hot since day, Girls Of The Internet have widened the eyes and perked the ears of many a squabbling listener since 2017, deploying many a nu-disco nutcracker through imprints such as Drab Queen and Palm Recs. The duo now stop by Athens Of The North, surveying a wide polar acropolis of deep repetition and strung sampledelia. 'Somewhere Someone' delivers peak energies crafted about a mystery sample, while the flipper, 'Where Is Your Love', hears a roomy linkup with James Alexander Bright, straining the A's comparatively full, gluey mien into a much stringier slice of vocal disco minimalism.

Review: J Axel and Eva Essa find magical harmony on this new collaboration on the Do It Now Recordings Vinylized label. 'Turned Your Back' is a perfectly heart-melting, life-affirming bit of soul-drenched and intimate deep house with gorgeous vocals and super smooth drums all healing you to your core as the gentle rhythms wash over you time and time again. It's a faultless original but one that is also ripe for remixing and who better than Atjazz who slightly ups the tempo but keeps the deep, wavy rhythmic vibes and adds a little cosmic magic in the synths. A sublime package indeed.

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: 'Decide' was the third single from Jay-J's debut artist album, Love Alive. It comes on 7" via Anorak and has the wonderful vocal brilliance of Big Brooklyn Red adding some soul to J's sophisticated r&b production, all remixed byTortured Soul's Ethan White two different ways. 'Decide' (Ethan White Easy Trax mix) is as lush and soulful as house music gets with swirling pads and organic drum hits over the rolling bassline all working to seduce any floor. On the flip is his Lazy Boy dub which has more skip in the drums and the chords are brighter and more central, but the deepness remains.

Review: To keep it in the family is to imply things stay pure and untainted, but the irony with the Keep It In The Family 12" series is that every record sounds raw and unsheltered. So, although 'Feel' and 'Move This Way' cycle through unperturbed and dreamatic sounds, their finish is rough, suggesting a well-wrought processing chain, the music having seen through many a prodigal battle. Retromigration's 'Fret' and Cem Mo's 'Rushmore' continue the mood of vintage deep raspiness, with one-up arpeggios closing out the final track with special glee.

Review: Sometimes it's wise not to over-attach oneself to a set of four walls and a roof and call it "home". Joeski and Troy Dillard prove to know it as much on 'Music Is My Home', a brilliantly soulful Afro-house roller of tearjerking proportions, and which comes backed by an wildout dub mix on the B. We'd not be surprised if this one did well in the charts; Dillard's vocals unfold over and above Joeski's static shuffles like elysian sobs, singing of safe places to go and defiant personalities to adopt, in stark contrast to what or who anyone else thinks Dillard should be. Brooklyn-Queens emigre Joeski says of the song, "This is a continuation of my collaboration with Troy Dillard from over 20 years ago when we worked on 'Hold on to Your Love', which went on to become my biggest record. Reuniting with Troy and working on this project has been special" - we don't doubt it - could it become his second biggest, even?

Review: Defected needs no introduction, simply a reiteration that its no secret its one of the most influential house labels around today. Jamie Jones made a huge splash at Ibiza's 2022 season with this track, receiving support across the board from underground tastemakers to daytime radio. Bolstered by the remixes of Brazilian icon Vintage Culture and the alchemist himself, longtime Ibiza master Damian Lazarus on this rolling feel-good house groove. It's easy to see the mass appeal of such a sunny track.

While Jamie explored disco influences with his signature high-energy groove on the original, Vintage Culture's clear-cut trademark sound gives a distinctly tougher feel, a chugging bassline and rolling synths giving it that dark club side. Lazarus, the soundshifter that he is, reshapes the track in his image. Culminating in a more abstract, chopped-up house entry, undeniably funky with some synths and keys that sound like they shouldn't work - but by God do they.

Review: Stimulator Jones, you might know, is a Stones Throw artist, but here he lands on the house-leaning Star Creature with a new and exquisite outing that finds him tapping into a different side of his skills. He has dropped several fantastic albums before now that go from hip-hop to jazz-funk but here he taps into the magic of Chicago house greats like Fingers Inc and Larry Heard. 'Night Walk' is pure mid-tempo deep house perfection, 'Precious' layers in some tender vocals and a melodic bassline and 'Strive To Survive' brings more manic acid lines. 'Moon' shuts down with some irresistible swing and cosmic synth work.

Review: Fool's Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records' Mark Knight. Coming straight from the heart, it's a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, 'Untold Business', which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal house from the 1990s from where he came. With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great songwriting, this new Toolroom sublabel will be a platform for high quality house music designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho Mark Knight, who joins forces with his Australian Toolroom labelmate, Sgt Slick, and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight, on a dynamite cover of Prince's 1979 classic, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. Respectfully transporting the song onto today's dancefloors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV's that would indeed make The Purple One proud. Completing the vinyl package is dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British soul icon, Jaki Graham, whom together bring the dancefloor heat with their new single, 'Fire'. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, 'Fire' see's Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

Review: Z Records' ongoing 'Attack The Dancefloor 'series of compilation style vinyl EPs has long been a reliable source of disco-fired excellence, and this 21st edition is another high-quality affair. We're first treated to a superb Jimpster revision of recent Mistura single 'Want Me Back', where Jemini's spoken word vocal, jazzy keys and spacey synth sounds rise above loose-limbed deep house beats and wiggly TB-303 lines, before Birdee drops a genuinely joyous, organic-sounding disco-house take on 1991 classic 'Do What You Feel' (now credited to Joey Montenegro, rather than his now retired Joey Negro alias). Elsewhere, Lee's own rework of Lakeshore Commission's Bluey collaboration 'In The Light' is a smooth, soulful, string-drenched delight and the veteran producer's 'Destination Boogie' tweak of Destiny II's 'Play To Win' is a revivalist '80s electrofunk delight.

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: First released digitally last year, 'We Work Best' sees sometime Ron Trent protege Anthony Nicholson join forces with soul singer Jadeine Veda for some suitably grown-up, musically expansive deep house thrills. The two club-focused remixes come from Nicholson under his Miquifaye pseudonym - vocal and instrumental takes full of layered, Latin-influenced percussion, locked-in deep house beats, glassy-eyed chords, immersive pads and Spanish guitar flourishes. Of those two mixes, it's the A-side version that really impresses, thanks in no small part to Veda's fragile, emotive and intimate lead vocals. The EP's other mix, the 'Veda Vocal Reprise', is a largely beat-free affair marked out by chopped and layered vocal snippets, sparkling ambient chords and warming bass.

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.

Review: A powerful deep house journey with standout tracks blending tech house, soulful garage and house vibes. Side-1 kicks off with 'Do You Think' by Ben Silver and Boogs, a piano-led house stomper with a deep groove that sets the tone for the collection. The second track, 'Valentino (feat. Emerson Alexander)' by Jason Hodges and Joey Coco, brings soulful vocals and crisp production, perfect for fans of vocal-driven house music. Side-2 dives into a more tracky vibe with 'Skippy Disco Track' by Elijah Something, offering a 90s-inspired house sound, ideal for late-night dancefloors. The compilation closes with 'Historia (La Decima Remix)' by Ritmiq, a tech house banger that's addictive and deep, creating a sweaty, floor-ready atmosphere. Overall, this compilation effortlessly blends soulful and techy house elements, providing a dynamic experience for deep house lovers.

Review: Dave Lee aka Joey Negro has pulled together a fine team of remixers here to serve up their own versions of tunes by him, Jakarta, The Sunburst Band and Prospect Park, all for his own Z Records. Freerange boss and deep house Don Jimspter goes first and brings real sunshine to his take on 'He Is.' Detroit badman Andres then does what he does best to 'I Recognise', that is layering in hip hop slanted beats and nice rolling baselines under lush chords. On the flip are two more positive house vibrations to make this a handy EP.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records continues to fly the flag for disco-tinged house, or house-tinged disco, from new school artists and old-school mainstays. One thing you can be sure of with music n this label is that it will be big, crowd-pleasing tackle that never forgets its roots. There is real religious rapture in the thrilling Doug Godbizniss mix of 'The Mighty Douglas' which gets the EP underway in fine style. After that is a sumptuous, string-laced house classic from Ron Basejam, a lush mix of the wonderfully ethereal 'American Dram' from lounge-y house don Atjazz and classy, hip-swinging vocal house bomb from Dave Lee himself.

Review: We don't half love a bit of Steven Julien, the artist formally known as Funkineven. And this new EP arrives just at the right time as the days brighten, the sun heats up and cruising day-time funk, house and boogie blends are all you want to pump out of your retro 3 series with the top down. 'Time' has distinctly 80s flavours with its bright chords and beats, 'Ultra' is more heavy with a contemporary rap/trap edge and 'Up' is a raw house cut with swinging kicks. 'Wraap't' is another crunchy and loved-up 80s street soul sound then 'Lil'bit' and 'Ballad' close out with more neon pads and retro-future melodic sparkle.

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.