DJs: Most Charted - Deep House - August 2011

Review: Ukrainian producer par excellence Vakula maintains his label hopping endeavours with this utterly essential drop on the newly minted Shevchenko label. Named in honour of the Ukrainian cultural icon Taras (as opposed to the one time free scoring forward Andrei) and rumoured to be closely affiliated with the Firecracker imprint upon which Vakula first came to our attention, it's a stellar first release that gives further credence to the growing opinion Vakula can do no wrong. "Mama Said Go Slow" is typical Vakula, twisting through various analogue passages across the course of the vinyl, the few constants being the gloopy subaqueous rhythms that occupy the nether regions along with what might just be a sample from one of Muhammed Al Fayed's favourite musicians and the hissing oscillations of percussion. The flipside sees Vakula indulge in some smudged out beatdown business on "Deaf World (Dub)" which draws you on a kaleidoscopic journey to the lower echelons of hypnotic, fluttering house music. Obvious sonic references to Detroit pervade the track but it's indelibly marked with the graceful Eastern European touch of Vakula. It proves to be a subtler yet equally potent example of the producer's lack of interest in traditional house music structures. Hopefully Vakula will continue to release music of this standard long after we run out of superlatives.

Review: Secretsundaze - the legendary party launched by Giles Smith and James Priestly - is a staggering 10 years old and still going strong. In this fast paced industry that's one huge achievement and we're massive fans of the guys and their parties. The Secretsundaze imprint relaunched this year in consummate style with an essential 12" from Parisian house don Brawther backed by a remix from George FitzGerald. Up next, the Two Armadillos (Giles Smith and Martin Dawson) take to the stage with the People Of The World EP. "Warriors Return" is jazzy and elegant as delicate hats, warm keys, a slick bass guitar and perfectly spat brass breeze along. It's low slung, jazzy, sexy and grinding - our pick of the bunch! On the flip, "People Of The World" speeds things up with urgent pads and sharply syncopated hats while "Night Ridin" goes old school and deep. Rhodes keys, rapid rim shot taps and raw hand claps lay down the basis for a sampled crowd vocal chant, rounding off a refined and deliriously groovy EP.

Review: If you like rough warehouse jams dipped in acid tinged menace with spectral moog flourishes and a massive vocal hook repeatedly barking the phrase "House!" down the speakers at you then this new twelve from 4Lux boss Gerd and vocalist Elbee Bad ticks all the boxes. Originally recorded back in 1994, the 4Lux boss opens proceedings with a 2011 rerub that focuses squarely on the titular refrain amidst a multitude of slightly deranged rhythms, and there's even a moment that sounds like the nervous fidgets of a rodent being sampled. It sounds like it might have been recorded in one take as it's all far too loose to be planned and is pretty much great from start to fin. Equally impressive is the cast of remix talent that add that extra hint of wanton indulgence. Uncanny Valley pinup Jacob Korn opts to retain the entire vocal amidst a concrete thump upon which the Dresden don builds the track into an epic raw rave squelch. On the flip Finnish talent Arrtu moulds the track into a crunchy sounding bump centred on the sinewy analogue pulse whilst Neville Watson twists the source into an expansive yet primal sounding slab of dancefloor potency.

Review: Pattern Select is Milton Jackson's new endeavour with Show B and the results of their first collaborative work together finds a suitable home at Delusions Of Grandeur. Tale Of The Tape is both an auspicious glance at what the duo have up their sleeve and perhaps the finest twelve on the DoG imprint to date. Ploughing a decidedly subterranean path through the rawer excesses of house music, what is really a selection of simple elements - vocal hooks, crafty drums, ever rising pads and satisfying crashes - are combined excellently and infiltrated by the wormiest of arpeggiated synth lines. The accompanying dub version does what all good dub versions are supposed to do and there is the bonus of a flipside revision from man like Cottam that completely rewires the track along some next century utopian galactic house tip - you'll love the smudged rhythms that come floating in. Just to switch up the vibe, Pattern Select end on the dusty fingered brilliance of "Matrix" - full on beat down head nod vibes soaked in Detroit atmospherics.

Review: Having launched in fine style with the crazed Moodymann meets Dance Mania genius of Bakey USTL, Firecracker's Unthank offshoot keeps the focus squarely on Eastern Europe with some equally fine productions from a more celebrated entity. If this year is going to be dedicated to anyone, Ukraine's favourite son must surely be on the list - treating our ears and your hips to a veritable bounty of expert releases on numerous labels of high repute - Dekmantel, 3rd Strike and Ethereal Sounds to name but three. Anyone who has indulged in just one of the aforementioned releases should need no prompting to check this ten inch - with Vakula drawing on a surfeit of influences such as AFX, Claro Intelecto and DBX across the three untitled tracks. The A Side is where the deepness lies whilst the flip contains an expansive deviation into subaqueous, stripped down, hypnotic minimalism. Don't be expecting "A Tender Place" Mk2 but do expect to be seriously impressed.

Review: DJ B-len-D returns to the FXHE imprint, his only previous appearance on wax being a collab with the label's boss man Omar S last year. Here the producer - real name Leonard Horn - takes the reigns himself with two slabs of grinding Motor City electro funk. A-Side "DJ Blend Detroit" is characterised by a swirling synth hook which rides atop a jacked up beat. Flip over for "Eclat" - our pick of the two tracks on offer - in which a funked up b-line is bolstered by oh-so-danceable chord pumps. More essential business from FXHE, which is enjoying a fine year even by Omar S's lofty standards.

Review: Kontra stalwart Jason Fine makes a long overdue return to FXHE with two cuts of supreme jack material. Last seen on the Omar S hit machine way back in 2007, Fine announces his return in suitably dramatic terms with the cinematic expanses that characterise the opening moments of "Menage At Tois", though proceedings swiftly settle down into a delightfully bouncing house rhythm of crisp cascading drums and swift fingered key stabs - with the breathy, indecipherable vocal yearnings that occupy the nether regions clearly influencing the title making decisions. The flipside proves to be just as impressive - "Jack Yo Bodda" is an obvious ode to the days of Traxx and jack, commencing with some decidedly gloopy rhythms and an insistent female vocal refrain, your senses are sucked in then blown apart by a massive metallic kick drum sound and growling sub bass. The usual big tip superlatives most definitely apply here!

Review: The Scandinavian team behind the long running and hugely popular GAMM label present Basic Fingers, a newly minted offshoot dedicated to more house and disco based manoeuvres. It gets off to a fine start with two of the Spanish house mafia at the controls. Any DJ worth their salt has probably fielded a hundred plus requests for Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and you might just find yourself actively playing Daniel Kyo's version. Proper basement vibes on this one, slowly building the tension before introducing the familiar vocal refrain. It's when the keys drop in and the emotive strings emerge that this version attains must play status. The flip sees Skipworth & Taylor's 80s jam "Thinking About Your Love" get looped, diced, delayed and dubbed by Koko Garito - more commonly known as the highly regarded Kiko Navarro. It's more of an edit than the reimagination on the A Side but brings the funk regardless.

Review: Aybee is one of those rare few that has managed to conquer a range of styles within his work from soul, techno, house and hip-hop under his many monikers. This time we see the artist team up with Miles Sagnia for two cuts each on the Eternal Radiance EP on Sagnia's Atmospheric Existence imprint. First, Aybee serves up "A Glance" which oozes with classic US house charm. Acoustic piano chords and are layered on top of a chugging bassline and electronic melody, tightly produced and melting in its warmth. "Isis" gets heavier with a more underground vibe of crashing echoes and tinny drum arrangements. Up next, Sagnia's "Journey 2 Forever" fuses multi-tracked choral chants, the impeccable sound of the Hammond and a rapid techy groove. His Visual Foci Reprise of "Journey 2 Forever" ditches the chants, instead opting for a sensual male vocal.