Deep House Recommendations June 2012

Review: After stellar contributions to the series from Bakey USTL and Vakula, Unthank swings back into action with a release from a producer much closer to their Edinburgh home, Lord Of The Isles. This Scottish producer has already graced some fine imprints such as Tusk Wax, Ene and American Standard with his music, while perhaps reserving the best so far to the excellent Hot Blobs EP released on his own Little Strong label. His contribution to the still fledgling Unthank canon improves on that release however, arriving in typically attractive cover art and described as "a journey of whiskey, analogue electronics, Scottish landscapes, nostalgia and underground parties". Musically the five tracks peak and dip between the differing emotions inherent in house music and sound as good as anything Firecracker have released to date.

Review: Cork based producer and DJ Shane Linehan has cut quite the impressive swathe in the first few months of 2012, anointing his own Basic Groove imprint in fine style with the swiftly sold out 12" My Initial Grooves as well as gracing Mad Mats Local Talk label with a stellar vinyl drop. Linehan returns to the controls for the second Basic Groove release with more of the same - namely deep, tracky productions notable for a crispness in percussion and rawness in texture. Lead track "Get Together" is a swaggering example of Linehan's style, with a groove formed of low set bass stabs and playful neon chords. It's complemented by the deeper sounds of "The Future" with the opening shards of dubby chords soon aided and abetted by snapping rimshot percussion, thick bass clouds and the whispered titular vocal.

Review: Praterei might not be the most prolific of labels, but the quality is always way above the quantity. The fourth release on the Viennese imprint comes from local boys done good The New Tower Generation, with a heady two track offering that fits right in with the label's ethos of focusing on the essence of House. The amusing titled "Horny Goat Weed" is a perm twisting delight, with the grainy string sample remoulded to align with the loose jacking rhythms and rave indebted keys. "Trembolon" finds The New Tower Generation in an altogether mellower mood, building with poise from its sonorous beginnings to a glorious mid point crescendo of rising synth lines.

Review: SEX (remixes) makes for another triumphant 12" from the uber prolific FXHE stable and further smears the edges of expectation when it comes to the singular Omar S. Once again utilising the silky vocal delivery of singer L Renee, the four tracks here take divergent stylistic routes but each is magnificent. Keen listeners of Benji B's Radio 1 show will have heard the Conant Garden Posse version on a recent Big Strick guest mix, a devilishly dirty riposte to the Ghetto House aesthetic which has L Renee's vocals gliding over a snapping, raw house beat. Alongside this are two variants done in collaboration between Omar S and Aaron Fit Siegel which sound like they've been particularly inspired by soundtrack to Drive. Check the final Mack & Bewick remix for some detuned analogue nightmare set to a rippling electro beat.

Review: Motor-City legend Norm Talley has had one hell of a comeback since his hiatus at the end of the 90s. Since 2009, he's reignited his peerless talent behind the production desk and London-based Landed Records have come through with what is probably his biggest EP yet. "Ion" kicks things off with style and panache, merging beautiful chords together with Talley's inimitable percussion style - dicing hi-hats all round! The title track, "Travlin" is a sublime jazzed-out piece for the small hours whilst "Analog Dreams" is just pure hardware delight - those gritty drums delivering some serious action alongside the meandering pads and subdued vocals. Get to know!

Review: Back in stock! These days New York's underground electronic music scene is stronger than ever (though residents may argue otherwise). Chief among these has been Mister Saturday Night, a party built on the forthright musical opinions and fearsomely eclectic vision of resident DJs Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter. It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that they've chosen this moment to join the likes of Tim Sweeney, Eric Duncan, Runaway, Roy Dank and the Let's Play House crew in launching their own label. What's more surprising, perhaps, is their choice of artist for the first release. Next to no one knows anything about Anthony Naples. Whoever he is, Harkin and Carter have shown great vision in signing him up. Mad Disrespect is an impressive debut; a cracking EP that neatly sidesteps convention and delivers house tracks brimming with ideas. It's adventurous and innovative, but never shies away from its main purpose: making people dance. Highly recommended!

Review: FXHE bloodline member Big Strick continues to excel on his own 7 Days Ent. label, dropping his first 12" of 2012 which has a nice community feel to proceedings. Alpha & Omega introduces us to Generation Next, a rising 16 year old talent from the streets of Detroit who contributes alongside Mr Strickland to all three tracks here. Stylistically, the three tracks here seem equally indebted to Juan Atkins pure techno endeavours as Infiniti and the sub aqueous grooves of Drexciya, not least the restrained title track which shimmers from the murky depths into a finely crafted liquid groove imbued with bubbling elatory Utopian textures. On the flip "Origin" ripples with pressure, its rhythmic elements grappling for your attention as the space between them decreases with Strick and Gen Next expertly layering texture upon texture. A masterful 12" shaped exercise in modern day Detroit sounds is completed with the devious electrofied snap of "Bloodline".

Review: Mop haired Fabric resident and remixer du jour Daniel Avery continues to mature as a producer under his own name, having elected to cast off the shackles of expectation that came with his Stopmakingme alias. Arising on the excellent Throne of Blood imprint with the Movement EP, all advance press has focused on the fact that one of Avery's personal heroes and influences in Andrew Weatherall has been commissioned to remix the title track; this shouldn't however mean you discount the three original productions, which further carve out the supine machine funk groove Avery has been burrowing down in recent times. The deep acid thrombosis of "Light Into Dark" practically growls at you from the lower reaches of the channels whilst the floating analogue sounds of "Flashlights" retain a restrain that lends the track an air of bleep laden mystique. Flip over for the echo laden title track whose gloopy groove is complemented by an array of raw drums and fizzing percussion which is tweaked into a lolloping dub disco number by Weatherall.