Deep House Recommendations June 2014

Review: The seminal label from Solomon and Carter is back in business with this quintessential release that sports all the qualities that made the stable such a powerhouse for so long. Dungeon Meat's remix of Sundowners takes pride of place on the A1 with a perfectly swinging romp through house music of the funkiest kind, the drums tilting hard into the groove while the bass booms out in subby tones. Eats Everything brings a more streamlined big room groover with his remix, bucking and rolling in all the right places, but the original on the B side proves how much punch an early '90s production can bring, pounding hard in an early form of tribal house that wears its roughness with pride.

Review: Here is a timely reissue from Nite Grooves, shedding light on one of the lesser known gems in Kerri Chandler's back catalogue from no less than twenty years ago. "Here & Now" is everything you would want from a Chandler joint, with a sturdy beat rounded out by soulful keys and a powerful lick of vocal, with little need for much more. "Names Like?" is a more airy cut with a jerky groove, triggering an abstract line in African samples at a time when experimentation was high. "Keep It Deep" is a more accessible kind of house jam that will appeal to any lover of Chandler's ways, while "Daye Revisit" takes things on a more subtle but no less pumping deep house ride.

Review: The hand-stamped train just keeps on trucking with Italojohnson, who offers up another three righteous slabs of hardware goodness for the fist-shakers out there. "Track 1" spreads itself over the A side with a tight and punchy rhythm section that gets off set by a gloriously bubbling set of sound effects, managing to be both utterly useful and pleasantly unhinged in the same bar. On the flip side "Track 2" moves with a more neatly trimmed old-skool jack, sleek and refined without sounding over-polished. "Track 3" slows things down for a dirty ride through slimy basslines and heavy cowbell abuse.

Review: *Limited 180g Orange Marble Vinyl Edition* The Mosaic split series is beginning to gather pace and is throwing together some interesting names of old and new vintage with truly compelling results. Volume three of the series draws for tracks from Ed Davenport and Ozka with the resultant tone most definitely one for fans of techno with a darker hue. Davenport needs no introduction these days and the Berghain regular's "Bloodchild" rides the fine line between house and techno perfectly with a dark twisted bass line driven groove and eerie vocal line that typifies his unique sound. Techno veteran Aubrey turns in a storming techno monster of a remix of Ed Davenport's unreleased "Islands" which represents a welcome return to Mosaic after his last appearance with the Contact Funk EP back in 1997! Representing the new school is rising Belgian techno talent David Nizet (aka Ozka) whose wonderful bass line driven dub-stab-fest "Thirteen Years" demonstrates why he's such a hot tip!

Review: Considering the combined talents of Detroit veteran Terrence Dixon and Black Jazz Consortium man Fred P, you'd expect this split EP for Finale Sessions to be a lesson in warm, soul-flecked depth. Pleasingly, that's exactly what it delivers. Dixon excels with the sub-sporting alien futurism of "To The Bridge" - the aural equivalent of staring into space while dancing to electronic jazz - and the sumptuous, minor key bliss of the casual deep house jam "Starting Over". Fred P, meanwhile, delivers two contrasting cuts. There's some acid-fuelled deep house futurism in the shape of "Circuit", and a chunk of bongo-laden dancefloor humidity in "The Road", whose rising strings and sweet melodies are arguably the highlight of a superb EP.

Review: "Classics" releases work best when the material being showcased is either obscure, hard to find or overlooked. Much of the material on this third trawl back through the vaults of Mike Grant's Moods & Grooves imprint ticks all these boxes. For example, Andres' "Just A Player" - a refreshingly loose and bumping fusion of warm disco samples, snappy beats and a killer bassline - has never previously appeared on wax. Then there's the soul-flecked, jazz-house/broken beat hybrid "Fashion Avenue (Remix)" by John Tejada and Leviste, which sounds remarkably fresh despite being 14 years old. As for Brad Peterson's strutting, acid bass-propelled "Trickchords", we're struggling to find any reference to it having been released before. Whether it has or not, it's as essential as the rest of this superb EP.

Review: Big release here for the Kolour Limited series who've scooped up three feel good house cuts from NDATL Music boss Kai Alice. Based around a self explanatory vocal motif "Ahh!" is the sort of euphoric house track you can drop mid set and stand back and watch as a sea of arms are raised in response. The deft track titling continues apace on "Be-Bop" where skat vocals are the perfect accompaniment to the deep chord progressions and metallic percussion, whilst the B Side plays host to just the one track in "Spring (KZR main)" where Alce gets funkier than a mosquito's tweeter thanks to some psychedelic guitar licks, chiming pads and refined 909 sequencing.

Review: Leleka and Udacha artist Dices resurfaces on Split-based label Fields & Forests, overseeing their debut release which introduces Untitled Gear, a collection of artistically minded individuals from the St Petersburg area. Encompassing musicians, producers, photographers and singers, Untitled Gear sound like quite the sprawling group but there's a sense of cohesion and tightness to the four tracks here. Falling deftly into the pocket of jazz influenced house that Vakula has helped pioneer, Untitled Gear sound best when vocalists are employed, see the stupendously cosmic throb of "Nothing Is Over" and the sultry swagger of "Flying High". More please Fields & Forests.

Review: The sorely missed talents of Spencer Kincy have long been recognized as some of the most vital in the Chicago house story, and Chiwax have chosen to shed light on one of his lesser known but utterly essential releases that previously came to light on Earth Recordings. "R U Afraid?" is a moody workout with twitchy percussion, an insistent bassline and off-key stabs that wind up in a delightfully taut little shuffler. "Earth" is a touch more sassy with its playful slices of sax and forthright funk, and "Elevate Your Fellow Man" nudges closer to techy territory with its tightly wound loops of guitar licks and snappy drums. "Relaxing" takes a more esoteric trip into jazzy keys and brushed beats without losing any of the energy in the process.

Review: Amsterdam-based graphic designer turned producer Young Marco has previously shown hints of greatness, most notably with a pair of superb 12" singles on ESP Institute that layered picturesque melodies atop huggable analogue grooves. Here, he delivers his debut album, Biology, and it's every bit as warm, imaginative and luscious as his previous work. Each of the album's seven tracks is something of a gem, from the crystalline, new age house of "Sea World" and Vangelis Katsoulis-inspired ambience of "Out of Wind", to the Italo-influenced dancefloor pulse of "Suzaku" and rush-inducing, synth-heavy brightness of "Can You Really Feel It". It's one of those albums that will brighten up even the dreariest of days, and those sets are arguably few and far between.

Review: With Landed marking one of the recent high points in an illustrious career for Detroit producer Norm Talley, the man himself returns to Landed to examine lead track "Travlin" with a pair of revisions that showcase different outcomes with the confines of slender, refined deep house. "Part 1" takes a dubby path, anchored by a hypnotic chord pattern while the beat ticks away in an unfussy manner. "Part 2" is the more sublime turn though, paring things down even more with a thoroughly minimal set of drums and a wonderfully hypnotic melodic tone undulating throughout. For a classy set of stripped down house shakers, look no further.

Review: Japanese producer Naoki Shinohara has been skating around the deeper fringes of house and techno for a couple of years, offering mere glimpses of his talents on split EPs. Here, he finally gets the chance to hog the limelight with a well-earned debut solo EP for Fred P's Soul People label. He duly goes lovingly deep, delivering four tracks to get lost in. The twinkling, yearning "78" - all heavy kicks and delay-laden percussive hits - is probably the pick of the bunch, but the dreamy, stargazing "Nightfall" and effortlessly rich "Dimension" are not far behind. Fred P remixes the latter track, adding a tougher groove and even more synth layers to Shinohara's impressive original.

Review: It's a long-established fact that few producers can produce deep house of such stunning depth and musicality as Ron Trent. While dancefloor-friendly, his productions are the mucial equivalent of being gently caressed by a loved one. Certainly, that's the feel of "You'll Never Find", a typically deep, typically epic composition blessed with sublime vocals and wonderful music touches (think cascading synth solos, gentle acoustic guitars, wtinkling pianos, and dreamy chords). The accompanying dub accentuates many of these elements, using choice vocal passages to emphasize the Chicagoan's impeccable instrumentation and brilliant production. Any Ron Trent record is a treat, but "You'll Never Find" somehow feels extra-special.

Review: Having plied his trade on labels across the world, Liverpudlian analogue explorer John Heckle sticks closer to home with this EP, popping up on local label Scenery. Heckle's approach to house - raw, uncompromising, exciting and more than a little eccentric - is perfectly suited to Asok's imprint. "Laid Away" surges from the speakers like some long lost Detroit classic, whilst retaining Heckle's unique sound, while "DDT" is a fearsome chunk of robust acid blessed with a seriously heavy bassline. It compliments the track's intense drum machine anarchy perfectly. Remix wise, there's a deeper, woozier take on the title track by Perseus Traxx, while Ksoul and Muteoscillator turn the same cut into an exotic, Afro-tinged analogue deep house gem.

Review: While we've never been short of versions and issues of the evergreen house classic "Sometimes I Feel Like", it's not so often that the full vocal cut featuring Alton Miller gets an airing, and it sounds resplendent on this remastered reissue. The "Mid 80 Feel Mix" is also present for those who prefer their vocals looping into infinity. The original inhabitant of the B-side remains, with Derrick Carter in an early appearance with the weird and squiggly bump of "Jack Another Day" and the essential rub and tug of "What Do You See" with its moody organ bass and clattering percussion.

Review: Superconscious Records is an inprint curated by long time friends Francis Inferno Orchestra & Fantastic Man. Over the next lifetime we together with our talented friends will bring you an eclectic array of music for you to enjoy in situations, which are completely up to your preffered choosing. For our debut release, we'd like to welcome you to the world of Imhotep, and a journey into the mind of Melbournian all-round creative and Pharaoh Zac Segbedzi. This is House music is it's purest form and made with true feeling. Recorded at home absent of any computers, you wouldn't be mistaken in thinking this is work from the early days of Detroit and Chicago. Packed with loads of attitude "Funky Wet Sphynx" contains four completely original cuts, which are industrial yet soulful and perfectly inperfect. Also included is a limited edition A1 sized Imhotep poster in the sleeve of the first 150 copies.

Review: As a sure sign of the times we live in, the Doge imprint comes to your turntable as a product of an internet phenomenon that few could aptly explain. Either way, the people behind the meme-inspired release know a good branding ploy when they see one, and so their deep house productions are enjoying a surge of exposure, and rightly so. "Organ House" can't fail to inspire toe-tapping, head-grooving satisfaction from all who hear it, although from there onwards things get deeper as "Cold Summer Nights" heads into strung out jazzy minimalisms and "Get Up" rides a lazy swing and tempered acid line to a blissed out end result. "A Way With Her" is a touch more forthright with its pronounced drum patterns, although the emphasis is still on dreamy synth work to soothe the mind.

Review: For those who caught Furness' Four 4 The Floor EP, and are familiar with his work, this release is further evidence of how much of a fledgling purveyor of deep grooves and heavy-hitting rhythms Furness is. Title track Gone Fishing utilises string keys as the foundation of the track and marries the emotive, elongated synths with a dubby bassline and quick hitting snares. Acropolis is tougher, centering distorted pads against intermittent piano chords, muffled vocal grabs and a deep, cosmic bassline. Red808 is a no-nonsense roller, with its slick snare and hi-hat/hand-clap tandem working superbly against the climbing synths. Blackstar adopts a similar framework to Acropolis, wrapping up the EP in style with its similarly lo-fi, distorted percussion charged against rapturous chords taking the track into further sonic terrain.

Review: PG Sounds may be a new name for the SUED cause, but the duo behind the music will be more than familiar to anyone that's kept tabs on this cultish Berlin label. Credits for this Untitled 12" see SUED boss SVN as producer and his S.P. Posse partner Philip Gelberg as the writer, but regardless of the exact iteration of how PG Sounds are set up the two tracks here fall nicely into the open ended sonic universe that's grown organically around SUED, Acido and the Sex Tags crew. It's open to interpretation whether you should play these two fcked up Latin productions at 33rpm or 45rpm (the label suggest the latter) with the A Side sounding great at 33rpm whilst the cowbell laden B Side glides along in it's own lopsided manner best at a heavily pitched down 45 rpm.

Review: While he may not be as name-checked as some of his fellow Windy City inhabitants, Danell Dixon has plenty to show for his contribution to the Chicago house music story, and that's no more evident than here on this gem of a release for Nite Grooves. As the label would suggest, this EP from 1994 actually sports more of a New York grit and bump, not least on the fevered sweat of the title track with its piercing vocal hook and a delirious amount of layers firing off at once. "Hello" opts for some jokey vocal sampling before the sublime deep house bounce of "Dance Dance" with its filtered drums hitting nice and grittily while the gentle keys soothe the mind.

Review: The ridiculously cool Hot Haus imprint overseen by UTTU boss DJ Haus continues its mission to infiltrate the ever-diluting deep house scene with cheeky realness and wry, subtle humour. Here we find Palace return to the London stable with three tight, timeless chop-slapping grooves. "Touch Me" is the heaviest, most unrelenting cut with a cool, loopy Sneak style punch. Elsewhere both "Labrynth" and "Psychosis" look more towards Detroit than they do Chicago thanks to their icy detuned synths, bubbling analogue-sounding bass and simple-but-massively-effective riffs. Hot stuff.

Review: The young guns at East London outfit Sneaky Music step up with somewhat of a hybrid release for their third outing. Combining the talents of Michigan maestro Rick Wade and the young blood from the Mobilee stable bringing the feel bang up to date with the remix duties. A Detroit, London, Berlin, house music Bermuda triangle, if you like! Rick Wade tirelessly continues to deliver deep and groove-led original slabs well into his third decade of producing and this luscious EP is no exception. A mix of old school beats with warm vintage keys with long established Mobilee records producer AND.ID almost re-working completely 'Me & You', giving a feel good dance floor filler touch full of mad drum hits and breaks. Whereas Sneaky label founder and newly Mobilee family member Ranacat comes up with a trippy lower tempo version of 'Neuro Stimuli' for those after party sunrise moments.