Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Deep Bulgarian bass delivered on Kelpe's Drut, Migration Pads takes us on a sonic sojourn through some of the dreamier pastures of modern day electronic music. Working neatly as a consistent whole and as a collection of dancefloor ticklers, 1000 Names have maintained a great balance throughout as we're treated to gems like the slo-mo juke joint "Another Beaten Sunday", the cosmic eyelash flutters of downtempo disco cut "Enter Jules Verne", the sludgy, far-out two-step of "Hand-Me-Down-Brain" and the life-affirming rusty-synth chord blasts on "Streets".

Review: Tadd Mullinix's Michigan-based label Bopside returns with its most ambitious project yet, a debut album from his and D'Marc Cantu's brilliant 2AMFM project. This eponymous album has been a long time coming with 2AM FM responsible for some crucial 12" cuts on labels like Creme, Spectral Sound, M>O>S Recordings and Nation dating back a decade! It feels like Bopside is the right platform for Mullinix and Cantu to fully express themselves as 2AM FM and this album is deep, but there is also a real warmth to their productions. Highlights include the melted mechanical acid of "Midnight Social", the lo-fi electro-pop of "Excuse Me Miss" and the soothing ecstasy pads of retro houser "What We Live For".

Review: Under his other alias, D.K, French producer 45 ACP has produced some of the most blindingly joyous electronic music of recent times - colourful, vibrant, synthesizer-heavy fare capable of bringing brightness to even the most depressing of days. While some of that mood enhancing melodiousness can be heard on Change of Tone, his first full-length for L.I.E.S, for the most it's a much more melancholic affair. While the chords are beautiful and the subtle rhythms pleasingly evocative, there's a sadness at the heart of the album that's not present on his other work. It is, though, a sublime set, delivering a range of tracks that quietly tug at the heartstrings in the most enjoyable of ways.

Review: Delusions Of Grandeur make a stylish entrance into the album game with a sumptuous triple vinyl edition of the 6th Borough Project long player. One Night In The Borough sees Graeme and Craig drop a heady thirteen track selection that covers the sort of warm, low slung, expertly executed multi tempo music which sits between house and disco that the duo have received so much praise for. Stand out tracks include "BURT (The Journey)", a lovely slice of mid-tempo niceness that bumps and shakes in all the right places - the vocal is a killer! Matching this is the twilight house jam "Changin" with Deep Burnt style percussion backed by a killer modulated loop.

Review: Given the quality of their output to date, its little surprise to find that Africaine 808's debut album, Basar, is rather special. Built around their now famous polyrhythmic, Afro and Latin-influenced drum machine programming, it begins with a touch of snaking jazz, and climaxes with a dense, uplifting Afro-gospel workout. In between, you'll find 21st century bruk, delicious downtempo torch songs, Juke-influenced Cajun blues, and hard-to-define - but thoroughly engaging - wig-outs. This limited edition vinyl version is also bundled with a bonus 10" containing remixes of the previously unheard "Tummy Tummy" by Highlife types Auntie Flo and Esa; the latter's cosmic, synth-heavy version, featuring a range of additional vocalists and musicians, is particularly potent.

Review: This is a killer afro disco re-issue of hard-to-find self-titled "African Suite" album from 1980. It's clear from the get-go why this LP is so sought after by deep house and loft style DJ's around the world. This is excellent, unforgettable music.

Review: Some five years after it was released digitally, Aybee's Deepblak label revisit the wonderful Afrikan Sciences LP Means &Ways to grant it a double LP vinyl edition. For those unfamiliar with the album, the 11-track set showed Eric Porter refusing to stand still, variously touching on polyrhythmic IDM, dusty jazz-hop, dense post-techno wonkiness, hard-to-pigeonhole madness (see "Alpha Male Syndrum"), sparkling aural experiments ("Ways & Means"), and pleasingly off-kilter dancefloor fare. Amongst this category you'll find deliberately out-of-time deepness, slipped broken beat, and dense drum workouts ("NanoRock Skank"). As usual, Porter's tunes are bizarre but brilliant.

Review: It's getting increasingly difficult to easily pigeonhole the work of Dave Aju. Since first making his name with the minimal techno-influenced Open Wide album in 2008, the San Francisco producer has variously turned his attention to fuzzy, touchy-feely deep house, jazz-flecked beats and stargazing, techno-influenced pop. Black Frames, his third album, is even harder to pin down. Blessed with his own hazy, atmospheric vocals, it variously touches on deep house, skewed pop, starburst electronica, Outkast style pop-funk (the growling "Bee's Birth") and Bullion-ish cut-up downtempo beats ("When We Drift"), all whilst retaining the producer's trademark laidback warmth.

Review: There's a lot to be said for artists that take their time. In a career that reaches back to 2003, Marc Barrite has issued just a handful of EPs and one album under his Dave Aju moniker. Roosting in his preferred home of Circus Company has provided Barrite with ample space in which to develop his wayward sound. Unlike some who find a style and stick to it, each passing year finds a different kind of Dave Aju gracing our ears. Where the concept on his last album Open Wide was using just a mouth as a sound source, on Heirlooms all sounds have been sampled from instruments passed on to Barrite by his late father. However the starting concept is but a springboard from which he crafts his own vision for house music, and as with his previous output it's a loose, free-flowing version of what the music normally entails. What makes Aju so wonderful is that his music transcends any genre trappings; people who detest house music would still have a good chance of finding pleasure in his craft. Perhaps it's in the sunny Californian demeanour that seems to inform everything he does. Perhaps it's in his refusal to play by the rules. Whatever the case, Heirlooms represents yet another leap forward for a constantly shifting artist.

Review: Dimensions Recordings' fifth release is an LP by Turkey's most soulful: Kerem Akdag. His self titled debut album sees the Istanbul native deliver a mature piece of work that is bright and timeless - equally effective in the club as it is at home and brimming with the same ideas that have earned him releases on Apparel Music, Petra Digital and Darker Than Wax. Across eight tracks, Akdag demonstrates an extraordinary breadth of skills for such a young producer. From deep-down soul jams on the urban tip like "When I Think Of You" or "Isolated", through to straight -up, soulful and emotive UK inspired numbers like "Unite" or "Find Yourself" which are reminiscent of greats like 4hero or Bugz In The Attic. A great collection of tracks and highly recommended listening.

Review: Previously spotted on Parisian label Antinote with two volumes of their Ritual House series, Albinos are back on their own Astral Soda to deliver four cuts of warm and sun-soaked analogue house that are perfect for drifting. Prepare yourself for a luscious, washed out journey of bedroom tape jams that are soothing, beautifully crafted and atmospheric. This album transports you to a cosmic holiday you've never been on! Thirteen tracks spread over two LPs. Mastering by Blanka. Artwork by Antonin Des Sables on silkscreen printed front and back covers.

Review: With previous releases on Blind Jack's Journey and Tessellate, London via Istanbul's Aleksandir returns with this great new six tracker courtesy of Seb Wildblood's Church imprint. Shades of jazz, soul, broken beat and house linger throughout these lush and dusty downbeat selections. Take for instance the smooth opener "Before, After" with its seductive leads, airy pads and reduced polyrhythms, the late night deepness of "Gone Swimming" (which is so sensual) or the simply evocative mood lighting of "Between Summers" which respectfully recreates the vibe of UK greats such as 4hero or At jazz's classic nu-jazz antics.

Review: Malmo based Chicagoan Amir Alexander presents his second full length, following up 2015's Love & Fear - which appeared on his own esteemed Anunnaki Cartel. This will also be his second appearance on Bristol based Just Jack, and follows up some great releases by Dana Ruh and John Barera. Be prepared for lots of gritty and lo-fi analogue soul throughout the duration of Dusk 'Til Dawn. From the unadulterated grunt of opener "Lemmings Off A Cliff!", the tunneling acid vision of "Deep Blue Sea!" to the tribute to Larry Heard's Alleviated sound on the emotive title track and, indeed, the glory days of Traxx Records on the completely mental "Genesis 6!". Here Alexander proves yet again that he is still one of the most dynamic producers in house music today.

Review: Thus far, Anunnaki Cartel have only been releasing EP's, most of which have been collaborative efforts by Amir Alexander, Joey Anderson and Chris Mitchell, among others. This is their first LP and it's by Alexander himself, a man who is no mood to beat around the bush and gets his sound across right from the start of "Tight Situations". However, it's the album's slower and stranger pieces such as "A Virtuous Woman", "Love & Fear" or "A Child Is Born" which caught our attention! We'd never heard Alexander making more experimental pieces so it's refreshing to hear an artist so capable of making both hard-hitting floor music but also more docile and abstract sounds.

Review: Much has changed for Ali Love since the release of his Love Harder in 2010. For starters, he's fallen in with the Hot Creations camp, scored a massive chart hit ("Benediction", with Hot Natured) and seen his reputation soar. This latest full length - the belated follow-up to Love Harder - shows how far he's come. While the bright electrofunk synths, '80s soul vocals and Italo-influenced rhythms of old remain, P.U.M.P contains far more tactile, wide-eyed deep house moments than we've come to expect. It's a subtle evolution - there are still plenty of near Balearic synth-pop moments - but a successful one. The result is an effortlessly sweet and accessible album that blends throbbing dancefloor moments with baggier, more laidback fare.

Review: Second time around for eccentric Sheffield trio The All Seeing I's sole full-length excursion, 1999's Pickled Eggs & Sherbert, which here lands on vinyl for the first time.The album, a celebration of Steel City creativity featuring cameos from Cocker, Tony Christie, Babybird and the Human League's Phil Oakey, is best remembered for hit singles 'The Beat Goes On', 'Walk Like a Panther' - lyrics reportedly penned by Jarvis Cocker - and 'The First Man in Space', but there are plenty more highlights amongst the unique blends of fractured dancehall rhythms, redlined electronica, oddball easy listening references, experimental d&b rhythms and genuine leftfield pop nous. For proof, check out blissful acapella number 'No Return' (where Lisa Millett plays a starring role), the breathless, bass-heavy house of 'Sweet Music', the weighty madness of 'I Walk' and the exotica-goes-big beat flex of 'Happy Birthday Nicola'.

Review: To date, the defining characteristic of Uncanny Valley has been their strong focus and support for local Dresden artists, musicians, and producers. The fact their latest album project comes from Joel Alter, the Swedish producer best known for his long running role in the Jonsson / Alter project, should not be understated. However you shouldn't see this as Uncanny Valley forgetting their roots, it's more a statement of their current cachet in the underground. Back to the music; Heart is Alter's debut solo LP and is apparently an album he has been meaning to commit to for some time. Featuring the odd vocal track, it's filled with deep, warm and enveloping house music and feels like one of those classic electronic albums German labels seem to be so good at after you've spent some time with it.

Review: The success story of the two guys from Karlsruhe Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann (aka Ame) is showing no signs of waning. Having led the annual charts of Groove and De:Bug magazines, provided Pete Tong with a single of the month and even making a DJ mix for said DJ's BBC show, the Essential Selection. Their hit "Rej" has been christened by Louie Vega and Danny Krivit (Masters At Work) as the "Plastic Dreams" of the new millennium. So here is their first official mix-compilation! Their DJ sets are currently being celebrated everywhere from Miami to Paris and Helsinki, so it was only a matter of time until they immortalized one of their kicking mixes for home use on an official mix album. Sonar Kollektiv label bosses Jazzanova delivered the first in this "...Mixing" series and in so doing earned worldwide thanks for making one of their eclectic DJ sets available in digital format for the first time. The duo from Karlsruhe selection is no less varied as they switch from old to new, through house, disco, minimal and techno. Synth pioneer Laurie Spiegel, who already presented a prototype of the Detroit techno sound in the 70s, sets things off with her "Appalachian Grove 1" which was written in Fortran (an old computer programme, long before Basic or C). The unusual track "24 Hours From Culture II" from 80s Dutch wave band New Musik is to this day a favourite of DJs like Daniele Baldelli and DJ Harvey. He later also used the classic "Woman Of The World" by Swiss group Formation Double on his legendary "Sarkastic Disco" mix. "Stand Up" from Nexus could easily be mistaken for a Metro Area number. Besides Ame another name that is often being mentioned with regards to the deephouse renaissance is Henrik Schwarz. His most striking remix to date is also his most timeless. The way he accentuates the voice of Robert Owens with opulent strings on Coldcut's "Walk A Mile" means it'll still give you goose bumps in ten years. Ben Westbeech is the star of Gilles Petersons new label Brownswood Records. His track "So Good Today" unites the typical Yoruba style with analogue Chicago sounds. God of remixers, Carl Craig's version of Jonny L's This "Time" was previously only available as a promo so for some the search for this jazz, house and techno hybrid ends with this release. The latest addition to the Innervisions label which Âme started with Dixon is Gilb'R & I:Cube (aka Chateau Flight). Their wide tune "Baroque" makes the perfect bridge to Luciano's "Stone Age" which has been a central part of the Ame DJ set for over two years so could not have been left out of this collection. "Flashback 86" sounds, as the title suggest, as though it might have been made in the late 80s, however actually it is produced by Jonathan Burnip who can otherwise be found behind the counter of London's Soul Jazz record store. Derrick May's Funtopia featuring Jimi Polo remix was also previously only available as a promo. It was given to Ame by Dominic Capello, manager of Glasgow's Sub Club. Of course Ame's own breakthrough track, "Nia", must be celebrated once more before it gets slightly quieter, although no less exciting, with Jump Cutz "Deep Introspection #5". This track is another true classic and favourite of Needs Crew that has long been almost impossible to get. And as true Manuel Gottsching fans Ame of course had to include an Ashra number in the mix. Their track "Sunrain" has been a big influence on the club music of today. As a whole, Ame's "...Mixing" is not just a bridge between old and new, club and home stereo. It also serves as an interesting connection between various musical genres which are currently dominating the good metropolitan clubs.

Review: According to their online profile, Amorf is a "live experimental techno project". Quite how much improvisation went into this debut album is unclear, though we can confirm that it's really rather good. The Romanian trio begins by smothering a glitchy, minimal techno groove with tumbling piano lines on "Ouverture", before offering a warmer, richer and more musically expansive variation on the same theme ("Marquis of Dust"). There's a pleasingly deep and breezy feel to "Haze" (all smooth bass, electro-influenced beats, acid-style electronics and jazzy flourishes), while "Curiosity Step" sees them make merry with fuzzy electric piano solos and hypnotic, locked-in beats. Arguably best of all, though, is "Blending Light", an immaculate fusion of deep house and tech-house that's as dreamy and picturesque as they come.

Review: Before finally establishing himself as a neo-soul star in the mid-2000s (he'd been going for decades before that, of course), Joseph 'Amp' Fiddler recorded a couple of 12" singles for fellow Detroiter Moodymann's Mahogani Music imprint as Amp Dog Knight. It's perhaps fitting, then, that his new album for the label is named in honour of that alias. Interestingly, while those EPs saw him turning his hand to deep, organic and soulful house, this album is packed with superior quality "proper" soul. Of course, you'll find a range of influences dotted throughout - fuzzy soul-rock, R&B, hip-hop, dub, jazz-funk and even a dash of Detroit deep house (see the Moodymann-ish "I'm Feeling You") - but by and large these are incorporated into Fiddler's trademark slinky and soulful audio soup.

Review: An 2's "On Air" is a beautiful and innovative blend of electronic deep house and techno. This little treat is out on Was Kids.

Review: As the Dekmantel brand expands to incorporate the Selectors festival in Croatia, the Amsterdam collective still remain focused on delivering quality house and techno singles and albums. Another fine year for Dekmantel ends with the welcome arrival of Invisible Switch, a second album from US techno artist Joey Anderson. His is a unique and at times alien take on the artform, crafting percussive textures and oddly intoxicating synth lines that sound unmistakably like Joey Anderson and no others. This is very much the case with Invisible Switch, with tracks like "Reset" and "Tell Us Where" instantly gripping your attention and not letting go, whilst "Amarna" is the most bludgeoningly intense production yet from Anderson. The EOY list compilers will be kicking themselves they missed out on this one.

Review: Cafe Romantica sees rising Melbourne producer Andras Fox team up with Oscar S. Thorn again for a richly deserved follow up to last year's Embassy Cafe LP for Dopeness Galore. Fox's star is definitely on the rise at the moment, with a recent 12" for Mexican Summer and Overworld, a highly regarded solo LP of smudged new age as A.R.T. Wilson. It was Embassy Cafe that arguably put Fox on the map, his raw and deep productions the perfect backing for Thorn's distinct vocal delivery and fans of that set will be pleased to hear the pair's chemistry is just as evident on Cafe Romantica. Some eight tracks deep, there's a real pleasant vibe throughout evoking that classic Dream 2 Science feel and will find equal favour amongst the home listeners and the club selectors.

Review: Andres has always been out there doing his thing, but it feels like an age since he dropped "Andres III" on us. Finally, the Detroit hero is back with a splash on his regular home of Mahogani Music with a stunning follow-up that brings out the best of his many musical threads. There's Cubano style vibes on "Back In The Old Times" and hand-clapping gospel tinted house grooves on "Mighty Tribe", sweet and sexy downtempo jams like "I'll Wait 4 U" and mad heavy R&B beatdowns like "What's Ur Name Again" - that's just the first four tracks and when they hit like this, you know the rest of the record's just as strong and just as varied.

Review: Featuring the collective talents of Dan Ghenacia, Dyed Sondorom and Shonky, it's little surprise the Apollonia project has swiftly become a force to be reckoned with in house music over the past two years. Less a production unit, more an excellent DJ tag team and label collective, Apollonia output to date has been the sole Trinidad 12" issued through their eponymous label back in 2013. A debut album then is something of an ambitious move, yet Tour a Tour demonstrates the Parisian trio are more than up to the task. Said to be inspired by their unified approach to Djing, the album consists of 13 tracks that ramp up the intensity deftly in a manner to reflect a DJ mix. French legends Phillip Zdar and Alexkid lend their considered touch to proceedings throughout.

Review: Mind Miniatures, the latest mysterious outing from publicity-shy Vancouver collective Aquarian Foundation, has been slated for release for the best part of 12 months. Finally it's arrived, and it's a bit of an off-kilter gem. Comprised of a seamless live performance split into two 20-plus minute parts, it's a dreamlike voyage that offers an updated take on the ambient house style first made popular by The Orb, Aphex Twin and Global Communication in the early '90s. As a fluid listening experience, it's superb, with exotic rhythms, pitched down deep house grooves, liquid chords, trippy electronics and dislocated vocal samples drifting in and out of an imaginative and immersive live performance.

Review: Stockholm based Art Alfie unleashes his debut album on local institution Studio Barnhus. The Karlovak co-head (alongside usual partner in crime Mr. Tophat) has had a consistent output, amassing a huge discography in only so many years and consolidates all that experience right here on this fine collection of moods and grooves; all very blissful and sunny with the unmistakable dust and swing of the MPC throughout. Starting out smoothly and deep on "A Lover's Anxiety" featuring subtle jazz elements and shimmering keys, "Klubbenborg" afterwards gets its stomp on in fine from. The slow motion disco of "A Blues" (Dolphin Cruise edit) is just mde for dancefloor drifting and is easily suited to the early evening as it is to the late night alike. Also, "Esquinas" (feat Daniel Raaf) gets its latin stomp on with this furious steel drum workout with real potential crossover appeal.

Review: Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White have both enjoyed solo success over the years, but only recently together as their brainchild Art Department. After teasing us with last year's massive "Without You", they now release their debut album The Drawing Board courtesy of Crosstown Rebels. "Much Too Much" features melting lyrics originally written by Frankie Knuckles, Robert Owens and Satoshi Tomiie that are now crooned by Glasgow over a hypnotic and down tempo beat. "Tell Me Why" Parts I and II are again vocally dominated and layered over a simple yet captivating bass line that shuffles ever forward. Seth Troxler lends his deep and eerie vocal talents on "Vampire Nightclub" - a light and airy musical base that contrasts against Troxler's warped vocals. "The Excuse" -a dusky collection of electronic clicks and clacks leads to "In The Mood" on the D-side whose gorgeously old skool hip-hop style vocal showcase a welcome other side to the album.

Review: If you are part of the demographic of Art Department fans who like their tote bags to be leather then this ltd edition of the Canadian tech house duo's second LP is for you! When announcing the release of Natural Selection, Johnny White and Kenny Glasgow promised a more "mature and experimental sound". Certainly, the album is a more wide-ranging and atmospheric album than their club-friendly debut, The Drawing Board. While there are forays into dancefloor-centric material - see Seth Troxler hook-up "Cruel Intentions" and the analogue techno pulse of the delay-laden "Hunt" - for the most part the duo sticks to a slower tempo, drawing influence from IDM, new wave (see "Crazy"), maudlin trip-hop, ambient and downbeat pop. As a result, Natural Selection is a surprisingly varied and inventive full-length.

Review: Two years on from the release of his stripped-back, minimalist debut album Butterfly Effect, Shinichi Atobe returns to Demdike Stare's DDS label with World. While its' predecessor explored stripped-back techno, ambient and experimental electronica, World is an altogether more positive and melodious affair. While there are still beat-less moments of atmospheric tension, not to mention crackly, hissing grooves that bear the stylistic hallmarks of minimal techno, these are contrasted by positive lead lines, swelling chords and sun-kissed textures. Throw in a couple of more robust, hypnotic techno tracks amongst the hazy deep house and undulating ambience, and you have a set that subtly shifts Atobe's sound whilst retaining a similar sonic ethos.

Review: It would be fair to say that "On A Different Note", the debut album from long-serving German producer Andreas Werner, has been a long time coming. Astonishingly, it's been 15 years since he first started exploring the deeper side of techno and tech-house under the Audio Werner alias, making the album a genuine 'event' release. Happily, it more than lives up to the hype, with Werner offering up a fine selection of melodious and atmospheric, club-ready cuts and occasional forays into intoxicating, otherworldly, beat-free territory (see the weird and spaced out "Es". Highlights include life-affirming opener "Ohne", the 13-minute deep tribal techno jam "Vogel" and the inspired ambient techno outing "Alter", which has echoes of Biosphere's 1993 cut "Baby Satellite".

Review: Described as a "deeply personal and a reflection of the journeys I've taken-both literal and musical," by its creator, veteran producer Brian d'Souza, Auntie Flo's latest travels from Nairobi to Mexico City, Havana and Waiheke Island and celebrates migration, freedom, and connection. Free is certainly the word you'd used to describe his groovy, instinctual but hard to classify sound, fusing the electronic with the organic on the sound palate and utilising everything from loose deep house grooving to Afrobeat, jazz and most things in between. From the YMO-esque 'Nighthawk' to the lush, jittery synthpop of 'Bird's Eye View', the juddering groove of 'Walk DF' - imagine Kraftwerk with an African lilt to the rhythm section - it's varied, quality-packed and transformative.

Review: When discussing his new album, Auntie Flo producer Brian D'Souza has promised that it would be a far more expansive, complex and densely layered set than its' predecessor. With Theory Of Flo, he's made good on that promise. Produced with regular collaborator Esa, it features an impressive cast-list of vocalists and musicians from around the World, including Red Snapper drummer Rich Thair, Ghanaian singer Anbuley, Noisettes' Shingai Shoniwa, and a swathe of Cuban players recorded during a trip to the country last year. Musically, it's similarly rich and expansive, blending D'Souza's usual global influences - primarily from Africa and South America - with a smooth, attractive and melodious take on house music.

Review: Ireland's Automatic Tasty (AKA Wicklow-based producer Jonny Dillon) seems to be getting better with age. Having skirted round the edges of analogue techno, deep house and electro since 2008, he really came of age with a pair of inspired singles on Lunar Disko back in 2012. Here, he delivers his fifth full-length, a delightfully fuzzy saunter through good old-fashioned electronica, 8-bit electro, melody-driven analogue iciness and low-key alien funk. There's naturally much to admire, from the Mr Fingers-goes-acid deepness of "Cheers Curtis! (Thx Mix)" and vibrant ZX Spectrum-house feel of "Talking At Right Angles", to the rush-inducing bliss and delightful vintage synthesizers of "I Seen You Through a Crowd (She's So Cool)".

Review: Steven de Peven is Amsterdamer Awanto 3, a staple of local imprints Rush Hour and Dekmantel since 2010 (not to mention moonlighting as Red Nose District) who presents his new LP Gargamel, This is his second full length since 2014's Opel Mantra. Starting off this great EP is the single "Azrael" which features usual studio partner Darling on this deep nu-disco cut, as does the booming and lo-slung bass exercise "Hooli Goose". Our personal highlights were the spooky, rusty and dusted down jack of "This Is When We Met" (which will really remind you of that notorious villain from the Smurfs that the album is named after) or the deep and minimal electro groove of "Thick" which features another local legend in the form of Klakson's inimitable Dexter. Awanto 3 likes his samples vibrant, his drums wobbly and his synths sweaty as a Detroit summer breeze. The MPC wizard returns!

Review: It's taken Baba Stiltz a while to settle on a sound of his own. While his early material - released as far back as 2011 - stuck rigidly to skwee and hip-hop influenced downtempo grooves, latter projects for Studio Barnhus have seen him head in a much more immersive deep house direction. This imaginative and eccentric debut album, presented as a doublepack with full artwork, stitches together these disparate strands. The results are impressive, with vibrant, Balearic-influenced deep house cuts nestling side by side with robust acid jams, scratchy downtempo grooves, grandiose synthesizer soundscapes and skewed instrumental pop. It's an assured and curiously off-kilter debut, which should appeal to those who enjoy more leftfield strains of deep house.

Review: Leeds' Simon Baker drops his debut full-length. As you'd perhaps expect, Traces doffs its cap to Baker's usual influences - electrofunk, old skool electro, nu-disco, acid house and classic Chicago house - within a straightforward deep house framework. It's a formula that makes for engaging and entertaining listening. There are two bubbly vocal work-outs featuring the oh-so-soulful Debukas, plenty of choice piano moments (the lovely "Someone Like" stands out), some serious peaktime tech-house pressure ("Blue Lights") and a sprinkling of classic deep house ("Traces"). A quietly impressive debut from the Baker man.

Review: New York's Baltra follows up his well received debut album from 2016 with a new one named "Ted" in honour of his father who passed away unexpectedly during the writing process. Inevitably that lends the record an extra air of melancholy, even when the grooves are surging. Making a surprise appearance is South Korean artist Park Hye Jin on the busy melodic track "Ahead Of Time" with an intoxicating dreamy verse of her own. As is this artist's style, his crisp drum work is complemented with fizzing electronics and glowing harmonies that are almost impossibly bright and vivid. It makes for an album that really grabs your attention.

Review: When Boston pair John Barera and Will Martin first appeared on Steffi's Dolly Tracks label last year, their brand of impeccably produced classicist house music felt right at home. Since that contribution to a split 12", Barera and Martin have become increasingly part of the Dolly family with a full 12" release earlier this year now complemented by Graceless, both the duo's and the label's debut LP. Some eight tracks deep, Graceless comes across as a masterclass in modern, punchy house music filled with soul with plenty of variety in tone and feel shown throughout. A very strong offering from Barera and Martin that is likely to be a record the busier house selectors pull for again and again.

Review: Bartellow is German producer Beni Brachtel, an artist that has been in involved with Lovefingers' ESP Institute for some time and as a member of label favourites Tambien, alongside Marvin Schuhmann & Valentino Betz of Public Possession. It's a pretty diverse affair on his debut Pankorama LP, starting off with the rather rather Pal Joey sounding "Sala Sensi" before he dives into some cosmo-balearic tinged ambient on the lovely "Clypp". Dusty swing-fuelled underground house is covered covered on the appropriately titled "Shufflington" or especially the stopmin' "Operator In Excelsis". "Notion" bridges the gap between label head Andrew Hogge's fascination with the exotic and analogue electronics wonderfully.

Review: It's been a long time coming, but Julio Bashmore's debut album, Knockin' Boots, is finally here. With releases on Dirtybird, Futureboogie, and mixes for Mixmag and FM radio, the hat loving Bristol producer has come a long way throughout the last five years. Knockin' Boots is a ten-track blend of soulful house and minimal-edged bass music, with the title track itself being something of a Chicago stomper. There's plenty of sublime sampling within Bashmore's house servings, such as on the excellent and discofied "Hold On" featuring Sam Dew, "What's Mine Is Mine", and the juke-inspired "Bark". The LP also verges on the pop end of things with tunes like "For Your Love" or "Rhythm Of Auld", and it's simply a pleasure to play from beginning to end. Bashmore coming through diverse and explosive, as per usual. Ya need.

Review: There's been a fair bit of hype surrounding this second album from Stuart Li under his now familiar Basic Soul Unit guise, and it's not hard to see why. Dropping on Dekmantel some three years on from his Still Music released debut album Motional Response, Under The Same Sky revels in its' instinctively atmospheric and floor-friendly blend of classic Detroit, Chicago and - more surprisingly - British techno influences. As usual, the chords are deep and spacey, the melodies bold and shimmering, and the beats rough and ready. The results are splendid from start to finish, with the early LFO-influenced smasher "Fate In Hand", thunderous "Temptress" and sci-fi brilliance of "We All Want To Believe" amongst the numerous highlights.

Review: Motional Response marks the excellent (and long overdue) debut album from Canadian producer Basic Soul Unit which finds a welcome home on the Still Music imprint. In the works for some two years, the album follows an eminently impressive array of releases for the likes of Mathematics, Creme Organization, Dolly, Mule and most recently Nonplus and sees the Toronto based artist otherwise known as Stuart Li craft ten tracks of elaborate techno. Anyone with a firm grasp of the Basic Soul Unit style will know not to expect straight up 4/4 and this truth manifests itself in the opening track "Across The Room" which pairs delicate fluttering melodies with bass heavy broken rhythms and remains pleasantly surprising on the ear throughout.

Review: If 2014 was a breakthrough year for Mo Kolours and Reginald Omas Manmode IV, then 2015 has served a similar purpose for the third Deemamode brother, Jeen Bassa. Here, he follows up the well-received All My People 12" with Time Waves, a mini-album that showcases his take on the family's now familiar globally focused, "deep house-meets-MPC-beats" sound. Predictably, it's something of a humid and smoky treat, delivering tracks bristling with soulful intent, rich musicality, dusty beats and wayward samples (sources include Mauritian drum records, scratchy reggae, and blazed East Coast hip-hop). While there are some superb individual tracks, it should be considered as a single artistic expression; judged in these terms, it's very special indeed.

Review: Joe Claussell's Sacred Rhythm Music is back to present new music under his alias The Bayara Citizens. Elektrik Afrika is his second full length of the project, where he pursues yet more of his idiosyncratic style of 'spiritual life music'. By fusing acoustic and electronic together as one, the project represents evolution - producing its own genetics and speaking an individual dialect of rhythm and sound. Traces can be heard in "Zainabu" (Spirit Dancer) which fuses electronic harmonizing on the skins of traditional folkloric rhythms, or the soul power of "Mofo Congoietric" (Joaquin's Sacred Rhythm version), through to the tunnelling and hypnotic power of "Bambara" (The Tribes Of Distortion dub) and the truly life-affirming "Diamonds" (It's Time To Let Our People Go).

Review: Since 2013, the Beat Detectives have been putting out under-the-radar cassettes and LP's via labels such as 100% Silk and Where To Now?, among others. For their latest splash of electronics and acid-laced beat science, they appear on the excellent Not Not Fun outlet for a mish-mash of loose hardware loops and drugged-out jams. The opener "Roaring Lion" is just about as lo-fi one can get, and other tunes such as "Dead Girl At A Party" or "Battery Life" follow in the same spirit. There's also plenty of pseudo-technoism going on elsewhere, most notably on "Something Temporary" and "Reward Card", two cuts which sound like Jamal Moss on a heavy dose of tranquillisers...Yes, that is a handful!

Review: Yes Son! The debut Beautiful Swimmers album finally arrives on double plated vinyl format, ensuring Future Times get the last laugh in the face of US pressing plant demons. For those cultured ears familiar with the smattering of Beautiful Swimmers cuts that have surfaced since Ari Goldman and Max D joined forces, the tone of Son will be no surprise. Nine new tracks feature here along with the previously issued "Swimmers Groove" and "Big Coast" as Beautiful Swimmers gleefully run the gamut of their collective influences. Elements Chicago jack and proto-house, to hip-hop, disco, boogie, dub, '80s afro grooves and new age ambience are all apparent here and it's one of those LPs where every cut is suitable for one particular moment of a night's dancefloor activities.

Review: Since signing to Studio Barnhus last year, Bella Boo (real name Gabriella Borbely) has delivered a handful of quirky EPs, but nothing quite as impressive as this brilliant debut album. It's rooted in her own skewed take on house - a constant theme amongst Studio Barnhus artists - but draws on a myriad of influences and impressively dashes off in different directions. There's the lightly Afro-tinged vocal deep house pulse of "Can't Leave You Like This", the bustling, loose-limbed "She's Back!", the downtempo nu-jazz of "Tuesday", the squelchy 21st century hip-house of "Hotel Europa" and the ambient bliss of "Stars"- and that's before we get to the jazzy, acid-fired wonder that is Axel Boman hook-up "Do The Right Thing".

Review: The spellbinding Cali groove machine that is Nicky Benedek emerged onto our radars in 2013 with his debut album Test Pressing. He's consistently and continuously dropped laid back, unhurried heaven ever since. First appearing on Leaving Records last year with the stupendously sedate, Balearic and beautiful "Coolin" EP, he's returned with his sophomore Bene's World... And it's every bit as shiny, soulful and experimental as you'd hope. Part jazz, part soul, part wave, all synth bliss, the timing of this release couldn't be better.

Review: Long-established house and techno twosome Dan Berkson & James What are proud to announce the arrival of their debut album, Keep Up Appearances, on their own recently minted Modelmaker label. To be released in December on beautiful double gatefold vinyl and CD, with reworked woodcut artwork by Conrad Felixmuller, it has been a long time in the making but the wait has more than been worth it.
Before now, Berskon & What have become synonymous with raw, machine made house and techno with no frills but plenty of heft on labels like Poker Flat and Crosstown Rebels. Their music engages dancers in the head, heart and heel in equal measure and this considered new album proves that once again.
Keep Up Appearances was written over the course of 18 months and has been whittled down from over 20 tracks, all made using mostly analogue gear with the usual Roland and Moog boy's toys, whilst the trusty Fender Rhodes, Space Echoes and Moogerfooger pedals are featured on many of the tracks. "At first we had a much more eclectic approach to making the album," says the pair. "But as time went on we found it worked better if we presented only the more electronic tracks together. It's not a straight up home listening album, but it still has a beginning, an end, and a couple of slower tracks that hint at our wider tastes away from the dancefloor."
Opening up with the deep space atmospherics of 'Quiet Life' the album immediately transports you to another world. The title track is then a melodically lush and uplifting affair with curious synth patterns ebbing and flowing beneath crisp percussion. Tracks like 'We Search For Answers' combine organic, wooden textures with more synthetic and trippy synth sounds that are as far away from your standard sample packs as can be imagined.
Across the course of the album there are dark, moody and emotive pieces like 'Worship' (previously released in extended form on the MDL02 single) featuring Qzen who reads a poem by Patience Agbabi in tantalising fashion as well as heavyweight, dubbed out techno groovers like 'Shadow Theory.' 'Make It True' (of which Seth Troxler will be releasing an extended edit on his Play it Say it label, complete with high profile remixes) is another great collab featuring the vocals of JoJo de Freq, and the track itself is a harmonious, radiant house jam that is humid and human in equal measure. The otherworldly, snaking 'Feel Free' again showcases Berkson & What's ability to coax alluring emotions out of their machines and closer 'Logan Five' wraps things up in suitably spangled, textural fashion.
Despite the fact much of this album will work on a dancefloor in the hands of the right DJ, there's an invention and musicality to it that renders the whole thing hugely listenable away from the club. A testament to Berkson & What's analogue invention and fluid ideas, Keep Up Appearances really is a master electronic oeuvre.