Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Some seven years after first appearing on Sthlmaudio, Baaz delivers a debut album on his own Office Recordings imprint that fully sheds light on his immersive sound. There are some ambient moments such as spellbinding opener "Everyone", while the likes of "Endori" bring heavy loaded grooves into a mellow, contemplative context. At every turn the production is impeccable, the beats hooky, the atmospheres captivating. It's a fine achievement of a debut album from a producer that has long been delivering the goods for labels such as Quintessentials and Minuendo, bringing a healthy spread of intensities to bear on the ten tracks contained within. Whether you want it mellow or pumping, there's something to latch on in here.

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: Baba Stiltz is one of the greatest musical chameleons of our time. From the darkened booths of Europe's techno clubs, to the wild, open plains of half-imagined western Frontierlands, he's proven more than capable of turning a hand to an incredible variety of sounds, with a particularly lo-fi take on alternative indie rock, infused with a kind of contemporary country blend, coming to the fore more recently. Paid Testimony is, err, testimony to just how adept he is at conjuring images of small town USA. An album born from numerous trips that took the FilipinoAmerican-Swedish artist from Stockholm to northern California, it presents a series of archetypal characters summoned in some strange dream of what the latter region could and should be. People who plot bank heists, drink milk and vodka after midnight, and look for confrontation at every corner. A surreal, yet strangely poignant and universal gem.

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: They don't come much more legendary than DJ and producer Daniele Baldelli. Whenever he steps out with any sort of new project it is always worth giving it your full attention. Cosmic Drag is a record inspired by his time as resident DJ at Cosmic, a nightclub by Lake Garda that it is where Baldelli honed his craft and eventually earned his glowing international reputation. He played records at the wrong speed, layered in effects and drum machines and generally wrote his own rule book. This album pays homage to all that with its era-spanning disco and cosmic sounds, hypnotic drums and hints of everything from Afro to electro.

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: Scottish artist Barry Can't Swim has made big moves in the last year or so and finally, he capitalises on his ever-growing momentum with a debut album on the mighty Ninja Tune. The multi-faceted talent explores his most broad and diverse range of sounds to date here with 11 sublime tracks that move from deep house to jazz, heavy and percussive Afrobeat to lush ambiance. Each of the tracks feels like a fine technical achievement with complexity at its core but never at the expense of good vibes, such as the choral harmonies on 'Always Get Through To You', smart samples of Brazil's Trio Ternura on 'Dance Of The Crab' and digital and organic blends on 'Woman.'

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: Images And Anthems - Book I is an album by Lars Bartkuhn from back in 2008. The artist who is also known for his work in Passion Dance Orchestra and as Laurentius is a master of super cool jazz and laid-back lounge electronics that have hints of 80s nostalgia without being too slavish. Originally this one came only on CD and digitally and now it makes its first foray onto vinyl thanks to First on Vinyl out of Japan. Tracks like the lush 'Pulse' are gloriously airy and spring-like montages while there is a little woozy romance to 'Before It Enters My Mind'.

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: 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: 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: 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: Experimental deep house superstar Bella Boo returns to Studio Barnhus for her latest album DreamySpaceyBlue, and expands outwards into a more varying tempo range in the process. If album titles are anything to go by, this one should give you an indication of the kind of sonics you'll hear when popping this 180g cream vinyl record on the belt-driven plate. Moving in more bittersweet, heartstring-tugging directions after a jankier set of EP movements years prior, the likes of 'Can't Stop' and 'Heartbeat/Into The Night' move through every influence from Jersey bounce to breaks, pitting deeply affected vocals and spacious synth bubblings against a thematic backdrop of "dark times (demanding) love, healing and forgiveness."

Review: Having thrown somewhat of a creative curveball with the launch of Latin and soul-centered project Sol Set, John Beltran hands over the Detroit collective's debut album Ola De Novo to a list of impressive global talent for the remix treatment. Kiko Navarro, Kaidi Tatham, Blair Frech, Ezel, Cee ElAssaad, Chris Coco and John Beltram with John Arnold all line up to do their duty, incorporating the sun kissed, percussion-heavy and exotically instrumented vibes into their more house and techno productions. Highlights include Cee ElAssaad's remix of 'Get Away', its gloriously optimistic vocal retained and re-purposed over light and nimble beats, and Chris Coco's dubby slow motion samba take on 'Linda Sau Paulo', but like the label says, it's All Good

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Having thrown somewhat of a creative curveball with the launch of Latin and soul-centered project Sol Set, John Beltran hands over the Detroit collective's debut album Ola De Novo to a list of impressive global talent for the remix treatment. Kiko Navarro, Kaidi Tatham, Blair Frech, Ezel, Cee ElAssaad, Chris Coco and John Beltram with John Arnold all line up to do their duty, incorporating the sun kissed, percussion-heavy and exotically instrumented vibes into their more house and techno productions. Highlights include Cee ElAssaad's remix of 'Get Away', its gloriously optimistic vocal retained and re-purposed over light and nimble beats, and Chris Coco's dubby slow motion samba take on 'Linda Sau Paulo', but like the label says, it's All Good

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: The Deviation club night was a legendary party helped by the now well known Radio 1 DJ Benji B. With this expansive collection he looks back to draw up some of the highlights from over the years, and next to a load of classics there are also some exclusives from the likes of Hudson Mohawk. The widescreen selection takes in slow burning house from The Detroit Experiment, dark bass from Zomby and dubstep wobblers from Mala. It does a fine job of capturing the energy and expansive remit of the night, playing you front and centre one more time.

Review: ***B-STOCK: minor split on inner sleeve, also record has very light surface marks, but otherwise in excellent working condition***


The Deviation club night was a legendary party helped by the now well known Radio 1 DJ Benji B. With this expansive collection he looks back to draw up some of the highlights from over the years, and next to a load of classics there are also some exclusives from the likes of Hudson Mohawk. The widescreen selection takes in slow burning house from The Detroit Experiment, dark bass from Zomby and dubstep wobblers from Mala. It does a fine job of capturing the energy and expansive remit of the night, playing you front and centre one more time.

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.

Review: One of the deepest reaching projects from the multifaceted Vibraphone stable resurfaces for an extended trip through ambient sonics that marks possibly the most daring departure on the esteemed Italian label to date. The harmonious tones undulating throughout Sketches From Space are instant soothers, taking the odd cue from techno but defiantly beatless and meditative. It's a surprising addition to the long and winding Vibraphone story, but also feels like one of the strongest steps forward the resurgent label has taken since returning to the fray. Just try sinking into "Lagrangian Point L4" and you'll see exactly what we mean.

Review: Of all DJ duos currently operating in British dance music, Belfast boys Bicep might be the hardest to pin down (Optimo aside, of course). Certainly, this debut album is not easy to pigeonhole, though it is an enjoyably cohesive listen. This is largely down to two factors; the frequent use of deliciously colorful and loved-up synthesizer parts, and the duo's innate ability to utilize beats tailor-made for dancefloor devastation. So while keen dancefloor historians may notice sly (and not so subtle) nods to '89 rave, U.S house and garage, Italo-disco, late '90s progressive house, jungle and early British hardcore, the album never sounds anything less than a fine set of Bicep tracks. Expect it to be one of the biggest albums of the year.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Minor tear/split on outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Split/tear on spine of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: Bicep's second album is shaped by the experience of touring their debut long player for something like three years, a period during which they honed and perfected their instinct for tracks that would stand the test of time and repeated listening. What develops is a distinctive style typified by a combination of ethereal sonics and cheeky, memorable instrumental hooks, only set to a variety of beats that reference and indeed fuse the plethora of different dance genres that have sprung up since the acid house revolution if the mid-80s. So we get everything from the electro-tainted 'X' to 'Rever', where an African choir floats over a subtle deep house shuffle and 'Saku', where UKG bass pressure and skippy beats provide a hypnotic background for Clara La San's sweet but ghostly voice.

Review: The big man on campus returns! Fast becoming a staple on Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, the Glaswegian producer throws down an impressive full length demonstrating the diversity within his musical repertoire - and count us in as fans. From the deep and soulful late night house of "Our House" which will have you 'doin' the wiggly worm', Afrobeat meets Innervisions styled melodic house on "Hammond Groove" while "High Heavens" explores classic neon-lit electro aesthetics from the '80s. There's even some harder stuff in there, like demonstrated on "The Great Beast" that's a slow burning early '90s style techno jam (which blows the bloody doors off!) and "Gear Tension" which throws in more hallmarks of the golden era such as 303 acid and Joey Beltram styled mentasms.

Review: Big Strick's latest full-length offering on his own 7 Days Entertainment label is a family affair, mixing tracks from the veteran Detroit producer with similarly deep and woozy jams from his 16 year-old son Tre Strickland, AKA Generation Next. The father-and-son team's approach to house - wringing atmospheric soul from bubbling rhythms, warm chords and blazed melodies - is surprisingly similar, as shown by the two deep, jazz-flecked collaborations showcased here. Elsewhere, both impress with their individual contributions, with Strickland Junior's slap bass-infused deep head-nodder "Flynn's" and sweet, winding "Mo Money" standing out.

Review: Brian Cullen's Bjak project provides the learned house producer with a chance to reach dizzying, transcendental heights through a hazy, soul and jazz indebted approach as spiritual as it is groove-oriented. Having previously charmed the likes of Deep Explorer and Eargasmic, the debut Bjak album now lands on sympathetic Swiss outpost deepArtSounds, where Cullen will be keeping fine company with the likes of Ron Trent, Above Smoke, Trinidadian Deep and many more. It's a sumptuous listen overflowing with buttery keys, smoky trumpets and expressive, organic rhythms to get all true-school deep house heads nodding with approval. Just check the beatbox flow of "Groove Train" with its canny fusion of ear-catching sampling and accomplished musicianship.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing on outer sleeve with minor split on inner sleeves, also the record has very light surface marks, but otherwise in excellent working conditionr***


Brian Cullen's Bjak project provides the learned house producer with a chance to reach dizzying, transcendental heights through a hazy, soul and jazz indebted approach as spiritual as it is groove-oriented. Having previously charmed the likes of Deep Explorer and Eargasmic, the debut Bjak album now lands on sympathetic Swiss outpost deepArtSounds, where Cullen will be keeping fine company with the likes of Ron Trent, Above Smoke, Trinidadian Deep and many more. It's a sumptuous listen overflowing with buttery keys, smoky trumpets and expressive, organic rhythms to get all true-school deep house heads nodding with approval. Just check the beatbox flow of "Groove Train" with its canny fusion of ear-catching sampling and accomplished musicianship.

Review: Allegedly run "by a number of Brians," the Peak Oil Records label emerged in style last year, issuing long players from Strategy and the Personable alias of M. Geddes Gengras. The Los Angeles-based label's dedication to underground strains of US experimental electronics is further demonstrated here with a wonderfully presented collection of Black Deer material from WT Records boss William Burnett. First adopting the name on a release for Rush Hour's No 'Label' series, Burnett's inspiration for Black Deer is the apparent lack of patriotism in contemporary America and it's been some of his most compelling work of recent times. This six track collection is presented as Burnett's debut album as Black Deer and draws you deep into a world of hypnotic, kraut indebted synth explorations and psychedelic box jams and is dominated by the opening sixteen minute track "It's Like the Way It Used to Be".

Review: In recent years Fred Peterkin has been focusing on releasing music under his now more familiar Fred P alias rather than the Black Jazz Consortium pseudonym with which he first made his mark back in the late 2000s. Here he dons the latter alias once more for a triple-vinyl album that counts amongst his most alluring, evocative, musically intricate and ear-pleasing full-length excursions to date. It's largely a warm, positive and calming affair, with Peterkin wrapping glistening jazz guitars, dreamy chords, spacey effects, scat vocals and jazz-funk basslines around grooves that variously touch on broken beat, Motor City deep house, Latin house and the kind of languid, organic rhythms more associated with the productions of Osunlade and Ron Trent. In a word: sumptuous.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Outer slleve slightly damaged and with creasing to corners, also the record has light surface marks/scratches, but otherwise in excellent working condition***


In recent years Fred Peterkin has been focusing on releasing music under his now more familiar Fred P alias rather than the Black Jazz Consortium pseudonym with which he first made his mark back in the late 2000s. Here he dons the latter alias once more for a triple-vinyl album that counts amongst his most alluring, evocative, musically intricate and ear-pleasing full-length excursions to date. It's largely a warm, positive and calming affair, with Peterkin wrapping glistening jazz guitars, dreamy chords, spacey effects, scat vocals and jazz-funk basslines around grooves that variously touch on broken beat, Motor City deep house, Latin house and the kind of languid, organic rhythms more associated with the productions of Osunlade and Ron Trent. In a word: sumptuous.

Review: Scissor & Thread's fascination with the deeper end of the spectrum continues with another voyage into the murky and heady waters of house music's most cerebral sounds here with a new album, Ghosts, from Black Light Smoke. The opening cut itself is coated in a late-night mystery, a descending fog of humidity that dulls all sensations but the most intimate. Raw perc and whistles arrive to awaken the grooves of '727 Anthem (House Is Back)' while the dusty drums and lo-fi aesthetics continue on 'Hearts Not Broken" (feat Leah Lazonick), with a tender and seductive whisper at its core. Things remain warm and cuddly though out ensuing highlights like 'Out From Within'.

Review: Black Spuma aka Lauer and Fabrizio Mammarella take a magpie approach to sound on this new long player for Permanent Vacation which comes three long years after their last EP. But it was surely worth the wait: it's a lovely blend of jazz, bossa nova and folk that pairs down everything this duo is known for next to well defined melodies, skilled musicianship and a real playfulness of sound. The title cut is something like a benevolent 80s cop theme, there are Detroit style drums on 'Fracture', 'Obereggen' is a trance and Italian fusion and there are plenty of retro future machine sounds that are sweet as sugar and glow bright like diamonds.

Review: Daniel "Blackbelt" Andersen's self-titled follow-up to his 2009 debut album is an effortlessly atmospheric delight. It's noticeably deeper than its predecessor, with less emphasis on bold riffs and space disco builds, instead focusing on sparkling, stargazing tracks. To these ears it sounds like Andersen was influenced less by his Scandolearic peers, and more by vintage Detroit techno tracks, intergalactic ambient albums and moody deep house 12s. Of course, there's still some Norse disco influences present - see "Lagnalappe Del 1" and "2", as well as the comforting grooves of "Stressa Ut" - but they're largely buried under a blanket of twinkling stars.

Review: Blase is the new collaborative project from Eddie Ruscha and Diego Herrera, whose respective work as Secret Circuit and Suzanne Kraft should be familiar to anyone with a firm grasp of more cosmically inclined music. Recent albums for Beats In Space and Emotional Response have brought the psychedelically charged Secret Circuit project to wider attention, with Ruscha a long term fixture in the Los Angeles music scene under a variety of names. Herrera is a much younger producer, and in addition to his solo work as Suzanne Kraft - which provided an excellent EP for Running Back in 2011 - he forms one third of new age house act Pharaohs. The stars of collaboration have now aligned, with Ruscha and Herrera teaming up as Blase for the Sunset Dawn album ESP Institute. Apparently adopting the name due to their shared "lackadaisical style and confident panache", the Blase project manifests with six tracks that feel perfectly at home on Andrew 'Lovefingers' Hogge's label.

Review: In a year of epic, and frankly exhausting marketing campaigns for the likes of Daft Punk and Boards of Canada, the surprise release of Blondes' second album is a breath of air as fresh and breezy as its title Swisher sounds. Although still marked out by the duo's fondness for thick, hazy, cosmic sounds and the spaciousness of classic dub techno, Swisher sees the pair expanding on their palette of sounds, though the dreamy, melodic progression of their debut album remains intact, most notably on "Andrew" and final track "Elise". Yet there are times when Blondes sound in significantly tougher mood, with cuts such as "Wire" and "Bora Bora" sounding inspired to some degree by Andy Stott's more recent murky techno deviations. Unsurprisingly, it comes highly recommended.

Review: Although the name Bob Moses would lead one to imagine a hairy, bearded dude making reggae-driven folk ballads in his attic, it actually represents a duo made up of Canadians Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance. The pair moved from British Columbia down to NYC, and have since then been on a steady rise in terms of releases. They were first picked up by New York's Francis Harris, on his own Scissor and Thread imprint, and then they made a jump to the almighty Domino, the label they return to now with their debut LP. Days Gone By follows neatly from where the duo last left off; the album is a fine blend of melancholic, r&b-flavoured vocals and luscious house grooves. The opener "Like It Or Not" and "Talk" are both perfect examples of their deep and ethereal take on the genre, while "Before I Fall" shows their more musical side, a tune that doesn't rely on a 4/4 structure, and instead manages to work a slow hip-hop beat into the same pensive sway that drives most of their previous tracks. All in all, this is a deep and melancholic house album with plenty of twists and turns - it's a keeper!

Review: Bob Sinclair is a French house legend and someone who played a big part in the famous French touch sound. He came back to the fore during covid lockdowns for his endlessly long and playful live streams. Now, maybe to strike while his profile is extra hot, his 1998 album Paradise gets remastered and reissued. It is packed with big and catchy house hooks, great vocals that are ripe for singing along to and timeless production that oozes nice analogue textures. A real gem of the house sounds that were emerging at the end of the last and start of the new millennium.