Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: A follow-up to last year's successful compilation 'Faith Presents: Ain't That A Groove', is given to us by the London-based label Faith ran by DJs Terry Farley, Stuart Patterson and Dave Jarvis. The high energy house party sound kicks off with Nolan who features the legendary house voice of Sir. Robert Owens. Hilit Kolet isn't shy with the extended remix of 'POV Siren'. This sound is synonymous with Feller and Heller DJ sets of the mid 90s. Philippa's extended remix of 'The Night' by Roach Motel backs that one up with another prime floor filler with hardly any let up. Lastly, Terry Farley, Wade Teo & Kameelah Waheed brings he deep groover "Dancing After Dark" to the party. These tracks will have you and the nightclub crowd out dancing all night.

Review: Jihoon links with some talented musicians including Thomas Xu, Omar Meftah, Eric Meftah and Ian Gold on this brilliant new three-tracker on One Spoke. It kicks off with the sublime 'Good In The Bad' which is a jazzy viber with flute lines dancing their own dance above lovely contemporary broken beats. 'There Is No End' layers chords, synths and jazz drums into a richly atmospheric groove before last of all the whole of the flip side is given over to a Thomas Xu & Ian Gold remix of 'There Is No End' that is gloriously sunny jazz-fusion at its finest. These will keep you warm no matter the weather outside this winter.

Review: The left of centre musical universe of Crosstown Rebels ushers in this lively new EP from Oceanvs Orientalis. 'Neutrality' features on the A-side and is a spiritual fusion of steely tech house beats and spine tingling chords, angelic distant vocals and lots of loose percussion all with a slightly psychedelic feel. On the flip is a Nick Curly remix which pairs whitings back and settles the beats into one of his signature tech house frameworks with hooky little pads and late night allure. Good stuff.

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


Robert Owens is absolutely one of the voices of his generation. He has lent his tender tones to more classic tracks than you could possibly mention and he continues to do so nowadays with a wholeness generation of producer who want a touch go his authenticity. He has recently achieved another career milestone with a superbly poignant new single that comes with sublime remixes. DJ Spinna's re-flip adds his usual sense of soul and Adeen Records label head Camille then brings some South African Amapiano vibes. Nico Lahs takes it on with a heavy house groove and Scott Hess brings some classic acid jack to his version.

Review: Electronica production duo Arnau Obiols and Kayyak, who've laid down a name for themselves for their distinct blend of cultural influences and captivating soundscapes, here present two new tracks that seamlessly fuse Afro-inspired rhythms with groovy organic beats. Barely letting us clock for a second that these are in any way electronically programmed or sequenced, this fresh Compost Records 12" hears its two new cuts, 'Faith' and 'San Diago', abound in the ambered, sandy interim of a clear-skied evening, in which cocktails flow and smiles widen. Remixes by Prins Thomas and Medle & Dele Sosimi do just as well to complement the mood.

Review: Deep house producer Shuya Okino shows his class once more on another tasteful outing, this time via the Extra Freedom/Village Again labels out of Japan. For this one he revisits his 2011 album Destiny which was made with help from the Japanese funk, boogie and jazz-funk outfit Root Soul and replays and remakes the tunes. The originals become more disco-leaning and horn lead jams here with Okino's warm, rubbery basslines, P-funk synths, loose live beats and cute keys. The result is an album that sounds like Earth, Wind & Fire making modern soul and it will improve your life no end.

Review: Crosstown Rebels continues its spell of dance albums releases with a fresh one from Oceanvs Orientalis (Safak Oz Kutle), Portrait Of The Obscure. After three superb singles on the label over the past four months, this nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Istanbul-based talent's rich, globally-infused, captivating sound. As if to bottle the essence of the awe of travel, either everyday-real or astral - and the personal developments and realizations that come of it - onto a single record, Portrait Of The Obscure skirts the possible limits of progressive dance, fleshing out a talent for layering that we'd wager many artists only ten years or so ago would've thought impossible. Just listen to the hullabaloo that is 'Neutrality'; despite the name, it's hardly neutral at all, coming as an immense positivisation of moving parts and godlike sonic entities, which sound to dance around a central kick axis, one that we're surprised Oceanvs was still able to fit into the mix.