Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Pietro 'Peter' Macaluso has been around for some time, operating between Berlin and his native Sicily, though remarkably this is the first time his productions have been showcased on vinyl. It comes via Balance Recordings, with boss man Chez Damier acting as 'executive producer'. There's much to admire across the EP, from the suspenseful, alien electronics and slow-build groove of deep Afro-tech bubbler 'Low Pressure (Afro-Acid Mix)', and the light-touch deep house hypnotism of 'Feel Me (Deep Mix)', where DJ Ronaldo-esque synth string sounds catch the ear, to the ultra-deep techno haziness of 'Cantico (Synth Wave Mix)' and the tough, bleeping throb of 'Take It Off (Techno Mix)'.

Review: Volcov steers the good ship Neroli towards more of that immaculately curated deep gear you know they do so well. The Inside series reaches part three with another heavyweight cast, leading in with the mighty Fred P on the crisp rhythms and considered chord movements of 'Time Well Spent'. Rest Symbol follows up with a powerful strain of synth orchestration which adds a moody intensity to the record, while Resonating creates a raw, seductive beatdown on 'J707' that will satisfy any discerning outboard house fiend. Patrice Scott then seals the deal with a submerged 'Beat Version' of an untitled track that course through snaking rhythms at a slower tempo perfect for some backroom scene setting or creative warm-up blending.

Review: Andrew Macari joins up with Paka Project for a first outing on the fledgling Greenhouse Recordings labels here and delves deep into some true-school deep house. 'Beeston Fields Drive' is a warm and diffuse opener that rolls on loopy drums with balmy chords melted over the top. 'Hold Dat' has jazzy motifs and funky bass riffs down low that remind of early West Coast tech house sounds from the likes of Fresh & Low and 'All We Need' then layers up r&b samples and even more smooth and silky late-night chords into a real smoocher. 'PR Process' ends on low-slung and lumpy drums and spoken word samples run through with dubby chords.

Review: Global Essence Sampler is a new series from Deep Inspiration Show Records that calls upon a fine roster of international producer talent to serve up one track each and reflect on what deep house is today. For Allstarr Motomusic the answer is smooth and cruising house grooves with elastic basslines and distant vocal wails. Barce explores classic Larry Heard-style cosmic melodic territory with plenty of star-gazing potential, and Zarenzeit's 'Zahara' is another one that floats amongst the stars with lush ambient pads. Jank offers a more dusty, rhythmic house sound for cosy backroom parties, and then come the jazzy melodies and soulful bass noodling of Jan Kincl's '3300 Gratiot Ave.' Magic stuff.

Review: Theo Parrish lays down a marker for a long overdue fifth album, apparently due out later this year, with the sublime Footwork 12". Named in reference to the dance as opposed to the breakneck offshoot of Ghetto House, "Footwork" is a sublime slab of Theo with many of his trademark production touches. Think lightly brushed percussion, meandering bassline that juts out with an odd funk, and subtle yet sumptuous musical touches, all topped off by a gruff "let me see your footwork baby" croon. Those Theo fans out there that like the man to get a bit rugged will be all over "Tympanic Warfare" too, where off the grid polyrhythms cannon around the channels, augmented by an ugly bassline and dexterous keys.

Review: Gerd Janson's Running Back seemingly has no borders or boundaries when it come to the sort of music it will put out. Next up is Partiboi69 with Call of The Void, a zippy outing that kicks off with the psychoactive synth swirls and hurried beats of 'Playin'' while 'Bodies' is a sleazy and ghetto-tinged tech pumper with well-treated vocals and big old school piano chords that endlessly stab away. 'Feel This' brings a subtly celebratory mood with splashy cymbals and wispy cosmic pads darting about up top and 'Call Of The Void' shuts down with a deeper house sound but one still lit brightly by the astral pads.

Review: Larry Heard offers up a mesmerising history lesson on this collaboration with spoken word artists Piccolo JT and Rio Love, from Sharpsburg, North Carolina and Chicago respectively. There's an educational, empowering purpose to these four tracks, as our hosts guide us through reflections on important Southern social gatherings and overall social observations accompanied by some of Heard's inimitable productions. There's variety to the music as it flows from mellow deep house to bugging melodic techno and back again - as vital as any Alleviated record you care to mention, but with an added message.

Review: 'Blue Train' is created by Piero and is the second release from the newly formed label, My Cup Of Tea. Piero, who is also the label owner, gives us four tracks of deep house that blend jazzier notes along with seductive grooves. The title track is an upbeat, pumping late-night gem that blends some vocals along with a smooth saxophone sample, 'Nikes On My Feet' adds a cool broken-beat rhythm to the mixture while still being pretty darn techy and funky and we love the use of the acid line that balances out the jazz sounds. For the B-side you have original version of 'International Language' along with a remix of it by Carlo (Carlos Alvarez). You can't go wrong with either version as a DJ. My Cup Of Tea is off to a strong start for sure.

Review: Italian DJ and producer Zeno Pisu was active for a brief time in the mid 90s, running the Mater Mediterranean label and dropping a couple of cheeky records of his own. Now Lisbon-based label Nugs On Board has approached him about the opportunity for a link up, and Pisu has dug out a bunch of unreleased tracks from the archives which will be a welcome surprise to any switched on mid 90s trance heads out there. There's a strong house groove to the tracks, and 'Waiting For A Train' even has a cheeky bit of vocal action going on, but it's still the big melodies and upfront production styles of trance which inform these four killer tracks the most.

Review: Adeen Records is on a roll right now and this time out they welcome the Detroit hero that is Marcellus Pittman for a new and beguiling four-track 12". Known for his work with The 3 Chairs collective as well as his solo jams, this Motor City mainstay opens up with 'You Always Hank Bank One Time' which is a real mental maze of rickety loops and blurts of degraded synth. 'Another Spring Lover' is another rusty and lo-fi piece of archetypal Detroit house that is very clearly machine music but with a unique sense of human soul. 'I'm Gonna Be The Everything' is a raw drum track with sparse, heartwarming chords and 'Slick Nickle Pladium Investment' is a knackered downbeat hip-hop closer. Magnificent.

Review: Pleasure Dome's '15 Minutes In The Mix' is a seminal club release from back in 1993. It is from an alias of DJ Duke and features tow different versions of the same tune, but they sound very different. 'Pleasure Dome' (15 Minutes In The Mix) is a masterclass in deep rolling house with subtle chord vamps and occasional vocal sounds heightening the trip. It's one to build a vibe early doors. The flip side '8 Minutes Of Trance' is run through with surges of warm chord and rueful synths up top that have you gazing off into the distance. Classic stuff.

Review: PRT Stacho, a Russian producer and DJ, graces the Moonrover label with his spacey celestial EP, Andromeda. This techno and house odyssey unfolds across two sides, each hosting two hypnotic tracks that transcend the boundaries of the traditional minimal genre. The title track grooves along with a beautiful melody that evokes the vastness and mystery of the cosmos. This is followed by 'Xoma', which is another mesmerizing journey that propels listeners through the galaxies. On the B-side, 'Zodiac' captivates with its intricate rhythms and celestial textures. The track's dynamic groove reflects the astrological influences that inspire its namesake. 'Dreamer' concludes the EP with a dreamy and atmospheric soundscape, inviting listeners to drift away into a world. Andromeda is a testament to his exceptional create a truly immersive and otherworldly experience. This EP transports listeners to a realm where the boundaries of dance music dissolve and the imagination can soar.