Back catalogue: Deep House

Review: Three years after launching as a digital-only imprint, Vinny Villbas's Badabing Diskos label finally makes it to wax. In keeping with the label's desire to promote homegrown talent - an approached pioneered by his old pal Prins Thomas via the long-running Full Pupp imprint - all three showcased cuts come from Oslo-based artists. The legacy of synth-heavy, off-kilter Norwegian 'space disco' can be heard across the EP, but especially on Jarle Brathen's 'No Restaurants', which conjures memories of Lindstrom and Todd Terje's work of the late 2000s and Vilbas's dreamier and more loved-up 'Just In Time'. Bolder, bigger and even more life-affirming thrills come to the fore on the flip, where label regular Sommerfeldt delivers the epic breakdowns, driving bass, restless cowbells, winding acid lines and shimmering synth chords of 'The Everlasting Frog'.

Review: Adam Collins has proven his mettle with his work for Omni A.M. and Euphoria Records but now he branches out once more with the new label Aquarius Rising. It kicks off with a four-track various artists EP of next-gen talents Cromie, Dylan Payne, Sasha Zlykh, and Collins himself. 'The Knuckle' opens up with a bouncy and dense house sound that's got a sweet garage shuffle to it. Volume Channel's 'Tony Jacal' is a stripped-back and minimal sound with dubby drums, Sasha Zlykh's contribution gets more raw and abstract with whirring machine sounds and Collins shuts down with 'Andrea 3' complete with warped vocal stabs and high-speed drum funk.

Review: Ruvenzori makes the move to vinyl with four artists breaking new ground in the field of organic, spiritual house music. There's a Balearic tint to these harmonious jams, which melt into each other like one extended blend for the terraza of your dreams. 'Uluwatu' features Stan Tone and Izhevski collaborating on a swirling masterpiece with the steady tick of minimal tech house as an undercurrent for ascendant chimes, fluttering guitar licks and vocal murmurations. On 'Ayomi' Talemates joins the pair as they match emotive piano chords with sampled vocal loops, capturing an endearing, eyes-closed vibe in the process.

Review: Here's a heavyweight suite of club cuts from the Toolroom Trax stable, featuring a whole squad of names linking up for some big room belters that should go down very nicely indeed with any medium-to-megasized party experience. Mark Knight's extended mix of 'Ready' is a proper epic, not least when the 'Insomnia'-esque stabs kick in. CASSIMM's 'Wanna Feel Something' is a heads-down sexy workout, while Superchumbo and Victoria Wilson James get remixed by Crusy for an equally brooding, high-end production. James Hurr and Arthur Baker round things off with chunky monkey 'Powder In The Nose', which teases a whole lot and then delivers even more on the drop.

Review: The inimitable Santonio Echols/Next Generation have penned many a great soulful house hit and one of them is 'Bad For Me' which now arrives as a remix package on the NCM Label out of Detroit. First up is Eddie Fowlkes's dub which brings nice warm, smeared chords and allows the vocal to pop out of the mix and bring the sunshine. Ron Carroll's club mix has a little more direct energy in the drums, then the Emanuell Groove mix is a funky one with steamy sax notes up top and nice loose drums. Last of all, the Mannywya Deep dub mix slows things right down to a late-night crawl.

Review: It has been a rather remarkable three years since Yuko dropped its first release, but finally, they are back with more. It is co-founder Emo Omar who features both solo and in collaboration with Luje from Club Pizza while two exciting new French talents Chud and Vivant also make their mark. 'Pollen' is a bright and hooky melodic electro sound then 'You & Me' gets more percussive, with old school cow bells staying busy next to all sorts of wonky synth work. 'Tomorrow's Made Of Breaks' is built on rigid funk and trippy synth bleeps and 'Zeus' shuts down with some retro-future vocoder vocals. This is a great return from a label we hope now pushes on.

Review: Two years ago, Italy's Balearic Gabba Soundsystem switched from remixing and re-editing their favourite cuts to curating compilation style EPs of similarly minded fare. They're in that mode again here, presenting a trio of cuts that combine the saucer-eyed warmth and loved-up musicality of Balearic music culture with grooves and rhythms firmly focused on the dancefloor. They begin by showcasing Wallace's sublime remix of Sewell & The Gong's 'Better Worlds', a locked-in, hypnotising fusion of semi-organic deep house grooves, new age melodic motifs and the dreamiest of ambient chords. Over on the flip they dip into slo-mo Italo-disco/acid house fusion via SIRS fine revision of My Friend Dario's 'Tell Aro', before treating us to a Pedro Bertho remix of Verdo's 'Belvourdier' in which sparkling Balearic house piano riffs, undulating acid lines and mid-80s "chorus" synth sounds rise above a fluctuating synthesiser bassline and hustling beats.

Review: On this sampler EP for the Razor N Tape label's latest Family Affair compilation, the Brooklyn based imprint showcases previously unheard cuts from a mixture of new artists and long-established names. In the latter camp you'll find long-serving deep house don Vincenzo, who delivers the gorgeous, tactile and loved-up deliciousness of 'Love Accurate', and Croatian nu-disco don Ilya Rudman (the acid-heavy dancefloor squelch of 'Discoteka Parmida'). Elsewhere, Yasmin impresses with the neo-soul/nu-disco fusion warmth of 'Real High', Arnau Obiols slams down the Fela-influenced Afrobeat excellence of 'Pagan Mambo', and label co-founder J Kriv turns Bessa Simons 'Si Naana' into an Afro-tinged analogue house treat

Review: The first vinyl release to grace the freshly-decked halls of the newly minted Lost In The Rhythm label, the EP known by no name other than 'EP' is a promising debut sampler of a new curative effort and community-first initiative, helmed up by Rob Coley aka. RevolutionsLDN. With the express aim of blending the soulful, intestinal feelings of deep and Chicago house with its ancestral roots, the EP achieves a rawly hewn yet neatly knitted sound; one first laid down by Floyd Vader and DJ Solid on the A, the latter of whom especially dazzles with the saw-washed amapiano-ish melancholy of 'I Like To Kiss', whose machinic dunduns serve to taper off our inhibitions to a sunset vanishing point. The pace is lifted on the B-side's choice, Mikekon's 'It's Yours', which indulges a sparse Afro-driven palette, as we're treated to a suggestive, therapeutic monologue from vocalist Novakone Omega: "I'm giving you... *the*... license... to get you some... break you off some... take you some... come get it... it's here... it's waiting..."

Review: Released on Cinthie's 803 Crystal Grooves sub-label, Collective Cuts, Valerio Vaudano's latest offering is an exploration of house music's classic influences, filtered through a contemporary lens. Vaudano's commitment to a hardware-based production process, utilising a 90s sampler, lends a distinct warmth and texture to the four tracks.The title track, 'Lose My Mind', immediately grabs attention with its crisp, saturated drums and crunchy stabs. The track builds dynamically, layering choppy vocal hooks and bright strings to create a compelling dancefloor experience. It's a track designed to move bodies with an energy that's both infectious and sophisticated. 'Sunday Remedy' takes a different approach, incorporating bumpy breaks and a weighty kick drum. The track's core lies in its clever amalgamation of vocal samples, which intertwine seamlessly with gritty bass stabs and classic piano chords. It encapsulates the essence of house music, blending raw energy with melodic sophistication. On the flip side, 'Down The Street' delves into deeper territory. Airy chords and breathy vocal chants create an atmospheric backdrop, while bouncy bass stabs and a reduced rhythm section add raw intensity. It's a track that's both introspective and groove-driven, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms. The EP concludes with 'Smooth As Butter', a clear nod to the Detroit house sound where shimmering keys, jazzy drums, and twinkling chime melodies create a lush and sophisticated sonic landscape. Low-pitched vocals add soulful depth, completing the track's near-five-minute journey. His skillful blending of 90s nostalgic melodies with Detroit, Chicago and Italo influences creates a sound that's both familiar and fresh - not to mention, highly playable.

Review: Andy Vaz shares a fresh Detroit-flavoured deep house EP, fenced through one of many production studio complexes lying in the heart of Cologne, Germany. With slurred streetwise vocals sounding spreadeagled over modal chords and bodying beatwork, this one hits different. A rarefied soul vibe emerges especially on 'The New Germans', which fleshes an immensity of feeling out of a simple kicks n' claps mix alone and 'Hometown CGN' does similarly with its trombone-esque lead parp and brain-fogged puff-around synths.

Review: The staff at Paris record shop Yoyaku have scored something of a coup for their curated YYK No Label imprint, snaffling a collaborative cut from French house stalwart Ben Vedren and legendary Chicago producer Chez Damier. In its original A-side form, 'Majestic' is bold and beautiful, with heady synth stabs, melodic motifs and electronic flourishes riding a driving deep house groove and Ron Trent style Latin percussion. Over on the flip, they opt for a darker and more marauding, tech-tinged vibe on the similarly outstanding 'Club Mix', before rounding things off with the colourful, immersive and more light touch 'Dub Feel Mix'.

Review: The "fool's paradise" is a classic device, espoused by many a luminary from Milton to Dante, referring to a special kind of metaphysical plane reserved for those too foolhardy to reflect on their lived misdeeds in any of the main three afterlives: heaven, hell or purgatory. It stands to reason, then, that a small band of nu-disco and house proponents should name their label after it, not least for the stupefying power of disco, and/or the sense of having evaded our sins when compelled to dance! A spin-off of Toolroom, head soundsmith Mark Knight gathers four guardian expiators to lead us into the vainest of all discotheques - Joey Vegas, Tenacious, Sgt. Slick, and Tommy Glasses - for a lulling set of automotive power-disco dreams, in which many a familiar sample from our fleshly lives - from the 70s and 80s, to be exact - filter in and out.

Review: Vertigini's Thunder EP is an electrifying journey through 80s-inspired Italo house, disco and space funk, spiced with a touch of electro. Released on Bordello A Parigi, this EP perfectly captures the essence of Nu-Disco and Balearic House. Side-1 opens with 'Thunder,' a track brimming with futuristic Italo house vibes, melodic synths, and electro flair. 'Galaxy Funk' follows with great keys and a catchy acid line, making it an instant favourite. Side-2 shifts the mood with 'Final Space,' presenting more serious, French-sounding house elements that add depth to the EP. 'Space Trip' concludes the record on a high note, offering fun and melodic rhythms that encapsulate the playful spirit of space funk. Thunder EP is a vibrant, nostalgic, and innovative collection that will resonate with fans of disco and Nu-Disco. Looking for something unique? Check this out.

Review: Since he made his vinyl debut two decades ago, Tommy Vicari Jnr has built up quite a catalogue - including EPs and singles on Robsoul, Cabinet Records and, most recently, Drifted Records. Here the Sheffield producer makes his bow on the fast-rising Rhythm By Nature imprint, kicking things off with the wonderfully titled 'Francis Bacon Sized Hangover' - a chunky, sub-heavy slab of slipped tech-house excellence with enough weird noises to delight even the most inebriated dancers. He slows things down on 'B Doll', a jazzy chunk of off-beat hypnotism blessed with LFO style bass and glassy-eyed chords, before opening side B with the light Red Rack'em influenced 'New Days'. To round things off, he drops the ultra-deep wonder of 'Vommer', a genuinely locked-in early morning treat.

Review: 'How Do You Do It?' We'd like to ask Victorious much of the same question, as his reissued four-track EP via Sex Tapes From Mars is a serious befuddler, leaving us with just that question at the tips of our lips. First released in 1997, this is a long-lost soulful vocal house seducer from the genre's golden era. The record became a quick cult favourite, and its status among heads has remained exalted to this day, going for obscene prices on the 'ogs (there should, of course, be more regulation). Victorious aka. Victor Davies hailed from Canada and had already released one other EP before this one, via the serendipitously named Sex Records. But 'Liquid Squid' is really the teuthid oozer of choice, its lustrously sweet vocals sounding as if they'd been sung in secret by an illegitimate lover and its various analogue knocks and hums working to splashy effect.

Review: Vitess is at the heart of the Paris underground and is a thrilling live artists who brings a great sense of urgency to this new album on Rossi's burgeoning HOMEGROWN label. His brand of house is slick and sleek, futuristic in feel but also full of earworm melodies and fresh hooks. 'Blue Vision' is full of vamping chords and twitchy stabs that soon get the attention then 'Drive Me Crazy' brings some 80s-style chords and wriggling lead lines that are funky and playful and 'First Night' keeps the good vibes flowing with more surging, pixelated and sugary synth work. 'Jami Rocaille' and 'Big Sound' close out with more hooky pads and clean house drums.

Review: Ron Allen and Hayden Andrew Brown are the duo behind the cult house project VOICES. It was all the way back in 1990 that they dropped this most standout EP and now, 34 years on, Chiwax Classic Edition has secured the rights to bring it back to the fore with this welcome reissue. 'Give Me Your Body (vocal mix)' is textbook Chicago house of the era - dusty drums, dreamy pads and a nice cosmic edge to the melodies while a whispered vocal adds the soul. 'I'm Your Freak' is a title more percussive but still with a dreamy edge and 'Voyage To Infinity' closes out with causing groves and heady, humid pads that sink you in deep.

Review: If you like the sound of a mystical fusion of ancient Japanese folklore and contemporary electronic music, this EP created by Italian producer Volantis and Japanese artist Hiroko is for you. Inspired by a psychedelic experience in Kobe, it blends hardware synthesis with haunting vocals to cook up otherworldly spiritual realms. The title track merges Hiroko's narration with Japanese train sounds while summoning ancient beings while Eden Burns' remix intensifies the ritualistic atmosphere. 'La Kappa' features Hiroko's playful vocals over dreamy sequences with Fabrizio Mammarella's Italorama Version adding a touch of Italo disco. The whole thing was co-produced with Niccolo Barozzi and bridges East and West seamlessly.

Review: Art Gang Records bursts onto the scene with Volen's Stinger Pinger EP, shows the LA-based producer's highly energetic and intergalactic sound. The three original tracks are excellent dancefloor numbers perfectly suited for the dark-lit rooms of underground clubs. 'Go' kicks things off with a great groove and techy atmosphere, offering a fun and futuristic dancefloor workout complete with infectious melodies. 'Last Tab' follows suit with its heavy acid house stomp, delivering a relentless assault on the senses. On Side-2, the title track 'Stinger Pinger' is successful with its deep rhythm machine programming, catchy hooks and jackin' beats, sure to keep the crowd moving till dawn. Markus Sommer's Gary Ablett Double Drop remix of 'Stinger Pinger' adds a groovy twist to the original, offering a fresh take that complements Volen's raw energy perfectly. Overall, some really strong dance tracks that are poised to win over techno and house crowds old and new.

Review: Aron Volta, one of the first in-house artists to release with PIV, returns to the label for the hotly-awaited 'Get On Down' EP. This track has been "doing damage" on dancefloors around the world for almost two years, proving that the various crowd-tests and gestation periods for certain styles are worth the sweat. Four dreamy, vocal-samply, chorussy, and piano-rinsed squeezers nail that fidgety deep house formula, with the title track articulating a strange excess of both calm and motive. The EP takes an impressively minimal turn come 'Airtight' - and though while work done might be diminished, energy is nonetheless well conserved.

Review: Black Soil 02 by Orlando Voorn and Byron The Aquarius on Bouman Records delivers a vibrant mix of jazzy and Detroit house. Side-1 opens with 'Ancestors Calling,' a classic Detroit house track infused with a fun jazz groove and a muted horn lead, making it a standout with its strong, lively energy. 'Gratitude' follows, offering a deeper, techy groove with a sick bassline and catchy keys, enhanced by great backing house vocals that create a full, immersive sound. Side-2 features the 'Ancestors' (Byron The Aquarius dub mix), a deeper rendition that emphasises the melodic elements and adopts a more subdued, laid-back mood. This alternate version provides a refreshing take while maintaining the essence of the original. Overall, Black Soil 02 is a dynamic and engaging EP, perfect for those who appreciate the fusion of jazzy house with Detroit and leftfield influences.

Review: Orlando Voorn is always spoken of as one of the key links between European and Detroit techno. Here though, in collaboration with Han Litz, he sinks into his house sound on open 'What I Love' which is utterly gorgeous with its Roy Ayres flutes, jazzy keys and warm, soulful drums. The Soulfood Mix ups the jazziness and makes the drums more raw, then 'Composers' brings more warming house vibes that are heartfelt and musical. A Downbeat mix reduces the original perfectly for a more cosy, cuddly feel.

Review: French label Daydream continues to quietly and brilliantly go about its classy deep house business here with a new various artists' EP for its 18th outing. Thomas Wood kicks off with the cavernous, warming dub house of 'Luminous Path' while Valen's 'Deep Mystery' ups the pace a little with more lithe, sleek drum patterns and swirling, heady pads. Ali Demir & Valde's 'Abstract' is another heady house sound with cosmic pads and distant melodies all bring the future feels. Venda's 'Ghosts' closes down with paddy drums and suspensory chords for those 4 am sessions when you're utterly lost in the moment.

Review: Fast-rising French label Phonogramme has released some genuinely brilliant music of late, and this three-tracker - a collaboration between long-serving Ukrainian producer Vakula and fellow Eastern European artist Logich AKA L.G - is another must-check EP. The pair hit the ground running with 'FD', a deliciously mind-altering, 13-minute concoction in which bubbly acid lines, spacey electronics and dubbed-out synth sounds rise and fall atop a jacking, 116 BPM deep house beat. Elsewhere, 'I Love Talking To You, Even Though I've Got Nothing To Say' is a deep, dusty, low-slung and analogue-rich slab of lo-fi deep house excellence, while 'Beyond Content' is an ultra-spacey exercise in tease-and-release dancefloor hypnotism that runs to 11 mesmerising minutes. If you like your house deep, you need this in your life.

Review: Pete Herbert is back with another tasteful assembled and escapist compilation. This one focuses on slowed-down, low-slung sounds for the golden hour when love is in the air and the vibes and blissful. Balearic mainstays feature throughout with Max Essa's 'Warm Enough' a delightfully humid and synth-laced deep house jaunt, Fernando's 'Moon Rocks' full of shimmering synth lushness and Pete Herbert's remix of Mantas & Vencla's 'Sun' offering some piano laced fun to rouse the 'floor.