Deep House charts

Review: Retromigration's Cloudin is a deep house 12" that offers a great blend of fun, jazzy, and serious tracks. Sometimes, all in the same track. It opens with the title track, which is a proper deep house effort that is techy and fresh, with tribal and psychedelic elements. This is followed by 'Only Well,' which is a jazzy funk track with a nice melody. The third track, 'Just Take It,' is a catchy, slick house track with an addictive melody and hints of disco. Side 2 of the album opens with 'They Hatin',' an urban groove track with cool sound effects, an old skool jazz feel and a 70s sound. The album closes with 'You Win,' a clever, different and unique track. Overall, Cloudin is a great 12" that shows that house music can be much more than just an evolution of disco.

Review: Frits Wentink continues his long-running relationship with Wolf Music, a partnership that is now entering its eleventh year. 'Club Land', the title track from the Dutch producer's first EP of 2024, is a nostalgic and glassy eyed affair, whose sparkling piano riffs, bumpin' house beats, mazy synth solos and rubbery bassline sit somewhere between the Frankie Knuckles and MK productions of the mid 1990s. The A-side also boasts a slightly jazzier and more US garage-influenced 'Alternate Mix' that also boasts some rather addictive organ stabs. Over on side B, he opts for a deep, dubby and trippy sound on 'Crowd Contriol', before doffing a cap once more to vintage NYC and NJ deep house on superb closing cut 'Run Run Slow'. One of his best for a while and that's saying something!

Review: It's no surprise to see Amsterdam man Fritz Wentink issuing his debut album through Wolf Music, as the London label have been staunch supporters of his work with two 12" contributions over the past two years. The wonderfully named Rarely Pure, Never Simple adds to Wolf Music's growing artist album profile following long players from main men Medlar and Greymatter and further develops the all encompassing production style Wentink has displayed so eloquently for Detroit Swindle's Heist Recordings and others. He seems most impressive on the more downbeat tracks done in collaboration with Loes Jongerling who possesses a quite astounding vocal delivery, though those craving some proper house will totally dig on cuts like "The Excitement Happens At Page 320".

Review: Gratts, a Belgian-born, Australia-based DJ and producer who has been active in the scene for over two decades presents Rhythms, Tales & Instrumentation - his first offering on Wolf Music Recordings. The EP features four tracks that showcase his diverse musical influences and skills, ranging from deep house to Balearic to downtempo. The EP opens with 'Pretty Lights', a collaboration with Brandon Markell Holmes and Leito, that combines emotive chords, a catchy vocal hook and a smooth groove. The second track is 'Polaroids', featuring Tee Amara, a piano-driven track with hypnotising pads and a sublime vocal. The third track is a remix of 'Polaroids' by Glenn Davis, who adds some ethereal elements and dreamy synth work to the original.

Review: Wolf Music Recordings is one of the UK's real independent label treasures and it shines again here with a new offering from the classy mind of Manuel Darquart. There is real art in his craft and that shows from the off when 'Jerry's Song' is lit up with celebratory synths and beautiful chords that radiant subtle joy. 'Del Sol' is a deep hose beat with a Balearic feel and new age melodies that suit sundown dancing on the beach, and the Space Ghost remix of the same tune is a more club-ready house workout though still one with an air of fantasy. 'The Vibe' shuts down with a jazzy deep house vibe full of love.

Review: Justin Drake and Clive Henry and best known as the legendary Peace Division duo, but did you know they also made ventures into other realms as Soul Purpose? Their 'Selected Works' on Wolf Music is a musical anthology that encapsulates the essence of their sound. And that sound is timeless deep house with emotive synths and well-crafted grooves that manage to be stripped back but dynamic. These tunes originally came on low-key labels in 1997 and 1998 but have aged to perfection and have been pulled from original DAT tapes and are present in all of their complete glory here.

Review: It might now be 14 years old, but Tone Control's 'Illusion' - a 21st century deep house classic marked out by crunchy machine drums, booming sub-bass, soft-focus soul vocals and drowsy chords - still gets plenty of club plays. Since the original 12" is now hard to find, WOLF Music has decided to do a reissue, pairing Tone Control's own mix (here featured on side B) with a brand-new "translation" from the legend that is Theo Parrish. The Detroiter's take is naturally something of an epic: a near 10-minute excursion that slowly twists, turns and evolves throughout. It boasts fresh jazz-tinged house beats with that trademark Parrish swing, alongside freestyle electric piano motifs and plenty of Tone Control's original elements.

Review: Who or what is or are Henk Donkers? We don't know, and we don't care, cause the music they make is bang on. This new and amusingly entitled EP arrives via the always cultured Wolf Music and is immediately effective. Henk Donkers X Ell Murphy's 'Without You' is classic house with depth and drive, soulful vocals and nice sustained chords. 'Dope' is more intense for the strobe lit late night hours and then its back to balmy and loved up grooves with the busy chord work of New Jersey style house kicker 'With You'. This varied EP is not done yet, as closer 'Pink Horse' explores another sone - dusty downbeat house with noodling chords that recall early Mood Hut tunes.