Review: London's 1-800 Girls brings cleanly garage and bright breaks to his All My Thoughts label, riffing on the combo of infectious aural hooks and brutalist sonics fashionable among the present chart doyens of UK dance music and techno. 'How I Feel' sounds like an innocent admission of affection in techno-garage form, pairing the flunky inter-jabs of 2-step garage with the cute-aggressive seethes of a repetitious sampled vox; the track centres on a nostalgic, airtight sequence of parapractic phonemes, onto which the listener may project their longings and amours. 'Signal' embraces both big beats and biomech squeaks verging on sports-whistles, while 'Like You Do' returns for a comparatively brooding burbler. Finally, 'Guy's Salmon' rounds things off on a dense sequence of yeahs and ohs, as ever building up a slow-burn of cool wonderment and openness.
Review: Hot Piroski Records have been on something of a hiatus for the last year or so but now make a welcome return with a new EP series. This collaborative affair is the result of an epic journey in an old Mercedes from London to Gunjur and finds label head Robin 12Tree working with The Gambia and Bongo Koi as Gambian Disco Express. 'Enlightenment is Now' marks their first release on Hot Piroski Records and it comes with vocals from Gambian mystic Rev. Joseph N'Gole, recorded on the banks of the River Gambia. This one has already been hammered by Psychemagik, Pete Herbert, and Severino from Horse Meat Disco so it comes quality assured.
Review: The band 2000 Black, who include 4Hero icon Dego among their number, are masters of the broken beat scene, leaders amongst men who whether working alone or with others are always in top form. This two track outing kicks off with 'Soursop & Mango', a bristling, bustling mix of raw drums and bursts of cosmic synth energy that radiates soul, all with neat guitar riffs stitched into the mix. 'Straight Forward Side Steps' is a dusty jam with lovely scruffy claps and much more well defined synth lines adding colour and soul.
Review: Digital Tape Recordings kick out another vital 12" on wax here, this time with a third part of their on going and excellent Deep Dub Essentials series. 24HR Experience is at the helm here with a quartet of house and garage collisions that bring the good times. 'The Heaven Track' is a classic US garage cut with stiff snares and low slung drums, and 'Touch The After World' is just as deep and warm. 'Just A Vibe' is the highlight at the end - nice New Jersey drum with warming organ stabs and a carefree groove that effortlessly sweeps you up off your feet.
Review: Though 420 was originally recorded and released in April of 2020, Galcher Lustwerk's pandemic project is an exercise in counting and patience. Originally from a 16 track, 69 minute release only available for Bandcamp for $69 (or $4.20 per track), the 420 project brings us practically brand spanking new Galcher EP, just under a different name. Finally at an accessible price (and including signature Galcher vocals in a majority of the tracks to boot) this vinyl release hopes to bring more fans who missed the original release to the 420 club.
Review: The reissue of Night Passage by 49th Floor on Vibraphone Records is a testament to the label's commitment to quality deep house music. Originally released in 1992 as an Italian ambient house track, 'Night Passage' has been resurrected with identical tracklist as the original, which should delight fans.The Underground Radio Mix kicks off the release with its deep house rhythm and nostalgic piano melodies, capturing the essence of the original while infusing it with a contemporary groove. 'Fast City' adds a nice touch of Balearic flair to the EP, offering a deeper and more atmospheric vibe. On the flip side, the Magic Club Mix of 'Night Passage' elevates the track to peak-time dancefloor status with its infectious energy and pulsating beats. Finally, the Bongo Mix brings a percussive twist to the proceedings, injecting an extra layer of groove into the mix. Overall, 'Night Passage', is a great example at the ideal style of music that blossoming on the underground that perfectly fit the scenery in the Mediterranean.
Review: 10 Seconds is a series of beat-driven vinyl releases from Canadian artist A Track. He is best known for being a part of the globe-trotting EDM circuit and has been for decades. He also runs his own Fools Gold label and puts out from time to time a series of beat experiments smashed out on his SP1200 drum machine. This series kicks off with a nice red 10" and four cuts of floor-wrecking electro that are raw and brain-frying. They're not big, they're not hard, they're not smart, but they are sure to be damn effective.
Review: The diffuse hues and retro-feeling colours of the artwork on this new 45rpm from Star Creature perfectly embody the downtempo and Balearic sounds within. They come from A Vision Of Panorama who seems to ever more have the dance floor in sights over his last few releases. That's not to say these are banging tunes - but they do have lovely grooves. 'Piano Sunset' is a real spine tingler with 80s keys and mid tempo drums that come alive with crisp hits and a fresh bassline. 'Lost In Palms' then has a shuffling and low slung groove with nice wet hits. Add in some more lush chords and you have a real pearler.
Review: He may be based in St Petersburg, a city not known for being a sun trap, but Mikhail Khvasko AKA A Vision of Panorama is incredibly good at making warming, summer-ready Balearic beats. Further proof, should it be needed, arrives via his latest EP for Cala Tarida Musica. In its original form, 'Unconditional' is a terrific slab of Balearic nu-disco/Balearic house fusion - all rubbery bass guitar, smooth bits, gorgeous chords and twinkling melodies. It comes backed with a breezier, breakbeat-sporting 'dub vinyl edit' (an even sunnier and more attractive affair) and an 'instrumental' pass of the more house-centric take. Rounding off another fine EP is 'Shall We', a colourful fusion of jangling house pianos, attractive keyboard sounds and squelchy synth-bass underpinned by a box-fresh, post-electro boogie beat.
Review: A Vision of Panorama and Star Creature continue their successful collaboration with another lovely 12" for lovers of classic house. Following the sold-out Fusion To Illusion LP, this new offering blends deep beats with hints of boogie and r&b in a fine showcase of the duo's signature sound, which is effortlessly cool, timeless, and trend-defying. Featuring vocal contributions from Sykes and Stacie G, the A-side delivers smooth, loungey vibes and includes the 12" version of 'Purple' which has been previously available only as a 7". The A-side also includes the instrumental track 'Ear Dreamin',' while the flip focuses entirely on instrumentals and brings a futuristic yet nostalgic edge.
Harry Romero - "Revolution" (House Masters edit) (5:13)
Prunk & Rona Ray - "Keep It Simple" (6:41)
Review: The mighty Defeated has got a fun package on its hands here with some fat disco and house anthems primed and ready for big room summer fun. A'Studio's 'SOS' (feat Polina - Skylark remix - Nic Fanciulli edit) is chunky house with a hooky vocal and rolling groove designed to sweep you up and away. Chloe Caillet then remixes Tensnake's classic 'Coma Cat' into a hands-in-the-air house stomper with epic strings. Harry Romero's sweaty 'Revolution' gets its drums buffed up and well swung by a House Master's Edit and Prunk & Rona Ray steal the EP at the last with their lush vocal house cut 'Keep It Simple.'
Review: Prescription and Guidance mainstay Abacus has already done enough to assure his eternal legacy in the story of deep house. But thankfully he is still turning out superbly deep sounds that are as profound and emotive as they are heady and escapist. Here he is back on Phonogramme with 'Analogue Stories Vol. 2' which comes on a unique semi-transparent 12'' vinyl. The beats are warm and humid, thickly coated with a diffuse synth hue as the rooted drums roll on smoothly. 'How U Do It' is out pick - a musical odyssey with layers of instrumentation, piano and percussion all topped off with a Moodyman vocal sample.
Now Is Your Time (A Lost Story) (feat Jenifa Mayanja) (7:07)
Review: This three-track release from a legendary Toronto house producer is a cream example in deep house sophistication. 'Kickstarter (Mainpass)' opens with jazzy, melodic elegance, its slick, clean production exuding class and warmth. The track's deep grooves and epic progression make it very appealing for DJ's. 'Music For Table Tennis' shifts gears with an electro-tinged beat, enveloping listeners in a lush, deep soundscape that radiates beauty and warmth. Closing the EP, 'Now Is Your Time (A Lost Story)' featuring Jenifa Mayanja, blends deep house and techno into an atmospheric masterpiece. The production here is next level, with intricate textures and a hypnotic flow. Rooted in the spirit of New York house but imbued with a contemporary finesse, this is a refined and essential deep house release.
Review: While much of the material they release is brand spanking new, Phonogramme is not averse to reissuing choice gems from the 1990s. That's the case here, as the French deep house label offers a new edited - pressed to striking pink marbled wax - of Analog Trks Vol 1, a 1997 EP from former Prescription Records artist Abacus (real name Austin Bascom). This edition varies from the original, featuring two of the four cuts and a previously unreleased take of another. Check first 'We Cookin' Now', a deliciously deep, slow-building masterpiece of smoky late night sonics, stripped-back percussion, Chez Damier motifs and subterranean bass, before admiring the tech-tinged deep house bounce of 'Opinion Rated R'. Rounding things off is 'Black Thanxx (Instrumental)', a kind of deep house/deep acid fusion workout rich in spacey chords, analogue bass and prototype tech-house bleeps.
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - Peacey remix) (5:30)
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - Rocco Rodamaal Raw mix) (4:46)
Hand Made (feat Brutha Basil - South Beach Recycling remix) (6:16)
Review: Steve Butler's most recent full-length excursion as Abel, Cosmic Law, rightly received plenty of plaudits on its release last year. 'Hand Made', a spacey, tech-tinged deep house featuring evocative spoken word vocals by American wordsmith Brother Basil, was one of that set's stand out cuts. This single release naturally features Butler's original mix, plus three new reworks. Rising star Peacey kicks things off with a spacey, bouncy, breakbeat-sporting revision, before Rocco Radamaal delivers an analogue bass-propelled, keyboard stab-sporting 'Raw Dub' that sounds like it was tailor made for dark, strobe-lit peak-time dancefloors. To round things off, sometime nu-disco sorts South Beach Recycling re-imagine the track as an intergalactic, ultra-deep slab of house hypnotism wrapped in spacey electronics.
Review: Three standout tracks from Dave Lee's 2023 album Metamorphosis - which he dropped under his AC Soul Symphony alias - now get pulled apart and reworked by the one and only Dub-disco king Ray Mang. First comes 'It's Got To Be Love' with its super funky and bubbly bass and lush string elegance, then he flips 'Tradewinds' into a deeper, still lush and lavish instrumental disco gem that is seductive and warm for the winter months. Last but not least, 'K-Jee' brings an infectious groove to the dance floor with a little more percussive energy and upbeat bounce - but again swooning strings are the icing on the cake. All three of these are classy and sophisticated reworks from the one and only Mang.
Review: ACME is Jerome Isma-Ae and WJ Henze and they first wrote their 'Soul Of Life' EP in 1998, back when tech house was still new and exciting. It was one of the genre's biggest tunes at the time and has remained ever popular in the years since for the way it draws on sped garage and techno for its vibes. This faithful reissue offers up the tune in three related but distinctive parts so that you have whatever you need at whatever point in the night you may be. We like 'Part II' with its more balmy and heady cosmic chords.
Review: Adam Antine is also known as Dawn Razor, a prolific producer covering all kinds of styles from bass-toting broken techno to slender minimal on labels like R&S, Otake and Baroque. Now he lands on Deepology with a masterful EP of contemporary minimal which draws on breakbeat as much as glitchy electronica and ambient to create a standout EP. The title is instructive - all the tracks carry a dusky, seasonal mood which elevates these beyond simple club tracks, even if they have more than enough presence in the rhythm section to keep a dancefloor moving. Lose yourself in the fluttering piano and murmuring pads of the title track and you'll practically feel the leaves crunching under your feet.
Review: There's plenty of hype swirling around this short-run debut from Londoners Adelphi Music Factory, with regular radio plays and appearances in a host of top DJs' set lists resulting in insatiable demand. It helps, of course, that "Javelin" is an absolute beast. Packed with energy, the A-side version sees them generate maximum sweatiness by working cut-up gospel vocal samples atop a loopy, full-throttle, techno-tempo disco-house groove. Honestly, it's one seriously heavyweight rub that's guaranteed to get dancefloors eating out of the palm of your hand. The B-side "Dub" is, if anything, even wilder and heavier, with the little-known outfit utilizing stretched-out, delay-laden vocal lifts and restless piano stabs over ten action-packed minutes.
Review: We can confirm that Adam "Admin" Wickens is not only a hugely talented DJ and producer, but also a thoroughly nice chap. Here he makes his bow on Better Listen with a three-tracker packed to the rafters with warmth, soul and groove. Check first A-side "Adjust Your Love", a sample-fired workout that effortlessly joins the dots between disco, deep house and star-kissed jazz-funk, before turning your attention to the chopped-and-screwed samples, toasty sub-bass, languid beats and echoing piano snippets of "Easy Love Dub". The Bristol-based producer rounds things off in fine style via "Horizons", a slightly bouncier house cut that makes great use of some bluesy piano samples and another stoned, glassy-eyed bassline.
Review: Fuse is one of those labels and parties that has a very distinctive sound and hardcore following for it. Spearheaded by Enzo Siracusa and now a real institution of the underground, here it looks to Admnti for three fresh new sounds. 'Vibrations' is kinetic future music that twists together wiry synths and tight tech drums into something irresistible. 'Infinite Function' is another brilliantly infectious mix of tech and dub that makes for high-speed groove-thrills and 'Original Sin' then takes a more spaced-out approach with warped acid lines. Malin Genie remixes the opener with a cool sense of deep house smoothness.
Review: Ron Morelli's long-running and always forward-thinking L.I.E.S label looks to prolific producer Orion Agassi who hails from Spain and has proven himself as a real house mainstay. He backs up that reputation with six cuts of "straight up beat tracks for the club." They are inspired by the legacy of early WBMX mix shows and come with a hint of Latin flavour, with hammers percussion, snappy drum patterns and fiery vocals all making for a nice and wonky workout across a range of inviting tempos. A very useful album that has something for a wide spread of dance floor moments.
Review: Brixton-based David Agrella returns after the success of his Baby Ford-remixed 'Modulo 02', with two tracks and a nifty remix of each to boot. 'I Felt It Coming' is a heady peak time track, with Underground Resistance-style drum machine handclaps and an addictive synth hook and all the suspense and drama of a Stephen King horror tale. Domenico Rosa's remix turns that frown upside down, converting it into a perky, cheeky and altogether lighter workout that nevertheless will keep feet on the dancefloor. 'Reflexion Nocturna' (Priori remix) kicks off the B-side with fizzling dub techno stealth, subtly embellished with a smidgeon of 'Funky Drummer' breakbeat, while Agrella's original closes proceedings with head down, echo-set Leftfield-style prog house skank. Not for nothing is this chap known as one of the techno scene's fastest rising new names.
Review: David Agrella returns to his Agrellomatica Records with the spacey house sounds of 'Flowing', featuring remixes from Ben Hauke & Mr Barcode. Hot on the heels of his recent 'Freedom Unfolding' release, praised by Raresh, Sasha, Laurent Garnier, Vladimir Ivkovic and Dorian Paic, Italian-born tastemaker David Agrella is back on his Agrellomatica imprint with more intergalactic fire. This time, the London-based selector serves up four groove-laden cuts across 'Flowing', including remixes from Woop Records' Ben Hauke and Into The Wizards' Sleeve Mr Barcode.
Title track 'Flowing' is a cosmic voyage peppered with glossy pads, eerie synths and sharp percussion, before Agrella's own 'Sabotage Mix' throws in deep, driving tones, subtle robotic vocals, and interstellar keys. On the flip, Ben Hauke delivers a dubbed-out reshape, harnessing fluttering echoes, emotive harmonies and deep basslines. To close, Mr Barcode provides a punchy electro remix, as warped samples and driving low-ends get down in this slice of dancefloor mania.
Review: London-based Italian David Agrella is the man behind the Agrellomatica Records label and now for its fifth release, he has tapped up some undeniably quality names to remix the title tune from his debut Modulo EP back in 2007. Baby Ford kicks off with a deliciously deep and dubbed-out minimal house roller that is detailed with wispy chords and eerie vocalisations. Agrella himself then flips it into a rubbery 909 workout with pops and bubbles next to the leggy drums. GNMR goes for a gritty, heads down and back room techno roller and to close, NDR brings a retro techno sound with molten acid lines. All in all a very useful outing.
Review: Religion, and specifically gospel music, always played a key part in shaping the sounds and emotions of easy house music. It is clearly going to have just as much impact on this new label God Iz Enough which debuts with an EP of the same name from Tomi Ahmedeus. His style on the opener is to lay down raw and dusty beats with an early Windy City feel and infuse them with evocative, guttural gospel vocals that really bring them to life and make them inescapably emotive. 'The Rise Of The Guttersnipe' strips things back a little and brings a shuffling tech vibe with some glistening melodies while 'Ms Ludus' is a gorgeous ambient closer.
Review: Damian Lazarus's Crosstown Rebels kicks on with more useful house fuel here, this time from the fast-rising Airrica whose playful sounds have begun to make a mark in the same way as have her DJ sets across some of the UK's most notable events. There is a garage vibe to 'Hi Speed Lover' with its dusty drums and old school melodies, while Nick Morgan remixes it into a deep-cut house groove for late nights. With 'Cherries', Airrica layers up floating beats and pads with sensual vocals to make for something that will encourage dance floors to zone out. A Kinahau reworks it into even more dreamy territory.
Review: Jay Albert's 'Sticky Traxx EP' is trip through deep house and tech grooves, perfect for any discerning DJ's arsenal. On Side-1 'Waterfloor 4AM' sets the tone with its warm, dancefloor-friendly vibe, weaving a hypnotic sonic tapestry. On the flip side, 'Overcome' and 'Undermine' showcase Albert's skill in creating tracks that seamlessly blend deep house and tech elements, making them ideal for glueing a DJ set together. These tracks aren't about big drops but about maintaining a consistent groove that keeps the crowd moving.With its sticky beats, rich chords, and resonant basslines, 'Sticky Traxx' delivers a soulful, groove-filled experience.
Review: You always know what you are going to get from Johannes Albert and that is well-crafted house music with a traditional undercurrent but nothing overly slavish to the history. 'Uhh I Like Your Style' is a nice crosier with a melodic bassline and smooth chords that effortlessly sweep you up. 'The Crust Song' is more laidback and dubby, 'Upstanding' then brings some party vibes with the swirling pads and fist-pumping analogue kicks and 'Maintain The Vibe' shuts down with some US garage flair and nice choppy vocal stabs.
Review: The Analogue Attic microverse is defined by a unified commitment to the deepest ideas of where house music can head, and no one embodies that spirit better than Alex Albrecht. On this latest 12" he's heading into the velvet folds of low tempo chugger 'The Blacksmith' and downtempo dream state 'Coles Ridge' with elegiac piano sparkling atop fathoms-deep pads and the softest of percussion. This is house music as a vessel for pure relaxation and sentimental meditation, and across six tracks Albrecht offers up balm after balm to soundtrack oceanic realms of calm - a much needed tonic for the frenetic pace of modern life.
Review: Kai Alce on FXHE is a real coming together of two US powerhouses, and so it proved when this EP first landed back in 2010. It finds the Atlanta house mainstay in fine form on 'Dirty South Dirt'. It's a humid, stripped-back, dusty house cut with supple synth daubs adding warmth and soul. All these years on the track has lost none of its magic, and on the flipside is an 'Anticipation dub' which layers in some sensors vital whispers to the dubby, cuddly and deep house drums. These are two classy cuts.
Review: US house and techno maverick Amir Alexander has long been operating in his own unique lane. His take on those genres is based in superlative drum programming and raw emotion and this new outing on French label Phonogramme comes n coloured vinyl so looks as good as it sounds. 'Feel Me' kicks off with signature drums setting a mid-tempo groove while a classic vocal belts out to bring emotional release. 'Clear My Friend' is low slung dub house with an eerie vibe, and there is also a dub version of 'Feel Me'. 'Sunk Coast Fallacy' might be the highlight - a sparse, moody deep house cut with dusty drums and intriguing melodies that rolls for days.
Review: Sweden-based Chicagoan Amir Alexander's first EP for Smallville is as immersive, woozy and warming as you'd expect, with the long-serving deep house producer delivering a string of exceptionally classy cuts. To kick things off, he unfurls a simply gorgeous, soft-touch tribute to New York's hippest borough, 'Love Notes To Brooklyn', where starry and echoing vocal samples, neo-funk synths and the deepest of Rhodes chords ride a sumptuous house groove, before plunging into ultra-deep territory on the bluesy, early morning hypnotism of 'The Deepness'. To round things off, he doffs a cap to his Windy City roots on the impressively analogue-rich 'That Feeling!', where ocean-deep pads, soulful vocal snippets and angular electronics ride a weighty TB-303 bassline and snappy machine drums.
Review: It is impossible to talk about Atlanta's Kareem Ali without talking about how prolific he is. It is frankly all but impossible to keep up with the number of singles, 12"s and even albums he has put out in just a couple of years. But here he is with more of his proudly inventive house on the Healthyscratch label. 'Black Energy' is as timeless as US house gets while 'I Want You Closer' gets heartbreakingly intimate with pained melodies and muttered vocals. 'Simulation' brings the sort of Kyle Hall house party vibes that are dusty and loved up and 'Count Your Blessings' layers up more expressive synth work with perfectly programmed and scuffed-up drums. So good.
Review: Kai Alce's faultless NDATL label brings us more goodies direct from his base in Atlanta, which might be best known for its rap but also packs a punch when it comes to house music. This one is from Rasheeda Ali, a new name that might be familiar to anyone who heard Kai's 'Sheed's Move' tune from a previous EP. She has also been on stage with none other than Jeff Mills and here her flute skills come to the fore with production from Kai. 'Libra Ascending' has a snappy bounce, then 'Sheed's Rising' showcases Rasheeda's gymnastic flautist abilities. A fine debut.
Review: Alkemy's Come On EP, released on Mondo Groove from Italy, delivers a captivating blend of deep house with influences of Balearic and Italo house. Side-1 features the original version boasting a mid-tempo groove with a nostalgic 90s vibe and rich melodies. In contrast, the DJ Ralf remix injects a more upbeat and techno-infused energy, offering a futuristic twist to the original track. On Side-2, 'Cloud' presents a melodic and deeper journey into the realms of deep house, maintaining a danceable rhythm while delving into more introspective sonic territories. Meanwhile the GNMR Reworked version takes a leap into the future with its proto-techno sound and deep synth vibes, offering a refreshing and unique perspective .Alkemy's Come On EP demonstrates the artist's versatility and innovation within the deep house genre, providing listeners with four examples of quality dance music.
Review: Mega-exclusive, exquisite house, funk and disco editry from Almacks, who follow up two just-as-delightful introductions to the series with a welcome third. This furtive operation is almost entirely mediated by retailers like us, and is billed as a purveyor of 'tried and tested sure-shots' in very limited runs, whose coveted lipid discs help bolster "community in secret places". Of course, what would be a sense of community without a sense of exclusivity to match? The crux of the art of the five tracks here, though all largely instrumental, is indeed penetrable; all the numbers here home in on the glisteny downtime moments heard on many a classic disco and funk tune, in which time seems to stop, nerves grow tender, and high strings and ghostly vocals take flight. Keep an eye on this series; it reminds us of a funkier-intoned Ghost Phone; 'Track 4' is the real odd highlight.
Toby Tobias - "Streets of Gold" (Alphonse remix) (5:12)
Pyramids Of Space - "Quantis" (5:20)
Dance - "Amber" (4:25)
Review: Voice Notes is a new imprint run by London underground veteran Toby Tobias with Alphonse. A five track various artist EP, Voice Notes 002 is a time-honoured memorial for its sister label London Housing Trust, that they shut down a few years ago after 10 releases. Featuring tracks by label boss Tobias who delivers some emotive electro on 'Streets Of Gold', his evil twin Alphonse on the UK flava of 'Rujac', plus introducing Dance with the dub techno deconstruction of 'Amber', Rodney Bennett with the classic Stateside deep house of 'Palm Sunday' and Pyramids of Space with the downbeat IDM journey 'Quantis'.
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