Back catalogue: House

Review: Rosie Gaines will also be synonymous with her smash hit single 'Closer Than Close' (also the name of her fifth album) which now gets reissued by the Demon Record Singles Club. Gaines actually started her career back in 1985 when she perfumed and recorded with The Curtis Ohlson Band but it was when she was a member of Prince & The New Power Generation that she really got noticed. Her Closer Than Close album came in 1995 and soon after she was dropped by Motown, but a remix of the title track a year so so later arrived in club land on bootleg and sold over eight million copies around the world.

Review: 'Departures' is one of the most renowned singles by the Japanese band Globe, originally released in 1996. The track achieved significant success and became the group's second number-one hit on Oricon's weekly chart and went on to sell a total of a rather astonishing, especially in comparison to these digital times, 2.2 million copies, making it one of Japan's best-selling singles. Now the tune gets reissued on 7" and is a raw, dense pop-rock tune that comes with a bonus cut on the flip.

Review: Harmonics, the latest album from Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, is a celebration of warmth, instinct, and collaboration. Spanning 14 tracks, this record weaves through UK garage, house, hip-hop, pop and disco, bringing together a diverse array of voices. Eno Williams of Ibibio Sound Machine energises the afro-house groove of 'Progress,' while UK rapper Oranje adds flair to the starry-eyed 'When Love's Out of Fashion.' Hayden Thorpe's expressive vocals elevate the low-slung house track 'Summon,' and Hot Chip bandmates Alexis Taylor and Al Doyle lend their talents to the shimmering 'Heal Your Mind.' Goddard, known for his 2012 hit 'Gabriel,' revisits that focused energy here while capturing the carefree spirit of his earlier solo work. Tracks like 'Mountains' and 'Follow You' echo the Hot Chip sound, while collaborations with artists like Falle Nioke and Alabaster DePlume bring in elements of Afrobeat and jazz house. 'Destiny' and 'New World' showcase Goddard's mastery of house music, making Harmonics his most fun and genre-spanning solo album yet, proving his versatility in crafting compelling dance music.

Review: As well as writing plenty of his own chart-topping original hits and doing the same for plenty of other artists, iconic French dance music titan David Guetta also loves to turn out a cover or two. He did that last year with 'I'm Good (Blue)' with vocalist Bebe Rexha. The tune was a finalist for three BBMAs and spent 55 weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. It is of course a cover of the 1998 hit 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' by Eiffel 65 and is as catchy as Covid.

Review: It was always going to be the case that Parlophone would press this one up to blue vinyl and so here it comes. As well as writing plenty of his own chart-topping original hits and doing the same for plenty of other artists, iconic French dance music titan David Guetta also loves to turn out a cover as he did last year with 'I'm Good (Blue)' alongside singer Bebe Rexha. It spent 55 weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and is pure bait for younger crowds.

Review: Time-honoured, blue-crossed phono-phrenic audio pharmacists Positiva celebrate their 30th anniversary with the launch of a brand new sampler series. Simply titled 'Positiva', the new outing spans every sonic end-logic from slick UK garage to mesmeric trance, the throughline being the modern uplifter sound into which the label has settled; a far cry from their jet-propulsive Ibiza-rave garage house days of yore. Most of the tracks on this first edition of the series are already floating about out there, though they've never been compiled onto a single record before: Sammy Virji and Gorgon City complement each other well on the A-side's 'Voodoo' and 'If You Need It'; then Azari & III, Max Dean, Alan Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Spiteri spin things out ever further, into two warming, well-layered party-pushers driven by ecstatic vocals.

Review: The first notes of Strength In Numbers pull you in with the immediacy of a tightly wound groove. 'Team Spirit' sets the stage with sharp percussion and a bassline that feels as if it's pushing against a restraint, only to give way to an effortless swing. 'Gear Up Rudi!' follows with a cool, almost cinematic feel, as Gibin's intricate rhythm patterns dance around the space between the beats. The pace slows slightly on 'Come Mornin' (featuring Sandra St. Victor),' where the warmth of her vocals transforms the track into a soulful, melodic anchor. Yet, it's on 'No Matter What' that the LP really finds its strideian undulating groove, building steadily before its final, emotive release. The album balances thoughtful restraint with moments of release and in that, Gibin creates something that moves through time without losing its pulse.

Review: After years spent doing his own thing on the Drab Queen imprint, Tom Kerridge AKA Girls of the Internet made his bow on Classic back in 2022. A few superb singles later and he's ready to release his first full-length excursion for the Luke Solomon-helmed imprint, his fourth in total. Heavy on club-ready songs - mostly delivered by guest vocalists including Anelisa Lamosa, Shiv, Aliysha Joy and ALLKNIGHT - When I Was Lost I Found Myself is a fully-formed vision that wraps deep house and light-touch tech-house grooves in soulful strings, neo-soul references and nods to disco, two-step garage, orchestrated soul jams and much more besides. There's plenty of playable material on show, but it works just as well as something to listen to in headphones, in the car or at home. A genuine triumph.

Review: Peggy Gou's rise from fashion school student to underground DJ to world-renowned dance music star has been swift and remarkable. In that time she's played every major club and festival in the world, had some huge crossover hits and started her own label while also releasing on the likes of Ninja Tune. Now she steps up to XL with a highly anticipated debut album featuring epic previous singles such as 2023's chart-topping global hit '(It Goes Like) Nanana' and 'I Believe in Love Again', her wild Lenny Kravitz collaboration, as well as plenty of new tunes that span house, disco and more.

Peggy Gou "I hear you" slipmat also available

Review: Michael Grey is a London-based house talent who finally unveils his long awaited album, Optimism. This double-gatefold beauty on Optimism is a timeless listen that takes in myriad house styles. There are sample heavy mid-tempo rollers like 'Fly Away' as well as blissed out vocal cuts for loved up floors like 'You Got To Remember', sophisticated disco-tinged cuts like 'Where Do We Go From Here' and feel good summer anthems such as 'Don't Want Anybody'. What unifies them all is the high class produciton and lavish quality of the most uplifting music.

Review: English duo Groove Armada is a towering presence over British and world dance music. They have served up countless global hits as well as more underground sounds, and recently their vast back catalogue is back in the spotlight as Late Night Tales have reissued three of their most superb compilations. Off the back of that, now comes this greatest hits album which is billed as GA25: All The Hits & More to mark their quarter of a century in the game. Some of the tunes on it have had a touch-up edit to bring them bang up to date and many of these are still much loved from party starters like 'Superstylin' to more downtempo delights like 'At The River.'

Review: Groove Armada might well be best known for their big beats, and fair enough. Their mastery of a smart sample and a compelling groove paired with catchy vocal hooks made that chart topping superstars who went on to tour the world endlessly before then disappearing and remerging on more underground labels like Hypercolour. But you don't get that good at sampling with being deep digging record fiends. And that is exactly what made them such a perfect fit for the Late Night Tales series which is all about offering up alternative sounds to accompany post-club comedowns. These collections were gateways into new musical worlds for many dance fans and they still stand up today so it's great to have them back in print.

Review: Icelandic band Gusgus have been going since the mid 90s, moving through many different eras and sounds in pursuit of their own musical curiosity. Following a spell on Kompakt they established their own Oroom label to carry the last two albums, and now they're back with a third transmission which shows them to be as inspired as ever. The concept around Danceorama concerns an imaginary utopian rave mall where everyone is free from societal prejudice and all the best bits of club music are on offer. Whether it's 808-toting low end rollers with lashings of acid or blissful fountains of synth you're after, Gusgus have got you covered.

Review: History of House is a remarkable collaboration between the Soweto Gospel Choir and DJ Groove Terminator, blending the soul of gospel with the pulse of house music. This album reimagines iconic dance tracks, tracing the genre's deep roots in African rhythms while introducing fresh, vibrant interpretations. Tracks like 'Good Life' and 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)' are given new life, with the choir's powerful vocalsioften sung in Zuluiadding layers of cultural richness. The album is a celebration of global music, seamlessly merging Afro house, Amapiano, and classic house beats into a cohesive and uplifting experience. The production is impeccable, maintaining the essence of the original songs while infusing them with an authentic South African flair. The live musical performances throughout the album add a dynamic energy, making each track feel both intimate and expansive. History of House not only honors the legacy of dance music but also shines a light on the talent emerging from Southern Africa. It's a joyful, soulful journey that has a timeless connection between gospel and house music.