Back catalogue: House

Review: The most sought-after release from the entire Sounds catalogue, Gemini and Unit T's 1995 release, 'Sideburns', finally gets a much-needed reissue. A1 track, 'Trip', is a prime example of deep house if there ever was one. An infectious, encircling melody meets the deep groove of the bassline to create a finished product that is in equal measure sun-soaked and cosmic. 'B Trip', the A2 track, is a gloriously shifted, off-beat reimagining of A1, pummeling percussion reverberates across the track, left alone to enjoy moments where everything is stripped back, before the body of the track returns. On the B-side, 'Mystery Tones' arrives with the kind of groove that instantly makes its way across dancefloors - a unifying track that feels precise in its simplicity, whilst still retaining exactly the right degree of looseness to get a crowd moving. This is a must-have record for any deep house aficionados, and you can now save yourself the hefty Discogs price tag!

Review: The Manzo Edits label continues to do good work early in its life with a fourth volume of edits from various fine studio craftsmen. Jamaimoi's 'Ici C'est Toujours Les Vacances' opens up with some big disco loops, smart filters and feelgood drums then it's down into dry, sleazy dubbed-out territory with Unison Apollo's 'Belgian Mambo'. Black Pomade's 'Sea Urchin' pumps the party once more with old school drums and cowbell business, and Digei De Bairro's 'Ferramenta N20' then glides on spaced out pads and ascending grooves.

Review: The highly politicised Los Angeles collective Ultra Red re-released their superb A16/A17 12" last year. Both tunes were produced entirely from field recordings made during street protests against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington April 16 and 17, 2000 and became secret weapons of DJs like Ricardo Villalobos & Craig Richards. Now, 'A16' gets remixed by underground titans Losoul and The Mole into two club-ready groovers. Losoul goes first with a dry and minimal take that is textured and deep with plenty of absorbing atmosphere. Next up, The Mole goes for a more propulsive sound with glistening tech house drums and icy pads. Both are artful reworks that take you on a mental trip.

Review: While this may feel like a reassuring relic of a bygone era of house - there's a real mid-to-late-'90s San Francisco deep house-meets-Fila Brazillia vibe going on here - '$10 Rework' is actually brand, spanking new. It's a remake of' $10 Heel', which first appeared on Ultramarine's 2019 set 'Signals Into Space'. This version is warmer, looser and far more groovy, with Anna Domino's stylish vocal, echoing guitars, snaking sax and Dubtribe-esque organ sounds riding a deep, dubby bassline and swinging drum machine beats. Arguably even better are the two flip-side dubs (the first vocal, the second instrumental), both of which see the veteran British duo reach for delay-doused hand percussion, echoing instrumentation and the killer instrumentation. They're the kind of spaced-out dancefloor dubs that make most sense as the sun's coming up at an open-air party.

Review: The Underground Culture Tourist is a new label from the artists of the same, aka Moss Shamshad. He has been making music since the eagerly 2000s on top labels like Classic Music Company but now takes the power into his own hands on this self-releases 12". It finds him back in the heart of the classy deep house underground with a debut vinyl release that will immediately turn heads. 'House Music Anthem' is stylish, stripped back yet atmospheric with its rolling drums and cosmic synth work while 'P To You' has a little playful funk to its beatdown drums and steamy chord work.

Review: The Looking In EP marks the return of Brooklyn-based quintet Underground System to local imprint Razor-N-Tape, with a stunning five track release of originals and remixes. It offers a fresh and unique blend of Balearic grooves, left-field funk and up-tempo backbeats that respectfully showcase the US sound. The tracks are complete with the band's signature use of flute and synth soundscapes, driving percussion and catchy vocal hooks that are sure to get you moving. On the B-side of the record, RNT mainstays Nenor and Clive From Accounts deliver two club-ready remixes that take the tracks into even more dancefloor-friendly territory.

Review: When Glenn Underground goes digging in his vaults, you want to be there to see what treasure he comes up with. He has done that for a fifth time here and the reuses make up this new 12" on his Strictly Jazz Unit Muzic label. 'Platinum' (Tech Jazz Sessions) is pure Mid-Western house music - a sublime marriage of soulful and jazzy pads with deep, smoky beats. It has a devastating impact and the flipside 'What's Next' (GU vs CVO Project Stone Age Techno mix) is just as much of a mind-altering experience with its whispering cosmic leads conveying a message of great importance.

Review: Unknownmix were Swiss-based singer Magda Vogel, electronic talent Ernst Thomas, Krautrock drummer Mani Neumeier and Hans-Rudolf Lutz and we have just unearthed some of their early classic in our warehouse. This time the outfit gets remixed on Mondo Groove by some venerated talents. 'Django' (1984 version) opens up with freaky and experimental vocal loops over percussive beats and then the Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi remix has a more club-ready groove with loose percussive jumble and acid-infused synth bass lines. 'Japanese Funk Machine' is included in its original form and as a Delphi remix that flips it into a proto-house jam.

Review: On the latest dip into the bulging vaults of their iconic deep house label Prescription, Ron Trent and Chez Damier take us back to 1998 and the standout single from Urban Sound Gallery, a collaboration between Trent and Anthony Nicholson. 'Life 4 Living' remains a genuine deep house classic: a warming, effortlessly soulful affair in which Monica Elam's expressive vocals seemingly drift across a backing track rich in Afro-house influenced beats, immersive and dreamy pads, fluid piano solos and a wonderfully tactile bassline. As it did back in the 1990s, the vocal version comes backed with a similarly impressive dub that boasts a bit more energy and feels tailor-made for early morning club plays.

Review: Terry Usher takes things deep on a new outing for Saint Wax that has spiritual overtones and Afro vibes exuding from every beat. '8 Hours' opens up with the sort of spine-tingling vocals and pensive pads that take any floor higher. 'Never Leave You' is a percussive groove with an infectious sense of skip and 'M' Pon' then picks things up with chanting vocals and warrior leads next to rousing horns full of soul. 'O' Wey' closes out with steel-plated drums and soft shakers bringing plenty of late-night magic.

Review: The Mellophonia label offshoot Fusion Sequence won us over with its well-presented and great-sounding first EP, and now a quick follow-up does the same. This one is another various artists affair that starts with some nice futuristic robot disco from Vanity Project. There is more organic and lush Balearic from Bobby Bricks and Pacific Coliseum follows that spine-tingling Ibiza sunset vibe. On the flip side, there is everything from late-night electronic house to lazy disco via Sorcerer's blissed out 'Just For Love' which would entrance any dance floor. There's as much quality as there is variation on this one, which makes it a useful EP indeed.