Tags: Detroit House

Review: Detroit's Brian Kage is back with more Motor City goodness, this time as a remixer alongside a fine selection of peers. It is his Timeless Times album that gets reworked here and for his remix of 'Nordhouse' he works with fellow Detroiter and dub techno don Luke Hess to cook up a warm, shuffling sound. Elsewhere Delano Smith brings his signature smoky loops and plaintive keys to 'Detroit Techno City', Milton Jackson steps up with a buddy deep house roller and 'Galaxian' gets an electro remix from Max Watts to make this a classy, quality collection.

Review: Chicago born, Detroit-raised Delano Smith is one of the foundational artists of the contemporary house scenes. In 2023, he revealed he was suffering with a rare form of cancer but as this new EP title suggests, he is still here and still crafting high-grade sounds. 'When I Was Young' kicks off with his signature smoky drum loops and train travel sense of hypnosis. 'The Rush' is another heads down jam, this time marbled with eerie pads and wet clicks and claps that oil the groove while 'Rewired' shuts down with real late night delicacy and evocative minimalism.

Review: Generously filtered, aerated and pressuristic, Alton Miller's latest, and third overall, record for Rawax is a rare breed of sci-fi sonority. 'Feels So Good' starts on an unassuming note before slowly evidencing a dark-horse talent for harmony and piano playing, with 'Next 1' bringing a fusion of French house frisson and sound-designed sunstroke synths; it's only by the undulant depths of 'Can't Master' that we chance upon piquant piano flourishes and standout retrosynth swells. Echoes of 70s dub converge on two versions of the B-side's 'Feel So Good', across which a beckon-calling MC maunders astep an effortless 4x4 flow.

Review: Fresh from the release of her collaborative album with UK house and disco legend Dave Lee, one of Motor City vocalist Maurissa Rose's back catalogue classics - an Alton Miller production first released on Theo Parrish's Sound Signature label in 2017 - is given a string of fresh new revisions. Miller handles side A, delivering vocal and instrumental takes that wrap a punchy and perfectly programmed groove in undulating synth bass, colourful chords, twinkling piano motifs and lilting solos. San Fran man CoFlo handles side B, offering up vocal and instrumental takes rooted in the intersection between deep, soulful house and sun-splashed nu-jazz.

Review: Owen Ni invites us on a sonic exploration with this ten-track release, a journey through the realms of ambient electronica and deep listening techno music. 'Beyond Flyhigh' sets the tone, its expansive soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms drawing the listener into a world of introspection and wonder. The Raytek remix injects a pulsating energy, transforming the original into a dancefloor-ready odyssey. Elsewhere, tracks like 'Mover' and 'Arqs2600' delve deeper into hypnotic textures and intricate sound design, creating a sonic experience that's both arrestting and thought-provoking. 'We Are Here' and 'S7lverbox' offer moments of quiet contemplation, their delicate melodies and atmospheric soundscapes inviting a sense of peace and reflection. The release closes with 'Epilog', a fitting conclusion to this immersive journey through sound and emotion, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of wonder and possibility.