Hot Toddy - Late Night Boogie

Crazy P's Chris Todd, AKA Hot Toddy, drops his second solo album, a mere nine years after his first one (Supermagic, which came out on Paper).

As the title suggests, the primary point of reference here is early 80s boogie/electrofunk, with a dose of Californian jazz-fusion thrown in (dig that slap bass and those meandering gee-tars), and it's mostly a midtempo affair, though there are tracks – All Night and bubblin' acid soul cut Won't Let Go – that have a housier feel. To be honest, it's not hugely, HUGELY different from a Crazy P album (a Crazy P album produced by Roger Troutman, maybe?), especially given that fellow P-ers Danielle Moore and Tim Davies guest on two tracks apiece. But then you know how well Crazy P do this kind of stuff, don't you?

Personal highlights include the very Om-y previous single Down To Love (featuring Jennifer Rhonwen) and Critical, which comes on like car-chase funk for the slowest car chase in history, but it's a very fine set all round, I think you'll find…

Out: This week

About: This is actually the first album on Smoke And Mirrors, which is a new Om offshoot. Not quite sure what the remit is but anyway you can HEAR THE ALBUM (or even buy it) here.

Various - The Sound Of Amsterdam Vol 1

Released last week to coincide with ADE 2010, this is the first label compilation from the excellent Dutch label 90watts. And, just in case you didn't know what to expect, it helpfully says "The city of tech-house" on the cover.

What you get, then, are 10 tuff, techy groovers from a whole bunch of names you've probably never heard of before… which is about as good as a label comp gets in my books! If you like it dark, heads-down and driving but still quantifiably house and still with the requisite sinewy funk, you'll be more than happy with this. Standouts for me include Philip Young Vs VMH's Oysters In The Basement and Angelo Donorio's bass-pulsing opener Kind Of Music.

Out: Last week. I did say this was a bit of a catch-up!

About: You can PREVIEW THIS ALBUM here, or find out more about 90watts generally here.

Groove Junkies - In The Zone

Well then… it seems like, just for once, I'm not massively behind with anything work-wise. So now seems like a good time to catch up with some of the better albums I've been sent recently that didn't make it into iDJ. Let's start with this one.

And what a saga it's been with it! First it was about to drop – I got sent the original mixdown nearly two years ago. Then the GJs parted company and it wasn't coming out; then Evan announced he was carrying on the GJs name single-handed, and the album would come out after all; and now, finally, here it is, remastered and rejigged and re-whatever-else'd.

Now then, I've gone on record as having fallen a bit out of love with soulful house over the past year or so, but I've gotta make an exception for this… not just cos Evan is a mate, but because the Groove Junkies (in their original two-piece form) always did the trad, uplifting thing better than most. As such, at a time when not so many people are doing soulful house, they're now doing it FAR better than most.

Besides, you may not be of like mind to me (people sometimes aren't, bafflingly). You may be constantly bemoaning the lack of traditional uplifting, soulful, vocal house goodness to be found in 'record stores' these days. If so, then you need this SO badly, believe. It doesn't veer far from the GJs' usual blueprint, true, but, y'know… read what I just said in the last paragraph!

So yeah, no more waffle, check this if your tastes are on the soulful side. Or if, like me, they're not so much any more… check it anyway. S'good.

Out: Now

About: MoreHouse can be found online here.

PS And for anyone who's wondering what Parrish is up to these days… watch this space, cos I can tell you the big man hasn't thrown in the towel just yet either!

Gregory Isaacs RIP

Genuinely saddened today to hear Gregory Isaacs has died.

One of my favourite live gig memories ever, is seeing Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown at the Nia Centre in Hulme/Moss Side circa 199...3? 4? 5? Thereabouts, anyway. When the Cool Ruler came on, he got mobbed on stage by screaming girls… only the girls in question were, like, 50yo Jamaican women. Watching these hyowge Jamaican arses in their best Sunday floral church dresses trying to clamber onto a four-foot stage was just hilarious, bless ’em.

Anyway, maximum respect to a true legend, and to honour his passing here's what's always been my favourite Gregory Isaacs tune.

Free dub goodness!

Another freebie today just to be tiding you over while I do some actual work… this time in a dubwise style and, indeed, fashion.

Out last week, Wickedman is the new single from Dubloner and Isaac Haile Selassie. There are four mixes in total, and the good folks at De'fchild are kindly giving away the Kush Arora Remix for free: it's a collision between traditional dub and dubstep, and not to be missed…

dubLoner & Isaac Haile Selassie - Wicked Man by de'fchild productions

Out: Last week. I just said that. Do keep up.

About: De'fchild is a wicked label based in San Francisco, operating in a hinterland somewhere between deep house, deep techno, dub and other forms of leftfield electronica. Find out more – and download a ton of free mixes n' stuff – at their website.

**UPDATE 26/10: Just in case anyone read this in that past couple of days and wondered who Fred Dub was, obviously that was meant to say 'Free', not 'Fred'. Doh. It does now.

FREE Nick Thayer remix of Duck Sauce

As Barbra Streisand by Armand and A-Trak is everywhere at the moment, and as I'm busy DL'ing stuff and reviewing for iDJ this weekend, thought I'd share this to keep you going - a Nick Thayer remix you can download for free (click on the arrow to play, or the link below it to DL).

If you like this, then a) don't forget Nick's debut full-length Let It Go is out now on Passenger and b) post a comment and I might just share some more download links…

Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand (Nick Thayer Rmx) by Nick Thayer

Hot City - Twist/Lonely Boy

I'm quite suspicious of contemporary records that claim to have a 'speed garage' feel. Too often they're just all about the big wobbly bassline, and devoid of any of that essential skippy funk that made SG such fun the first time around.

Not this one, though, which captures the spirit of the late 90s perfectly. The presence on vocals of MC DT (of Pied Piper, Do You Really Like It? fame) does perhaps give Twist a slightly cheesy feel, but at the same time it also lends it a certain authenticity. And you need have no such pop qualms about the female-vocalled Lonely Boy, which does the MK/Todd Edwards choppy-uppy thang with the vox while the beats skip and shuffle and the organs parp underneath.

So yeah, if it's a slice of retro SG-flavoured dancefloor action with bags of energy you're after, you won't go far wrong here.

Out: This week

About: This is on Moshi Moshi, one of those labels whose output seems mostly aimed at U21s in tight jeans and stupidly bright colours so I don't normally pay much attention; proof were it required of how important it is to listen without prejudice to as much as possible, or you'll miss nuggets like this! Anyway, here's the Moshi Moshi website.

As for Hot City themselves, here's what the hype sheet has to say:

Call them rave revivalists or put them next to the newest convergent sounds of post-dubstep and UK funky – Hot City are just as happy playing next to garage legends Ramsay & Fen as next to the intricate dubstep scientists Spatial.. similarly their tunes will mix into Todd Terry or Cooly G, Basement Jaxx or Brackles, 2 Bad Mice or – if you're that way inclined – 2 Unlimited. Ultimately it all flows to and from the same place: the dancefloor.

Hertz & Subway - Shockz EP

I like this. It's one of those records, for me, that you go "I feel like I shouldn't like this, but I do." For that very reason I nearly didn't write about it, because it's quite far out of my comfort zone of music that I feel qualified to comment on… but then I remembered that being non-genre-specific* is part of the reason This Is Why We Dance exists, so…

…so basically, although billed as techno, both tracks – Shockz itself and B-side Hertz – operate in that zone where techno, progressive house and trance mingle. Probably on a mid-90s dancefloor, sweating, with their tops off and their eyes rolling. It's straight-up pounding, rolling dancefloor bizness, hard and pumping but with a strong funk edge, made for moving your body, or rather made for moving lots of bodies in big, dark rooms. Preferably served with smoke and strobes (poppers optional).

And as I said, I rather like it… particularly Shockz, which does hard-but-funky in a way that not many can**.

Out: This week

About: This is on Umek's label 1605. I get sent all their stuff but it's usually a bit too linear and, well, techno-y for me. So it's nice to be able to show some love for once! Here's the 1605 website.

*Non-genre-specific but EXTREMELY subjective, judgemental, idiosyncratic and petulant, I hasten to add.

** Whatever the genre. TDV was the god of hard-but-funky, for me, cos he could play hard-as-nails German techno and make it sound groovy as a bastard. But in breakbeat, D&B, techno, whatever, there are those odd/DJs producer who can go hard but still keep the funk. Think how groovy Chus & Ceballos or Wally Lopez's shit is compared to 1001 tedious tribal house producers, for example. It's all about the funk. Always.

TNT Inc feat Donal Shefay - Respect Me

Not reviewed much vocal stuff lately, partly because I've not been getting sent as much, partly because I've not been feeling it so much a lot of the time. But Reelgroove are great ones for keeping the trad house flying so they deserve some props…

And this, with it's Chi-town beats, parping organs and a vocal from the Luther/Colonel school of thought, is about as trad as it gets! It even pays homage to Aretha in the chorus, in quite a respectful/non-cheesy way you understand.

The four takes from TNT Inc themselves (Original, Concept Mix, Concept Dub and Filter Dub) are more 'DJ-friendly variations on a theme' than radical reworkings, while the Thomas De Lorenzo Zabriskie Vocal Mix and Latest Craze's two rubs are just a touch more contemporary/funkified. Not a lot going on remix-wise then really but still, if there's a place in your sets for some good ol'-fashioned midtempo house bounce then this'll do the job nicely. And for what it's worth, I think the retro simplicity of the Original Mix works best.

Out: It just says October…

About: This is on Reelgroove, who as stated are veritable stalwarts of vocal house in the UK these days… here's their website.

Raxon - Twenty Ten

The latest from Sebastian Davidson's label comes all the way from sunny Dubai. They describe it as a "cosmic deep house banger with a set of finger-lickin' remixes," and yeah that just about sums it up.

Not got time right now to go into all the mixes one-by-one, but they come from Ricky Inch, Evren Ulusoys, Spin Science (three mixes) and Spiritcatcher, and most deep house jocks should find something to drop as they range from the techy and glitchy, to proggy and drifty, to more bumping/jacking.

I think the tripped-out Spin Science Dub Journey or the more late-night Evren Ulusoys Fixation Of Twenty-Ten Remix are my faves, but it's all good, as they say.

Out: This week.

About: As I said this is on Sebastian Davidson's label, Nightbird Music. More about whom can be found here.

Einmusik - Silk N Saw EP

All I can tell you about Einmusik is that his real name is Samuel… and that here he delivers three cuts of driving, uptempo tech-house for his own new(-ish) Hamburg-based label Einmusika.

Actually, it might as well be two because TBH, there's not a lot to tell the Original and Live Set mixes of the title track apart. Still, both Silk N Saw and Papée will keep your dancefloor moving nicely, with crisp, insistent beats, rolling basslines and much synth wibblery being the order of the day in both instances.

Both tracks are instrumentals, bar some distant-sounding, disembodied vocal snips on Papée, and both clock in at 126bpm – though there's so much energy to 'em you'll get the impression they go faster…

Out: This week

About: As I said, not a lot in the way of info sent with this one but if you want to find out more or to HEAR THESE TRACKS, hit up the Einmusika website or MySpace.

Various - Munich Disco Tech 8

You should know what to expect from Great Stuff's Munich Disco Tech series by now. You'd be expecting five slabs of prime tuff, techy house… and that's exactly what you get.

Rattling through 'em, Heartik's Boog Me is a lovably jaunty-sounding affair, Lutzenkirchen & Rainer Weichhold's Impeccable is a disco-tinged roller, Markus Mehta's Masque is a touch more heads-down and proggy, Tube & Berger vs Kean Sanders' Slumdog Superstar is a no-nonsense, hi-octane Berlin romp with added subcontinental flava and finally Martin Eyerer & Tomcraft's It's Simply This is a little more techno techno techno, but still in a pretty groovy kinda way.

With an impressive cast delivering five very playable tracks, then, this is something of a no-brainer. In fact, it's one of the best in the series to date, I'd say, so get busy!

Out: Last week – I'm just catching up on a few bits…

About: Great Stuff you MUST be aware of by now, but here's their website anyway.

Roberto Rodriguez - Ride With Me

More very deep house/techno bizniss here, this time on the mighty Compost Black Label. There are nine mixes in total (with a somewhat disproportionate five from Burnt Island Casuals, plus rubs from Pol-On, Alex Danilov and Matthias Meyer, plus bonus cut I Know You're Mine).

I'm not gonna go into every mix or we'd be here all night, suffice to say if you like it deep and techy generally then you'll certainly find something to play to here. And I Know You're Mine has a nice unhurried funk to it, as well.

Out: This week

About: Compost should need no introduction, of course – their website seems to be out of action at the mo' so here's their MySpace.

Funk D'Void & Pedro Galante - Safado

Right, well it seems to be techno day here at TIWWD so here's more of it… albeit techno of the deep, heads-down chugging variety that appeals to deep house heads just as much. Back in the day we used to go to The Womb in Manchester which was a bit of a Detroit heads' affair, this kinda reminds me of the sort of thing you used to hear there.

But then coming from Funk D'Void that shouldn't be much of a surprise, and when I tell you there's remixes from Paul Woolford and Ramon Topia as well, you'll know the kind of house/techno meltdown to expect here. Special mention also to Satoshi Fumi, whose Nu Or and NuJuddzy mixes take us on a back-to-89 Balearic house/deep NJ garage kinda tip, complete with cheesily parping 80s sax!

Out: This week on Beatport only, full release next month.

About: This is on US label Electrik Soul, which is run by DJ Onionz - here's their Soundcloud page and there's plenty more info at the Onionz website.

Darlyn Vlys - Soleil Levant

Definitely seem to have gotten on a bit of a techy tip today (happens more and more lately). Actually saying that, this five-track EP comprises mostly leftfield disco-y business which is… okay. But it's the remix of Between Us by label boss AFFKT I want to talk about, which is an irresistible slab of house/techno/disco jackery that you could imagine anyone from Dave Angel to Sneak dropping. And I'm a sucker for cut-up, breathy female vocal snippets like those.

Not much else to say, just go find it…

Out: This week on vinyl, next week digitally.

About: This comes atcha on new label (this is only their second release) Sincopat, who appear to be based in Spain even though Vlys and AFFKT are both French… anyway here's their website and Soundcloud page.

Moonface - These Sounds

And speaking of labels who've had lots of love on this blog, here's the latest from Endemic Digital.

The original of These Sounds is a hefty slab of deep, throbbing, dubby techno. Fraser Owens' more stripped-down remix is a little too percussive for me, but the Pretty Criminal Remix will do nicely for those more twisted moments.

All told, it's about as techy as I'd ever get, but it's cool.

Out: This week

About: Find out more about Endemic here.

Bottin presents Tinpong - New Religion

Something of a change of tack from Bottin here, as he eschews the usual synth-tastic analogue/Italo bizniss in favour of something far more organic and funky. With a fast-paced female vocal that variously recalls smoky late-night jazz dives and late 70s NYC art school sleaze - with a touch of the Tracey K/Crazy P's thrown in – sitting atop some quality slap bass action, this is definitely worth checking EVEN IF previous Bottin efforts haven't floated your boat.

Marcus Marr's remix then takes us on a lo-slung nu-disco dark room grooveathon, while Pete Herbert supplies a trio of slightly housier rubs. But it's a toss-up between the Original and Marr's mix for me.

Out: This week

About: This is actually a Duran Duran cover apparently, but thankfully not having been a Duranie back in the early 80s I wouldn't know... and it's out on Nang, who've had so much love on this blog it's getting embarrassing, but here's the Nang website anyway.

Jazzy Eyewear - Korova EP

So Sound Recordings boss Fabian Giannatasio, AKA Jazzy Eyewear, steps up to the plate for sister label Uma Recordings with this three-tracker.

Korova itself ain't nothing but a tech-house groove: consisting largely of simple looping percussion and a swooping, grinding main synth hook, it's a track that's designed to keep bodies moving on dancefloors, pure and simple. And it sets the mood for the rest of the EP, with Scarlett and Hypnotized both similarly functional, tracky affairs, though to be fair there's a little more texture to the latter, thanks not least to the whispered, breathless female vocal.

We all need some 'tracky shit' in our boxes/wallets/crates though, and right now this'll do nicely.

Out: This week

About: As discussed this is on So Sound offshoot Uma, though I'm not sure what the difference is supposed to between the two. Have a look at the So Sound website to find out more (it appears to be out of action as I write but hopefully that's just a blip).

And if you like the Korova EP, it's actually just one of three from Fabian recently – there's also Peach Boys tribute The Wait, as well as the more soulful Where's The Love? under his Mr Morning guise, both out now on So Sound.

Heavy Feet - Last Two People

I'm instinctively not a fan of this urban/dance crossover-type stuff. Particularly not when it's got AutoTuned vocals and 'rapping' on it. No doubt if I was, 20 I'd be wearing too many colours and stupid big trucker caps and loving it, but I'm not. Thankfully.

However, on the off-chance that Last Two People turns out to be this year's Day & Night, may I just bring your attention to the DCUP Remix and the Club Dub, which respectively throw elements of disco and classic house into the usual electro/grime/crunk/neon stew, and as such are actually reasonably playable.

Could still do without the 'rap', though. To all Brits thinking of rapping: go listen to John Barnes on World In Motion. That's you, that is.

Out: This week

About: This is on Stamp! Beats who I don't know much (anything) about, but I can tell you that Mike 'Heavy Feet' seems like a friendly sort of chap and you can find him (and this) on MySpace.

SQware – Départ EP

Something of an oddity of an EP, this, refusing to slot neatly into any one genre.

The title track is a big, throbbing, dramatic techno number. But it's actually pretty cool as big, throbbing, dramatic techno goes… Short Room I'm less convinced by (I suspect people who make techno of having once been into Jean-Michel Jarre, and records like this are why) but then you get Kaese, which is still a bit 'ooh look at me and my analogue synth' but does have a nice rompy, almost discofied feel to it.

And then you get 1987, which in its original is a vaguely Leftfield/Spooky/Underworld-ish, breaks-y techno affair – okay if you like that sort of thing – but then gets twisted into something somewhere between dubstep and chill-out on its bass-heavy Hybu Dub, a track which could appeal to the deep house sofa surfers and which is the real reason why the EP is featured here.

Like I said then, a very mixed bag – but in the sense that mixed bags can be good things.

Out: This week

About: With releases from the likes of King Roc, Toob, Corrugated Tunnel and Abe Duque, Process Recordings (who bring you this) have carved out a niche for themselves at the more forward-thinking end of house/techno/electronic music. Find out more here.

Martin Dawson - Double Six EP

A five-track EP on Kling Klong, featuring two mixes apiece of the title track and the oddly-titled Running To Sthlm, plus bonus cut Indo Thodes.

As with the Sean Biddle release below, heads-down main room house is the order of the day here, mostly… the kind of thing that you know will work well on a Saturday night, but that it's hard to get over-excited about on a grey Sunday morning just after breakfast! But it WILL work, and I will say I'm preferring the straight-up Deutsch house of Running To Sthlm to the mild Afro-isms of Double Six, though. Mix-wise, I'd go for the original of Running or the Ramon Topia remix of Double Six.

However, it's Indo Thodes that I'm liking the most, personally. It's still tuff and energetic enough for floor play even in bigger rooms, but it's just a little deeper/more musical as well, with some Rhodes action I think you'll enjoy…

Out: This week

About: Germany's Kling Klong has definitely been on a roll this year – here's their website. Martin Dawson, BTW, my be more familiar to you as one-half of Two Armadillos, or his collab with Glimpse, Flying Scotsman.

Green Street - Full Moon Hustle

Seeing as we've just been talking about one Nocturnal Recordings release, thought now would be a good time to squeeze a mention for this one in as well!

Full Moon Hustle, as the last word of the title suggests, sees PV in full-on disco house mode. The Original is my favourite, with some seriously LUSH 1970s soaring strings action. The Green Street Remix, meanwhile, ups the tempo a notch, drives the loudness meters into the red and rocks the filters like it was 1998 all over again... but you'll find no grumbles here.

Out: Now-ish, I believe?

About: …and here's the Nocturnal Recordings MySpace again. A closer look at which tells me this actually came out a couple of weeks ago. Doh! But sod it I've written this now.

Homework - Trumpet Express EP

Trends in house music being what they are, at some point the whole Balkan, gypsy jazz thing is gonna die down at some point, innit?

That shows no sign of happening just this second, though, so there's still plenty of time to get on this, cos for now at least the title cut is a surefire floor-burner. With just a hint of Arabic/Egyptian flavours, it's like you've gotten waylaid in a Marrakech opium den some time in the 1920s, only you're with a bunch of Slavs, they've discovered Ecstasy by accident and they're all taking their shirts off and dancing on tables. Well, it's a bit like that. You get the idea…

As for the other tracks, Rules Of Hip is a more percussive deep house dancefloor workout with sampled 1950s hipster speech - very William S Burroughs - while Behind The Fence is a bit more techy/German-sounding in terms of the beats, but redeems itself from me-too'dom thanks to a dreamy/trippy sampled female vocal - no idea what it is but if you told me it was from, say, some smoochy 70s Minnie Ripperton soul cut I'd believe you! Think of that Ashley Beedle remix of Bent that sampled Captain & Tenille... something like that.

All told, a very worthwhile EP right now, though as discussed the title cut's longevity may be in question.

Out: This week.

About: This is on Germany's Made To Play, who should need no introduction by now – website here or you can check out HEAR THESE TRACKS (be quick) on Soundcloud.

Riccicomoto - Out There Part 2 EP

Quite simply, this is the best thing I've been sent in ages. Four tracks of proper deep house goodness, all on a dubbed-out kinda tip but all quite varied as well.

The EP kicks off with the Empire Cannibal Dub of Assimilatione, which features a somewhat unusual ragga vocal slung over dubby, tech-house beats, in which he appears to be informing us that he's going to eat our liver. Which is all quite irregular, unless of course I'm hearing it wrong in a 'kiss this guy' comedic fashion. Wicked, wicked tune though!

Next up is Quasar, presented here in its Tango Control Dub form. This one's more of a sofa-surfer, with sampled speech from space missions (and a background crackling that we're told is the sound of the Andromeda galaxy) atop laidback but insistent 4/4s and pads a mile wide.

Sono Vera (in Disco Futura Dub form) is more experimental, bringing a slightly psychedelic/space rock kinda feel to the party, though still within deep house territory. If you dig The Time & Space Machine you'll love this. And finally, Starfield [Humility Dub Session] is the deepest and dubbiest of the lot, and another corker.

So much for describing what the tracks sound like, as for what they FEEL like I strongly suggest you dim the lights, lean back, spark up a fatty and enjoy for yourself! Like I said, this is just ridiculously good, especially Assimilatione which is a cert for the next Mixcloud show if I can get my arse in gear.

Out: This week

About: Riccicomoto is German and has had stuff out on Italy's mighty Irma Records, but this comes on Permanent Damage, who are based in Bermuda of all places apparently… more info here.

Sean Biddle - Droppin' Science EP

To my dearest blog,

I'm sorry, I know things between us haven't been what they once were, and I know that's largely my fault. I haven't been paying you the attention you deserve.

In my defence, I've been kinda busy what with one thing and another (like a Music Tech redesign)... plus the number of promos coming in just gets ridiculous sometimes and it's hard to keep up with everything... but you've been the one to suffer, and I'm sorry.

I will try hard to do better from now on, and yes I know you've heard that before, but please give me another chance...

Russell

PS Oh the Sean Biddle record? Four tracks of no-nonsense big room driving house, all called things like Electron and Atomic Mass, with a techy edge here and a disco squiggle there. Won't win any Nobel Innovation prizes, will move bodies on dancefloors nicely.

Out: This week

About: The Droppin' Science EP comes to you courtesy of Nocturnal Recordings - find 'em on MySpace or buy their shizzle at Trackitdown.

George Horn - Hypnotizing

I go through phases with records sometimes, do you, where you just keep playing one thing over and over? Like first thing every day, twice, for a week?

Well, I do, anyway. And one of the records I sometimes do that with, the record I've been doing that with lately, is Do It To The Music by Raw Silk, possibly one of the finest records ever made. IMHO. So this little nugget of deep house with its sample from that very same classic couldn't have timed its arrival better, really.

Five shades of deep dancefloor house, all with that sample (albeit used quite sparingly), and if you can't find something to play here then you're probably reading the wrong blog… personally I'm least convinced by the added Detroit strings on the Kyka Dub, and probably most pleased by the 'disco in space' feel of the Chris Girard Remix, but like I say there's plenty to enjoy…

Out: This week

About: This is the first thing I've reviewed in a while I think from Dave Storm's Cabrio/Ceremony stable, and it's good to hear 'em still as dependable as ever! Website here.

Fritz Zander - For Your Love EP

Another excellent four-tracker here, this time from the ever on-point Suol stable.

For Your Love itself works a VERY familiar vocal sample over gently rolling, ever-so-slightly discofied deep house vibes. Lose Yourself is a more downtempo affair with sampled tinkling jazz ivories a-gogo, When The Lights Went Out starts out all throbbing and moody but builds imperceptibly until halfway through a big swatch of disco light comes shining through the darkness, and then finally Winter Wonderland brings the EP to a close in a more blissed-out, drifting away on the sofa kinda vein.

Four solid tracks for a range of moods/times/settings, then.

Out: This week

About: As I said this is on Suol Recordings, which is Chopstick's label. Suol have been doing loads of good stuff recently… here's their website to find out more.

Soliery - Changes EP

Tokyo Red is a label that's been on a real run of form of late and this tech-house four-tracker from Soliery is no exception.

SooDuck (by BBQ & Soliery) gets the EP rolling with some chuggy, dancefloor-oriented bizniss. Memento is a slightly more sedate, late-night affair with some Arabic/Mediterranean flute-y type sounds from Bagrat Gevorkyan, Winter Melody plays with steppy, near-bruk beats, and then finally there's the real killer, 4 Friends, which sees us back in more upbeat/dancefloor territory, with a vintage Chi-town bassline and a shuffly, garage-y swing as the track progresses.

It's SooDuck and 4 Friends that are doing it for me more than the other two, TBH, but they'd be worth the price of admission on their own.

Out: This week

About: I've harped on about Tokyo Red enough I think so here's their MySpace and let's leave it at that! Otherwise you'll start thinking I've got Tokyo Red pillowcases… I haven't got Tokyo Red pillowcases. Although their medieval Japanese-themed cover art wouldn't actually look bad in bedding form, now I come to think of it.

Summed & Dot - My Grey Pearl EP

Sorry, sorry, sorry… I know, it's been ages! Been busy (some of the time)/lazy (when not busy). Apologies.

Anyway let's get back into the TIWWD swing nice and gently with this deep techno delight. Alemagno makes me think of being underwater in space, possibly while something a bit sci-fi-y goes on outside. H o T starts off with sampled relaxation tape dialogue but then consists primarily of insistent, not-especially-relaxing deep house/techno beats, and finally Wanna Do is more driving dancefloor tackle, coming complete with a slightly more funktified Pulpyt Edit.

Not got tons to say - hey, I'm outta the habit - but I'd play any/all of these, happily.

Out: This week

About: This is on All Inn Records, a new-ish (this is their seventh release, and I think a few of the others have featured on this blog previously) label out of Romania. Here's their website.