Chymera - For The Lonely

Nearly overlooked this… which would have been criminal cos it's the first thing I've had from Komplex De Deep in a while and as, some 11 releases in, the label has yet to deliver us that's anything less than excellent, it'd be a shame to miss one!

Deep, techy house is what this blog loves best in 2010; deep, techy house is what KDD do best, so this deep, techy house EP is a bit of a no-brainer, really. All told you get two mixes of For The Lonely, from Chymera himself and Fish Go Deep, and two of Ceril, the original plus a Master H Remix. And there's not a duff cut in sight, is all you need to know!

Quite simply: for the deep heads, this is the bomb. Acquire.

Out: Today

About: Komplex De Deep is Master H's own label and like I said, every release to date has been a stormer. Head on over to their website to HEAR THIS and find out more about 'em.

P'taah - Fade Away

On this evidence, one might safely assume that the P'taah gang have at least a few Faze Action records in their collections… this is exactly the kind of deep house/disco fusion bizniss that the brothers Lee have made their speciality.

That almost sounds like it could be taken as a diss, but it's not meant as one: I love Faze Action and I love this. I should mention, by the way, that both mixes are from those Silver City scamps, so I guess they're as much to blame as P'taah. If pushed, I'd go for the Take Me To The Subtle Mix rather than the Space Mix, but both are groovy as you like.

So yes, this is deep house/disco tackle that sounds a bit like Faze Action, by Silver City. So you probably realise by now that you need to get hold of a copy forthwith, right?

Out: This week

About: P'taah are of course regulars over at the mighty King Street, though usually doing more wispy, soulful kinda stuff than freaky get-downs like this-y here. This actual release is flying the newer Street King flag and is further proof of that label's shift from shouty 'attitude-y' noo rave electro bollocks, into quality contemporary house. More on all things King Street here.

Cid Inc - Magnify

As I write this, it's 6.59am on a Monday morning, it's pitch black outside and -2°C… so an injection of energy would definitely be in order, methinks. Enter this chunky prog track from Cid Inc.

In fact, Magnify is about as proggy a cut as you'll ever find reviewed on this blog, whichever of the three mixes you go for (original, Quivver or Tash). But there's always room for a bit of prog when it's as lo-slung, groovy and driving as this. The original mix would be my pick, being the housiest of the three, but there's not a lot in it, to be fair.

Out: Tomorrow (30 Nov)

About: This comes on AlterImage Recordings, which is a label I haven't come across before. But I can tell you that Cid Inc is Swedish, and you can read an interview with him at the label's website. And, just for good measure, here's the AlterImage MySpace as well.

Laid Back - Cocaine Cool

I'm guessing most of you punk-funk/disco-not-disco enthusiasts will have come across this already cos there's certainly been plenty of hype about it! But anyway, it's out this week so in case it hadn't registered on your radar yet…

Cocaine Cool is the real vintage deal, taken from the same 1981 sessions that gave the world the classic White Horse. This track, though, was apparently surpressed by their record label at the time, on the grounds that the lyric was too near the knuckle. Hard to imagine now cos it's not a eulogy to Boutros or anything, it just happens to mention cocaine in the chorus. But then the early 80s were a different time - trust me, I remember them well! It wasn't like today when, as Jez from Peep Show so eloquently put it, "Everyone agrees: drugs are fine now".

Anyway, if you dig White Horse – and who doesn't? – then you're gonna dig Cocaine Cool, too. End of.

Out: This week

About: This little gem has been unearthed for you by Laid Back themselves, and is to be found on their own Brother Records, distributed by Word + Sound. More info here.

Da Funk - Come On

Regular readers of TIWWD or iDJ will know I'm a big fan of Switzerland's Da Funk. Here he steps away from his own Acryl Music imprint and drops another killer 12 for Dave Storm's Estonia-based label Cabrio.

What I love about Da Funk's own particular take on house music, is that it manages (almost always) to be both deep and dancefloor at the same time. And so it is here. It's not as out-and-out deep as some of his stuff, thanks partly to chopped-up and treated female vox that make it that little bit more accessible, but the usual high quality standards apply. Four mixes to choose from, of which my pick would be the deeper Direktor Dub, or Kormix's Comedown Remix.

Out: This week

About: Da Funk in real life is Daniel Kneubühler, which I'm glad I'm not having to try to pronounce. Here's his personal website and here's the website for his criminally under-rated Acryl Music label.

Cabrio, meanwhile, is an offshoot of Ceremony Records and you can find out more about both labels by visiting them here.

Frankie Feliciano - Soulful House Journey sampler

So, Soulful House Journey is a new mix album on King Street, and this is a sampler EP featuring three tracks culled from the album, courtesy of Frankie Feliciano presents Real Thing, Tomo Inoue feat Stephanie Cooke and DJ Oji presents Original Man.

Feliciano/Real Thing's own Moving On gets the EP started. It's a gently rolling, somewhat Afro-inspired affair that will suit today's soulful crowds, though a little lacking in oomph for me personally. Better by Inoue & Cooke is, er, better: the basic soulful house backdrop doesn't do anything a million similar tracks don't, but Ms Cooke's tonsils can cover a multitude of sins. And then with Watch Dem Swing from Oji we're back to the Afro percussion that everyone on the soulful scene sounds so obsessed with these days, which isn't particularly exciting, though the use of the urgent-sounding, endlessly repeating spoken vocal sample ("watch dem swing/watch dem move") is interesting and lifts it above the morass. There are some killer organs later on as well.

All told, it's an EP that will suit the soulful house diehards down to the ground, so more power to King Street's elbow - even if I personally am finding it harder to get too worked up by stuff like this these days.

Out: This week

About: Find King Street online here.

Various - Cubists Vol 3

I can't say I've ever been to Maidstone in Kent - at least, not that I can recall. But there must be something in the water down there, because as well as Nic Fanciulli and the Saved empire, the Kent town has also given us Cubism Records, who represent here with the third in their now-annual series of label comps.

Not gonna go into a massive long track-by-track breakdown, suffice to say that Cubism describe their remit as "cutting-edge, forward-thinking house and techno" and this album gives me no reason to quarrel with that analysis. A handful of established names (label bosses Lunacy Sound Division, Sam Ball, Saytek), a whole raft of newcomers, and ten tracks of fine contemporary dancefloor jackery. What more could you ask for?

Truly, these Kent boys are a credit to the (house) nation. More soon please, Cubists.

Out: Dec 2

About: Want to know more about Cubism? Then here's their

MySpace Website Soundcloud page and hell they're even mentioned on Wikipedia

Groovik - The Answer EP

When it comes to old skool heroes, Blake Baxter is right up there in my books. I mention this now because if you agree, then you'll love this latest from Groovik – it couldn't be much more Baxter-esque if it tried!

Just the two mixes to choose from, the Original and an Adam Stolz Remix, and to be honest they're not a million miles apart either. But if the Baxter-ish combo of moody spoken vocals sitting astride deep, techy midtempo beats sounds like it might appeal, then you should check this for sure.

Another point of reference would be Germany's acid house revivalists like Kikumoto All-Stars or Snuff Crew – this is definitely one for the old skool heads, but in the current climate, that makes it paradoxically now-sounding as well!

Out: This week

About: Don't know much about either Groovik or the label, Freaky Vibes, to be quite honest. But I did find a MySpace for the latter...

Benedetto & Farina - I'm So Grateful

This latest from trad house stalwarts Reelgroove is all about the testifyin' soulful male vocal courtesy of one LT Brown, which across four mixes sits atop various backings (or doesn't, in one case).

The Original is chuggy and garage- y with just a slight techy twist: think Presence if they had Ron Carroll singing and you're somewhere in the right ballpark. Clemens Rumpf delivers a bass-rumbled mix that's a little more in a 'funky house' kinda stylee but that stays the right side of the cheesy/credible divide, with some nice old-skool synth/piano stabs. The Ron Jones remix is a little too close to Hed Kandi territory for comfort, but the acapella Vocal DJ Tool will no doubt come in handy for creative types. We're told there are also Reprise and Instrumental versions on the full release, but those haven't been promo'd here.

All told, it'll suit the vocal diehards, though it's neither Reelgroove's strongest, nor particularly contemporary-sounding. Gotta love those stabs on the Rumpf mix, though.

Out: This week

About: Visit Reelgroove online here.

Digital Filth - Roots

This was something I reviewed right back at the start this blog… you can read the review here. I said at the time I wasn't sure if it was coming out… well, Mr Carroll got in touch somewhat out of the blue tonight, to tell me that it's finally getting released now

So, sometimes I feel bad if I'm reviewing records that came out, like, last week... but in this case, I was reviewing something 18 months in advance. How much more bloody upfront do you want it, eh? :-)

Anyway, you can buy it here

Free Damian J Carter track!

Right then pop kids, bit biz @ the mo' cos, see, some people like me to review records on a professional basis, in an actual magazine, as opposed to just spouting s**t about them into the ether for no apparent reason… so while I'm tied up doing that, have a free Damian J Carter track to keep you going…

Here's what they have to say about it:

Relifted Records serve up a monster house package from Damien J. Carter,Michael Maze, Matt Devereaux: Believe In Something feat Zhana / co-written by Barbara Tucker.

Featuring no less than six different tracks, all from different points on the house music sphere, this release kicks off with the big, brassy original house anthem with huge basslines, rousing chord stabs and some twisted, steely synths which make your lip curl that little bit higher. The BeatThief’s remix is a much more urgent, clipped and driving dollop of house. The vocals remain, as do the huge breakdowns and piano riffs, but it’s a much darker vibe than the original. As well as another chunky, techy remix from Hannah Hansen, there’s a re-rub from Cr2 Records’ talent SKJG Project. It’s a restrained, stripped back groover (perfect for those late nights in room two) which progressively builds with whooshing effects, delicate percussion and a beastly beat. Next up Stealth Records producer Darko DeJan ,alongside Patrik Carrera, re-interprets Believe in Something into a rolling, funked-up number which jacks up and down and rides on a bed of stabby chords and wood block percussion before MarFisher adds some blips and minimal energy before, once again, the huge vocal comes in. The latter half of the track is as restrained as the first, with a heads down vibe from start to finish: A solid package with something for everyone.

You can HEAR all the mixes here:

Believe In Something by Damien J. Carter

and you can DOWNLOAD the Original mix by clicking here

Right, back to work…

Gorge - Mood [The Remixes Pt 1]

I didn't get Gorge's debut album Mood, so how these remixes compare to the album originals, I can't tell you. I can tell you though that if you're in the 'mood' (see what I did there?) for some deep, tech-y house then this won't disappoint.

There's six tracks so I won't go into each, suffice to say if you're feeling the likes of Solomun, Ripperton or Stimming, then you're probably well aware of Gorge's work by now, but if you're not you certainly shouldn't be. Deep, groovy and heavily electronic, here it's further enhanced by remixes from the not-too-shoddy likes of Milton Jackson, Terry Lee Brown Jr and Alex Niggemann. Music to get lost in…

Out: This week

About: This is on Gorge's own label 8Bit, which is based in Mannheim, Germany. Here's the obligatory website and MySpace links.

TBF - Technology EP

A three-track EP here from Tiberu Fratila, who hails from Bucharest in Romania and goes under the nomme du guerre of TBF.

Technology itself is a percussive affair and kind of jazzy, with lots of brushed snares and rising horn blasts underpinning some guy's voice taking about, well, technology. Disco Daze is also very percussion-led but more disco-fied as you might expect, and then finally Smile Baby Smile maintains the disco vibe but this time in a slightly more driving, uptempo kinda way, complete with sunny, uplifiting harmonised chorus.

All told, a solid offering from a producer who's new to me but who's apparently also had stuff out on various labels, including DJ Sneak's Oomph.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Jump Recordings, which is an offshoot of techno/tech-house label Resource Records and based in San Jose, California. Here's their website.

Kathy Diamond - No Message Of Love

This really couldn't sound much more like early A Man Called Adam if it tried, but as The Apple remains one of my favourite dance music artist albums of all time, that's no bad thing…

Actually, in its Original form, No Message is if anything a little poppier and more disco-fied than that, even, with other points of reference being Things To Make And Do-era Moloko, or late-period Crazy P material. Well, you've got the idea by now, anyway. Mat Playford supplies two remixes that go a touch deeper inna Balearic kinda way, and then there's the Serafina Mix, which is a druggier, more dancefloor take.

All told, a very strong EP – as long as you can handle the pop sheen, that is. I can, certainly.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Diamond Music, which I presume is Kathy Diamond's own label? Ms Diamond is based in Brighton and has had stuff out on labels like Permanent Vacation, Eskimo and Rekids, so is something of a nu-disco diva; find out more at her MySpace.

Monoman - You Been Lied To EP

Okay, I have a bit of a confession to make here. I hope you can still respect me afterwards. But y'see, as a veteran of the handbag/nu-NRG campaigns of the mid-90s, I know this vocal from a Candy Girls record. Every time its fierce ruling diva sings "you been lied to," (which is all she sings), I'm mentally appending the next line – "bamboozled, made a fool of".

But I'm pretty sure that this quality deep houser doesn't actually sample a Candy Girls record, rather the same original source – I just don't know what that original might be. I will tear up my membership card for the UK Trainspotter's Association immediately, and return those tickets to the bi-annual Deep House Snobs Golf Tournament and Dinner-Dance forthwith.

Fuck it though. I can't be expected to know every single vocal snippet ever laid down on vinyl; I CAN tell a good house record when I hear one. And this is a very good house record, deep(-ish) but still quite uptempo house with a subtle disco shimmy. The other three tracks are in a similar vein, with Destiny the most overtly discofied of the bunch – you could have told me this was culled from one of Azuli's classic Disco Elements/Summer Elements EPs from the mid-90s and I've have almost believed you (except that I've got them all, and it isn't). Sterling stuff.

Out: This week

About: This is on Yakuza Recordings, who are based in Waterford, Island. Their own description of their sound (and this record in particular) is "funky, jacking and filtered house, heavily influenced by a boompty Chicago sound" and, yeah, that works as well. Don't know much about Monoman, but apparently his shizzle has been finding favour with the likes of DJ Sneak and DJ Pierre and he's got a single forthcoming on Ovum as well, so he must be doing something right.

You can find out more if you visit Yakuza on MySpace.

Various - King Street Sounds Reformed Classics EP

In which four classic tracks from the vaults of the mighty King Street get handed over to four young upstart producers, for a Beatport-only EP on young upstart spin-off label Street King.

Dajae's Brighter Days gets a contemporary-sounding upbeat, rolling refix from Supernova, while Spencer Parker takes on Mood II Swing's Closer and pulls it off with equal aplomb. Ultra Nate's slightly less well-known Party Girl gets perhaps the most radical overhaul of the lot, and finds itself reborn as a Berlin-ish acid throbber with a hint of electro, while finally Urban Soul's Where Were You? becomes, in Tom De Neef's hands, a Shoreditch-friendly, wonkified house workout with, nonetheless, a decidedly retro feel.

All in all, it's one of those projects that could have gone very wrong… but thankfully didn't. All the remixers have treated the originals with the respect they deserve and, as a result, delivered an EP that will appeal to the veteran heads and the young hipsters alike. Job done, then.

Out: This week

About: Street King seems to have really found its feet over the past year or so. Set up to give King Street a foothold in a younger market, the label initially put out lots of that mid-late noughties horrible shouty electro-fied bollocks, and I wasn't a fan. Latterly, though, they've focused on simply pushing a more current-sounding take on straight-up house, and I'm definitely a fan. Keep it up, King Street. More info here.

Gys - Tyrants

This just landed today, and it's out today. Check TIWWD out for being ride on time. Oh yeah, and this is very, very good, as well. As has pretty much everything on Defchild been to date, so if you don't know the label I suggest you check out the links below.

Tyrants uses what sound like dialogue snippets from an old 1940s film noir or something, and swims down yer Basic deep dub techno Channel, while Caving & Crushing more a deep house affair. That's purely by way of offering some kind of description, y'understand – they're not that far apart stylistically at all and if you like one, you'll like the other for sure. R.Audiard supplies a remix of C&C while label boss Ruohu Ruotsi does the honours on the title cut, but to be honest all four tracks are equally high quality.

Out: Today

About: As far as I can see no-one else talks about Defchild much, but their music is out of this world. I seriously suggest you hit up their website and Soundcloud page to find out more (you can HEAR THIS at the Soundcloud link).

Mudkid - The Sugar Express EP

A three-tracker here that will please those that like it very deep and a little bit leftfield – which will come as no surprise to anyone familar with the Greta Cottage Workshop back catalogue.

Sugar Express itself is almost womb-like in its deep house pulsations to start with, before getting more experimental and out-there as the minutes tick by. It'd be cool for late-night, sofa-bound purposes but I'm more taken by When The Mud Falls – still quite mellow but also dancefloor in a lazy, epic, Balearic kinda way. It also seems to have the sound of a puppy whining on it, which is quite unusual. And then, finally, Of You is back to the more ambient-y vibes, albeit still with a 4/4 kick thoughout.

It's not a record that would probably feel all that home in clubland, but this is a solid bet for the more horizontally-inclined.

Out: This week

About: I know not one thing about Mudkid, except that he's called Franklin De Costa and he's based in Berlin. But here's his Soundcloud page where you can hear LOTS of mixes and grab some free downloads, if you've a mind to.

Greta Cottage Workshop, meanwhile, can be found on that t'internet here.

Unquote - Hide Your Tears Because We Are In Heaven

Haven't had any D&B on here for a bit, so let's remedy that (ooh, I've made an accidental medical pun) and get the week underway with this latest offering from St Petersburg producer Unquote.

The title track here is a strange hotch-potch of a tune, coming on like trip-hop given a liquid funk makeover, which just the tiniest hint of electro-D&B in the synth sounds as well. A strange but interesting, hotchpotch, I would say, but personally I'm preferring Lubov Moya on the flip, which sees Unquote in more familiar (for Hospital/Med School) liquid territory – albeit this is liquid of the deepest variety. Me like.

Out: Today

About: This is on Med School, which is of course a well-established offshoot of the mighty Hospital Records, focusing on new artists and new sounds. Find out more (and HEAR THIS) here.

Dan Ghenacia - Globe/Gentelized

Freak N' Chic boss Dan Ghenacia makes an appearance on Crosstown Rebels with two quality deep house joints.

Globe gets straight down to business with a crisp, clear kick and an understated but funk-fuelled bassline, which continue throughout as first warm, evolving synth washes, then snatches of gaspy female vox and what may or may not be a Prince sample ("yes Lisa"), join the party. The overall result is a midtempo chugger that'll keep 'em moving nicely. On the B, Gentelized (sic) is an even deeper offering with some more gaspy, moany sounds to sex up your dancefloor, or something.

Cah! Those saucy Frenchies, eh? :-)

Out: This week

About: Neither Ghenacia nor Crosstown Rebels need much intro but here's HIS MySpace and THEIR website, just in case…

Yohan Esprada - Rhodes Island EP

Tokyo Red Recordings continues its recent strong run of form with a slightly more soulfully-inclined number than is typical for the label. Though the 'soulfulness' consists of some hmmm-y male vox and an over-ridingly musical feel – a diva-fest or earnest bongos n' flutes jam this is not. Tech-soul, would be the best way I can describe it.

I'm not going to say too much about it, though, partly because there's eight mixes to choose from so it'd take ages, partly because… well, it's a little sensitive but because, okay? Still, there's no prizes for guessing which instrument features heavily on all seven mixes, and like I said, it's another welcome addition to Tokyo Red's impressive release CV.

Out: This week

About: DJ Sydney's Tokyo Red imprint has long been a fave of This Is Why We Dance, so visit their MySpace to find out more. Now, if only they'd do something really handy like put out a label compilation – but there, I've said too much already…

Lewis Keykay - Humankind

Another newie from Manchester Underground Music (see Rulers Of The Deep review, below), this time with more mixes than you could shake a stick... well, I say that, but never having seen you wave a stick, I've actually no idea how many mixes you might be able to do it to... so scratch that. Er… this time with LOTS of mixes, seven of 'em to be precise, covering a range of styles from out-and-out techno to dark and groovy tech-house.

Not being much of a techno person, I'd suggest that househeads are best sticking to the Original or Curious George & The Agent mixes, but those are definitely worth investigating. And if you DO like it a bit more techno then you'll be very happy indeed cos there's, like, five more mixes for you!

Out: This week

About: I'm sure you're familiar with MUM by now but here's their MySpace and Facebook pages anyway...

Ricky Inch & Jance - Summer

After having gone through a bit of a quiet spell, Dave Storm's excellent Estonian label Cabrio seems to be well back in the saddle right now, and this is their latest offering.

There are no fewer than eight mixes in total, so I'm not gonna go through each one individually. But they come from (deep breath) George Horn, Kyka (2 of), Max Mason, Ilias Katelanos, Raxon and Ricky Inch himself, and suffice to say if you like your house music deep, groovy and mellow then you'll love this. If nothing else, check the Max Mason Terrace Remix for what sound suspiciously like jazz-fusion clarinets in action…

Out: This week

About: Find out more about Cabrio at the website of parent label Ceremony.

Blagger - Yours & Mine EP

Coming from Danish duo Blagger, this is a four-track EP that sits somewhere between deep and tech house, in a post-minimal kinda way.

Gracefully Yours is up first, a deep house number that comes on a bit like the deepest Om/Naked/Loveslap! material but stripped of the pop-soul sheen; it then gets a refix from Geneva-based dub-techno dude Agnès, whose Cruise Control Dub is more electronic and a teeny bit slower. On the B, Mine To Keep is a rolling deep houser with some lovely looping jazz vibes, which then gets remixed by Stimming into something far techier and more Berlin-ified that also makes more use of the spoken vocal samples.

All told, a strong package that will suit lovers of underground house of various persuasions.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Perspectiv, which is of course Ripperton's label as you no doubt knew; if you want to know more, find 'em online (and HEAR THIS) at their website, or visit their MySpace.

Groovik - Arandano EP

A simple two-tracker here, from a label that I don't think I've come across before, Freaky Vibes.

Tech-house is the order of the day. Arandano is a cheeky, jaunty kinda number; at one point I thought it was gonna go into that whole Balkan/gypsy-jazz schtick, which is just a teensy bit in danger of getting done to death, but no, which is probably for the best. Though could maybe have done without the breathy male Spanish vocal that comes in instead. It's still a decent floor workout though.

On the B, meanwhile, Dark Trip is very aptly-named: it's a heads-down chugger with some floatly, disembodied voices and lots of trippy noises, including what sounds like some underwater slapping (?!). It sounds pretty freaky right now, when it's Saturday teatime and I'm all straight and sober; what it might sound like circa 5am, on a cocktail of tooth-giving substances in a darkened basement, is nobody's business...

Out: This week

About: You can HEAR THIS at Soundcloud:

FVB009 Groovik - Arandano - Freaky Vibes n°6 on Beatport's Top Minimal Chart by deejayfeedback

You can also find Groovik, who's based in Valencia, Spain, on MySpace, or hear more of his shizzle at his own Soundcloud page

Joolzski - Consciousness EP

A slightly tuffer number than usual from the ever-checkable Unrivaled Music, Consciousness itself is a piece of driving, rolling tech-house with quite a lot of beats per minute, but also some nice bubblin' aquatic sounds, and some old-skool stabs that make me think of vintage Strictly Rhythm. S'good.

It's accompanied by Jack Your Bomb, a more bleep-y, acid house-y kind of affair with a nice full-phat funky b-line and some great rave-y sounds, and Music, which is also quite bleep-y but this time starting in more of a late-night kinda vein, before really going for it once it's dragged you to your feet. If that makes any sense to anyone other than me.

All told, three tracks of quality, jackin' house music.

Out: This week

About: Unrivaled Music went a bit quiet for a bit but now they're back! Back! BACK!!! (that's an 80s Smash Hits thing, don't worry about it). Find 'em on MySpace here, though you might want to go put the kettle on while the ruddy page loads... or have a game of Monopoly, or translate War & Peace into Sanskrit, or something...

Barbara Tucker & Tuccillo

It's quite hard to review King Street releases these days, cos they don't send out the full set of mixes any more. So with this, for instance, I can tell you that One Desire comes with mixes from Tuccillo, Alex Roque and Angelo Posito, but the only one I can really tell you about is the Alex Roque Dub Vocal, cos that's the only one I've actually heard.

Still, the mix in question is a pleasant enough slab of uplifting Saturday night house music, rolling along at enough of a pace for the bigger floors and with a big, BIG vocal breakdown for maximum peak-time effect. But staying just the right side of cheesy, though it's a close call...

Out: This week

About: The mighty King Street need no introduction from me, but can be found online here

Klartraum - Connected EP

Okay, so now we've finally managed to plough through last week's releases, let's get cracking with this week's! We'll start with this, which is quite a pleasant two-tracker from new-ish label Lucidflow.

Klartraum are in fact Lucidflow bosses Nadja Lind and Helmut Ebritsch, and the music they make - at least the music they've made here - sits in that vague Germanic 'is it house? is it techno?' kinda zone, and at the deeper end of that spectrum. If pushed, I'd say of the two tracks, Angelo is more deep house, while Connected itself is more deep techno, but you know the kind of post-minimal, heavily electronic deepness I'm on about, don't you? I'm not sure about the glitchy drums on Connected, though – not a massive fan of glitchy drums, so it's all about Angelo for me.

Out On Thursday (Nov 11)

About Not sure if I've reviewed (or indeed been sent) anything from Lucidflow before, but this is their 13th release and here's their website so you can find out more. Oh, and here's the increasingly-obligatory Soundcloud page as well, where you can hear/buy some of their other releases

This week's releases pt2

Er, except they're LAST week's releases now cos my big plans for a catch-up at the weekend didn't quite work out! Never mind, as old Magnus was so fond of saying 'I've started so I'll finish'...

I Am The Woodstar

Red or Alive EP (Star-Fi Recordings)

In fact, this isn't even one of last week's releases, it came out on 25 Oct, so in dance music terms it's only got about two more weeks to go before we have to start calling it a 'classic'! But they did seem quite keen for a review, so here it is. The EP sees Mr Wood and chums ploughing a typically leftfield furrow across four tracks. The spazzed-out electro/house/disco/techno pot pourri that is Raw When In Rome is a highlight, but check for the La Roux-biting I'm Going In, too.

Out Now

About Visit Star-Fi online here.

Claude Monnet

I'm Freak (Analog)

Another one that I couldn't overlook cos the PR peeps were very keen... but then again I wouldn't want to, cos here Mr Monnet serves up a very likeable slab of bouncy house with (quite slight) disco-y overtones. It's more about the grins on the dancefloor than any great depth, TBH, but with six mixes to choose from – including rubs from techno-house man of the moment Uner and Seamless chappy Graham Sahara – it's well worth investigating if

you're looking for a sure-fire energy raiser.

Out Now (but only for a week this time)

About Analog Records is Claude's own label (or rather one of his labels, he also has one called SSOH Records). Find out more by visiting his website.

Various

35 Graus EP (Sol Recordings0

This one comes on a brand new label, Sol Recordings, so had to get a mention for that reason alone; but it's not GETTING a mention for that reason alone, if you see what I mean, it's getting a mention cos it's really rather good. Four tracks, all essentially in a deep house vein, with a nice mix of well-known names (Moodymanc and Rick Wade) and the less well-known (Lulu Gaultier and Sol founder A Marques). Marques' own New Orleans is jazz-tinged, Wade's Deepnights is more funkified and Gaultier's Rue Du Paradis is in a more straight-up late-night house mode, so there's a nice range of flavas across the EP.

Out Now

About Marques says of Sol's music policy: "Sol will release underground club music with many influences: jazz, soul, funk, house, etc. It's hard to define the exact sound of the music as there are too many good vibes around to be confined to just one style". So now, you know… sort of. Anyway you can find out more at their website or HEAR some of their shizzle (including tracks from this EP) at their Soundcloud page.

Rulers Of The Deep

Fettle (Manchester Underground Music)

Not quite sure what the connection is between Manchester label MUM and Estonian deep house dons ROTD, but they've certainly been 'seen together' on several occasions. On this particular occasion, Fettle is a tough-ish slab of deep/tech house that comes in a whopping six mixes, mostly – as is MUM's wont and, indeed, stated aim – showcasing new talent – ie there's no big names here (beyond ROTD themselves, obviously), just plenty of cool tunes! I think for me the Nique Remix (doesn't that mean something rather rude in French?) is working the best, but they're all pretty good, to be fair.

Out Now

About Manchester Underground Music is a label that aims to give aspiring young producers a chance to work with/alongside more established names, thus getting a foot on the ladder. MUM's recent output has been largely of a techno bent, hence they've not featured on here as much as when they were doing more house-y stuff, but it's a laudable mission so show some love by visiting their MySpace.

Edmund - Big Time, plus FREE mix

Have to admit to being a couple of weeks late with this one, but I couldn't let a deep houser of this quality go uncommented on. Edmund AKA Diego Villar Ibero is, as regular iDJ/TIWWD readers will be aware, one of my favourite deep house producers on the scene right now and this does nothing to alter that.

Now, admittedly, you couldn't exactly call Big Time ground-breaking or anything – it IS pretty much par-for-the-course deep house fare. But if you've got any kind of problem with straight-up deep house when it's as groovy, rollin' and funk-driven as this, then you're probably reading the wrong blog… with a Tyree Cooper-esque spoken vocal courtesy of one Sacha D'Flame, this is D'Bomb!

Out: Since Oct 18. Oops.

About: Like I said, Edmund is an old fave of this blog, but this marks something of a step up for the boy from San Sebastian, cos it comes on the venerable i! Records, home also to Todd Edwards and Kevin Yost. Here's the i! website and here's the i! entry on Discogs just in case you're in need of a quick history lesson…

Best of all, you can HEAR THIS as part of this rather excellent mix of Edmund's… which you can also download for free! (Big Time starts at 33:00 or thereabouts)

Edmund Nov´10 - Deep House Mix by Connected Musik

This week's releases pt1

Not had much blogging time free this week, so now it's the weekend, let's try and catch up with some of the past week's single releases, shall we?

Alex Gomez & Bias

Revolution

To me, Wally Lopez's Factoria imprint is always at its best on those releases with less of a tribal, more a straight-up house bent, and so it is here. Four mixes to choose from: the jaunty, strutting original, a more teched-out rub from Kolombo and two slightly deeper mixes from Brothers Vibe. The latter would be my pick but it's a solid bet whichever mix you plump for.

Out: This week

About: You can HEAR/BUY this at the Factoria website

Erphun & Subfractal

Dopamine

This is about as techno as TIWWD ever cares to get… but as techno goes, Dopamine is pretty groovy, in dark, druggy kinda way. B-side Substance Abuse is in a similar vein. Not much more to say really, it's just Saturday night dancefloor workout bizniss.

Out: This week

About: This is the debut release on Brood Audio, which is Erphun's own brand spanking new label based in sunny Los Angeles.

Lemos

Beat Of This, Beat Of That EP

I don't think D'Julz's Bass Culture has put a foot wrong for me yet. This, their 11th release, comes from Athens-based multi-instrumentalist Lemos and is another fine slab of deep house, perhaps on a slightly techier tip than normal but still certain to keep floors moving. Four separate tracks on offer, with the trippy, twisted disco-prog of the aptly-named Freaquent my pick, though the stabs on Output warrant some attention too.

Out: This week

About: You can hear this at the Bass Culture MySpace, or here's their actual website

Lewis B

Dark Clouds

Don't seem to have had any dubstep on here lately (er, apart from the Diplo comp) so let's remedy that with this fine offering from Lewis B. One from the deeper end of the dubstep spectrum, it's a mellow affair flirts with jazz as well as having a decidedly garage-y feel, and as such is probably one for the older heads rather than the trucker-capped kiddies… which is of course a very good thing. Is this what they're calling 'future garage'? Cos that's not a term I've really understood yet, I don't think. But whatever you want to call it, let's have more of this and less of the Stella'd-up horror soundtrack rubbish, shall we?

Out: Actually, it just says November. So if not sometime in the past six days, then sometime in the next 24. If I've counted right.

About: This is on Smokin' Sessions, a label that's been pushing the deeper, more musical side o of dubstep for a while - very satisfactorily, to these ears. Can't seem to find a website as such but you can HEAR a load of their shizzle at Juno.

Some albums, quickly

Just time to rattle through a few recent long-players…

H.O.S.H

Connecting The Dots (Diynamic)

The debut full-length from H.O.S.H, for several years a mainstay of Solomun's label Diynamic. You know the kind of house/techno-fusion stuff you're expecting? Well, you'd be right: this is archetypal Berlin fare, admittedly. But it's high-quality, house-y Berlin fare, easily living up to the high expectations raised by H.O.S.H's (and Diynamic's) previous output. If you don't like deep house/techno that's variously jacking, acidic, Afrofunkifried, melancholic, euphoric, driving or any combination thereof, you won't like this album. If you do, you will. Simples. Out: Er, now-ish.

Diplo

Blow Your Head Vol 1: Diplo Presents Dubstep (Mad Decent/Co-op)

Two things everyone seems to agree on: 1. Dubstep is one of the most exciting new genres to have emerged in the past decade, if not THE most. 2. But there's too many very same-y tracks around in that big stoopid wobble gnarliness kinda vein. Well, here's a slightly more varied interpretation, as showcased by Diplo (who is of course one half of Major Lazer, whose Hold The Line features here, in Skream Remix form). With a pleasingly stylistically-diverse selection of tracks/mixes from the likes of Benga, Joker, Brackles and (even) Borgore, for keeping an ear to the ground it'll do nicely, though with tracks like Doctor P's Sweet Shop and Rusko's Cockney Thug the selection might be a tad obvious for true dubstep scene-sters. But if you're a mere dilettante like me, that shouldn't matter too much. Out: Yesterday

Various Artists

Masters Series Vol 2

(Endemic Digital)

…and back to the deep, jackin' tech-house we go! I'm writing this review now, and this music is making me want to be in a smoky, strobe-lit basement. Not just, like, sitting there on my own, trying to write a blog review on my laptop, I don't mean. That'd be stupid, not to mention a strain on the eyesight. No, I mean dancin', and that. In fact I am a bit now, in my seat. How's that for a new buzz internet acronym: IBSHALBODCO (I blogged so hard, a little bit of dance came out)? I'd tell you who's on the record but I seriously doubt you've heard of many of 'em, except Pretty Criminals who are definitely on my personal ones to watch list at the mo'). Just buy it, and turn it up loud. Out: November 8

Inland Knights freebie!

To promote their soon-come compilation Inland Bites, those lovable deep house scallywags Inland Knights are giving away a free track. What are you waiting for?

GET IT HERE

(You'll need to sign up for their newslettermebob, by the way)

MANIK - McLovin' You

A four-tracker here from Culprit, a label we don't seem to have heard from in a while… and it's a very welcome return cos this is one of the best things I've been sent in, ooh, several weeks.

In fact, it's so good it doesn't deserve to have me waffling shit about it, so I won't. Suffice to say there's four cuts of the finest quality deep house, three aimed fair and square at the dancefloor and one (Jazzabella) more of a late night thang, and you really should go and buy it immediately.

Can't make it much plainer than that, really.

Out: Today

About: MANIK is a 24-year-old New Yorker who despite his tender years has already had releases on the very respected likes of Ovum, 2020Vision, four:twenty and Poker Flat. Find out more at his MySpace. The actual Culprit website, meanwhile, appears to be out of action at the mo', so here's a profile on Resident Advisor.

DJ EQ - Neo Tokyo EP

Not sure if Sean Biddle's Bid Muzik has ever featured on this blog before, but they've been doing their very best lately to spearhead a disco-house revival, with releases coming thick and fast, so it's about time we showed some love.

Admittedly, one or two Bid Muzik releases have wandered too far into the realms of mere late 90s filter-disco pastiche. This, though, treads a slightly less obvious/immediate path, and hence is all the more satisfying - and with four equally playable tracks on offer, it's also good VFM. All four come on like a slightly more understated Joey Negro (minus vocals), but could still fairly be described as peaktime workouts. You'd want the crowd to be moving already, but if they are then drop a track or two from this EP and watch the energy shift up a notch!

Out: As long ago as Oct 22! So I'm nine days late – I hang my head in shame.

About: You can find out more about Bid Muzik at Sean Biddle's MySpace, though it doesn't look to have been updated for a while; they've presumably been too busy turning out singles at a rate of knots.