Giorgio Moroder Vs Martin Brodin - The Chase 2011

Okay, so you all know what The Chase sounds like. You also ought to know by now the kind of nu-disco groove Martin 'Deeplay' Brodin has been working of late.

Well, then, imagine a discofied refix of The Chase for house and nu-disco floors, and you're not going to be far off, are you? No. You're not. The B-side is home to a slightly more spaced-out Dub, as is only fitting.

Out: Last week, sorry. I didn't put it in the round-up thingy cos, stylistically, it didn't quite fit. So here it is now.

About: I should point out that this is not some 'cheeky bootie' but rather a proper, officially Moroder-sanctioned remake, and it's on Brodin's own label MB Disco, who can be found on MySpace and Soundcloud. Hit up the latter for a free one-hour label mix, which is always nice. In fact sod it, here it is (the label mix, I mean):

MB DISCO label mix vers 1 by MB DISCO

Andhim - Like A Wirsing

I'm struggling to tell you much about this one… I like it, in fact I like it a lot, but how you'd describe it, I'm not quite sure.

But if I were to try… well okay, it's essentially a tech-house cut, only not as moody and serious as that implies. You know all that ker-razy Balkan gypsy jazz-inflected shizzle that's been doing the rounds? Well, this is nothing like that, but it does have a similar kind of jauntiness about it. If the Oompah-Loompahs from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory went to the fairground, in Berlin, fired up on Red Bull and Class A's… well, that's the closest I can get, really.

Hang on, that's getting a bit too surreal. So let's settle for a jaunty, rollicking, lolloping tech-houser with tons of energy and a big silly grin on its face, shall we? Or, I could compare it to the work of Enzo Siffredi, or Pleasurekraft, to which it's not entirely dissimilar.

However you describe it, though, I defy you not to bounce around the room when you hear it. There's a not-that-remixed remix from Hanne & Lore as well, while bonus cut Extragold ploughs a similar furrow, so the above comments apply all round, really.

Oh yeah, and 'Wirsing' turns out to be German for Savoy cabbage, in case you were wondering. Though I wouldn't say this sounds much like one, particularly.

Out: This week

About: This is on techno gal Monika Kruse's Terminal M, and the hype sheet describes it as 'Terminal M go house'. Does that help? And Andhim have apparently had stuff out on Great Stuff, Kling Klong and Wasabi, all labels which have cropped up on here numerous times. Anyway, for now here's the Terminal M website to look at.

Various/Sare Havlicek – Nu Disco Apres Ski

This is probably my most-played album of the past couple of months, so for that reason I'm not gonna bang on too much, except to say that

a) it's mixed by Sare Havlicek, who's rapidly acquiring 'Don' status in nu-disco circles

b) it's got cuts from various nu-disco faves like The Love Supreme, D-Pulse and Kotey Extra Band, plus a host of more up-and-coming names. Hell, even the mighty Blaze make an appearance.

and

c) it's completely freaking ACE and you should stop what you're doing, log onto a download store of your choice and buy it, immediately.

Out: This came out last week, but I got distracted, sorry!

About: This is the latest in the Music For Cocktails series - the 14th according to the press release, although how that squares up with the catalogue number (MFC008) I'm not entirely sure.

Da Funk - Zurich, Switzerland

Apparently this is the fifth DJ mix comp in a series called Dutchie Worldwide, but I must confess it's the first I've seen, or heard. No matter though, cos I can think of few better places to start than with a set by Acryl Music boss Daniel 'Da Funk' Kneubühler, who here presents a 13-track journey through various shades of deep house.

With cuts from Harold Heath, Jay Tripwire and Joeski, plus Acryl faves like Stan Kolev, Timo Camillo and of course Da Funk himself, it's the proverbial 'thing that requires no brain', really. Here's a Beatport player (if it works, never posted one of these before):

and here's a link to the Da Funk website just in case the player doesn't show up in your browser for some reason.

Out: Now

About: This is on a Florida-based label called Dutchie Music - here's their MySpace and here they are on Discogs (no mention of Dutchie Worldwide 1-4, you'll notice, but I'm pretty sure it's the same label given the artists involved)

Overwhelmed! A round-up

Okay, this isn't ideal by any means, but there's just SO much good house music coming out right now… and this weekend as well as babbling gibberish on here, I've got another 160+ downloads sat in my inbox waiting, plus some actual proper work to do… something's got to give!

So suffice to say, all these are well worthy of your attention, all of them are out this week, and all of them are in a deep and/or tech house kinda vein…beyond that you'll just have to click the links and do some digging!

David Alvadaro & Luca Baccheti – The Remix EP on Ovum

Andrea Loche – Lu Suerte on Erase Records

Harry Knuckles – High Life on Jump Records

(can't find a link, any ideas anyone?)

Hermanez – Plastic Confidence on Kling Klong

Maurice Aynard - Dimensiones Impossibles on Galaktika Records

and

Premiesku – Hooman EP on All Inn Records

Apologies to the labels/artists concerned, because all of these really deserve a write-up on their own. I would if I had time but I've not, sadly, so I figured, better to prop six great records quickly, than go into one or two in depth and let the rest go ignored…

PS Just by chance I noticed this is the 650th review posted on TIWWD, which makes me feel a little bit less lazy…

Murad L AKA The Craftsmen - Shifting Frequencies EP

Only the sixth release from SOWAT Music, which has recently relocated from LA to Istanbul in Turkey. As you do.

The original of Shifting Frequencies is a deep tech-house number with just a hint of (nu) disco in the synth sounds, and really rather groovy. Remix-wise there are two from Asad Rizvi, and one from Predator. Rizvi's Deep And Spacey Remix is fairly self-explanatory, while his Silverlining Club Mix adds a nice (and slightly wonky) bump to proceedings. Predator's rub comes on like early progressive house from before it started to get boring (ie about 1992/3 - this wouldn't have sounded out of place on Guerrilla or Cowboy).

You also get two mixes of Good Times. The original is an upbeat and driving deep house cut with spoken vocal snips, while Candy Dealers (AKA Jay West and So Sound fave Christian Malloni) chunk it up considerably in an East Midlands kinda stylee, and throw in an extended yelp that recalls Spank Spank's classic Freak It, which of course was on Guerrilla.

If forced to pick a fave, I think it's between the Dealers' rub of Good Times or Rizvi's of Shifting Frequencies for me, but this is a very strong EP all round. Constantinople fruits: made to make your mouth water!*

Out: This week

About: SOWAT, says the hype sheet, "is filled with ambition, looking to merge its desire to release from an eclectic, high quality pool of house music producers, with an interest in visual arts and social activism". Here's their website, although they're apparently "away chasing flying pigs" so here's their MySpace as well.

* For the benefit of Americans, young people etc: Starburst used to be called Opal Fruits in the UK, and marketed under the slogan 'made to make your mouth water'. And Istanbul used to be called Constantinople. See what I did now?

Affani - Back To The Old School

A two-track EP here from Affani, who I THOUGHT was a new name to me, although he’s apparently had stuff out previously on the likes of Twisted Frequency (which means I must have heard some of it) and Catch 22.

Nocturnal Recordings is known for its filtered goodtime disco-house vibes from the likes of Sean Biddle, and so it is here, but Affani, on this EP at least, takes a slightly tuffer, more jacking approach. The title track features a cut-up, looping disco riff, while Don’t Stop is a simple rolling-type affair; both should easily find favour with fans of Sneak, Carter et al, although both are more set-building tools than peaktime standouts in their own right. To these ears, anyway... but make your own mind up, obviously!

Out: This week

About: Nocturnal Recordings is run by Steve Mac and chums, and you can find out more from the label's MySpace.

Morning Factory - Echo's Of Jazz EP

A three-track EP of deep, chuggy instrumental house, with distinct echoes of jazz… as the poorly-spelled title implies. That's 'echoes', boys, not 'echo's'…

0/10 for spelling, then, but I'd say about 8/10 for the record.

And they are German, or Polish, or something, so we'll let them off.

Out: This week

About: This is from fledgling label Pets Recordings, run by Catz N' Dogz and not to be confused with Slok's label Electronic Petz. They don't seem to have a website but you can find Catz N' Dogz on Soundcloud.

DJ Whisky - Boni Mores

This is the latest from Brett Jackson's WOT! Recordings label. The WOT! premise is simple: Jackson picks the finest production talent from his native South Africa, and helps them get a leg up onto the international stage by hooking them up with more established names.

So it is here, as Mandla Sibiya, AKA DJ Whisky, gets remixed by Martin 'Atjazz' Iveson. Included are no fewer than three Atjazz mixes of Boni Mores, plus the original. You also get original and Mphoza remixes of bonus cut Believe In It.

When we did a feature on South African house in iDJ last year we pointed out that, while South Africa has definitely 'emerged' onto the global house scene in a big way, there are two quite separate things going on. There are those artists whose take on house is hugely influenced, defined even, by their South African-ness; then there are those whose style is less region-specific. Boni Mores is more from the latter school of thought: there's a slightly tribal-istic feel to the drums maybe, particularly on the original, but on the whole you could hear this and it could come from anywhere.

But that's a good thing, if you're me. See, complicated hand percussion and breathless chants don't do a lot for me; quality deep house music does. And that's just what you'll find here.

Out: Yesterday (January 24)

About: You can find out more about WOT! Recordings at their MySpace page, or there's a little write-up on them at an excellent little website I just found this minute, DeepHouseLabels.com. Oh, and also check out label boss Brett Jackson's podcasts, why dontcha?

D'Zeta & Basile - Domino Effect EP

Let's start the week with an easy one… easy in the sense that this is a bit of a no-brainer for all you deep house lovers. Not only does it come from one of the most reliable production teams currently working in the genre, there's a remix from Karol XVII & MB Valence, another duo who are seemingly incapable of putting a foot wrong.

Domino Effect doesn't, admittedly, do anything hugely innovative, but it's a pleasing midtempo dancefloor chugger, with a nice raw sound to the main, minor key piano hook. B-Side Before The Mess is even better, a somewhat more sedate, late-night affair and deep as ya like, before Karol & MB take it back to the dancefloor with more upbeat percussion and an overall looser, swung feel.

Like I said, a no-brainer for deep house buyers.

Out: This week

About: D'Zeta & Basile answer to the names of Davide and Claudio, once they get home and take off their deep house superhero costumes. Previous releases have come on labels like 1Trax and Seamless, but this is on Loco Records, which is in fact Karol XVII and MB Valence's own label, based in Warsaw. Here's the Loco website and MySpace.

Free Alf Tumble house classics mix

Just got sent a link to this rather nice mix by Alf Tumble, boss of Heya Hifi, packed full of classic house tunes.

Here's the mix, first of all…

Housetape (1 hour mix) by Alf Tumble

…and here's Alf's Soundcloud page to check out some more of his own and Heya Hifi's shizzle

Penner & Muder - Speak Your Mind EP

At first, this reminded me of Robert Owens' I Go Back; then, all of a sudden, it started reminding me of Lazy. "So it's a quirky, midtempo house thing with a semi-spoken vocal, then?" I hear you ask. Well, yes it is.

And it's rather good, too. I suggest you go and find yourself a copy immediately. Remixes come from Axel Boman, Kitty Ballroom and Jef K & Gwen Mace, with Boman's rubs, for me, just nudging ahead of the rest of a very strong pack.

Out: This week

About: This is on Sasse's label Moodmusic, who you can find online here, and is taken from Penner & Muder's album Same Monkeys, Different Zoo, which came out last summer.

Husky - Soul Of Sydney EP

The clue's in the title with Bringin' It Back, a slab of good old-fashioned disco/funk-fuelled house in Salted's traditional west coast stylee, that will delight those floors that aren't full of 18-year-olds on ketamine. The vocal's a male, semi-spoken affair that sounds almost as much like Tyree Cooper as Tyree Cooper does, and other than that I've not much else to say about that one really, it's just a jazz-flecked slice of sunshine, in four mixes that, to be honest, don't vary a huge amount.

It's complimented by two mixes of Soulfire, which in its original form is like a slightly deeper take on the above, with a Jamaican vocal urging you to "set your soul on fire", which I have to say sounds like a slightly foolhardy move to me. Husky's own RSR Rub then injects a little dancefloor bump, making for my fave cut of the EP.

Out: This week

About: This is on Migs' Salted imprint; to find out more, visit the Salted website.

Nikko Z - Happy 80'z

As we've just looked at this week's offering from Endemic Digital, now seems as good a time as any to check out the latest from sister label Stripped.

Happy 80'z is in a proggier vein than the Kirill Ivanov, but it's the kind of prog that'll appeal to deep and tech house heads as well. There are six mixes in total, from Max Mason, Nikk 3010, Joelle Atkins and Daneel, but I'm not going to go into each one individually; suffice to say if you're looking for something for those lost-in-music kinda moments on a late dancefloor, you'll very likely find something to suit here.

Out: This week

About: Find out more about Stripped Digital at the label's MySpace page.

Oh yeah, and don't be put off by the cover/title cos, to be honest, there's nothing particularly '80'z' about this one at all.

Kirill Ivanov - Blueberry Nights EP

An excellent EP of forward-thinking house music from this brand new producer.

The EP consists of four tracks. Like A Dummy is a driving, percussive tech-houser with strong elements of jazz/swing and a Tarantula-like synth hook, Blueberry Night is more of a deep and proggy affair, and there's more jackin' tech in the form of Amazonia before the lilting tones of 10pm Cafe, with its looping, lounge-y keys, bring the EP to a close.

For a debut release, it has to be said that this is very impressive stuff indeed. More soon, please!

Out: This week

About: This is the latest from the always-reliable Endemic Digital.

What we missed pt 2

So, continuing with last week's best-of:

Craig Stewart

Make Me EP
Another winner out of the excellent Acryl stable. It’s perhaps a tad more ‘accessible’ than much of the Swiss imprint’s usual ultra-deep output, but only a tad – no need to run away screaming! And in any case, the Numb Soul Remix of Make Me (the lead of two tracks, presented in a total of five mixes), courtesy of label boss Da Funk, should keep the Acryl sofa-surfing faithful more than satisfied.

Out: Last week

About: Find out more about Acryl Music here

Jey Kurmis

N.O. EP
A three-tracker packed with funk-laden tech-house nuggets, of which the title track is probably the strongest, although the

slightly freakier Yoghertz gives it a run for its money.

Out: Last week

About: This comes courtesy of Wow! Records and is their 22nd release. Jey Kurmis hails from the northeast of England and is also known as Gashy. You can find him on Soundcloud.

Lisa C

Let It Go
Label manager at UKG label back in the day, Lisa C has been in and around the industry for years, also heading up the Vinyl Vixens DJ collective. She’s done some electro and UK funky stuff lately, but Let It Go is a surprisingly delicate-sounding house number, with a vocal from the Louise Rhodes/Sarah Cracknell school of thought, and Ibiza-y drums that don’t go overboard.

Out: Last week

About: It doesn’t actually say what label this is on, which is a bit rubbish. But it is on iTunes, apparently.

Yella Finesse
Knew Disco EP
The second-best EP title of the month (I’m not saying what the best one is… yet), albeit slightly misleading in that I’d describe its contents as disco-house rather than nu-disco. It’s pretty good though, and not as cheesy as you might fear. Go for the original if you want soaring string samples and filtered vox a-gogo, or the Pardon My French mix if you want it a bit more cut-up and jackin’.

Out: Last week

About: This is only the second release on DJ EQ’s fledgling US disco-house label Stardust Records, whose online presence at the moment seems to consist of a Facebook page and a Soundcloud page where you can currently HEAR THIS

Last week I wasn't around, here's what we missed

Okay, firstly a big apology that it’s been a whole week since I last wrote on here! What can I tell you, a combination of things have been conspiring against me: toothache, iDJ singles deadlines and, oh yes, actually going out on a Saturday night for once (to see Simon Lee from Faze Action play a killer disco/boogie set @ The Big Chill in Bristol). Which was nice (the going out dancing bit, I mean – not the toothache and deadlines bit so much)

But anyway, we’re back now, so let’s quickly round-up some of last week’s best releases…

B-Max

My Angel
A lovely little joint sitting somewhere between deep house and nu-disco, with remixes from Andrew Benson, Domestic Technology and (my pick) Claas Rosen.

Out: Last week

About: This comes atcha on Spring Tube Records, who from a guick web search would appear to be a prog-inclined label run by some Russians in New York. Can’t see to find a website but you can hear their radio show on Di.FM.

Tuccillo

Shell Obsession EP

A three-tracker featuring the cuts C'Mon Babe, Gold Curtain and Salty Shell. Think the kind of drummy, tech-informed house that comes from Berlin and works well in Ibiza, and you're definitely warm, but there are touches here and there (the acid squelches on Gold Curtain, the hint of Vasquez-ish NY tribal garage on C'Mon Babe) that elevate this EP above the purely functional.

Out: Last week

About: This is on Tania Vulcano and Tato's label Isgud Records. Find out more at the Isgud website or MySpace.

Tracks

Long Train Running
This early 80s take on the Doobie Brothers classic gets a housed-up refix from Misteralf (or rather three of 'em), in a suprisingly deep and non-cheesy fashion. Label boss Jamie Lewis provides a remix that's like synthy nu-disco gone all jackin', and that.

Out: Last week

About: Switzerland's Purple Music, Inc are of course one of Europe's longest-running providers of traditional vocal house and garage, so need little intro. But I should stress this is nowhere near as 'funky house'-tastic as you might expect!

D00SH

Sounds of Juan EP
Oliver in its Original form is more of the kind of rolling, tech house vibes that've been floating TIWWD's boat so enjoyably this past year or two: a proper dancefloor workout for those 'lost in music, in a basement, circa 4am' moments. I'd dig Rye Paw's slightly techier refix more if it didn't do frankly unnecessary things with a ring mod halfway through, while bonus cut Nights Of Freedom is also very playable, with a slightly proggier vibe.

Out: Last week

About: This is the very first release from Sounds of Juan, a new label under the Endemic umbrella which promises to cater for "all 'tech' from tech-house to hard techno". Well, hard techno isn't really TIWWD's bag, as you may have guessed by now, but good luck to 'em anyway!

Right, that'll do it for this evening I think – another quick 'last week' round-up thing tomorrow and then we'll be back up to speed.

Luv Jam - Mind Music

Music for the mind indeed, as We Love… resident Mind Jam drops a five-track EP packed with some seriously deep goodness.

Of the five tracks it's Alyn, Bryan and Just For You that will probably be of most interest, being three ultra-deep housers with a decidedly futuristic/space age feel – a perfect aural backdrop for those journeys into deep space from the comfort of your sofa! Rounding out the EP are Keyth and Mykel, two more downtempo cuts, the former in slo-mo house kinda vein and the latter a more experimental/arty piece that's heavy on the raw analogue synth sounds.

All round, some fine electronic music that will be of particular interest to all the sound-sculptors out there.

Out: This week

About: This is the latest from the ever-prolific and always-checkable Electric Sheep Recordings.

Enzo Siffredi is taking over the world

...so don't say I didn't warn you! Here, we have not one but THREE releases, all out round about now and all testifying to this UK-based producer's general top-of-his-gameness right now.

First up, there's the I Don't Care remixes, out for a couple of weeks now on Erase. This sees Mr Siffredi scattering his trademark swing/gypsy jazz magic dust over a slightly more upbeat backing than normal, on a cut that should see silly dancefloor antics galore. The remixes in question come from The Chosen Two (techier, less of the trumpets and clarinets) and (my pick) the ever-checkable A/D/S/R.

Out: Since 29 Dec

About: Find out more by visiting the Erase website.

Next up, there's One For The Ladies, which comes atcha on Wired Records.

This is more of the same, really, another rolling little swing-infused dancefloor jaunt. Just the one mix so there really isn't huge amounts to say about this one, other than that it'll do the damage for sure.

Out: This week, exclusively through Beatport.

About: There are about five different labels called Wired that I can find via a Google or Discogs search… none of which are this one. So sorry, no link this time.

Dance music entrepreneur types: how hard is is to a) check on Discogs whether your potential artist/label name has already been used by half a dozen people and b) provide a URL in your promo materials? Just a thought...

Anyway, that grumble aside, finally there's the G-Swing Remixes 12, which features two mixes, the Payme House Dub and the Basement Freaks Remix. The former is, well, yet MORE of the same really: house + swing + bags of energy = silly grins on the dancefloor. But as if to prove Siffredi isn't a one-trick pony, the Basement Freaks Remix sees G-Swing reworked into something more in-your-face, young-sounding… dare I say it, even a little bassline/electro-ish around the edges?

Which is a good thing, because while Siffredi is most definitely one to watch right now, he needs to not put QUITE all his eggs in the one Beiderbeckian basket, methinks - some script-flipping must surely be in order soon. For now, though, his signature style is working for me just fine…

Out: This week

About: This one also comes atcha on Erase.

Oh and before we go, here's Siffredi's own MySpace and Soundcloud page.

DJ Spen presents Assurance - And Be Glad In It

One for the traditionally-inclined here, as the former Basement Boy serves up a jaunty, rollicking little male/female gospel-inspired vocal number in a similar vein to Praise Cats' Shined On Me or, more recently, Chieko Kinbarra's Saved My Life.

Not got huge amounts to say about this one; as I said, it's very, very trad-sounding and as such won't be for everyone, but if trad is what you're looking for, then with Spen at the controls you know you won't be disappointed. Mix-wise, you get straight up Vocal, Dub and Instrumental mixes, plus a brace of DP1 B More Stomp mixes which strip down the vocal, add a JBs-ish breakbeat and might just take this cut to a wider audience than the soulful house mafia.

Out: This week

About: This is on Spiritual Sound, an offshoot of Spen's own Code Red Recordings.

Marc Romboy Vs Blake Baxter - Muzik

Fresh from his iDJ Top Tune-winning collaboration with Stefan Bodzin, Drei Monde, here the Systematic boss teams up with Detroit legend Blake Baxter for another surefire dancefloor destroyer that should work for house and techno jocks alike.

There are two mixes on offer. Baxter's remix of Romboy's Muzik has Sneak-ish disco loops underpinning the 'back to the old school'-type spoken male vocal, while the KiNK Dub of the same is a more overtly techno affair in a Cajual-esque kinda vein – just listen to those militant snares! – with a little added organ parpery thrown in.

Romboy/Systematic have been on fire lately. Blake Baxter is probably my favourite techno artist of all time. So apologies to anyone who was hoping I wouldn't love this, cos you're going to be disappointed...

Out: This week

About: I suppose I should probably mention this is available on very limited vinyl (3oo copies)... if you want to get hold of one, you might want to start your search at the Systematic website. And here's their MySpace as well.

Skeptical - Dream Police/Sphere

For those of a certain age, I get to say, "No, not a dubstep cover of the Cheap Trick 70s 'classic', thankfully"… for everyone under the age of 30 who doesn't know what I'm on about, never mind, suffice to say this is some quality, thinking man's dubstep. Or at least I'd call it dubstep, though the press release is touting it as 'future D&B'.

But I'm calling it dubstep, so nyah.

Not gonna wax too lyrical as I'd be the first to admit I'm no great expert on dubstep, but if stupid gnarly-for-gnarly's-sake warping basslines and iffy AutoTune'd trance-style vocals aren't your thing, take solace in this uncompromising slab of techno-dub. It's, er, rude. Or something. I'm slightly preferring Sphere to Dream Police I think, but both are worth checking.

Out: This week

About: This is on new-ish (est 2009) London-based label Ingredients.

Nick Olivetti & Chase Buch - Last Beats From Twickenham EP

A six-track EP that straddles the house/techno border and should keep ’em moving nicely. There's nothing here that does anything especially groundbreaking, admittedly, but between them Essa Hei, Don't Stop, Bebop and the three mixes of Tu Droga (Original, Acumen, Danilo Vigorito) should do the damage on the floor, with Tu Droga leaning more towards the techno side of the equation while the soulful inflections of Bebop and discoid flourishes of Don't Stop make those the picks for the house crew.

Out: This week

About: London duo Olivetti & Buch have previously appeared on the Munich Disco Tech series on Germany's Great Stuff, but this is on sister label Kling Klong. As well as the website you can find Kling Klong on MySpace and on Soundcloud

Edmund feat Natasha Watts - Fantasy

Another one where I'm not sure of the release date. But hey, it's my boy Diego, AKA Edmund, so we'll review it anyway.

I've been banging on for ages about how good Edmund's stuff is, both on here and in the pages of iDJ. So I won't wax too lyrical right now, suffice to say that this sees him in full vocal mode for a change, but is just as good as his usual deeper, instrumentally-inclined shizzle. It's proof that, contrary to what the efforts of some producers would lead you to believe, it IS still possible in 2011 to do 'soulful' without going all lame-ass and wishy-washy… oh, and there are 12 mixes on offer, from (deep breath) Doobie J & Rob Capewell, Lee Tristram, Ray Paxon, Seb Skalski, House Device, Carlos Vargas, Mojito and DJ Bassi, so if you can't find something to play on this release, then you probably don't like house music very much and I'm quite surprised you're even reading this blog.

Out: Now, almost certainly – but truth be told, any time between early November 2010 and July 17, 2036, for all I know. Tsk!

About: As I said, I've been bigging up Edmund for ages, so for now let's just talk about the label this is on, Daddy Funk 45, who seem to exist online mostly as a Soundcloud page. The label is run by the Soul Intention crew, and not to be confused with Ian Dewhirt's reissue label of the same name (Soul Intention, that is). Just in case you're confused. I was, for a bit.

Nathan C - Feelings

Gonna kick off this week by rattling through a few things that've been sitting on the hard drive for a while. All of these were sent with no release date, so they might be a few weeks old by now or they could not even be out yet. I don't know, cos the PR people didn't bother to tell me…

First up, then, there's this offering from Nathan C, a very trad-sounding houser with a full female vocal. If you can get past the slight aroma du fromage, then it's an enjoyable chunk of throwaway fun, with a decidedly mid-90s kinda stomp, though I'd stick to the more stripped-down Dirty Secretz mix, the Original having a little too much of the 'overblown prog pop' about it.

Out: Who can say? I got sent it at the end of November so I'm guessing some time between then and now...

About: Nathan C has had releases on labels like Stealth, Toolroom and Cr2, which should give you an idea of the kind of thing to expect. But this comes on UK label Glam Rox Recordings.

Asle - Easy Teasy Acid Drops EP

Acid. Fucking. House!

I'd like to leave this review right there, actually, but it'd look a bit odd. So I'll add that there are two tracks, Acid Drops and Easy Teasy, which each come in two mixes. Acid Drops is the one for the full-on back-to-Chicago-88 vibes, while Easy Teasy has a more contemporary feel, being an upbeat and driving tech-houser, but still with one foot firmly in the rave…

Oh yeah, and Asle himself describes this as "a kind of funky electro-ish club thing… a little detour from the more funky house stuff I am doing at the moment". So now you know.

Out: This week

About: This comes atcha on Blowout Records, which is Asle's own label and based in Copenhagen, Denmark. You can also visit Asle Bjorn's own MySpace.

Presslaboys - Incomplete

More midtempo tech-house chugginess here. Incomplete comes in Transition and Groove Dub mixes, both by Mike Montano. The former features vocal snips that may or may not be taken from Skyy's Here's To You (if they are, they've been heavily treated), subtle funky geetar stabs and a pulsing, forward-leaning rhythm that brings early Underworld to mind. The Groove Dub, meanwhile, is a more tripped-out, spacier and slightly less frenetic take.

There's a lot of music like this around at the moment – stripped, chuggy, Berlin-y – but still, Incomplete should keep your floor grooving along nicely. Job done, then.

Out: This week

About: This is on Australian label Kindred Sounds. Find out more by visiting their MySpace or Soundcloud page (where you can currently HEAR THIS as well)

Pete Moss - Top Of The Trees EP

Seems like a while since Seamless Black Label made an appearance on here, but now here they are again with this three-tracker from Moss, who some of you may recall from previous releases on Dessous, i! Records, Ovum, Glasgow Underground or Large Music.

Top Of The Trees itself is a pleasant, midtempo, slightly proggy deep house chugger. That's followed by Decoded Soul, a rather more organic and musical number with long, evolving synth washe, floaty, disembodied vocal snips and just the teeniest-tiniest hint of acid, before Wisdom brings the EP to a close with its no-nonsense house beats, steady groove and staccato Detroitian stabs.

All told, a solid EP that'll do SBL's burgeoning reputation no harm at all.

Out: This week

About: Find out more about Seamless Black Label at the Seamless website

Max Mason & Ed Lee - Vida

Some straight-up chuggy tech house bizniss here courtesy of Essex-based label Stripped Digital, as Messrs Mason & Lee provide a moody, heads-down groover from that part of the house spectrum where deep meets prog.

There are five mixes on offer, the original plus rerubs from Diego Poblets, Nikko Z, Bernie Allen and Tini Tun & Mau V, but none wander too far from the above blueprint. Still, if it ain't broke…

Out: This week

About: Find out more by visiting the Stripped Digital MySpace

Mikel Curcio - No Talking

This is the latest from Chris Fortier's label Fade. I always find that some of Fade's stuff is a bit too techno-y or a bit too proggy and floaty; but other times, they hit the house nail right on the head – as here.

Of course, even when they do, we're talking house from the techy/proggy end of the spectrum – again, as here. No Talking is a chuggy, midtempo instrumental affair that builds slowly into something a little more dramatic and sweeping than you might've been expecting. But not in an over-the-top 'horrible pretentious prog' kinda way you understand – I just mean that while it IS fairly chuggy, it doesn't get boring.

And as there's only the one mix promo'd, th-th-th-that's all, folks…

Out: Now (just)

About: Find Fade online here and here (website/MySpace)