Maksy - Jambon

Another label you can pretty much always rely on here – this is the latest from Denmark's excellent Gartenhaus.

Four tracks, and as we've come to expect from the Copenhagen crew, the deepest of house is the order of the day. Lenny's Groove is the most uptempo, most percussive and most obviously dancefloor of the four;
Remember Me provides the post-club/sofa-based listening, while Yeah Wa and Cracker sit somewhere between the two. Both of these last two flirt with garage-y tropes, too: the former with its chopped-up vox and a stuttery feel that recalls vintage Kerri Chandler/Madhouse productions, the latter in a more sumptuous, 'deep Jersey' kinda way.

And once again, it's a case of all killers, no fillers. Meget, meget godt, as I'm led to believe they say in Denmark.

Out: This week

About: Gartenhaus seem to live mostly on Facebook, as far as I can see… oh no hang on, here they are on Soundcloud as well

Middle Rhythm – Downtown EP

UK label Beats Me Music come up with the goods yet again! This time in the form of a five-track EP from Middle Rhythm, AKA Tom Pearson.

Lead track Ma Girl is a mellow kinda deep house joint, sporting a soulful male vocal sample and coming complete with a brace of more uptempo rubs from J Fader and label boss Rob Clarke. The two bonus cuts Dallas At Night and Bringin' Back Love, meanwhile, are both the kind of jazz-fuelled grooves that'll be home listening fodder for some folk, but that'll keep floors grooving in the more dedicated/specialist deep house clubs as well.

I think the sax-tastic Dallas At Night and Rob's mix of Ma Girl just edge it for me, but there's not a duff cut in sight. Chalk up another victory for the Eastbourne crew, then.

Out: This week

About: You can find Beats Me Music at their website or on Facebook… also take a peek at the TIWWD Facebook page where I've just posted their latest rather fine podcast.

Ivan Garci – Sunday Clouds EP

And speaking of 'the deep', few labels currently do deep better than Denver's 5 And Dime Recordings, who this week bring us this EP from Ivan Garci. The EP's made up of three originals, plus a remix of the title cut from label stalwart Zach DeVincent.

Generally speaking, 'very deep house' is the order of the day but looking at the tracks in more detail, Sunday Clouds itself is a midtempo, relaxed kind of affair, flecked with Spanish guitars and "welcome to the summer" vocal samples. The Mindfulness Remix from the aforesaid Mr DeVincent drops the vocal and six-strings, instead using a different vocal sample from a self-help/meditation tape and some nu-disco-ish synth flourishes on what ends up more of a late-night than a sunny afternoon rub.


El Aire then sees us back in Balearic-leaning territory, but this time with slightly crisper, pacier beats and an atmospheric breakdown in the middle, while finally Mi Ventana is a slightly more pumping joint… albeit that's 'pumping' in so far as very deep house ever can be!

5 And Dime on-point as ever, nuff said.

Out: Tomorrow (30 May)

About: 5 And Dime can be found at their website, on Facebook and on Soundcloud. Ivan Garci can mostly be found in Amsterdam, these days, though he originally hails from Barcelona.

Norm Talley – Travlin' EP

Okay, TIWWD is now back, back, BACK!* after a long and most relaxing weekend in sunny Wales. Remind me that I still owe you a round-up of the rest of last week's releases that I didn't get around to before I went, but right now time, tides and release schedules wait for no man, so let's crack on with this week's releases, starting with this three-tracker from Norm Talley.

Talley is a Detroit producer who's been in the game for over 25 years, and his experience and production knowledge certainly shine through here. Analog Dreams works a VERY familiar vocal sample (I won't spoil it) over militant snare-heavy riddims, ION is a deeper, more late-night houser with a jazzy kinda vibe and finally Travlin' itself sees the Detroit influences come to the fore beats-wise while a meandering, mournful sax line brings the musicality.

Three very different tracks, then, but all three are of the highest quality, making this something of a must-check for all lovers of the deep.

Out: This week on vinyl, next week digitally

About: This is only the fifth release from London-based label Landed Records… to find out more about 'em visit their website or hit 'em up on Facebook.

*Cheesy phrasing © Smash Hits, 1980s

Huxley & Sam Russo – Jamma's Basement

Okay, last one for tonight… last one for a few days, probably, cos TIWWD is going away for a long weekend's R&R and Mrs TIWWD thinks that should involve a bit less time hunched over a laptop and a bit more time actually talking to her and stuff! She's right, of course, but I couldn't go away without telling you about this one.

Leftroom seem to have a knack of always being just that little bit ahead of the curve, and this team-up between two currently v. hot producers is no exception. Jamma's Basement WOULD be a fairly standard deep/tech workout, were it not for the use of a big, boomin' bass that harks all the way back to the hardcore days; I'd suggest there's a dubstep/bass music influence there too. Top that off with vocal stabs both female (ethereral, garage-y) and male (tribal, chanty), and you've got an anthem in the making.

Over on the B, meanwhile, William's Trainers starts out, again sounding like your standard techy chugger (albeit your standard techy chugger done very well)… but then in come the organs – big, Jersey-ish organs – and it's game over.

It took these two tracks a day or two to sink in with me, but now they have, I'm thinking this is very possibly the best release of the week, and that's something I very rarely say.

Out: This week

About: This actually comes on sub-label Leftroom Ltd, not Leftroom itself, though quite what the difference is I'm not sure. Anyway they can be found on Facebook… their website seems to be doing something strange at the mo'.

Jesus Pablo & Sean Danke – Mojo

Our man from Liverpool teams up with Sean Danke from Reykjavik here, for a track coming on Headset Recordings in three mixes.

The Original rides a jaunty, toppy rhythm, over which are layered piano chords, organ stabs, fairly subdued synths and, as the track goes on, some shakers as well – all told it doesn't 'do' huge amounts but it'll get those asses shakin' on the floor mos' def. On remix duties, Robot Needs Oil give us a pass that's scattered with hand percussion throughout and adds some great Hammond organ action – it's proper wiggy, daddio! – while Daniel Allen's rub is more straight-ahead and driving, with a euphoric, building vibe overall and just the tiniest hints of prog around the edges.

From a label and a producer (Pablo) that seldom disappoint, here's a track that most certainly doesn't.

Out: This week

About: Headset Recordings are based in San Francisco, and are not to be confused with Boston's Headtunes, who Mr Pablo has also been known to work with. You can find 'em at their website, on Facebook and on Soundcloud,

Martijn – Make Me Feel EP

The Deep Edition boss steps up with a release of his own here, with two original tracks plus a remix from Adam Shelton.

Taking them one-by-one, then… Make Me Feel in its original form is a drummy and spacious production that, to these ears anyway, recalls the mid-90s days of dark garage and New York tribal. Chuck in some very now-sounding treated vox and an arse-swayin' squelchy bass/synth riff and this should work on all kinds of house floors. Adam Shelton's refix of the same is a livelier take that ditches the drums of doom for a more energetic 4/4 thump, and adds lots of atmospherics while still allowing the vocal and that synth riff to shine through. And then finally the EP's completed by Give It To Me, a slower, steadier deep house funk-a-thon with an almost-breakbeat and more of those heavily treated vox.

Quality stuff as ever from Deep Edition.

Out: This week

About: Deep Edition are based in the northeast of England, as you surely know by now, and can be found here, here and here (website, Soundcloud, Facebook)

Soulrack – True Love Remixes

Another 'simple two-tracker' here… only this time it's very much a game of two halves, Brian.

Cos while A-side Follow Me (or rather the Matt Star Remix thereof, to be precise) is perfectly acceptable and playable – a prog-tinged, piano-sprinkled affair that manages to be uplifting without getting all cheesy – it's the B-side that counts here. True Love (or rather the Mute: Remix thereof, to be precise) is a MONSTER of an organ tune… only in more of a deep house way than a handbag/bassline kinda way, if you see what I mean.

It's great, basically. So you should probably, y'know, buy it or something.

Out: This week

About: This comes atcha courtesy of Soulrack's own Cray Labworks, who are based in Spain. Their website's currently having its hair done, so you're best checking them out on Facebook or MySpace. Oh, and here's Soulrack's Soundcloud page as well.

Tone Of Arc – Shaking The Sky/No Pushers

A two-tracker here from uber-hip Canadian label No 19, courtesy of San Francisco duo Tone Of Arc.

A-side Shaking The Sky starts out with simple 4/4 kick and a whispered "no hesitation" vocal sample, building slowly via the emergence of a fat n' funky b-line and more vocal elements into a proper chuggin' deep house dancefloor stomper made for big, dark rooms… a track to lose yourself in. On the B, No Pushers is slightly more sedate, with echo-ing piano chords, rumbling bass, floaty vocal snips and pads a-gogo.

I'm not actually describing it very well – what can I tell you, you get days like that! – but suffice to say this is the contemporary post-minimal deep house sound executed superbly. Tone Of Arc apparently have an album in the pipeline and on this evidence it should be one to look out for.

Out: This week

About: You can find No. 19 at their website or on Facebook.

Newman – Culture Code

Two in a row from the Endemic camp as we move on to the latest from the mothership label.

Can't tell you much about Newman, cos there's no info included with the mail-out, but I can tell you that Culture Code itself sits somewhere between nu-disco/Italo and progressive house, so should do pretty well on dancefloors this summer especially in Europe, while Globalisation on the B is a full-on peaktime 'Balearic prog' kinda thang, complete with retro hands-in-the-air pianos.

It's only really the A that's floating TIWWD's boat, to be brutally honest, even though I do like the pianos on the latter track. But that's a personal thing… there are plenty of floors that'll lap Globalisation up as well.

Out: This week

About: Here's that Endemic Digital link again…

Rayner & Wisqo – Take It Back EP

A simple two-tracker here from London lad Chris Rayner and his Dubai buddy Wisqo, coming on Unrivaled Music.

A-side Take It Back is a tuff-ish but midpaced affair that adds layer upon layer of tribal percussion and FX sounds as it builds, all topped off with a spoken/whispered male vocal exhorting you to "just believe" and "do that funky thing" and suchlike. Over on the B, meanwhile, Lady Vox is a chunky, bleepy tech-houser, a notch more driving than the A, with insistent female vocal stabs and handclaps giving it a disco-fied feel while slightly proggy synths add dancefloor energy.

Solid stuff on both sides but I think Lady Vox edges it, just.

Out: This week

About: Unrivaled is of course part of the Endemic Digital camp, while you can find out more about Rayner + Wisqo at their Soundcloud page.

4 Beat Club – Doppelganger

"Somewhere between deep, old-skool and jacking," is how the hype sheet describes this one. Which is fair enough… or you could just say "tuff house in the classic style" which would work equally well.

It's a four-track affair, with two mixes of the title track plus bonus cuts It's A Riot and Little Black Box. And, er… "tuff house in the classic NYC style" is pretty much how I'd describe Doppelganger, which also features some great trumpet action and (on the original, though not on the Craig Hamilton Remix) a female "all right" vocal sample you may remember from I Am Ready. The other two cuts are in a slightly friskier, more Chicago-y kinda vein: head for It's A Riot if you want retro thrills or Little Black Box if you just can't get enough of those trumpets.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Trendy Mullet, and is in fact no. 30 from the Dover stable. Find 'em on Facebook and Soundcloud, or at their own website.

Stanny Abram – Thank You

Yesterday we had What Happens boss Tim Andresen cropping up on Seamless Traxx… today, we have sometime What Happens artist Stanny Abram making an appearance on Manchester Underground Music.

Thank You, in its Original form, is a reasonably uptempo tech-houser with rolling, almost Latin-y beats, vocal stabs that build up into a looped "wanna thank you for the joy you brought me" line and, as the track progresses, jaunty pianos. Not a world-beater perhaps but it'll keep 'em moving for sure. On the B, techno bod Mark Holmes supplies a remix that's probably best filed under 'techno', sure, but also shows a strong influence from cosmic/Italo disco in its use of analogue synth sounds.

Out: This week

About: You can find Manchester Underground Music on Facebook. Meanwhile, other labels the Slovenian producer Mr Abrams has had stuff out on include such TIWWD faves as Savoir Faire Musique, F*** House Music and Punch Underground, as well as many others – find out more at his Soundcloud page.

ALBUM Various – TREIBGUT S0nder K0mpilation

Sometimes a record takes you by surprise… and such was the case here. I'd downloaded this album, listened to a few tracks quickly, went "Yeah, that's cool", flagged it up for review… and then kinda forgot about it till a few days ago, when some random track came up in iTunes and I found myself bouncing around in my seat. The track in question was Jackers Together by Chris Gruber, just one of many top-drawer house gems to be found on this compilation put together by Derrick Montana and Kiatone, aka Filtertÿpen, showcasing the sound of TREIBGUT, their club night in Hannover, Germany.

Generally speaking the mood is deep and techy, with occasional forays into more upbeat, jackin' territory. Highlights include the aforesaid Jackers Together along with Daso's prog-tinged and slightly Garnier-esque Miu Miu, the 303 bassline ride that is Gorge's Frozen Memories, David Keno's Brothers & Sisters (with its "house is the way" vocal and walking bassline that's like a toned-down version of Loverush's Same Old Thing) and Filtertÿpen's funkified, hip-housey Side To Side. But picking highlights is, in a way, superfluous – this is just a fine compilation of house grooves that you most certainly don't want to sleep on as I nearly did!

Out: Now (but only since last week)

About: This comes on fledgling German label Yippiee, who can be found here, while if you want to know more about Filtertÿpen and TREIBGUT you can do so on Facebook.

Tim Andresen – Get Da Funk

The latest here from an artist who needs no introduction to TIWWD readers, Danish house hero and What Happens boss Tim Andresen. This comes not on What Happens, though, but on the UK's Seamless Traxx.

There's just the three mixes of Get Da Funk, from Redondo, Stefan Naimor and Tim himself, and to be honest they don't vary hugely… all three are percussive house chuggers, fairly uptempo but in a dreamy, heads-down rather than a screamy, hands-up kinda way. And all three are suitably drenched in 'da funk', with various jazzy flourishes along the way.

A very solid bet whichever mix you opt for, though if pushed the more sumptuous and liquid-y Redondo Mix just pips it for me.

Out: This week

About: Here's where to find Seamless Traxx online, or of course they're on Facebook and Soundcloud as well.

Darko Kustura – The Sky Turned Away

And speaking of fledgling UK labels (see Spring Sampler review below), here's what's only the second release from Cambrian Line.

Methinks Mr Kustura may, just possibly, have had a chance acquaitance with a Larry Heard record or two in his time. Perhaps he heard Washing Machine on the radio in a cafe once, or was sitting next to someone on a bus who had A Corner Called Jazz playing a little too loudly on their iPod.

Something like that's happened at some point, anyway. Nothing else could explain the sheer classic Chi-town deep JOYOUSNESS of the two tracks here, The Sky… itself and flipside Fading Story. Go seek.

Out: This week

About: Here's what the hype sheet has to say about Darko Kustura: "Born in 1986, Darko began his electronic music journey at the age of about 12 hooked on German house, techno and drum and bass radio shows, prolifically recording tapes of everything he could get his hands on, always digging more and more into the underground side of the spectrum. As the years passed, Darko's taste expanded to the eclectic senses of greats like Laurent Garnier, Mouse on Mars, St Germain, International Pony, DJ Shadow, Kenny Dope, Blaze, Kerri Chandler. The Darko sound has become an amalgam of his taste for the deep and soulful mixed with modern production technique,"

You can find Cambrian Line – who are based partly in Wales and partly in Germany – here, here and here (website, Facebook, Soundcloud)

Various – Spring Sampler

Four quality straight-up house cuts here, coming from new UK label 6th Sense Music.

First up is Hector Moralez, the Californian house producer who's now resident in Paris, and one-half of Fries & Bridges along with Phil Weeks. He gives us Set Trippin', a bleepy, freaky jackathon with a "round and round, upside down" vocal sample. Next up is Monoman, a Manchester-based producer who runs the Ambush label. His Panic is a tougher, techier and more driving cut, with something of an air of early prog about it (think Guerrilla or Cowboy circa 1992-94). IKT from Romania's Manuel M is a loping, looping track with a Sneak-y disco feel, and then finally David Moran, one of the in-house team at 6th Sense, gives us Titel's Groove, which tops off a Relief/Cajual-style snare-heavy backdrop with sampled jive-talking hipster speech.

Titel's Groove and Set Trippin' would be my personal faves here, but all four tracks are very solid. So, groovy house music on an underground UK label… check this one out or I'll sulk at you. And you wouldn't like me when I'm sulking.

Out: This week

About: This is number five from 6th Sense, who are based in TIWWD's former home town of Manchesterford-On-Sea. Here's their website, or you can find 'em on Soundcloud and Facebook.

PS Manuel M, Moralez, Monoman, Moran… they've got ALL the M's!

Citizen Kain – About

A nice easy one to review this, cos there's only two mixes, and it's quite a simple kinda track. But sometimes the simple ideas are the best.

In this case, the simple idea Citizen Kaid had was to take vocal samples saying "it's all about the music" and "house", then chop and loop 'em up over a no-nonsense, heads-down club chugger of a backing, notable mostly for its looping bassline and stabs that sound like a digitally distorted trumpet. And it works, big time – it's hard to imagine any halfway-decent club floor not rockin' to this.

Label boss DJ Fresh supplies a rerub on the flip that's essentially the same but with slightly busier, more techno-y percussion, some extra rising synths and a breakdown in the middle. Either's good*.

It is, indeed, all about house.

Out: Today

About: As I just said "label owner DJ Fresh," you've surely already twigged that this comes on French label Freshin Records. They're on Soundbook and Cloudface, don't you know?

*If REALLY pushed I'll go for the sparser, housier original but like I said, either's good.

So many tunes, so little time 16

It's Monday… so it must be time once more for a round-up of the 'best of the rest' of last week's releases

Hugo Ibarra – The Mute EP

A four-tracker here from Mexico's We Are Here label, best filed under 'progressive house' though hailing from the deeper end of that particular sub-spectrum. The epic, sweeping The Human Machine stands out.

More info

I-Cue feat Ill-Esha – When The Bass Drops

Pop-tastic to the maximum, this is nonetheless not without its charms: think an Addicted To Bass for 2012, with some eight mixes to choose from. Check the old-skool rave touches on Billy Ray Stylus's Achy Breaks Mix.

More info

Loree feat IKM – Musa

Solid chuggy tech-house vibes from F*** House Music here, with a more musical, soulful pass in the form of the Speakdeep Afrosoul Mix. Not 100% convinced by the vocal personally but give it a listen and make your own mind up…

More info

Noël Jackson – My Baby Don't Stop

A soulfully-tinged houser that sits somewhere between classic Chi-town deep and the more contemporary sound of Berlin, with mixes from Special Case and Tripmastaz. Comes on Jackson's own brand new Detroit-based label Hypertone.

More info

From P60 with Lisa Shaw – Magic

I'll be honest and say I don't think the song itself is particularly strong here. But it's hard not to like anything graced by the tonsils of Ms Shaw, particularly when remixes come from the likes of Chuck Love and Harley + Muscle.

More info

Terry Brookshire – Hypnotique

Deep techno/tech-house grooves with a disco twist here from the ever-prolific Endemic Digital camp. Moojah, NameSpace and d00sh provide the remixes, with Moojah's deeper pass taking the top honours for my money

More info

Various – 10 Years Of Motech Pt 2

Second installment in this anniversary series from the long-running Detroit label, featuring tracks from DJ 3000, Franki Juncaj and Gerald Mitchell, with remixes by Mark Broom, Luke Hess, Chris Finke, OktoRed and The Eerier Child. The latter's dubstep-meets-deep techno take on Junaj's Moodstream is the killer.

More info

Onur Ozman – He Was Young

A quick and easy to one to end on cos I didn't actually get sent this! Switzerland's Da Funk was however kind enough to send through his remix, an epic, synthy number sitting somewhere between deep house, nu-disco and Balearic, that's tailor-made for sunny, spangled Ibiza afternoons.

More info

Thanks also this week to (deep breath): 2Sky, Afrobeat AKA Massa, Andrea Mattioli + Stefano Kosa, Buried Boy, Chris Hathaway, Clap Rules, D'Flower feat Gaya, Diavlo, Different Language, DJ W!ld, Emeskay, Grand St, John Fash, Kry Wolf, Marco Rea + RU.DiJ, Piatto, Prok + Fitch, Ross Richards, Simon Heartfield, Technodreamer, The Marx Trukker, Tom Wax, Vasily Goodkov and Yohmss. Bound to be some goodies I've slept on in there as well but as I've said before, there's only so many hours in the day…

artist unknown - SHH001

Here's the first in a new series of limited edition, 10-inch vinyl-only releases… and if the words 'limited edition, 10-inch vinyl-only' don't get you salivating then I'm not sure this is the blog for you! I'm also not sure how public the peeps behind it want their involvement to be so I'll keep sshh-tum for now, suffice to say this is the handiwork of the team behind a label TIWWD readers will certainly be familiar with.

As for the music, you're looking at a cheeky house cut-up of Wu Tang Clan's Gravel Pit… though not being any kind of a hip-hop head I had to do a bit of detective work to figure that out, and once I did I was quite surprised*. The A-side version has a looping Wu Tang "back and forth" male vocal sample, 4/4s that are old-skool in timbre but thoroughly up-to-date in implementation, some lovely pads and of course the headline "check out my gravel pit" fem vocal.

On the B, the second mix is a slightly livelier, more funkified affair, this time biting a chunk of the vocal from Fat Freddy's Drop's Flashback… again a bit of detective work on my part but in this case with less surprising results**. 'Course, the fact the track's called Gravel Flashback WAS a bit of a clue! But regardless of their genesis, what really matters is that these are two solid bullets for your floor, whether on a deeper/techier or a more soulful tip.

And on limited edition, 10-inch vinyl as well… did I mention that bit?

Out: This week

About: Not much else I can tell you here, for obvious reasons. Oh, except the series is called Sshh Edits… kind of important!

*Which is to say: you don't have to be a Wu Tang fan to dig this on its own merits.

**Or a Fat Freddy's fan, either :-)

Deepchild – Cold Work/Rachel's Shadow

An EP here from Germany's Affin Records whose two tracks and six mixes cover various shades of deep/tech house and deep techno.

In its Original form, Cold Work is a bubblin', acid-tinged tech-houser that sounds like… well, I've never actually got a night train from Berlin to Hamburg, let alone while tripping. But if I DID ever get a night train from Berlin to Hamburg, while tripping, this is kinda what I imagine the view out the window might sound like. Stone Owl's Remix takes us into deeper, dubbier territory, so maybe this is the 'endless black fields' bit in-between the two sprawling sodium-lit metropolises… it's also probably my pick of the mixes.

Noah Pred's Subzero Remix is almost but not quite as deep and adds skittering percussion, while his Unfrozen Dub is so much predicated on said percussion that it's vaguely reminiscent of Azuli Black Label's more out-there experiments in ultra-minimal two-step back in the early 00s. As for Rachel's Shadow, here we're in deep, glitchy techno territory, while Roland M Dill's mix is a more dancefloor-leaning techno rub. Both will have their fans, but neither can top Cold Work for me.

Out: This week

About: Affin is the brainchild of German producer Joachim Speith. Hit up their website, Facebook or Soundcloud pages, or check out their show on Proton Radio.

Jay West – We Can Change It

Next up tonight we move from soulful to the techy end of deep, with this latest from Aki Bergen's Neurotraxx Deluxe.

Actually, while this certainly does represent the techier end of the deep house spectrum musically, its mostly-spoken vocal (black, male, American) gives it a soulful feel too so it kinda covers all bases! Said vocal reminds me a little of the spoken intro to Jon Cutler's It's Yours, and sits atop a backing that manages to be sparse and electronic yet warm and luxurious at the same time. Over on the B, I Feel Hype operates in similar territory but is a tad more organic-sounding,  with a breathless, half-spoken/half-sung female vocal telling you that "when you touch me, I feel hype" and getting all poetic on yo' ass.

Classy stuff, basically – go seek.

Out: This week

About: The Neurotraxx stable (Neurotraxx, Neurotraxx Deluxe and Neurotraxx Gold) seem to be one of the hippest labels around right now… and compared to a lot of 'hip' labels, in this case I CAN see what the fuss is all about! Find 'em at their website or on Facebook.

Jay West, meanwhile, is a name that should be familiar to you given that he's had releases on Salted, Conya, Drop, So Sound, Adaptation Music, Funkfield, Lost My Dog and more…

Mind Street ft Jalley – Inside

The hype sheet bills this as the debut release from this French outfit, though whether that's their very first release anywhere ever, or just their first on King Street, I'm not sure.

Either way, Inside is a rolling soulful house groover featuring a full male vocal, coming with remixes from  Groove Assassin, Dolls Combers, Souldynamic and Danny Dance, on top of the Mind Street Friendly Remix which I guess counts as the 'original' in this case*. The various mixes don't vary hugely: most are in a fairly traditional-sounding vein and as such, any of 'em should serve your soulful floor nicely, but if pushed I'd plump for the Groove Assassin Classic Remix, with its organs and space disco synths… or the Danny Dance Dub Vocal, which is the exception to the rule in that it's a more stripped-down and pumped-up pass that could see this reaching beyond the soulful house diehards.

Out: This week

About: You may have heard this before if you picked up the King Street Miami 2012 sampler. Anyway, you can find King Street online here.

*Actually, I've just realised that the full version of this release does included an Original original… they just haven't promo'ed it. Which seems odd but there go!

D-Funkshion & Ausquina – No Name

Some typically house-ified techno bizniss here from French label Freshin.

Just the two mixes to choose from. The Original is the more stompy of the two, working heavily-filtered 4/4s, a relentless throbbing b-line and rising synths. S'cool, but the pick for me is the Imaginary Boy Remix, a slightly more rolling and house-oriented pass.

Whichever mix you go for, though, you'll get a dependable workout for the underground floors.

Out: This week

About: Here's the usual Freshin links, then… website Soundcloud Facebook

Darko Milosevic & Darre – Dirty Symphony

We head off to sunny Macedonia now, with the latest from Artefact Records.

The EP features four tracks/mixes. The original version of Dirty Symphony itself is a deep house chugger with techy overtones, but also disco elements, while the Freaky Funk Remix of the same goes down a slightly tuffer, techier route. The EP's completed by Morning Light and Gloaming, two summery deep house cuts with excellent use of trumpet and sax samples.

Very solid stuff, all told, with Gloaming the standout for me. Now if only we were on sun-drenched Mediterranean terrace to hear it…

Out: This week

About: This is the 21st release from Artefact, if you want to know more hit up their website, Soundcloud or Facebook pages.

Martin Brodin – Agogo

Some funk-fuelled nu-disco/boogie grooves here from Sweden's Martin Brodin, coming on his own MB Disco imprint.

There are four mixes of Agogo in total: the Original, two from Bottin and one from Copycat. The Original has a house-y feel at the start, a fat-ass b-line and carnival-esque percussion, while the Copycat Remix does much the same but with the housier sections truncated and the boogie bassline brought to the fore. For me, though, it's Bottin that takes top honours with his typically analogue-heavy take.

Look out for an album coming soon…

Out: This week

About: You can find MB Disco on Soundcloud and Facebook.

Source Of Soul – This Way

The name kind of gives you a hint here… but then it kinda doesn't as well, cos this isn't soulful house as such, as you might expect. It's just deep house music that's absolutely throbbing with soul.

'Throbbing' is the operative word, as the original of This Way is based primarily around a MASSIVE organ bassline straight outta 1995. It's topped off with echo-ing male vocal stabs, understated piano chords and the most sparse, stripped and echoey beats you can imagine… a dubbed-out treat for those 'proper head' types and no mistake guv'nor! Over on the B, you'll find a remix from Smak AKA Steve McCready, who takes us into synthier territory… this might be the one the Berlin and East London hipsters go for, I think, but it's those retro organs all the way for me.

Always is, to be fair.

Out: This week

About: This comes on a label who are certainly no strangers to this blog, Savoir Faire Musique, and you can HEAR IT on their Soundcloud page.

Dave Nash – Reflexo

Some sad news today about Donna Summer… but the show, as they say, must go on. So first up tonight is this latest offering from Martijn's Deep Edition Recordings, the handiwork of a Portuguese producer who's previously had stuff out on Witty Tunes and Neurotraxx Deluxe, among others.

In its Original form, Reflexo itself is a fairly sedate deep houser with lush, lingering minor piano chords, rolling beats that are energising without being all up in your face, and floaty female vocal snips… it's got warm-up (or, with the 'Beefa season looming, sundown) written all over it. The UK's Graham Laverty swaps out the percussion for retro Chicago 909 kicks n' claps and adds some bowel-troubling bass rumble, resulting in a pass better suited to when they HAVE warmed up, while bonus cut Foolish brings the EP to a close, a slightly more uptempo cut again with Little Fluffy Clouds-ish sampled speech (kids talking about God, I think) that sounds like red lights and sweaty basements at 4am. Or perhaps, with the ’Beefa season looming, sun-up.

Solid stuff as ever from Deep Edition.

Out: This week

About: You can find Deep Edition at their website, on Facebook and on Soundcloud.

The Heels Of Love – Flight 707

Nu-disco giants Nang come up with the goods once more, this time in the form of a new 12" from Italian duo The Heels Of Love, AKA Milan residents Michele Tessadri and Luca Saponaro.

This is by no means straight-up nu-disco though, sitting somewhere between the nu-disco camp and retrofied house, what with its mix of vintage analogue synths and soaring Balearic pianos. Remix-wise, Billy Bogus serves up a freaky-deaky cosmic disco pass, Jadoo ups the funk factor and Barking Dogs drag us to the deep house dancefloor… but none of the rerubs can compete, for this reviewer, with the sheer langorous luxuriance of Saponaro and Tessadri's original.

Out: This week

About: Here's where to find Nang online

Lloyd Trimmer – Rafayel

Three quality mixes to choose from on this latest deep house gem from Denmark's DeepWit.

In its Original form, Rafayel is a summer-y, Balearic-ish kinda deep houser with an uplifiting feel and garage-y vocal snips. David Oniani remixes it into a somewhat 'cooler', techier cut with looping, tribally-tinged percussion and some fairly abstract meanderings as the track goes on, but the killer rub for me is the Qmusse Dark Remix: six minutes of stripped-down, dubby goodness for the proverbial 'proper heads'.

With that kind of variety on offer, this should appeal to a range of DJs (and listeners).

Out: This week

About: You can find DeepWit at their website, on Facebook and on Soundcloud

AM/TM feat Navid Izadi – Back To Acid

A nice easy one to start the day with here, cos Back To Acid doesn't really take much explaining!

So I'll just tell you that AM/TM are of course Anthony Mansfield and Tal M Klein, and here they deliver 4.5 minutes of sheer retro squelch, complete with an Adonis-esque whispered vocal from Izadi ("Melting in my brain, you can keep your cocaine, I'm on acid"). On the B, Mansfield and his other regular production partner Nick Chacona bring us a slightly pumped-up remix that, if anything, is even better.

This is as good a slab of vintage-sounding 303 thrills as you'll hear all month. Go seek.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Hector Works, which is Mansfield's own label… find 'em here, here and here (website, Facebook, Soundcloud)

Oh, and here's something else from Mr Mansfield as well… free to download so enjoy!

Nickbee & Sunchase – Summo/Belltine

Ukrainian D&B… that's a phrase you don't hear very often. Possibly because this is the debut release from a label called 22:22, which claims on the hype sheet to be the very FIRST Ukrainian drum & bass imprint. I have no way of checking whether that's true or not, but that said, I have no reason to disbelieve them either!

But either way, this is their first release, and it's actually rather good. Nickbee gives us Summo on the A, a midpaced roller with middle eastern/Indian-sounding flourishes and lots of rasping bass that stops just the right side of stoopid, while over on the B, he teams up with label owner Sunchase for Belltine, a slightly more hi-octane affair with a liquid-y feel but a jump up-inspired sound palette.

It's very solid stuff… let's hope we hear more soon.

Out: This week

About: The label may be new to the scene but Nickbee and Sunchase aren't, having had previous releases on the likes of Moving Shadow, Hospital, Cyclone, Drone Audio and Noisia's Invisible. Anyway, here's where you can find 22:22 online and here's Nickbee and Sunchase's respective Soundcloud pages. You can HEAR THIS at either of the latter.

Desos – Deep Dancer

Regular readers will know that Desos (AKA Danish producer Brian Løgstrup) and his Deso Records label have become firm TIWWD favourites over the past year or so. Suffice to say, this latest from the man himself doesn't disappoint.

Two tracks and four mixes in total. All Night is a drummy, afterhours kinda groove with a female voice repeating the title, but for me really comes into its own on the Late Night Remix from Andre Detoxx, where the tribal-ish percussion gets replaced by crisp, snapping snares and hi-hats, and where additional pads/chords give the track a suitably dreamy, driftaway kinda quality.


Deep Dancer itself meanwhile is, in its original form, a raw n' jazzy cut that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Strictly Rhythm circa 1991-93, with a spoken vocal informing us that "she's a nightclub dancer". Remix duties on this one are ably handled by Deep Active Sound, who delivers a superb stripped n' techy rework that, like the original of All Night, is tailor-made for the afterhours joints.

Overall, then, the remixes just pip the originals this time out for me, but all four tracks are strong and this is definitely one you should be checking!

Out: This week

About: This comes not on Deso Records, I should point out, but on New Zealand's UM Records, AKA Untitled Music… they've got their own very fine blog or you can find 'em on Facebook and Soundcloud

Demarkus Lewis – Snazz-A-Tron EP

Next up, we have a new EP from Demarkus Lewis on Lost My Dog… words which should be enough to get any deep house lover salivating.

There are three original tracks, in a total of five mixes. Look N Deep is a midtempo cut with a soulful male vocal and lots of subtle, squelchy 303 bass. RP Foolin' is a more uptempo and bumpin' affair with a disco sheen, that's then given a deeper refix by Lost My Dog regular Yse (pronounced 'ee-suh', in case you were wondering). And then finally Wipe Your Mouth is a more heads-down jacking number, with militant snares counterpointed by some lovely warm pianos and garage-y vox; Milton Jackson then serves up a remix that's sparser and glitchier still, and that somewhat recalls the more musical, less obvious end of UKG circa 1999 or so.

All told, a very solid bet for the deeper floors, particularly those that like it a little soulfully-inclined.

Out: This week

About: You can find Lost My Dog here, here and here (website, Facebook, Soundcloud)

Deepgroove – Poems EP

D is for deep, today… well, D is for deep every day of course, but today especially cos there's new singles from Deepgroove, Demarkus Lewis and Desos to tell you about. We'll kick off with the Poems EP, from the Bristolian (but now London-residing, or at least they were last time I looked) duo of Grayson Shipley and Lee Pattison.

Deepgroove's releases usually sit right on the cusp of house and techno, and so it is here. The original of Poems is a percussion-led and ethnically tinged workout with floaty, breathy vox and what sound like synthesized flutes. The Glimpse Remix is slightly more overtly techified, while Ulterior Motive's Deep Dub Remix leans a little more towards the house-y side of the equation, so whichever side of the fence you sit on, there's a solid drum track with your name on it sat right here.

Out: This week

About: This comes on long-running Bristol label four:twenty… here's the usual website, Facebook and Soundcloud links

Angelo Donorio – Dance!

And so we move on, inexorably, to this week's releases, and the latest from Amsterdam's 90Watts.

If you want to endear your new record to these old ears, then lifting the vocal from The Untouchables' early 90s Strictly Rhythm classic Dance To The Rhythm isn't a bad way of going about it, to be fair… though the Original mix here is a slice of shiny, spangly big-room house that's a little TOO shiny, spangly and big-room for me, to be honest. There are slightly deeper vibes on the Live Mix, but it's the two rolling tech-house rubs from Hi-Fi Mystery School that are doing it best for me.

And THOSE, I should add, are doing it most pleasingly. 90Watts on-point as ever!

Out: This week

About: The Untouchables were actually Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez, for those not in the know (for which read: over 40). Anyway, back in the present day, here's the 90Watts website, Soundcloud and MySpace.

So many tunes, so little time 15

I'm a bit busy with another project at the mo' so there were quite a few things we didn't get round to last week… so read the following carefully cos despite being only small reviews there are some proper gems in here!

BHOO – Elastic Phone
Only the third release from new London label Underbelly Records, this features Italian artist BHOO and remixes by Alex Arnout and Matt Tolfrey + Sam Russo. Expect very now-sounding, sparse deep grooves right on that "is it house or is it techno?" cusp.
More info

Brioski – Last Day Here
Coming in no fewer than six mixes, this latest release from the mighty Nang sees a collision of nu-disco, punk-funk and synth-pop flavas, all topped off with a sweet female vocal and some great space disco stabs.
More info

Chronophone – Voce De Sa Trincha
Some very deep tech-house here on Nite Grooves, coming from Desiree Paris AKA Chronophone, with added Latin flava on the original and a more heads-down feel on the D'Zeta + Basile remix (my pick). Also included is bonus cut Gold, a glitchy deep techno workout.
More info

Cristian Benicasa – Silver EP
A three-track EP here coming from NYC's Dance Through Life Records. Expect leftfield-leaning, percussion-led deep house and, on Silver itself, some retrofied Chicago-style thrills as well.
More info

Federico Gandin – Don't Be Alone
Driving deep techno and tough tech-house are the order of the day on this latest from Italy's Opilec Records, as a track culled from label boss Gandin's Legion Of Lost Dreams album gets no fewer than six remixes – three from the man himself and three from fellow Italian Robert Bardini.
More info

Franco De Mulero + Hector Romero – Always
Spain's Franco De Mulero teams up with Def Mix/SAW legend Romero for this slab of classic-sounding house on Seamless Soul, which sports Detroitian-sounding strings and vocal snips that, to these ears at least, are very reminiscent of Joy For Life's Warm It Up from way back in 1995.
More info

Giorgio Moroder – E=MC2
More new mixes of this classic Moroder disco track from 1979, this time the result of a remix competition organised by Audioporn Central. The track wasn't really broken, obviously, but Dirty McKenzie, Copycat and Divide + Create do a pretty decent job of fixing it anyway and nu-disco lovers should be more than happy! This has been out a couple of weeks, by the way, but I only got sent it last week…
More info

Maxell – Ulia/Gotech
Tough, driving, bleepy techno cut Ulia gets paired with the bouncy tech-house of Gotech on this latest from the ever-checkable Manchester Underground Music. Remixes come from Parazo and Nik Feral, respectively, but it's the nu energy-ish original of Gotech that stands out for me.
More info

Michael McLardy + Dudley Strangeways – Keep Off The Grass
The Baker Street and Lost My Dog stalwarts team up to deliver the latest from one of my favourite labels of the moment, Deso. It's a four-track affair coming from the techier end of deep house, with McLardy's dubbed-out House Fly the pick for this reviewer.
More info

Roland Nights + Al Bradley – Flicker
3am Recordings boss Bradley teams up with label stalwart Danny 'Roland Nights' Stott here. The original of Flicker is a soulfully-inclined affair with almost-bruk beats, the JammHot Remix adds disco elements, but it's the fairly self-explanatory OTB I Like It Deep Remix that I'm feeling the most.
More info

I should stress again… the only reason most of these didn't get a full review is cos there's a lot of pressures on my time at the mo', not cos they're not up to scratch… so check 'em out for yourself.

THANKS ALSO to those who sent in music last week that didn't make the cut this time: Caiano & F Fred, Child, Cocoared + Soulplate, D-Formation + Cesar Castillo, David Herrero, Dpplgngrs, Electric Zeus, Fanatico, Gavin Boyce, Infiction, Jaded + James Petrou, Jason Chance, Left + Right, Luke Gibson, Mollan, Mortal, MSystem, Sean Biddle, Sin Sin, Stephane Vera, Tal M Klein, UCP and Umek. Better luck next time guys, sorry but there's only so many hours in the day!