Sunshine Jones – We Are What We Are/Come To Me

A new EP from Dubtribe Soundsystem man Sunshine Jones here – and one that might surprise you.

Because on We Are What We Are it's OUT! with the winsome, soulful loveliness and IN! with a big chunky b-line, tuff beats and a spoken male, poetry-style vocal. Come To Me, presented here in two mixes from Nicko Vee and Jones himself, similarly sees him looking to contemporary European sounds for inspiration.

Both tracks are taken from Jones' recent Belle Ame Electronique album, which came out in November and which I must admit got overlooked when it landed – I was busy and, y'know, I'd had enough of all that winsome soulful loveliness, truth be told. On the evidence of this EP, I'm gonna need to go back and check that album again…

Out: This week

About: This comes on King Street Sounds, who live here and here (web, Soundcloud)

Ruben Mandolini – Slevin

More dancefloor-oriented tech-house frolics here, courtesy of Riva Starr's Snatch! label and Italian producer Ruben Mandolini.

Both Slevin itself and Forget About It are hi-octane, prime-time pumpers with more than a hint of disco, while Fonky Death works a more stripped-down, jackin' groove altogether. The latter's also accompanied by a drum-tastic 'DJ tool' mix.

I've love Fonky Death more, were it not for the angry-sounding man who keeps shouting "Funky crowd out there!" in a rather annoying fashion. Even taking him into account, though, what we have here are three solid bets when you need to keep 'em moving.

Out: This week

About: You can find Snatch! on Soundcloud, on Facebook or at their website.

Groovebox – Gangster

Needn't detain you long with this one, cos what we have here are some straight-up pumpin' tech-house grooves aimed fair and square at the dancefloor. And once you've said that, what else is there to say?

I guess I could tell you that the track's predicated (vocally) around that Henry Hill "as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" sample from Goodfellas. And I could tell you that the original's a bass-y, push-y affair while the Johnny Kaos remix strips things back a few notches to fashion a vaguely Sneak-y roller.

But yeah, "pumpin' tech-house grooves aimed fair and square at the dancefloor" just about covers it.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Italy's Deeperfect, who are quite good at all that tech-house malarkey, y'know. Find 'em on Soundcloud or Facebook, or hit up the home page of parent label Sound4Group.

KANT – Burn, Hurt, Touch EP

An EP of typically cerebral/leftfield house grooves here from Denmark's Gartenhaus.

Just to make life a bit easier, the three words in the EP title are actually the names of the three tracks involved. Burn is a dubby, chuggy deep/tech affair, but definitely one more aimed at discerning grown-ups rather than dancefloor drug monkeys; Touch is an ever-so-slightly more upbeat number with subtle disco stabs and a nice big throbbing b-line.

But the standout, as with yesterday's Switchbox single (below), is a cut that draws heavily on a classic from days gone by. In this instance, it's the slow-pulsing, Balearically-tinged Hurt, which lifts a hefty chunk of vocal from Carly Simon's Why. To great effect, it must be said!

Out: This week

About: You can find Gartenhaus on Soundcloud, on Facebook or at their own website.

Sound Gypsy – Way I Feel EP

Having warmed up with all that deep stuff, time to move towards the floor now with this latest from Sound Gypsy, aka Dobara Music boss Harsh Puri.

There are three tracks in a total of six mixes, so you can't fault this one in the VFM stakes! Way I Feel itself is in its original form a chunky deep/tech houser, done in that very 'now' stylee but tempered with soulful vocal samples and killer space disco stabs. SION's remix then dubs things right out in quite a satisfying fashion.

The original version of Just Like That has more of those ace stabs over a more upbeat backing, with some rave-y keyboard stabs thrown in for good measure, while the Rafael Cerato remix heads off again into dubbier but this time also into slightly proggier territories. Havens & Hart perform a similar dubby trick with Everybody Keep On Movin' but here it's the original that stands out for me – a wicked little slice of soulful, disco-fied deep house done properly, with boogie-era male vox and lashings of fat bass.

So that's: Just Like That for the youngsters, the original of Everybody Keep On Movin' for the older heads and SION's rub of Way I Feel for the sofa surfers. Everybody's happy!

Out: This week

About: This comes on Sleazy Deep, who can be found on Facebook and Soundcloud or at their own website.

Fraser Owen & Thom Norton – Dominos

Well, that turned out to be a slightly longer Xmas break, blog-wise, than I intended… sorry bout dat. But here we are again now, with this latest from Savoir Faire Musique.

It's a three-track affair, with Owen and Norton supplying a track apiece and collaborating on a third. The joint effort is the title track Dominos itself, a bassy deep chugger with disembodied, echoing vocal samples and luxurious muted kicks. Owen's solo offering is Polaris, a slightly more jaunty number with garage-y organ stabs and an unhurried feel, while Norton gives us Just Beyond The Trees, a deeper-than-deep ride with a male, spoken vocal that's reminiscent of the mighty Gil Scott-Heron.

If you like it a little bit tech-y and very deep, this EP is seriously worthy of your attention. Just Beyond The Trees, in particular, is a killer.

Out: This week

About: You can find Savoir Faire Musique on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Evan Iff – Sweet Babe

Finally for today, we move back into deep house territory with the latest from Jesus Pablo & Di Riviera's Something Different.

In its Original form, Sweet Babe is an interesting mix of influences: the soulful vocal's classic west coast, while the synths and percussion come from a more contemporary deep/tech school of thought. Mix-wise there's a self-explanatory Dub and a typically fine rub from Matches, who puts the vocal through the FX mangle and sparses things right up while adding lots of shuffly top-end. But taking top honours for me is Malin Genie, who gives (give?) us a deeper, sultrier rub.

You won't go wrong with any of 'em, to be fair. But Malin Genie is the one for me here.

Out: This week

About: You can find Something Different on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Jonny Love House – Alfresco Disco

Staying firmly in dancefloor territory, here we have the latest from rising UK producer Jonny Loves House.

It's a four-track affair. Bounce is big, squelchy and lightly disco-fied, and wouldn't have sounded out of place on Credence back in the day. Matter is pacier and techier, Loose pairs a strident, techy riddim with slightly housier leads, while finally Even If – the pick of the crop for me – is all about the big fat bassline, which is augmented by (quite poppy) female vocal snatches and wonky, off-kilter keys.

Should you be of a mind to jack your body this festive season, these four tracks will serve as musical accompaniment admirably.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Jonny's own self-titled label… they live here and here (website, Soundcloud). And also in Brighton, if you must always live so relentlessly in the real world.

Dave Martins – Natural

The latest here from Switzerland's Southpark Records, who've definitely been on something of a roll this past few months.

Label co-founder Dave Martins is the man at the controls, with remixes taken care of by Kenny Ground and Hector Couto. Martins' original of Natural is an atmospheric tech-houser with a touch of deep prog around the edges, Kenny Ground's remix rides much more strident percussion while Hector Couto's rub, the standout for me, filters the drums and takes us into deeper territory.

Another solid dancefloor bet.

Out: This week

About: You can find Southpark Records on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Darren Marshall – Groove Like This EP

More jackin' tech-house grooves here courtesy of Canadian producer Darren Marshall.

Unlike the very drummy Bimas release below though, here the emphasis is more firmly on the house side of the equation. Groove Like This itself tops its fierce percussion with parping sax and Negro-esque space-disco stabs, while We Know Jack veers even further towards disco house territory – albeit in a grown-up kinda way, and still with those rolling techy drums.

Two very solid bets for the slightly slinkier floors, then.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Kozmik Hype Recordings, who are based in Toronto and who can be found on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Bimas – Koala's Rolling

There's a koala, y'see, and he's rolling. I'm not sure how or what he's rolling (down a hill? in the aisles? back the years? up a fatty?) but he's rolling. Bimas says so.

It's long been my contention* that there aren't enough house music records that name-check koalas, so this was forced to get a mention. What does it sound like? Oh, y'know, rolling percussion, atmospheric synths, disembodied vocal snatches, yada yada yada… basically three slices of yer standard issue, perfectly serviceable, if not particularly ground-breaking, tech-house floor fodder.

But come on, it mentions koalas. What more do you want?

Out: This week

About: This comes on Italian label Aealla Music, and is their 14th release. Find 'em on Soundcloud, Facebook or at their own website.

Oh yeah, and Bimas is from Belgium and has had stuff out on Martin Buttrich and Loco Dice's Desolat! before now.

*It hasn't.

Helder Teixera – Non

Having discovered Portuguese producer Teixeira, the Endemic camp seem determined to release a record by him at least every 45 minutes… here's just the latest. S'good, though. 

There's just the two mixes to choose from. The original is a midtempo, rolling tech-house groove, with snatches of spoken French vocal but the emphasis primarily on the drums. It's the 4am Mix from Teixeira himself that I'm feeling much more, though – a far smoother, afterhours house joint with organs to kill for.

Nuff said, really… otherwise I'll be forced to do some sort of 'big, throbbing organ' joke. But yeah, this is very cool indeed.

Out: This week

About: Here's a link you may have seen before, and here's Helder's own Soundcloud page which you may not.

Various – Tronic 2013

Christian Smith's long-running Tronic Music label serve up a compilation of all-exclusive tracks, showcasing some of the label's forthcoming gems for the new year.

There was a time when the name Christian Smith meant one thing: driving, loop-based techno. But that was then, this is now, and there's none of that here at all. Instead, we're treated to 15 tracks that operate mostly in tuff, chugging tech-house territory, but also take in deeper, proggy vibes (Jewel Kid's Tempo Definition, Guy's Mercury) and some straight-up house, too (Per Hammar's Fever Mode, Smith's own disco-infused Keep On).

With some other respectable names including Pig & Dan, Dosem and Coyu also making an appearance, this is a very strong collection of club tracks that'll appeal to house and techno heads alike.

Out: This week

About: You can find Tronic Music on Facebook.

Simon Bryant – Tongue Tied EP

I'll say it right now, the sleeve for this is horrible. If there's one thing I don't want to see more than two emos snogging, it's two emos snogging where their tongues appear to have morphed into a piece of meat. There's just no need. But hey… just cos I don't like it doesn't mean it should be censored, so feast your eyes if you dig that kind of thing. You weird twisted freak.

Anyway it's not what they come wrapped in, it's what they taste like that matters. And Guilty For You, here, tastes to me like a modern-day big room vocal anthem in waiting – you could easily imagine this getting rinsed by the likes of Huxley, Maya Jane, yada yada yada.

The wonkier Tongue Tied operates in more familiar Hype Muzik house-prog-techno territory, while Uneasy Queasy is big, dramatic and a bit scary. Both will find their fans, but it's Guilty For You that'll push this up the download charts. Put your hands up for Southend.

Out: This week

About: You know where to find Hype Muzik by now.

Stefan Cordery – Incorporated

This WAS gonna go in the 'So many tunes…' round-up, but the four mixes are just too different, and too good in their own ways, for it not to get a full review.

Stefan Cordery is the man at the helm: his original version of Incorporated is an atmospheric tech-house chugger with that minimal-style trick of layering lots of scratchy, high-end sounds. Carlo Galliani's rub adds some stripped-down bass throb and brain-frying disco stabs for the 3am strobelit floors, while Ken Rok strips things right back to a minimal/deep techno pulse. And I'm liking all three mixes to be fair, especially Galliani's.

But it's the no-nonsense Mario Conte & Fabio SPZZ1 rub I'm loving best: it's the kind of muscular disco-techno that makes me think of Vague or early-doors Trade back in the day. Shirts optional.

Out: This week

About: This comes on London's Menomale Records, who can be found on Soundcloud, Facebook or at their own website.

Various – Finest NY House 2012

Not one but two sampler EPs here from King Street, following the label's usual, somewhat confusing strategy of putting out completely different yet identically titled EPs for Beatport and Traxsource.

In the red corner then we have the Beatport Edition. This is a seven-track affair, with contributions from Fisher & Fiebak, Satoshi Fumi, T Ruggieri, Iban Reus & Oliver Schmitz, M2, vexuS T and Mass Digital. Here, the emphasis is mostly on drummy, tracky shit: Ruggieri's Love Shines Through, Fumi's Shiny and Mass Digital's deeper Those Moments stand out.

In the blue corner, meanwhile, the Traxsource edition features a further seven cuts, this time on a more melodic/musical/funkier tip. Marco Bruzzano's Rebirth is one highlight, Quentin Kane's euphoric, Rod Stewart-sampling M.U.S.I.C another, with further contributions coming from Washerman, Alex Font, Phazed Groove, Urban Soul and Hamza.

As you might expect from a collection focusing mostly on up-and-coming names, there are a couple of tracks that fail to hit the spot but overall, both EPs do their job of showcasing the current house sound of NYC admirably.

Out: This week for the Traxsource edition; you'll have to wait till December 24 for the Beatport one.

About: As well as their own website you can now find King Street/Nite Grooves/Street King on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Diego Krause – Tropic EP

Another label who are no strangers to TIWWD here, with the latest from Carlo Gambino's Leeds-based Midnight Social Recordings.

Four original tracks make up the EP. Face It is a bassy, layered deep/tech groove with whispered female vox imploring you to "touch my face" (I think), Make Me Feel tops a more strident riddim with almost rave-y stabs, warbling Wurlitzer sounds, "baby, give me your good lovin" male vocal wails and a cheeky line pinched from Diana, Rabbit Hole marries more of those militant Chi-town beats with warmer synth sounds and a vocal nod to Heard It Through The Grapevine, while finally Tropic itself is a techier cut with jerky, filtered percussion and some lush garage-y stabs.

If you're looking for some contemporary-sounding deep/tech house vibes with real soul, here's where you'll find them.

Out: This week

About: Find Midnight Social on Facebook.

VayFlor – Mescalina

After all that sumptuous garage-y deepness on our first two reviews this morning, time for a change of pace as we venture into more electronic pastures with the latest from UK label Menomale Records.

In its original form, Mescalina is a dark and jacking techno pulse that wouldn't have sounded out of place on 1605. The Fra P Remix is a lighter, jauntier take with Italo leanings, while Francesco Imparato's rub is a more textured and 'epic' affair you could imagine gracing a Garnier set. Finally, label bosses Mario Conte & Fabio Spzz serve up a mix with a summery, proggy kinda feel.

A pretty varied package stylistically, then, but rest assured the quality standard is high throughout.

Out: This week

About: You can find Menomale on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Miss Mee – The Train

And seeing as I was just bigging up Anthony Mea below, now seems like a good time to tell you about this newie from homonymic producer Miss Mee.

I remember reviewing something by Miss Mee back in the early days of this blog – mainly because I babbled on about an old maths teacher of mine for most of the review – and I do believe this is actually the first thing I've had through from her since. I wish it wasn't, because the Belgian producer and Patsada Records boss clearly has something of an ear for this here deep 'ouse malarkey.

Just the two mixes on offer, the rolling, chugging and spoken-French-vocalled Original and the somewhat dubbier, er, Dub. But the conventional wisdom regarding the fixing of unbroken things applies, so all is well.

Out: This week

About: This comes on the aforesaid Patsada Records, who you can find at their own website or on Facebook.

Anthony Mea – Zzaj Died EP

Seeing as I was just bigging up Mr Mea for his contributions to the Spring Tube comp below, now seemed like a good time to tell you about this three-track, six-mix EP he's also got out this week on Deep Site Recordings.

"Waves of deep organic house wrap you up in a blanket of warm, mellifluous balm," is how the hype sheet describes this one, which gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Actually, the title cut in particular leans a little more towards that en vogue more clinical, techy sound than that might lead you to believe but other than that, yeah… if unhurried deep house vibes made for post-club chillin' or very late floors are what you're after, you won't go far wrong here.

Oh yeah, and if you held a gun to my head – which I'd really rather you didn't – then my pick of a fine crop would be the Nello Falcitan Jekos Remix of Mea & BPlan's Jade In My House.

Out: This week

About: Deep Site Recordings is based in Croatia, is the brainchild of Tom Krizic and Rory Cochrane, has only been in existence since March and can be found on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.