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.

Savvas – Soultown EP

Two tracks in four mixes make up this latest essential EP from the ever on-point Savoir Faire Musique.

As is par for the course with SFM, deep house from the soulful/garage-y side of the street is the order of the day. Soultown itself in its original form is a lush, midtempo groover with an atmospheric, cinematic kinda feel, while Soul Minority provide a remix that's a little bit dreamier still, and that makes more use of the male vocal. What You Need is another atmospheric, midtempo affair with chorused M&F vox reciting the title over lots of long, evolving synths sounds, while Echofusion's mix with its sax parps, "ooh yeah" vocal inserts and warm bass drops takes us into the late-night driftaway zone, yet is somehow more obviously floor-friendly at the same time.

In fact, the latter mix would be my pick of the whole EP, with the original of Soultown a close second, but it's all good.

Out: This week

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

Cherie Lee – Love Me Or Leave Me (The Remixes)

TIWWD is now back from holiday… and feeling slightly worn-out from travelling. Will be back up to speed tomorrow but for now just wanted to tell you about this, which I have to say TOTALLY dominated the holiday iPod!

Love Me Or Leave Me first came out back in 1995. The original Club Dub is presented here as a memory-jerker – and a more sumptuous organ-led slab of deep n' groovy proper garage you'll struggle to find this week, or indeed this year. More importantly for our purposes, though, you also get three brand new refixes to play with. Oliver $ drops the organs and tuffens up the drums a notch, Brodanse's rub is stripped back and a tad pacier, while Matthew K takes us into more contemporary deep house pastures.

Ageing garage snob that I am, I'll be honest and say it's still the '95 version that I'm loving the most, but all three of the re-rubs do a fine job of bringing the track up-to-date for younger floors – respectfully, and without detracting from the essence of the original. Go seek.

Out: This week

About: This comes on brand new UK imprint Danse Club, run by Scott and Austen Smart AKA Brodanse Brothers, and is the first in a series of 'Gold Series' releases from the label that, in their words, "will feature classic records from the 90s re-mastered and remixed by leading producers". You can find 'em on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Huxley – No Matter What

Long a TIWWD fave, it's good to see Huxley getting some major props these days. Let's just hope he doesn't let his star status go to his head and fuck off to play in Vegas with David Guetta, eh?

Still, there's no sign of that on this EP, which sees the man ploughing that distinct blend of dancefloor deep house with a dash of garage bump that he's made all his own. That both No Matter What and Can't Sleep are top-drawer little rumpshakers should come as no surprise by now, though… so the real news is that this also comes with some remix action from no less a personage than the mighty Marc Kinchen.

12-inch buyers get an MK Dub of No Matter What, while those purchasing digitally get an MK Mix as well as the Dub. And both are every bit as good as you'd hope. Given that the source material is pretty damn good to start with, there's no great belief-beggaring transformation as MK has worked on the likes of Celine Dion, Jodeci or M People in the past, but still… there's a reason MK's so revered by old skool house n' garage heads and if you're remotely unclear as to what that reason IS, one listen to either of his refixes here should put you straight!

Pretty much unmissable then, this one.

Out: This week

About: This comes from Kev Griffiths' ever on-point Tsuba Records. Here's the usual Facebook Soundcloud and website links.

PS I wanted to post MK's mix of Those 2 Girls' All I Want but it's not on YouTube so it'll have to stay as one of my personal secret weapons! But seriously, this is a man who actually made Denise Van Outen sound good… ultimate respect.

Matches – Get Loose EP

Was just singing Matches' praises on this blog a few days ago… now here he is again, this time with a three-tracker of his own on Jesus Pablo and Di Riviera's Something Different, who recently celebrated their first birthday.

Get Loose itself is a loose-limbed midtempo jam with a vaguely garage-y feel (by which I basically mean it's got a female vocal and some cool organ sounds). Never Give In is an ever-so-slightly more insistent, uptempo number with a killer acid-y bassline, while finally Two Strangers ain't nothing but a locked-on 5am afterhours groove, all rock-solid looped drums, freaky spoken male vocals and dub-wise flourishes.

Like I said a few days ago, Matches really isn't putting a foot wrong for me at the minute.

Out: This week

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

Feft – Won't Believe EP

An outstanding EP from Unrivaled Music here with three tracks, two of which operate in out-and-out garage territory.

That's garage in the proper/old-fashioned sense you understand. Won't Believe itself works some great NJ organ stabs, skippy beats and the tiniest snips of heavily treated male vocal, while Lost is another killer bump n' grind cut in the classic vein, somewhat reminiscent of early outings by labels like Confetti or Ice Cream. Rounding out the EP is Tickle, which is more yer typical Unrivaled-style dancefloor deep house, with tons of rump-shakin' bottom end and a rather rude vocal.

As I said, an outstanding EP, and one that'll go down particularly well with dancers of 'a certain age'…

Out: This week

About: Find Unrivaled Music via the Endemic Digital page on Facebook.

Various - Nightbird ADE Sampler 2012

Our second ADE sampler tonight comes from Sebastian Davidson's ever-reliable Nightbird Music.

The EP gets off to a slow-burning, deeper-than-deep start with Rami Deejay's soul-drenched Burn Burn, then picks up the pace in fine style with the vintage/retro Chi-town deepness of 4BeatClub's The Warehouse. Phonic Funk's proper garage-y Aus follows, then comes Mass Digital's dark room vocal anthem-in-waiting Things We Done Together, before Fil Lavin's Nude takes us into the 4am eyes-wide-shut jacking zone and Peter O's gorgeous come-down treat Back In The Day soothes us off into the stratosphere.

Or to put it another way: six superb slices of deep house and proper garage done very, very right. It's a bit unmissable this one, really.

Out: Sunday (Oct 14)

About: If you happen to be going to ADE then I believe Nightbird are having a bit of a do on the 18th… otherwise you can find 'em on Facebook, on Soundcloud or at their own website.

Dale Howard – Signals EP

Two related releases in a row, now. First up, TIWWD fave Dale Howard comes to Jesus Pablo & Di Riviera's Something Different for an EP that marks one year in the game for the label.

With previous releases on Lost My Dog, Off Recordings, Neurotraxx Deluxe and more, Howard's known for his musical and garage-informed take on the deep house blueprint, and so it is here. Signals itself is a midtempo, organ-fuelled groover, while Sub Text packs slightly more slamming kicks but otherwise goes deeper still with its echo-y low-end rumble (see what they did there?). Remix-wise, meanwhile, Evan Iff pumps up Signals somewhat and adds a "get on the floor" vocal loop, while Matt Masters' rub of Sub Text adds tribal percussion to make it more 'afterhours' than 'post-club', if you see what I mean.

It's Signals (Original Mix) that stands out for me but these are four very solid tracks – happy birthday fellas.

Out: This week

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

Mystik Mike – Higher Baby

Now for some straight-up house music courtesy of Canada's Kozmik Hype Recordings.

There's just the two mixes of Higher Baby. In its original form, it's a vaguely disco-leaning peaktime dancefloor cut, with a rolling funky bassline, space-y synths, luxurious pads, parping sax and echo-ing, garage-y fem vocal snips – Joey Negro would be proud! On the B, the Darren Marshall Remix is a slightly tuffer, dubbier pass, with yet more nods to classic garage in its swung rhythms.

I think Marshall's rub nudges it for me but both mixes are very playable.

Out: This week

About: This is only the third release from Kozmik Hype, who can be found online at their own website, on Facebook or on Soundcloud.

Steven J AKA Wobblejay – Groove Your World EP

Only the fourth release here from fledgling Leicester-based imprint City Fly Records.

Steven J is better known as a member of Creative Swing Alliance, who had the CSA EP out on City Fly last year. Here, he serves up three original tracks plus a remix of the title cut from Medlar. Groove Your World in its original form is synth-y, contemporary-style deep/tech bizniss, while Let Me Know has a little garage-y swing in its veins and You Got My Time takes us back to the old school with its raw-sounding kicks and vocal samples.

It's all good, as they say, but the standout for me is Medlar's refix, a deep, organ-fuelled jam sitting somewhere between deep house and (future) garage. Niceness!

Out: This week

About: You can find City Fly on Soundcloud and Facebook.

Deep Shizzol - Carpet Bomb EP

The ever-reliable Beats Me Music reach their 20th release with an EP that's very aptly named, taking in as it does influences from all over the house spectrum.

The overall feel is definitely deep house, but the five tracks vary quite considerably. The Deep Dub of Boogie With Deep is either very proggy deep house or very deep prog, depending how you look at it…   Golden Age is a proper back-to-the-90s organ tune… Hopscotch has something of a proggy feel again, but this time with soulful male vocals that could see this going down well on the hipster floors… This Is Our Night is a smooth, soulful fem-vocalled groover that recalls the early 00s heyday of the San Francisco scene… and finally Time To Get Busy is a straight-up dancefloor deep houser that reworks the classic vocal from Korda's Moving Power To The Music.

Golden Age and This Is Our Night stand out for me – hey, I'm old – but it's a strong EP all round.

Out: This week

About: Deep Shizzol also goes by Spencer T and has been involved in the scene since rave era, though   it's only recently that he's stepped back into the studio after a 10-year hiatus. As for Beats Me Music, you can find 'em at their own website or on Facebook.

Maya Jane Coles – No Sympathy

Anything new from Maya Jane is always cause for TIWWD's ears to prick up and this latest – for Mexico's Elite Records – doesn't disappoint.

In its original form, No Sympathy is a deep, driving tech-house groove, topped with European-sounding spoken vox from a woman – presumably MJC herself, seeing as no-one else is credited – who's been done wrong and isn't best pleased about it ("you used to get me high/now everything we had has died/no sympathy from me inside/now I just want to make cry"). And it's every bit as good as you're probably expecting from Ms Coles.

Remix-wise, Djuma Soundsystem are up first with a rub that takes us into even deeper, late-night territory. Matthew Burdon & Kate Rathod's Dub Mix takes up the original's slight garage swing and runs with it, transforming No Sympathy into a down and dirty rumpshaker for those lights-down-low sessions, while finally rising Mexican star Holly serves up a mix that's a touch more "deep n' funky" than "deep n' techy" but certainly no less an order-to-dance than MJC's original.

A very fine release that goes to further establish Mexico's place on the deep house map.

Out: This week

About: You can find Elite Records on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Various – The Residence EP

Our second V/A ep today comes from Leeds-based Midnight Social, and showcases the production talents of some of the world's hard-working resident DJs.

Leading the charge is Dudley Strangeways (also featured on the Something Different EP, of course), who gives us Side C, a slab of deep n' moody house bizniss with a hint of classic UK garage circa 1995. Next, Lee Pennington's Billy's Coming Out is a sparse, stripped chugger with raw technoid kicks, while Matteo Baudoni – an Italian DJ now resident in Seattle – serves up We Love Dance, a more driving cut counterpointing a terrace-friendly, percussion-led groove with deep organ sounds and barely-there vocal snips. Bringing the EP to a close is Drag That Ish from David Moran, a druggy slice of 3am wonk with what sound like garage organs drawn through a mangle, and with a heavily treated spoken vocal that probably ISN'T saying "techno pussy" but sounds like it is to me!

It's Dudley's cut that stands out for me, with Mr Moran taking the silver, but there's plenty to explore here so dive in.

Out: This week on Beatport, everywhere else from 15 Oct.

About: You can find Carlo Gambino's Midnight Social Recordings on Facebook.

Various – Remixes Vol 3

On now to a brace of EPs featuring a Who's Who line-up of TIWWD 'usual suspects'.

First up is this one, the third in Something Different's series of Remixes EPs (I'm told there'll be four in total). Aartekt, Dudley Strangeways, J-Kar, Left-Minded and Matthieu Duchesne are the artists getting the remix treatment, while Bubba, Stanny Abram, Ashley Casselle & Justin Steel, Dale Howard and Dilby are those dishing it out. Given that pretty much all of the original tracks featured on this blog first time around, and given that pretty much all the remixers are TIWWD regulars as well, this EP shouldn't take much explaining – it's packed with exactly the kind of deep/tech goodness you'd expect.

But special mention must be made of  Casselle & Steel's rub of J-Kar's Baby Dreaming – always something of a TIWWD fave to start with, their deep, squelchy refix of this garage-leaning groover is the reason you need to go out and get this EP.

Out: This week

About: Find Something Different on Soundcloud and Facebook.

Audiojack – These Days EP

A five-track EP here from Leeds duo Audiojack on their own Gruuv label. And what a fine EP it is too. In total you get three mixes of These Days itself, plus Night Watch and, er, well, we'll come to that in a mo'. 

In its Original form, These Days is jackin' contemporary dancefloor deep house bizniss, with a spoken vocal about the good ol' vinyl days, disillusionment with modern music… all the usual shizzle we've heard before but we'll forgive 'em cos there's also one SERIOUS motherfucker of a fat b-line. The Jimmy Edgar Interpretation (what a great name for a mix… it's like it was done in the 1940s at BBC Maida Vale Studios, by a man in a tuxedo with Bryclreemed hair) all but ditches the vocal but adds some heavyweight garage-y bump n' swing and female vocal oohs and awws, while the Sacha Robotti 2029 G.I.T.S. Remix is a big-room tech-house pass. 

Elsewhere, Night Watch is another BIG track with rock-solid 4/4s, disco stabs, another phat n' funky b-line and some old-skool piano licks applied very sparingly, while to round out the EP the lads give us their '20 Year Tribute' take on Plastic Dreams. It's a brave move, but it works… so it's hard not to smile really.

Night Watch and the Jimmy Edgar rub of These Days that stand out for me but like I said, it's a fairly spiffing, top-hole sort of gramophone record all round really, what? As our imaginary friend at Maida Vale would say.

Out: This week

About: You can find Gruuv on Facebook and Soundcloud. And, seeing as they're Yorkshire lads, here's Audiojack's own Soundcloud as well.

Rob Clarke – Closing In EP

Another of TIWWD's most-reviewed labels here as Rob Clarke serves up six tracks of typically classic-sounding house music for his own Beats Me Music.

Actually strictly speaking that's five tracks plus a Jonny Loves House Remix of The Get Up but we won't split hairs. Nor, for reasons of time, am I gonna go into each track individually… but suffice to say that fans of the label won't be disappointed. If Beats Me Music is a new name to you, then what you need to know is that Rob cut his teeth DJing with the likes of Tuff Jam back in the UKG glory days and these days specialises in funk-fuelled dancefloor deep house with that lil' bit of garage-y swing… think a slightly more soul/garage-oriented DiY Discs or Drop Music and you're somewhere in the ballpark.

Great VFM and six solid cuts for slightly older deep house dancefloors, then, with the squelchy Ascenscion and Rhodes-led Closing In standing out from a fine pack for me.

Out: This week

About: You can contact Beats Me Music, who are based in Eastbourne on the UK's south coast, via Facebook, or check out their podcasts on Soundcloud.

J Cub feat BiBi – Crying Over You

If I ever did a list of the Top 10 Most Under-Rated Albums In Dance Music, then featuring highly on that chart would be Donna Dee's Spellbound from 1998.

I mention this now because this could have been lifted straight from said album, featuring as it does the same combination of fragile, slow-moving, garage-derived beats, lush chords and wistful female vocals that – shock! – actually say something. And I don't say that in a "derivative rubbish, heard it all before" way but in a "this is ruddy marvellous, why don't more people make music like this?" way. Just so's we're clear.

Remixes come from RNDM and BJNJM*, with the former adding some extra bottom-end warmth, the latter additional percussive elements. I'd say RNDM's rub works slightly better for me but both are playable since neither, thankfully, fucks too much with the overall sparse, soulful feel.

But it's the Original that stands out, all the same. It's an absolute killer.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Huxley and Jimmy Poster's v. hip Saints & Sonnets label… find 'em on Soundcloud and Facebook, or check out their shows on Pulse Radio.

*wht s t wth ths ppl? r thy frm Bsn r smwhr ls wth n vwls?

Francesco Tarantini – Come Back EP

And finally for tonight… we've used the word 'garage-y' several times in the past couple of reviews so how about some of the real deal? If you head straight for Come Back (presented here in its Tribute To KC Mix, the Original having featured on the Miami 2012 EP a few months back) that's exactly what you'll get, proving the classic sound of New Jersey isn't dead and buried quite yet!

Come Back is the standout for me, and the one out-and-out garage gem, but it would be fair to say the NJ influences are in fact writ large across the EP's seven tracks generally… even as the Italian producer explores various shades of deep house music, from the soulful and jazzy to the techy and jackin', and proves himself equally adept at all of them.

The jazz-flavoured I Was and the sparse, twitchy heads' treat that is El Coche are two more highlights, but really picking individual tracks is superfluous. What you need to know about this EP is that: a. it shows Tarantini is 100% on top of his game right now, and b. you seriously need to check it out.

Out: This week (everywhere, that is… it's actually been on Traxsource a couple of weeks but I was busy then)

About: This comes on Nite Grooves, part of the King Street stable as you know, so here's a label link you've probably clicked before…

Matt Prehn feat Dené Theron – Taking It Back

Somewhere, on a private Carribean island or in a secret underground lair or something, there's an evil genius who turns out deep house producers, arming them with a magic sack full of pads, organs and chopped-up vocal snippets before setting them loose while shouting "fly, my pretties, fly!" and cackling manically.

No, seriously. How else do you explain the seemingly endless stream of young talents who you've never heard of one minute, then who are suddenly blinding you with quality remixes of every second or third record you hear? Matches is the production wunderkind in question here, his mix of this west coast-style bumper from South Africa's finest – featuring a vocal from Ms Theron that's not a little Lisa Shaw-esque* – just edging out from a very fine pack that also includes rubs from Evren Ulusoy and Mr Prehn himself… and being just one of several Matches productions to grab this reviewer by the ears of late. Whereas six months ago, if you'd said "Matches" I'd have said "Bryant & May". Or possibly "Swan Vestas".

The EP as a whole, though, is every bit as good as the dream-team line-up of Prehn, Ulusoy, Matches and Savoir Faire Musique would have you hoping. Rewind, play it back…

Out: This week

About: This comes, as I just subtly let slip, on Scott Harrington's Savoir Faire Musique, always a fave of this blog, who live here and here and here (Facebook, Soundcloud, blog)

*Just in case Dené Theron ever reads this… being compared to the mighty Lisa is definitely a compliment in my book, NOT a dismissal!

Dale Howard – Some Other Guy EP

And speaking of Dale Howard, here he comes again, this time with a four-track EP for Berlin's ever-excellent OFF Recordings.

The clue's in the title with the main track, as Mr Howard lifts a chunk of Heard It Through The Grapevine* and places it, heavily treated, atop a midtempo, bassy deep house groove. "Simple but devastatingly effective" would be the cliché juste, methinks! Elsewhere on the EP, No Need is another simple, loping and bassy groover but with both male and female vocal snips this time, Trickster is a sumptuous, (UK) garage-y thang and the throbbing 4am dub-house-disco of District brings the EP to a close.

Deep house music that sounds contemporary yet at the same time pays homage to classic sounds… what's not to like?

Out: This week

About: Find OFF Recordings at their website, on Facebook and on Soundcloud.

*Possibly someone other than Marvin's version, I'm not 100 per cent sure