Peter O – Make A Stand/Momentary Lapse EP

A simple two-tracker here from Unrivaled Music… always a good thing when you're a house blogger playing catch-up!

On the A, Make A Stand is a lazy, laidback deep/slo-mo house groove with a pleasing garage-y slant. Over on the B, meanwhile, Momentary Lapse is equally slow n' deep, but this time with more of a drifty, vaguely proggy feel.

Two strong cuts for those late night/early morning sessions.

Out: This week

About: Unrivaled can be found via the Endemic Digital Facebook page

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.

Raffa L – I Want You

Blimey… I know Unrivaled Music get a lot of love on this blog but they've excelled themselves here!

There are six mixes of I Want You on offer. In its Original form, it's a chugging deep/tech house groover with a slightly Robert Owens-esque, treated male vocal, 90s organ sounds used quite subtly and some seriously buzzy rave bass. And then as for remixes… you're spoiled for choice, really. There's the (UK) garage-y refix from Liam Geddes. There's Danny eM's head-fried, wibbly pass. There's a tuffer, techier rub from Dan Styles.

And then there's not one but two outstanding mixes from Dexter Ford. His Up Mix really lets that rave bass shine through and teams it somewhat surprisingly with nu-disco synths, with great results. But his Down Mix… that's as satisfying a journey into inner (head) space as you're gonna take all week, a dubby affair with the production aesthetics of deep techno, the sexy slink of deep house and STILL with that buzz bassline in full effect.

The latter pass, as you can probably tell, takes top honours for me, with Geddes' rub a close second. But this is outstanding stuff all round, truth be told – go seek.

Out: This week

About: You can find Unrivaled via the Endemic Digital Facebook page.

Martin Virgin – Take My Love EP

Some classy house/deep house fare from Unrivaled Music here.

Take My Love is an upbeat affair with proggy synths, disco flourishes and an uplifting vibe overall… it's possibly a bit late to be a 'summer anthem' but it's in that kinda vein, while Move It Good is a deeper dancefloor groove with an almost garage-y swing to it and some gloriously cheesy 80s sax licks. But the killer here is Swag, credited to Martin Virgin with Saxtone feat Highleef. This pulls off the remarkable feat of both a) being a credible, jazz-flecked deep house dancefloor roller and b) sporting a male vocal that sits somewhere between Tony Di Bart and Chris Rea.

It shouldn't really work but as unlikely as it sounds, it works so well… check this one asap.

Out: This week

About: You can find Unrivaled Music on Facebook

Lee Pennington – Credit Rating/Smoky Bottle

Some very fine deep/tech grooves here from the ever-checkable Unrivaled Music.

First up is Credit Rating, which in its Original form is a sparse-yet-luxuriant midtempo cut that chugs along nicely without feeling the need to 'do' very much at all, and that's dominated by piano/organ (?) stabs and unassuming but nonetheless rock solid 4/4s. Groove Syndicate's remix adds slightly more involved percussion and some low-end acid bubble, while Pretty Criminals' Raw To The Floor Cut has that jazzy, rough-edged feel you associate with vintage NYC house from the early 90s.

As for Smoky Bottle, in its Original form that's a slightly more uptempo/driving deep/tech dancefloor cut, with some proggy tinges around the edges, while Groove Syndicate strip it right down to the beat and bassline to turn the track into a proper dark room throbber and no mistake guv.

With not a duff mix in sight, this is a very solid bet indeed.

Out: This week

About: Unrivaled is part of the Endemic Digital stable.

So many tunes, so little time 27

Well, here's an all too bloody familiar situation. It's Monday evening, I'm knackered from work and there's a ton of new music piled up, all of which is out this week and none of which I've had a chance to listen to properly yet. In fact make that two tons this week, it's gonna be a busy one!

But for now, here's the rest of last week's goodies that we didn't quite get around to…

Aartekt & Zia's Autumn Mist is typically high-quality deep house fare from the ever-reliable Untitled Music… with mixes from Dave Fortnum, Matt Prehn and Marvin Zeyss, this one would probably have got a bigger review but it came in quite late… there's more very solid deep house in the form of the More L EP from Istanbul-based producer Ave Astra, coming on German label Filigran…Cybernalia's Darker Dreams is a very aptly titled EP for Stripped Digital that's packed with moody, menacing progressive house and techno grooves…  Dubesque's Something is, er, 'something' of a treat if you're in search of that classic NYC 90s house sound, and comes on Austrian label In My House…  on a deep/tech tip, check for Federico's Welcome Home EP on Unrivaled Music…  Hector Romero's Soulful House Journey comp for King Street is trailed by a five-track sampler EP… Heiko Laux & Diego Hostettler serve up some no-nonsense jackery with Girl/Jack Up, a release that Tronic Music are billing as 'techno' though it sounds pretty tech-house-y to me… John Collins gives us the Club D'Ellaria EP which is one for lovers of laidback, Balearic grooves and which comes on Irish label Vision Collective… we're back in bumpin' dancefloor deep house territory with the Big City Nights EP by Los Cuzeiros, which comes on the snappily-monickered The Cruzaders Records… Seraph's Frigid EP is a solid bet if you're after some dark-but-not-stoopid dubstep/post-dubstep bizniss… and even if you're not, then check Take It Back for some proper old-skool rave/hardcore action – it's like climbing in a time machine with a whistle, a tub of Vaporub and a gram of pink champagne… oh yeah and it's on Four40 Records… whizzing (ho-ho) forward in that same time machine, very contemporary-sounding house/techno vibes are the order of the day on the Nachts EP, from which the Pele Remix of the title track stands out for me, this one coming from Shawnecy on Lowroom Recordings… UK label Form-and Function bring us some more very 'now' deep/tech vibes in the form of Losing U from Soulight, which comes complete with a weirded-out dub from the mighty Saytek… Untitled2Music serve up some thinking man's techno on the X Project EP, which comes on Unofficial Records… and finally, "it's that man again" as Jesus Pablo and Di Riviera's label Something Different bring us the second in their series of Remixes EPs, featuring cuts this time out from Left Minded, Dudley Strangeways, Sean Danke and more…

TOMORROW night, we'll get cracking with this week's releases! Must admit to being a bit overwhelmed right now by the constant flow of good music coming in but, y'know, it's a nice problem to have…

Farfan & Seb – Not Yours EP

This EP reminds me of one of my favourite jokes. What do you call some cheese that doesn't belong to you? Nacho cheese!

Anyway, excruciating cheese puns aside, this is the latest from Unrivaled Music and a simple two-track affair. The title cut is a squelchy, rough-edged marriage of jackin' acid, tuff tribal drums and lo-slung disco/boogie sleaze… and it works. Fuck big beat and the Chemical Brothers, THIS is what 'amyl house' should sound like! Boat Wreck on the B, meanwhile, is a somewhat smoother ride with R&B laydeez supplying the vox, but that 'grubby warehouse at 5am' feel isn't dispensed with entirely.

It's the A that's doing it best for me, though.

Out: This week

About: You can find Unrivaled Music at the Endemic Digital Facebook page.

Leo Perez – 1975/California

Two fine slices of proper underground deep/tech house here courtesy of Unrivaled Music and Leo Perez, who I think is from Panama if it's the right one…

On the A, 1975 features speech samples saying "with a song" and "1975" that sit atop a darkly groovy backing fusing tech-house with disco-style synth stabs. But cool as 1975 undoubtedly is, the real treat here is California on the B, which takes us into the deepest of dub-house territory. A proper dubwise skanker with sampled dialogue from NASA's Mission Control (specifically from a Columbia mission so let's hope it's not the one where it blew up, eh?), this will be a treat for your afterhours floor.

I know I haven't waxed particularly lyrical but this is a killer, trust.

Out: This week

About: You can find Unrivaled Music at the Endemic Digital Soundcloud and Facebook pages.

Martin Virgin – Down/His Name Is Jack

And from Hype Muzik to vaguely related label Unrivaled Music. This week, the Essex crew serve up a two-tracker from one Martin Virgin, about whom I can't tell you, well, anything really.

I can tell you, though, that Down is a slow, chuggy deep houser with Italo/electro overtones (lots of squelchy analogue synths, basically) that's probably best suited to warm-up play or afterhours sessions, while His Name Is Jack isn't the retro acid-fest you might expect, but rather a laidback and soulful beach house-style groove, with some cool disco strings.

It's the latter that edges it for me but yeah, another solid bet.

Out: This week

About: Unrivaled Music – again, as you know – is part of the Endemic stable. The main Endemic website seems to be out of action at the mo' but you can also find 'em on MySpace.

Lee Perez – Get U/Kinda Strange

Covering Bizarre Inc's I'm Gonna Get You Baby in a 2012 house stylee… it sounds like a terrible idea on paper, doesn't it? But, while it's possible to see this not finding favour in certain more earnest, chin-stroking sections of the house community, it's got to be said… it's actually quite good.

The familiar electric piano riff shines through in full effect, and there's even a snatch of the "Yo DJ pump this party rap," but the vocal – shamelessly burned from the mighty Jocelyn in the first place, of course – appears only in heavily filtered form, to such an extent that there'll no doubt be those who, on hearing this in a club, may wonder if they really heard it at all! Underneath it all, meanwhile, thoroughly modern beats, production and – crucially – tempo mean this will slot right into a contemporary house set, no problem.

On the B, Kinda Strange isn't particularly strange at all… instead it's a very playable tech-houser, stripped down to beats and the sound of distant sirens at the outset, then building slowly with vocal incantations and… oh, no, that pretty much IS it! Think deep house informed by the methods of deep, dubby techno and you're somewhere in the ballpark.

All told, then, another strong offering from Unrivaled Music.

Out: This week

About: You can find Unrivaled at the usual place.

Source Of Soul – Control

You'll know this when you hear it: it's the one with a bloke's voice saying “take control in your soul”. Like the man up the mountain with his leg wrapped in polythene, you can't miss him*.

As for the track that he's saying it over… the original mix of Control starts out all stripped, tuff n' dubby, then surprises after a couple of minutes as an old-skool piano line comes cascading in to bring some light, albeit without detracting from the overall moody vibe too much. Quality stuff. Maxim Lany's rub is more sparse and techy while label boss Wez Saunders goes for a bubbly, sub-aquatic, dubby kinda feel.

Both the latter two mixes are more than playable, so this is a solid bet all round… but it's the original that's taking the gold for me.

Out: This week

About: This comes on Unrivaled Music, and I'd go so far as to say it's the best thing I've had through from them in a while. As ever, the place to head if you want to know more is the mothership Endemic Digital website.

*This will make sense if you've seen Withnail & I. If you haven't, it won't. I make no apologies for this.

Ill Cows – Sweet EP

Who said all the good band/artist names had gone, eh? Ill Cows indeed… I'm actually not sure whether that's the most rubbish name I've heard all year, or the best. But I'm erring towards the best.

Anyway it's not who they're by, it's what they sound like that matters, and this two-tracker from Unrivaled sounds pretty good, truth be told. On the A, Sweet Street kicks off with some fairly harsh percussion that sounds like we're gonna be in boys' own tech-house territory, but then surprises by dropping down instead into a stripped, raw house groove reminiscent of vintage Serious Grooves tackle. Over on the B, meanwhile, Hello is a fairly par-for-the-course techy chugger but distinguishes itself with a quirky, French-accented spoken vocal – saying "hello", obviously.

Which is always good for breaking the ice with that cutie on the dancefloor…

Out: This week

About: Every week I tell you how Unrivaled is part of the Endemic Digital stable. Soon I won't have to, though, cos TIWWD is having a makeover – stay tuned for more details…

Ed Lee – Croxley EP

Don't think Endemic stalwart Ed Lee has cropped up on here for a little while, so as we come to start this week's reviews let's give the lad first dibs!

The Croxley EP is made up of three original tracks. Croxley itself is an upbeat and tuff-ish tech-houser featuring some odd whistling noises and a long breakdown in the middle… one for mangling heads at afterparties. App That operates in slightly more traditionally 'house-y' territory and is a rolling, bass-y groover with vocal snips buried so deep in the mix you hardly notice they're there, while finally Rude takes us on a trip all the way back to 1997, when sugar was sweeter, bad boys moved in silence, republics were baffled and gunmen were locked down… retro speed garage frolics ahoy!

Rude is the star of the show for me, but the other two will keep 'em moving nicely for sure.

Out: This week


About: As I said, Mr Lee is something of a regular round the Endemic Digital camp… this particular release comes from the Unrivaled Music branch of the Essex empire

Tony S – Either Way Around/Feel It EP

Another simple two-tracker here, this time from Essex boys Unrivaled Music.

On the A, Either Way Round is a techy, deep-ish groover with muted kicks, heavily filtered/effected instrument sounds, female vocal stabs and then, on top it all, jazzy pia-pia-piano shining through all bright and clear. More warm-up than peaktime, for sure, but very nice all the same. On the B, meanwhile, Feel It fuses crisp old-skool Chicago beats with rich Guerrilla-esque dub-house-prog tribal percussion, synth washes and yearnsome "I can feel it in my soul" fem vox.

Solid stuff as ever from Unrivaled, with Feel It taking top honours for me.

Out: This week

About: Unrivaled Music, as you know, is part of the Endemic Digital stable.

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.

ALBUM Stefan Kaye – Regulate

Stefan Kaye might be better known to you as Stefan K, but it seems there's another producer working under that name in Belgium, so now he's using his real name. And under his real name, he's just released his second album on Unrivaled Music, which I think follows on from 2011's Knowing You as Stefan K. Unless of course I've got it twisted and that was the OTHER Stefan K… anyway it's all kind of confusing so let's just concentrate on this album!

In his time, Mr Kaye has turned out both deep and progressive house grooves; the nine tracks featured in this set can generally be filed under the former heading, though there are tinges of prog here and there as well (on Fragments Of Dreams, for instance). Generally speaking, we're in late-night, afterhours or post-club territory, with muted kicks, lingering pads and ambient synth washes galore. Long, atmospheric intros abound, while vocals are pretty much restricted to a few disembodied 'oohs' and 'yeahs' that are layered into the mix rather than taking centre-stage.

In short: like the Spring Tube comp below, this is a fine collection of mellow house grooves that'll be best appreciated as you sit back on the sofa, inhale deeply and shut your eyes…

Out: Now – like I said, I'm playing catch-up a bit with albums at the mo'. But it only came out on 23 April, so you're not too far behind the curve if you grab it now!

About: Unrivaled Music can be found in the usual place.

Arkay, Barker & Deepmilo – Roll Again

The Kent boys serve up a slice of struttin' dancefloor deep house for Unrivaled Music.

There's just the two mixes to choose from. The Original marries tuffs snares reminiscent of Green Velvet's Flash to a jaunty, jazzy piano line and chopped-up, shouty/attitude-y fem vox, making for an infectious groover that'd be perfect for warm-up play cos it's almost physically impossible not to start shaking ya rump to it! On the B, Slavik K gives the track something of a disco injection, toning down the militant snares a notch in the process.

Good solid stuff that'll move dancefloors without a doubt.

Out: Today

About: This comes on Unrivaled Music, part as you know of the Endemic Digital family.

Simon Bryant - New Beginnings EP

After last week's excursion into pastures techno, this week sees Unrivaled Music back on more familiar deep house territory with this three-tracker from Simon Bryant.

All three cuts are fairly straight-up deep, deep house affairs, tailormade for afterhours dancefloors, post-club sessions and lazy Sunday mornings. New Beginnings itself does a neat line in analogue bass squelch just when you're least expecting it, Cocktails & Wine Coolers is a floaty, drifty number with the very lightest of proggy tinges, while Those Sweet Brown Eyes makes equally subtle nods to classic deep, Jersey garage in its choice of sounds.

Very, very checkable for all you horizontal heads out there!

Out: This week

About: You know where to go for more info by now, surely?

Fabian Jakopetz & Dub Way – Moovin' Groovin'

You didn't think a whole week would go by without us looking at anything from the Endemic Digital camp, did you? Course not… and the cream of the crop from the Essex stable for me this week is this latest from Unrivaled Music.

Moovin' Groovin' comes in a total of five mixes: the original, plus rerubs from City Soul Project, Stefan K, Jobe and Christian Poow. The original is a chunky, driving houser with proggy overtones, and much the same could be said of the Jobe Remix, while the Poow and Stefan K rubs accentuate the vocal and have more of main room feel. But the pick to these ears is the City Soul Project Deep Dub, which… well, it's pretty self-explanatory really! But it's good.

With mixes to suit a range of DJs then, this is worth checking for sure.

Out: This week

About: More info at the Endemic Digital website(s)

Dave James - Back To My Deep 2012

If you've been hearing any of the string of superlative remixes that Mr James has been turning out of late, you'll know exactly what to expect here. Very deep, dubby house and techno is his stock-in-trade, and here on a rare outing as an artist/producer (as opposed to remixer) he serves up two fine cuts of just that.

Back To My Deep itself sits on the housier side of the fence, and is a sparse, moody organ-led groove that's nonetheless full of sonic warmth… not to mention some cool analogue synth wobbles. Seriously good late-night tackle. On flipside No Man's Land, meanwhile, we venture into just-slightly techier territories… but without doing anything drastic like actually getting off the sofa, you understand!

Sheer quality deep, deep house music, for those that know. Highly recommended!

Out: This week

About: This comes on Unrivaled Music, who've also been the label where many of those aforesaid remixes were given life.