French producer Erell Ranson’s affinity for the deeper shades of Detroit sound and his ability to absorb those influences and create beautiful music with his own signature are well known. Erell became quite skilled in crafting sophisticated and emotional tracks which still seem to feel perfectly at home in a crowded 3 AM club situation. This Barba EP, titled “Dreams Of Nila”, is a 4-tracker with an additional remix treatment by a Rotterdam-based project Duplex.
Lisière Collectif returns on their own label with LSR No. 03 EP, a collection of two original tracks and a reinterpretation by Vlad Caia and Cristi Cons, formerly known as Sideways Invisibility Theory or simply – SIT.
It’s been seven years since Smallpeople’s debut album, ‘Salty Days’. In the time since, much has changed in the world of dance music, yet the Hamburg duo have remained dedicated to their unapologetically reassuring vision of house music as-a-whole. With ‘Afterglow’ we get a record carved directly from the hearts and record collections of two individuals whose understanding of dance music appears to be some sort of blissful second-nature.
Marco Spaventi and M>O>S label head Aroy Dee link up for another of their intriguing collaborations. Their latest offers another vital mix of raw house and ambient. Opener ‘The Way We Love’ features typically rough, blistered drums and sci-fi synths, but this time with a heavenly vocal and uplifting chords up top that tug on your heart strings. An ambient reprise of the same track is a perfect excuse to kick back and get lost in your own thoughts. ‘The Way We Move’ then takes a long view, with far-gazing Detroit pads and mid tempo drums getting you deep into a dreamy groove that is wide open and expansive. Last of all, Marco remixes this one on his own and flips it into something that is even more melodic, with circling pads and a musical bassline all making for a beautiful piece of timeless house music.
Glaswegian Leeon delivers in stunning style this follow up to 2012’s brilliant debut on his home city’s classic Seventh Sign Recordings imprint.
Sound Signature presents the return of the Essential Selections series. This second studio hook-up between Detroit veterans Theo Parrish and Marcellus Pittman first appeared way back in 2002, some three years after they made their collaborative debut on Sound Signature. Listening again all these years on, we can confirm that the three-tracker hasn’t aged a bit.
Australian label Chubby! is back for a second bout that features further ruminations on how deep deep house can go. Trinidadian Deep returns, this time shoring up on the A side with some of his distinctive percussive patter and soaring, soul-drenched melodics. Vincent Floyd comes on board to deliver a classic, Chi-town flavored version that makes the perfect foil to the fluttering organic tones of the source material. Javonntte is on the B side with ”Jazzy Day,” rolling out the kind of smart, bumping house music, leading with expressive, nimble work on the keys. Patrice Scott steps up for a remix to round the EP out, maintaining the swing but edging some of his swirling, ethereal tones into the mix.
Anthony Naples returns with his second full length album, “Take Me With You”. Originally conceived as a D.J. mixtape dedicated to friends and the time spent with them in the morning hours after the parties over (or beginning) – it quickly morphed into a soft focused meditation on all things warm and intangible. “Take Me With You”‘s message is undoubtedly about escapism, given away by its happy-abductee cover art done by the legend Biscuit— but first and foremost it reflects on that lingering feeling one gets when walking away from the ones they love.
Thomas Xu is a producer and DJ based in Highland Park, MI. This is his debut solo EP and will be released on his label, Steady Flight Circle.
DM003 is a compilation featuring tracks from Omar Santis & Pistol Pete, Keita Sano, Dj Aakmael and Shampoo. Ranging from moody house trax to mystical acid and bitter sweet electro.
Jaime’s take on futuristic chi-town influenced house is present across the selections. Written 21 years ago, the music is more relevant that ever. Serene galactic themes and time travel optimism permeate the collection: the music tells tales of optimism rather than the bleak images carved by other similar compositions of the time.
Raf Reza joins Heart To Heart with ‘Moods From the Muiltiverse’. This record feels familiar yet foreign, the tracks are like a transmission from across the expanse, awakening zones of the mind that were long dormant.
Dan Piu is releasing his first full album with unreleased tracks since 1999. A collection of beautiful Chicago & Detroit sounding pieces that he created throughout the last centuries.
Serbia’s Soul Print Recordings returns after a year away, with four pieces of beautiful and emotive deep house from the Englishman Mark Hand. The record kicks off with Midnight, a beautiful track with it’s floaty pads and gently rippling bass tones, coupled with the great soulful voice of Greg Blackman. False Leads is a percussive number, drenched in machine soul, with on the flip, Sio’s voice sits effortlessly above a downtempo beat, while Mark adds his late father’s saxophone to the mix on the final jazz enfused Mountains.
The elusive producer ‘Nortasun’ hasn’t released a record since his debut ‘One’ through SAFT back in 2016. After two years, it’s time for a follow up which is fittingly named ‘Two’. The track titles also resume in a fashionable manner with the opening track being titled: ‘Untitled 3’. On this track, Nortasun introduces a firm rhythm that is supported by the impossibly beautiful strings that serve as the tracks key element and appear throughout. Next up is the ‘AntonZap’ remix. AntonZap doesn’t do the stereotypical remix take on the original. His version is dub laden, otherworldly, and only implements miniscule pieces from the original take. With just under 7 minutes, the remix version is a true sonic voyage.
The Hipodrome Of Music 