The Fantastic Planet EP sees Höppner collaborating with Japanese DJ and producer Gonno on three bouncy, club-enabled tracks, steeped in early 90s House and UK Electronica vibes.
deep house
VA – Never Stop [POR0003]
Portray’s sound spectrum is diverse but always intimate, focussing on excitement, warmness and friendship. For the third release they bring 4 salty swirling posse jams from Jonas Palzer, Berni, Pablo Mateo and N.O.C.
Modaji – Belle Epoque [UTA002]
Dominic’s initial Modaji releases garnered acclaim from luminaries such as Francois Kevorkian, Derrick May and Gilles Peterson and after 10 years away from releasing to concentrate on composing music for film and television, Jacobson returns to the studio to delve further into his deep house and ambient soundscapes. The first of two EP’s, Belle Epoque touches on a more cinematic approach to production and showcases a warmer, more expanded sound.
Darling – Jacob’s Lead [VD024]
As part of the label’s mission to champion Dutch talent, Voyage Direct has always promoted new, up and coming, and little-known producers. Here the debut 12” from a mysterious young producer known only as Darling.
Marvis Dee – Dreams Of A Future Metropolis [DREAMS003]
Marvis Dee returns to In My Dreams for the second part of his EP series with the sparking, 80’s boogie-house 5-tracker, Dreams Of A Future Metropolis. Huge shimmering synths, funk-heavy basslines and serious grooves all sailing out with the setting sun.
Xoa – Aiye Le [SHAKE003]
XOA is an exciting new project fusing sounds from the golden era of 70s Afrobeat with contemporary electronica and modern production. The debut release Aiye Le, features the vocals of former Fela Kuti musical director and afrobeat royalty Dele Sosimi. Label boss Dan Shake steps up for the remix on the B side, bringing his signature Detroit house aesthetic.
Hekkla – Sunset Strip EP [02AM]
02AM is an 4 track EP by the young producer Hekkla from Eindhoven. The first track is ‘Sunset Strip’, a slowly build house track that moves like the last waves of heat at the end of a hot summers day, walking home feeling satisfied, all ready for the night. ‘Saturday Morning Sentimentality’ is a hard to pinpoint track that sounds like the bastard son of a trio between the melancholic side of Cyndi Lauper, Alphaville and the echoes of a cheesy saturday morning cartoon theme song from the late 80’s. On the other side ‘Memories of Tau Ceti’ feels like tumbling into space with only the memories left of a good time on an alien world, accelerating faster and faster but still enjoying it, even though you know that the vacuum of space will eventually kill you. Finishing with the hardest track ‘No Math’, because, boys and girls, it’s no math.
Mister Ho & Heap – Feeling Hopeful [ESP045]
Mister Ho & Heap close their eyes and float downstream. This is their second offering for the ESP Institute. On side A, Feeling Hopeful is a straight-ahead burner comprised of minimal thuds, bumps, honks, blips, bleeps and bloops—a harmonious arrangement of percussive elements and soaring synth chords that feels both slow and fast paced, sunset and sunrise hour, island back roads and traffic in metropolis. On side B, Gis Gis explores a similar notion of contrast, setting a the scene with a driving mechanical hi-hat that never dips below the selection of luscious melodies—a cha-cha bassline, breezy chords and a slippery lead hook that collectively invite us all for poolside Pin?a Coladas at the Ho & Heap villa. These two songs were conceived in the year of the monkey.
Lake Haze – Somewhere Between Shadows EP [SNF004]
Goncalo Salgado aka Lake Haze with a four track EP on Shall Not Fade label, features dark synthy productions on the A side, with more club friendly acid cuts on the flip.
R Wong – Life Principles [TMPL003]
Temple’s third release presents R Wong’s debut EP influenced by acid trance and new age. A record for self reflection.
VA – First Chapter [VM001]
Vade Mecum is the latin for a handbook that is intended to be carried at all times. The new Bucharest based label, a sublabel from Stomping Grounds curated by Jay Bliss, aims for the same thing, putting together for the first release three tracks that trancend time and genres. Tracks by French producer Yakine and the Romanians Teluric and Suciu.
Nick Anthony Simoncino – Isole Del Tramonto EP [VIBR004]
Vibraphone Records is releasing a record by the Italian DJ/producer, Nick Anthony Simoncino. For the production of this record, Isole Del Tramonto (Sunset Islands) Simoncino uses a selection of strictly old school analog synthesizers, and drum machines, which takes you on a charming magical journey through the Mediterranean Sea with pulsating minimal deep bass lines, oneiric harmonic textures, exotic tom tom patterns, hypnotic sexy and catchy grove beats. Isole Del Tramonto is a record that connects and combines the essential elements and spirit of deep house music along with providing its visionary future…
Will Lister – Phantom EP [PHONICA016]
Phonica is a budding young talent by the name of Will Lister. ‘The Phantom EP’ is his production debut. The title track opens up the EP with heavily reverbed pads, echoed claps, crunchy percussion and repetitive synth stabs that all work together to create spaced-out atmosphere that’s full of twist and turns. Flipping over to the B-side, ‘After The Light’ picks up the pace with a driving high-hat rhythm and full-bodied kicks that underpin warm piano keys and smooth synth lines. ‘Agency’ closes proceedings by turning up the intensity to full with a masterclass in building tension.
Carlos Nilmmns – Midnight Chronicles EP [ORN039]
Carlos Nilmmns with a collection of atmospheric tracks between classical compositions, Detroit techno and oldschool deep House, on the Ornaments label.
Ron Trent – Electric Moods & Long Play [MAP003]
Music And Power is home to Ron Trent’s contemporary material, and by that we mean the best deep house around; music that is ultimately for dancing but that champions a deeply musical style akin to jazz and soul. “Liquid Love”, for instance, is a gorgeous meandering of synths and smooth vocals riding high over a chunky house beat, complete with a reprise mix full of Balearic edge as a follow-up. “Sound System Prevail” is a bumpier, more hard-edged and spewing delicate pianos left, right and centre beneath another wave of masterful synth solos. 10 out of 10 from the master of Chicago sexiness.
ESB – Origins EP [HTH05]
The fifth release on the Heart to Heart label brings four ethereal house cuts from Vancouver’s master analogue chef ESB aka Elan Benaroch.
Christopher Rau – Yamato [SMALLVILLE047]
Christopher Rau is one of Smallville’s steady mainstays, with “Yamato” he is delivering four tracks, that perfectly describe the seductive cosmos of Smallville’s sound. There is nods to the past as well as a paved way to a timeless future. Carefully evolving melody, voices and something caressing from somewhere far away- but within your heart in just a moment. It’s bubbling and telling stories from the inside but it’s still targeted straight to a dancefloor- dedicated to the sweetest ones of the world.
VA – Detroit Electronic Quarterly Vol.7 [DEQ007]
Detroit Electronic Quarterly (DEQ) Magazine Issue # 7 LP: It’s a slick, compilation from Detroit Artists Mike Clark, Todd Modes, Gary Martin, Gustav Brovold, Marshall Applewhite, The Valley and the Mountain and Quinton McRae.
Dan White – Digital Physics [BT011]
Brokntoys welcomes Dan White for his debut for BT11. A key figure within the Melbourne underground scene, Rory McPike also releases under the alias of Rings Around Saturn and 2200. He has released on labels Forbidden Planet, Cult Trip and Butter Sessions taking in ambient, acid and electro along the way. Here he presents 4 tracks of dusty, emotive, tripped out house and techno that carry an underlying uneasiness for those early morning moments.
Rydim – Tropic [PLATTE010]
Introducing Rydim to the Platte Family with two intelligently crafted and versatile cuts. Including Remixes by Cristopher Rau and Kareem.
