Deep driving funky techno tracks on Night Drive Music coming from Maddermodes.
deep house
Juliano – This Must Be … [TPL004]
French producer Juliano delivers the next EP, entitled “This Must Be…”, on his own imprint That Place Records. Strongly influenced by US house, ‘Panaugust’ is a real dance floor killer with its never ending synth. The more emotional ‘Anthem For A Friend’ is a real tribute, drawing inspiration from Chicago and Detroit such as ‘The Real Mess’ with its special Rhythm & Blues vibe. Finally, ‘Cupid Mess’ brings a touch of Japanese mood, evoking images of an early-morning rising sun thanks to the classic Juno6 sound.
Boo Williams – Mars 2002 [Q007LTD]
Headphoniq collector’s edition white label featuring Boo Williams with a remix by Track mode’s Brett Dancer, Deep 4 Life’s Chris Grays and Demarkus Lewis of Grinn Music. Classic quality deep house for those who like Chicago deepness.
Linkwood – Expressions: Remixes Part 1 [FIREC016]
For the first in a series of reinterpretations of material from Linkwood’s superb Expressions album, Firecracker Recordings has turned to deep house veterans Ghosts of the Sky (AKA Chicagodeep and Taelue), and fast-rising machine abusers Nummer. The latter trot off on an aquatic techno tip, turning the becalmed and melancholic “Love Lost” into a techno-tempo stroll through vintage Carl Craig chords, sweaty machine percussion, and yearning melodies. There’s a warmer and heavier, if surprisingly stripped back, feel to Ghosts of the Sky’s version of “Object”, with spluttering electronics and sumptuous chords stretching out over a rich synth bassline and hissing, cymbal-heavy groove.
Optik – Music, Harmony & Rhythm [MBG291]
Groovin Recordings introduce the release of Optik Music Harmony & Rhythm, another great EP originally released in 1991 under MBG International Records. Optik is the alias of Giorgio Canepa and Ricky Montanari, two of the most talented italian producers from the early ’90s italian underground-house movement. In this EP we find two killer deep-house tracks, Music Harmony And Rhythm and Illusions, two great examples of the italo-house touch of the early ’90s that we found in a lots of other productions by MBG, Don Carlos and Key Tronics Ensemble, to name a few. Illusion is also sure an epic track, it was the last disc played at Vae Victis (Misano, Italy) and the first disc played at Novenove (Gradara, Italy), two of the most famous italian after hours of the 90’s era.
Miruga & Fulbert – Suzaka Motor City EP [CITY008]
New Rawthenticity release featuring 3 tracks produced by Miruga & Fulbert at Miruga’s Studio in Suzaka, in the middle of Nagano mountains, Japan. Deep & obscure as Japan countryside can be… A side is a 15minute deep piece of music melting House, Jazz & Techno influences – homage to Miruga’s father who runs a small garage in the backyard of the family house. B1 is Miruga’s deepness at his best & B2 is some Japanese sake inspired sample madness.
VA – From Chicago To Detroit V2 [DOFTD2-9]
There’s something delightfully simple about the formula behind Descendents of the Deep’s From Chicago To Detroit series, which predictably aims to bring together top-notch deep house from the Windy and Motor cities. This second installment begins with JF’s previously unheard re-edit of Gari Romalis’ 1995 cut “Butcher’s Choice”, a righteous lesson in bumpin’, New Jersey-influenced deep house. It’s followed by a typically emotionally-rich Larry Heard dub of Jordan Fields’ 1994 cut “Lifted My Soul”, before Maxi Aubert combines Heard style analogue deepness with rich, Motor City electronics on “Message In The Box”. Elsewhere, there’s a new JF edit of Gene Hunt’s throbbing 1987 jack-jam “Native”, and a wonderfully broken chunk of techno/house fusion from Africans With Mainframes.
Fred P – Modern Architect [EOS001]
For the best part of a decade, Fred Peterkin has impressed with his ultra-deep, soul-flecked take on deep house and techno. Here, his Soul People Music imprint gives birth to a new sub-label, Energy of Sound, with the New York producer delivering a double-pack’s worth of previously unreleased cuts. Naturally, the standard is abnormally high throughout, with Peterkin variously serving up sumptuous, dreamy fare (“Down Under”, the San Francisco ’90s deep house revivalism of “Don’t Be Afraid”), chunkier deep house rollers (“Memory P”), crunchy dub house (“Dub In The Sky”), and throbbing, tech-tinged brilliance (“Tokyo To Chiba” and the European-sounding “Sybian”).
John Jastszesbki – Drone EP [SYNCRO024]
Syncrophone Recordings presents the debut of French John Jastszesbki delivering two superb deep house tracks added with an Aybee remix.
Tim Deluxe – Tim Deluxe Orchestrates: The Radicle [SRNYC019]
The Radicle album bu Tim Deluxe released on Strictly Rhythm label has a decidedly soulful, blues-y feel. Tim took his time and immersed himself completely into the record, surrounding himself with some of the best contemporary jazz musicians around, including Jim Mullen (guitar), Rod Youngs and Enzo Zirilli (drums), Pete Wareham (sax), Jay Phelps (trumpet), John Donaldson (piano) and Ben Hazleton (bass). he Radicle is a nine track sonic adventure with ideas bursting from every kick and lick. There’s even a cover of the Miles Davis classic ‘So What!’ which bends the trumpet classic into new forms while ‘Shanti’ explores a more mysticial, Indian vibe with a sax solo John Coltrane would be proud of. There are no synthesizers or electronics on the record: in some respects, it’s also a reaction against the electronic world.
Paul Deepnlow Moore – From Alpha To Gemini [12R014]
A gentleman from the UK with roots in classic house and deep house. Superb 1990s Detroit school leaning Retro-House EP.
VA – From Chicago To Detroit Vol.1 [DOFTD1-9]
Descendents of The Deep launches the From Chicago To Detroit series, bringing together a quartet of deep house tracks from Michigan and Illinois-based producers. Jordan Fields kicks things off with the electric piano-laden strut of the surprisingly trippy “Excitement”, before Vincent Floyd offers up a masterclass in deep, New Jersey-influenced analogue deepness in the shape of “2gether”. Flip for the wonderful blissfulness of Leandre’s “Images of Spring” – think starry melodies from Detroit, coupled with the rolling swing of Chicago – and “Detroit Dubz”, a killer exercise in spooky beatdown from Norm Talley and Mike Huckaby. With its’ heavy, compressed bassline, creepy chords and reverb-laden textures, it sounds like it was tailor-made for Halloween.
Hiver / Stephen Lopkin – Pillowhead [BK013]
Bokhari enlists Hiver and Stephen Lopkin for four impeccable cuts of deep dancefloor delight. Kicking the package off with aplomb, Hardware fanatics Hiver illustrate the power of simplicity on “Pillowhead”, submerging us in deepest tech-house joy through globular bass, hypnotic stabs and immersive textures. “Whatsoever” ups the pace a little and loses a touch of the rubbery bottom end, flying free with celestial pads, sweeping synths and emotive chords. Over on the flipside, Lopkin’s “Theme from SAPL” sounds like a missing cut from Autechre’s classic “Incunabula”, pairing Miami drum patterns and beefy bass with moody vocoder and chirping synths for a healthy dose of machine funk. Lopkin closes the set with the Garnier approved “Speedbird Heavy”, a perfectly realised excursion into deep and moody techno that’s just waiting to bounce of those warhouse walls.
Mihai Popoviciu – The Swindle [PFR169]
A decade on from his debut release, one of Romania’s finest cultural exports returns to his favourite stomping ground with a trans- mission that showcases variety, technical skill and an intimate understanding of the dynamics of the floor. The stripped-down, moody menace of ‘The Swindle’ kicks things off, dancing semi- quavers panning left and right, a mysterious male voice incanting. A bass synth motif carries the tune to a climax before its buoyant, trancey conclusion. At all times, elements unfold organically, carrying the listener away. ‘Rotate’ casts a busier, jacking vibe, its analogue synth cycles pinging against each other. Glimmering layers of sound create an endlessly immersive, deadly deep groove. ‘Feed Me’ is slower, slinkier and rougher in equal measure. The sustained synths create a gliding sensation, the male vocal first mellifluous and sung then husky and spoken. ‘Chance’ is a shuffling, fizzing deep house groove, precision-tooled for the dance- floor. “Let it take control” urges a male voice. Sound advice for this deliciously hypnotic groove.
DJ Aakmael – Alternate Takes [KLRLTD023]
Dusty and soulful deep house jams from DJ Aakmael aka Greg Stewart. First track “Roses” utilizes some stunning grand piano and trumpet solos as well as a sample from ‘Jean” by Rod McKuen to accompany some tight rhythm patterns and rich strings. “Fourpoint-5” is classic deep house reminiscent of old Mr. Fingers, in all its emotive and melancholic glory. On the flip there’s “Equinox” keeping on with a deep and soulful Detroit deep house sound that fans of Kai Alce would appreciate while “H4” ends things on truly uplifting note, with its dreamy xylophone vibes working with some more nice trumpet sounds and rich strings on a seven minute epic.
Colonel Abrams – You Got Me Running [EVRE004]
“Music Is The Answer”, Colonel Abrams’ landmark 1984 debut release, was mot his first stab at stardom. In fact, earlier the same year he’d recorded a series of dubbed-out demos with Boyd Jarvis at Timmy Regisford’s apartment. Here, those demos – mastered from dusty eight-track tape – get a public airing for the first time. Despite their vintage, all three tracks still sound phenomenally soulful and futuristic, as if all three men were laying down a blueprint for deep house (albeit with the addition of the delay-laden drums that were such a feature of NYC productions during the period). “You Got Me Running”, in particular, is superb, with Abrams’ putting in a superbly impassioned but bittersweet vocal performance.
Trinidadian Deep – Native Bush EP [PERP006]
The Chicago based Perpetual Rhythms label welcomes Trinidadian Deep to the family for their 6th release; “Native Bush EP”. Trini is known for his deep, spiritual, and tribal sounds on labels such as Ron Trent’s Future Vision Records and Neroli.The same holds here for his EP; three deep house tracks exuding love through percussive and atmospheric vectors.
Professor Inc. – From Scratch to Formula [BOE029]
Professor Inc. returns to boe with a four track EP of low slung heady house vibes, thumping drums and searing soundscapes. Punchy 4/4 rhythms and throaty chords of Crazy grace the Aside where neat percussion sections break up dubby sweeps and deft ambient samples. The rolling loose beats and haunting synths movements of Underground sit nicely inside and offer a pumping club cut. The glorious strings of Life After Asylum play nicely with vox synths, weird samples and some weighty low end. Rounding out the EP, Put Up the Vibe skips and swings with fizzy stabs, modulated percussions and warm grooving bass.
Levon Vincent & Marcel Dettman – NS 10 T Rex Edition [NS010]
New Novel Sound. “Fear” has been an in-demand since it was featured on his Fabric mix back in 2012, and remains one of Vincent’s most striking compositions – a spacey, melancholic mixture of classic Detroit influences, unfussy deep house beats and new wave-era synth and bass touches. The flip boasts a more recent collaboration between Vincent and Marcel Dettmann, which is equally as tasty. “Vengeance” is synthesizer-heavy and intergalactic in design, with EBM style motifs and tumbling, atmospheric melodies riding a similarly no-nonsense groove.
VA – Future Times Catalog + [FREE DOWNLOAD]
FUTURE TIMES CATALOG + is a special digital Future Times compilation, and a must for the uninitiated. Past + Present + Future tracks from the likes of Hunee, Hashman Deejay, Beautiful Swimmers, Jordan GCZ, Protect-U, Huerco S, Tom Noble, Maxmillion Dunbar or Steve Summers.
Name your price for this compilation.
The Hipodrome Of Music 