Yør – Modern Slaves Of Contemporary Contexts EP [MAZE003]

Expect to get lured into the Purple Maze with this third release by the Dutch imprint, once again by mysterious producer Yør with his “Modern Slaves Of Contemporary Contexts EP”. The EP starts with ‘ABCM’, a dystopian landscape of buzzing machines, ticking percussion and raw drums that builds and builds until eventually coalescing into a foreboding and roughshod house groove. ‘Dystopia’ continues in Yør’s tradition of contrary titles, because it’s in fact a soothing cut doused in ambiance that relaxes you after the agro ride that went before. ‘Fear And Desire’ comes over like a deep cut, with searching synths, a fine grain texture and plenty of disheveled Detroit vibes. Closer ‘Phaedra’s Love’ is a scuffed deep house kicker with delicate tambourines, somber buried melodies and a only the faintest sense of optimism muffled in its concealed core.

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Yør – Modern Slaves Of Contemporary Contexts EP [MAZE003]

San Laurentino – Forbidden Fruit [PLAYRJC017]

It’s still relatively early days for  Lóránt Talpai aka San Laurentino, whose sensitive take on deep house is imbued with the mystique of early braindance material streets ahead of cookie-cutter pads and chords. The beats are most certainly Chicago-indebted on his EP for Robert Johnson, not least on the title track, but the atmosphere created by the intricate melodies of his synths are the real stars of the show. If you miss the soothing embrace of nineties back room ambience, then head straight for the massaging bass tones of “Rainforest Hunters” and get ready for the bliss-out.

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San Laurentino – Forbidden Fruit [PLAYRJC017]

Rio Padice – Moon Phases EP [HOUSEWAX003]

PADICE, Rio - Moon Phases EP

Rio Padice is back with some assured groovers for Housewax. On the Moon Phases EP the ghost of deep Chicago house looms heavy, not least in the opening track. It’s deliberately naive, easy-going music perfectly pitched to worm its way into a warm-up scenario, but with enough grit in the production to avoid the trap of background fodder. The B-Side is a touch wilder, as the syncopation of “Track 3” does damage with a sumptuous square wave bass while “Track 4” bumps on a nasty garage shuffle.

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Rio Padice – Moon Phases EP [HOUSEWAX003]

VA – Emerging Elements [aDEPTH007]

‘Emerging Elements’ is aDepth’s new EP of diverse, quality electronic music produced by talented Dutch artists. It’s aDepth audio’s seventh release and showcases the work of four of these artists and producers.

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VA – Emerging Elements [aDEPTH007]

San Proper / Aroy Dee – Perfume [MOS016]

SAN PROPER/AROY DEE - Perfume

Aroy Dee and San Proper craft a beautiful four track EP entitled “Perfume” for M>O>S. An EP of more mind-melting or heart warming house sounds you are unlikely to hear because Aroy Dee and his MOS are the true masters of future facing, retro-referencing house music.

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San Proper / Aroy Dee – Perfume [MOS016]

Vedomir – Vedomir [DKMNTL009]

Dekmantel presents the return of Vedomir to their imprint, with nothing less than a full length album this time. The Ukraine-based producer shows he’s getting more mature with every release, delivering a comprehensive artist album that crosses over genres easily. Ranging from downtempo, almost jazz-like slowburners to haunting Chicago house with a true analog feel, and from dark electro stuff, to the beautiful ambient soundscape: this record is a piece of stunning musical versatility.

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Vedomir – Vedomir [DKMNTL009]

Leeon – A New Chapter [7SR023]

A breakthrough artist features on this, the new 7th Sign, which also sees Conforce deliver a slick remix. Leeon, a Glasgow-based DJ and producer, uses his debut to serve up three beautiful slices of the proper machine soul we’ve come to expect from 7th Sign.

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Leeon – A New Chapter [7SR023]

Reggie Dokes – Child Of The Sun EP [CIN12011]

Cinematic’s latest release comes from Reggie Dokes in the form of “Child of The Sun EP”. An inspired artist hailing from Detroit, Reggie spoils us with three funk fuelled cuts via the motor city.

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Reggie Dokes – Child Of The Sun EP [CIN12011]

Andy Ash – Broken Nights EP [BKR002]

Wonderfull languorous slice of laid back slo mo house that fuses together loose limbed percussion, an old school riff and haunting, pitch shifted vocals. The tracks builds in intensity as the arrangement progresses, bringing the piano to the fore and shifting up a gear with hypnotic vocals that give the record a truly balaeric feel, quality stuff.

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Andy Ash – Broken Nights EP [BKR002]

DJ Aakmael – Deepermotions [UNX001]

New project by Dj Aakmael featuring 4 raw and smoked out house bangers shouting out to many of the Deep House legends. Lots of gritty, dirty chopped-up chords riding heavy beats showinf Aakmael’s love for that classic sound, featuring deep and warm organ chords topped off with lovely voices.

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DJ Aakmael – Deepermotions [UNX001]

Julius Steinhoff / Oskar Offermann – Faces #6 [WHITE015]

A new release in the Faces Series on White label, featuring two sweet deep house tracks that go back to the early days of Chicago, but done in a nice contemporary way by Julius Steinhoff and Oskar Offermann.

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Julius Steinhoff / Oskar Offermann – Faces #6 [WHITE015]

Lapien – Anvers EP [BLIQ004]

‘Anvers’, the French name for Belgian port Antwerp, starts in unassuming manner, synths swimming, bass pondering, a gentle cymbal tapping. It’s the sound of thoughtful admiration, as if Lapien is standing in front of the city’s towering gothic cathedral, motionless in the midst of a now modern metropolis. But then, as loops spring uncomfortably back and an insistent beat thunders into the fray, one realizes that this is no time for admiring architecture; this is a night drive through the city – coarse orange streetlamps, chrome blue reflections, droplet-stained window panes. Remixes by Conforce and Fred P.

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Lapien – Anvers EP [BLIQ004]