Rawax welcomes back Mr. Rick Wade on the 25th Rawax Motor City Edition. It’s the 4th release form Rick Wade on this series, which is dedicated to the Love for Detroit Music.
Rick Wade – Detroit Noir EP [RMCE025]
detroit house
Andrés – GT Flips 313-006 [GTFLIPS313-006]
DJ Dez Andres drops new heat on his label GT Flips. The man is a beat-making machine, extraordinary DJ and avid record collector who distils all that house and hip-hop knowledge into his always stylish cuts. ‘No 1’ opens up this latest jam on GT Flips and has a boogie-fried lead synth line, deep drums and chopped vocals that amp up the party but also have plenty of heart to them. ‘Doobie’ is the flipside offering and it finds Andres sampling another 80s soul classic and reworking it over some of his textbook and textured drums that perfectly straddle the house and hip-hop divide.
Orlando Voorn – Power Of Beauty [CONTRA-011]
Deeptrax Records and Contrafact continue their mission to deliver high-quality, groundbreaking electronic music with the release of seminal Dutch electronic producer Orlando Voorn’s ‘Power Of Beauty EP’. This new deep house masterpiece features four original tracks and a remix from the mighty DJ QU.
Body Mechanic – Electrosoul LP [DTR002/DTR003]
Body Mechanic has been turning out definitive Motor City techno on solid labels like Cryovac, and GASS for several years. This time out he lands-on Detroit Techno and serves up, well, some electro. It’s classic 313 tackle though – heavy on the kicks, snappy snares and filthy dirty basslines that make you want to move. Ghoulish vocals add extra grit to the opener and from there ‘Dance’ gets more playful with jittery drum funk and scratching, ‘Beautiful Bum’ has a gorgeously tender and reflective vibe thanks to the minor chords and smooth electro rhythms, ‘Magic (feat Tay) ‘ slips into a deep and soulful house groove and ‘Househead’ is jacked up, loopy and well swung amongst several more timeless cuts.
Reggie Dokes / Red D – RD² Volume [PSY043]
Over 20 years of friendship and Reggie Dokes and Red D are still at it. Their first joint E.P. was released on Red D’s We Play House Recordings label and kicked off the label’s much-lauded U.S. Series in 2019. Moving back across the pond we now find Reggie and Bart sharing a release on Reggie’s legendary Psychostasia imprint. On the A-side Reggie is bringing his trademark sound and taking it deeper than ever. Moody melancholy paired with solid beats and drums to take you into deep house heaven. On the flip Red D brings his Detroit inspiration into deep and swinging techno territory reminding us of Scan 7 and the likes with a vocal that gives a respectful nod to an Underground Resistance classic.
JR Disc – Ep 2 [DBS#2]
Detroit Basics is back with more magnificent machine music. And once again it is JR Disc who is serving up the sounds. ‘Beautiful Blue Pillow’ kicks off and sounds like Kraftwerk making funk electro complete with vocoder vocals and silky grooves. ‘Mean Mugg’ is a more rough and ready deep house sounds with frazzled synths growing ever more prominent and last of all, ‘Under The Ground’ shuts down with some stomping drums and glistening melodic pixels that rain down the face for a futuristic feel.
Andrés – GTFlip313-002 [GTFLIP313-002]
From the wide-ranging livestream sets he does from his basement to the sprawling hip hop and house albums he does for Moodymann’s Mahogany via disco-laced house anthems like ‘New 4 U’, Andres always unites this music with a unique sense of groove and emotion. That is still true now as he steps out on GT Flips with a bunch of electro-leaning cuts that are classy yet primed and ready to ignite any party. Track 2 is a quick and punch one with ghetto undercurrents and jazzy keys, Track 4 is an excellent ass-wiggler with expertly deployed vocal hooks and Track 3 is a stripped-back bumper with a feel-good vibe.
Andrés – GTFlip313-001 [GTFLIP313-001]
Detroit mainstay and masterful hip hop and deep house fusionist Andres is back with not one but two new EPs. For this first one, he brings some silky electro rhythms to his signature sound but doesn’t forgo that irresistible sense of r&b lushness he is known for. Track 1 brings a heart-aching vocal sample to quick beats and pristine snares, Track 2 has skittish rhythms topped with snapping snares and another classic, well-worked sample, then Track 3 takes off to the cosmos on ice-cold electro rhythms topped with plaintive chords. There is a hint of acid squelchy to Track 4 but it still somehow sounds very much like Andres.
Howard Thomas – Skin Breaker LP [SS100]
Theo Parrish’s venerated Sound Signature label hits the notable milestone of 100 releases with this new double album, Skin Breaker, from Howard Thomas. ”The inspiration for ‘Skin Breaker’ comes from my early years of watching sci-fi films. Howard has always been fascinated by them . As a huge fan of 80s beat tracks and 80s sci-fi, Howard aimed to blend those influences into this project. This project is a tribute to the sounds and styles that have inspired him.”
Reggie Dokes – The Vault Vol. 1 LP [CONTRA009]
“The Vault Vol. 1” is an auditory voyage through the heart of Detroit’s finest dusty crates, a compilation of beats and melodies meticulously crafted by esteemed producer Reggie Dokes. Dokes unveils a treasure trove of his finest deep house creations, never before released on vinyl. Delve into the hypnotic rhythms, lush harmonies, and pulsating basslines that define Dokes’ signature sound, as he seamlessly blends elements of house and soul to create an immersive sonic experience.
Los Hermanos – Remember Detroit [GM-03]
Rawax presents the 3rd release on Rawax Motor City series by Gerald Mitchell under his Los Hermanos alias. “Remember Detroit” is a beautiful piece of Music which makes you feel the pulse of this City.
JR Disc – Thrust [DBS#1]
Introducing Detroit’s newest sensation in house music, JR Disc. Hailing from the legendary birthplace of techno, JR Disc brings a fresh perspective to the scene with their dynamic beats and infectious rhythms.
Gigi Galaxy – Spirit World [DET313F]
Marcellus Pittman – Pick Yourself Up [UNI1008]
Pittman returns on his own imprint with a release that has been circulating as a white label. The Detroit badman does the right thing and gives it an official pressing. A-side jam ‘Pick Yourself Up’ (feat Crystal Procedures) is dusty, loopy, trippy house with swirling vocals adding to the late-night feel, then ‘Ode 2 Juan’ slows things down to smoky basement house vibes with melancholic pads bringing hints of light to the muggy atmosphere.
Omar S – All The Little Hands Around [AOS-1105]
Omar S’ first outing of 2024 on his own FXHE opens up with ‘Life Force’ which pairs Smith’s unique drum sounds – brushed metal, scruffy, raw – with his super sweet synths that always bring the warmth and soul. ‘All The Little Hand’s Around’ is another metallic sound tech house cut with celebratory chord loops up top and well-treated samples, then ‘Evil J’ shuts down with rasping basslines and glistening 80s keys. Another fine 12″ from the Detroit don.
Monty Luke – Nightdubbing LP [REKIDS237]
Rekids presents ‘Nightdubbing’, the second album from Monty Luke. The Black Catalogue boss and former Planet-E label manager Monty Luke effortlessly traverses deep house and techno rife with bass-rattling low-end and experimental rhythms. It is no surprise, then, that the album is heavily inspired by ‘70s and mid-80s dub reggae, seeing Luke incorporate and modernise the genre’s iconic rhythms, spoken word poetry, and spacious bursts of harmony across the LP. Monty Luke spent ten formative years in Detroit, where the city’s unique musical spirit influenced him immensely. He has since distilled this experience into the music he has released. His raw, dub-infused sound comes with plenty of futuristic designs, and ‘Nightdubbing’ continues to push the boundaries of his music.
Orlando Voorn – The Master 2 LP [CONTRA007]
Contrafact welcomes back Dutch icon and studio wizard, Orlando Voorn, who brings a fresh new sound with his second contribution to the label – a double vinyl album entitled ‘The Master 2’. On this long player we see Orlando delivering an album that flips the switch, moving through different shades of jazzy house, soulful funk, but still very much in Detroit zone. It’s an infectious mix of debonair soul and hi-tech jazzism injected with Voorn’s versatile palette of deep dynamics, next-level machine talk and otherworldly funk. Staying true to the velveteen house vibrations that’ve been the driving force to his seminal records through nearly three decades of mythology, Voorn drops a textbook sample of his lush and unhindered vision for innovative and soul inspiring music. This album rolls up its sleeves and pulls out a potent artillery of foot shuffling jazzy house beats, intricate drum work, and some bleached-out synths that will wash away all those the winter blues.
XDB – Chicago At Midnight [PRTR28]
Goettingen’s long standing dub techno servant XDB takes us to Chicago At Midnight with this new 12″ on Pariter. ‘Fenders’ is one and is a deliciously elastic rhythm with rolling kick drums setting a hypnotic groove as the bubbly synths rise up through the mix. ‘Cagomi’, more edgy and amped up with gritty hits and swaying bass, gets a new lease of life after first surfacing on XDB’s Metrolux Music back in 2009. The same cut gets a remix from Delano Smith that’s more rooted to the floor in the Detroit man’s usual textbook style.
Basic Realities – Dubtroit [VIBR026]
Vibraphone Records starts the new year with another banger from Basic Realities. Dubtroit is a classic techno hommage to Motor City and it comes around with an stunning remix by the Legend, Mr. ”Inner City” Kevin Saunderson.
Byron The Aquarius – Dey Know Vol.1 [PHONOGRAMME40]
Phonogramme presents “Dey Know Vol.1,” a groundbreaking soundscape of Byron the Aquarius, where innovation meets house music in a mesmerizing fusion. Renowned for his avant-garde approach in the house music genre, Byron curates an EP that pushes the boundaries of house music. From the infectious beats of “Black Is Black” with the collaboration of Brandon Banks on “Dr. Devil,” each track is a testament to Byron’s unique artistic vision. “Real MF From The Avenue” and “Rock That 808!!!” featuring Jordan GCZ further amplify the EP’s genre-defying brilliance.
