Juno Recommends Deep House May 2019

Review: Given that almost every single Ron Trent record makes us feel toasty and fuzzy inside, it would be fair to say that "Warm" is a rather fitting name for the deep house legend's latest release. A-side "Night Ride" sees him get busy with a vintage drum machine, adding whispered vocals, colourful riffs, undulating synth-bass and chiming melodies to a distinctive rhythm track. It's every bit as delicious and enveloping as you'd expect, with flipside opener "On A Journey" offering a surprise Balearic diversion rich in sun-kissed guitar motifs, swirling chords and a tactile, slow-motion groove. The sunset-friendly fun continues on "Exhale", where rock style guitar solos are buried beneath shuffling samba-house beats and Trent's usual impeccable keys.

Review: Longstanding house peer Watson comes correct with this breathtaking outing on Joe Claussell's Sacred Rhythm. Taking off where he left us on his own Everysoul Audio last year, it's another lavish, unhurried and timeless composition that tips nods to all eras with its velvet pads and Julien Jabre style pianos. The words 'Epic Intro mix' say it all, as does the 13 minute length; Watson's timing ahead of the summer couldn't be better. Daydreamy, liquid in its development and soulful to the very core... If you're playing so much as one al fresco event this season - even your nan's BBQ - you need to pack this.

Review: Last year Tsuba Records and Isle of Jura founder Kevin Griffiths returned to the studio, eschewing his house and techno past to create deliciously warm, Balearic-minded grooves under the Jura Soundsystem alias. It was, it seems, a smart move, because the music contained on "Monster Skies", his first ever full-length, is undoubtedly the best he's made to date. Warm, humid and wonderfully horizontal, the album sees him fuse a variety of influences - most notably dub, turn-of-the-'90s ambient house, Italian dream house, new age, synth-boogie and those hard-to-define mid 1980s cuts that turn up on Music From Memory compilations - in a myriad of colourful, saucer-eyed ways. The results are uniformly superb, making "Monster Skies" a superb, must-check set.

Review: Mixmag have called on fabled promoter Sean McLusky to put together this finely honed collection of early 90s "synth wizards". Skipping over the genre boundaries that mattered less in those early days, this double pack draws on less obvious selections from a range of house and techno visionaries with chops to match their production skills. You can hear Adamski in full-tilt piano pounding mode, Mr Monday getting misty eyed in a hail storm of chords and arpeggios, 808 State breaking the mould of acid house freakery, Nexus 21 taking hardcore into spacier realms and Altern-8 shocking the senses with full frequency rave abandon. One for serious collectors and inquisitive minds alike.

Review: The latest transmission from the Lumberjacks stable taps up London-based producer Alan Dixon, who tackles a soul-stirring gospel belter from Frank Booker on the A side. Whatever your spiritual persuasion, "Rise & Shine" can't help but inject a little joy into your life. On the flip, Dixon turns the piano house power up to 11 with the life-affirming thrust of "Whatcha Gonna Do", featuring Maleke O'Ney on vocal duties. Completing the set, Lumberjacks head honcho Marcel Vogel drops in a remix that twists the original into a loose and limber jazz-funk-house odyssey of epic proportions.

Review: Our newest release is the single DIGITAL LOVE by DJ Kemit, Carl McIntosh (Loose Ends), Kai Alce, and Byron The Aquarius.

Review: Nebraska's Friends & Relations series continues to deliver the goods as another no nonsense slab of sample-a-delic house delights lands on our platters. There is a fine balance struck between familiarity and obscurity on these edit-esque productions, where you might well recognise the odd break or sample, but Nebraska applies a deft touch to keep things mysterious and fresh. There is funk spilling out of the grooves like you wouldn't believe, from rugged basslines to heavy vibing keys, with splashes of dub FX and a little cosmic dust sprinkled on top for good measure. Heads down business for serious dancers, and the DJs that love to keep them locked in.

Review: British producer Gerry Read returns with some roughed-up soul/disco workouts on this new one for Pampa, all reinterpreted via his idiosyncratic, lo-fi style. We're loving infectious, dusty opener "It'll All Be Over" with its sweet soul vocal samples, jazzy guitar licks, blocky Rhodes chords. That's not all, label chief DJ Koze contributes another misty-eyed disco-house remix on the flip, careful not to deviate too much from the original, but injecting it with just the right amount of dancefloor dynamics. We're also loving Read's second cut, "Satyricon", with its intoxicating and hypnotic melody, driven by a deep mid-tempo groove peppered with sultry Spanish phrases.

Review: Mancunian Kevin Gorman used to make some great minimal techno on his Mikrowave imprint but has since moved on to create some of his best music under the Adesse Versions moniker. With a slew of fine edits and remixes under his belt, he presents us with a killer cover and tribute that's set to be one of the summer's biggest anthems. A tribute to the seminal New Order classic "Blue Monday", Gorman retains the very same Moog bass and ARP strings from the original, over a groovy breakbeat and a vocal reminiscent of Bernard Sumner himself. It was an ambitious feat, but Gorman manages to pull of an impressive rendition here, which also comes accompanied with a handy instrumental version on the flip.

Review: Chaos In The CBD have quietly been building an impressive reputation for some time, with releases on Hot Haus, Amadeus and Needwant all hitting the spot. Here they transfer to Bradley Zero's Rhythm Section International with what's arguably their most mature and musically expansive EP to date. There's a decidedly dusty, eyes-closed deep house feel throughout, with hypnotic grooves laden with all manner of neat, often jazz inspired touches. This is perhaps most obvious on the St Germain style jazz-house goodness of "Observe" - all skipping cymbals, bouncy grooves and killer pianos - but can also be found on the deeper "Observe". It's there, too, on the lilting brilliance of "Midnight In Peckham" - think yearning trumpets and twinkling piano motifs - and the blissful "Luxury Motivation".

Review: NDATL's latest release is something of an all-star affair, with the brainchild of blind Cape Verdean keyboardist Ricky Corey being joined by a studio collective that included producer Kai Alce and lead vocalist Anthony Pearson (AKA Chicago house legend Chez Damier). On "Who Do You Love?" the assembled cast gives us their version of Bernard Wright's synth-soul classic, re-imagining it as a shuffling chunk of gentle Afro-house/'80s boogie fusion. Remixes come from Blaze man Josh Milan, who first offers up a squelchier, warmer and richer boogie-house interpretation (the "Honeycomb Mix") and a slightly heavier Dub mix rich in D-Train style kaleidoscopic synth solos that segues straight into a loose and groovy Instrumental take. While technically two tracks, it plays straight through as one wonderful 17-minute workout.

Review: Last year, Better Listen handed Joe Corti a chance to revitalize his career via a first EP in three years. He took that opportunity (via the brilliant "From London With Love") and here returns with an arguably even better sequel. Check first the languid, sun-kissed bounce of "The First Time", where super-sweet disco and soul samples gather around a chunky house groove, before turning your attention to the heavyweight disco-house pump of "Lula". Corti successfully ups the sweatiness via the dense drums, restless bass and jammed-out musical flourishes of peak-time bumper "Fourth Base", while "Oh Lord" is an inspired slab of lolloping deep house smothered in fuzzy synth stabs, swirling orchestral samples and just the right amount of sampled vocal sweetness.

Review: After a four-year break from recording, acclaimed live outfit Crazy P returns with their ninth studio album. It may be 22 years since Jim Baron and Chris Todd founded the band as a jazz-funk, disco and deep house loving studio project, but "Age Of The Ego" is every bit as vibrant and relevant as any of their previous albums. In general it's a little more electronic and synthesizer-driven than some of their previous sets, with notable nods towards Italo-disco, synth-pop, electro and P-funk, but the constant presence of longtime lead vocalist Danielle Moore and their trademark attention to musical details means that the album never feels like a giant stylistic leap. In simple terms, the songs are as colourful, vibrant and entertaining as you'd expect.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: The modern master of subliminal deep house is back with a new album. Galcher Lustwerk has rightly earned a sterling reputation for his understated, always entrancing approach to 4/4 grooves. After last year's Dark Bliss LP and recent diversions via his Road Hog alias, he's offering up eight heavy-lidded cuts to suit the smokers as much as the dancers. Get blissed out in the sax-licked delights of skits like "Blue Lotus" or lock into the mellow raps and steady-ticking rhythms of "See You When I See You" - 200% Galcher goes down smooth from start to finish, like all good albums should.

Review: Platform 23 continue to explore the illustrious, intriguing archives of Exquisite Corpse with a third installment of early 90s gold. There's a pronounced trance edge to Robbert Heynen's productions here, all captured in that heady period between 1992 and 1994 when the tag stood for some of the trippiest dance music you could hope to get lost in. "Point Zero" is a forthright stomper laden with lysergic tones that morph and modulate over the driving rhythm section. "B K S" sports a jazzier tone that aligns it more with deep house than trance, but it's still geared towards maximum immersion. "Traditional Ties With Dreaming" is a more angular piece that emphasises interlocking percussive rhythms with a tribal techno bent, and "Elevator" rounds things off with a swooning slice of impeccable ambient techno.

Review: Like Young Marco and Christiaan Macdonald's "Welcome To Paradise" compilations, this collection from crate-digging DJ Nick V offers a whirlwind trip through the golden years of Italian house in the early 1990s. The vibe is, though, decidedly different; while Nick V does doff a cap to the swirling, "Sueno Latino"-inspired "dream house" sound - see Subway Ground Master's impeccable "Queensway" and the seductive, sunset-friendly deepness of Optik's "Music, Harmony & Rhythm" - much of the compilation focuses on the warm, breezy, colourful and piano-laden "Italo-house" style that drew greater influence from contemporaneous U.S house and New Jersey garage. Highlights are plentiful, from the organ-laden, Jovonn style bump of "Really" by Underground Ghosts, to the growling bass and intense drums of Syncopate's "Why? (Underground)".

Review: Johannes Klingebiel has slipped out a few gems on low key labels like Feines Tier and Mireia, but this release marks the talented German producer reaching a wider audience via the marvellous Beats In Space. You can easily detect his kosmische leanings (he's a member of krautrock inspired group C.A.R.) in the many layered, driving and soaring productions he's committing to wax here. These are electronic body jams crafted as songs, full of narrative twists and turns expressed through a smorgasbord of twittering machines - the kind of storytelling club tracks that lend themselves to wide-reaching, bombastic selectors with a penchant for drama, but never at the expense of the groove.

Review: The inimitable Fred Peterkin presents yet more incredible adventures on his newly inaugurated Perpetual Sound imprint. Following up the incredible EP from Black Jazz Consortium back in December, this sophomore effort sees the head honcho co-present some fine tracks with veteran Swiss producer Sam Geiser aka Deetron via the Lush Culture EP. It's all about Captain P on the A side, featuring the deep and moody tribal entrancement of "Liquidity" followed by the soulful title track - which features his trademark use of emotive synth sounds and immaculately programmed rhythms. On the flip, Deetron goes well deep and smooth on his offering "Sweet Science" which sees him deliver hi-tech soul in his usual idiosyncratic style before P returns to conclude the release with the retro-futurist, ambient "119 Black Key Experiment".

Review: Peter Riley's back story as Persian reaches back to the early 90s - his back catalogue of crucial, sought after deep house cuts is a must-grip for any serious digger of globetrotting grooves. [Emotional] Especial taps up this vaunted producer's archives to present two of the finest productions he's ever committed to wax. "Khaab" is a subtly bumping jam with gorgeous square wave bass, smoky pads and evocative vocal trysts. "Parvaaneh" is a spacier cut that puts the bass front and centre and does away with the drums, making for a powerful, atmospheric statement to create tension mid-set. Project Runaway remix "Khaab" in a respectful, immersive fashion, and Alphonse nudges "Parvaaneh" into a dense and chugging roller.

Review: 124 Recordings are always a safe bet for true school deep house business, and they're also dab hands at putting together killer compilations as evidenced with the "Levels EP" last year. They're back at it again with this crucial double pack, which kicks off in fine style with bright and bold vocal bumper "She's On Fire" (feat Francois A)" by Ortella. There's a deeper, trippier vibe to Chocky's "Lower Synth", while Rotty's "Secrets" chops the samples up and ramps the swing up to 11. Heat Alliance has a tough, freaky NYC touch on "Got The Groove," while Reece Johnson piles the organs on heavy on "I Like The Way You", and that's just half the set. A whole lot of house goodness to chew on, with every track purpose built for maximum dancefloor damage.

Review: Pressed For Time did a great job of unearthing British deep house cult heroes BRS with the Situation E.P. last year, and now they're back with another slab of high grade club tackle from this criminally overlooked outfit. "Devil's Music" is a luscious, easy-paced groover that drips with honey-coated synth lines to make you go "hmmmm." Pressed For Time regular YSE knows what's up, nudging the track into a headier deep house zone that would go down perfect in a woozy, smoke filled late hour of the party. "Better For That!" is a cheeky little organ laced number that straddles the deep house and minimal shuffle crowds with its sharp, snappy arrangement. Then Goshawk lands a killer remix of "Out Of Reach" which heads into freaky, swinging territory for the cool cats to get loose to.

Review: Given his passion for updating traditional global sounds and indigenous drum rhythms, Auntie Flo is a perfect fit with Moscoman's Disco Halal label - as this first EP for the imprint neatly proves. There's something particularly alluring about "Baba", a woozy and intoxicating deep house cut that sees him wrap heady hand percussion, exotic flute lines and sun-kissed chords around a Middle East inspired rhythm track. He explores similar sonic territory on the slightly bolder title track "Kabsa", while "Ras" sounds like an unlikely Arabic fusion of Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls" and the intoxicating ethno-house of Nicola Cruz. Speaking of which, Cruz pops up to deliver a brilliant sparse but percussive take on "Kabsa" that helps lift the EP to even greater heights.

Review: Frazer Campbell has been on a prolific run since first emerging in 2016, showcasing a keen instinct for sleek, refined deep house with a techy edge. This drop on Counterfeit Soul shows off the expressive expansive of Campbell's sound, leading in with the punchy "Don't Leave Me Honey D" and following it up with the fluttering melancholy of "My System". "No Drama" brings further Detroit influences to bear on Campbell's sturdy tech house beats, and then "Gazette" rounds the EP out with yet more accomplished machine soul musings. Immaculately produced and engineered for maximum club impact, this record looks set to get plenty of peak time floors strutting the good stuff this summer.