Deep House Recommendations October 2011

Review: Launched in 2010 with a stated focus on the early nineties' earthy and raw deep house sound, My Love Is Underground have been putting out stunning vinyl-only cuts since and now, for their seventh release, US artist The Groove Victim enters the fold with Chosen Tracks. Kicking off with "That Night On 17", GV puts his deep house mastery to immediate effect as reverbed synth stabs hum, low slung drum beats ricochet and a warm groove drips effortlessly through every corner. On the flipside, "Club Drama" packs a fist punching effect with rapid hats and a round, undulating bassline, while "GSP Groove's" synths are pitched to the nines against old school organ keys. Essential!

Review: Sparklingly brilliant return for Vakula on the Firecracker affiliated Shevchenko label, seemingly founded to give the Ukrainian the space to fill his creative impulses. Again referencing the cultural heritage of his homeland, with a hand stamped quote from foremost Ukrainian poet Leysa Ukrainka, Vakula's first release in a minute begins with the aptly titled "You Cannot Resist". Heavy jacking rhythms combine superbly with guttural filtered tones and are countered by the rising crescendo of glistening piano touches and far reaching pads across the opening few moments. However, as with seemingly every production from Vakula, the ease with which he travels through various sonic moods within the space of a track simply captivates. Flipside and there's so much detail to the ecstatic rhythmic pulses of "Rural Dances" it's hard to decide what to focus on - perhaps the most immediately satisfying aspect being the bleeping melodies that sound like R2D2 high on MDMA. Arriving on thick set clear vinyl, there's little reason not to indulge.

Review: The sixth release on the excellent Parisian imprint My Love Is Underground comes from Inner Sense - aka French producer Henri Fontaine - who serves up only his second ever solo release (his first was back in 2006!) Sprawled across the A-Side you'll find "Lowdown", a jam that brings to mind the output of New York house dons Masters At Work (indeed look closely at the centre of this record and you'll see the totally appropriate inscribing "1993 forever"). Swirling chords combine with a thumping kick, stuttering keys and, of course, a killer vocal wail for a slice of what can only be described as Proper House Music. "Wanna Dub With U" opens proceedings on the flip with the kind of thumping bass drum and funk-infused skipping hats that would make it a snug fit in the Kerri Chandler back catalogue and, again, the vocals are absolutely gorgeous. Finally, "Rawllin'" wraps up the EP on a more stripped back yet equally groovy tip. Limited to 500 copies on rather fetching 180g orange vinyl - essential.

Review: Having already treated us to a plump revision of the Fania catalogue this year in the shape of the Africa Caribe compilation, Sacred Rhythm present this addendum 12" which sees lynchpin Joe Claussell tackle a veritable classic in the form of "Siembra" from Willie Colon and Ruben Blades. From the artwork down to the heavyweight vinyl pressing, this is a classy looking and feeling twelve inch, and naturally that class is matched sonically. Claussell provides no less than three variants on the track, with a typically rich sounding Sacred Rhythm version hogging the A Side for all of ten minutes. Our favourite is the slightly longer Alternate Instrumental version that's tucked away on the B Side however!

Review: Kolour continue their well laid plans to hand pick the best rising disco and deep house talent from across the globe with Australian producer Francis Inferno Orchestra at the helm for the label's twentieth release. The Melbourne based producer's stock has risen exponentially this year, with notable appearances on Wolf Music and Sccucci Manucci. "Sing To Me" demonstrates the FIO prowess with aplomb, featuring tough mid tempo beats, heavy bass thumps and a soaring filtered hook. Flipside, "Go Easy On Me Girl" operates via a more standard house groove embellished with a dash of disco shuffle, though proceedings are quickly overtaken by the deep pads and pumping chord patterns.

Review: After XDB, Delano Smith and MRSK reconstructed Makam's "Disc I" earlier this summer, the Dutch producer now hands the reigns over to LoSoul and Soul Capsule for the second part of Reconstructed, with two more of his deep and trippy originals pulled apart and pieced back together again. Germany's LoSoul and "New York Hustler" span the A-Side with a bass heavy and thundering reconstruction. Pushing ever forward with an infectious warmth, "New York Hustler" plays both sides of the coin to perfection with its glitchy techno strength but harmonious and warm undercurrent. On the flip, it's the turn of Baby Ford & Thomas Melchior as Soul Capsule to reconstruct Makam's "Things I Embody". Keeping in line with their creepy, dark and twisted production partnership, Soul Capsule play with eerie noises, warped atmospheres and a fierce kick drum to create another masterpiece.

Review: Jimmy Posters and Huxley's new imprint Saints & Sonnets present their debut EP from production duo Ethyl & Huxley with the 3 Feet High EP. Deep, powerful and rounded deep house is on the menu for release number one as strong bass holds down light melodies and slurry vocals for an undoubtedly peak time record. Electronic chameleon and self proclaimed dandy Roman Flugel is in for remix duty and his dubby "Mix 2" flirts with push and pull percussion and chopped vocal snippets for a delightfully experimental revision.

Review: The tireless peeps at Rush Hour launch the Vault Series, in which the Dutch imprint rummages for overlooked and unreleased tracks sitting in a big shed out the back of their Amsterdam-based record store. They kick things off in consummate style, with the hitherto unknown (to us, anyway) Duster Valentine dropping the ace "(My Back Is) Against Wall", which features a killer sample of "The Pressure" by Sound of Blackness. A thick set drum loop works for your attention below the vocals, occasional keys and dusty groove - highly recommended. The heads out there will be delighted to see Aardvarck's instantly recognisable party jam "(Just Washed) That Pig" from a few years back given a sorely needed extension!

Review: A return to the classy Mojuba imprint (that canvas patch on the sleeve will never fail to impress) for Bernard Badie with Bones, a typically idiosyncratic slant on the Chicago sound. Enlisting the vocal talents of Muphan for the title track, Badie utilises them as the rhythmic thrust over a richly detailed percussive track. It's an intriguing production that shows how much can be accomplished with just a few elements. Badie has fun on the flip with a Bonus Beats version, and it's joined by an edit of an old Badie jam from Mojuba stalwart Oracy. Originally out in 1991 "Party Jacktrack" drips with the kind of rawness you'd expect and makes for a fine finish to this smart release.

Review: ** Repress of the Ethereal Sound classic! **It's time for another dose of mystical deep house vibes on the renowned Ethereal Sound. Their mini compilations are always eagerly awaited here at Juno HQ, and this time they showcase the talent of NY house wizard Fred P and Ukraine's main man, Vakula. Fred P's tracks are always a pleasure to listen to and "It's All In The Mind" reaffirms his talents as one of deep house's finest. The beat opens with an unusually punchy acid sound for Mr.P but soon dissolves and melts into something much more sparse and disconnected. New man Pjotr takes the helms on "Waves From The Past" and opens with a stunning chord shadowing a distant sample of a jazz gig which weaves and moulds its way through to the end. On the flip, Vakula drops an intricate percussion filled with bongos and subtle basslines like only he knows how to do best, while Benedikt Frey ties thing up in true Ethereal style on "Untitled 3", creating a stylish atmosphere and serves as a welcome addition to their already impressive artist catalogue.

Review: The traces of mutual influence that can be jotted between the camps in Washington, New York, Den Haag and London via imprints new and old in Creme, Future Times and Long Island Electrical Systems should be expanded to Greece and include fledgling label Echovolt. In its short life, the Athens based imprint has already graced us with releases from LIES, Steve Summers and Professor Genius and their latest is a true mark of their ambition. It sees Danny Wolfers aka Legowelt return to the label for a full release, having remixed the LIES track "Comeback Dust", and continue his rich vein of form this year. The Poverties Paradise EP finds Wolfers in a somewhat pensive mood, splaying utopian next century jack material from his enviable array of analogue synths and drum machines, with "Horizons" the one real departure towards something more electrifying. Despite his prolific nature, it seems like there's plenty of inspiration left inside Danny Wolfer's brain and long may the status quo remain!

Review: Warm and chugging disco-tinged house is on offer once again from the imperious Delusions of Grandeur, with the Foolin EP arriving with Germany's Manuel Tur at the wheel. Sticking with his usual synth heavy and sultry style, Tur strikes an immediately gritty tone of funk with tightly plucked guitar riffs, swooning brass and soulful vocals on the title track. On the flip, an instrumental version of "Foolin" is accompanied by "The Traveller", which treads percussive realms with a heartbeat drum platform that pushes this otherwise orchestral and ambient track ever forward. Piano keys dance gently as string beds ascend against scatterings of brass and tinny crashes; our pick of the bunch.

Review: The two men behind one of New York's finest parties - Jacques Renault and Nik Mercer - start up their own label with this auspicious 12". Appropriately, the first release comes from Runaway, the house-centric production duo of Renault and Marcos Cabral. "Indoor Pool" is probably their best deep chugger since "Brooklyn Club Jam", and it appears on the A-Side of this release alongside an ace Slow Hands version that boasts some bewitching piano flourishes. Flipping over, Soft Rocks deliver a typically squelchy, drum and arpeggio-heavy revision, while Future Times darlings Beautiful Swimmers (a fine choice of remixer given the track's name - now that's serendipity) round off a faultless release with a sleazy analogue vocal version that will only enhance their growing rep.

Review: Melbourne outfit Cut Copy have long straddled the worlds of indie and dance (and the doomed middle ground where the twain meets) with aplomb. This has extended to their remix commissions - 2011 alone has seen the likes of Gavin Russom, Azari & III and, gulp, Carl Craig tweaking Cut Copy material (fair dues must go to their record label Modular for their part in this curation too). Here they enlist the services of some UK and Australian talent to remix "Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution". First up is a Chicken Lips malfunction, with some early cowbell carnage giving way into a pulsating bassline and twinkling keys. This shares the A-Side with the equally ace Tornado Wallace version, which settles into a murky, rolling groove - file under "late night throbber". On the flip you'll find the original version of the track nestled alongside a clubby, acid-tinged remake from Das Moth and Kenji Takimi.