Back catalogue: House

Review: Gothenburg Electro City 3 is a third episode in this superb new various artists series. Stilleben label head Luke Eargoggle says that three generations of Scandinavian electro sounds feature on the six track record. It comes from producers based only in Gothenburg which is the capital of electro in Sweden as well as being the capital of the Vastra Gotaland county. From the high energy and hard-hitting electro-funk of Dataintrang's opener to Guttan's more cinematic but no less caustic 'Bambakaos', all shades are explored here with compelling results.

Review: House music doesn't get much more storied and authentic than that served up by the iconic New Jersey label Nu Groove. It very much shaped the clary sound of the 90s and still has fans excited today whenever reissues drop. This is not that, however, and is in fact a new set of recent cuts from veteran Swiss producer Deetron and underground mainstay Bruise. The sounds are inspired by the soulful techno and house that emerged in the Mid West and build on solid drums with silky loops that look to the future. 'AM_909' in particular is a lush and warm cut of epic proportions.

Review: Welcome to Nila's Quest, a brand new label that starts as all good day's should, with a healthy serving of breakfast. It's an Argentina Breakfast, to be precise, and the first of what we can only assume will be a series of releases under this title. Jovit is first out of the blocks with the cosmic and crunchy tech house of 'Gamma Goblin' while Ian Puchetti then gets all blissed out and beach with his Ibiza tinged deep house cut 'Dreams'. There is a charming sense of 80s synth nostalgia to the snappy beats of Bruno & TOBI's 'Te Quiero' then Dual Sense's 'Morning Driver' closes out with a perfect soundtrack to late night driving.

Review: More proper tacker makes it way to vinyl here courtesy of the blow label who enlist four more producers of this latest various artists EP. Kitchen Plug's 'Cheat Code' marries the best of tech, garage, dub and house into a kinetic bit of body music that oozes warm and lo-fi soul. CYMKA brings kaleidoscopic colour and squelchy acid to 'Sweet Peach' then it's all pout old school piano rave madness from Batenko on 'Inside Summer 21'. Last of all is the searing electro funk of Les Hauts with 'Passing Clouds', a blisteringly quick trip into another dimension with some rueful chord work. Sensational EP.

Review: Fool's Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records' Mark Knight. Coming straight from the heart, it's a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, 'Untold Business', which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal house from the 1990s from where he came. With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great songwriting, this new Toolroom sublabel will be a platform for high quality house music designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho Mark Knight, who joins forces with his Australian Toolroom labelmate, Sgt Slick, and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight, on a dynamite cover of Prince's 1979 classic, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. Respectfully transporting the song onto today's dancefloors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV's that would indeed make The Purple One proud. Completing the vinyl package is dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British soul icon, Jaki Graham, whom together bring the dancefloor heat with their new single, 'Fire'. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, 'Fire' see's Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

Review: For many in underground music, the words Back To Basics mean only one thing - the chaotic and anarchic Leeds house party founded by Dave Beer. The GLBDOM label is slowly broadening out that definition though with this ongoing series under the same name. It's been good to date and this third volume doesn't disappoint with Manuold, Bress Underground, MacLO duo, Jon Billick and Scruscru all offering up their own takes on deep house. From the mid-tempo and cosmic to the more raw and punchy, via the loopy and the future-facing, it's a classy collection.

Review: Time to Attack the Dancefloor once more as we supply some heavy Disco & House weaponry. Featuring the brand new remix of Opolopo's storming 'Stroke my Disco' by dutch funkateers Fouk who double down on the Piano and Clav workouts for the peak time. Exclusive new material from Wipe The Needle who's 'Skyscrapers' track is a modern Jazz-Funk masterpiece, heavy on the flute and soulful bass. On the flip Dave Lee takes it back to '97 with his rework of Backroom Productions 'Classic Vibe' which sees him flex his house-ier muscles, re-arranging the classic elements and adding extra keys to this much loved underground tune. Finishing off the EP is Dave's remix of nu-soul diva Raquel Rodriguez, where he crafts Raquel's dynamic vocal delivery over chunky Disco drumming & soulful synths before letting loose into Roy Ayers-esque vibes finale!

Review: One of Italy's premier deep house labels, MoBlack is back with their ninth volume of their gold series. This edition features four different producers that each take their turn pushing boundaries within the sound of their culture. Rancido & AfroTura & Bun Xapa's 'Kibe' has a driving beat to it with a strong vocal performance by Aziz. This track sets the tone for the album. Frankie Lluc's 'Burlan' is deep and tribal, riding an organic free flowing tech house to great success. For the second side, Klement Bonelli presents 'Pesna', a unique euro house sound rooted in early Italian disco. We can't help but think it reminds us of 'Rhythm is Dancer' by Snap. Fahlberg's 'The Light' ends things on an uplifting note with a dreamy piano builder that delivers. We think this is a great example of different regional producers making house music.

Review: Slothboogie are back with more of that disco-fied deep house goodness courtesy of Ruff Stuff and Bress Underground, two Italian producers devoted to the classic approach to the genre. 'Foundations' is a slinky, funked up late night workout with a loopy, hypnotic feel, while 'Sliding Sine' has a more synth-focused, dub-splashed approach. 'The Community' is a rawer jam with tough drums that wouldn't sound out of place on a Chiapet record, while 'Something About It' is peak time garage house at its finest. If you need to work the floor good and proper, these jams won't let you down.

Review: A reissue that minimal house fans will have been waiting for - an expanded version of Baby Ford & The Ifach Collective's Sacred Machine album. Released in 2001, it's genreally accepted to be the high weatermark for minimal, and here's it's been lovingly remastered by Dubplates & Mastering and comes blessed with two unheard-til-now corkers from the same sessions - Mark Broom's mix of 'RTDC' and 'In The Bag'. What are you waiting for?!

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Once again, XL Recordings resupply our vitals with Basement Jaxx's life-giving audio elixir 'Remedy', their joyous debut album from 1999. Renowned for its sensuous themes, international palette of influences and, of course, its basis in bangerized house music, tracks like 'Red Alert' and 'Jump n' Shout' paved the way for much big beat, electro and pop house to come.

Review: Distrikt Paris head honcho Bassam is back with a superb double album that defines his own unique take on the underground. It is genre-defying and widescreen in its cope as it flows freely from sound to sound. 'Electronic Rhapsody' is a superb symphony of lush synth design and airy breakbeats that keep you suspended in space. 'Apres Faut Aimer La Fete' brings twisted acid to slick tech house beats and 'Sos Marrakech' brings a more retro synth sound with crashing hits and stiff, angular rhythms. Elsewhere are more poppy sounding melodies and synths on 'Panorama Vision' and a turbocharged future tech cut 'LAP Memory' (40ine mix) is another late nightlight.

Review: Between 1986 and 1994, Tony Boninsegna released an insane amount of music under dozens of different aliases, offering up rave-ready tracks that variously mixed and matched elements of acid house, bleep & bass, hardcore techno and breakbeat. Yet he remains almost unknown. Notes From The Underground, a two-part retrospective of his career, is therefore well overdue. This second part, which boasts extensive sleeve notes from UK dance music historian Matt Anniss, is packed to the rafters with re-mastered treats, with highlights including the electro-tinged bleep business of Lab Technicians' 'We Gave You Life', the weighty acid breaks of Sykosis 451's 'Monsoon', the breakbeat hardcore funkiness of MI7's 'Show I', and the proto-jungle madness of Raggahead's 'Give The People What They Want'.

Review: At long last, a light has been shone on the career of one of the UK's true underground rave heroes: Bedford producer (and man of umpteen aliases) Tony Bonisegna. Cold Blow and Musique Pour La Danse have done a terrific job on the two-part set, offering up remastered killer cuts from Bonisenga's vast catalogue alongside extensive sleeve notes by Join The Future author Matt Anniss (whose book was the first to tell the producer's remarkable story). There's plenty to set the pulse racing on this first volume, including Bonisegna's earliest explorations of house in the late 80s (both as part of The Rhythm Squad), the clonking and bleeping shuffle of Original Clique's 'F (Whistle Mix)', the Pet Shop Boys-go-to-a-rave shimmer of 'Tonnere' by Pierrepoint, the acid-flecked breaks madness of Big Showdown's 'They're Here' and the sub-heavy early breakbeat hardcore of AEK's 'Lick It'.

Review: Portuguese producer and Enchufada label owner Branko is back with his fourth full-length solo album and once again he pushes his own high standards even further. Soma was recorded in Lisbon over a three-day jam session that saw him asking plenty of top local Lisbon-based musicians to improvise over rhythmic frameworks. The resulting man-hours live recording was the blueprint for the album which Brano then worked into the compelling and worldly tunes you have here with vocals from the likes of London, Cape Verde, and Brazil, including Jay Prince, June Freedom, BIAB, and Tuyo.

Review: T4T LUV NRG welcomes Brooklyn's Russell E.L. Butler who now makes a welcome returning with a new album that comes some five years after their critically acclaimed LP The Home I'd Build For Myself and All My Friends on Left Hand Path. The years since then have seen Butler live thorough various experiences which they explore through melody on Call Me G. It's a fusion of New York house, poetry and dub techno that works both in the right club setting but also as a more intimate listening experience at home or in headphones.