New releases last two weeks: House

Review: A compilation album that spans a wide range of subgenres, including deep house, tribal house and garage, its highlights include Ron Trent's 'Star Strut' - a devious, dark, and gritty deep house track captivates listeners with its wicked and intense energy - and Vick Lavender's 'Day Light', a soulful and sexy house track that features melodic elements and a touch of disco. Another great one is Timmy Regisford's 'Funa' (instrumental mix), a deep house workout that is both melodic and smooth, while Joe Claussell's 'A Deeper Grace' (LP version) is a classy house track infused with jazzy notes. Overall, this compilation is a must-listen for fans of deep house music - you definitely get your money's worth with this packed release.

Review: The summer is almost here which means this is exactly the sort of record we want to be reaching for. It's a lush and tropical work of idealised disco grooves, deepest house, Balearic, smooth jazz and Mediterranean cool that cries out to be played loud while you sip on cocktails and dream of being somewhere utterly blissful and classy. Dreamy textures define each cut with nice fresh rhythms, glistening chords and lush melodies all sprinkled with delightful percussive detail. Big up to A Vision Of Panorama for serving up a beautiful album that is sure to soundtrack the warmest months of the year for many.

Review: Swiss producer and DJ Lea Lisa gathers together some of her favorite tracks to play out with in a double pack compilation for Favorite Recordings. As you might be able to tell from some of the artists and tracks on here, Lea likes her house music deep, tracky, sometimes soulful and verging on proper techno. Featured here are key tracks like 'Ekeyz' from Pure Science, the club mix of 'Be There' by Kerri Chandler and 'Blax Thanxs' by Abacus. One very desirable addition is the early 90s gem 'Emotional' by Think. This very strong gathering of deep house tracks may be one of the best this year. Act quick and grab a copy.

Review: PIV label head DJ Prunk identified Ruze as rising stars in 2023. Since then, they've soared with Beatport chart-toppers like Hardwire and Chapters EPs and their latest offering showcases their signature sound on a fine debut album. The title track introduces smooth house beats, deep yet dynamic. 'Trip' layers precise drums with soulful spoken words over vivid pads. 'Keep It Comin'' amps up the tempo with funky house vibes, while 'Mister DJ' delivers seductive late-night allure. 'Come Together' packs punchy beats and lively sax and 'Repetition,' 'FUTUR,' and 'In The Power' maintain irresistible house grooves, while 'Everybody' ends with a laid-back lounge vibe.

Review: You'd be hard-pressed to find a collection of euro house and dance music more chock-full of hits than this. In the vein of the early 90s dance compilations, Music On Vinyl gathers two discs packed with landmark dance records and massively popular crossover tracks like Haddaway's 'What Is Love', 2 Unlimited's sports arena classic No Limit', Snap!'s timeless 'Rhythm Is A Dancer' and the worldwide hit 'Pump Up The Jam' by Technotronic. The great thing about this release is the inclusion of many other lesser known but memorable gems like T-Spoon 'Sex On The Beach' and Twenty 4 Seven's 'Slave To The Music'. A whopping 27 tracks in total to take you back to the days when dance music owned the airwaves and the clubs.

Review: Crosstown Rebels continues its spell of dance albums releases with a fresh one from Oceanvs Orientalis (Safak Oz Kutle), Portrait Of The Obscure. After three superb singles on the label over the past four months, this nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Istanbul-based talent's rich, globally-infused, captivating sound. As if to bottle the essence of the awe of travel, either everyday-real or astral - and the personal developments and realizations that come of it - onto a single record, Portrait Of The Obscure skirts the possible limits of progressive dance, fleshing out a talent for layering that we'd wager many artists only ten years or so ago would've thought impossible. Just listen to the hullabaloo that is 'Neutrality'; despite the name, it's hardly neutral at all, coming as an immense positivisation of moving parts and godlike sonic entities, which sound to dance around a central kick axis, one that we're surprised Oceanvs was still able to fit into the mix.

Review: French outfit Chateau Flight have spent two years in the studio making music, playing around and experimenting and now the fruits of that work are presented on this new album La Folie Studio. It is full of the sound of analogue machines conversing and the artists themselves speaking through their darkened basslines or eerie pads. Occult worlds are crafted, ambient soundscapes are cooked up and leftfield cosmic explorations occur throughout a journeying album full of a wide range of emotions. This lovely record features guests on the odd track such as Johnny Nash on guitar, Cosmic Neman mumbling on 'Mange', John Cravache playing 'his special organ" and Bony Bikaye singing on 'Esika Molimo Ezali'. It's an occult world of left of centre sound that will keep you coming back for more.

Review: Soul Button's Master Minds is a standout example to the boundless creativity and emotional depth of melodic techno. Released as a special double vinyl, this collection is full of atmospheric depth and rhythmic precision, making is a catchy and addictive listen. Each track is a meticulously crafted piece, resonating with themes of fate and predestination akin to the strategic depth of chess. Highlights like 'Tartribe' weave darker tensions and hypnotic vibes, drawing listeners into a mesmerising journey of sound. 'Mystique Veil' emerges as a peak-time techno gem, blending melodic elements with resonant beats to create an unforgettable sonic experience. Meanwhile, 'Lumina' has a strong vocal presence and trancey elements, further enriching the album's narrative. Master Minds not only showcases Soul Button's talent but also his artistry at creating a consistent and well produced full length album.

Review: Magic Number is Ross Hillard, a downtempo and orchestral composer whose engineering and bass playing can be heard on an array of releases, most notably for the likes of his own house favourites including Louie Vega, DJ Spen, Kerri Chandler, Lay-Far and Atjazz. Now debuting his first record on the latter artist's eponymous label, Badly Written Songs sounds like a slice of humble pie, but it's actually well-thought out title: in Hillard's own words, "(it's) a tongue-in-cheek reference to how transient electronic music can be." Thus, writing songs in this genre might not have been the most sensible and sustainable idea - but we all love house music, so we put everything into it, hoping that people don't discard it too soon. True to an engineer's tastes, the album is ultra-dynamic and bright throughout, serving up a consistent guest-vocal steeze reminiscent of Charles Webster or Herbert's gravitas.

Review: Back in 1991, PT House's debut album Big World introduced Soweto rapper Nelson Mohale (who was later known as Dr House) to South Africa's burgeoning house and kwaito scene. Collaborating with producer Danny Bridgens, known for his work with Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Margino, the newly formed pair fused US and UK hip-house influences with local flavours and always imbued their music with a positive outlook for the future. Now reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records, the small but well-formed four-track record remains a bold testament to their vision and has more than stood the test of time with its vibrant energy and forward-looking spirit.

Review: Celebrating the tentth anniversary of their debut album Atlas, Australian trio RUFUS DU SOL revisits the groundbreaking release with this new special edition on limited white & blue vinyl with slipmat and other bonus goodies included. Atlas marked a defining moment for the group, and showcase their unique blending of electronic, indie, and dance elements into a captivating and widescreen new sound. The album's timeless tracks like 'Innerbloom' and 'Desert Night' captured audiences worldwide with their emotive melodies and hypnotic rhythms. The anniversary edition offers fans a chance to rediscover these beloved tracks alongside new remixes and unreleased material, reaffirming RUFUS DU SOL's status as pioneers of electronic music and their enduring influence on the genre.

Review: A sprawling, typically irreverent effort from the ever-prolific DMX Krew. With each unfolding track, Edward Upton charts a new tributary in the Detroit-Berlin-Sheffield pipeline, from the grouchy technoid stomp of 'Bathtime Bobby', to the hazy chillout room introspection of 'Escape To 92', to the dazzled machine funk of aptly named elektro quest 'Desperate Measures'. Another thoroughly satisfying entry in the ever-growing DMX catalogue, Spiral Dance is a sizzling hotplate of timeless electro wizardry.