Lush deep house, funky samples and tech edge rollers. Dive in!
1. VA - Erotic Moments In House 2
Kicking things off with this early 2000s (2002) deep house compilation. A whopping 25 tracks released on German label Dessous. It’s deep, it has early techhouse production with jazzy textures and smooth samples. I find this one to be really consistent all the way through. I think proper deep house music is kind of resistant to hype. Almost like it’s not ‘exciting’ enough, rather it sits relentlessly relaxed in the corner unfazed by what’s happening around it. Track wise, I’m thinking about a time where you just need a nice 6 min deep roller to settle the groove in the feet and unite with other folks on the floor with say.. Take Into This Lonely Crowd (Joshua’s Short Dub Mix). But take your pick because I reckon there’s at least a handful of these moments in the comp. This is deep house with the necessary tech factor that brings it further onto the floor and later into the night when the hype has settled.
2. Addison Groove - F1NK
This is unexpected but fun. I met Addison Groove the other day. A really great guy who just loves the music. Oh and he’s from Bristol. So he knows his way around an 808 and a 909 safe to say. But this is just funky fun and I like how he applies his club skill set this house’ier sound. It wasn’t a one off either. Check out Changa, which samples Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango. Bass, jungle.
3. Pure Science - Brighter Days
A lil tech bubbler has entered the chat. Funky baseline and a nice arrangement. Just gets me swaying and wobbling around nicely.
4. Lectroluv - Dream Drums (Roberto Rodriguez Remix)
I’m a big fan of Roberto! The Finnish deep house veteran just always delivers. Quality is always top notch and I feel like he has just mastered the art of putting you into a hypnosis with his arrangements. This track builds really well. Teasing new sounds around the main theme. Tip!
5. Paul Johnson - Feel The Music
Paul Johnson. Just a legend of the sound. All these tracks are just class. Simple and done really well.
6. Frits Wentink - I Want It All
Just love this 90s tinged club stuff he’s doing. WheeeEEeeeel it!
7. Saraga - Around The Sun (Run It)
An exotic european tech-house 4 tracker on Guy Gerber’s label. Really versatile EP with different vibes. I’m always on the hunt for stuff that’s clubby but not too heavy, with bit of sex appeal and mystery. Four distinctly different tracks pieced well to it’s escapist motif.
8. Pearson Sound - Hornet
I don’t get many chances to play stuff like this but sometimes I just gotta cop it and pay that. Detailed and nuanced bass music. It’s 10+ years post-dubstep and so it’s really interesting to see the way in which the producers that defined the sound of that era have evolved. Hornet is just octane 808 electro-funk meets techno-matrix-animal-zoo. Don’t play this loud if you have a cat.
9. The Future Sound Of London - Stolen Documents (Jazz dub)
So this is a reissue from 1991. House is really starting to become established. National geographic samples and such. There’s a fair bit happening in this which might turn some people off. it’s a bit weird I guess, which depending on your self image could be a compliment or a diss. But for me it’s neither.
10. The Jets Orkhestra, Turbotito, Ragz - X-290
This is a fun remix of an obscure early house track from an British-Asian project (Jet’s Orkhestra) that has been rubbed up into a kind of funky electro mix that would sit in well some italo house and other late 80s delights.