August: 15 house releases you need to hear this month

Various 'Moda Black Vol IV' (Moda Black)

Jaymo and Andy George started their Moda Black label back in 2011. Since then, the pair have been responsible for putting out some essential releases that have cemented their label’s reputation as a hub for forward-thinking house and electronic music. The fourth installment in this compilation series starts off with their own track, the sedate ‘1968’, which sounds like it could have been dropped on the Grand Central label in the late 90s. Things then kick up a gear with Tuff City Kids’ lively piano mix of Groove Armada’s ‘Song For Nick’, before newcomer Idamos (look out for that name in the future) hits the ground running with the epic ‘Heads Down’. Other up-and-comers include Theo Kottis, Izzy Demsky and Zeké Africa, who rub shoulders with more established regulars such as Huxley, Walker and Royce.

8/10

Mr G 'Precious Cargo' (Defected)

Mr G (pictured), aka Colin McBean, has been a dependable producer for some time – but while he’s dropped a few bits on Defected before, this could be his biggest yet. This is elated deep house with sassy vocals from Blondewearingblack. McBean doesn’t overcook anything: just a simple groove that gives the vocals room to breath with a muted pad and a lazy ride cymbal.

9/10

Moscoman 'Fernandez (Red Axes Remix)' (Eskimo)

With Moscoman’s ‘Fernandez’ gaining praise from the likes of Psychemagik and Headman upon its release last year, it’s now handed to Israel’s Dori and Niv, aka Red Axes, for remix duties. The duo previously caught our attention courtesy of the heartfelt house they released on labels including Crosstown Rebels, Permanent Vacation and Klasse; here, they take the original’s live bass-driven groove and add arpeggios, a sparse drum workout and loose percussion to produce something rather hypnotic. And as with most Red Axes productions, the pair always hold something back until the very end – this time, it’s a buoyant trumpet, unleashed with just a couple of minutes of the track remaining, that’s destined to lift the danceloor.

7/10

Shonky 'Plombiere EP' (Apollonia)

Founding Apollonia member Shonky put out his debut release back in 2012, but he’s been relatively quiet on the solo tip since then. But the Berlin-based Parisian is now back with a new EP, and delivers a jaunty bass line, a distant cricket, whispered vocals and dextrous synths on the title track. ‘House Me’ is a no-nonsense house cut with a sordid bass line, vocal snips and weird nuances, while ‘Perchee’ is peak-time fodder with its rubber bass line and thick drums. ‘Cosmopolis’, meanwhile, has an animated bass groove, metallic clunks and whispered street-chatter samples.

7/10

Latroit 'I Want More' (House Of Latroit)

Detroit-born, L.A-based Latroit draws on all of his influences to bring us something that’s indebted to both of the cities that are so important to him. He brings things back to basics with a straight-up house jam that pilfers from the early 90s house sounds while adding a distinct Detroit techno vibe and bumping drums. It all goes into orbit when the retro analogue stabs kick in, and comes comes complete with a handy dub, too – but the vocal works well with this simple but effective jam.

6/10

Timanti 'Don't You' (Love & Other)

Utilising the same vocal line as Felix did in the 90s with Jomanda’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’ may seem a slightly obvious move, but it’s actually been re-sung and used really well for this late-night cut. With a simple keys line, bouncing bass and pulsating pads, this one ticks lots of boxes – and with love already flowing in from Hanna Wants, among others, ‘Don’t You’ looks sure to be a festival- pleaser.

5/10

Maximono ''83 EP' (Cuff)

With previous releases on labels such as Dirtybird we know what to expect from Maximono, and their latest release finds them on a mission to bring back hip house. ‘‘83’ fuses authentic samples and sounds with modern-day production: with its combination of the familiar drum loop from ‘The Power’, some vocal rap chops, thundering bass and sharp beats, this is like donning shell-toes and Cazal sunglasses before being dropped in the middle of a Dirtybird camp-out. Elsewhere on the release, ‘Get Right’ sounds like something that would turn up on Roska’s Kicks & Snares imprint, while ‘Pick You Up’ would sit at home on Skream’s Of UnSound Mind label. Three sturdy tracks from these dependable producers.

7/10

Dave Aju 'Freee Lover EP' (Music For Freaks)

We’re delighted to see the rebirth of the Music For Freaks imprint which, with Justin Harris and Luke Solomon at the helm, was responsible for some excellently quirky post-Chicago house. The label’s new release, the ‘Freee Lover’ EP, gives us three originals from Dave Aju as well as a remix by Soulphiction. ‘Found A Lover’ and ‘Givin’ It Dub’ are both soulful deep tech with a hint of jack, and ‘Freeze’ is a downtempo number that reminds us of Talkin’ Loud. Soulphiction take the latter track to the gym, beefing it up into a peak-time jam.

8/10

Infinity Ink feat Yasmin 'How Do I Love You' (Different)

This is the second track Infinity Ink, aka Ali Love and Luca C, have released since signing with Different (the electronic offshoot of PIAS, who can always be depended upon to put out quality house releases). ‘How Do I Love You’ is a beautiful contemporary track with a chipper bassline and a Yasmin vocal that borrows slightly from Queen Latifah’s ‘How Do I Love Thee’. A house hit could be on the cards.

8/10

Luke Solomon & Jonny Rock 'Frangipan To LA EP' (Futureboogie)

Luke Solomon and Jonny Rock have a history of DJing together, and Jonny’s also famous for joining Freaks, Luke’s band with Justin Harris, when they perform live. The pair’s new collaboration is pure disco-house: cowbells, guitar licks, keys and bass are all present, while the dub mix concentrates on making the synths go wild. On the flip, ‘Groovin To L.A.’ lets the filters loose without overdoing it on an authentic vintage disco cut, before DJ Fett Burger and Jayda G take it on a trip to the seaside with their summertime remix.

7/10

Aosoon 'High Grade (Wookie Remix)' (Kobalt)

Here, self-proclaimed gangsta-folk outfit Aosoon are remodelled by Soul II Soul protégé Wookie. His remix might take you by surprise, but this is a beautiful slice of sun-kissed house. Yes, there’s a shuffle in the groove, but that’s the only hint of Wookie’s UK garage pedigree; this has a synth top line, subtle pianos and a simple bass line that allows the stunning vocal to soar.

6/10

Munk 'The Bolero Bunuel EP' (Gomma)

This is not a dancefloor destroyer – instead, it’s well-suited for the more contemporary, connoisseur crowd. ‘The Bolero Buneul’ is an instrumental track that’s so encapsulating it should easily catch the attention of Mr Scruff or Giles Peterson, and is guaranteed to be included on swanky hotel compilations thanks to its jazz-funk bassline, loose drumming and strange, spacey Arabian melody. It sounds like nothing else and, while still maintaining a house groove, will be perfect for DJs wanting to change the vibe of a set completely. Red Axes also continue their run of stunning remixes with a rework that’s built around the infectious bass of the original. Also included are midtempo house groovers ‘The Naked Baam’ and ‘The Oboe Onyx’, which is remixed by Lauer. As good as they are, though, all eyes (and ears) should be on the title track and remix.

8/10

Bertha 'Huzzah' (Music For Freaks)

Bertha’s latest release, ‘Huzzah’, features a speech that sounds like Martin Luther King laid over a bumping Chicago groove, and you can picture Gene Farris or Derrick Carter playing it: with its shuffled drum loop and understated keys line, it shifts along without any bells and whistles. Put simply, it’s a great slice of Chi-town grooving house from the Freaks fraternity. Sheffiled’s Thatmanmonkz’ remix, meanwhile, takes the original to a late-night basement.

8/10

Zed Bias 'Spiritual' (Biasonic)

We’ve been looking forward to a Zed Bias album on Exit Records thanks to his recent sterling work pioneering dubstep and garage-tinged sounds for the label, but he’s dropping this club bomb on Biasonic first. With a pitched soul sample and bassline that has echoes of Switch, ‘Spiritual’ is a go-to club cut. There’s also a dub version, but it’s the original track that comes out on top here, with just enough vocals to break up this wobbly monster.

7/10

Aeroplane & Purple Disco Machine 'Sambal' (White Label)

We’re well aware of the combined pedigree of Aeroplane and Purple Disco Machine. Each has an extensive discography under their own belts but they clearly work well together, too; and their track ‘Sambal’ is a mid-tempo chugger that’s pitched somewhere in-between what both of them do individually. Dreamy beach house at its best, it’s got a top line steel drum, swelling pads and organic percussion –and by the time the reverberated piano line kicks in, we’re sold. If you’re doing a set on a Balearic beach club, this will be on repeat, and we’re already looking forward to future collaborations.

7/10