June: 15 house releases you need to hear this month

Jackmaster 'DJ Kicks' (DJ Kicks)

Co-founder of the Numbers night and label, Jackmaster still hasn’t released any solo stuff – practically unheard of in dance music. Yet his tune selection, Radio 1 shows and afterparty antics have made him one of the UK’s most in-demand DJs. Here, he’s clearly influenced by Detroit, Chicago and Glasgow, effortlessly taking in the soul diva sound of ‘Transient’ by Mr G, the jacking groove of Mike Dunn, the roots of Basic Channel, the dramatic stabs of Robert Hood and two tracks from RAD protégé Denis Sulta (the Jack VIP mix of ‘Dubelle Oh XX’ is stunning). An energetic, main-room mix that touches on many styles.

8/10

Jodie Abacus 'She’s In Love With The Weekend' (Zinc mix) (Household)

Jodie Abacus’ new single is about a girl who lives for the weekend – a theme, of course, that we can all relate to. Here, Zinc turns in a great remix with a bouncing bass line, sprightly strings, a distant break and a stunning vocal. His remix draws on his vast knowledge of breakbeat and d’n’b to bring us a unique-sounding house cut.

9/10

Julia Govor & Kamran Sadeghi 'Disappear' (Cocoon)

After releases on Get Physical and Visionquest among others, Russian DJ Julia Govor now finds herself living in New York. Here, she releases on Sven Vath’s flawless Cocoon imprint with this lovely peak-time slice. This can’t be pigeonholded as vocal house, though: it’s got a subtle, impassioned and whispered vocal set upon a relentless, driving, metallic groove. If you’re looking for a track to take the edge off a full-on set when the sun’s starting to break through, then this is for you.

7/10

Shir Khan 'Black Jukebox 15' (Exploited)

Shir Khan’s Exploited label can always be relied upon to bring us dancefloor-friendly house, and his Black Jukebox series has a reputation for unearthing heavy club weapons. The A-side from the label’s latest release comes courtesy of Scottish producers Illyus and Barrientos, who are amassing a vast discography thanks to their remixes of Alex Adair, DJ SKT, Gorgon City and Lovebirds. ‘Camel Brotha’ has a bold, boompty-boomp swagger and a chopped hip hop vocal, while ‘Just Bad Shit’ sounds like Moodyman working with Hot Since 82. On the flip, Purple Disco Machine and Lorenz Rhode produce something straight out Studio 54, before Dayne S completes this solid EP.

8/10

Karousel 'Planetary Rebirth' (Sensoramic)

Taking time out from spinning at all the coolest parties, Laura Jones brings us her brand new label Sensoramic. Its first release (complete with some stunning Sarah Sense artwork) comes from Karousel, who come up trumps with a high-calibre EP. ‘Arraki’s sounds like Solomun meets Red Axes with lush pads that wash over you, while ‘Redeemer’ is a more late-night, main-room cut with a distant broken beat, snare rolls, fierce stabs and straned atmospherics. There’s an SAM reshape of the track, too, but the original version narrowly wins out.

8/10

J Paraguai 'Rumba' (Bar Musica)

Bartolomeo’s Bar Music label promises to inject charm and originality into the underground house and techno scene. The title track of J Paraguai’s new EP has a kick with tribal stylings, gravelly bass and raw percussion that sounds like it’s being played on a set of saucepans, with Bruno Pronsato also turning in a mix that touches on electro and techno to produce a freaky late-night jam. Frenetic B-side ‘Ble’, meanwhile, with its minimal drums and intense synth stabs, is made for those moments when everyone loses it. Closing track ‘Atles’ follows along the same lines, but ‘Rumba’ is the one for the house heads here.

6/10

Audiohell & Malatoid 'Dreaming Parmesan' (Audiohell Department Rec)

Audiohead and Malatoid rustle up four robust tech house cuts for the debut EP on their new label. Lead track ‘Dreaming Parmesan’ features a metallic voice urging you to “just bend it round”, along with a fathomless bassline and an analogue synth. ‘The Green Light’ boasts a similarly stark vibe thanks to its sparse synth smatterings, while ‘You’re Not Alone’ takes the same formula but adds a lazy snare and haunted vocals. Finally, ‘Repetition Is The Key’ brings up the rear with more bass-heavy goodness.

7/10

Denney 'Visualise' (Crosstown Rebels)

Denney briefly flirted with stardom when his massive accidental hit ‘Low Frequency’ took him around the globe, but we’re delighted to see him with his feet flat on the ground, here, as he takes us back to his underground origins with a release for Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels label. ‘Visualise’ has rolling melodies with a dark overtone that makes it perfect late-night house, ‘Pulse’ sounds like Cajmere on a jacking tip and ‘Hallucinate’, with its elastic analogue top line and grounded bass, is perfect for the mid-point in a set. Luke Solomon also does a freaky Chicago remix of the title track, too.

8/10

Joeski 'Clap Yo Handz' (Defected)

Joeski is a veteran who started playing house parties in Queens way back in 1989 and later performed at raves with the likes of Louie Vega and Roger Sanchez during his residency at New York’s legendary The Roxy nightclub. Throw in past releases on the likes of Siesta, Chez, Electrik Soul and Tango as well as his recent collaboration with Harry Romero for Defected, and it’s clear he’s earned his stripes. His new track ‘Clap Yo Handz’ is a self-assured slice of solid house with vocals from E-Man and a shuffling groove, while the dub version on the flip is a more straight-up affair thanks to its walking bassline and shimmering pianos.

8/10

Mr Tophat & Art Alfie 'Skunk And Silver' EP (Karlovak)

We’re already well aware of what Karlovak is capable of producing, with the Swedish label previously putting out material from Radio Slave, Ron Bacardi (Ben Sims), DJ Jes and Santos. The title track from its latest release, Mr Tophat & Art Alfie’s ‘Skunk And Silver’ EP, has a pounding kick, fizzy hi-hats, a sultry spoken vocal and some clever disco samples that drift in-and-out of the fray. And the misleadingly titled ‘Tiny House’ is far from tiny: it’s a huge house track with a pulsing bassline for when things get crazy.

6/10

4th Sign 'Eloge De Lenteur Part Two' (Ondulé)

4th Sign, the collaborative project from Joss Moog and Around7, release the second part of their ‘Eloge De Lenteur’ EP on French label Ondulé. The pair are united by a shared passion for original samples and genuine loops, and pool their knowledge to produce some damn fine groovers which have previously found favour with Mark Farina, Groove Armada, Harri and Severino. Here, they don’t stick to just one style or BPM; instead they touch on Hotel Costes-style lounge-lizard house on ‘The Movement’, while ‘No Trouble No Men’ is a piano-led jam and ‘Deep Dip’ is warm-up fodder. Elsewhere, ‘The Right Colour’ leans heavily on a guitar loop that eventually breaks into an easy-listening hook. ‘Hot Saucisse’, the most familiar-sounding lick, comes next, before ‘Lunatique’ closes the EP with a sound that’s similar to the halfway house of The Revenge, Ooft! and Behling & Simpson.

7/10

Popof feat Arno Joey 'Lidl Girl' (Hot Creations)

Lidl Girl’ isn’t, in fact, the story of a checkout girl, but the third single to come from Popof’s 2015 album ‘Love Somebody’. The original is a solid house workout with stunning vocals from Arno Joey and grounded bass, squelching acid and sturdy beats, but it’s the remix from industry doyen Kerri Chandler that’s the real draw. He adds shuffling beats, raw percussion and a plodding pattern to inject it with a new groove. The Carl Cox Collective are next up with a rolling techno monster, before Shaun Reeves and Tucillo take things even deeper with their mix. Chandler’s rework is our favourite, though.

7/10

Abe Duque feat Nicole Arrington 'Float Away' (Abe Duque Records)

Having released music for two decades now, Abe Duque is a ubiquitous force in house music. The title track of his latest release, ‘Float Away’, is split into two different chapters: ‘Chapter One’ features a beautiful vocal that gives way to an acidic banger, while ‘Chapter Two’ is a main-room version with choppy drums, staccato stabs and vocal snips (there’s also a handy instrumental on the digital release, too). The flip, ‘Taboo’, is a jazz-infused house groove that gives Nicole Arrington’s stunning vocals room to breathe, and is later given to Matt Law for a remix that takes things in a clubbier direction.

7/10

Jakobin & Domino 'Suki' EP (Large Music Chicago)

The ‘Suki’ EP is Jakobin & Domino’s fourth release on the legendary Large label. On the title track, the duo chop up a familiar vocal and add an elastic bassline, shuffling drums and clanging stylings on an elegant cut that sits right at home on the Chicago label. ‘Tumblin’ has warm keys, vocal snips and shimmering top lines, while ‘5th District’ is a straight-up house jam with a watery bassline, sultry samples and sprightly keys. It’s a fitting end to this quality EP of textured house.

7/10

HiFi Sean feat Fred Schneider 'Truck' (Plastique)

HiFi Sean is an in-demand DJ who holds residences at Ministry Of Sound, among others, and also has an album featuring collaborations with Bootsy Collins, Dave Ball, Billie Ray Martin, David McAlmont and many more in the pipeline. This, the first release in a series of three vinyl-only singles, features the unmistakable vocals of The B-52’s singer Fred Schneider. A juggernaut of an uptempo late-night house cut that features Schneider bizarrely ranting about trucks, the original is then handed to US duo In Flagranti, who cool things down and take the track into DFA territory with dubbed-out disco claps.

6/10