Miguel Graça & Ladybird - All I Wanna Do (Viva Recordings)

Miguel Graça’s discography is known to connoisseurs of deep house, through his 12” singles dating back to the mid-90s to releases on his Montreal-based Pronto Musique imprint. For “All I Wanna Do,” Miguel enlists Ladybird, the legendary French/Australian vocalist best known as the voice behind Soldiers of Twilight and the F Communications smash “My Precious Thing.”

“All I Wanna Do” presents fresh, understated deep house, deftly combining Miguel’s sleek music production and Ladybird’s affecting vocals. The bass line pulses as swooping synth pads and techy chords flavor the midrange. Ladybird’s lovely voice speaks for all of us as she sings, “All I wanna do is dance, babe.” Also included is Miguel’s crisp, uptempo Vibe Dub, an instrumental of the original version, and an exquisite Beatless Mix for those come-down moments. It’s another exceptional pack of tracks from Viva Recordings.

Hector Romero (SAW Recordings) – “Bravo Miguel. I really like the vibe here! Well done.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) – “It feels and sounds so good!”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies) – “The Vibedub is for me.”
K-Zan (Radio Galaxie FM) – “Always good to hear Ladybird’s voice on a track. Great release!”
Daz-I-Kue (Future Soul Records) – “MG’s Vibedub has that groove.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “Amazing original & dub mix!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House web zine) – “An enchanting slice of slick deep house.”
Shane Johnson (Fish Go Deep) – “Great to hear new music from Miguel. Lovely vibe. Nice bittersweet vocal and a lush instrumental too.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “Nice to hear Miguel again. I love this tune and all versions. Beautiful!”

Available Now On Bandcamp, Beatport, Traxsource, And Spotify.

Black Sjuan - How 2 Dance In The Dark (Assylum Effort Records)

Black Sjuan is probably the most notorious ghost producer in Chicago. Whether or not dance floors realize it, they’ve already heard his sound. Black Sjuan’s Assylum Effort has evolved from a boutique production house to a full-on Chicago house label, pushing a classic sound while injecting it with something unique and new.

Black Sjuan’s latest EP, How 2 Dance In The Dark, is meant as a musical diary of a DJ’s struggle to remain level during the ‘dance music depression’ of the pandemic. Says Black Sjuan, “Though I usually do a more jazzy and funky type sound, my contact with the outside world during the past year has been virtual. So I gave it tech-flavored sound.”

The EP opens with “4 the Free,” rousing the floor with a churning Chicago house rhythm along with pad stabs and percussive vocal drops. “Micro Dose” executes an old-school acid feel, perfectly suited for after-hours peak time in secret warehouse locations. Then “Keep It Movin’” is an ode to the Eric Kupper / Wayne Gardner style ethereal house tracks of the ‘90s. Rising arpeggiations and bright chords help spread dreamy good vibes through the speakers. The final track, “Space and Time,” is Black Sjuan’s ‘Metaphonic’ remix of an original by Nephertiti Amen. Lovely vocals and tribal four-on-the-floor deepness make this evocative track a cut above the rest.

Mr. V (Sole Channel Music) – “Interesting sounds I can dig.”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies) – “Space and Time is dope!”
Lee Jones (Country Gents) – “4 The Free really rocks. Fab track!”
DJ P-REZ (Not So Fast Records) – “This is a solid release.”
Geoffrey C (Edgemix Productions) – “All of these tracks are insane!”
Andrew Emil (Glenview Records) – “Solid! Keep it Movin & Space and Time are the ones for me.”
Dj Deelay (Underground Sessions) – “This EP is ace! Full of unique vibes which alert the ears.”
Joey Silvero (Soul Elements Radio Show) – “Rolling, bouncing house vibes. I like this one.”
DJ Hal (EQ Magazine) – “Nice & moody late night grooves.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, Bandcamp, And Spotify.

Lil'T - Boompty Boom (Uniting Souls Music)

Lil’T is Mikey Tello, co-founder of PillowTalk, Housepitality and Touch of Class. His productions have appeared far and wide, for the likes of Wolf+Lamb, Visionquest, Life & Death, and many others. And now Uniting Souls — which is fitting as Mikey helped launch the Uniting Souls collective in San Francisco with label head Ramiro, way back in 1997.

“Boompty Boom” is a clever slice of deep house with a hypnotic techno edge. The drum patterns have a pronounced afro-shake, combining with a pulsing low-end to provide the foundation under staccato organ chords, rhythmic vocal phrases, and a memorable synth lead line. Sean Dimitrie (Bombay Records) provides the first of a quartet of sleek remixes, initially focusing on the percussive groove for a sparse, mesmerizing treatment. A snakey bassline eventually takes over, sending the dancefloor into a tizzy. Next up is Pattern Drama (Touch of Class), adding some breaks, drama, and extra-dubbiness to the proceedings. Uniting Souls label regulars Jon Lee and Jordan Strong follow, each providing a distinctive new take. Jon Lee creates an old school vibe, with bubbling organ riffs and an insistent bass throb, while Jordan Strong gives “Boompty Boom” a classic-sounding west coast style re-rub. Put the Boompty in your Boom!

Trent Banks (Reflect) – “Wow. Every track on this is so deep! Each of them will add some serious boogie to the floor.”
Jaymz Nylon (Adult Selections) – “Bravo! I’m really enjoying the Pattern Drama Remix.”
DJ Harri (Sub Club) – “I’m liking these. Will play and support.”
Nick Warren (The Soundgarden) – “The Pattern Drama and Jon Lee mixes are great.”
Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings) – “Nice bouncy vibe on Sean Dimitrie’s mix.”
Hippie Torrales (Cyberjamz Radio) – “The original is hot.”
Mike Solus (Housemasters Radio) – “Dope track. Dig the build up. Groovy!”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “Love this. Can’t wait to play it loud.”
Jake Beautyman (FUMP) – “What a package! Uniting Souls keeps coming up with the tunes!”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “Top draw release. I have to keep listening over and over because I keep discovering a new vibe to carry me away!”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Frederick Alonso - Tides feat. Denitia (DeepWit Recordings)

As DeepWit Recordings celebrates a decade of releasing quality deep house, organic house, and electronica in 2021, the label brings “Tides feat. Denitia,” a stellar new single from Belgian producer Frederick Alonso. Included are two remixes, one from the up-and-coming South African producer Donluiz Musicue (House Afrika, Soulique Felas Music) and DeepWit’s own label head Alvaro Hylander.

“Tides” stands out not just for its overarching classic feel but also for the stunning vocals from Denitia. Also lauded in the virtual pages of Pitchfork, Stereogum, and The Guardian, no less than The Fader hailed Denitia’s voice as “the epitome of soulful”. Her vocals are at the forefront of “Tides,” a track steeped in a sun-drenched vibe thanks in part to pads that invoke the movement of the oceans. This is the sound of deep house ushering in the sun.

Alvaro Hylander does justice to “Tides” and its outstanding vocals with a remix that offers up everything one could want in a soulful, deep house track. Hylander delivers pure quality through the driving force of the organic bass line and the revamped vocal treatment. Next, Donluiz Musicue comes at “Tides” from a laid back direction that’s suitable for dubbed-out Sunday afternoon sessions. There are times when less is more and this is a track that fits that perfectly.

Rounding out the release is the Deep Waters Mix, invoking the mood of its title — darker and even deeper than the original version. With its hypnotic melody and turbulent soundscape, this is a track for those late, late nights.

To sum it up, this is what deep house music on DeepWit sounds like after over a 1000 tracks released and no intent on stopping anytime soon.

Mastering by Nikos Fragomanolakis @ deepsoundsmastering.com

Vincent Kwok (Eight-Fifteen) – “All of the mixes are great, but I’m really feeling the original. Deepness with an ethereal feel.”
KJ (Integrity Recordings) – “Beautifully Soulful.”
2lani The Warrior (Do It Now Recordings) – “Donluiz Musicue’s remix is the one.”
Rory Cochrane (Deep Site Recordings) – “I love Alvaro’s mix, top job!”
Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings) – “Wow, what a release. Super deep stuff. Nice vocal and great production on all mixes.”
Jaymz Nylon (Adult Selections Radio Show) – “I will be playing all four for a very long time.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies) – “This is so good.”
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective) – “Warm, Soulful, deep vibes from this quality label. An amazing release – 10/10.”
Patrick Devereux (DE Radio) – “Absolutely stunning. It’s the Alvaro mix for me, the vocal just comes alive.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.