Toby Tobias At Juno Download

Review: Tobias is a master of the never ending groove and he proves the point with great eloquence on "Running Away". There, lush strings and cosmic synths are brought together over an offbeat rhythm that eventually kicks in to form a raw beat track. But the key element is the black vocal sample intoning 'you're messing with my mind" and which is prominent as the track moves from intro phase to full on mode. "Tres Mal" is another example of Tobias' approach, with tribal beats joined by a disjointed vocal and then woozy synths. John Heckle diverts from his typical Chicago jack-influenced sound to drop a jazzy version.

Review: Since dropping his debut release on Hi-Phen in 2005, Toby Tobias has built up an impressive body of work, with EPs on Rekids, Hector Works, Let's Play House and his own Late Night Audio imprint. This EP for Delusions of Grandeur is another slow-burn winner. Lead cut "Pathfinder" gets just the right balance between heavy drum machine programming - think old skool electro or '80s boogie - and contemporary deep house smoothness. Fabrizio Mammarella's hypnotic remix is pretty tasty, too. "Backbeat" provides a hazy tip into Balearic boogie territory, while "Abergon" - with its lazy jazz guitars and Harvey-ish bump - is impeccable wide-eyed White Isle fodder.

Review: If you like your deep house lovingly crafted and exquisitely musical, Quintessentials' Deep & Raw & Real rarely disappoints. This latest installment features four more fabulous cuts to contend with, each delivering a distinctly different take on deep house. Ricardo Miranda's "Rush Hour" is wonderfully sleepy, offering hissing cymbals and super-deep chords. Toby Tobias, meanwhile, works the filters and backwards effects on "Love Papers", a real string-drenched sweetie. NO MILK's "Bubble People" ups the atmosphere again thanks to some choice double bass loops and distant jazz piano, while Marcello Nepoltano's "All My Things" brilliantly recalls early St Germain and Aqua Bassino.