Dessous Germany At Juno Download

Review: On You Can... Safeword continues the long Dessous tradition of releasing evocative house music. "Tangent" features a mournful, neo-trance bass and dubby beats gently reaching upwards to a gradual but inevitable climax. "Feel Inside" also favours a slow build up, with dubby beats underscoring a long melodic build. The title track is somewhat different, its looser beats riddled with playful cowbells and percussive ticks, but it too eventually reveals a seductive synth line. One of the label's main artists, Phonique, contributes to the overall feeling of seduction with a rolling tribal take on the title track, replete with deft vocal snippets and a soaring bass.

Review: While Dessous may have originally laboured under the shadow of being "Steve Bug's other label", in recent times the imprint has really come into its own as an outlet for high quality deep house. This expansive 23-track collection gathers together some of Dessous' best moments from the last couple of years, throwing in a smattering of unreleased cuts from label stalwarts Vincenzo, Tigerskin and Phonique for good measure. As you'd perhaps expect, there's some exemplary deep and tech-house on show throughout, with Steve Bug's "Do It Right", Burnski's "Sometimes Takes Longer" and two superb Jamie Anderson/Owain K collaborations among the many highlights.

Review: It's been nine years since Vincenzo released his much-checked debut album. In that time, he seems to have had a kind of crisis of confidence, because Wherever I Lay My Head is a distinctly different beast to debut Welcome To Zanarkand. For starters, it's distinctly less dancefloor-focussed, instead offering a home stereo-friendly take on deep house that sleepily ambles between weary positivity and sparkling melodic intent. It's a formula that largely hits the mark, offering a somewhat epic mix of gorgeously sunny grooves and melancholic shufflers. Certainly, it will find fans amongst those who enjoy breezy deep house, and when it really hits the mark, it's nothing short of sublime.

Review: It doesn't seem long since Burnski was taking his first steps in house, releasing promising EPs for Tropez, Infant and 2020 Vision. Now he's something of a grizzled veteran, with the production skills and trademark sound to show for it. As a result, this three-tracker for Dessous boasts some of his strongest work yet. The title track itself is a real peach; a nine minute exercise in eyes-wide-shut deep house that pairs soft and cuddly synths and vocals samples with thick and booming low end pressure. "There's A Cukprit" offers an impressive mix of late night creepiness and post-jack chugginess, while "Watch Out" should inject some much-needed funk into dreary afterhours dancefloors.

Review: Bristol's Jamie Anderson has always been a bit of a musical chameleon. While he has rarely strayed far from house pastures, he's turned his hand to everything from classic tech-house and hypnotic deepness to rough acid and even fidget. Here, he's back on familiar ground with a four-track deep and tech-house excursion on Dessous, this time in collaboration with up-and-coming Cardiff producer Owain Kimber. As you'd expect from Anderson, there's plenty of eyes-wide-shut melodies and twittering Detroitian synths to savour (see "Airwalk" and "Limelight"), alongside some ultra-deep grooves for the afterhours heads. Of these, it's the low-end hustle of "Without Dub" that most impresses.

Review: When it comes to yearning, early morning deep house, you can always rely on Dessous to deliver the goods. Here they come up trumps again, with label stalwart Vincenzo "brother of Florian" Kruse delivering a typically touchy feely late night romp. The original version of "The Clearing" feels lightweight at first, but give it time to develop and you're rewarded with booming low end and quietly chiming melodies. The "Clearing Dub" goes further into sunrise territory thanks to two colossal breakdowns, while fellow deep house veteran Ian Pooley ups the piano and acid quota on his reverential rework.

Review: When it comes to working with a fusion of deep house and dub influences, no one holds more relevance than Germany's Max Hessen, AKA Lagenberg. The Essen native, who has been producing since 2007, is already well known following an impressive string of releases for the likes of Resopal Red, Sthlmaudio, Drumpoet Community, Liebe*Detail, his own Mild Pitch (which he runs with Manuel Tur and Dplay)and of course, Dessous. Now returning to Steve Bug's Dessous once more, Lagenberg dives further into his exploration of deep house music tinged with dub atmospheres on the excellent "Past Present" EP.

All three tracks on the release are concocted with some very basic ingredients. They all revolve around slow but thumping beat patterns, deep, dubbed out and unrestrained subs and some sparse chords. Opening the EP, "Past Present" is an ultra deep and moody, modern sounding amalgamation of dub and classic Chicago influences. It bristles along with a tough analog energy as the crisp drum patterns open up into the surging bass that drives the track.The haunting female vocal adds to the moodiness whilst ensuring it never spills over into sheer dread or menace. "Backyard" has a slower groove giving it any easier feel than its predecessor. Complex dub arrangements huff amid yet another heavy and warm sound aesthetic. This full bodied, hazy, heady sound runs away with the track as echoed vocal snippets chase along, giving the whole tune a spaced out but flowing feel. Now in more of a fidgety mode, the EP moves into a housier tone on "Monday 16th." Steadily evolving string arrangements and classic deep house chords trickle over some funky and exotic percussion as the track rolls on through the dubby jungle floor of Langenberg's soundscape.

Review: "Our Time Our Place" came out mid last month as a taster for this, much anticipated third artist album from Phonique. As sophisticated and melodic as the single was, it could have never have hinted at the diversity and musicianship that awaited us in the album proper. Kissing Strangers is a diverse record that draws influence and inspiration from seemingly everywhere. Most of the tracks also feature guest appearances including production work from Gui Boratto, H.O.S.H. Pupkulies & Rebecca, Abyss and Kiloo whilst vocal additions were made by Ian Whitelaw, Berlin-based soul singer Georg Levin, Nadesdha and Louie Austen whose rat pack styled vocals add a vintage shine to "Endless Love". Other highlights include the inimitable cabaret-jazz strut of "A Change Receives the Blessing" and the driving club collaboration with Boratto, "Blindfolded".

Review: Ex-Phonique producer Tigerskin makes his debut for Dessous with the groove-focused three tracker, "Matters of the Heart". The title track combines super funky, nu-house beats with a soulful musicality and a powerful vocal performance from Zoe Xenia. Perfect for summer, the lead track also comes with the deeper and more reflective "Carlos' Thoughts" and the Tigerskin ass-shaking styled "Eyewitness" that comes peppered with horn stabs, spooky atmospherics and dramatic crescendos.

Review: Over the last fifteen years Michael Vater's Phoniquie project has become somewhat of an institution within the world of deep house music. Admired as much for the sheer volume of his output as the quality that lies within it, Phonique has notched up nearly forty releases on labels such as Moodmusic, Crosstown Rebels, Brique Rouge, Souvenir, Renaissance, Global Underground and Poker Flat. But it is with Steve Bug?s sister label, Dessous, that Phonique has had the most fruitful relationship, bearing two acclaimed full length albums, the Erotic Moments in House compilation and a number of twelve inches. His 2004 debut LP, Identification was followed in 2007 by Good Idea, an album heralded for its combination of house, electro, hip-hop and disco. This June, the Berlin based producer will release his third studio album for the imprint, Kissing Strangers. Combing catchy underground pop moments with strong, club-ready cuts, Phonique conveys his love for all musical styles. Brimming with modern, soulful house music with a summery hue, Kissing Strangers is an immensely anticipated album. To ease the wait, Dessous are now releasing a remix package around album track, "Our Time Our Chance."

Featuring the haunting and timeless vocals of Ian Whitelaw, the original showcases the deepest of house music with melodic progressions and the kind of pristine synth lines that come hand in hand with Phonique. Riding his current wave of creativity, Best Works man Andre Lodemann delivers a sophisticated, reduced remix that bubbles along with rich atmospheric layers, subbed up bass and a resourceful use of Whitelaw's vocal. Wahoo, a duo made up of Georg von dem Bussche (Georg Levin) and Steffen Berkhahn (Dixon) work the esteemed musicality that both artists share into a funky, epic musical version of "Our Time Our Change." By adding a host of live instrumentation including drums, strings, pianos and horns, the duo turn this into a very special remix.

Review: Steve Bug's Dessous imprint is one of the best and most consistent deep house and minimal labels going. On Dessous Best Kept Secrets Volume 2, the follow up to 2007's first instalment, they prove it yet again with a compilation that charts both the current and future sound of the label. Full of emotion, warmth and soul, the release serves as a true indication of the label's ethos as a whole and leaves a lasting impression on the listener.

David Durango has been making impressive appearances on Dessous and Poker Flat of late. So much so that the young half Swiss, half Spanish producer was chosen to open this compilation with the first of his three offerings on the release. "Juegos Fantasiticos" opens proceedings with some warm, deep house that sounds as comfortable as it does laid back. "Striptease" showcases Durango's more upbeat side before "Human" delves into a minimal aesthetic courtesy of deft high end percussion, low bass squeezes and acute phaser work.

Alongside smooth, chord-laden house like "Le Groove Rhodes" from Rene Breithbarth and Claire Ripley's "Labyrinth" we get the techno influenced twisted synths of Moodymanc's "Omlette" and the darker more driving sound of "Merise" by Andrade. "New Road FM" by Burnski brings the groove with some cosmic, jacking twists and Graeme Park closes the release with his slo-mo house remix of Ryo Murakami's "Just For This."

Dessous Best Kept Secrets Volume 2 takes you on a delightfully soulful and rhythmic journey of their label. Although the compilation never strays too far away from their signature sound nor breaks any new barriers, it does an expert job of bringing you the vintage and emotive deep house that has made the imprint so special in the first place.

Review: Andrade drops his first EP on Steve Bug's Dessous imprint. Alongside "Face De Bouc," we get two more original Andrade productions and a remix of the title track provided by fellow Frenchman, D'Julz. Since arriving on French label, Time Has Changed last year, Andrade has managed to build a fresh, deep sound of his own. This sound, as heard over EPs such as "Design Pattern," "Fingers" and "Day of Defeat" on the aforementioned label has so impressed Dessous owner, Steve Bug that the German signed him up for two EPs on his own imprint. "Face De Bouc" is the first of these, showcasing his deep and groovy, house sound that slots perfectly onto Dessous. The title track is a pumping take on disco house. The vocal stipulates "take a ride," something that Andrade?s playfully funky bassline immediately does. Swinging beats join the mix before simple, more rumbling bass takes over and starts to drive the track. Using cosmic elements and some nifty horn parts, the track builds and builds as its funkiness comes back to life again. D?Julz, who is seemingly the face of this EP, comes next with his trademark upfront and high quality take. Starting off in tougher tract, the remix remains grounded through some deft jazz-like percussion. With its dub influenced approach to house music, this remix displays all the quality and skill that has made D?Julz the in-demand artist he is now. Finishing with two more Andrade tracks, the Frenchman stakes his claim to be held in such regard. "Old Rules" is tight, funky sub bass working in perfect cohesion with classic house stabs whereas "Prototype" goes even deeper than the rest, complete with soft female vocal meanderings and solid pumping grooves. This is Andrade showing just what he?s got for his first EP for Dessous, and as far as I can see - besides ample groove and funk, that also seems to be a whole lot of talent.