No Matter What At Juno Download

Review: This second split EP from deep housers Alex Agore and James Johnston has already proved popular on vinyl, and it's not hard to see why. Both producers have brought their "A" game, delivering strong cuts that bristle with dancefloor intent. Dutch studio don Agore steps up first, delivering two tracks dripping with classic US house flavour; "Take Me", in particular, sounds like a cross between MK and classic Morales. Johnston continues this revivalist theme with "Stand Up & Jump", a bumpin' groover built around a deliciously wicked classic house riff. "Not So Easy" is deeper and woozier, making great use of chopped up party atmospherics and bluesy vocal samples.

Review: This four-tracker from up-and-coming producers Alex Agore and James Johnston signals a promising start for new deep house imprint No Matter What. Agore's "Improper Change" is an intoxicating take on Detroit deep house - all drawn-out one-key chords, bumping low-end bounce and slick vocal snippets. The included Lady Blacktronica remix takes things up a notch thanks to some subtle acid tweakery, Beatdown chords and decidedly snappier beats. James Johnston's "I Know It's Not Time", meanwhile, is arguably his best production yet - a flowing jazz-house builder with a sweet, bluesy edge. The package is completed by a chunkier Rick Wade remix, which cleverly injects some thick, bassline-driven bounce.

Review: British deep house producer James Johnston has enjoyed a productive career of late, dropping tracks and remixes on Fine Art, Under The Shade, Boogie Originals and Gerd's 4Lux imprint. Here he returns to No Matter What with arguably his strongest set to date, a four-track onslaught of hip-wigglin' deep house with a distinct old skool US garage twist. While "XTC" and "Get The Feeling Back" are standard Johnson fare - warm, organ-rich deep house with a tidy '90s flex - there's something decidedly rude and sweaty about "Lost The House Keys". Its bone-rattling sub-bass, skippy beats and starlight organs scream "garage", even if the stabs and smooth production try and say otherwise. Nicely done.

Review: Currently two of the busiest men in contemporary deep house, Alex Agore and James Johnston have still found the time to establish their joint No Matter What Recordings as a potent outlet. This sixth release sees Johnston at the buttons for sole control after a couple of split releases and the Consumer EP demonstrates a further refinement of his own distinct brand of house music. Lead track "Give Him Prozac" sets the tone with a thick four note synth lead that accrues all manner of dreamlike analogue qualities as it progresses backed by those crisp rolling rhythms Johnston is known for. "Columbo Likes The Nightlife" takes things on a notably deeper path, all dubby chords and intricate skipping percussive touches augmented by epic sweeping textures, whilst "And They Had Cocktails" maintains the same feel if upping the pace somewhat. Johnston ends strongly with the sublime analogue build of "The Sleepwalker".

Review: UK don James Johnston and German champ Alex Agore once again come together on their hot-to-trot No Matter What imprint to lay down the law on their righteous tributes to vintage house music. Johnston delivers some dreamy garage swing on "Think About U Everyday", and takes things deeper on "Do U Understand?" by drawing you in with an alluring chord line that purrs at the heart of the track. Agore is in equally feisty mood with some textbook vocal turns over his "In My Soul" workout, and then switches up for a breezy, carefree wriggler in the form of "In Your Arms".