Review: Many happy returns to much-loved French imprint Pont Neuf, who have decided to mark their sixth birthday with an expansive compilation of new tracks from a mix of label regulars and newcomers. It's a predictably strong set all told, with the label's usual high-grade deep house cuts being joined by a range of delicious dancefloor diversions and surprise workouts. There's not room to pick out all the highlights, but our current favourites include the gently acid-flecked, soon-to-be-anthemic positivity of Tour-Maubourg's 'Square Sounds', the dubbed-out, off-kilter micro-house brilliance of Flabbaire's 'Tribute', the vibraphone-sporting deep house rush of 'Cosmopolitan' by Maoke, Mira Lo's trance-inducing 'Look What You've Done' and the sparse, sub-heavy jack of Saudade's 'Sherman'.
Review: Hexagonal Club isn't a real nightclub, just the name given by Paris-based Pont Neuf to their compilations showcasing fresh electronic grooves from up-and-coming French artists (France being known colloquially as 'l'Hexagone', you see). And what a compilation Volume 2 is: few things in life get this writer as excited as a collection of quality deep house jams from people you've never heard of, and this album ticks that particular box nicely! The over-riding influence is deep house from the Heard/Trent/Damier school but there's room too for everything from the Italo/prog stylings of Fasme's 'Turbo Blaster' to the left coast-ish bump of THEOS's 'Wanna Go Out'. Get 'em while they're chaud, people!
Review: Pont Neuf serve up yet more of the Parisian underground's finest sounds, with their third installment in the Habemus Paname series. Beginning with KX9000's undeniably French Touch influenced tribute "Requiem Pour Un Boogie", the zeitgeist is recaptured again on Tour-Maubourg's "Anyway You Want" which brings the funk (and the mandatory use of filter sweeps) on this emotive and soulful jam. Hot duo Alva, who served up one of 2017's standout releases with their French Kicks EP, return with more sexy late night deepness on "Louxor Funk" which calls to mind the early sounds of local hero D'Julz. Elsewhere, Cosmonection turn up the heat on "Dust In Space" which is sure to pack the dancefloor with its razor sharp Juno bassline, cosy pads and swing fuelled rhythm and, by contrast, label staple Taos delivers a nice cosmic downbeat moment to chill to in conclusion.
Review: For its first outing, freshly minted deep house label Virage has decided to put together a sampler style EP featuring cuts from members of their extended crew. Pierre Moritz kicks things off with the rubbery bottom end bounce, dreamy chord sequences, loon bird samples and cerise-hued synthesizers of "Fewnolder", before Alva doffs a cap to the likes of Nathaniel X, Ron Trent and Chez Damier on the chunky U.S deep house warmth of "Jean-Paul Groove". Elsewhere, Paris Groove reaches for the squeezable acid bass and rolling drums on peak-time bumper "Portails", while Madcat plays around with spacey synths, jacking beats and heady old school vocal samples on solid closer "Yes I Do".
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