Review:
The second part in the Hudd Traxx 10th Anniversary 'Now & Then' compilation sees tracks from Luna City Express, Sek, Iz & Diz and Rick Wade. Berlin duo Luna City Express serve up a lush deep house groove that builds throughout the track, and will bring a smile to the faces of those who follow them on their beloved Moon Habour Recordings. Sek uses slick beats, trippy leads, a driving bassline and some 'Thug life' vocals to ensure this one has 'future classic' written all over it. Go back in time (to 2006 to be precise) on the 'Then' side to find Iz & Diz's 'Happy'. The words 'epic' & 'journey' are often misused in music but both can be mentioned about this track. It had devastating effect on first release and is set to do the same again nearly 10 years later. Rick Wade closes things out in fine style to fly the Detroit flag on an all Chicago / Detroit side.
Review:
Beard-sporting Greek deep houser SEK pops up on the always-reliable Lost My Dog, with a four-track assault that ticks many boxes. Lead cut "These Days" leads the way, offering a murky deep houser that achieves just the right balance between low-slung bassline pressure, pleasant deepness and late night jack. "West Coast Ride" ups the percussive pressure, flitting between chopped-up pianos, familiar hip-hop samples and woozy chords, while "Tears & Sweat" is a much jauntier trip into '90s house territory. "The Light", meanwhile, fuses calming pads and chords with skippy, garage-influenced drums and mutant bassline pressure.
Review:
Last year, Greek producer Sek returned to legendary U.S deep house label Large Music after a five-year absence. Here he delivers a swift follow-up boasting three classic-sounding cuts. First up is the organ-sporting New Jersey garage-meets-Chez Damier goodness of "The Realm", where sampled party chatter and righteous spoken word vocals help create a hazy, glassy-eyed mood. "The Nerd Comeback" sees him amble amiably towards mid-tempo disco-house territory - all filtered disco strings, chunky bass and bumpin' beats - while "Heater Gonna Heat" offers a jauntier and breezier riff on the same basic blueprint. It's got a similar vibe to DJ Koze's "Pick Up" and Tom Trago's "Use Me (Again)", though it's arguably a little deeper and groovier than both of those colossal dancefloor hits.
