Big room house specialists Toolroom have been responsible for countless White Isle anthems over the years, something that makes their annual Toolroom Ibiza compilations a must-check for those seeking future floor-fillers. Their latest edition is something of a beast, featuring no less than 50 full-length, unmixed tracks and a couple of themed, non-stop DJ mixes (one gathers the set's deep, funky and electro house cuts, the other the tech-house tracks). Naturally there are far too many highlights to list here, but our current favourites includeMason Maynard's subtly DJ Mujava-inspired 'Light My Fire', the piano-powered rush of GotSome and Georgia Meek's 'Dead End', the twisted tech-house weight of Iglesias and Classmatic's 'Freak', and the warped, mind-mangling late-night shuffle of De La Swing and Rendher's 'Voodoo Step'.
Any new album from deep house pioneer and all-round legend Larry Heard is good news, but especially so when it's credited to his best-known and best-loved alias, Mr Fingers. Around The Sun Pt 1 is Heard's first album under the alias for four years and, unsurprisingly, it's as musically expansive, evocative, and atmospheric as they come. Naturally, it's rooted in the warming, dreamy, subtly jazz-flecked deep house style he's been tweaking and improving over decades, with occasional forays into sun-kissed downtempo grooves ('Touch The Sky'), angular acid tracks, Heard's take on dub house (the deliciously deep, micro-house influenced 'Marrakesh') and summery Balearic house ('Shimmer'). All in all, it's another masterpiece from deep house's most significant pioneer.
Balearic veteran James Bright - formerly one-half of Lux alongside Steve 'Afterlife' Miller - flexes his electronic muscles on this three-tracker for Sprechen. 'These Machines' itself kicks things off, fusing elements of Italo and vintage acid into an angular concoction that's sure to inspire the thowing of a few shapes out on the floor. 'Vibration' then takes us into proper Balearic territory, being a piano-sprinkled head-nodder powered along by a pleasingly chunky bassline, while 'Hot Metropolis' offers up a more contemplative, late-night variation on the overall synth-y theme. Forward-thinking stuff as ever from the Manchester label.
Over the last 15 years, few producers have released quite as much high-quality dancefloor fare as Alan Fitzpatrick. Somewhat predictably, his latest EP - a label debut for Bristol-based imprint Shall Not Fade - is another must-check missive. He's scored something of a coup, too, by recruiting Chicago 'ghetto-dance' legend DJ Deeon to add his evocative spoken word vocals to 'Shake That Thing', a deliciously spacey chunk of analogue house brilliance whose evocative chords and restless rhythm track will bring joy to many dancefloors this summer. Rising star DJOKO remixes, doffing a cap to the early 2000s work of UK tech-house stalwarts Swag on a deliciously swinging, loose-limbed rub. Fitzpatrick then delivers a bouncy, life-affirming chunk of disco-house hedonism, 'Learning to Love', which is pure pleasure from start to finish.
La Collectionneuse is David Lieske aka Carsten Jost's third artist album on his Dial imprint, and it sees him continue to map out an understated but distinctive vision. All ten tracks are numbered and named after the release, with "La Collectionneuse 1" and "4" both led by stripped back grooves, and "2" and "3" venturing into deeper, US style house thanks to their shuffling drums and reflective textures. Jost's long-documented affinity with techno's more esoteric side is also audible here - "7" is a slow-building affair punctuated by subtle claps and shimmering melodies - while showing his flexible production skills, on "9", the German producer brings atmospheric sounds to bear on a warbling electro rhythm.
Mexican duo Soul of Hex has released some fine EPs over the last few years, with their sporadic outings on Delusion of Grandeur often boasting their most interesting and cosmic-minded cuts. There's plenty to admire on their latest outing for the Freerange Records offshoot, from the warming, peak-time ready haziness of opener 'Mystic'- a fine fusion of effortlessly Balearic guitar solos, warming disco bass, spacey synth motifs and dreamy chords - and the sparkling breeziness of revivalist piano-house/late '80s NYC garage number 'Love is In Control' (where vocalist Steve Lucas delivers a star turn), to the squelchy nu-disco/Italo-house flex of 'Heliocentrico' and the bumpin' electro vibes of 'Sphynx'.
