Review: Tovi Sound System's previous release on Basement Tapes, September 2021's 'That's What To Do', combined classic-sounding US deep house dubs with a dash of late-night tech-house wonkiness. This time round, there's even more of a "locked-in, late-night deep house hypnotism" feel. For proof, check opener 'Shake It', where looped piano motifs, short synth-sax stabs and held-note chords envelop a smooth, sub-heavy groove, and the slightly more energetic, 'Strangers', which also boasts a "dancing at 4am with your eyes closed" vibe. We'd also recommend listening to 'Solarize', where glittering, star-fall electronic riffs and dreamy chords rise above a chunkier, tougher and even more bass-heavy groove.
Review: An independently owned and operated record label based out of Chicago, Bassment Tapes curate fresh new house music from around the world and bring it to you. Their Rewind 2021 compilation is a great example of this, where they present the greatest hits and near misses of the year that was. Highlights come from label chief Jesse Rivera, who serves up the sensual mood music of "Thought You Knew", the deep and dusty late night groove of "Deep Thought" and the hypnotically dark tribal rhythms of "Deviously Deep", as well as contributions from Melo Blanco, Louie Gomez and Tovi Sound System.
Review: Louie Gomez has been involved in the Chicago house scene since Day One, but that doesn't mean he's stuck in a groove - as this thoroughly now-sounding, seriously deep EP demonstrates. 'Push It' marries deceptively uptempo beats to horror-like warping synths, shakers and other random percussion sounds, while a half-sung/half-spoken male vocal urges you to "push it, push it, push it push it harder" repeatedly over the top. The accompanying edit beefs up the drums a notch, while completing the EP is 'Gentleman From Jupiter', which has much busier, shuffling drums that veer towards broken beat, disembodied vocal fragments and a jazzy feel overall.