House

Considered French label D3 Elements continues is carefully curated run with a new EP from Berlin based Italians, Hinode. Featuring four cuts of tough deep house, this sixth EP is another high grade affair that follows on from great efforts by Strong Souls and Brian Harden.Hinode are Matteo Chisari & Mario Resta, a pair of accomplished DJs and producers that release on and run their own Science Fiction Recordings as well as 0Helena0. They have been active since 2013 and their robust sound has found favour with real heads and underground DJs alike.Opener 'State to State' is a raw, punchy house track with jazzy chords injecting some real soul into the physical beats. Rasping synths and rainy melodies have a hint of the old school about them and ensure that dance floors will be in raptures. 'Endless World' is more spacious, with a drunken acid sounding bassline roaming beneath a nicely mechanical groove. It's one to make you stomp, and so is b-side opener 'Shades of Grey' with its bombastic, kicking drums, twinkling melodies and lazy chords. Despite being a sweat inducing house banger, plenty of warmth and musicality remains. Lastly, 'Memory Alpha' hurries along with muddled voices, icy hi hats and a flurry of rubbery kicks and squelchy acid stabs. It's beautifully authentic house music that takes subtle cues from the best of Chicago and Detroit and puts a unique Hinode spin on things.

Brian Harden is back on D3 Elements with a new three track EP that once again explores richly musical deep house with a difference. Harden is a criminally overlooked Chicago producer who had big success in the 90s thanks to releases on Moods & Grooves, Nite Life Collective and Undaground Therapy Muzik. He then took a break away from music, but the D3 label boss coaxed him out of retirement in 2014 with a top debut EP for the label. Since then he has also released on Sistrum and Soul Print, and is now properly back in business. First cut 'Paradox' is a mid tempo house roller with scale-riding chords and emotive, late night tinkles on the keys that really speak to your soul. Golden pads stream in the background and it's a hugely classy affair all round. 'Nostalgic Pieces' is then a deeper cut with a warped baseline and starry night sky melodies up top. Again, lush, musical chords shimmer and simmer deep in the track, lending it a real sense of artistry and separating Harden from the legions of modern deep house imposters. Finally, 'Chicago Homage' is an elastic, spacious cut with rubbery kicks, soft hi hats and a tumbling bas riff that once again come coated in gorgeous pads. This is music that makes you feel good as you dance your every day woes away.

Moodymann's Mahogani Music has been branching out over the last year or so, unexpectedly releasing music from artists around the globe, and from Europe of all places. While the label was usually associated with either Moody's own music or with producers in and around the Detroit area, the introduction of tracks by Dan Shake and now Obas Nenor have given the label a new edge. Nenor has previously released only one other EP, for the equally rejuvenated Strictly Rhythm out of NYC, but his cuts have already carved their own sound, their own identity. The limited - at least for now - two-tracker contains "My Way Home", a soulful, mid-tempo house burner for the summer haze, and the bouncier "Change Got To Come" - a funky club shaker that you could imagine Moody blasting out while sipping on a glass of cognac, and doing what he does best. Act fast.

Limited 12"