From Rivera's Groove Box #193: Actress - Crushed

This is probably one of Actress's best works, but what a shame it's really short! I heard Greg Beato playing an extended edit of this at the club, felt like it was going on forever. Everything just works in this track - it' simple, has an addictive bass line, great drums. Proper dance floor material, but actually not - it only appeared on the album, and without editing the track yourself, it's really hard to incorporate into a DJ mix. So I guess this one's straight for listening at home, like Actress probably intended.

From Rivera's Groove Box #192: Hinode - Shades Of Grey

What a nice deep house tune from the Italian-German duo Hinode. Some really clean and neat sounding 909 drums - I love the sound of that drum machine, so recognizable, a part of the DNA of dance music. That rough and gritty sounding bassline accompanied by the lush electric piano pads is just the sweet cherry topping on this delicious track. Their best work - future underground classic.

From Rivera's Groove Box #191: Horror Inc - Jhator

Browsing through my record collection I discovered that I do have a lot of generic deep house records. Listening to them, you realize that they are nice records with good music, but they sound all so alike. Always the same chord progressions, the same drum patterns, same dreamy sweet vocals singing about love and relationships. Arrgh... not that this kind of soulful deep house is bad, but they're kind of useless nowadays. The days of cafe lounging deep house are over, and these tracks don't make you feel like dancing either. And just listening to them is boring. 

But 'Jhator' by Horror Inc is far away from boring. It's the most exciting underground deep house track I've heard in years. But of course, everything is clear when you see who's the man behind this project - it's Akufen, the guy who shook the dance music scene in 2002 with his cut-up sampled microhouse album 'My Way'.

From Rivera's Groove Box #190: Helena Hauff - Culmination Of Frustration

This is banging. Such a tough acid groove from our favorite techno girl Helena Hauff. With the first listen, the track may sound like too hard, but then it gets better with each new listen. That lo-fi production and distorted sounds gives the track more life to it - makes it sound like being in a loud warehouse rave.

From Rivera's Groove Box #189: Stacy Kidd - Jammin (Stacy's Disco Paris Mix)

Yo, yo - get funky, cuz it's sunday classic time! This track is one of Chicago's Stacy Kidd's best tracks, and he has a lot of those. Master of the early funky disco house sound, this track is also featured on one of the best groovy deep house mixes of all time: Mark Farina's 'San Francisco Sessions Volume 1'. Back in 1999 the best deep house came out exclusively from the US and Europe was filled with hard techno sounds, but of course now in the year 2016 the tables have turned. Crazy to think, but some of the recent best techno is coming out of the states again, with guys like Bookworm, Patricia, Greg Beato, NGLY, Willie Burns, Steve Summers, Karlist, Xosar... ah forget it, just every american producer representing the L.I.E.S. roster I guess. But there is always a place and time for some groovy funky house tracks!

From Rivera's Groove Box #188: Move D - Jus House

There's true deep house, and then there's the new fake sound which is being labelled as 'deep house'. The 'new deep' sound is very mainstream and cheap sounding, you can recognize it instantly because it just has no soul innit. That commercial deep house is being called rightfully 'derphouse'. You can google it, I don't want to waste any time on my blog about that crap. But 'Jus House' by Move D is a true deep house track, because you can feel it. It gets into your body, your soul and bones. Yes, it's minimal and it doesn't jump right into your face, but that's the beauty of true deep house sound... it just doesn't have to be filled with unnecessary crap to get your mood going. Less is more. But if you find this kind of stylistically true deep house to be boring, then just back away. Nobody is forcing anything on anyone, that's what house music is about - freedom. 

From Rivera's Groove Box #187: Errorsmith & Mark Fell - Cuica Digitales

One of the best tracks from last year. You don't believe me? Well take the word from Bleep record store then, because they chose that record as the best release of 2015. The track has a minimal vibe to it, with some weird drums and percussion bubbling on top of the main groove, which is a simple synth line and a loop of chanting vocals which go like 'aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooooo'. The chant is really hooking and sounds like something straight outta Phillip Glass 'Koyaanisqatsi'. The track is also played by Frank Timm aka Sound Stream on his 2015 Boiler Room mix, so you know it's gotta be good!

From Rivera's Groove Box #186: Patricia - Waiting For Alexis

'Dudes with female techno aliases is the new hide your face anonymous techno guy thing' (gimcrack, Resident Advisor board). Yup, it's exactly like that - 'Patricia' is the deep lo-fi techno project of Max Ravitz, a Chicago-born, but Brooklyn-based producer. Judging from the sounds he is making, he has beautifully mastered the art of lo-fi sounding techno. Kinda wish 'Patricia' would still be a chick though, not enough girls with rusty sounding analog hardware. I mean, we cannot solely worship Xosar forever. 

From Rivera's Groove Box #185: Linkwood - Love Lost

Sometimes less is more. Duh. Linkwood sure did an amazing job with this track, it's the best from his 2015 album 'Expressions'. The 808 toms are on a infinite loop, a subtle drum kick and hats do their thing underneath. And then these deep 'whaaaaaaaaa-whoooooooooo' sounding pads come and go. Yes, that kinda sums it up. Future classic.

From Rivera's Groove Box #184: Paranoid London Feat. Paris Brightledge - Paris Dub 1

Have to admit, didn't feel this track the first time I heard it. Felt it being too simple, too minimal, not exciting enough. But as with so many other tracks, this thing just needs time to grow on you. The final nail on the coffin was hearing this live, loud at a party I visited. The stripped down production and dry flat sound feels much better listening it on a loud sound system at the club. Also, big props for Paranoid London for inviting the Chicago legend Paris Brightledge doing vocals for this track, he's amazing.