Deep Soulful House

Nick Holder time travels to 2012
Canada's Nick Holder opens up his 2008 account with a new triple tracker. Following on from his vocal singles last year, "Swimming" and "Time", Holder opts for an instrumental production on "2012", and a typically quirky jazz house/broken beat thang on "A Strange Delight".

"2012" ploughs straight for the deep dancefloor root; functional beats, percussion and claps, spacey effects, delicate keys and a snaking arpergio riff make this track a hypnotic house nugget.

"A Strange Delight" sees Holder delving deep into his love of the broken beat, with some raw drums and a shuffling groove introducing a typically Holder-esque obscure jazz riff and off key strings, bigboy bass and moody organs. Typical of some of Holder's earlier DNH work, "A Strange Delight" will delight those who like to push the genre a little bit. On the Main Mix, primitive 4/4 beats, bending double bass and finger snaps take the track into another direction, but with that same haunting vocal sample and eerie keys.

2012/A Strange Delight is released in March.

Nick Holder - 2012 Nick Holder - A Strange Delight (Broken Mix)

Chymera's "Wish" collects awards + new EP from Ireland's finest!
Congratulations to our man Chymera AKA Brendan Gregoriy. His "Wish" track that came out on NRK late last year was crowned 'Best Single' at the 2007 Irish Dance Music Awards. Held at the Academy in Dublin last month, Chymera picked up his accolade for the stunning "Wish", a track that found big fans in Francois K, Ben Watt, James Zabiela, Nick Warren, Funk D'Void and many more.

And so into the 2008, Chymera shows no sign of resting on his laurels. A new two track EP is due for release next month on NRK. "2 Below" is a gorgeous techno track; starts off very delicate and just keeps building and building with some warming chords, swirling melody and driving drums, reaching a chaotically soulful peak, let this track wash all over you!

The second cut, "Saphiron", ploughs a more housier route for Chymera, with a very functional production of deep keys, groovy bass and tight percussion.

Support already coming in from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Ben Watt and Jimpster.

Chymera - 2 Below Chymera - Saphiron Chymera "Wish EP" Chymera's Myspace

NRK Music present..Miami Underground

NRK label boss, Nick Harris has compiled and mixed a double CD of Miami Music Conference inspired tunes, both past and present. Miami Underground will be available on mixed and unmixed CD at the end of March. The influential dance music conference has become a springboard for new music and new producers, and many classic records have emerged from the conference over the years, going on to celebrate wider success.

Disc One “The Present” concentrates on the new underground tunes that are expected to be on heavy at the conference and beyond. Some of today’s hottest producers represent with a heady mix of deep, minimal house music. Check new productions and remixes from the likes of Dennis Ferrer (Son Of Raw), Radio Slave, Justin Martin, Spirit Catcher, Josh Wink, Nick Holder and Sebo K. This mix represents the freshest new tunes around, and musically it’s right on the button.

Miami classics from yesteryear get a dusting off on Disc Two. “The Past” is choc full of tunes that either broke in Miami or certainly received heavy play back in the day, with each cut becoming an all time underground house classic over the years. Legendary productions from the likes of Danny Tenaglia, Cevin Fisher, Foremost Poets, Ferrer & Sydenham and Isolee make this mix a real blast from the past, and representing a rather more credible side of dance music history.

Noosaheads - Mushrooms (Justin Martin Mix) Mlle Caro & Franck Garcia - Dead Souls (Radio Slave Mix) Cevin Fisher - The Freaks Come Out Datar – B (Danny Tenaglia Space Terrace Mix) Foremost Poets – Moonraker (King Unique Main Mix) Isolee – Beau Mot Plage

Kemistry debut on NRK with the "City Slang" EP
North London duo, Kemistry, shine on their NRK debut with this two track EP. Fans of Ame, Jerome Sydenham, Dennis Ferrer etc. will love these deep spacey house cuts. Kemistry, AKA Soy Mustafa (pictured) and Alex Cellar, are relatively new names on the circuit, but on the strength of this two track EP, expect to hear a lot more from these fellas in the future. This, their debut EP for NRK, will appeal to fans of the deeper house sound, and is available now on 12" and digital download.

“Snakebite”’ is a haunting and mesmerising deep house cut, nice looping percussion, breathy vocals, melodic keys and Detroit-esque strings stab incessantly, building all the while to create a track really showing its American and European house influences. “City Slang” is a punchier house track, it’s melodious riff bubbling under and over whilst some 909 drums (sounding almost like Plastikman’s “Spastik”) weave through the track.

In their short career, Kemistry have released original material and remixed for Soul Heaven, Endulge and Shack Music. The City Slang EP is already getting major props from the likes of Ben Watt, Funk D'Void, Andy & Tom (Groove Armada), Laurent Garnier, Solomun, Paul Woolford and many more. The 12" is out now from the NRK shop, and available digitally at all good download stores.

Snakebite City Slang Buy 12"

NRK Music present..Singles 9 - Mixed by Nick Holder

NRK Music celebrates another year in house with a collection of 2007 singles highlights. Mixed by Canada’s Nick Holder, this package is complemented by a bonus CD of unmixed tracks. Includes Kerri Chandler, Peace Division, Radio Slave, Prins Thomas and many more…

NRK Music continues to release quality house music for all persuasions, and Singles Nine shows the breadth of styles that the label has become synonymous for. From the deep garage of Kerri Chandler to the minimal bleeps of Radio Slave, cosmic disco from Prins Thomas to peak time floor fillers from Peace Division, NRK dispenses with the boundaries and concentrates on the quality grooves. Mixed by long time label artist (and Canadian deep house supreme) Nick Holder, Singles Nine collects the best from the label’s 2007 output and turns out a DJ mix that showcases all the styles nicely.

A bonus disc is also included, which features alternate versions and mixes of the tracks used in the mix by Nick Holder, in their full length unmixed entirety. A must for CD DJs and those wanting to bolster their iPod content, Singles Nine represents excellent value for money, a double CD retailing at single CD price. Familiar NRK artists such as Miguel Migs, Nick Holder, Peace Division, Jamie Anderson and Audio Soul Project are represented here alongside newer artists to the label such as Chymera, Nick & Danny Chatelain, Trackheadz and Blackjoy.

NRK Singles Nine is available now, eexclusively from the NRK webshop

Buy Singles Nine CD Blackjoy - Moustache (Prins Thomas Disko Dub) Jamie Anderson - Time Is Now (Radio Slave Mix) Kerri Chandler - The Promise (Bigga Vocal Mix)

Spirit Catcher new EP on NRK - "Brian Candy" EP - Giorgio Moroder on steroids!
Belgium, a land favoured for its beer, its chocolates, and two guys producing top notch electronic music. Jean Vanesse and Thomas Sohet AKA Spirit Catcher really need no introduction, suffice to say that releases on labels such as 2020 Vision, Freerange, Winding Road, Silver Network and Moodmusic have all captured the Spirit Catcher unique sound since 2003.

“Brain Candy” is a perfectly executed club track, the heavy, thick synth riff and precision drums drives this energetic yet deep house cut, finding its influences in classic European productions like Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase". A well timed break halfway through the track ushers in some nice thick and uplifting chords, and boy do we love chords like these! Described by Fish Go Deep's Shane as "Moroder on steroids", this track is certainly got the power!

"Loving System" is perhaps more typical of the Spirit Catcher sound, a quirky, mid paced, funk-laiden synth workout, with that all essestial thick analogue sound so loved by these Belgians.

Huge support already from Pete Tong, Dave Mothersole, Jimpster, Magik Johnson, Fish Go Deep, Nick Warren and many more, "Brain Candy" EP is out now from the NRK shop, and available digitally at all good download stores.

Spirit Catcher website Brain Candy Loving System Buy 12"

Free Faith/Strobelight Honey fanzine with every shop order
Those rather nice people at Faith/Strobelight Honey have shipped us a few boxes of their latest zine, and a great read it is too! We are giving away a copy with every order at the NRK shop, and it just so happens we've got some really great Winter deals on at the moment - 12"s from £1, CDs from £3 - best thing to do is have a scout around the shop and check out what's on offer - you won't be disappointed!

The Winter 2007/2008 edition of Faith/Strobelight Honey containes features on Omar S, Doc Martin, Moxie Records, Full Circle, Tim Sheridan, Stefan Goldmann's guide to Berlin and much more. House, House and more f*****g house!

Faith Fanzine