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Light Years: A Freer Sounds guide to Calm and Music Conception

Music Conception was founded by Calm aka Farr aka OrganLanguage aka 深川 清隆 aka Kiyotaka Fukagawa in 2001. Japanese producer Calm matters because of the vividness of his compositions. Ultra deep, wonderfully absorbing and skillfully melodic, there are few who capture emotions through instrumental music in the same way as Calm. Incredibly, he is 100% self-taught, without any formal music training. I have been a fan of his music since 2001, when I was fortunate enough to receive a CD promo of one of his projects. Since then, I have been transfixed by his productions. Even if his music hasn’t always been easy to find.

Full article here.

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Moodymann and KDJ Records

More.

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House, Tech, Deep 2025 Playlist

New music, old music and cutting pizza with a blade

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Disco, House, Groove 2025 Playlist

New and old favorites!

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A Freer Sounds Guide to Vega Records

Louie Vega has shown an incredible work rate with Vega Records, as he has done throughout his career. Vega Records has been an excellent vehicle for his musical vision over the last two decades. To some extent, the Vega catalogue mirrors how the Soulful/Latin/Jazzy/Afro slices of House music have developed in this period. The label has released some fantastic records! As we said in the MAW article, MAW did something and everyone else followed from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s. In the last couple of decades, Vega has worked hard to return to such a position of influence. Arguably today, he is a leader in his chosen genres. Although in the 2020s, with its never ending digital churn, there is a lot more competition! MORE

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Grayhound Recordings - Acid House and great parties in San Francisco

Inspired by their legendary parties, Grayhound the label was formed out of the Wicked soundsystem. Listen to the music and read more at https://freersounds.wordpress.com/2025/07/03/grayhound-recordings-acid-house-spirit-and-legendary-parties/

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Nick Holder’s DNH Records: Spirit, Power and Knowledge

DNH is important because it stands for Deepness. (David) Nick Holder founded the label in 1991 in Toronto, Canada. It was named after his initials. DNH was a key label for Deep House in the 1990s and 2000s. In this period, they released classics like Summer Daze, Da Sambafrique and Our Music alongside hundreds of other inspirational tunes. Today, they are still expanding in the digital realm. DNH is a versatile imprint and they can do everything from Jazzy to Disco and Tech angled Deep House grooves. Alongside the music, the label is historically significant for chronicling the Black experience.

Read more here.

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Daniel Wang may be dismissive of Balihu, but we love his carefree take on Disco and House

Records on Balihu are fun. Yes, the sample sourcing was serious and the cryptic messages on the early record centres do mean quite a lot, but the overall message is that music should be fun!

Today, Wang is often dismissive of his Balihu label productions from the 1990s, whilst record nerds and dancers continue to be entranced by them. They have that carefree dancefloor sensibility and the ability to uplift listeners. They do not sound cold or calculated.

And despite whatever Wang thinks, they have much more creativity than what passes for an edit or even an original track these days. These old records should be applauded and may even inspire a new generation to make their own.

More

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Toko Records: Sheffield’s Deep Tech Pioneers

Toko are known for their fantastic Deep Tech grooves and tunes with billowing melodies. It is these records from the 1990s that helped them define their distinctive style. A Deep House revival of sorts has helped them become more relevant again, but the bottom line is that powerful grooves and gorgeous melodies never go out of fashion.

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Glasgow Underground - House music through the generations

Today, Glasgow Underground is a popular label that markets itself towards a new generation of House Music lovers. Squarely for DJs and dancers into Deep House, Tech House and related styles. Releasing new music and covers of everything from Born Slippy to Get ur Freak On.

In the past, GU was hugely influential to a previous generation of DJs and Deep House lovers. We look at the label's journey to where it is today. Listen to the playlist and read more here

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Basement Jaxx - on course for world domination

Basement Jaxx took the musical melting pot of their surroundings and created a bold fusion of House, Latin and Ragga. What set them apart was the catchy and effervescent nature of their tunes. Their early productions embodied the Jaxx spirit of fun dancefloor music that would also work in other surroundings. These tunes were road tested at their legendary parties that took place in a Brixton Church Crypt. Early Jaxx were extremely versatile. They could do Downtempo, Soul, sumptuous Deep House and commercially angled material. The Basement Jaxx duo of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe established their Atlantic Jaxx imprint in 1994. Here they released their early classics, before signing to XL and becoming household names in the late 1990s.

Read more here

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Gonkyburg classic! One of the earliest tracks to feature Yukimi Nagano - a few years before Little Dragon. Speaking of Yukimi, her solo record is out now!

(2003, DNM - Dealers Of Nordic Music, DNMEP004)

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RIP YamWho - The Pirate Soul Story Playlist

We tell the story of Yam Who, Blackbeard and the Pirate Soul era. Then we look at Disco and House edits more generally. Listen to the playlist and read the article here

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Amazing time capsule in 58 seconds @stefanp1

Dance Tracks record store advertisement from 1996 on WKRS FM

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Danny Tenaglia at his most flamboyant! Deadly Deep House grooves. Released on the amazing MAW Double pack.

(2000, MAW Records, MAW-808) Alt interpretation of Code 718 - Equinox (1992)

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Amazing - Antonio Ocasio in the House!

Afro Deep Spiritual House music!

(2025, Tribal Winds, TW052) Bandcamp

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Kevin Yost’s Jazzy Deep, Todd Edward’s Basslines - Freer Sounds i! Records history

Kevin Yost’s Jazzy Deepness, Todd Edward’s Basslines and more – A Freer Sounds history of i! Records.

Read it here!